#Medium Gnarly

[reallyradrecs]

"This # Is No Longer In Service" by Swiss Army Wife

Don’t call me after hours Don’t call me

Loose threads will be devoured Space fills up

I need time to take long showers With a glass of

Hey wait someone’s trying to reach you Maybe it’s somebody that you once knew Don’t seem to recognize the number Commitments slowly seem to drag you under

So stay behind You’ll be fine Just stay inside

[punkrockmixtapes]

Swiss Army Wife - This # Is No Longer in Service (Music Video)

[pasta-in-the-pudding]

Yippy! Once you have the time to write, how would the Creeps (any of your choosing) feel when y/n surprise them with a drink or meal? Like after a hard day.

-🪱 anon

As usual, when given free reign with characters, i do my characters that are most popular at the time, so i hope you enjoy!

Thank you so much for requesting!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Toby

Usually its pretty obvious when Toby's having a bad/rough day

He is one of the few creeps who doesn't mind wearing his emotions on his sleeve

So when he comes home from work an hour or so late, more twigs and dirt in his hair and on his face than usual, and doesnt even bother to bid you hello, you know somethings up

So you make a quick trip to McDonald's, and get him his favorite

10 piece chicken nugget meal with sweet and sour sauce, and a medium sweet tea

When you get back to the manor, there is no sign of Toby anywhere

So you go ahead and go up to his room, where you hear the shower running

You put his food on his nightstand, turn off the lights, light a few candles and pull up his favorite tv show

While you wait, you go ahead and pick up his very dirty uniform that reeks of dirt and dead things, and go ahead and put it in the washer for him

About 30 minutes later, he emerges with a towel wrapped around his waist and another towel in his hands that he uses to dry his hair

He jumps a little bit when seeing someone in his room, but when he notices that it's you, he calms down

He doesn't speak to you as he shuffles over to his dresser and picks out some sweatpants and a baggy band t-shirt he got from Tim

After putting his clothes on, he comes to lay on his bed with you, putting his head on your chest and awaiting the headrubs

You wrap an arm around him lazily and use your other hand to stroke his damp hair "do you wanna talk about it?"

He shakes his head

"Ok. I got you some food" you say, offering a fry

He takes and eats it, before sitting up and eating the rest of his meal

All the food is gone and he is still sipping on his drink when he finally speaks "thank you." Is all he says

You smile and kiss his shoulder "of course, love"

Jeff

Jeff is another one that you can easily tell when he's upset

He has very explosive anger that can sometimes get out of control

And depending on what hes done and who hes hurt, he can sometimes feel very guilty when he comes to

Which is exactly what happened this time

He's punching walls, throwing things, screaming, you name it

No one really knows what triggered this, but Liu eventually tries to step in

Liu is almost immediately shut down, because as soon as he tries to say anything, jeff is shoving him up against a wall and screaming at him next

Which of course, triggers Sully to front

So now Jeff and Sully are in an all out fist fight, and Jeff ends up hurting him pretty bad

Sully ends up with a gnarly concussion and has to spend the night in the medical wing

Now, jeff doesnt feel bad about hurting sully at all, but he does feel bad that he hurt his brother's body

So he shamefully locks himself away in his room, refusing to come out for anything

After an hour of trying to convince him to at least let you in, you instead decide to go get him a tasty treat to make him feel better

You go to a sushi restaurant and get him his favorite rolls, then make a trip to a gas station to get him some arizona tea, mango flavored

When you get home, you slide his food under his door (pretend it wouldve fit 💀) and await a response

You are met with him taking the food and eating slowly, before he eventually lets you in

You spend the rest of the night consolling him, sitting in his lap and telling him that it'll all be ok

He does end up thanking you for the sushi, but its not until a week later when his ego is all better

And in the morning, you take him to see Liu, who is totally playing it up to make jeff feel exxxxtra bad (lmao what losers)

Eyeless Jack

Unlike the other two, jack is very hard to read

He almost always has the same, neutral expression on his face

His emotions only show if he especially vulnerable, like during a blood moon or around other demons, etc

And even then, he tries his hardest to remain nonchalant

So when you finally find him in the library, pacing around, you know somethings bugging him

You know its not gonna be easy to get it out of him though, so you go to his favorite steakhouse and get him steak, loaded mashed potatoes, and water

You come back to the library where he is still pacing, seemingly very deep in thought

You place his food down on one of the long library tables, and watch as his pointy nose twitches, and his eyes flick over to the food

He comes over to the table, where you are now sitting and points at the food "is this for me?" He asks

You nod and he sits next to you, beginning to eat in a way that looks quite weird, almost like hes trying to eat the way a human would, but is failing miserably due to his large teeth and multiple tongues

"What's on your mind?" You ask as he finishes his potatoes

"This and that" he mutters

"This and that being...?" You trail

"Just...a lot" he says, finally finishing his food and taking a sip of water

"I see." You say, standing and coming to drape your arms around his shoulders

"Did the food help? At least a little?" You ask, pressing a kiss to his sharp ear

"Yeah, it was nice. Thank you, dear" he says, turning his head and kissing your nose

"Anytime" you respond, allowing him to kiss you several more times all over your face

[wannaeatramyeon]

I just thought what type of personality is thier child like and what type of dad they are.

Example: Daniel's child will be a chubby child like he is, probably shy and cute child. Daniel would be a dad that give confident to his child so they won't exprience hardship like and also both of them will have a shenanigans of eating in the middle of the night.

Gun's child would be mini Gun but doesn't look for fight like his dad. You can say the child is more of gentleman than Gun tendency. The child probably be like "Mom, How and why did you marry dad" Points at thier father who is rampaging in fight.

Thanks for the ask Sam and sorry it's taken so long 😭

Agree with your HC altho I wonder if Daniel might swing too much the other way being a health nut (after all the bullying and Lookism) and you would have to help him find a happy medium??

Lookism Boys as dads + what their kid is like

Wow that's a mouthful. HC for Jake Kim, Samuel Seo, Warren Chae, Goo Kim, Ryuhei Kuroda, Eugene, Vasco, Zack Lee, Johan Seong

General HC

Most would take after their dad and be at least adept with fighting

Unless specified they would turn out pretty ok. We all know the flaws these men have (except Jake he can do no wrong 🙏) so the coparent needs to balance that out

Jake and Samuels kids would be bff, much to chagrin of Samuel lol. He ends up seeing Jake far too much for his liking but his kid is happy so what can he do

Warren's kid and Yenna bff. Duh

Goo's and Ryuhei's hate each other at first. Always getting each other into trouble. Until. Wow, think of the chaos we can cause TOGETHER

Gun's kid IMO would probably get on with someone like Eugene's. But would be hilarious if they got swept into the Vasco/Zack/Johan dynamic

Eugene's is a bit of a loner. All the fancy upbringing means they have connections and networks rather than close friends 😔

Vasco's, Zack's and Johan's would be like siblings. Constantly pick on and insult each other. They're allowed to. But if someone joins in - WTF DID YOU JUST SAY?? YOU WANNA FIGHT?

Jake Kim

As a dad

Listen. I don't know whether my levels of delusion are way off with this man but he can do no wrong. He would be the best dad, best househusband. He would be harsh but fair and sooo much fun. Unfortunately your kid would be spoilt rotten with all the Big Deal Uncles and Auntie.

The kid

Like father like son/daughter. Absolute unwavering sense of right and wrong, maybe sometimes not too understanding of the shades of grey. A confident kid and heartbreaker - not purposely tho but their rizz will be off the charts like their dad. Of course a natural born leader. That runs in the family too.

Warren Chae

As a dad

Oof. If you thought he was protective over Sally then you have another thing coming. Needs a bit of talking around to give them their freedom and experiences. Apart from that you really can't complain. Warren has an infinite amount of patience. Also reads to them all the time to stop himself missing out words.

The kid

The cutest kind-hearted little soul! Would just be so nice and sweet! Super well adjusted and surrounded by loving adults (Hostel), and also Grandpa Manager Kim. Yknow the kids who are also constantly dirty? Like constant speck of dirt on their face? Yeah also that.

Samuel Seo

As a dad

It might be better if you're a single parent because he is gonna pass on some gnarly generational trauma. Your child will either end up like a mini-Samuel or fingers crossed there will be shitloads of therapy (for daddy and child).

The kid

Strives for perfection, and super ambitious. There's no avoiding some traits. Another natural leader, but rules less with an iron first than Sammy. Would be vain af, and looks after their appearance a LOT. A bit shallow and judgemental but will eventually grow out of it.

Goo Kim

As a dad

Shrewd af and always knows what's going on. Good luck to their kid because there is no lying to Goo. He'll play along and then drop the hammer. However, a bit too lenient so you would have to be the disciplinarian. Lets the kid just get on with things and learn by experience. "Oh you wanna play with the sword? Have fun!" "GOO NO-!"

The kid

Little shit. Sorry there's just no way they wouldn't be a mouthy little asshole. Goo would make sure they respect the parents, but otherwise they are a danger to society. A troublemaker. Figures out all the loopholes to any rules and laws... A constant headache but you can't help but be impressed.

Gun Park

As a dad

Does a lot of research before their kid is born. This guy is pretty thorough with things he is interested in, so if he's taking an active part in the kid's life then he will be meticiulous. Initially. Then, like Goo, will let their kid make their own mistakes. Otherwise, very hands on, doesn't believe in outdated parental roles. After all, this is Gun's ultimate masterpiece.

The kid

Christ. This kid could be the most intimidating child to have ever lived. Not as intense as their dad, but they are playing 5D chess while everyone else is just learning their shapes and numbers. They're cocky and confident, with the skills to back it up.

Ryuhei Kuroda

As a dad

Extremely similar to Goo imo. Would also love to embarrass the kid. Not purposely mind, just he can't keep his hands off or kissing you and no kid needs to see their parents so grossly in love.

The kid

An absolute menace, just like their dad. Huge prankster, mostly harmless. Don't get them together with Goo's kid because jfc they would be absolute terrors together. Unlike their dad in his youth, they would respect the shit out of women. You've seen to that.

Eugene

As a dad

Probably a little cold and severe, putting a bit too much emphasis on grades and perfection. Despite that, would actually be pretty good. Someone that reads up a lot on how to raise a kid, bonding with them etc etc. to form a somewhat healthy relationship.

The kid

Private school little wunderkind. Will grow up with the absolute best of everything and spoilt too so you would need to keep them grounded. Expected to take over Workers. Business acument and ambition will be drilled into them from an early age.

Vasco

As a dad

What is there to say about Tabasco that we don't already know. Would dote on them hand and foot. An absolute pushover! Their kid pulls out the puppy eyes and it's game over. Would teach them to protect themselves but probably draw the line at anything more.

The kid

Really creative? Vasco would place less emphasis on grades and would help to nurture their interest in the arts. But actually super smart too thanks to Uncle Jace's influence. Tbh I think the kid would be pretty perfect and with the kindest heart and stands up to bullies just like dad!

Zack Lee

As a dad

So so similar to Vasco. Has all these ideas on what they should and shouldn't do as a parent. Kid pops out, and Zack's a goner. Literally would do anything and everything for their child. Go absolutely crazy with pride if the kid is interested in boxing.

The kid

Would have no game... Like dad. Sorry. Good job they would be good looking af to even it out. Not a huge emphasis on education and grades thanks to Zack's influence. More focused on athletics. A little shallow and arrogant, but a huge softy underneath.

Johan Seong

As a dad

Panic and anxiety from the day their kid was born and every day after. First because of worrying about their eyes, second because he's just not comfortable with having an actual dependent. Tries to teach them about the evils of the world. Eventually chills out overall and reverts back to being the gentle-hearted boy he used to be.

The kid

For practical reasons, taught braille from an early age just in case. But otherwise a mini-Johan but without the trauma. Very softly spoken and sweet. Just an absolute ray of sunshine. Always accompanied by their dog, their bff and partner when a fight arises.

[the-peak-tmnt]

Reciprocity readers, please give me your input!

All the recent conversations about The Last Ronin due to the movie announcement has me worried the direction I'm headed in is too gnarly. There's no major character death in the plans, but the violence is about to get Last-Ronin-level graphic.

[rosiewalks]

Tutorial / Techniques / Tools Roundup

These are the main ways that I customize and modify my dolls. I'm not an intense customizer, due to limitations imposed by my chronic pain -- so these are all pretty simple, basic mods. This post will be updated as I try new techniques.

I've included a rating for how much pain a mod causes me, in case you are also a chronic pain doll collector. Your pain is different than mine, but if nothing else, I hope this rating helps you feel less alone. First up, piercings (because that's the one I'm most often asked about). cut for length

PIERCINGS Piercing vinyl heads: I follow this video by Of Crafts And Curios, and use the techniques on both Monster High and Rainbow High. RH is a little more difficult, since their heads are harder.

Here are some dolls I've pierced with the above tips.

Lala: Snakebites; EVA: ears, nose, philtrum; Cruella: Nose; Lagoona: lip 2/5 for nerve pain -- one or two piercings is not bad, but if I do a bunch in a row, it's not great for my nerves. Gripping the doll and the tools is suboptimal, but it's a pretty quick mod with a big impact.

HAIR Reroot: Here's one of the videos I followed when I first started collecting. 5/5 nerve pain, I don't do this one anymore.

Fixing gnarly hair: You can "boil wash" hair. Doll hair is plastic. Wetting and then heating it will reshape those plastic fibers, often restoring smoothness. If you brush the hair straight while wet, that will also help smooth it back out. I've also used a flat iron (again, it's not human hair -- get it wet first.) NOTE: Different dolls have different hair fibers; test on a small area first.

I rescued this thrifted Rapunzel by dampening her hair and flat-ironing it.

Boil wash is 0/5 for pain; flat ironing can be up to 4/5, depending on how much hair a doll has and how damaged it is.

Washing doll hair: Honestly, just do whatever. I've used hot water, cold water, dish soap, shampoo, hand soap -- it all comes out the same in my experience. 0/5 for pain.

How to texturize nylon hair: Planning to use this for Delilah; will report back!

Dying RH hair: I haven't done this myself, but Mia has tons of tutorials on her youtube. I commission her to dye my dolls.

Saffron (orig. orange); Poppy jr (orig. orange); Gilly (orig. minty teal); Ophelia & Jade jr (orig. easter grass green). 0/5 pain if you commission Mia.

Hair restyle: I like to follow people-hair folks on IG for dolly hair inspo.

I did EVA's hair based on one of Jessica's tutorials...who may or may not be AI generated ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

2/5 for pain, more if do more or braid a lot.

BODY MODS/REPAIR

Cleaning gook off vinyl & plastic: I start with soap and water. If there's still gook, I'll use a small amount of acetone to try to remove it (acetone will strip off paint, so don't get it on your doll's makeup/eyes). If something still won't budge, I bleach the plastic using benzoyl peroxide (acne cream). Dab a small amount on the stain and let it sit in the light (either sunlight or under a lamp). May take hours to days, and the cream may need to be reapplied, but I've successfully gotten Sharpie out of a Skipper's face with this method.

Head swap: I put the doll in a ziploc bag, dunk her in hot water to soften the head until squishy (longer for big ol' heads like RH), then pull the head firmly off. Be gentle and don't force it -- if it's not working, heat the head more. Barbie heads can usually be smushed back on a new body without re-heating, RH often needs to be heated again to go on a new body.

Both Thalia and Feld got new bodies this way.

1/5 pain -- can cause some pain if I'm impatient and don't let the heads soften enough.

Restring AG doll: I plan to follow this vid by A Thousand Splendid Dolls for my old Felicity doll. Will update.

RH eye swap: Hectorr uses a heat gun, but I use a blow dryer -- I put it on high, rather than medium (as is often suggested), but you'd have to experiment with your own tools. I've tried both hot water and a heating pad to soften the heads, but I like blowdryer best.

Blossom has Daria's eyes, and Genevieve has Olivia's.

OTHER

Free clothing patterns with video tutorials from Chellywood, if you are sewing novice like me and need someone to walk you through things step by step.

I made Goo's leggings, following one of her tutorials.

3/5 to 5/5 for pain. There's a lot of steps and a lot of gripping of small tools and a lot of bending of the neck.

I use acrylic paint pens to detail accessories, add freckles, and change lip color. 1/5 to 3/5 for pain, if I get too focused and don't take breaks.

Poppy's freckles and lips, and Whiskey's boots were done with paint pen. Always feel free to ask how I did something, what materials I used, or how much a tool cost -- I want to help others enjoy their collections and I'm not going to gatekeep anything.

[lottiecrabie]

hello maam lottie i would just like to say i was doing a deep dive of all the tags (as one does) and i came across this in a prof post

“also new au lmao. i see it in a miss fischer way like 1920s noir detective and you’re the eccentric socialite that helps him solve murders.”

and i would just like you to know i have been thinking about them and their banter and freaky sex in probably inappropriate places for days from this one (1) sentence Ok good night

friend i am so glad you brought it up i’ve had this in my drafts for literal months but figured no one remembered lol

it’s still an au i love like what a fun quirky little idea!! i was rewatching miss fischer recently and kept going Man this is too cool. if i remember correctly i never developed it any further because the historical au didn’t seem too fitting for a Modern Musician Tumblr Smut medium lol, as well as knowing myself and knowing i would get way too neurotic about it and need all this research on the Era and then i’d want to actually write a Mystery and i’d most likely be Terrible at that. alas!

i’d love to see matty all broody and fake-annoyed with reader meddling in his cases, but she’s objectively very helpful and sharp and becomes essential to solving crime. they meet when someone dies at one of the Socialite Soirée she attends and while he’s trying to interrogate the witnesses and clear the place, she’s just buzzing around him doing her own side investigation. she has some dazzling little risqué outfit and is sooo distracting. them sharing a glass of whiskey in his office every time they solve a case (and where they eventually end up fucking nasty on his desk lol). her bringing him to a high society soirée for an investigation and them dancing together For the cover of course. him showing her how to shoot since she Insists on putting herself into these gnarly situations with murderers. seducing a suspect for information and he’s Jealous. long trench coats and flapper dresses and they all smoke inside<33 ahhh what could have been

[all-souls-matinee]

Quick-bite reviews: V/H/S/Beyond (2024) dir. Jay Cheel, Jordan Downey, Virat Patel, Justin Martinez, Christian & Justin Long, Kate Seigel

I finally decided to stop covering this franchise (last year's '/85' remains unwatched) when '/Beyond' had to go ahead and be pitched as an alien-centric V/H/S with a segment written by my horror enemy Mike Flanagan. I've seen a fair chunk of alien horror movies and never have much to say about them because... they're bad... but I'm always rooting for a good one to come into existence. They're like my now-horrible home baseball team; I KNOW the storytelling optics aren't there, it wouldn't be a problem if we could assemble the perfect cast and crew and have infinite time and infinite money. The original V/H/S actually had a memorable piece of alien horror so that's encouraging? It wasn't good but it was memorable! It was there! My feelings on Flanagan only made for extra incentive; if I couldn't have a good alien horror movie at least I could have another alien horror movie to be performatively mad at.

Mike Flanagan has been forgiven; alien horror has made it to first base.

Beyond is still very much a V/H/S movie so was never going to be my thing, but I think it's successful(!) because every segment understands that the job of a V/H/S movie is to feel like a theme park haunted house. The usual buckets of gore and barf and what have you are coordinated this time around, showman-like. The frame story, notoriously the worst part of even the best anthology horror, re-grounds the aliens when segments stray and is a great example of how to lovingly and effectively mock cable-cum-YouTube documentaries. The creature design and bad acting of the first segment are fun enough, while the second segment is a commentary on Mumbai's Film City that feels like homage to and improvement upon the original V/H/S. The third segment goes crazy; UFO attack on a skydiving plane?? and then aliens with interesting designs chase everyone in broad daylight and rip them apart into Halloween decorations??? That's what we've been waiting for! The momentum is building! Then there's Justin Long's abysmal segment. Most unfunny comedy torture-horror I've ever seen, made me think I was going to have to rate this even lower than past panned V/H/Ses, Saw 18 directed by Doug Walker, etc., etc., until, finally, we lose the haunted house angle and Flanagan takes center stage.

His alien story is so good I didn't want to believe it was him writing it, and so painfully UNBEARABLY Stephen King I knew it couldn't be anyone else. Clever sci-fi concept that does my favorite thing in the world by focusing on the UFO itself, eye-rollingly maudlin over American family values, intentionally funny in places, and scary!!! I said 'no way' out loud when I realized how it was going to end; timed just right, not too early but still well before the protagonist. I'm giving Flanagan so much credit because it's the kind of short story I would've been completely enraptured by as a kid, but on film its function is really thanks to director Kate Seigel and near-solo actress Alanah Pearce. They use their medium (infrared camera!) and place in the framework to full advantage, which is why I'm glad it's a little treat within a schlocky horror anthology instead of a short film in its own right.

Buy a ticket? With these V/H/S reviews I always say 'no it's bad don't watch it unless you already like the franchise,' and THIS time... still no lmao. It isn't quite good enough to merit a recommendation, but that's on high highs and low lows rather than the kind of mediocre stickiness of past entries. If you're interested in going through a haunted house (these things continue to hit right at my limit for gore and body horror) to include one gnarly alien story and one interesting one? You could do worse. Not a home run, but first base. They hit the ball <3

[some-french-asshole]

I think the Uzumaki anime is pretty faithful to the source material, just a bit faster paced.

Oh.. oh the faithfulness isn't my problem here. It could have been a completely original set of stories set in the Uzumaki canon/lore and I would have eaten it up. My problem is that the animation is

1) Way too inconsistent, it goes from jaw droppingly detailed and smooth to what I can only compare to Bezerk 2016 level of stiff animation in episode 2

2) Most of the framing is just weak. The shots are static and lack all the gravitas and rhythm that a anime adaptation could have brought. In short, the camera work looks bland 90% of the time (there are some really cool exceptions though)

I'm relatively satisfied with what the anime covers plot wise because I don't think Uzumaki is about one continuous progression of events. I see it more like a very fucked up photo album that gets progressively more and more insane as you flip the pages. You can go back, you can look at those photos in the order you like. You can make it as chaotic as you want, but at the back of each photo, at the end of each chapter, there is going to be that one horrible, blood curdling image that is so awfully detailed you can't help to look despite your hands fighting to close that damn photo album. And you look at it, you keep looking at it and you feel trapped in that moment until you decide to turn the page.

The anime doesn't spend enough time on any of those scares (with the exception of the spiral girl). For a show that has relatively slow and weighty animation, I find it baffling that they wouldn't take advantage of all the technics that make moving images terrifying. Long claustrophobic shots, gnarly close ups, well timed cuts.. even with weak animation, good editing can do wonders and create a genuinely tense atmosphere. There's this shot that I loved where Suichi and his mother are looking around the house for the father. They're opening and closing doors in this small hallway and the position of the camera, the twisted angle, the stuffiness of that hallway made it all feel really tense. And then they get in the room where the father is and where in the manga you have this gigantic double spread that grabs you and forces you to look at every single detail, you get a short shot of that twisted man and cut to the next scene. This happens several time in the anime.

Uzumaki the anime, sadly, has failed in so many regards to me. The voice acting is good, the soundtrack is phenomenal and the sheer audacity of even adapting this story is incredible. I'm just disappointed that the anime didn't take advantage of the strength of its medium

[a-s-levynn]

Happy little trees

aka the only way i know how to draw trees, and even that is thanks to Bob Ross

@alexghost07 I hope this helps! ♥

Always click for better quality, tumblr is not friendly to most image ratios !

Most people (including myself originally) are simply overthinking it. Especially if you are working with a medium that has one colour on a spectrum. For example a graphite pencil. Like i do.

These are so simple that it just.. for me it always felt like cheating almost. It cannot be this easy can it? Well, it is.

For me what helped is that now i never draw them with anything harden than a 2B pencil and very rarely softer than a 4B but there is no rules for these things. Do what feels right and comfortable for you and your desired end result.

And it's not that it would not be doable with a B or HB or even an H pencil, i just prefer the softer side. Easier to control and has an inherent softness that lends itself great to foliage if you are not aiming for high detail. At least for me.

But even between 2B and 2B are differences depending on the quality of the graphite. And a 4B for comparison.

And the scanned version to actually see the differences:

Not a huge difference but everyone has preferences or ideas what goes better with the given drawing or look they try to achieve.

You can also play with the darkness, naturally, to make it even more silhouette than tree:

But maybe the biggest help for me was to switch pencil hold for this. Usually i hold my pencils and pens either like this, this or this:

It is dependent if my hand is hurting/cramping or the area i'm drawing or how i want my lines to fall, how defined or blended shading i want, or to avoid smudgeing if i'm too lazy to get something to put under my hand etc.

But for the trees i am holding it like so:

I do this for these trees or foliage of similar kinds. For bushes and other kinds of trees i just make the trunks a bit more gnarly and the crowns more fluffy in a cloud esque way, and let everything blend together. The viewer's brain fills out most of it anyway.

The goal is for me to evoke foliage just enough to be translated and recognized as for examople: a road between bushes and trees. (instead of beeing just random scribbles on paper)

(I also made the farther ones lighter because as you look towards the horizon in larger expanses, the further away things are, the lighter and less defined they seem.)

And the obligatory video, just so you can actually see what i'm talking about here. Until 2:40 it is real time, so you can see at the actual speed how i am doing these. The rest of the video is about x5.2 speed.

Originally it was almost 8 minute so let's say this little scene took about 10 minutes altogether. It definitely looks like a 10 minute sketch but i love this type of stuff. It's low effort and still looks good.

This is with a single 4B pencil and a white pencil thingie i talked about before.

(No sounds on the video besides the pencil on the paper. Also shout out to my goblet, replacing the RedBull can from last time. ✌🏻)

The main thing is that i try to avoid it to be too symmetrical but still keeping a level of semi-symmetry because pine trees do have a natural symmetry.

And the propeerly scanned end results:

I really hope it helps, because these are very fun to draw and far more easier than people might originally think.

Thank you again if you read this far, happy creating! I hope your day is kind to you. ♥

[reallyradrecs]

don’t call me after hours don’t call me

loose threads will be devoured space fills up

i need time to take long showers with a glass of

hey wait someone’s trying to reach you maybe it’s somebody that you once knew don’t seem to recognize the number commitments slowly seem to drag you under

so stay behind you’ll be fine just stay inside

[punkrockmixtapes]

Listen/purchase: Aight, I'mma Head Out by Swiss Army Wife

[purplekoop]

I have a passing fear as a creator who wants to do a variety of projects that I'll be boxed into expectations in the uncertain event I do make something of a hit. I more often think about this in regards to medium, like how I couldn't have the time or capacity to make games and do the non-game superhero project I also want to make. But that's for practical reasons, no people are saying I can't do that or whatever, it's just improbable I could get the skills and resources needed to do both.

But then what about when it's not genre or medium as the contrast but. "Intended audience maturity level", to put it one way. See my one big superhero comic/story/whatever is about a team of teenagers, which is a choice that was initially just a "yeah why not" decision based on me being in my late teens at the time of the idea's original conception, but has since become part of the narrative and its themes. There's a lot of great parts of the cast's stories that only work with the fact they're still kids. But then there's still a lot of things that I could want to explore, but can't because. Teenagers.

Now, getting a little more philosophical here, but I do believe strongly that making something "all ages" is far from a limiting factor on the appeal of a work. A recent popular example is Bluey, a show made for preschoolers that has a massive adult fanbase because the creators realized you can make a show that kids can watch and enjoy, and still make it entertaining for adults. There's a lot in the show that people traditionally wouldn't expect from any sort of kid's show, but it's not anything shocking, and instead highlights a lot that we assume young kids can't handle is actually fine to talk about. The unironic brilliance of Bluey is something people who are more dedicated fans of it than I have already gone in-depth about, but it's just one more dramatic example. To contrast, there's making a show explicitly mature can alienate an audience it otherwise would have. On the opposite end of popular animated shows from recent years is Invincible, which is a superhero show I've heard primarily great things about, but have no desire to watch because of its graphic gore. I don't wanna watch that! Gore freaks me out! And I know I don't have to watch that, because there's been several superhero shows in the past that have touched similar themes of corruption within superheroes that, because of the fact they aired on family-friendly channels, don't have that same issue of accessibility. But there's merits to Invincible and what it brings to the genre-wide conversation of superhero media that are essentially gated to people like myself who can't handle the gory elements. Not to say that gore isn't an artistic choice with merits on its own, it's certainly a hell of a way to show violent brutality, but it's one that comes at the cost of limiting the audience who can comfortably watch the show. Which, to put it in one way that sounds deranged out of context, makes Bluey the opposite of Invincible. I guess. Tangential, but most of what I say for Invincible's limited accessibility also applies to Mortal Kombat. I've been getting more into fighting games over the past few years, but against the other classics of the 90's like Street Fighter and King of Fighters, which have evolved since but have held true to their roots, Mortal Kombat's comical levels of gore feel dated. When fighting games are such a cool genre when you get to learn more and experiment with different characters and ideas from different sources, it feels so silly to saddle them to excessive levels of mutilating digital bodies that only get more gnarly detail with each entry, at no real benefit to the mechanics that make the game interesting. It's a cheap trick that worked on arcade-going preteen boys in the 90s, but now doesn't really help much to sell it to potential new fans. This is, again, in contrast with the other big names who've been around since then, and the many more games big and small that have popped up in the meantime, which have actively sought to make themselves more approachable to new and longtime fans for the better.

So, making something intended for wider audiences isn't necessarily limiting... but.

There are still a lot of things that a show's audience or subject matter can limit. Going back to my original project, having teenagers be the leads is part of the point, with the major theme of how it feels being "othered" and needing to keep some things secret growing up for your safety. But it also means it'd be inappropriate to feature or discuss anything sexual because... I mean they're kids, so that'd be. bad. Plus, I want the story to be something that people the age of the protagonists (along with anyone else, younger or older) to enjoy.

But what if I want to make a story with these more mature themes? Okay, I can make it another story and make it clear it's for a different audience than the first one. But. Can I actually do that? Functionally yes, if I could make one then I could almost certainly make the other. But then that has to grapple with the fact my name is on both the all-ages story *and* the story made for just adults. Does that make a weird expectation I'm only allowed to make one or the other. If I make a less serious first comic intended for adults, does that make people think I'm a creep for going into something "for kids" later on? What about the opposite, am I a creep for making something kid-friendly first and then leading on an impressionable young audience with horrible, inappropriate filth afterwards?

This probably is paranoia, but then I think about the small artists who have been harassed for having to do anything with anything sexual. I was gonna add some additional criteria to that but. No, you get massive flak for the most mundane things that would dare even graze past the Hayes code. You give them a reason to hold your work up to the chaste standards of mainstream family-friendly entertainment, and then it feels like asking for trouble. Then again my existence doesn't meet those standards so... not sure how much I can hope for.

I mean they let the creator of Stripperella cameo on Phineas and Ferb but maybe he did enough other stuff to let him get away with that. I think he's neat at least, for reasons unrelated to either of those shows.

anyways if I get around to that other superhero idea I'll let you guys know

[frodothefair]

Hobbit Stew

Ingredients:

2 pints Bone broth - of (roast) chicken, preferably

1 yellow onion - cut into chunks, and not uniform chunks but various sizes and shapes because we are a diverse and complicated people.

1.5 carrots, medium sized - cut lengthwise, then slice into half-moons. Carrots are mostly for the fall color palette, but also for their earthiness Middle-earthiness.

1/2 pound bacon - of course. Some of our kind has tried veganism, but have not been seen or heard from since.

Mushrooms - like, not button mushrooms or other flavorless jokes, but real, fungussy, forest-ass mushrooms. The kind that grows next to cowshit, or out of gnarly af trees.

Preparation:

1. In a stockpot, over medium high heat, cook bacon until nice, crispy. Remove the bacon and set aside.

2. Add onions to pot and agitate until caramelized, about 10 minutes (or two ballads' worth).

3. Stir in carrots. After one more ballad, stir in mushrooms. Add salt and pepper to taste. Continue stirring 2 minutes. Return cooked bacon to pot.

4. Add broth, one half-pint at a time, until stock-pot boils.

Serving ideas / requirements:

Serve in shallow bowls. Good and proper for including in any of the seven daily meals. Pairs well with bread, tomatoes, white fish, and nice golden chips. Save some for Mister Frodo.