#aka me messing with photoshop and being terrible at it.

[herspawn]

The mental image I have of Ivy after getting her mom's homemade go-go juice after becoming her champion. Not included is the slightly longer fangs and her long nails that vaguely look like claws.

[kimyoonmiauthor]

Tears for Fears and AI

Back to posting about AI. Stick around and maybe you'll learn some basic copyright law and Graphic design principles about why the cover sucks. AKA why you spend the money to pay for a graphic designer at least if not a photographer/designer.

Background: So Tears for Fears released an album cover which was made by someone who "professionally uses AI"

I should note that some of the content of this post, though not copied by words, was said under the Tears for Fears post. The notes I made about composition failing and Typography, the sky, and color notes are mine. I have done my best to give credit, but I missed a few and thus have pointed out when it wasn't my own idea. 'cause stealing other people's observations would defeat the purpose of this post.

Then they have the audacity after looking at that man's Photoshop layers to call that a collage. Even though the image itself is terrible and has a lot of basic issues.

If you can't see the Photoshop layers, it's basically. Gen AI, Gen AI, Gen AI Black layer, and text layer. Gen AI background. They are calling this a collage. Oh, Masking. Oh, look, set out the guidelines for the print bleed and then botched the composition lines without a ruler.

A collage is done in fair use category in such a way that the arrangement of elements is 1. unique, 2. makes a new statement and 3. uses less than 10 percent of the total image and/or is used as a parody.

A collage actually uses design principles and juxtaposition to boost the core message of the piece being produced, not overall harms it.

This image is far from that.

BUT BUT THE CONCEPT IS ORIGINAL...

BTW, the horizon line on the helmet is correct on this one, not that AI would ever understand that. It's called perspective.

Yeah, no.

Look, most AI prompters haven't developed or challenged their creativity that much so they don't know what the hell they are doing.

And besides, look at the other Album covers. They are better composed. The AI generated one needs to be composted.

But AI was only "one of the elements used."

99%, the other percentage is the text.

OK, let's get past the point that the idea isn't new which is terrible marketing, BTW. And all of the basic ethical concerns about AI.

But the composition is decent...

Honestly, the composition makes me want to cry.

First off the horizon line should follow the rule of thirds.

Either 2/3rds sky to 1/3 middle ground. Or 2/3rds middle ground to 1/3 sky. This is almost dead center, which sets my graphic designer and photographer senses on edge. I want to swear so much. DO NOT SPLIT your composition in half unless you have a really good reason for it. And he has no reason for it. There is no "choice" between two things, your eyes doesn't need to switch, he's got absolutely no clue how to do any basic composition.

Barring that, the horizon line cuts straight through the middle of the head which looks awkward. The horizon line reflected is odd compared to the picture. See the genuine plagiarized from picture has a different horizon line? Yes, because reflections are like this.

This is purely my note.

Second the guy botched The golden mean.

Not going to explain it. But the placement of the astronaut in the larger composition is incorrect. If the helmet is the focal point, he messed it up severely. Notice that the other compositions of the same theme do not mess it up.

This is also purely my note.

The typography is horrid.

What is with the same value for the album title and the name of the band? My typography prof would have my head for that choice alone. Then you have the fact that you can't see the title at all. Remember, large contrast with small text on large space is readable. This does not do that.

I didn't realize there was a title or the name of the band on it until someone pointed it out, and then when I looked at the typography I about lost it.

The font choice is strange. The color is wrong and the margin spacing makes me cry in the print bleed.

And the tracking? What are you doing? There is a huge space between the words for "Songs for" then "a" then "Nervous Planet."

What is that? That's not a good choice.

Did you get AI to do your crappy typography too? Typography also communicates and works with, not against the image.

Uhhhghhh I could spend so much type ranting against the typography, but there are other errors to get into.

lol This is purely me, though I didn't see the type at first until it was pointed out.

The details of the space suit are wrong.

An Astronaut suit doesn't look like that.

What are you doing?

Would be faster to use a NASA Suit and then Photoshop in the reflection. You'd have to get permission, but that's not difficult.

This is purely my note. ^^;; I drew an astronaut by hand in a pixel program, so I roughly knew the one used was wrong.

The sunflowers are wrong

You know why sunflowers are called sunflowers? Oh, because they are famous for pointing every which way the sun is not? What? What?! So they will point at the ground, they will point east and west in the same photo. You know, that's why they are called effing sunflowers. What? What do you mean that makes no sense?

The AI genned photo versus the genuine one he copied and plagiarized from, see the difference? Oh My! The sunflowers are lined up in the same direction, as if they are pointed towards the what? The sun! Maybe that's why they are called effing sunflowers.

See, a human out in the world can experience sunflowers and see them throughout the day to know they are going to what? Always point towards the sun.

This was pointed out by someone else on the posts. But damned brilliant. The words are mine.

The clouds are wrong

I learned this in geography class, but there are cloud types for different levels of the atmosphere. Cumulus clouds are more likely to hang lower. Do you see the problem yet?

Also the clouds look too similar and the same.

Compare the images of the AI genned and the one he plagiarized from.

See, there is actual ranking to the clouds which also gives it depth. (Plus the earth in the background is pretty cool since it ranks the background int a secondary background. Did you learn about perspective? No?)

This is purely me.

The green nurple?

AI made a mistake with the sunflowers trying to twist the nipples of the suit? What?

If the guy could paint, it's an easy fix, but he can't paint so he leaves that mess there?

This was pointed out by someone else. Finding the origin of this turned out to be difficult since it was copy-pasted by different people.

The color scheme isn't my favorite.

My personal thing, but the colors feel off to me as if the guy has never met a color wheel before. I would wholly be tempted to force primary triadic especially since he wants to make the type red, though the shades of blue and yellow feel "off" to me compared to the genuinely made ones. I want more depth to the color ranges.

To show what I mean, the basics of color are usually saturation, hue, and brightness.

Ideally you want three shades of the same color for what are called highlights, midtones, and darks.

See, this, feels rich in color even though it's only bichromatic.

This is a genuine cumulus cloud formation.

The reason for the feeling of DEPTH is simply because there is a midtone blue, a dark saturated blue and then a different, but similar lighter, less saturated blue on the opposite end, but not on the direct diagonal. AND it comes to a logical horizon.

Does the AI genned image understand that and how light reacts? No, it does not.

This makes the image feel lifeless and flat, without purpose to do so. It doesn't add to the words "Planet" or "Nervous"

When a golden mean diagram has better understanding of gradients than your AI genned horizon which totally does not understand how a horizon line works, that's when you know you've been scammed.

Look at the horizon line on the genuine sky? !@#$. Do you see the issue yet compared to the genned AI image. Yes, yes. I know you see it.

!@#$.

When you remove say the midtones, it's an artistic choice, but in doing so, you have to really make it carefully or you eff the whole piece. The choices we make as graphic designers are purposeful, thought out and composed and then pushed into the art piece. Why? We have some semblance of how people think because we are humans.

This is purely me. I really hate the color scheme here. It's off. This is purely graphic design training on my part.

Ethical Concerns

"Songs for a nervous planet"

Sounds environmental until you know that gen ai machines eat a TON of electricity, thus power, thus pollute the planet, and create more heat and also contribute to global warming. They also drain the power grid as well and don't use the amount of sustainable energy as they say they do.

I suppose Boomers no longer care about the planet?

Been floating around for a while. I didn't originally find it, but you can see MIT here.

Plagiarism

The concept isn't new. The art is all stolen, but not done correctly anyway. The basis of gen AI is stolen. (Credited already).

Why are we here anyway? Oh yeah, some tech bros who knew nothing about art decided to collectively steal everyone's work without their permission and then try to undercut the artists until the artist put up protections against them, and now the tech bros are crying, but we need to force you to give up your material without an opt out option so we can feed our AI machine to undercut you with degenerate and substandard creations that don't understand the fundamentals of what it is like to be a human being because their AI is a simulacrum of humanness rather than an experience or a collective experience of humanness.

Clearly I side with Althusser on this one.

Anyway, the law from what I know (not a lawyer) says that art is fair use if it only uses 10% or is public domain. the majority of NASA images are public domain, it wasn't that hard to find a picture of an astronaut, make sure it was fair domain. What is hard for this prompter--not artist is that they clearly, clearly do not know the basics of life and graphic design if they think the final image is "good".

The problem here is that AI is based 100% on stolen art and 0% on personal life experiences. And the last part is what it makes it art and I would argue copyrightable.

Conclusion

What graphic design artists and artists do, etc is give you that feeling of the more you stare at it, the more satisfied you feel about the emotions it's trying to give you because those little details start to stick out at you, such as the energy or precision of the brush strokes, even in digital art. Or the amount of time you have to know that person spent

on something minute such as the tick on where the clock hand should go, or how the 6 is just a tiny bit off compared to the perspective on this piece.

This painting rewards you the more you stare at it. The closer you are to it since I've seen it in real life and would keep spotting more and more every time. That little rock behind what looks like a dead tree or branch, the hollowness of the tree, the indefinite shoreline of water, the water itself alluding to memory and of the mind. The way the horizon isn't quite precise, but that's a purposeful suggestion to suck you in. Each precision speaks to you until an emotion washes over you and then the next little detail sticks out at you and keeps pulling you ever in.

Gen AI makes you recoil every time you look at the details. You're left with asking about intention and then you have none. AI does not care about the details. It has not breathed or lived a full life.

Art not only delivers a point of view to the viewer, but graphic design also delivers a type of psychology that cannot be replicated by someone whose never lived and breathed, needed to eat, go to the bathroom, never experienced a field of flowers brushing past your hands, never seen a beach, never laughed when they saw someone botch taking photography of a beach, never cried over loss or extreme happiness and never dreamed. These are points of view. This is what art allows us to tap into fundamentally and this is why AI ultimately is flat. There is no surface to delve into. The surface is flat. And the details make you hate the art, rather than make you think or feel, and who wants art like that?

!@#$ I tested AI once and it couldn't figure out how to get out of the subway station. What makes you think it can make one effectively?

For those artists out there, don't use AI. Who wants to eat chocolate chip cookies that are ooey gooey inside, hot from the oven only to find out that there are egg shells inside, lumps of salt, not well sifted sugar, lumps of baking soda, and find out that the chocolate chips are melting plastic. To me, that is in essence AI. Looks good until you try to consume it and then you try not to cry for the next 20 minutes, not from overwhelming emotion of something great or something that made you happy, but that you're not rewarded but rather disappointed by the reality of the situation. Where is the final kick of detail that connects you to your audience and the understanding of what it really means to be a human being with a perspective on life? And that's why AI can't do art.

[thelastspeecher]

Stanuary ‘21 - Week Two: Sacrifice

I haven’t actually posted any writes here on tumblr with my Fashion AU, and I don’t think I’ve even really talked about it much.  So, why not use that AU for Stanuary?

What you need to know for this AU: Stan and Ford go to art school together (Stan for drawing - he wants to work on Lil Stanley, Ford for fashion), it’s a modern AU (aka they are born much later, becoming adults post-2000), Ford starts his own fashion brand, and Stan...well, you’ll see what Stan decides to do.

Enjoy.

———————————————————————————————————–

              “Son of a-” Ford muttered.  Stan looked up from his sketches.  They were both working on their school projects, though for once, Ford was swearing under his breath more than Stan.

              He’s still pretty new to sewing, that’s all. While Ford excelled at designing clothing, he struggled with actually creating it.  As Stan watched, Ford accidentally stuck himself with a needle again.

              “Fucking-”  Ford trailed off, mumbling darkly.

              “You all right there, Sixer?” Stan asked. Ford looked up.  “You keep swearing.”

              “Did I offend you?” Ford asked snidely.  Stan snickered.

              “Not even close.”

              “Well…”  Ford set the fabric on his lap with a sigh.  “I didn’t realize that going into fashion would entail making the clothing I designed.  If I’d known-”

              “You woulda chose a different major?”

              “No.  But I would have asked for sewing lessons from Mom.”

              “You’re in luck.”  Stan got up from his desk.  He walked over to Ford’s bed and sat next to his twin.  “Mom got sick of patching up my clothes all the time when we were kids, so she showed me how.  Hand it over.”

              “You have your own work to do,” Ford protested. Stan took the fabric from Ford. “Your studies shouldn’t suffer just because I can’t sew!”

              “Eh, I’m pretty much done with Lil Stanley for the day,” Stan said, shrugging.  “Gimme that.”  He took Ford’s needle.  Ford grumbled wordlessly, but wisely didn’t continue to protest.  “Anyways, here’s how you sew without sticking yourself every second.”

-----

              Stan stared blankly at the worksheet before him.

              Why the hell do I have to take a physics class? I’m here to work on my comic book. I don’t need physics for that! After a few more moments of trying to make sense of his worksheet, Stan gave up.  With a sigh, he turned to face Ford, deciding to finally ask for some help. If I fail outta this class, I’ll have to take it again and miss my chance for Advanced Character Design next semester.

              “Hey, Ford?” Stan asked.  Ford, who was once again sitting on his bed sewing, grunted wordlessly.  “You know physics, right?”

              “Yes,” Ford mumbled.

              “I’m stuck on my homework, think you could-”

              “Normally, I’d be thrilled to help you,” Ford said, “but I’m kind of in the middle of something, Stanley.”  Ford huffed impatiently.  “The last few times I’ve finished my design prototypes, they look all right on the hanger, but terrible on an actual model.”

              “Why don’t you put them on, then?” Stan suggested. “The person who was in this room before us left that full-length mirror.  You can look at yourself in that.”

              “That might work, but it would be exceedingly slow,” Ford said.  “I’d have to make marks, then take off the clothes to make adjustments, then put them on again, then make more marks, then-”

              “I get it,” Stan said, stopping Ford’s rambling. “You can’t mess with it properly if you’re the one modeling it.”  He frowned. “What about getting a mannequin?”

              “I don’t have the money for that!”

              “Doesn’t the fashion department have some?”

              “Yes, but I can’t take it home with me!”

              “Okay, okay, calm down,” Stan said.  He leaned in.  “Want me to…liberate one for you?”  Ford glared at him.  “No stealing. Got it.”  Stan glanced at his physics worksheet again.

              Honestly, being poked by needles is more of a good time than working on that bullshit.  Stan looked back at Ford.

              “I’ll model your clothes.”

              “Really?” Ford asked, his eyes wide.  Stan shrugged.

              “Sure.  Why not?”

              “Well, you have your own schoolwork to do…”

              “I can do it after.”

              “But I don’t know how long it will take for me to finish adjustments-”

              “It’s not like I’d be able to get much done without your help, anyways,” Stan said dismissively.  Ford chewed on his lip.  “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, Ford.”  Stan got up and took the clothes from his twin.  He removed his shirt and slipped on the top Ford had been working on.  “Let’s be real, I was made to be a model anyways.”  Ford smiled faintly.  “Hand me the pants.”

-----

              Stan threw open the door to the dorm room he shared with Ford.

              “Guess who just got Lil Stanley in the school paper?” he crowed.  Ford, once again sitting on his bed attempting to sew, looked up.

              “Hmm…” he said, feigning thoughtfulness.

              “And don’t say that chick friend of yours who hates my guts,” Stan said.  Ford snickered.  “I’ve seen her sketch.  She can’t draw for shit.”

              “Congratulations, Stanley,” Ford said.  Stan preened.  “With all of your hard work, it’s definitely well-deserved.”

              “Yeah, my adviser says that if I keep working on it, I might be able to make Lil Stanley big.”

              “If you did that, it wouldn’t be ‘lil’ any more though, would it?” Ford asked.  Stan laughed. “Seriously, I’m very happy for you. I know that you never intended to attend a ‘fancy art school’ with me.”

              “Yeah.”  Stan sat next to Ford.  “But I like it.”  He eyed Ford’s latest project.  “How’s your clothes stuff coming along?”  Ford sighed heavily.  “Not well, I’m guessing.  Want me to try it on so you can make adjustments?”

              “I greatly appreciate the offer, but, no, my problem is different.  The person who was going to model this for my final got sick.  Now, I have to scramble to find someone.”

              “Doesn’t the fashion department have a warehouse of students to model?” Stan asked.  Ford frowned at him in confusion.  “I think the warehouse has some weird name, like, Theater Department or something like that.”  Stan elbowed Ford playfully.  Ford rolled his eyes.  “Am I wrong?”

              “No, you’re right, many of our models are theater students.”

              “Makes sense.  They like wearing weird clothes and being the center of attention.”

              “Stan…”  Ford shook his head, trying to hide his chuckle.  “Unfortunately, it’s finals for the theater students as well.  None of them have the time to model for me.”

              “I’m not a theater student,” Stan said.  Ford looked at him.  “I can model for you.”

              “Are you sure?”

              “I do it all the time so you can make adjustments on your stuff.”  Stan shrugged.  “It’s not like I’m walking down the catwalk at New York Fashion Week or whatever.”

              “Don’t you have finals?”

              “None of ‘em are tests.  They’re all projects.”

              “Have you finished your projects?” Ford prodded.

              “Pretty much.”

              “Stanley…”

              “What did I tell you about looking a gift horse in the mouth, Sixer?”

              “…Don’t do it?”

              “Exactly!”  Stan flicked the fabric that Ford was still holding.  “Make this fit me, and I’ll walk the runway.”

-----

              There was a ping from Stan’s computer. He minimized Photoshop and pulled up his email.  His mouth went dry.  It was a message from a publisher.

              Don’t get your hopes up, Stan.  You’ve only been getting rejections, this is probably just another one.  Holding his breath, he opened the email.  His jaw dropped.

              “We’re pleased to inform you…”

              “Holy shit!” Stan shouted.  He punched the air triumphantly.  “I did it!  I fucking did it!  I-”  A door slammed somewhere in the apartment, closely followed by heavy stomps.

              That can’t be good.  With a sigh, Stan got up from his desk.  He exited his bedroom, walked down the hall, and entered the living room.  Ford had thrown himself onto the couch face-down.  Sometimes I hate being right.

              “What’s wrong?” Stan asked.  Ford lifted his head.

              “You recall that I have my first show tonight, right?” he said.  Stan nodded. “Angie’s still on board to model the women’s line, but my male model…”

              “Let me guess.  He fell through.”

              “He went to a competitor who could afford to pay him more.”

              “Ah.”  Stan walked over to the couch.  “Scooch.” Ford obediently sat up and moved. Stan sat next to him.  “Remember what I did for you while we were still in school?  Before you managed to start your own fashion brand?”  Ford frowned at him.  “C’mon, Sixer, did you really forget?”

              “Are you…referring to how you modeled my clothing for my classes?”

              “Yep.”

              “You’re offering to model for me in an actual show?!” Ford asked, aghast.  Stan crossed his arms.

              “You don’t think I’ve got what it takes?”

              “No, not- I just- you don’t actually have any training on modeling!”

              “I’ll get Angie to show me.”

              “She despises you.”

              “Yeah, but you’re like, her best friend.  She’ll show me how to model if it’s for you,” Stan pointed out.  Ford put his head in his hands.  “You can’t let this chance pass you by, Ford!  This is your first show, it needs to go off without a hitch!”

              “Yes, but-”

              “No buts.  I’ll call up Angie, you work on altering those clothes of yours,” Stan said firmly.  Ford sighed. He looked at Stan.

              “She won’t pick up if you call.”

              “I’ll call from your phone,” Stan said, already grabbing Ford’s phone from the nearby end table.

              “Don’t spill anything on it or drop it this time, okay?”

              “You got it.”  Stan got up.  Before he had left the living room, Ford spoke.

              “Stanley?”

              “Yeah?”

              “…Thank you,” Ford said softly.  “I think you’re right.  This- this really is the only way for my show to not end in disaster.”

              “Of course I’m right!” Stan said dismissively. He threw a grin over his shoulder. “And it’s not a problem.  Not like I’ve got anything better to do.”  Stan headed for his bedroom.  Just as he pulled up Angie’s number to call her, his computer chimed again.  He sat down at his desk and checked his email.

              “Mr. Pines, please respond promptly so that we can set up a meeting for tonight to discuss publishing your comic. Unfortunately, if you are unable to speak tonight, we will have to pass on you as a comic creator with our company.” Stan’s heart sunk.

              “Really?” he whispered, staring at the email.  “That’s bullshit.”  Ford’s phone in his hand buzzed.  He glanced at it.  Ford had received a text from Angie, asking if he had figured out the male model problem. Stan looked at the email again. He swallowed.  

              If this is how they do business, it’s probably a scam anyways. Stan tried to push away the fact that he had sent Lil Stanley to that company because one of his professors recommended them.  Yeah.  Just a scam. Gotta be.  Ford’s phone buzzed again, this time with a call from Angie, rather than a text.  Stan picked up.

              “Ford figured out the model situation,” he said into the phone.  “I’ll be stepping in.  So, what kinda tips do you got for me?”

-----

              Stan tromped into his bedroom, still wearing the makeup from the show.  He threw himself onto his bed with a loud groan.

              Hours later, Stan was woken from his unplanned nap by Ford poking his head into the room.

              “Stanley?” Ford asked.  Stan sat up.

              “You finally got home, huh?”

              “Yes.  Sorry, I had to-”

              “Schmooze, I know,” Stan said, waving a hand.  He yawned and stretched.  “No worries, Sixer.  I get it.”

              “This time, I didn’t have to approach anyone!” Ford said excitedly.  “People wanted to talk to me!”

              “Hey, you’re making a name for yourself!  It’s about time people picked up on your genius. How many shows has it been now?”

              “Too many,” Ford said with a chuckle.  Stan grinned.

              “That’s great, Ford.  Really.  But, uh, I did all the work at the show, so I’m pretty beat…”

              “You want to go to bed.  I’ll leave.  We can talk in the morning,” Ford said, bobbing his head.  He paused.  “Don’t forget to wipe off your makeup before going to sleep.  It’s not good for your skin if you leave it on.”

              “I know, I know.  This wasn’t my first rodeo.”

              “Yes.  Correct. Well…good night.”

              “Good night,” Stan said.  Ford smiled again, then left, closing Stan’s door quietly behind him.  Stan got up, stretching again.  His computer dinged.  “What now?” Stan trudged over to his computer and sat down.  He pulled up his email.  His eyes widened.

              “We greatly enjoyed the materials that you sent us and would like to publish Lil Stanley as a weekly strip in our paper. Please respond if you are still interested in working with us.”  Stan grinned.

              Only weekly?  Perfect.  That sounds like the kinda commitment that I can still do modeling with.

                He began to draft a response.  

              After all, who knows what would happen to Ford if I wasn’t there for him?

[missholoska]

Have you ever considered making a YouTube channel? I would love to see the process of making your art!

I do think it’d be nice to make speedpaints but I currently don’t have any kind of video recording or editing programs with which to make them, ahah… also I can’t imagine anyone wanting to watch a speedpaint without some music on said video, and there is the small issue of youtube and copyright and all the songs I like presumably being Very Copyrighted

so it’s not a possibility I’d write off forever, but I don’t know how I’d make it happen right now :’>

but if it’s my art process you’re interested in, I can at least go through that step-by-step with some screenshots!

step 1: draft! usually either a very tiny chibi or barely more than a stick figure, my art always starts like this so I can figure out the pose without spending like an hour on a full-sized sketch that doesn’t even work in the end

this then gets resized to whatever size I want the final picture to be:

drawing at that size usually means the anatomy is pretty wonky though, and the lines are too thick and blurry to be much help for the actual lineart. if a background is vital to the whole piece it’ll get drafted here too, but with space backgrounds like in this I can just fit it in around the characters. (that’s generally terrible art advice though, please do not do as I do :’D)

step 2: sketch! still very rough, but a lot easier to work with later. I do anatomy sketches as I go but there’s rarely any need to keep those layers

I don’t usually “colour” sketches like this but knowing I’d be sharing this I wanted to make it more readable, since this is still what I would consider an unpresentable mess not worth posting uvu;;

(also if I’m doodling, this part sorta gets skipped in favour of just letting the lines be a bit sketchier and rougher than usual)

step 3: lineart! literally the worst part always.

it’s worth it in the end, but… yeah this isn’t ever the point where I’m like “yes this is a Good Picture that I Will Be Happy With :)”

(I do lineart with SAI’s default pencil brush at a size of 3 to 5, opacity around 75%, if that’s of any interest)

step 4: flat colours! I have probably the slowest possible way of doing this, but after how tiring lineart is I find it pretty relaxing taking my time filling each colour in under the lines. every individual colour gets its own layer so they can all be shaded individually too

if I’ve drawn the same character in that same outfit before this is also where I’ll do the line colours, but those rely on being darker than the shading of each colour, so for a character or outfit I’ve not drawn before that can’t be done until after the shading. fortunately not the case here!

generally shading would be next, but there also comes a point where I have deal with the background now or I’ll be even more frustrated by it later, so - step ???: background! whether I do it lined or lineless pretty much just depends on if there’s any straight lines involved

…backgrounds are kinda too individual to explain in general, but for this specific one all the starry details are luminosity layers. stars are done with this brush but I do quite a bit of erasing and hand-drawing stars too, and I use SAI’s default brush set to spread for galaxies

step 5: shading! aka the best part, the point where I go “oh hey this looks decent actually. when did that happen”

my usual shading style is every colour gets 2 darker shades and 1 lighter shade, each shade getting its own clipping layer attached to each colour. this was more obvious when I used to cel shade but soft shading makes my art look so much better ahah

step 6: layer effects! multiply and luminosity layers have been my go-to for the past 4 years, but I can’t believe I only realised how good overlay layers are in the last year and a half. they’re so good

here’s the specific effects being used here:

aaand step 7: final touches! usually consists of any glowy outlines, text or things that need blurring in photoshop, a final luminosity layer at around 10 to 20% opacity for extra highlights (especially needed for dark scenes like this, those darker layer effects tend to make the regular highlights from the shading less vibrant), slap a watermark on there and call it done

and then you’re ready for step 8: spend an hour staring at every pixel for mistakes, before spending another hour fighting the anxiety about posting it

bonus: even though I can’t make a speedpaint I can throw all those screenshots into a poor quality gif for you to watch, at least!

one final thing I can mention: not including the draft and sketch layers or all the parts of the advent calendar windows, just the finished art itself - this is made up of 102 layers. and that’s with me merging a lot of layers because SAI has a layer limit and takes an eternity to save if there are too many. people who can draw a whole piece on a single layer confuse and frighten me

[linos-teeth]

i got tagged

in the 50 questions and the about me tag by @chngbok ty browse!! these are a lot of questions and idk who i want to bother with them (unless you wanna be bothered then consider yourself tagged) but in case you wanna know some random stuff abt me there’s a lot of that under the cut!

what takes too much of your time?

currently, fic writing for sure

what makes your day better?

uhhh ideas, music, skz (except lino bc he literally just makes me cry)

what is the best thing that happened to you today?

lino in the victory song dance practice? (wow there's a theme already)

what fictional place would you like to go to?

hmmmmm the arbor wilds, the crossroads, the forge, h-047c, watford

are you good at giving advice?

nah

do you have any mental illness?

uhhhh not theoretically (as in not diagnosed oops)

have you ever experienced sleep paralysis?

luckily not

what musician inspired you the most?

boy i rly can't say, usually it's writers or games that inspire me and music not so much?

have you fallen in love?

most likely yeah

what’s your dream date?

idk man surprise me like...going out exploring and doing things i haven't done before that don't include any drugs or stuff also movies are good

what do others notice about you?

my hair (it's long)

what is an annoying habit that you have?

biting my uh...the skin next to my nails? and my lips? i guess?

do you still talk to your first love?

ha nah

how many ex’s do you have?

zero

how many songs are in your playlist?

i have 685 deezer faves

what instruments do you play?

piano, idk if recorder counts, used to play the oboe but...not any more

who do you have the most pictures of?

myself XD, my da/me chars, also random idol pictures for reaction memes

where would you like to go before you die?

uhhhhh a lot of places like...there's a lot of cities in europe i still wanna see and i wanna go back to paris and london and i also would love to visit like 294503 national parks in the us also maybe a desert (bc stars) and somewhere far north (for northern lights)

what’s your zodiac?

scorpio

do you relate to it?

nope

what is happiness to you?

just like...a content feeling? like...idk words for it but when you just stop and go like fuck this is rly good i'm rly comfy rn and not sad??? like just being good in your own skin?

are you going through anything right now?

not more than usual

what’s the worst decision you’ve ever made?

i made a few sucky time management decision throughout my uni time and still am so i guess that

what’s your favorite store?

what's a store

what’s your opinion on abortion?

i don't rly think i get to say much abt it while i'm not in a position where i can talk yknow? you should be allowed to but i imagine it's tough as shit too

do you keep a bucket list?

nah

do you have a favorite album?

A FEW there's wildness by snow patrol and mania by fob and wild world by bastille and miroh (that's currently tho that shit changes a lot)

what do you want for your birthday?

my birthday isn't happening for a while and what i want i kinda need before so xD for my birthday i wish i could be with my family but i won't be able to :/

what are most people’s first impression of you?

uhhhhh awk i guess which is right, also rly smart and like...organised which is wrong

what age to you seem according to most people?

apparently like 16, i always get asked when i finish school

where do you keep your phone while sleeping?

on my bed next to my pillow, stuffed under some plushies

what word do you say the most?

idk honestly i don't talk much probably some expletive

what’s the oldest age would you date?

idk man i'm not rly attracted to ppl much older than me never have been if it ever happened they'd prolly be like 2 years younger oops that's like the norm with crushes

what’s the youngest age would you date?

oh uh see above i guess like...currently i'm 23 so like? not younger than 20?

what job/career do most people say sould suit you?

they don't rly say anything abt that xD

what’s your favorite music genre?

uhhh rock? alt stuff? i love some folk and some pop too and i'm a slut for lofi

if you would live in any country in the world, where would it be?

here tbh

what’s your current favorite song?

u h h probably still chronosaurus! doesn't look like it's leaving that spot any time soon oops

how long have you have this blog for?

a bit over a month now?

what are you excited for?

how pathetic is it if i say my summer course? idk just...smth new i guess i'm looking forward to it (not to being away from games and photoshop)

are you a better talker or a listener?

listener

what is the last productive thing you did?

i finished vacuuming the house today

what do you want for Christmas?

s h r u g

what classes do you get the best grades in?

language stuff, music

on a scale of 1-10 how are you feeling right now?

a 4? maybe?

what can you see yourself doing in 10 years?

idk man i wanna go into speech therapy so?? that? or research even? but i gotta get into the masters first rip

when did you first get your heartbreak?

oh dear. probably like...in kindergarten when my crush was an absolute ass (so far, 80% of them have been there's a theme) i was pathetic

at what age do you want to get married?

idk man i guess in like 100 years when someone finally decides they rly want to put up with this mess

what career did you want to have as a child?

florist, author, actress

what do you crave right now?

hugs? and drawing skill

1. How tall are you?

i'm jisung-sized

2. What color are your eyes?

hazel

3. What color and style is your hair?

uhhhh dark blonde would be the accurate desc prolly? it's like...blondebrowngoldish and too long and i usually braid it and i have a super messy fringe

4. Do you wear glasses?

no

5. Do you have braces?

luckily not!

6. What’s your fashion sense?

casual and basic with a dash of experimental and sometimes a bit cutesy

7. Full name?

8. When were you born?

long, long ago, too long ago

9. Where are you from and where do you live

germany!

10. What school(s) do you go to?

no more school for me, i'm going to university

11. What kind of student are you?

the one that kinda gets by far too well for procrastinating so badly (all i have to say in my defense is that i'm anxious as shit abt everything)

12. Do you like school?

i used to!! like...the last 3 and first 3 years were chill

13. Fav subject?

music, history, english, latin

14. Fav TV shows?

i rly only watch b99 but i would be careful calling it my favorite since like...3 eps ago

15. Fav books?

my current fave is less by andrew sean greer (aka it was my fave last autumn and i've read like 3 since and they weren't super great)

16. Fav pastimes?

uhhh writing gaming music and lately, giffing too!

17. Do you have any regrets?

a couple

18. Dream job?

i mean i do still wish i could just like...do smth artsy like be an author or an illustrator but i'm bad at writing and literally cannot draw at all so

19. Would you ever like to be married?

yes absolutely

20. Would you like to have children?

kinda yeah?

21. If so, how many?

2

22. Do you like shopping?

only for a limited amount of time

23. What countries have you visited?

denmark, norway, france, the uk, spain, italy, austria, slovakia, we also drove through switzerland like twice

24. Scariest nightmare you’ve ever had?

uhhhhhh basically all of the end of the world/war scenario dreams i've had?

25. Any enemies?

does myself count

26. Do you have a significant other?

nah

27. Do you get along with your family?

yeah? we're not super close but we don't hate each other

28. Do you believe in miracles?

I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES WHERE YA FROM YOU SEXY THING no but rly i do

29. How are you?

not terrible

[trustcop]

Look at those basic Photoshop skills. Very impressive.  Anyway! I just to wish everyone a Happy New Year and to do something a little special for this blog. When I started this 2.5 months ago, I wasn’t sure where this was all going to go. I had a select handful of friends who followed me from other fandoms who wanted to interact, but for the most part? I was treading waters of an unknown fandom. Were they exclusive? Were they mean? Was I doomed to be on the outside looking in?  The answer was “no” to all of that. Even when I disappeared after a week of making this blog and didn’t come back for about a month (icb I’ve only been active on this damn blog for 1.5 I am terrible), people welcomed me back with open arms! It was amazing and I don’t know where I would be without all the love and support I have here. I want to thank everyone for making this blog everything it has become and then some.  For New Year’s, I am doing something a little bit special (ish). I am going to pick 9 memorable things that happened on this blog and 9 people to spread my love to, equaling out to 18! But before I do that, I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for being the kind off place I want to be apart of. May we continue to strive towards greatness. I love all of you so much!

Memorable Moments

1. The Great Ted Wheeler Debacle: Let us never forget that someone didn’t find Jim Hopper AS attractive as Zodiac Killer Ted Wheeler.  2. The Great “She Touched The Mike” meme: This meme really put me on the map, my dudes. It has about 900 notes and it popped up on my goddamn PERSONAL blog. It was a mess. But it gained me a lot of followers. Sorry I never made anything as great as that again.  3. The Great Crack Threads: All crack threads are great, but we’ve had some doozies here on this blog. Special shout out to @storytellerwheeler​, @353iheard​, @jcnehcpper​, and @thessitrukona​ for being major instigators.  4. The Great Jopper Christmas Kiss: Nothing is better than a mistletoe kiss to someone you have been pining over for years. Special shout out to @shcstough​! 5. The ‘Ultimate Squad’ Shenanigans: I love my squad to death, but this isn’t about us right now (we pretty much are the Crack Thread Squad). Nah, I’m talking about the amazing, quality memes coming from @trustbitchin​, @dusthn​, @zombcy​, @patientboy​, and @partylead​. Y’all are some of the funniest, nicest people here and I enjoy reading about your shenanigans. Bless.  6. The Great Hopper and Hopper Bullshit: Aka anytime @notlikepapa​ and I decide to comment on each others headcanons. Lucy, you know I love you to the ends of the earth, but your headcanons kill me. Stop it, Satan.  7. The Great Positivity Wave: Honestly, this is one of the nicest fandoms I have been apart of! Shout out to @wheelerwinemom​ for arranging Secret Santa (I loved doing that!) and @hawkinspositivity​ for their amazing blog! Keep all these good vibes coming!! 8. The Great OC Acceptance: Almost every fandom I have been in has this terrible stigma concerning OCs which always sucked because people who don’t feel wanted end up deleting their blog despite how well thought out they are or how magical the writing is. I have witnessed a HUGE amount of people interacting and coming to love OCs here. Truly, it makes my heart so happy! Special shout out to some of my babies: @childzerozeronine​, @soulstcne​, @traitorjock​,  @falselysecured​, @offorgottenmemories​, omg there are so many of you I love.  9. The Great Dad Squad: Huge props to all the Jim’s in this world. You know, loving people, kicking ass, that kind of thing. To my dads @coffeeacontemplation​, @doitfcrthevines​, @nosycop​, @blackholehopper​, @hawkinsdad​, and @burlydcd​. I adore every single one of you and will always be your biggest fan. 

People Love (Note: I am picking people I don’t always show appreciation for but who definitely are people I ADORE)

1. @hawkinstoothless: BABE. I freakin’ adore our thread and you are so very sweet! I hope your New Year is just a blast.  2. @destroysworlds: You are a hoot in your OOC posts and your writing is so so beautiful! May your new year just be a ball! 3. @intovoid: I don’t know what else to say except that you’re blog is awesome and I stalk you from a distance oK BYE AND HAVE A GREAT NEW YEAR 4. @essmusings: You are just so nice and I always see you just doing ya thing. Mad respect. Hopefully your new year is magical and know you are the best! 5. @hawkinsdoc: I have a secret boner for this blog. I want to just say that I love reading your threads and that I hope you have a blessed new year! 6. @guiltdad: First of all? Amazing blog. Second of all? You are a peach. May your new year be everything you dreamed of and more.  7. @eggosxdemogorgons: AAAHHH!! I loved talking with you and I cannot wait for shenanigans. Your whole blog is a work of art and you deserve all the finest things in the world. Have a super amazing New Year! 8. @dartmouthed: Oh, boo, how I have watched you from a distance and waved my little flag because you are simply an astounding blog. May all your hopes and dreams come true.  9. @pleadedguilty: Though we only talked briefly (so far) I just want to say that I am really excited for the things we will come up with and I am so so excited to write with you! Have a splendid New Year!!

18 Honorable Mentions (those who aren’t listed above but are super important even if that means I am stalking them/cheering for them):

@pastichemuses (duh!), @thickcrskiin, @jcnehcppcr, @turnedbitch, @xenawarricrprincess, @hawkinsfreak, @bluecroquet, @teenhrror, @uneaser, @notimminent, @itsxxxbullshit, @cateaten, @snckeshed, @heartwandered, @frcgfce, @wasliedto, @itisagift, and @mcmjokes. 

[kierarutherford]

10 Questions Ask Meme

Rules:Answer 10 questions and then come up with another 10 questions for the people you tag!

Was tagged by @princessvicky01​ so let’s keep this rolling

Favorite small town? Real or fictional. - I live in a small town, and have lived in many but none have ever been a favorite. SO I suppose I would love to check out the small town of Honnleath (pre-darkaspawn)

Video game or DLC you’re most looking forward to right now? (sans DA4) - I have yet to purchase it and it haunts my dreams. I am aiming to get my hands on the Witcher DLCs. 

Favorite fictional world? (i.e.: Middle Earth, Thedas, etc.) Why? - to be fair I have two. One would have to be Thedas as I it holds my OCs and a special Commander. The second would have to be Witcher’s world (don’t remember what the whole place is called. TOO many city/towns to name.) Great, indepth lore and creatures.

Where/what was the best cup of coffee you’ve ever had? If you don’t drink coffee, what’s the best meal you’ve ever head? - Best cup, uh... I have never had a “best” cup of coffee anywhere out but the morning back home after my daughter was born. The first sip of freshly brewed coffee brought to me, while holding my little girl. That may be the best sip ever.

Where/when do you do your best daydreaming?   When I lay in bed. I daydream myself to sleep. Putting myself in the shoes of my OCs and trying to figure out how they would react. There is a tiny piece of me in each of them. 

Favorite TV show right now? I don’t really watch a lot of tv. Right now I’m addicted to Live PD (probably only in countries with A&E)

Is your canon Inquisitor reluctant about their power, or do they embrace it full-force, or something in-between? Kiera takes the reigns as she was a First to her clan and much was always expected of her. It is simply a tool to aid those in need. Diana- she hated it. Her personal “night light” she called it many times. Trying to deflect the horror and personal irritation. Hyacinth - she was unsure of it but as long as she can heal and help, she makes due.

What’s the best purchase you’ve ever made? I shop on bargains all the time. So I really can’t pin point that one awesome score. I would say my proudest was netting a $45 sweater for my daughter (in-store) for $4.99. I do love hunting through clearance racks.

Favorite or go-to clothing brand/designer/store? I am not loyal to any brand per say. I sale hunt. I prefer to hunt at Old Navy currently but the winds may change.

Are there any popular TV or video game character arcs that really bother you? How would you change them, if you could? - The one that stuck with me over the years was the ending arc of Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time. There was SOO much room to do something there and they did a hack ending (in my opinion.) Played it multiple times and it always stuck with me. (Also my first -he should have totally gotten the girl- grumble fest) 

@fereldenpeach questions

If you could trade places with a fictional character for a day, who would you pick and why? - Diana Trevelyan. She’s tough, quick witted and scandalous. She knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to do whatever she has to to get it. Her relationship with Cullen is deep and runs on lewd at times. I envy her free spirit and openness.

What’s your favorite vacation memory? - Too many. We always made a trek to visit my grandparents as a child and those moments (while colourful) always stuck with me. 

What’s your go-to alcoholic beverage? Don’t drink? What’s your favorite smoothie or milkshake? If I drink (I do enjoy a good drink- perhaps too often) I like coolers or my mix. Ginger ale, grapefruit juice and Canada Club whiskey. Extra ice. I’m an ice chewer

When did you have your first kiss? I was fourteen, he was my first boyfriend and it just happened. I do remember it being a wondrous moment. All teeth, tongues and lips. He was more experienced than I, and it was grand. 

Who was your first fictional crush and why? lol so totally nerdy! I was in love with Link from Legend of Zelda and Carth Onasi from Knights of the Old Republic. I wrote a HUGE fanfic (printed in a book in my closet today). It has never seen the light of day lol 

What’s your favorite Dragon Age mod that you use? Don’t use mods? What’s your favorite outfit from the game’s options? - I have to admit I love the Spoils of the Qunari, wrap thing. lol I made my own in several colours down in the Undercroft.

What (or who) was the gateway to joining the DA fandom on Tumblr? I don’t really know? I was creeping around the internet, dying for more Cullen things when I stumbled upon @khirsahle​ amazing fic and I believe there was a mention somewhere of a tumblr. So I boldly decided I wanted to write, and get on this tumblr and find my like minded Cullenites and bask in the delicious man. 

Name three things you absolutely can’t live without and tell us why. ah hard one. I am a travel light person. 1 - my phone, it is my day planner, alarm, watch, contacts to my parents, camera, etc. 2- Comfy runners. I have terribly sensitive feet and wear shoes all the time. Without them I’d have horridly sore feet. 3 -caffeine. I drink anywhere from half a pot of coffee to a full pot of tea a day. My tea pot is a 12 cup size lol. I’m a mom of 3. I NEED caffeine.  

When did you first start playing Dragon Age? Which game did you start with and have you played all of them?  I have been here since the beginning in Dragon Age addictive hell. I played the first, it’s dlc, then Awakening, then 2, it’s DLC and now Inquisition and it’s DLC. I actually had to create room on my xbox to play Origins because I had over 38 saved characters. Wiped them all out and repeated that 3 more times. lol Of those play throughs I only romanced Zevran once. All others were Alistair.

What’s a project you’re really proud of? Where Flowers Dare to Bloom. It has hurt me and healed me in so many places. It has been a personal healing tool and the next couple chapters are currently cleansing my soul.

Here are @princessvicky01​ 10 :

1) What was your first pet? If you’ve never had one is their one you would like? My first pet. He was a terrier/poodle/rescue thing. Benji. Loved him till he passed of old age when I was 9. Amazingly well tempered and awesome dog.

2) If you could only replay one game forever, what game would it be? lol that is my life. I literally play games to their disk death. If I was cursed to a single game. I’m picking Dragon Age Inquisition. To forever romance and marry Cullen, please. 

3) What was/is your favourite subject at school?Why? History. I loved it. Especially ancient history. Eqyptian history, medieval history. All of it. Myths and legends. I adored it all.  

4) Do you prefer to be too hot or too cold? I can’t handle heat, so I’d have to say I’d rather be too cold. 

5) Do you have any hobbies? If not is there any you want to try? This is kinda a hobby I suppose. I am a terrible starter to things that I never finish. It is a horrid habit that I do way too often. I crotchet, I knit, I sing (lol fairly well too), I used to play in photoshop, games, play baseball.. I’m everywhere and no where.

6) Whats your favourite restaurant/eat out food - Italian, Chinese, Mexican ect I love Italian. Pasta. I am addicted to pasta. Fetticine Alfredo, spaghetti and marinara sauce. Yes please.

7) Mages or Templars? Why? Mages. To be sent away from family at such young ages, forced into a stone prison. It’s heart breaking. All because they are different. Never nullified the Circle in any play throughs. I can’t kill children just because they can hold fire in their palms. Teach them, let them live and let them help!  

8) Favourite film/movie genre? I’m not a film person really. I do watch the occasional movie but again I’m all over the place. Favourite of all time; Robin Hood- Men in Tights. A Mel Brooke’s picture. 

9)  Whats your spirit animal/daemon aka the one that represents your personality? A bear. Quite literally lol. Loyal to family, extremely protective and I’ll rip your arms off and feed you to my kids if you mess with them. 

10)  Cullen Rutherford shows up at your house. What do you say/do? Seriously... depending on the situation, I have no idea. I mean, I think we all know what we dream about but reality wise... I honestly don’t know. 

After a mile of questions. Here are mine now lol:

1- Drink lyrium become a Templar or grip a staff and become a Mage. Once you pick you cannot go back. Choice and why?

2- If you could meet anyone of your followers/readers/people you follow, who and why?

3- Dream Cullen date, go!

4- Do you believe readers should comment on your writings? Or are likes/kudos enough?

5- If you had an hour to sit with your favourite character creator from any game, how would you use that time?

6- If you could cosplay one character, who and why?

7- When you sit to write, what is your must haves to work? Coffee/tea, a song, tv in background, what’s your must have thing?

8-Do you follow any of the prominent writters out there? Steven King? R.R Martin? J.K. Rowling? If so, who and why? If not, who would you love to sit and chat with?

9- What time do you feel is the best for your writing? How long do you write for?

10- If you could make one wish come true, but for only one full day, what would you wish for?

Tagging @daisytje @angyvalentine @dorianofminrathous @omnipotentoverlord @queenmelisende @ma-sulevin