#also i highly recommend the coloring with stock photos thing

[pixellangel]

miss momoi 💕

[chilewithcarnage]

I, a very white and somewhat privileged person, am absolutely terrified to draw colored people. Because I don’t know if I’d cross the thin line of tasteful and authentic or racist and stereotypical…

Lol for starters don't refer to us as coloured people. This ain't 1955. Secondly my best advice to you is to use references of actual people of color. I would highly recommend staying away from those white men art station youtuber type artists for tutorials because they get a majority of their techniques and style from main stream video games and comic books, which to put it nicely don't have the best reputation for representing women and poc. tangent over, so yeah references. real life photographs of brown and black people.

pinterest is a site that a lot of current, especially younger artists like to use, but in all honesty it's not a very good source for someone trying to learn the fundamentals. it'll mainly show you 20 something year old ig and twitter models which is okay if you wanna just draw pretty people; but not the best if you wanna like I said learn fundamentals + have a portfolio that's varied. also it's rife with ai shit and stolen art, so yeah would only recommend that as an initial starting point/using it to make your own personal board for your saved images.

stock photo sites are my go to for refs. getty images, istock, alamy, etc. a simple right click save image or screenshot will work to get the images you want for free. of course there will be the watermarks, but they're honestly a very small issue to bypass. as long as they're not opaque and nearly covering the entire subject; you're good. a nice thing about stock photo sites is they usually give you the option to filter the image search results. say for instance you want to draw an elderly asian woman cooking or a young black man painting a picture or an indigenous child playing with dolls. you can look up certain terms you want in the search bar & specify gender, age and ethnicity to narrow down your search to what you want.

another awesome place for references i discovered during college is posespace.com

like with getty images, it gives you the option to filter your searches. they also have their models in clothed or nude shoots in the event that you want to practice some bare bones anatomy.

also also, get your info from artists of color. there's a decent amount of tutorials ive found over the years on here and youtube on coloring skintones, drawing certain hair types, how to avoid caricatures and stereotyping, different facial features, cultural hairstyles. the list goes on. don't be afraid to depict people outside of your race. literally just go about drawing us the same way you would a white person. don't be scared, as long as you remain respectful and make an honest effort to learn; you'll do fine.

resource links by and from artists of color:

'how i draw south + southeast asian people'

an example of what to avoid when stylizing east asian characters

'drawing asian people, source: i'm asian'

'lessons from drawing I: what is asian anyways?'

'how to draw indians'

'how to draw arabs'

'How I draw skin Part 2: DON”T DRAW NATIVE PEOPLE WITH RED SKIN!!!! A tutorial' (the link to the first part of this tutorial is broken sorry)

How to Draw Native People: a Tutorial/Reference Guide

How to Draw Black People by peachdeluxe

tips for drawing black people by rosheruu

drawing east asian faces by chuwenjie

how to draw black people series by Artistik Freedom (youtube)

✏️How I draw black hairstyles (simple) 🌱 by Likelihood Art (youtube)

there's also a bunch of black and brown artists on twitter and tiktok, so checking those sites for tutorials would be a good additional resource

good luck on your illustrating melanin endeavors 👍🏾

[onlyyouexisthere]

can you please make a tutorial for your santa gift graphics? i'm not totally new to photoshop but i could use some help <3

Ohh okay, this will be a bit long, so bear with me, dear Anon.

I'm going to use this one as an example:

You'll need three new documents: one for creating the watercolour portrait, one for the watercolour elements in the background, and a third one for the final edit.

Let's start with the portrait. I'm using a free photoshop action for the watercolour effect, which you can download here with a complete tutorial. After using the action, you'll need to make some adjustments, but it's still faster this way. Change the blend mode of the "watercolor artist" group to screen and slightly turn down the opacity if needed to make the details more visible

In the second document, use the watercolour action the same way again to create the red elements in the background. You can download the photo I used here. I highly recommend using Unsplash, they offer plenty of free high-resolution stock photos, and unlike on Pinterest, the photographers are actually credited.

Create the third document; mine is 540x750. I used an ivory paper as a background, but it should work with a canvas texture or even a simple white/light layer. Pick whatever you like.

After you're done with the watercolour actions, paste the portrait into your third document. Adjust the size and position, then change the blend mode to multiply. Name the layer "portrait."

Next, paste the background elements too, and also change the blend mode to multiply. I changed the saturation and vibrance to make the red pop more, but it's optional. Name the layer "background elements." Now that you see everything together, you can play around with different adjustment layers, contrast, colouring, etc.

Now, open the video you'd like to use for the animation, in a separate document. I used this one, but there are other similar free videos on this website, pick what you like the most. If you want to make the process quicker, pick one that's already a high-contrast black and white.

After you've opened it, you can use the timeline to cut out the part you'd like to use, adjust the speed, etc. In this case, I just doubled the speed which you can do by clicking on that little triangle, and used the full video.

Create a video timeline in the third document. Go to Window -> Timeline -> Create Video Timeline. It's an important step, don't forget about it. Once it's done, copy and paste the video layer into the third document, and name the layer "video." Make sure the "video" layer is right above the "background elements" layer because you're going to need to create a clipping mask. You can do that by right-clicking on the "video" layer and choosing create clipping mask, or you can hold down the alt key and left-click between the two layers. When it's done, you can adjust the size of the "video" layer, rotate it, flip it, etc., depending on how you want your animation to look

After that, set the blend mode of the video layer to screen. If you've done everything correctly, you should have your animation now.

It's time to add the text. I used this font, size 16. I divided the text into 4 lines for easier adjustment of the position.

Once you're happy with the layout, create the white stripes, each on a different layer. This way, you can move them around separately if you'd like to change the position of the text. I like to make the text and stripe layers into a group so the layers are less chaotic, but you can skip this step.

The only thing left in the editing part is the invisible frame. Click on the "background elements" layer and add a layer mask. Select the brush tool, 50px, 100% hardness, and set the foreground color to black. Now, draw a line from corner to corner. Holding down the Shift key, click on one corner using the brush, then click on the next one, and repeat until you're done with all four sides. Your layers should look something like this now.

Before saving, make sure that all the layers on the timeline are the same length and start/finish at the same time.

If you're done, go to File -> Export -> Save for Web (Legacy). These are the settings I used for this particular edit, but feel free to experiment and use what you like the best.

I tried not to complicate it too much, but it's difficult to explain everything in writing, so if you have any questions, I'm always available :)

[cidthesquid]

Style Savvy Trendsetter #10 - Final Thoughts & Moving on..

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So I've decided to take a hiatus from this game. So this may be my last post on 'Trendsetters', aside from my 'Final Photo Album' (TBD) Much like Fashion Forward, I plan to check back in from time to time, but I think I'm mostly done playing it for now, and will move on to Styling Star after taking a break for a few weeks.

Overall this game was A LOT of fun! And I'm glad I went back to play it after Fashion Forward, rather than going straight to the third game, 'Styling Star' While I still prefer 'Fashion Forward' overall, this game still does a few things better!

Instead of Doing a straight comparison, I'll just list off a few things I think the game did really well, this will have some overlap with 'Fashion Forward', obviously. But I think it will better illustrate how I may have felt, if I played this game first.

What I really Liked... #1 - The Small Talk/Character Writing

For the crazy number of characters in this game, it's crazy how much unique dialogue you'll find! And it's actually well written too! The Style Savvy world is full of fun and quirky characters! And sometimes after serving someone they'll offer to meet up later, and continue the conversation with the outfit they bought

#2 -The Linear Progression:

Design Outfits, raise the 'happiness level' , and unlock new stuff! And each of the customers even have a stamp card that fills in with each individual clothing item you sell them, So you have progression with each new customer as well! Other activities such as drinking at the cafe, following up with a customer, and even changing your own outfit, and winning fashion contests, all add to the gauge meaning most in-game actions will make you feel like you're making progress!

#3 - Fashion Contests!

Aside from just restocking inventory, and selling clothes, At Night, you'll also be able to enter fashion contests! These have their own separate progression line, (So I HIGHLY recommend you try to do at least one every few in-game days) Each have their own style theme, And you'll pick a model, and prep her outfit, hair and makeup to best fit. They can be alot of fun to design for, you'll have access to every clothing item you've ever bought, so you'll never have to worry about restocking. There are four levels of contest, Starting with "Beginner's Contest" and ending with the most difficult “International Contest”, and you progress by getting first place multiple times in each level. But by getting 10 stars on each 'level', you can start earning money for winning those contests, however this money goes to your 'personal funds' for house stuff, makeup, and hairstyles, etc. not clothing. so it won't effect your shop economy. I'll talk more about this later, but you need to complete the 'International Contest' to complete the game. (see the credits)

#4 - Shop Management:

As you play the game, more brands become available, each updating their stock daily. So it can be fun to check in each day to see what's new, each brand has a 'item of the day' that you can get on sale, and you get a free 'sample' of everything you buy, so no matter how many you buy for your customers, or if an item sells out, you'll always have one you can wear yourself! While your shop inventory is limited (increases over time) you can buy an item in bulk, and it will still only use up one slot, So if you find something you like, you may as well buy a few, if you're overstocked, you have the option to sell the clothes back, so it's fairly low risk, but does require some planning.

#5 - Dress-up/Decorating!

As expected, you can style your own character, outfit, hair makeup, color contacts and more! You can even use a photo you've taken as reference to easily, switch back to a previous outfit, or try someone else's style. But you'll also be able to decorate your apartment, flooring, furniture and more can be bought and switched out.

-------------------------------------------- What I thought could have been better: #1 - The "Guess My Style" challenges.

These are the bane of my existence.. A customer will come in and ask you to pick out an outfit that "matches their style", This actually means they have one specific style you like, and you need to guess it based on what they're wearing. You then have to make an outfit that you think will fit what they're looking for. For obvious styles like 'Rock' or 'Goth', it's easy, But they may come in wearing a 'feminine' outfit that's much more on the 'cute' side. (I'm not saying these should be removed, as I'm sure some players don't find them as stressful as I do, but I wish the customers had different icons to determine that 'style challenge' they offered, so I could avoid them at times)

#2 - Limited Photo Opportunities:

For whatever reason, this game has some pretty heavy restrictions on how/when you can take pictures/screenshots. Remember, this game was on the 3ds, long before every console had a dedicated 'screenshot button', so documenting my journey though this game would have been way harder without playing on an emulator. (yes, I own the game, I'm playing from my own personally dumped rom) The only times you can take a screenshot are when you see the 'R' Button in the top right corner of the screen, (see pic 2) This means you'll have FAR more opportunities to take pictures of other characters, rather than show off your own. Walking around town, trying out a new hairstyle/make up, or even changing your outfit, all locked out, But find some NPC's at the cafe? sure, you can snap a pic! Fairly late in the game, you'll unlock the Photo Studio. This allows you to select a background, and one of four poses.

But you're then just presented with 3 fixed photos from the given pose 'style', and you have to pick one.

This really limits how you can show off your outfit, and makes full body shots impossible.

#3 - Contest feedback/Progression:

While I did enjoy the fashion contents overall, they don't really feel like they have much in the way of meaningful progression. Each difficulty bracket does make it harder to pass, but you're given the same prompts as ever, "Make a cute outfit" for example. So you make an outfit you think looks really cute, and you end up getting second place? The only feedback the game gives you is pretty much "do better" or "try again" Without any metrics for what you did wrong, or what's expected in this higher bracket, it really feels random. I've read online, that once you're out of 'beginner', you have to not just match the theme, but also make sure you add 'just enough' to your outfit, (layer/accessories) not too much, but not too little. And since you don't get any cash for this, getting anything other than first place is pretty much a waste of time. The game dose not provide the tools to help you improve, and the best reward you can expect is a single clothing item, and a little bit of progress towards the next 'level up' I think a better increase in difficulty would come from asking more of the player, such as "Make a gothic outfit in purple and black", "or style using one of these items", or really anything would help increase the difficulty of later contests, while making them interesting. And instead of hiding the rules dose not really add to the experience either, if they instead used this as a way to teach basic color theory, or style blending, etc, it would have been more fun, and instructive at the same time! -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ Speaking of 'levels' in the Fashion contest, unlike with leveling up your shop, there's no clear way to track your progress to unlock the next fashion contest. At first I thought it was 'collect 10 stars', but nope, I unlocked the second after just 8. then for the second level 'Permeir' I managed to get all 10 starts, and the third level still did not unlock. I asked on discord and supposedly you unlock they next level by getting first place with every single 'theme' (gothic, bold, girly etc) in a specific level of contest, but there's no way to track that, and the themes are random, so after 2+ hours of purely grinding the 'premier' fashion contest, I pretty much just gave up on it. (yes, I even tried filling the happyness jar multiple times)

---------------------------- Final Words On This Game/Why I stopped -------------------------------

I had a lot of fun with my time in 'Style Savvy: Trendsetters' and I'd still recommend it to any style savvy fan! But I just feel it does not have enough left to keep my attention. This game is laser focused on the shop management aspects, and as fun and important as the contests are, they kind of feel like an afterthought to pad out the game length. And when the game already only really has a few activities you can do, and a limited number of characters to interact with (outside the shop) It kinda makes the game world feel small, some people may enjoy the strict routine, but it's not really for me With men's fashion being extremely limited, I can see why they removed it.

I've unlocked all the brands, and I'm not really seeing anything fun pop up in the store other than re-colors All my new unlocks seem to just be inventory upgrades, makeup sets, and backgrounds for my shop and photo mode and I just don't really feel like I have anything else to look forward to other than grinding contests until I reach the credits. Again, none of this means the game is 'bad' by any means, just not really something I'll be sticking with. I can still see why people love this game, the progression is MUCH clearer than Fashion Forward, but sadly Trendsetters will not dethrone the game in my heart. ---- But anyway, Thanks for reading! I had a lot of fun making this, so I hope you had fun reading it as well. [Next Post] As always, all comments, questions, and suggestions are welcome!

You literally can't bother me, (unless you go out of your way to be a jerk), so post whatever you want to say! ---- Edit (05/30): Turns out the 'Elite Contest' has an addtinal unlock condition. The game and main wiki dont mention this, but you need to both complete all the fasion catagories, and the next shop event. "Style the soap opera actors". So now I have a path forward, But as this is a multi-day event, that's a little hard to track, i'll work on this later. thanks "trendsetters info" for the clarification.

[cartograffiti]

October '23 reading diary

In October I particularly wanted to tick off some novellas and other short reads from my tbr, which gave me a whopping total of 12 reads and 2 rereads to talk about!

The Emelan group read I'm in finished the first quartet, which meant I got to reread my favorites of them, Daja's Book and Briar's Book. They hit me quite hard, because one deals with wildfire (I live in one of the East Coast states that suffered from smoke at the start of this summer), and the other deals with plague. I continue to think this series is superior to Pierce's Tortall books. She shows more range here: the magic is based on more striking ideas, and the children deal with a greater range of interests and problems. They feel at once more fantastical and more relatable.

We also started the second quartet, so I read Magic Steps, which was great, and Street Magic, which made me feral. These are both somewhat grittier than the first quartet, Steps even including I think the goriest thing I have ever read in a Pierce book (I've read most of them), with counterbalances of the kids we know growing into themselves a bit, and younger mages with fun powers who need mentoring of their own. The original friends are split up in this quartet, which bums me out a bit, but I'll keep my fingers crossed that the later books reunite them.

Things to Look Forward To is a recent book from an illustrator I love, Sophie Blackall. The artwork is fab, but the cover pitch suggests that the text is upbeat and hopeful, and I was surprised to find that it is actually concentrated on the process of grief. If you're grieving too and want something to read about working through it, I recommend it, but I was a bit disappointed.

Some friends mentioned being shocked I had not read Ursula K. Le Guin's The Left Hand of Darkness, which meant I ended up screaming into eternalgirlscout's dms over the course of a couple of weeks. This was a once in a lifetime book, and while I wanted to devour it in one sitting, I kept getting overwhelmed. It's about gender, and sex, and being an alien, and thinking of other people as aliens, and the mistakes of anthropologists and ambassadors, and oral tradition, and law, and injustice, and community, with an extraordinary extreme cold weather escape and survival sequence. And it has multiple countries on the planet, which shouldn't be so special, and it! I! Listen, they have table utensils that are little hammers to break the ice if your drink freezes over during the meal. I have touched on maybe less than half of the book. I need to read it again, but I need at least a year to recover.

I read two interesting food & cooking books this month. One is called Chef's Fridges (Moore and Solomon), which is full of photos of the insides of fridges and sometimes freezers, with brief interviews with each chef about how they eat at home, and one or two recipes from most. There were a couple of "produce clear out" recipes that really appeal to me, and a mug cake from Milk Bar I will definitely try, but I was more engaged by the fridges. There were some intriguing repetitions (I was delighted to see that the Virginia mayonnaise brand Duke's is recognized as the best beyond where it's usually stocked), and I enjoyed reading about the variety in approaches. A couple who have a fridge each to keep their experiments separate, and a woman who bought the smallest fridge she and her wife could find, so they'd use less energy and buy fresh daily. A very successful chef who cheerfully talked about Lunchables being a favorite meal, and another with local bear meat in his freezer. I took issue with some remarks I considered snobby, and I wish more chefs of color were included, but this is fun!

The other is My Everyday Lagos, by Yewande Komolafe. She is a highly accomplished chef and food writer who has written for most of the top food magazines and columns in America, and worked all over it; you may well have encountered her work before. I'm not very familiar with Nigerian food (I've made jollof rice from a dry mix a couple times), and Komolafe strikes an excellent tone of knowing what will be familiar to an American audience, but prioritizing talking about the ingredients used in Nigeria. Peppered in are brief, highly memorable passages of context, talking about her time as an undocumented immigrant because her culinary school made a mistake, reflecting on how a vegetarian dish is not always the same as a plant-based one, and how sweet foods differ across cultures. Great.

I took advantage of a couple days of particularly good hearing to tear through audiobooks of all four novellas I was missing from Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London series: What Abigail Did That Summer, The Furthest Station, The October Man, and Winter's Gifts. I'm a big fan of this series and am so glad to fill in these adventures. Just one is narrated by the usual magician-detective pov character, Peter Grant. The others star his teenage cousin Abigail, and his professional counterparts in Germany and America, Tobias and Kim. I like all of these characters quite a bit, and the cases were delightful as always. The October Man was particularly smart and freaky. Winter's Gifts was a little less immersive than usual, because as an American I caught some oddities of Aaronovitch's choices and voice actress Penelope Rawlins' pronunciations that didn't strike me as quite right for Kim.

I also started filling in shorts and detours of Gail Carriger's interconnected steampunk series. I only finished The Curious Case of the Werewolf That Wasn't before the month ended. It's the earliest entry in the timeline, and unfortunately it's pretty insubstantial. It also focuses on a character I'm not gripped by--Alessandro Tarabotti is an important catalyst, but he's also a dick with negligible goals.

And lastly, I devoured the new Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone Christmas romance, A Holly Jolly Ever After! There were a couple plot threads I wish had been given more of a finale, but it's funny, moving, and full of STUFF happening. Especially recommended to people who grew up in religious purity cultures, Winnie pursuing independence and sexual fulfillment is thrilling and cheering.

[sillygirlfun]

I have never seen welcome home or disco elysium or whatever game that Leon kennedy guy comes from but I'm LOVING your art sm <33 do you have any tips on inporvong at art or is it just a thing I have to wing through

THANK YOU SO SO MUCH FOR THIS LOVELY ASK!!! it warms my heart so much knowing my art is loved and admired even..

im still learning art every day and in fact ive only been doing digital art for barely 2 years now, with it only being a year since i got my screen tablet! however, digital or traditional my biggest tip (and its probably what your expect) is just practice! trial and error is how I've learned. but also - dont be afraid to experiment, branch out, try something new or something that may feel "out there".

and dont be afraid to draw inspiration! a lot of my art has culminated into a big pot full of other artists ive admired! id see how one artist draws noses and try to draw that similarly, how another draws eyes, face shapes, and just mash up all those features into my own art style. because when you take inspiration from how other artists do certain things, you in turn make them into your own as youre interpreting them! for me personally i also take a lot of inspiration from styles of 1950s-1970s ads with some of my art and that plays a big part in how i stylize people sometimes and my usage of texture and shapes! I LOVE TAKING INSPIRATION!!

additionally, dont be afraid to trace real life photos of people (think: stock photos! not other peoples art, please!). using real photos as almost a backbone to your art and building off of it can help a lot! i dont recommend tracing a full body straight on, because you do want to try and learn anatomy, but in the beginning it can help. sometimes if im REALLY struggling on the angle of an arm or a hand i will trace it, and then go over that hand again to make it closer to how id draw it and not as 1-to-1 realism. i will also alter the anatomy sometimes to fit my more cartoony style because it just looks better for what im doing.

those are some things that i do that help me a lot but in my eyes im still a beginner and am learning with each piece I post!!! one big area im still trying to figure out is color..... 😭

(ALSO! if you like video games.. i highly recommend disco elysium 110% best game ive played.)

[cheddar-baby]

SORRY huge important missed thing too.

if you're starting out film i highly recommend for black and white

Neopan 100 Acros II

it has just a stunning range of mid tone greys, you take a photo of the sky with that and it is going to look smooth as silk and it has some of the smallest grain i've ever seen in a film stock. Its my go to black and white film forever.

(kodak t-max 100 is also fine if you want really high contrast)

for color you have some decent options,

Kodak Ektar 100

has a lovely high saturation look that im fond of it reminds me of what i imagine film photography to look like color wise. Really nice poppy bright colors but its not overly warm, it handles cool tones beautifully.

Kodak Portra 400/100

now this is just the standard for portrait photography. Find any photograph shot on film of a person and almost exclusively it was shot on portra. It handles skin-tones wonderfully, nice and warm and pleasant. Its hard to complain about the images you get out of it.

Kodak Gold 100

real dirt cheap film stock it was hugely popular with families for doing photography at home because of its price. But its not a bad film stock. Its going to lean very heavily into warmer tones (imagine every family photo you have where it is just so warm feeling) but if thats what you're going for it really works perfectly for that. I always like to keep some on me because it is just a really nice easy to go to film.

Also a little side thing i'd check out the film photography project store they've been doing these small batch runs of strange little films like wolfman, mummy, dracula films. I've got stuff from them a lot and they're always lovely to deal with im a big supporter of the work they do. I'd just explore their site and see if anything weird grabs your eye you might just find a new favourite film.

Hii if ur ok with sharing I would love to know what camera you use? I'm a beginner and I'm so lost about what the professional standard even is!! Your photos are so great btw I really wish I could buy a print from you!!!

thanks i appreciate it! One day i'll maybe set up a print shop who knows. I shoot mostly film though im looking at picking up medium format digital camera at some point. But my main camera i work with is the Mamiya RZ67

The thing is a heavy 5.5 pound monster that shoots 120mm film with a revolving back (can be instantly rotated while still on the camera body to shoot either horizontal or vertical). I really love it because the lenses mamiya produces are just incredible they have gorgeous glass, they're massive so you get a lot of the smooth depth of field people use 4x5 cameras for but with the convenience of shooting roll film (10 shots per roll generally $10-15 per roll now). The camera also has bellows

which personally i just love the aesthetic of.

Touching on your other thing, there isn't really so much of a professional standard for photography but i would say film is definitely falling out of popularity commerically, its all either full frame slr, or medium format digital now with film for special artsy niche ocassions. But film is absolutely alive and well in the fine art world.

If i had advice for people starting out it would be to try and find someone locally who does photography you can try out a 120mm camera from because it is a whole different world seeing your images come back with that much clarity and detail. 35mm has a specific aesthetic to it that people enjoy but i could never get past how much you lose from the size and i have trouble filling out the full roll cause im way too picky with my shots. Also getting 35mm onto a holder in the darkroom is such a pain, 120mm just glides on instantly no issues. But im biased this is my large camera propaganda.

[audreydoeskaren]

Book review: Chinese Wallpaper in Britain and Ireland (2017) by Emile de Bruijn

*I wrote this last year but completely forgot to post it. Enjoy the old stock :)

I’ve seen a lot of interesting images from this book on Pinterest so I decided to get the real thing, and I have to say I am extremely satisfied with it. This book is about Chinese made wallpapers from the Qing Dynasty (mostly 18th and early 19th centuries) that were exported to Europe and used as decoration in British and Irish homes. Although wallpapers are an interesting subject on their own, I will only be reviewing it only on the basis of how useful it is for fashion history research. This will be a short one.

Great images

Apparently I was not the only person who got this book for the pictures as the review at the back of the book suggests, and I fully understand why. This book contains high quality photos of Chinese wallpapers from the 18th and 19th centuries, in perfect resolution and colors. Even if you’re not interested in Chinese fashion, I would still recommend you to get this book because it also shows beautiful antique British and Irish interiors and chinoiserie wallpapers, and is just plain pleasant to look at.

One of my favorites from the entire book, a full page spread with delicious details of a wallpaper depicting a Chinese garden using linear perspective. Even better that the ladies are clad in Qianlong era garments.

Photos of interiors are also immaculate.

The importance of commercial art

Commercial art like wallpapers, portraits and export paintings is very marginalized in the study of Chinese art, so I highly appreciate that this book sheds more light on a category that traditionally finds absolutely no favor with Chinese art historians. Because of commercialization and increased trade with Europe, popular artworks from this era that depicted life realistically often employed Western painting techniques at least to some extent, meaning they don’t look very Chinese and are often neglected by scholars; more stereotypically Chinese literati painting genres, such as landscape painting or 仕女画 shinvhua (idealized paintings of women) are definitely way more popular among art historians.

Literati painting seldom, if ever, depicted people’s clothing realistically. Costumes were meant to be excessively flowy, adhering to people’s imagination of deities and supernatural beings. Sometimes hints of contemporary fashion could be seen if you know what to look for, because the artist’s imagination had limits and they couldn’t just pull an outfit out of thin air. But still, literati paintings should never be used as resources for the study of fashion history, because the clothing shown had little to no connection to what was popular in real life. Commercial art, on the other hand, depicted real people with real fashion, but is seldom shown in museums or books on Chinese art history because it was considered vulgar and inferior by the literati upper class. In my opinion, commercial art is miles more interesting than literati painting, because literati art has changed relatively little over the course of Chinese history due to conservative Confucian morals, whereas commercial art was usually more reflective of their time and popular tastes. The only non literati Qing painter to ever receive mainstream attention was probably Castiglione, but he was also a court painter and didn’t belong in the commercial category. Even Lam Qua is niche. The commercial export paintings made by native middle class artists of the Guangzhou thirteen factories (十三行), who had more freedom and pioneered new art forms (like reverse glass painting), are rarely discussed.

Literati painting attributed to 焦秉贞 Jiao Bingzhen (active 1689-1726). The costumes of the women, which are extremely stylized and historicist, follow rules of the genre established centuries ago and do not reflect actual fashion. Jiao could paint in the Western style as well, I’m just picking a shinv piece he did. This is the type of stereotypically Chinese art historians love to focus on.

From Chinese Wallpaper, likely made in the late Qianlong era (1770s-1790s). This kind of more down to earth art illustrating everyday life is a lot more rare to see, especially those where the artist attempts Western shading or perspective.

Because “Chinese art” for most people only encompasses literati painting, calligraphy, ceramics and other such stereotypical disciplines, seeing the relative lack of them in the Qing it’s easy to jump to the conclusion that art was not produced with the same rigor as in previous dynasties, which then leads to notions about the Qing being conservative and uncultured and such. No, art was abundant in the Qing, it’s just that the popular taste in art has changed so it was often made in a different medium (oil painting, print and indeed wallpapers) using a combination of Chinese and Western techniques. Scholarship on mediums like oil painting (China trade painting) and reverse glass painting has been virtually nonexistent until very recently; the first thorough monograph of reverse glass painting I’ve read is Thierry Audric’s 2020 Chinese Reverse Glass Painting 1720-1820. I really hope that as research on Qing export art accumulates, it would be able to finally integrate itself into the wider timeline of Chinese art history. So on this matter, thank you de Bruijn for making a whole book on a niche category of Chinese art.

Underrated era

Now with the context out of the way, I can talk about fashion. Although there is no mention of fashion in the text since that isn’t what this book is about, the images included are great for illustrating fashion in the early to mid Qing, which is not well represented in the study of Chinese fashion history at all. I’ve talked multiple times about 18th century erasure on this blog, and I think this book is a very good antidote to that. The bulk of the wallpapers featuring humans were from the Qianlong era (1735-96), a personal favorite era of mine, and there are also several that depict the Jiaqing era (1796-1820), which is even rarer.

What seems to be Jiaqing era clothing. The unicolor robes with black binding paired with plain black pants or skirts have a very casual and pastoral look. The style is weirdly reminiscent of modern stereotypical “Republican era uniform” Halloween costumes, but way better.

Conclusion/rating

This is a short review because the main point is that this book has plenty of nice images of an underrated era. Without a doubt 9/10. One point off because it would be nicer if the wallpapers are dated, but that’s a minor qualm.

[doublerainebow]

Artist Resources (Part 1?)

This is basically just going to be a bunch of resources I have found to be useful. I can’t say that I’ve used all of them, but I’m sure they’re all worth checking out.

I’m also gonna try to put a detailed description for most of the links so you have a better idea of what you’re getting. I apologize in advance if some of them are redundant lol

(I put “Part 1″ if in the case I make another one)

~Links to Tutorials, Tips, Resources, etc~

Another Resource List -- Leads to another Tumblr post. Apparently, the post isn’t mobile-friendly, so it’s suggested to view this on Tumblr browser. Has a bunch of other links. I’ve checked out a few of them (mainly the copyright stuff lol), and it seems that some of the links may be a bit outdated. Still, it doesn’t hurt to check out the links.

Arms and Legs -- Leads to another Tumblr post. A handy tutorial on elbow and knee placement.

Art & Game Dev -- This leads to my personal playlist of a bunch of YouTube videos. Has a bunch of tutorials and interesting videos that I’ve collected over the course of a few years lol.

Blamblot -- A website that contains resources and tutorials on comic lettering. This is primarily in reference to western comics, but it doesn’t help to take a looksie.

Commission Calculator -- Leads to another Tumblr post. Helps artists to stop selling themselves short.

Comparing Heights (hikaku-sitatter) -- A height comparer for centimeters.

Comparing Heights -- A height comparer for feet and inches.

Mouth Shapes and Lip-Syncing -- Leads to another Tumblr post. Useful for... drawing mouth shapes.

Reference Angle -- Useful for when you’re trying to map out a face from an odd angle.

Soft Proofing for Printing -- Leads to another Tumblr post. Helps when you’re trying to make prints of your artwork.

Textures -- A website full of different and mostly free textures. While this website is made for 3D texturing, it can also be useful for 2D drawings. Signing up gives you 15 free credits everyday, and you can use those credits to download some textures for free.

The Models Resource -- A website of models ripped from a wide array of games.

The Spriters Resource -- A website of sprites ripped from a wide array of games.

The Textures Resource -- A websites of textures ripped from a wide array of games. 

~Links to Stock Images~

Please check out whatever policies they may have for their images before using them!

(not sure if any of them are active anymore as I followed some of these accounts a long time ago when I used to be more active on Deviant Art lol)

adorkastock (formerly senshistock)

anatoref -- Leads to another Tumblr post. Has a bunch of hand photo references

charligal-stock

HumanAnatomy4Artist -- Does contain nudity

null-entity

PhelanDavion

RobynRose

~Links to Other Artists~

Akihito Yoshitomi -- Yoshitomi is a mangaka who has tutorials on manga making. He also has an insightful series in which he drafts and draws a 30-page manga in 18 days. Remember that every artist works differently and his process may be different from another’s.

Drawfee -- Drawfee is an improv drawing show of four artists: Nathan Yaffe, Jacob Andrews, Julia Lepetit, and Karina Farek. While they don’t have tutorials in a sense, their videos explain the different processes they go through as they draw. They also occasionally provide tips, tricks, and resources in their videos. They do have another channel and a Twitch channel where they host drawing classes in addition to other fun shenanigans.

EtheringtonBrothers -- Has a bunch of useful and eye-catching tutorials called “How to Think When You Draw”.

Mark Crilley -- Mark is a comic artist, specializing in manga, who has a bunch of tutorials about anatomy, perspective, comic making, and other things.

Miyuli -- Miyuli is an artist who posts tutorials on their Twitter. Their tutorials range from anatomy to clothing to other things. They even have a few books of art tips. Currently (as of the time of posting this), their 2018 version is free for download, so I highly recommend you download that. Some tips may be outdated, but they should still be helpful.

Whyt Manga (Twitter/YouTube) -- Odunze is a comic artist, specializing in manga, that has a bunch of tutorials on manga making and drawing characters of color.

~Links to Free Programs~

Blender -- A free 3D program if you’re into 3D modeling and such. I also personally haven’t used Blender (I use Maya lol), but I know it’s a respectable program.

Krita -- A free painting program if you can’t afford Photoshop or Clip Studio Paint. I personally haven’t used Krita, but I have recommended it to a few friends and they have positive reviews about it.

Paint Tool SAI -- Okay, this one isn’t free, but it’s a significantly cheaper painting program where you don’t have to pay a subscription. It’s 5,500JPY (~50 USD). I’m not sure how well it still works on modern computers (the last update was 2016), but I still use it here and there because I love the pen tool feature it has, and it still works like a charm for me.

~General Tips From Raine~

Raine admits that she’s guilty of not following her own advice, but Raine hopes that the tips that she does know will be beneficial to someone who will follow them. She’s also going to keep all her tips under the cut so as to not make this post a huge wall of text (even though it technically already is lol)

Also, if you have some resources, tutorials, tips yourself, please feel free to send them to me and maybe I’ll make a part 2 to this post!

ALWAYS LOOK FOR REFERENCE. This should really go without saying. You can’t draw from life if you refuse to observe life itself.

If you can’t find the exact thing you need, MAKE YOUR OWN REFERENCE. Time and time again, I can’t find something exactly that I need. So instead, what I do is that I take pictures of my own reference. Sometimes I even grab a friend and take pictures of them doing whatever it is I need.

Have a mirror handy when you’re drawing. Sometimes what you need is actually right there in front of you.

Having trouble drawing something? Do some studies. Take the time to understand what it is you’re drawing. I can’t remember the exact story, but I heard that the people who were working on Tarzan were having a hard time drawing his hands. So, what they did was spend a few hours looking at hands to try and understand how they work.

IT’S OKAY TO STUDY THE ART OF OTHER ARTISTS. Just as we look to the old masters as a reference, it’s definitely okay to look at modern-day artists for reference. Just don’t go copying exactly everything that they do, or worse, trace what they do. Just don’t do it... at all.

Not every line needs to be realized. The viewer of your work will automatically connect the dots.

DO NOT TRASH YOUR OLD DRAWINGS. Please, never ever do this. Your old drawings have value to them, even if they look terrible to you. Old drawings may hold ideas for things you could do for the future. They also serve as a way to see how far you’ve come as an artist.

GETTING BETTER AT DRAWING TAKES TIME AND EFFORT. You’re not gonna get better overnight. It’ll take months, or even years, to feel like you’re a competent artist, and even then, you’ll still have room for improvement.

DON’T LOOK DOWN ON YOURSELF IF YOU’RE TAKING A LONG TIME TO GET BETTER. It’ll be better for your mental health in the long run.

Alternatively, DON'T LOOK DOWN ON OTHER ARTISTS EITHER, ESPECIALLY TO MAKE YOURSELF FEEL BETTER. You know the struggles it took for you to get where you are, so don’t go putting down other people when you’ve been in their shoes once.

KEEP DRAWING. If you’re not making an effort to get better, then you’re not going to be better. I get that it’s hard to find the inspiration to draw (I’m very guilty of this), but just keep trying. It doesn’t have to be big or spectacular. You don’t even have to post it if you’re the type who likes to post their art stuff.

Try to find references from real-life. It’ll help you better understand form, lighting, shadows, etc., especially if you’re going for a more realistic kind of art style. Otherwise, finding reference from things like cartoons, anime, comics, etc. are just as good.

Try new things. Try new art mediums. Try a different art style. Switch up the way you do things. Maybe you’ll hate it, maybe you’ll like it. Who knows if you don’t try.

Watch time-lapses (or speed draws/speed paints) of other artists!

Pinterest and Google are your friends if you need tutorials or references or whatever.

If you’re offering commissions, DO NOT WORK UNDER YOUR LOCAL MINIMUM WAGE. You are literally devaluing the work you actually put into a piece.

I like to think I’m an aficionado of Photoshop, so feel free to ask me questions on how to achieve something! I’ve used Photoshop for about 11 years now and know my way around the program. On another note, I do recommend setting custom keyboard shortcuts in Photoshop because the default shortcuts are terrible (in my opinion), and because having custom shortcuts increases the speed of your workflow.

Because I’ve been seeing this a lot lately in Twitter, you’re never too old to start in art. Art is just one of those things that anyone can pick up at any age because the only thing you really need to get good in art is time, diligence, and patience.

Try not to post hi-res images of your artwork to prevent art stealers from selling your artwork in high resolution.

Always, always, always add your signature and watermark on your artwork. I like to add my signatures and watermarks in places that’ll be hard to erase or crop out. I’ve also seen people add their signatures and watermarks in creative ways (ex. on a character’s shirt). You need to protect your work in an era where people will just blatantly steal it and make profit off your work.

Tag List

@reality-is-often-disappointing

[jihyuncompass]

Only Then I Am Human (Only Then I am Clean)

It’s finally the end of Jihyun Week. It sure has been a roller coaster. This final fic is one I’ve been thinking about for a long time and is one very close to my heart, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed creating this.  I want to give a special thank you to my wonderful friend @spacesquidlings​ for encouraging me when I was feeling scared, and for having just as much love for this fic as I do. It wouldn’t exist without you. I love you so much my friend. So this fic is dedicated to you. 

Each section of this fic is inspired by a song by Hozier. I highly recommend listening to the songs along with the fic. 

Only Then I Am Human (Only Then I Am Clean) 

Jihyun Week 2020 Day Eight ( @mysme-events​ )

Free

Jihyun Kim x MC 

Word Count: 10k

Summary:  “V, my sun.” She cooed. “Your love is what warms me, what burns away the pain of my past. Your light drives out my own darkness.” She explained to him, she thought about her words next. “V, each day, you’d rise with me. Know that I would gladly be, the Icarus to your certainty. My sunlight.”

I. Sunlight

The photographs made her lose her breath a little. She stared at the framed photo, taking in all the small details. This was not the first time she’d seen this photo, in fact she had actually been to this gallery every day for the past week now. Each time finding herself hypnotized by this image.

The photo depicted the sun and its horizon. The sun lit up the horizon beautifully, making everything around it look washed in a golden glow. Her eyes pricked with tears, there was something about the image that was just so incredible that she couldn’t resist staring at it. So much so she didn’t even hear someone approach her. 

“Do you like it?” Her eyes tore away to the young man who’d approached her. Tall, a little lanky. Like a man who hadn’t fully grown up yet, with strangely mint colored hair and matching eyes. In his gaze she found herself a bit taken aback. 

“Yes I love it.” She said, looking him up and down she found him strange, but also undeniably fascinating. “Excuse me, but who are you?”

The young man smiled and motioned towards the photo in front of her. “The one who took this photo.” The young woman’s eyes widened, glancing at the small label on the bottom of the frame and then back to him. 

“You must be V, the photographer!” She exclaimed. 

“You’ve been standing here for almost an hour, so I came to say hello. Didn’t you come here yesterday too?” The young woman flushed a bright red. She hadn’t expected to meet the person who took the photo, nor did she expect for him to recognize her for coming the day before. She laughed a bit and rubbed the back on her neck. 

“Yes… the photo was so beautiful I just had to come for another look.” She smiled at him, then continued. “I’m also a fan of your work.” The photographer, V, smiled back at her. A kind, warm smile that set her heart afire. It was a smile she had never seen someone give her. One that made her want to keep looking at him. 

“I’m glad you like it. Then please enjoy it.” V said. He stepped away to walk somewhere else. Feeling his smile leave she spoke again, quick so he wouldn’t leave just yet.  

“Wait!” V stopped and turned around to look back at her. “Don’t go yet. I had something to ask you.” 

V cocked his head to the side. “What is it?” 

She took a deep breath and then started to talk. “The sun is the mother of all things. This flower wouldn’t have come to live if the sun hadn’t exuded energy.” She looked at the photo and then back at V. “The consistent love and warmth, I feel it from all of your pieces. When I stare at your photographs, I feel all my fears disappear!” She continued speaking about the sun, about the warmth of the sun. As she spoke V listened to her, taking steps towards her to hear her better. He seemed to be in awe of what she was saying to him. “Do you believe we all can become the sun one day? Is that what you think when you take these photos?” 

V stared for a while, seemingly processing all that he said to her. Then he laughed a bit. “No, I don’t have such profound thoughts when taking the photos. I’m not that great.” This time V rubbed the back of his neck, looking a bit shy. “But, when I take them. I do hope that people like you can feel love when looking at them.” 

She grinned at him, a bright and brilliant grin. “You are great. V, just by the fact you can take photographs like this.” V’s own heart raced looking at the woman in front of him, the way her eyes were filled with so much emotion, and so much complexity. He’d been complimented on his works before, sure. Yet this woman, she had so much more to say. Something so much deeper than anyone else he’d ever met.

“Thank you. Do you want this photograph?” He pointed towards it. She looked but shook her head sadly. 

“I love it, but I don’t have enough money to purchase it.” He stepped forward, now more excited. 

“I’ll give it to you as a gift.” 

She blinked in surprise, unsure if she had heard him properly. “What?” 

V motioned to the front of the gallery. “Please tell the receptionist your address, name and phone number.” She looked where he was motoning then back at him. Her voice shook as she responded to him. 

“Oh, I can’t accept such an expensive piece!” V shook his head and touched her shoulder briefly. 

“Please don’t refuse. If you feel love when looking at this photograph you are the true owner.” 

“But, I don’t like receiving something for free.” She didn’t want him to just give her this, she feared his intentions, but he kept smiling at her. A warm smile that felt like sunlight to her heart. 

“Then how about this?” He said. “I’ll give you this photograph and you can buy me coffee after this exhibition?” 

She shook her head again, disbelieving of his words. “What?!” 

“Your thoughts made a big impression on me. I’d like to hear more about what you feel looking at the photographs, how you see life.” V told her. 

She’d never heard such a thing before, she hadn’t grown up used to the idea that someone would want to hear her, to see her for who she was. To actually take stock in what she believed, and then here was this man, V, who wanted to hear her, who wanted to see her. 

“Your thoughts made a big impression on me. I’d like to hear more about what you feel looking at the photographs, how you see life.” He explained, then realizing he asked. “Can I ask you your name? 

“It’s Rika.” She said. V tilted his head. 

“Is that your real name?” She sighed. 

“No…” 

His smile didn’t waver. “I’ll tell you my real name first. It’s Jihyun Kim, but everyone calls me V.” 

Rika couldn’t have been certain, but that she felt was the moment she started to fall for him. V, the very embodiment of the sun she’d desired for so long, and now with him here she wanted to bask in his light. In his warm smile and kind eyes. She wanted to get lost in him. 

She hadn’t expected things to go the way they did, yet she found herself falling for him, and falling hard. She wanted to always be looking at him, she wanted to lose herself inside him. In his embrace she felt her worries wash away. The darkness that had held to her since she was a child became easier to deal with. Once many years ago she would have likely rejected him, feeling safe to thrive in her own darkness, but with V? With V she wanted his warmth to take that all away. Rika wanted nothing more to fill herself with his light, to get closer and closer to him. She wanted to become something new, she wanted to become just like the light he was. 

She felt this understanding in the peaceful moments, when they were just close to one another, or when they laid together in bed. 

Light streamed in from the window behind their bed. Basking the whole room in a warm light. Rika stared at V, who was staring right back at her. His arms were holding her close, being so near to him she felt the warmth from him, both the one on her body, and the warmth in her soul. 

Earlier that day she had been struggling, it felt as though there was a storm in her mind. With every part of her heart and soul aching, V had found her. Sitting on the kitchen floor, with tears falling down her cheeks. 

She’d worried about his reaction but instead he held her. Whispering words of love to her. The ones that seemed to make her darkness subside, disappearing under V’s sunlight. Being in his arms she felt herself warm.

“Rika.” V said, laying in bed next to her. “Do you feel better?” 

“I think so,” She’d said. “But I always feel better near you.” V’s gentle expression remained as his hand pulled locks of hair from her face and continued to admire her. He rested the palm of his hand against her cheek, the warmth of his hand matching the hotness on her cheeks. 

“Rika, my darling.” V whispered and a soft tone. “May I ask you something?” Rika nodded to him. 

“Yes V, what do you want to ask me?” He waited, seemingly thinking on how he wanted to phrase the question to her. Understanding the sensitivity of Rika’s own emotional state, but feeling a desire to have his question answered. 

“You tell me my love is like the sun.” He started. “And, I am happy to love you as your sun forever, but I fear that sometimes. The sun is the mother of all, without the sun things can not grow, can not survive. Yet, the sun also can burn, it can grow cancer inside our bodies if we spend too much time in it.” V explained. Rika was listening attentively. Not seeming upset by his words. “So I fear that one day my love might burn you up, grow a cancer in you. I don’t think I could live with that.” Rika smiled, and shook her head. 

She spoke in such a gentle voice that V couldn’t help but to believe every word she spoke. “V, my sun.” She cooed. “Your love is what warms me, what burns away the pain of my past. Your light drives out my own darkness.” She explained to him, she thought about her words next. “V, each day, you’d rise with me. Know that I would gladly be, the Icarus to your certainty. My sunlight” V found himself breathless, he found himself in that state often around her. Her words wrapped around his heart, making him only want to be closer to her, hold her tighter. Paint her heart and soul with his love the color of the sun. 

“Rika.” He whispered. “If you wish me to be your sun. Then I will, I’ll ease the pain that still lurks in your heart. I’ll give you all the warmth you need, I promise you.” V said. He gently held her hand close to his chest. 

“V, will you love me forever? Just like the sun?” 

His eyes spoke what she could only see as the truth. “Forever, my beloved. Just like the sun in the sky. I’ll always be here.” 

She believed him, every word. Whenever the doubt began to arrive she’d hold onto his words. She’d seek out his light and his comfort, the kind that starved the darkness inside her and made her feel light and good. Unlike the cursed child she’d been raised as. 

As time passed she started to worry. Though with V she felt safe, she felt loved. There were seeds to doubt that began to dwell in the corners of her soul that V's light couldn’t even reach. Growing and thriving in her darkness, in that space she started to feel different. At the start the feeling was strange, and somehow all too familiar, but then it became comforting. Instead of filling her with light like V did. This feeling filled her with something else, it whispered promises of a painless life, of a paradise where she would never hurt again. Where she’d be loved, and never abandoned again. 

The devil inside her told her something else. Something she once would have vehemently refused, but now. Feeling this newfound sensation in her, this voice that spoke to her very core. 

V’s love was not salvation, it was not peace. What she needed to survive was the thing that kept her alive as a child. Not the love of the sun, but the seduction of the moon. 

Oh your love is sunlight. 

But it is sunlight. 

II.Cherry Wine 

V admired so much about his lover. He had found himself regularly struck silent by how beautiful she sounded when she spoke to him. Rika’s words always held this magic to them. A kind that he found himself enamored with every word she said. Every syllable was a gift, every phrase a spell over his heart. 

Her words always held passion within them, unlike anyone else V had ever met. Rika spoke in beautiful metaphors, with such a great and beautiful understanding of the world that surrounded them. He felt he could listen to her talk forever, and so he learned to speak like her. So together they spoke in a strange tongue of metaphors and riddles that only they knew.

From the beginning of their relationship V had known about the tragedy his beloved Rika had endured. At times when she felt able, she had told him about her adoptive parents, about the orphanage she’d been in. How she had been rejected by everyone who had ever been around her. He’d felt so much pity for her, this poor thing who’d felt abandoned her entire life. 

He’d tried to love her like the sun, just like he had promised her over and over. For a long time it seemed to make her happy, she smiled more, she seemed lighter and full of energy. They created the RFA together, gathering a group of their friends and others who they thought could make a difference in the world. From this, she seemed happier than ever. 

V wasn’t sure when things changed. It didn’t feel like the switch of a light, or the snap of a finger. It was slow, so slow he didn’t truly notice what was happening until it all reached a certain point. Like a frog in water slowly coming to a boil. 

Each day began to feel like he was walking on a wire. Rika’s emotional state started to deteriorate. However this time, unlike every time before she didn’t want his help. Instead she actively seemed to be trying to push him away. 

“Rika please.” V said reaching for her. She slapped away his hand. 

“You don’t understand!” She shouted. “You never understand!” 

V’s hands shook, but he still tried to step forward. “Please, then help me understand. Let me help you.” Rika turned away from him but he kept trying to follow. 

“Help? You don’t want to help me!” She whirled around to look at him, her eyes and words are so icy, but she burns like rum on a fire. Her anger is palpable, V couldn’t even remember how this argument had begun. All he knew was she was upset, and she wouldn’t let him near her. 

“Rika, your idea, your plan it’s…” He thought out his words carefully. “It’s not right, you can’t save people that way.” V looked to the paper on the table, the one she’d shown him before. Rika’s newest idea for helping those in need, one he knew was dangerous. 

“You’re just like the rest of them!” Rika shouted. You’re just like my parents, my step parents, everyone.” She said she wasn’t yelling anymore, but her words held so much contempt. 

V shook his head, again trying to reach for her. “I’m not like them Rika. I love you, more than anything in this world. No, you are my world Rika, and I’m your sun. Right?” Rika paused, her anger changed to something else. 

“If you say you love me V.” Rika looked at V, with him looking at her with those pleading bright eyes. “Can I test your love, make you prove that you mean what you say?” Rika stepped towards him. V nodded, falling down to his knees in front of her. 

“You can test me every day Rika, I’ll always come back to you, I’ll always love you.” Rika looked down at him, her hands cupping his face to look at her and only her. 

“What if I make you hurt every day? What if I torture you to the point you want to let go of my hand and leave?” V took a deep breath and nodded to her. 

“I’ll stay. I won’t ever abandon you.” V and Rika stared into each other’s eyes. Seeking each other’s true feelings, what V found, was anger but also surprise. What Rika found was trust, and what she could only imagine was love. 

Rika took a deep breath, her hand going to grab the back of V’s head. His eyes never left hers. He held his breath, expecting what could be coming. He didn’t close his eyes until he felt the impact. 

The way she tells me I’m hers, and she is mine. 

Jumin wasn’t one to pry into his friend’s life. He’d always known V as a private man, preferring to keep his own life closed off. Even to those he considered himself close with.

When V came to visit him. To share a bottle of wine, to talk about their lives. In the same way they had done for many years. He’d noticed the strange way V looked. While anyone else might not have noticed, Jumin noticed the strange way that V seemed to walk, how he kept his sleeves down and arms hidden from sight. Most of all, Jumin noticed the dark purple bruise on V’s face, that he tried to hide with his hair. 

“Are you alright?” Jumin asked him after a glass of wine. A rare and expensive wine he’d been given as a gift, it didn’t taste bad, perhaps a bit too sweet for Jumin’s liking. Feeling a tad looser than he had before, he wasn’t afraid to question his friend. “You seem strange tonight V.” His friend looked over to him, also having drank a glass of wine already. 

“I’m fine Jumin. Why do you ask?” 

“You just seem odd tonight, and I know you well enough to know when something is wrong.” Jumin explained. Elizabeth the 3rd jumped up on the couch they were sitting on. Placing herself right between the two men. Seeking attention, which they both provided. “Also. I noticed the bruise on your face.” 

V reached up his fingers covering it. “It’s from a hike I went on, I tripped over a tree root and fell on my face. Got a nasty bruise out of it.” He turned away to hide the bruise some more, which only made the feelings of concern worse. “It looks ugly, but it’s clean.” V said. Jumin hesitated but why would V lie to him? Jumin took another sip of wine to swallow the doubt in his throat. V was fine, it’s just a hiking injury. 

That’s what he hoped, anyways. 

Months later, Rika was angry again. This was more common now than anything else at this point. V still tried to help her, asking if there were things he could do, if he could hold her, encourage her, anything. She kept her distance from him, keeping him only continuing to beg for her. He hated seeing her in pain, but she wouldn’t engage with him, wouldn’t listen to him. Only her own words hitting her ears.  

Finally, she broke down. The glass of water in her hand that V had given her was thrown against the wall, the glass shattering on impact and landing all over the floor. V grabbed her by the shoulders to move her away from the shards, not wanting her bare feet to be cut by it. However as soon as he touched her he was pushed back and to the ground. 

“Rika?” He said she was standing over him now. 

“Why do you keep doing this?” She hissed at him. “Why do you keep trying to care for me?” She yelled. V brought himself up to slowly stand. 

“Because I love you. Because I want to care for you-” 

“Liar!” She pushed him back down again. “You don’t care for me, all you do is pity me. That’s why you’re here, that’s why you stay.” V shook his head. 

“No, I love you Rika. You know that, I love you.” V said, Rika stared at the broken glass on the ground, then at V. Her sun, her lover, kneeling to her. Opening himself up to her, she looked between the glass and him. 

She looked into V’s eyes, the bright blues that she once thought could give her salvation. Now, they were staring at her, pleading. The look once would make her feel at peace, but now it just made her angier. 

“You said I could test your love. That no matter what I did you would always stay?” V nodded. 

“Always, just like the sun.” Rika walked towards the shards of broken glass littered on the floor. Taking one long jagged shard from the ground, she held it carefully in her hand, the edges digging into her skin. 

V watched her, his heart raced but he didn’t say a word. He didn’t move an inch, and let Rika take him by the chin. 

And it’s worth it, it’s divine. V thought as he felt the pain across his eyes. The last thing he truly remembers thinking. 

He awoke the next morning with his eyesight still blurry. Even the lights in the house felt like too much. He tried to blink away the blurriness but found it to be no use. He stumbled around his house. He called out to Rika, but heard nothing back. 

Based on what he could feel he assumed he was in the kitchen. He took a few steps deeper into the kitchen and hissed when his feet hit the broken glass from the night before. He reached out and managed to catch one of the dining chairs collapsing into it. 

His hand grazed across a piece of paper. Taking it he forced his eyes to focus enough to read Rika’s handwriting. 

I’m leaving. I can’t let anyone get in the way of paradise. 

He had to tell the RFA something. He didn’t want them to know where she had gone, or what she was doing. So instead he felt it would be better if they believed Rika was no longer in this world. As far as V knew, Rika wasn’t the same person they knew. So in some ways, she was already dead. 

She'd once told him, she'd be the Icarus to his sun. Sitting there V realized his love had done something to her, something that made her unable to go on. So like Icarus with wax melted, V told the RFA that she'd met the sea. 

Oh but she looks,

Like sleep to the freezing. 

III. Work Song

How had things gotten to this point? He thought. V’s mind was in and out while he was resting in that safehouse. The blankets pulled around him to keep him warm. He heard the sound of Luciel typing on his computer from the other room. But laying there he reflected on everything that had occurred up to that point, his mind kept replaying the moment he met Rika. Repeating over and over. He thought of how he fell in love with her, 

He moved through their relationship piece by piece. He thought of their dates, their nights spent together, the RFA parties and the charity work. All of it mixed together in his mind. Those memories of their relationship now was such a stark contrast to what they had become. Through each memory he could recall the emotions he felt, how much he adored her, worshiped her. He thought about how beautiful she was to him, how just being around her he was so full of love he could barely eat. Rika had been so beautiful, but also so broken and hurt. All at once.

V pondered when things had changed. What moment became the starting mark for this dark road they were on. It had happened long before Rika left, was it even before she started therapy? Was the end even before she had first told him about her ideas of paradise? There was no moment that he could think of that truly changed everything for them. The only thing he felt was the feeling that those old memories no longer held the warmth they used to. The long mornings spent in bed felt foreign. The dates, the kisses, the proposal, none of it felt happy anymore. Only twinges of sadness and this heavy feeling in his chest. 

“Please.” V asked the stranger who Luciel had called Vanderwood. “Can you help me with something?” Vanderwood raised an eyebrow at him while they leaned over him. From the corner of his eye he could see them. Watching him with those concerned eyes. 

“I’m already helping you.” Vanderwood said. 

“I need to go back.” V said. MC stepped forward, now their concern was showing in their face. “I need to stop her.” Vanderwood’s expression changed to one of complete disbelief. 

“You want to go back to the woman who kidnapped you and drugged you.” Vanderwood stated. V nodded, Vanderwood glanced back to MC. Whose eyes stayed on V the whole time. V couldn’t look at them, he already felt guilty about Rika getting them involved. The last thing he wanted was to feel the guilt of leaving them. 

V knew that returning to Rika meant that he would likely die. Rika made it clear that she had no interest in keeping him alive at Magenta, but maybe he could convince her to let him stay. Because, despite the pain he was in, even if he felt as if he was on the brink of death. He still wanted to go to her, go to the only home he seemed to know now.

“Yes.” V said. “Maybe I can convince her to end this.” 

“There’s no reasoning with people like her.” Vanderwood said. “If she’s as bad as you say. Then there’s nothing you can say that will make her stop what she’s doing.” 

“V.” MC said, they sat on the end of the bed by his feet. “You should treasure yourself more. You can’t just sacrifice yourself like this.” V thought on their words, about him learning to treasure himself more. To see himself as someone worthwhile, someone worthy of happiness and even forgiveness. 

“Treasure myself?” V whispered. “Why should I treasure myself when I’ve done so many horrible things? When I’m such a monster?” MC’s face didn’t change, the same compassionate determined expression. 

“You aren’t a monster V. You deserve to be safe, and to be happy.” MC said. Maybe it was the drugs, or the fever making his head feel dizzy, but somehow when they said those words. V believed them. When they told him he could be happy, he could live a good life, one away from Rika, from the chaos that surrounded them. 

MC was always there. When he would wake up from a nightmare they’d be there to soothe him, when his fever spiked they made sure he was wrapped up in blankets and pressing a cold towel to his forehead, and when he felt at his lowest. When all he could think about was sacrifice. They never stopped comforting him, telling him he was worthwhile, that he was cared for, and he wasn’t alone. When they were near, V could almost feel hopeful, even if he could save Rika, with MC, he felt safe. In the low lamplight he was free. Heaven and hell were words to him. 

As more time passed, V started to believe that maybe he could survive this. Perhaps this wasn’t the end of his life, and maybe it could even be the start of something new. 

All that was left was Rika. 

Seeing her again, in that forest V knew what he needed to say. Looking into her green eyes he didn’t feel the same pull towards her he did once. 

“I loved you. I truly loved you.” Rika said. “Remember what I told you? I told you that one day I will hurt you.  But you embraced me. You told me that this warmth and love we feel at this moment was real.” She said. She shook her head, tears in her eyes. It couldn’t be like this, she hated V, he’d tried to destroy her darkness and yet somehow she couldn’t let go of him. “I still love you.” Rika whispered, partially to herself. She grabbed the collar of his shirt pulling him close to her, his eyes holding nothing but pity for her. Not the warmth she used to see.

“Rika.” He said. 

“If you’re not light, then I’m not darkness.” Rika said. “Tell me you’ll be my light. Please? You’re my light. You’re my sun, your love is the sunlight.” 

“Rika.” V said. “I can no longer be your sun.” Rika shook her head violently. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. How is it possible that he didn’t want her anymore? Was it as she had thought? Had he never loved her like she loved him? 

“Please don’t leave me.” She begged. “You told me that if I’m sad you’re sad too.” 

“Rika.” V tried to say. 

“No! Tell me it was love. What we had together was love! Tell me your whole purpose of your life is me.” Rika cried. 

“We’re the same Rika. We’re both traumatized. Back then that was all that mattered. But now, not anymore. It wasn’t love then or now.” Rika shook him, grasping his collar while she cried, crying for him to love her, to come back. To be her sun again, but her words fell flat. V didn’t hesitate or move, insisting that she needed to give up. 

Rika let go of his collar and stepped away from him. Tears were going down her cheeks, her expression a bitter mixture of heartbreak and fury. “Then you leave me no choice. I should finish this, for both of us.” She reached behind her eyes not meeting V’s. 

“Rika?” He asked, confused. V didn’t even realize what had happened until he looked down. Seeing Rika holding a bloody knife in her hands. Had she stabbed herself? Was she okay? He wanted to reach for her, if only to see if she was hurt. 

“I stabbed him.” Rika said to herself. The realization then hit, V then felt the rush of pain, clutching his stomach, his hand becoming wet with his blood. He fell to his knees, wincing and gasping. Rika spoke to him, begging for him not to die, to live, even if only to be cursed by her. All he could think was to get her away from there. 

“I won’t die. You know I won’t.” He struggled to say. Rika nodded, taking off and running back into the woods. 

V held to his wound, his eyes screwed shut. He had to go, he had to get help. Even if the wound wasn’t too deep he knew that he would die if he wasn’t found soon. 

He stumbled, trying to walk while clutching himself. His legs wobbled like jello and his entire body ached from pain and his fever. He didn’t stop though, he had to get back to the safehouse. To them, he had to make it back for them. 

No grave can hold my body down. 

I’ll crawl home to her. 

IV.  As it Was. 

There is a roadway, muddy and foxgloved. V walked it carefully, careful not to slip on the mud and not to bother the flowers. He’d learned very early on that foxgloves were a great way to irritate his skin and make him itch. He adjusted the pack on his back, as he walked, feeling it slipping down his shoulders. Weighed down by his most recent grocery purchase from the nearby town. 

He kept his eyes on the road, careful to walk on the edges in case someone was coming behind him. Some people would drive by in cars and he wanted to be out of their way, even on this dirt road drivers got grumpy at people walking in the middle of the pathway. 

The cabin he was staying in wasn’t far from here, all he had to do was walk to the fork in the road, and then take the path that would lead him into the forest by the river. After a bit of walking that path he’d find himself back at home. If he’d chosen to take a car or bike he would have been back much faster. Sometimes, though it was nice to walk. Especially when the weather was nice like this, a walk couldn’t do any harm to him. Even if it did put him at light risk of being shouted at by a driver, or getting his boots muddy.  

V put a lock of hair behind his ear, it was growing long again. He’d cut it a while ago when he was staying at this last place before he’d moved to this cabin but now it was starting to let too long again. Maybe he’d try and do it himself, avoid the unnecessary trip to the hairdresser in town. His stomach grumbled and he considered what he would prepare for dinner that evening. He’d probably cook with the newest groceries he got, also using some of the old stuff that needed to be used up. 

Looking up at the sky the sun was starting to fall, over the mountains in the horizon and the air around him growing a bit cold. He should walk a bit faster, the last part of the walk was always miserable in the dark. Holding onto the straps on his backpack he sped up his pace, being more careful not to slip on the mud. Cleaning muddy boots was one thing, cleaning muddy clothes was another situation entirely to deal with. 

The door to his cabin was creaky but he didn’t mind much. It still kept the warmth in and the cold out, and really that’s all it needed to do. He shed off his jacket putting it on the coat hook by the door. Letting his arms rest at his sides his hand brushed against his scar. Where Rika had stabbed him, the wound now healed, the only evidence left behind being the raised skin on his stomach to remind him. He took off his muddy boots, they would probably need to be rinsed and cleaned after dinner. The caked on mud bothered him quite a bit. He’d make his dinner, light a fire in the fireplace and later clean his boots and set in front of the fire to dry. 

With dinner made and a crackling fire V ate the soup he’d made himself. The warmth felt good on his cold bones, it wasn’t winter yet but the cold still managed to sink itself into him. He’d set a bowl in front of one of the bedroom doors for his housemate. Though he knew he likely would stay in his room all evening. Still he was quiet when he watched the door open and the bowl get taken inside. As long as he was eating, that’s what mattered most to him. 

The fire in the cabin reminded him often of that old safehouse. The memories now were often so fuzzy, but he remembered the sound of the fireplace, the feeling of warmth it gave when he had the chills. The sight of MC leaning over it to add more wood to fuel it. Promising to keep it going for him, her love was unmoved for him. . 

Jihyun knew that there would always be a part of Rika in him. She was not someone easy to move on from. Yet he knew his heart no longer belonged to her, her influence no longer loomed over him. She was not his sun, or his moon or stars. To him Rika was nothing symbolic, only a person of his past. 

He looked at the desk. The paper and his pen left out, he’d left the cabin today to send them a letter, but was it too soon to write them another one? Even if he didn’t send it now, or ever the feeling still made him feel at peace. 

Finishing his meal he sat down at the desk. Looking over the small arrangement of photos and mementos he kept to look at. A photo of the RFA, an old newspaper photo of his mother when she was young, a picture of MC, and a pressed daffodil. 

His mind went to Rika often, not as much it might have once but she still lingered in his mind and spirit. She appeared in his nightmares most frequently, but he still sometimes felt a softness towards her. Not necessarily a feeling of love, but one of goodwill. He knew very little about what had happened after he’d left. Only the few little snippets from Jumin who assured him that she was safe and unable to hurt anyone or herself. 

Now his mind wandered again, this time to someone different. He found himself thinking about MC. His heart ached for them, for their comfort and presence. The desire to see them was often so strong that he struggled to see past the very moment he was living in. During those times he would take long breaths, try and rest, and remind himself that he’d see them again. Once it was time for him to come back. 

First he needed to become his true self. Just as he was when he was born. Before the otherness came, all the strange influences on his life now that he could identify. He thought often of the elixir, the drug. The way it made him feel, and how it made his head fuzzy and his body ache. His mind would move to the dark, the symbol of Rika, and the darkness she always claimed to have inside her. He thought of himself, the light. The opposite of Rika, always lighting up the world around them. Finally he thought of them, the flame, who warmed him when he was cold, and shone so brightly against the darkness.

He wanted that flame, he wanted to be near them again. He still needed time, and in the meantime he could only pray that MC was still waiting for him. He pulled out another piece of paper and began his newest letter to them. 

Tell me he wrote, if somehow some of it remains. How long you would wait for me? He wrote his heart into his letter, unloading all the thoughts that were collected in his brain. He wrote about his walk to town today, the muddy walk back. Everything he could think of. 

He imagined his return, the way he would come home to them, and then he imagined everything that would happen from there. He imagined a life together, falling in love with them all over again. With his eyes closed he envisioned him sitting next to them, just talking about anything. No worry, no fear, just a feeling of peace and calm. 

“Make your good love known to me.” He imagined telling them when he returned. “Or just tell me ‘bout your day.” Both thoughts made him happy and brought such a level of serenity to his soul. 

As he finished the note to them, he wasn’t even certain if he would send it, but just the ability to write his thoughts was enough for him. He folded the paper and was careful in putting it into the envelope. He didn’t seal it just yet, he wasn’t ready for that. 

Setting the letter down on the table he wrote their name on the front. He pushed the letter aside and opened the journal he kept, the pages were mostly filled with small doodles and thoughts he had. The pages are a sort of dumping ground for his abstract and racing mind. Turning to the last few pages he erased the number that he’d written the night before. 

514. How many days since he’d last seen them. V wasn’t sure how much longer it would take before he knew it was time to go home. He had no return date, no plans just yet. However, sitting in that cabin in the woods. He had a good feeling, he wasn’t ready yet but looking back to his first pages in his journal. From when he first left, he knew he had already come a long way. 

Just a little bit longer. 

Whatever here that’s left of me is yours,

 just as it was. 

V.  Like Real People Do. 

Jihyun Kim was packing his bags. He couldn’t keep himself from smiling wide as he folded his clothes and put them into his suitcase. He’d done this so many times over the past two years but this time was different. 

This time he was going home. 

He’d bought his plane ticket, which he kept tucked in his coat pocket, and this time it wasn’t going to be cancelled. When the sun rose, he would get a car to the airport, and he’d be flying home. 

Once his clothes were packed, except for the ones he would wear tomorrow and what he was wearing he moved the suitcase to be by the door. He walked through the cabin, taking it all in. Searching for anything that he might have forgotten or left in corners, but as he walked he seemed to find everything that he needed. 

He knew he was going to struggle to sleep, the excitement just being too much for him. Still he knew sleep was what he needed most of all, he had a long flight ahead of him. 

He covered himself with his blankets, trying to settle in for the night. Knowing that this would be the last night he’d ever spend in this bed. In his attempts to sleep his mind wandered, he thought of so many things. He thought of his time at the cabin, and all the other places he’d visited over the past two years. He remembered the art museums, the hikes, the small shops and restaurants he’d been to. Each one a memory he liked to return to in his mind. A memory he wanted desperately to tell them everything about. 

Jihyun tossed and turned in bed, his mind never able to settle enough to let him fall asleep. After about an hour of struggling Jihyun pulled himself out of bed and to his suitcase, unzipping it just enough to pull out his journal and a pen. 

Sitting back down he pulled the blankets back over himself. Sitting up in bed and turning on a light to see. Instinctively he turned to the last page, where the number had been again written and erased with the final number. 729 days. He smiled, knowing that tomorrow morning would be the last time he would rewrite it. He flipped back, the journal pages only empty near the back. Two years worth of drawings and thoughts were in here. It was about time for him to finish off this journal. 

Holding the pen in his hand Jihyun started to write, he focused on what he was excited about. Being able to return home, going to the party, seeing his friends again, seeing them again. Finally being able to tell MC how he felt. All of those things made him smile. 

MC. Thinking of them he had so many memories come back to him. He kept remembering that safehouse, and the time they spent together there. Leaning back his mind went to his conversation with MC in the forest. Where they’d embraced him, and told him that it was possible for him to start anew, and for him to learn to love himself. 

He looked down at his paper, starting a note, full of questions and thoughts he had for MC. The things he worried me may forget if he let himself sleep before writing them down. 

I had a thought dear, however scary. About that night the bugs and the dirt. 

He wondered often about MC’s life. What had their life been like before he met them? While he never had the thought to ask them it was something he often wondered. What was their life like that they’d accept the offer of a stranger like they did? 

Those wonders filled his head, but he wasn’t sure if he could ever ask them. Especially since they’d never asked him about his past either. They’d accepted what bits he told them, but never pushed further. Maybe, that’s what he would need to do with them too, 

As strange at it was, thinking back on those days. He realized that maybe he understood MC better than he thought. Maybe they were more alike then they were different. 

He finished writing his notes, writing until he’d finished the final pages in the notebook, and until his eyes were starting to close. He closed the journal and set it on the nightstand, his pen on top. Sinking back down into the mattress he closed his eyes, and after one long exhale. He was finally asleep. 

Landing in South Korea was one of the greatest feelings Jihyun had ever felt. He hadn’t been in this airport for two years and standing here, he felt good. It was hard to hide his smile as he went through the motions, collecting his bags and waiting for a taxi to take him to where he was staying. 

He’d decided to stay at a hotel that night. Even if he felt like a new man he wasn’t quite ready to go back to his old house on the cliffside. There were too many memories there, too much of Rika there. He knew he could handle it, but he didn’t want to deal with it just yet. 

The taxi driver passed by the party venue on the way to the hotel. His eyes lingered on the venue as they went by. He knew he was feeling exhausted from the flight but something about knowing that MC was nearby made him excited. For the first time in two years, they were in the same city. Now it was all he could do not to try and find them now. To announce his presence right away, but he couldn’t. He had a plan and he knew waiting would be worth it.

Hours ticked down in his head, he silently counted down the time until the party began. Every second bringing him a little bit closer to when he’d finally be able to walk through those doors. See his friends again, see them again. 

Jihyun Kim walked into the party venue. He’d gone in through the back doors, using his old RFA badge to get past the security guards Jumin had placed there. He walked into the party hall, his eyes taking in the decorations, the food being handed out by servers, the champagne flutes, the amount of party guests who chatted and wandered around the hall. He stood still for a moment, just admiring all of it. 

His eyes scanned the party guests, until he saw them. Standing alone, watching the guests wander and mingle. His heart jumped at the sight of them, they looked a bit different, two years awas a long time after all. Yet they still had the same smile, the same warmth, and made him feel the exact same way. 

“I’ve been waiting for this moment.” He said once he was standing beside them. MC broke into a grin upon his entrance, a look the most beautiful mixture of surprise and joy. “Congratulations, MC.” 

“V?” They stuttered out. 

“It’s Jihyun Kim now, long time no see.” He said. Staring at them, Jihyun found himself continuing to speak. He told them about his time away, spilling all of his feelings out to them. They listened, taking in his every word with their bright smile. As he spoke he wasn’t even listening to himself, in his mind he remembered those first times he’d met them. Remembering the connection they’d shared together. A connection and understanding that had once felt sad, but now felt joyful.

He hadn’t even realized he’d stopped talking until he heard their voice. 

“I love you too, Jihyun.” They said. He stood and watched them, the smile on his face the biggest he could make it. He felt like his heart could beat out of his chest from how happy those words made him. “Jihyun?” 

He shook his head to center himself then looked at them again. “I’m okay, I’m just. So, so happy.” He wrapped his arms around them, holding them as close and as tight as he could without hurting them. 

“I missed you, so much.” MC said. “I’m so happy you’re back.” 

“I’m happy I’m back too.” Jihyun whispered. They released each other but Jihyun moved his hands to cup their face, although he hated thinking about her at that moment. He kept thinking about something Rika had said. 

“He didn’t look like the sun… but like a human being. A living and breathing human being.” She’d said, now looking at them he understood. With MC, he wasn’t the sun and they weren’t Icarus. They were human, they were Jihyun and MC. 

And they were in love. 

Honey just put your sweet lips on my lips. 

We should just kiss like real people do. 

VI. Jackie and Wilson

Once upon a time there was a boy named Jihyun. Who after a devastating loss hid himself in a disguise he called V. He hid for many years, fighting his true nature to try and find his way through the world. Through a series of traumas he’d disappeared further and further into V. Until he met his angel, who laughed their way through his feeble disguise. Now there was no other version of him he would rather be. Because lord they found him just in time. 

The first time Jihyun had met the love of his life, it hadn’t been under the best of circumstances. So now, he felt so blessed that every moment he spent with them felt like a dream come true. 

Once his life had been full of metaphors and obsession. The unrelenting worship of the sun, a belief in perfect love. Now, his life was full of real solid things, the sun was just a ball of gas, love was complicated, and messy but so, so worth it. His life was by no means perfect, but it felt real. Even if it wasn’t the picturesque love he’d once dreamed of, he had everything he could ever want, he had his family in the RFA, his passion in his art, and the love of his life to wake up next to every day. He wasn’t sure how life could be much happier. 

There were tough moments, even after two years away sometimes things would come up. He’d grown to hate the dark, always needing some kind of light. Certain phrases would put him on edge. Mostly, he struggled with nightmares. 

One night he’d woken up in a cold sweat, his heart felt like a jackhammer and tears were slipping down his cheeks. He couldn’t even remember what had happened in his dream, he just knew it was enough to make him feel ill. 

He focused on staring at the cactus night light plugged into the wall. He was fine, he was safe, he could see, everything was okay. Right?

“Jihyun?” MC’s muttered. Beside him he felt the blankets shift and MC sit up next to him. “Babey are you alright?” He looked at them, their sleepy eyes focused on him. Although half awake their eyes held concern and worry. Their hand rested on his shoulder. He reached up to hold their hand. 

“Just a nightmare.” He said. 

“A bad one?” 

“I think so.” MC pulled him into their arms. His head resting on their shoulder while one of their hands rubbed his back and the other ran through his hair to soothe him. He took long breaths, his heart slowed to a natural rhythm. 

“It’s just a nightmare Jihyun, you’re safe I promise.” He nodded into their shoulder, the feeling of their arms around him and the scene of their body wash keeping him present. “Do you want to talk about it?” Jihyun shook his head. 

“No, I’m okay.” Jihyun said. “I think I just want to sleep again.” MC nodded above him, They laid back down and held their arms out to him. Jihyun leaned back resting his chest on their chest while their arms went around him. 

MC’s voice was rough but sweet. “I’m right here, I’ll keep you safe.” Jihyun closed his eyes again, the sound of MC’s heartbeat lulling him back into a dreamless sleep. 

Speeding down the coastline highway Jihyun drove with all the windows rolled down. The wind tousled Jihyun’s hair and stung at his skin. Out of the corner of his eye he saw MC with their arms out the window, their hair also being messed up from the wind. They didn’t seem to mind, enjoying the cool wind against their skin. 

Together they learned they loved roadtrips. Just spending hours with each other in a car heading towards any destination. There was something about them that made Jihyun’s soul feel lighter. Considering his past, he’d never had a chance to travel like this and now he that he could. He couldn’t get enough, but now that was all behind him, his mid youth crisis all said and done. Now these adventures gave him something he needed desperately. He needed to be youthfully felt, cause God he never felt young. 

“We should go on an adventure.” Jihyun had said days ago, he sat on the couch with MC leaning against him. Their head on his shoulder and holding gently to his arm. 

“What type of adventure?” Jihyun thought for a moment, a puzzle on the bookshelf giving him an idea. 

“Let’s go to the beach, it’s been a long time since we last went down there.” MC’s eyes sparkled with excitement and possibility. 

They nodded. “Only if we can go to dinner at that one place we went to last time. The food there was incredible.” Jihyun leaned down and kissed their forehead, a smile on his face. 

“Of course, anything for you my darling.” 

Jihyun parked his car in town. Only a short walking distance away from the beach. Jihyun grabbed his backpack where he kept a few towels and other things for their adventure. Taking the hand of his lover they embarked on their adventure together, both with tender smiles on their faces. 

They wandered around the town popping into shops selling novelty jewelry and beach related items. They bought each other small gifts, a keychain, a silly hat, truly anything that reminded them of each other. Each one a small symbol of affection. 

The beach was mostly empty that day, the cool breeze rustling their clothes. They both took off their shoes in order to walk through the sand and feel the sand sink in between their toes. 

“I can’t believe I forgot my camera.” Jihyun said, searching through his backpack. “I  never forget it.” MC laughed, a sound that could always lift his spirits. 

“Maybe it’s not a bad thing, just enjoy the moment Jihyun.” He squeezed their hand. 

“But what if I want to capture this moment? So that way I can remember it forever and ever?” Jihyun asked. MC stopped walking and turned to look at him. Taking both of his hands in theirs. 

“Just memorize it in your mind. And there will be plenty more beach trips in the future.” Jihyun sighed, holding his hands tight. 

He closed his eyes and after a deep breath opened them again, like a camera shutter he captured this moment to his memory. His lover with their hair blowing in the wind, eyes locked with his. He captured the feelings of their hands holding his, of the sand on his feet, the way the wind was moving his white shirt. All of it memorized and locked into his memory. 

“Let’s keep walking.” MC said. “So that way you can capture more moments.” Pulling his hands they continued their walk on the sand, walking down the beach. 

They’d stopped once the sun had started to set. Jihyun laid down a blanket for the two of them to sit on. MC’s back rested against his front. His arms holding him around their waist. They watched the sky as it started to turn a variety of colors, red, orange, pink with dark hues of blue slipping in. 

A comfortable silence held between them. Both too captivated by the setting sun to think about much else. After a long while Jihyun spoke. 

“MC?” They lifted their head to look at them. 

“Yes?” 

“Do you think about the future much?” MC raised an eyebrow. 

“What do you mean the future?” 

“Like our future?” MC made an ‘o’ shape with their mouth. They didn’t take very long to answer him. 

“All the time.” MC said. Jihyun shifted to hold them a little closer. 

“And what do you think about? When it comes to our future?” 

MC thought for a minute, trying to sort out all their thoughts. Over time so many of them had piled up it was hard to condense them into any kind of simple answer. 

“I imagine a future together. One that’s peaceful, and full of joy. Where we grow old and go on millions of adventures together. A future where the past stays in the past.” MC explained. Jihyun smiled. “I think about our wedding, walking down the aisle. Jumin is the best man, the rest of the RFA in the wedding party.” MC lifted their hand to admire the engagement ring there. A silver band with a blue gem in the center. 

Jihyun pressed his face into the crown of their head, lifting it just enough to ask another question. 

“Do you see children? In our future?” He asked. MC smiled, staring at the sunset. 

“Besides our favorite twins?” MC joked. Jihyun laughed, breathy and warm. 

“Besides our first two, do you see children?” 

“Yes. Do you?” 

“Yes. I do.” Jihyun said, the smile coming out in his tone of voice. 

“I see us with two kids, I see one who we adopt. Just like you adopted the twins but maybe more official.” MC laughed. “Then maybe one we create. I imagine a little boy or girl with your hair and maybe my eyes.” They said. “What do you think of that?” 

Jihyun grinned. “I love it, I want that future for us.” MC sat up turning around to face Jihyun. They kissed him, their hands resting on his shoulder and neck. Jihyun leaned in to deepen the kiss, his arms on their waist to keep them close. 

When MC pulled away they whispered to him. “I love you Jihyun. I can’t wait to have our future together.” Jihyun pulled them in for one more lingering kiss. 

When he broke away he stood up, walking towards the ocean. MC stood up too, following a little behind him. Jihyun stopped when the water started to lap at his feet. The sand is cool and hard. With the setting sun lighting his silhouette Jihyun looked like an angel, MC was breathless stopping a little away from him. His eyes gleamed in the light of the setting sun. With a warm smile he reached his hand out to his lover. 

“MC.” He said. “I once told you I wanted to paint a future with you.” MC nodded. Remembering that fateful party long ago. “I want to paint that, and I want it to be a painting that is never finished.” 

“Me too.” MC said, though their voice was barely audible. 

“So, let’s go. Let’s go towards our future.” 

With a tender smile MC reached out and took his hand. Stepping to be nearly chest to chest with him. 

“Let’s go towards our happy ending.” 

We’ll name our children Jackie and Wilson. 

Raise ‘em on rhythm and blues. 

[asgardian--angels]

4 Ways to Connect with Nature During COVID-19

Hi everyone! As someone who studies pollinators and conservation biology, I have found the last few weeks difficult, because I struggle when I cannot be outside in nature most of the time. Connecting with nature is known to be beneficial for our mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health, and never has that been more important than right now. I thought I would compile a few of my favorite ideas that I can offer about ways you can still connect with nature while social distancing, or even if you cannot leave your home at all. Know that these are obviously not all the ways you can experience nature - just the ones I’m familiar and knowledgeable about. Most of my resources apply to the eastern United States, but these things are applicable worldwide. If you ever have questions, just message me!

1. Go Birdwatching! 

Whether you’re a pro already or someone who’s never even attempted to tell the difference between the ‘chip’ and the ‘cheep’ coming from your bushes, birdwatching is a fun hobby that can be done anytime, anywhere, by anyone. While human activities may have slowed or stopped around us, the natural world is always moving and changing. Birds are one of the easiest animals to observe and learn, and their boundless zeal for life can renew our hope and lift our spirits. Whether you live in the country or the city, there are more kinds of birds than you think to be found right outside your door. The springtime is an especially good time to see birds, because they are migrating to their breeding grounds, bringing a whole assortment of colorful and sometimes unusual species close to your home. 

It doesn’t take much to start birdwatching. Most of us have an old pair of binoculars up in the attic somewhere, and plenty decent pairs for beginners are available for under $30 online (I just bought my mother a pair of Bushnells for $15 that had very good reviews). There are countless resources online to find an overview or quick guide to birds in your area. If you live in the United States, the best all-around every-need bird resource is Cornell’s AllAboutBirds and eBird websites. Together these two resources cover almost every bird species in the entire world - let me briefly go through each individually. 

AllAboutBirds is a guide to every North American bird, with stunning photos, ecology, and identification help. But more than that, from here you can lose yourself in dozens of offshoots of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology - from their several live feeder and nest cams, to their hundreds of articles and interactive bird biology resources. One I recommend for those who want to do some basic yard-watching is the site for Project Feederwatch. This has ample information to get you started in recognizing the (North American) birds around your home. Here’s even a free download of common feeder birds! You should also check out Celebrate Urban Birds, which has ID help for city birds in the US, Mexico, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Panama! 

eBird is a global citizen science site where millions of birdwatchers from Nepal to New Mexico share their sightings to build the largest database of bird knowledge on the planet! I cannot begin to cover everything you can do and learn on this website. You can scope out new places to visit with their ‘Explore Hotspots’ tool, or see where any species on earth has been seen by other people. It will keep your statistics if you enter your sightings, making a convenient way to keep track of all the birds you see! They have a helpful article here about how to start birding near your home.

Birdwatching is an activity that you can put in as much or as little time as you want into it. You will always be rewarded with getting a new perspective on the world around you, discovering neighbors you never knew you had! It can be a refreshing escape from a human-centric world, and maybe spark a curiosity you weren’t expecting! Birds are a bundle of personality, and you will find yourself falling in love with them before you know it. Consider keeping a “life list,” or entering your sightings into eBird to advance bird conservation. Birdwatching can be solitary or you can go with others. When this is all over, maybe you’ll have the chance to meet up with local birders and make new friends! There are birding clubs EVERYWHERE.

2. Plant a pollinator or wildlife garden!

As spring approaches, now is the perfect time to start planning a garden. This is a great way to be outside often but not have any risk of contact with others. Maybe you’ve never gardened before, or maybe you have one but would like to replace some of those exotic flowers with beneficial native ones. No matter your living situation or location, there’s always something you can do to make your little patch of earth a better place for all living things.

Our world is dependent on plants, which make the sun’s light available to other creatures. They interact with the most ecologically important animals on earth - insects. Insects are food for almost all songbirds, as well as the majority of all terrestrial animals in one way or another. “Traditional” gardens try to deter insects with pesticides and non-native plants that insects cannot eat. But we should try to encourage insects, because they pass a plant’s energy up the food chain, as well as pollinate flowers, keep “pests” in check (if you like growing vegetables), and are critical decomposers. The biggest thing you can do to help the local ecosystem is ditch the hydrangeas and hostas, and especially some of that turfgrass. Insects will almost exclusively only eat native plants, and being the most biodiverse animals on the planet, there’s an insect for every plant out there! It’s been shown that yards with few native plants support low levels of insect abundance and diversity, and that means fewer birds and fewer everything else too. Plus, insects are AWESOME in their own right, and once you encourage them, you will discover some incredible, colorful, brilliant species right in your own yard! 

Native gardens are easier than you think. In fact, they’re way easier than what most of us are doing now - by definition, they’re plants that want to grow here! They require less maintenance, no mowing, and no pesticides. They may not be readily available at Home Depot or Wal-mart, but they are easy to find once you locate resources from your region. There are online nurseries to buy seeds or root stock from, like Prairie Moon in the eastern US. Many regions have resources that compile lists of local nurseries and hold native plant sales. To benefit insects and wildlife, figure out what the general conditions of your yard are - soil type, moisture, climate zone - and then choose some plants that will grow there. For pollinators, you should find out what the recommended flowers are for your area - universities and cooperative extensions often produce this kind of information (example here for the northeast), as well as the Xerces Society. This kind of info is becoming much more common in the last few years, due to the popularity of pollinator gardens! Try to plant a few things that bloom in each season, so bees will have food year-round! Native grasses will support the caterpillars of many butterflies and moths too. Pollinator gardens easily overlap with wildlife gardens, which seek to support other animals too, particularly birds. Choose plants that have flowers that turn into seeds or fruit eaten by birds (native dogwoods are one of my favorites!). Plant flowers, shrubs, and trees if you can fit it - this gives insects and birds all sorts of choices for food, and places to hide or nest. Your local Audubon can provide a ton of information about bird-friendly gardening and the best plants.

Another easy way to benefit animals is to be the ‘lazy gardener,’ whether you actually have a garden or not. This means simple steps like, don’t rake your leaf litter, leave logs and rocks, and make a slash pile when you cut branches or trim bushes. This creates habitat for everything from bees to salamanders! 

Don’t have a lot of space? Try an herb garden, or patio garden. Small herb or vegetable gardens will be loved by pollinators even if the plants are not all native, and they will allow you to grow some foods you can harvest, reducing your dependence on the grocery store. Native flowers can be grown in pots as well - goldfinches, for example, will land on any coneflowers you plant, and eat the seeds right in front of you! And if you have no land at all, you can still help out by putting up a bee hotel, and sharing your knowledge with others.

3. The power of the written word - READ!

Can’t go outside? Live in the most inner of inner cities? Feel like you don’t know enough to get out there and identify what you see or know what it means? Books are a naturalist’s best friend. Now is a perfect time to dive into the wealth of literature about the natural world, from stories to field guides. I am always gung-ho to recommend books for a budding naturalist, or anyone who wants to learn more about a new topic! 

Were you intrigued by the things I talked about above - native plants, insects, birds, and the relationship between all of them? I highly recommend Bringing Nature Home by Doug Tallamy. It is the bible of native gardening, in my opinion. It’s an incredible and humbling book explaining in detail and with beautiful photos why we need native plants, just how important insects are, and what we can and should be doing to help. 

Want to learn about pollinators and plan your garden? There’s lots of books for that, and they’re so well made that both beginners and experts can use them. Try any of these:

The Bees In Your Backyard - Olivia Messenger Carril and Joseph Wilson

Pollinators of Native Plants (OR its companion book ‘Bees: An Identification and Native Plant Forage Guide’) - Heather Holm

Buzz: The Nature and Necessity of Bees - Thor Hanson (a narrative, not a field guide, excellent read)

Books about birds? Heck, I mean there’s hundreds of those. It’s a popular genre. I don’t have any on hand but if you want to know more about gardening for birds, check out Planting Native to Attract Birds to Your Yard by Sharen Sorenson. To learn birds, I recommend a Peterson or Kaufman field guide. 

Looking for books on nature in general? Not field guides, but non-fiction narratives? There are some absolutely stellar writers in our age that regularly move me to tears with their descriptions and connections to the natural world. My top author pick is Bernd Heinrich, an ornithologist and naturalist who has written over a dozen books on a variety of topics. I particularly recommend Summer World (and its companion Winter World), One Wild Bird At A Time, The Homing Instinct, and Life Everlasting: The Animal Way of Death. But they’re all really really good. There are SO MANY books of folks writing about their experiences with nature, from scientists in the jungles of Borneo to the average Joe exploring the concrete jungle. I have a small collection at home, but in my current locale, I can recommend The Secret Life of Bats by Merlin Tuttle, or Unseen City by Nathaniel Johnson. But there are, really, hundreds. All will change the way you view the world around you. You cannot read enough. 

Want to learn more about how important nature is to human beings? The biophilia hypothesis that states that we as a species need nature for our very souls, our physical development, our mental wellbeing? Please read Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv. It’s humbling, enlightening, and sobering. 

4. Citizen Science, Volunteering, and everything else!

You may feel alone right now, but know that everywhere, there are millions of people waiting to share their love of the natural world with you. Anyone who has a second to spare and the interest to look out your window should consider becoming a part of a citizen science project. These sorts of projects vary widely in their commitment time and energy, but most are solitary activities that you have complete control over. Some are more organized than others - many just ask you to report a sighting of a certain kind of organism, and others have a data sheet and timetable to follow. All contribute valuable information to conservation, making you a part of something bigger even when you cannot leave your yard. They also give you the opportunity to learn a new skill - like photography, or data collection - and help you notice aspects of the natural world you may have never given a second thought about before. A lot of them are a community that you can interact with online. Below are just a few of the MANY MANY citizen science projects out there. Again, this is US biased, but it is easy enough to find ones in your own country or those that are international.

eBird - I mentioned this before, but eBird is quite likely the biggest citizen science project in the entire world. There are a googleplex of ways to interact with others, learn more about the birds in your area or anywhere else in the world, find out who local birders are, and keep track of your own sightings. The data you submit has been used in countless peer-reviewed scientific papers and has a direct, significant impact on bird conservation worldwide.

iNaturalist - a worldwide platform for sharing sightings of any species, anywhere. A great community of naturalists, amateurs, and experts, here to help you identify your creature and explore what others find.

Project Feederwatch, The Great Backyard Bird Count, Christmas Bird Counts, Global Big Day, etc - offshoots of eBird and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. These are specific events that ask backyard birders to keep track of what birds they see for a couple of weeks. This helps track migration patterns and population declines!

BugGuide - similar to iNaturalist, but for insects only and in North America only. I’ve been on this site for 12 years now, I’m a diehard! Experts will help you ID insects, and your data becomes part of a huge database to help scientists learn more about our native insects. Requires photos - a good chance to start two hobbies at once!

Bumble Bee Watch - submit photos of any bumblebee you find in North America. Bumblebees are declining and scientists need regular people to help track populations of these pollinators. 

Guys, there’s so many more. A few more quickies: iMapInvasives (for spotting invasive species), National Phenology Network (for tracking when things change - when flowers bloom, when animals nest, great if you see the same things reliably every day!), The Great Sunflower Project (plant a sunflower, monitor what bees visit it), Zooniverse (a compilation of different digital projects that need eyes and ears to help sort through data - like trail cam photos for instance! You’d be helping real researchers, often grad students at universities, but sometimes big ticket names too!). 

These are large-scale projects. But there are always smaller, local community projects that need your help. Become more aware of what’s coming up, even for after this pandemic when you can get outside and volunteer at something like a BioBlitz, a cleanup, or a tree planting. You would not believe how many volunteers we always need to make conservation possible. People like you are the backbone of what we do. Check your local and regional Audubon, your universities, your cooperative extension. They have resources, things that can give you information you need or ways to afford things you want to do. I’m sure there’s plenty I’ve forgotten to mention, since I don’t have all my things with me here. But never feel isolated. The natural world is always around you, and you are never alone! Every creature big and small is a lifetime of stories to tell. Pick one and get going!

[designerfieldnotes]

Field Guide #1: A Designer’s Guide to Instagram

Photo from Unsplash.com Photo taken by Luke van Zyl

Field Note #1: Make That First Post!

The entire point of being on social media is to get connected with other people who have similar interests. People cannot connect, or even become interested in what you are interested in if you aren't posing. Social Buddy(1) states “Aim to post on Instagram between one to three times per day increases your engagement.” A good start if this seems like too much is posting one every other day on your feed, but post daily on your stories. Also don't forget to post your feed in your story. Numerous people see your story before your feed because it shows up at the top. Use this to your advantage!

Field Note #2: Show Your Personality

Think about it, bread is dry on its own. No one ever says, “oh man let me get a piece of bread and eat it for lunch! Yum, delicious!” It's all about what you add to the bread that makes it delicious. The bread in this scenario is your instagram page, nothing is there, however you need to make a sandwich, I mean be present on social media. Maybe you add some butter (that's like you filling out an interesting bio and adding a photo)! Awesome, we're off to a great start! Now, add meat and cheese. This would be like your first few posts on your account. The more you add to your sandwich the better it gets. Don't rush to this process, the best sandwich is layered!

Field Note #3: Show your fun side! (Don't be all work and no play)

No one wants to only be pushed to buy. “Look at this poster I made, it's $15!” or  “Oh, look at this shirt I designed, it's $25 and limited in stock!” You are not Target, you are not just here to only sell. You're here to give it a story, a backdrop, a brief insight on you as a person. Dont be afraid to show non-art related posts. Show pictures of your dog or cat, or your house plants, or what your latest hobby is. Even if you aren’t into many other things, tell people what you favourite tv shows are or the movies you are watching. What video games do you play? What are your favourite local shops? What is your go-to coffee order? What supplies have you bought recently or what kind of clothing shops do you like? Post your favorite TikToks. Get people interested in YOU, and what makes you happy! Many people will post these kinds of things in their stories, it builds engagement in a small, meaningful way. You don't have to get too invasive or hyper-personal, but make sure people know you are not a robot. People want to know who is behind the screen, show them you are a real person with real interests and goals. 

Field Note #4 : Document your process! 

If you are working on a new project, don't be afraid to post about it as you go along. Sha'an d'Anthes, aka Furry Little Peach, (2) does this well on her instagram page. She shows pictures of her sketches, color pallets, ect. She shows her process. Don’t be afraid to show your process! You don't have to do this all live. You can complete it first and then post later (which is highly recommended). This allows you to enjoy the process and not worry what others may think. Don't forget to live in the moment! If documenting everything is preventing you from enjoying it, don't do it. Think of it as a concert, sure you want to get a couple photos, a video or two, but don't rob yourself from the experience purely for views. 

Field Note #5: Have Fun & Make Friends!

Instagram is like a playground! So much is going, and it's easy to get lost. Instagram is important for getting your work out there, but never indicative of true success. You want to make a following who has similar interests to you. That's why making posts about your interests are just as important as the ones about your work. You are more likely to connect with people with similar interests. Follow people whose work you enjoy. Don’t be afraid to comment, like, and share. See who they are following and their interests. Who knows, maybe you will find someone who loves hopscotch just as much as you do. 

Works Cited: 

https://unsplash.com/photos/Fs1hfkNOGsQ

https://socialbuddy.com/how-often-should-you-post-on-instagram/

https://www.instagram.com/furrylittlepeach/

[mortuarybees]

gaudygaygibbeltishhoid replied to your photo “youre a terrible friend and i RESCIND my support of your hockey...”

Where are you buying your stockings from? I really need some!

currently i just have one pair of Highly Modern stockings with elastic but i plan to start collecting proper stockings and probably the sort of below the knee garters common in the eighteenth century because i think they are cool and enjoy them

the townsends sell a fairly large variety of stockings in different colors and materials (wool, cotton, and silk, the latter two being nylon blends) and american duchess only stocks silk. theirs are 98% silk and 2% spandex, so if youre wanting silk and the sizing works for you i’d say definitely buy those! burnley and trowbridge and darcy clothing (which i visit to salivate over each and every day) also have small stocks of stockings, tho darcy clothing’s focus is more recent reproduction so their hosiery is mostly socks

darcy clothing is the only store ive bought anything from (and not stockings lfkjdsa) so i cant like personally attest to them but ive heard nothing but good things about all of them in terms of construction from people who like, actually know stuff so i feel comfortable recommending them

[comicteaparty]

Art Resources

Check out this plethora of art-related resources archived from Comic Tea Party’s Art Resources Channel!

RebelVampire

starting this channel off with @Kabocha 's site http://www.shooting-stars.org/ lots of fantastic brushes and materials to use for both photoshop and clip studio(edited)

https://inkarnate.com/ - a nifty site for creating maps. while there is a pro version, the free version still has a lot of features if you just need a map for personal use to reference for your stories.(edited)

https://bodykunposeoftheday.tumblr.com/ - lots of pose photos of the SH Figuarts Body-Kun figures. really great if you want to get some anatomy and pose practice in!(edited)

http://blog.studiominiboss.com/pixelart - if you're a fan of pixel art, this is a hugely great collection of tutorials by Pedro Medeiros. it's got everything from process explanations, animation tips, shading, and more.(edited)

http://terawell.net/terawell/ - Design Doll, a great 3d program solely focused on doll posing. learning to pose the dolls can be a bit of a learning curve, but it can be fantastic if you really need a specific pose reference.(edited)

http://www.yeoldemapmaker.com/ - another map making website. this one is a lot better for interiors, especially if what you want is to just understand the base layout of a room for reference.(edited)

https://www.textures.com/ - a good site for textures. you have to make an account to download them, unfortunately. however, theres tons upon tons of them. for comics they should be safe, but would recommend checking terms for other things.(edited)

Kabocha

Free Software: I have not personally tested all of these programs. Download at your own risk. indicates that I have used it. Pixia: http://www.ne.jp/asahi/mighty/knight/index.html Artweaver: https://www.artweaver.de/en (has paid version) Medibang Paint: https://medibangpaint.com/en/ Krita: https://krita.org/en/ MyPaint: http://mypaint.org/ (Pressure does not work properly on Surface devices newer than the Surface 3) SmoothDraw: http://www.smoothdraw.com/sd Paint.Net: https://www.getpaint.net/ GIMP: https://www.gimp.org/ Pinta: https://pinta-project.com/pintaproject/pinta/ Inkscape: https://inkscape.org/en/

RebelVampire

https://nattosoup.blogspot.com/ - If you aren't familiar with Becca's blog yet, it's really great. while there is an emphasis on watercolor and traditional art supplies, theres honestly just great information all around. processes, supply reviews, and so on!

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

http://leifandthorn.com/2018/07/resources-for-making-webcomics/ - resources I've collected over the years. Mostly art stuff (fonts, color harmony, body types, etc), plus some help with website accessibility and some general webcomic podcasts.

Desnik

This is not a free resource so I hope it's okay, but in just a couple of days poring over the first two pages of this book, I'm really feeling a difference in the elasticity of my character's poses. It doesn't get bogged down by medical terminology and sorts parts of the body by 'landmark' instead: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23580472-anatomy-for-sculptors-understanding-the-human-figure

this is speaking as someone who has multiple years of figure drawing practice from life...I wish this book had been out much earlier, it's just amazing

JaSketch

https://www.calligraphr.com/en/ Here’s a free to use website that turns your handwriting into a legit text font, and it works too!

keltyzoid!

speaking of fonts i've actually made a few that are free to use. there's a couple of webcomics i know of that use them. should can i post them?

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/r8wmj4kp2566jbn/AACCrP70zPVLr8h2f5F4d6BIa?dl=0

they're free, no license or credit necessary

kayotics

this is a pretty basic level "how I do comics" but i like to reference these how-to's from Mad Rupert sometimes as a refresh on comics: http://mynameismad.tumblr.com/post/163801383099/hello-in-case-you-havent-heard-the-sakana

lonelytuatara

for any fellow photoshop users who wanna get better at perspective, this video's been really helpful for me! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upxBGNcryRs

Delphina

Really helpful Twitter thread about effective paneling! https://twitter.com/h0lysarthole/status/1117464886123089921

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

Install old versions of Adobe products for free: https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-suite/kb/cs2-product-downloads.html?promoid=19SCDRQK There are terms & conditions, but the programs don't actually check if you fulfill them. It's up to you to know how much money you've given them, and what you're ethically clear to download in return.

Kabocha

If we're talking about Image Editors, a not-free alternative is Affinity Photo, which is reasonably priced. (I'd look for it to go on sale, but $50 for a perpetual license isn't bad at all!) https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/photo/ Their indesign competitor is in free Beta right now, too: https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/publisher/

Paint.net also still exists: https://www.getpaint.net/

https://www.patreon.com/posts/26834357 In the meantime, here's a post for alternatives to adobe.

https://twitter.com/robochai/status/1124044195092672515

JUNK

https://blog.reimenayee.com/graphic-novel-outline-onion-method/ neat

Hey, I'm sure everyone already knows, but clip studio is on sale for $25 right now! It is (imo) one of the best programs out there for making comics! https://twitter.com/clipstudiopaint/status/1169159411304210432?s=19

MJ Massey

if you're looking for a new display tablet, I found this useful site with tons of tablet reviews! They're organized by size and look at several different brands http://brad.site/reviews/wacom-cintiq-alternatives.html

Attila Polyák

How to draw good looking lightning/electricity! https://www.facebook.com/leesartandmore/photos/a.1370091679712083/2411389295582311/?type=3&theater

seetherabbit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pDE4VX_9Kk

DaeofthePast

Free to use comic font http://purastik.net/ames/e.html

MJ Massey

If you haven't watched Jake Parker's videos, I highly recommend them. They are very informative AND relaxing and encouraging https://www.youtube.com/user/jakeparker44

MJ Massey

GESTURE DRAWINGS! They're important for art practice, especially if you are looking to improve your forms! https://www.quickposes.com/en is my favorite. It has a feature where you can set it to show you different photos every 30-300 seconds to practice gesture drawing!

mariah (rainy day dreams)

Just saw this on Twitter. Haven't actually gotten a chance to look at it closely, but I thought other people might also want to take a look https://twitter.com/Worstwizard/status/1183475129084329984?s=09

Holmeaa - working on WAYFINDERS

https://twitter.com/noahbradley/status/1185286707819827201?s=09

Attila Polyák

Loads of useful facebbok stuff I meant to post a long time ago, but never got around doing it: https://www.facebook.com/AikaLockheart/photos/a.413147142066258/2235198713194416/?type=3&theater https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=472362883489284&set=a.130547804337462&type=3&theater https://www.facebook.com/geektower/photos/pcb.1089341477902964/1089341267902985/?type=3&theater

MJ Massey

picking pens! From Jake Parker himself https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNgYvTI09XE

MJ Massey

for anyone who likes podcasts, I enjoy 3 Point Perspective, particularly their most recent episode on building an online store and making sales https://open.spotify.com/episode/2twCBBjRWZlmzbvWkRoARG?si=N7PiY3UoTJCzq0zZovXsdg

Cronaj ~{Whispers of the Past}~

Here's a good reference generator: https://line-of-action.com/

SAWHAND

Hope this counts as a resource, here's a list of Best Comic Covers in a given month by Paste magazine, it goes up to June 2019. It was really helping me get ideas for covers! https://www.pastemagazine.com/search?t=Best+Comic+Book+Covers&m=Galleries

Cronaj ~{Whispers of the Past}~

This is great!

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

Ooh, yeah, those are great.

I did a redraw where I added another 7, for shots that aren't in the original that I also get a ton of use out of: https://www.deviantart.com/erinptah/art/29-Panels-That-Always-Work-748887838

carcarchu

ooooh https://twitter.com/cathygjohn/status/1216093817734139904?s=20

carcarchu

https://twitter.com/ClipStudioTips/status/1217058241613651969

renieplayerone

This may have been shared before but i am a HUGE fan of SenshiStock. Their references are so good and ive used their stock photos for a ton of studies and practice too https://twitter.com/SenshiStock

carcarchu

https://twitter.com/celesse/status/1219674655663042561

carcarchu

https://twitter.com/dankelby/status/1220254171049418752

mariah (rainy day dreams)

https://kingofooo.tumblr.com/post/161105648449/by-storyboard-supervisor-erik-fountain-a-few

Krispy §[Ghost Junk Sickness]§

https://twitter.com/ImRachelBradley/status/1216042005698174977?s=19

carcarchu

https://twitter.com/cyanparade/status/1229450046480867328

Cronaj ~{Whispers of the Past}~

@Feather J. Fern This is the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEvMHRgPdyk

Cronaj ~{Whispers of the Past}~

@Javi An oldie I still find useful for learning how to draw people: https://archive.org/details/andrew-loomis-drawing-the-head-hands/mode/2up

Nutty (Court of Roses)

https://twitter.com/Lowtwait/status/1232479451721502725

Artem Ficta (Ring Spell)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlh4PO-ISCA

video that looks into this current humble bundle pack

looks kind of interesting

doomedfrgarden

I'm not sure if Borodante's Over-Paint series has been posted here (I didn't see it, but I don't have my glasses so I can't promise a thorough search), but his digital painting tips have been incredibly helpful and inspiring to me, so I hope it helps someone else here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDKgohjbwY8&list=PL26-CxnLWOfD_h42yjpO44dPAo3-pijgb&index=23

Feather J. Fern

Found something that explains Bleed for comics. https://makingcomics.spiltink.org/pgtemplates/

Cronaj ~{Whispers of the Past}~

A soft-shading demo I made for@Feather J. Fern & @Artem Ficta (Ring Spell) Sorry this took so long to complete! https://youtu.be/Cyc9EVissw0

carcarchu

https://twitter.com/hanari0716/status/931463182354227201

Mei

For people like me who mess up their bleeds and have to fix them in post, I had this lying in my bookmarks! https://twitter.com/TheDamnThinGuy/status/1190321427314032646?s=20

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

There are lots of guides to tangents, and here is one I like a lot! http://curiousoldlibrary.blogspot.com/2011/10/schweizer-guide-to-spotting-tangents.html

carcarchu

https://twitter.com/Sasquatchiix/status/1236987090874667008 This is a visual novel zine but section 2 on resources actually has a lot of cross-over in terms of usability for comic creators, check it out if you feel like testing out some new tools! Update - I read through the articles now and I actually really recommend checking them out too for advice when it comes to story-writing and how to lay it all out(edited)

Holmeaa - working on WAYFINDERS

Want to share this with you all! https://creatureartteacher.com/product/fundamentals-of-animation/?fbclid=IwAR0ahSOtdTBPmi0cHQlBpyMK7RveLZXptqcLrFX559KQMOkp-oLjGG9JA_0 Fundamentals of Animation Course Aron Blaise a big disney animator, has an animation Course that take you through the princibles of animation. This course is free for a limited time if you want to learn about animation!

Cronaj ~{Whispers of the Past}~

Really cool video I found about pricing your commissions: https://youtu.be/pN4P82Y_3k0

carcarchu

a handy tool for those who work in clip https://twitter.com/2TooToo2/status/1243101802435727360

mariah (rainy day dreams)

I'm not sure if this is the right channel, but I'm going around shouting about how Adobe users can get two months free because of the pandemic this morning. Here's an article about how to do it! https://www.creativebloq.com/news/adobe-payment-holiday?fbclid=IwAR108UH-2fQfvQzyc2STIHZh9H7LOzr1xvOoLPM_7pylHNoQ9isvMDT4wRw

I also made a tweet for easy sharing if you don't want to type your own. https://twitter.com/RainyDayMariah/status/1243573425697742848?s=20

Krispy §[Ghost Junk Sickness]§

https://twitter.com/metalsorcery/status/1247930202073829377?s=19 This is a survey to answer for webcomic creators to get their work featured in this newsletter! Open to every one!

Cronaj ~{Whispers of the Past}~

@Miranda (Into the Swell) This one's pretty good: https://www.deviantart.com/theinkyway/art/Manga-Studio-5-Clip-Studio-Paint-Brush-Pack-619455926

carcarchu

@Miranda (Into the Swell) this is my ultimate fave http://fav.me/d7s799d

carcarchu

this is handy reference image account that only posts pictures of suits and mundane things https://twitter.com/madarameBK

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

Follow Art of Webcomics (on Twitter) which help independent creators host a site and share your page updates: https://series.artofwebcomics.com/(edited)

carcarchu

https://assets.clip-studio.com/en-us/detail?id=1725189 a handy sfx brush for clip studio paint that can help save some time with your process (it's got various effects built in the brush itself so you don't have to have several stroke layers to achieve the effect) it costs 2 dollars

SaltySalmonella

I made an SFX (sound effect) booklet for comic artists who are having difficulty visualizing sounds for their comics. It's free to download on Gumroad! https://gumroad.com/SaltySalmonella#VOZQM

Elliot

https://twitter.com/nicparris/status/1253710231781036043

CoppertheCarutor

I'm not sure if this goes in writing or art resources because it's art based, but the focus is on using colors to aid the story, but I thought this was a pretty neat video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXgFcNUWqX0&feature=emb_logo

mariah (rainy day dreams)

I was looking up some moonlight tutorials for an illustration last night. Figured I'd share~ https://tips.clip-studio.com/en-us/articles/1684

https://www.deviantart.com/ryky/art/MOON-easy-tutorial-399161176

carcarchu

https://youtu.be/LokpJy7KHpE Shilin talks about her thought processes when laying out her comic panels

carcarchu

some free flower assets for clip https://assets.clip-studio.com/ko-kr/search?user=miyage3&order=new

carcarchu

Reimena Yee did an interesting thread on the visual language used in comics https://twitter.com/reimenayee/status/1263755464853995521(edited)

sierrabravo (Hans Vogel is Dead)

yess I was hoping someone would put that up here!!! such a good resource

that reminded me of the 22 panels that always work, something I've been trying to utilize more when I get stuck working: https://cloudfour.com/thinks/22-panels-that-always-work-wally-woods-legendary-productivity-hack/

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

It's so reliable, last year I was able to recreate the whole thing using only pre-existing panels from Leif & Thorn. (Then added another row because there were a few other shots I keep coming back to...) https://leifandthorn.com/comic/erin-ptahs-29-panels-that-always-work/

(Note, there's a horizontal scrollbar under the image, since I uploaded the big version.)

DaeofthePast

found this tutorial/tips on drawing scars that I found useful https://jetfeather.tumblr.com/post/163383759536/i-have-a-hard-time-drawing-scars-how-do-you-do

carcarchu

For those who suffer from pain while drawing: https://twitter.com/lost_paw/status/1271540123688210433

Evil_Chippy (My Hero!)

https://twitter.com/Darchala/status/1272257378881175552?s=20

Cronaj ~{Whispers of the Past}~

@Krispy §[Ghost Junk Sickness]§ Here's the brush pack. The one I used is called "Pensona": https://www.deviantart.com/theinkyway/art/Manga-Studio-5-Clip-Studio-Paint-Brush-Pack-619455926

carcarchu

How to draw a lot of books https://twitter.com/yoshida_seiji/status/1200432951671939073

carcarchu

Mentorship directory for this interested in that kind of thing https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vfcr_F0utixw7D-rsbUoId1kwU2Ee_c_jXy2r5df-Jc/edit?usp=sharing

shadowhood {SunnyxRain}

https://www.lackadaisy.com/exhibit.php?exhibitid=333 A fun tutorial on drawing expressions

carcarchu

A really comprehensive look into the panel border tool in clip https://professorfaf.tumblr.com/post/178927411355/comic-paneling-tools-in-clip-studio-paint Great for beginners but even if you're already acquainted with them it's helpful for finding out things you may not have even realized

Krispy §[Ghost Junk Sickness]§

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ED289uthfNQ&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR1ka0j6gwtFcj5aXS8wIj-zpgwaYiI2ncP-g4Tn6hL0h4VFa-rKn6MM_1Q this is my old illustration instructor who did a tutorial on watercolour if anyone was interested in the medium! her stuff is so vibrant and solid, and i was so happy to have her as my old prof!

CoppertheCarutor

Light bounce! https://twitter.com/KikiDoodleTweet/status/1276565894051753984?s=19

carcarchu

https://twitter.com/Ghadaaax/status/1277158331761807360 helpful tips!

cAPSLOCK (Tailslide)

Colorist K Michael Russell has been streaming nightly as he colors pages from comics he's working on, while giving tips and insight into his thought process: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCps08eOJfFRm00TE5LStIIg

carcarchu

Advice on how to utilize speedlines https://youtu.be/Y_3Rbjn_0r0

Cronaj ~{Whispers of the Past}~

I just have to plug this amazing program here: https://affinity.serif.com/en-gb/publisher/ It's basically a replacement program for Adobe inDesign, but waaay cheaper. If you're like me and have sworn off Adobe, I highly recommend it. I've been messing with it all day to begin setting up my first volume for print, and I love it so far, especially after trying other budget publishing softwares. Can't recommend it enough.

Holmeaa - working on WAYFINDERS

hii! https://www.dropbox.com/sh/m8yv10gevqv2x5s/AACVoWTvK-B7qB1yRGUZadB5a?dl=0 Here is a little gallery of fat bodies!

carcarchu

world building tool thing https://www.worldanvil.com/artist i haven't tried it out yet but it looks interesting!

carcarchu

https://twitter.com/soteikat/status/1285036231592558592 takie made some free to use comic resources!

carcarchu

https://twitter.com/aeipathea/status/1285048061518061569

carcarchu

it is a website that shares dimensions for things. Helpful for referencing proportions https://www.dimensions.com/(edited)

Cronaj ~{Whispers of the Past}~

I don't necessarily agreed with everything they said, but it's still a good video, and I definitely agree with many of the points they brought up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZQKeHnKK90

Especically the "stop drawing _" advice

I dealt with that a lot in school

[beedaleebjd]

Psssst do you happen to have any tips or beginners links for newbies who are interested in getting in to the BJD hobby? 👀

*SOFT SCREECH* ALICE COME DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE WITH ME... /CLAMBERS FOR

This is a very slap-dash tips post, because a full fledged crash-course would take me much longer than a day to assemble. I think this could get someone started, but I can always answer specific questions if you have them in the future. ❤️

BJD 101: For a rundown of definitions, terminology, and origins of the hobby, I highly recommend checking out the Wikipedia article. (Warning for old vaguely spooky doll photos) I honestly wish I just read this when I got started, haha. It’s not everything, but it’s definitely a start.

Study! Read as much as you possibly can!! Especially terminology and maintenance. I highly recommend watching a bunch of unboxing and review videos- it might seem silly, but they're really helpful to get an idea of scale, how they function/pose, and how they look and feel when handled by a human. I also recommend trying to find owner photos of dolls you’re interested in, because sometimes the store photos are limited!

Join a community! Consider joining a forum like den of angels or a facebook bjd group like BJD Addicts! Exposure to the hobby is really helpful and you learn way faster. It’s fine if you’re shy, you don’t have to interact if you don’t want to- I like lurking DoA for the valuable tutorials and threads on doll brands I'm interested in. Tip: You can view some of DoA’s threads without an account by searching "[subject/doll of choice] den of angels" in google, but i got tired of that pretty fast. Signing up takes a few weeks to get approved but it's worth it for all the knowledge, even old archived stuff.

Window-shop until you drop!! I think the number one regret in the hobby is 'too many dolls, not enough time to love any of them'. So I HIGHLY recommend making wish-lists. These help a lot with avoiding impulse purchases and buyer’s remorse. There are a loooot of dolls out there, so if you've seen a huge majority of them, you'll be more picky.

For me, wishlists include both dream/grail dolls, tentative desires i’m not sure about but want to remember the name of, dolls I could never afford but feel validated writing down somewhere, and also cataloging info- measurements, wig/eye/shoe sizes, resin colors, price, current availability, dealer websites, etc. it becomes such a godsend when you shop for them. you’ll thank me later!!

I spent a lot of time browsing dealer websites like Alice's Collections, Legenddoll, Denver Doll, DOLK Station, etc- I linked some of those here. This is to see what my tastes are. Not EVERY doll company will go through all or any dealers, but it’s a good start!

If you’re the social type, going to conventions or local bjd meetups can help with getting an idea of your preferences! I accidentally walked by one at sakuracon last year and got to hold an MSD and an 11cm tiny, and that was REALLY helpful for me to realize I DID like those sizes. If other doll owners will let you hold theirs, I totally recommend it! (Always ask first, of course! Not everyone is comfortable with it!)

Go!! Slow!!! if you think you're taking it easy, go even slower. i'm so serious. it's so easy to get dazzled, over-eager, or totally overwhelmed by this hobby. especially if you have a habit of hyper focus/special interest tenancies like i do. 

Patience is a virtue anyway: If you’re not buying second-hand or in-stock dolls, you will be waiting a while for your doll. Anywhere from a few months to a year, depending on the company and how backlogged they may be at any given point. Dolls are usually pre-order and take time to be made.

Some people like to just buy sculpts and let a character ‘come to them’, which is absolutely valid so if you wanna just go on a feeling that’s great!! i totally can’t afford that route most of the time, so I spend a lot of time mood-boarding for my potential dolls using pinterest and my own art to see just how in love with an idea i am and highly recommend it. I’ll ramble about this in another post soon.

Budget! They are not very cheap like 10-20$ fashion dolls at wal-mart, so those new to the hobby may be shocked.This hobby is an investment and an indulgence/luxury, as with most Nice Things. But don’t be discouraged! There are affordable dolls out there, a lot of Dealer websites offer layaway plans, and the second-hand market is always circulating things!

Here is a DoA list of dolls that are under 300$. 

Note: Size of dolls often scale with price, so the bigger it is, the more expensive (and HEAVY) it will be. Some videos on BJD sizing here and here, but Flickr is crawling with height comparisons as well.

Craft or Not To Craft: Are you team 'i'm gonna sew/craft stuff/do wigs/eyes/faceups for my doll' or team 'i'm gonna buy clothes/props/faceups/wigs/etc from other artists!'? I know most people end up being a little bit of both, but these things both cost time or money (or both) so you wanna think about that in the overall price when you're considering a doll. It seems intimidating, but really, it’s the responsible thing to do. I’d rather plan for it than have a naked sad doll to feel bad about. Some personal recommendations below helped me get started:

Wigs: Monique Gold Collection wigs are affordable in the 20 dollar range, and have incredibly soft fiber! (You can find a lot of these available through ebay sellers as well)

Eyes: Lemonjellyshoppe and CandyKittenEmporium have some incredible eyes and also do custom orders!

Sewing Patterns: DGRequim on etsy and SproutyDoll have both been very nice to use and easy understand and modify to fit your doll!

When you’re savvy on the sizing of your dolls and if you’re comfy with secondhand sales, Facebook groups like BJD Addicts Sales & Commissions, BJD Lovers Sales, and BJD Adoption has a lot of people selling BJDs and accessories, oftentimes discounted for de-stashing or collection overhauls!

In addition to the other dealer sites I linked before, Dollmore (which also has an ebay shop) has a lot of options on everything! 

Rec@sts and the community- This is a veeery hot button topic, but you’ll probably see a lot of it the more you get into the hobby. I don’t want to talk about it a lot because of the negativity it attracts, but to sum it up: BJDs are essentially commissioned art pieces. They are hand sculpted by an artist or small group of artists, and then cast in resin and refined and strung by hand. There are people that will cast copies of them and sell them for a very cheap profit. To put it simply, it’s theft, and it effects the livelihood of people that make a living of their art. A lot of companies stop making dolls because they can’t compete anymore. Most official doll/art related conventions (LDoll, Resin Rose, etc) ban rec@sted dolls, as well as DoA and several of the facebook groups. Be sure to read all the rules of groups/forums you join them.

A lot of people come into this hobby unaware of this and buy a bootleg doll on sites like Ebay or Aliexpress, and then get turned away from the community without understanding why. There are understandable circumstances that cause someone to end up with a bootleg doll, but it’s also important to respect the artists and creators that share their art with the public.

On that note: Sometimes people will resell 2nd hand dolls as legit when they are not. Be careful about who you buy second-hand dolls from. Also, keeping certificates of authenticity (CoAs), receipts, and original packaging is must if you ever plan to resell your doll!

I... think that’s everything major I can think of... at least enough to get someone started? I know a lot of it is a bit vague, but if you wanted my opinion on a certain brand or size of doll or budgeting tips if money is tight, I’d be happy to give my personal preferences on that separately!! But otherwise, good luck and happy treasure hunting! ヾ(＾-＾)ノ

[luarpice]

DECEIT COSPLAY TIPS

Hello, everyone! Since some of you have asked for tips on how to make Deceit’s cosplay I’ve made a quick summary of how I made it.

[Sorry for possible grammar/vocabulary errors, English is not my first language]

Here it goes!

MAKEUP

BASE: Concealer and a bit of contouring. I didn’t apply it in any especial way and I doubt it made any real difference, but it looked good on the other side of the face.

SCALES: I used fishnet stockings. I put them over my face and then applied brown, yellow and green eyeshadow over it. 

The eyeshadow I used was not very expensive but it had very good pigmentation. I used A LOT. At first I thought I had probably overdone it, but then when I took the net off and saw it I really loved how it turned out. So don’t be afraid to put lots of it. Especially brown eyeshadow, it’s the one that will make it all stand out. Also, avoid sparkly makeup if you can. Matte makeup is better for this kind of thing (or maybe it is just a preference of mine). And another thing I wish I had known: Do not stretch the net too much or the scales will look way too big.

EYE: The worst part was hiding the eyebrow. I tried gluing the hairs to the skin with glue stick and then putting (dense) concealer over it, but it didn’t work. Try it though, maybe it works for you. 

After basically losing all hope I started coming up with wild ideas to cover it and I… well… I ended up using toilet paper. It sounds ridiculous, I know. And it was. But it did the job. I wetted some toilet paper with water and put it on my skin. I let it dry and it –surprisingly– stayed put. It looked really nice in all honesty, but it started falling off after some minutes (I had to keep fixing it with more water from time to time). [Side note: I knew I was only going to take some photos so durability was not one of my priorities]. I didn’t have the time to look for a proper tutorial but I highly recommend it. 

I covered it later with concealer and then I used pink and brown eyeshadow for the area around the eye.

MOUTH: I drew a line with brown eyeshadow (I applied a lot to make it dark) and then another white line next to it (on top). I used a plain, straight, little brush for this (the one that is usually used for the eyeliner or eyebrows). And then, with a bit wider and soft brush, I blurred the white line upwards and the brown one downwards. I added even more eyeshadow in the process to exaggerate the effect, I used a lot of makeup. After doing so I think I drew the brown line once again for more contrast.

NOSE: I drew the black thing with liquid eyeliner.

OUTFIT

I found the gloves and hat for a very low prize in an online shop. They don’t send products outside of the country (Spain) tho. 

I bought the contacts in a local shop, but I think the company that makes them sends them to other countries as well. I answered an asks with a bit more information a while ago; I’ll leave the link here. 

And I improvised the rest of the outfit. At first I wanted to buy a black cape and wear something grey underneath, but I ended up wearing the suit you can see in the photos (I already had all the items). I guessed that as long as I maintained the color scheme and the dark-elegant-classy look it would look good enough.

PHOTOS

Just a quick note: background and lighting are very important. Try to use white or natural light if you can. And a plain background (I edited mine but that took me a lot of time I could have saved).

Aaaand that’s all! I hope it helps. If you have any more questions send me an ask and I will try to answer as best as I can.

Lots of love!