#also the website linked is my new shop!!!

[things-about-cars-in-posts]

The MOMENT I laid eyes on that rollbar I thought "Huh! How Caterham-like!", lol. Turns out I know my favorite car well.

Funnily enough, the Caterham Seven has been given a sleeker body before, by Caterham themselves no less, and this new year marks 21 years since that happened. And given the result was named Caterham 21, and specifically because Caterham had been making Sevens for 21 years by then, this would be a very funny coincidence if I hadn't planned it.

Okay, there is to say the name may also have been influenced by the goal of making something like the legendary Lotus Eleven racecar...

...but enough dwelling, let's get you a picture of what this thing looks like!

Oh, what's that there?

But that's my blogpost on it I wrote eight years ago, on the news section (bafflingly) of automotive publication Car Throttle!

"Wait, you wrote published automotive articles eight years ago?"

Well, not really.

See, Car Throttle did have an articles section, but at heart it was a car-centered social media platform. There were larger, more structured posts in the "Blog" community, and the editors sometimes picked the better ones and shared them in the Official Featured Articles Of The Staff Whose Job It Is To Do This section. And a couple of my posts were picked, which at my then tender age of [too young for unsupervised internet networking] was an inconceivable honor.

But then at some point they decided, I believe to quote the chief, their attempt "to make the Facebook for cars" was ill-conceived, because "the Facebook for cars was already Facebook", and the platform pivoted to just being a news outlet. And, infuriatingly, pretending they never were a social to begin with. Forget preserving the posts, we weren't even given a tool, a deadline, a warning for archival. Posting ability was removed and everything was just hidden and hushed away slowly and gradually enough to frogboil away all attention before deleting all those posts I and countless others poured heart and soul into.

Except the Editor's Picks - a layout change could make those look like proper articles and pad their offerings. Clicking the author name leads to a cryptic "Forum" section. No mention of upvotes -embarrassing memories- but the comments are there, they make it look like a visited website. Who's this blank circle? Can't click the username. Who are they tagging? Page wasn't found. How do all these commenters seemingly know each other? Good luck googling them. Now visit our shop.

So, in the spirit of fuck that, here is that article remastered for Tumblr - a platform that, for all its ills, refuses to shut its doors in the face of all sense and all the internet rowing against its model of a free, unalgorithmic feed where all forms of content are welcome.

Fair warning: you'll need to be up to speed with the story of the Seven itself. Here's the link again - last chance!

Caterham did something other than the Seven? Yep. This is the 1994-1999 Caterham 21, the only other production Caterham. It was pretty much a more comfortable, everyday-use Seven.

What's with that crazy silver look? That's the aluminum prototype. The production version was made out of fiberglass, and looked like this:

Hold up… Why do those taillights look familiar? Well, you know how it is with small sportscars... and when the design team cruised the motorway looking for lights that would suit the design...

And the parts sharing doesn't end there either.

And what about the interior? Was it comfortable? More than the Seven, of course (in the end, that was its goal): It had more creature comforts, such as proper doors, actual glass windows (which, as a trade-off, didn’t roll down), a dashboard that actually looks like the product of design work, and a soft-top you closed rather than assembled. Though comfort was still one of its weaker points.

Why so? Isn’t it a lot wider? Where did all the extra width go? Well…

Yes, this is for real. You could have a football match on those sills.

Engine-wise? UK car industry experts are waiting for me to say it - and indeed, the almost stereotypical Rover K-series engine (found from the Land Rover Freelander to the FSO Polonez and a wealth of little British sportscars in between) was offered either as a 1.6 (offering 1or as a 1.8.

Oh, yeah, and it had one of those cool forward-opening bonnets, since the whole front was a single piece so good luck with any other way.

Any specs? Plenty.

The 115hp 1.6 reached 60mph (for yankees, that's the same) in 6.4 seconds and carried on to 118 (for non-yankees, that's 190km/h). That's a pretty low top speed, but these cars were always oriented towards acceleration and lower-speed roads. If you wanted more though, the 1.6 Supersport upped the power to 138, lowered the 0-60 to 5.8 and reached 131 (210km/h). The 1.8 started at 122hp but its Supersport variant developed 138... and the Supersport R 190, rocketing to 60 in 4.5 seconds. But those are very rare.

How was the sound? Better than a Viper’s. At least, according to Mike Rutherford from this Men and Motors segment from 1998. If you want to spare yourself some ear-piercing music, skip to 2 minutes for the bold claim and some chatting with Jez Coates (Caterham’s technical director) about how they managed that.

How did that power get to the wheels? As standard, it had the Ford Type 9 transmission, the one you’d find in a MKIII Capri or a Sierra, though a Caterham-made six-speed gearbox was offered as an option. It also had a limited-slip differential, of course.

So, how was it like to drive? Probably better than the Seven: the chassis was 50% stiffer, the wheels were further apart and the suspension was tweaked for a better ride. And while it was bigger and heavier than the Seven it was based on, we’re still talking about less than 4 meters and 1500 pounds (for Europeans, that's about 1800 euros at today's exchange- wait no).

Oh, and then there was the GTO, a racing version with the Seven R500's 1.8l engine. Some specs? 230 hp, 0-100 in 3,8 seconds, and all in 1994.

And, as if it wasn’t mad enough already, it later received the Levante’s V8 - supercharged to 500 hp! In a car that weighs not much more than that in kilograms!

Wow, what a cool car! How come it failed to replace the Seven? That was never its goal! The production was already meant to be limited to 200 cars a year. Which of course, multiplied by the five years it was sold-

Lightnings strike. Thunders echo. Typhoons blow. Lotuses handle. But their quest to revive the Seven's ethos called for much more than coasting on that fact of life. They pushed aluminium manufacturing itself to new bounds to create a chassis less Seven tier rigid and more seven times that. The engineers' pursuit of lightness was so absurd that their own electric window mechanisms were lighter than their supplier's manual ones. The result was a beautiful mid-engined sportscar with proper development budget about as light as the 21 and only £200 more than its base version, which it beat in 0-60, top speed and being preassembled. Yeah.

It was the raw British performers' iPod. Compact, light, capable, yet refined, simple and comfortable to use... a great enough product to push its brand away from the edge of hasbeendom and towards a new renaissance, ushering in a boom of its category... which was really more a boom of just itself, given how few other real beneficiaries there were.

Sure, you could buy a Morgan if your tophat stayed on during sex. You could buy a TVR if your views on ergonomics aligned with The Joker's. You could even buy a Creative Nomad Jukebox. But then, you'd still probably want a car with a radio to plug it into. So, while yearly Elise production, targeting 750, peaked at 5000 (or, spot the theme, seven times that), not 50 Caterham 21s were ever produced. Of which just two were Supersport Rs. I told you they were rare.

But that still doesn't explain it, does it? Sure, the Elise might've made it redundant at best and even stolen its spotlight when first showcased in '95, but the 21 still had a full year when the Elise was but a rumor, so surely, at least for the briefest while, there was room to shine for the idea of a plusher take on the cheap, basic British sportscar recipe, ri-

Yep. The 1989, or 1990 depending on your address, Mazda Miata. The iPod of the British sportscar. And no, I'm not refuting my first use of this analogy. The original concept behind the Miata was putting the ethos of the traditional British roadster in a package so usable the everyman could have it not just as their weekend car but as their only car. The original concept behind the Elise was updated because of pesky regulations to, ugh, have doors. We are talking about two very different levels of commitment there - and by extension two very different breadths of potential customers. To clarify: the uproarious success of the Elise led to the production of a whole 55 thousand between its every variant when production stopped in 2021. That's half of all cars Lotus ever made in its seven decades. In 2016, Mazda produced its millionth Miata.

Yeah.

And sure, the 21 was much lighter and faster than the Miata, but those who wanted that enough to both pay a £3k premium and put up with an unreliable, temperamental handmade British car, but not enough to go for the even lighter and faster Seven were evidently... not enough.

Which is a shame, really, isn't it? However much I may love the Seven's looks, I'm not blind to them being... let's use "polarizing". To have something not just more conventionally attractive, but also much more approachable (you know, things like knowing you won't have to frantically fiddle with two dozen buttons if it starts to drizzle) could, for the right person, not just make the proposition more appealing, but be what pushes it into the reign of justifiability.

Right, it sucks for those people! Now that it’s a rarity, prices must be sky-high… Well, you’re about to be pleasantly surprised: those Caterhams you saw above are actually up for sale, and with prices that rival used Sevens, too!

Okay, that was eight years ago, but from what I've been able to tell any time a 21's gone on sale since then the price has closer to the first figure than the second - when not lower still!

And that's the end of the article, engagement prompts aside. That transition from small edits to a whole new section was pretty jarring, eh. Writer improves after third of life. More at 7.

Anyhow, here's your first post of the year - and here's to one more year here on Tumblr, making the kind of content every other social platform welcomes as merrily as the plague.

Thank you all for sticking around for it. Means a lot.

Scoperta, 2024, by Camal Studio. A sports car based on the Caterham Seven is to be offered by Turin-based design studio. The cars will cost €150,000

[daneecastle]

Reversed Veil of Worlds

Chapter 3 - Page 64 and 65

- We are back to Rouge, Crowley, and Muriel after Koka escaped. The flames of Rouge’s anger are engulfing him, transforming him into something different. Is he falling? Becoming a demon? What is he going to do? Also we have another new character. Meet Adra! Smashing in with his favorite one handed hammer, blacksmith daddy has arrived. Muriel looks happy to see him while Crowley is wondering who the hell this guy is. He gives off the presence of a demon but if Rouge had wiped them all out, how is this guy here?

- This has now become a collab project, @Ineffable-ducks is the one Inking the pages and Rainyr is coloring the backgrounds. So shout out to them for their wonderful work!

Beginning - Previous - Next

Come support me on my Patreon, where you will get early viewing and extra content! Link here: https://www.patreon.com/DaneeCastillo

I have also started a discord group for this comic, don't hesitate to join it! https://discord.gg/xVG6xg2SD7

To see the previous chapters I have posted both chapters on AO3. I'm in the process of shopping for a Website host so we can have a Reversed Veil website.

@goodomensafterdark

[datcravat]

Ghost Trick Enamel Pins back in stock, they will be limited this time too! They are made with lots of love to feed the hungry ghost trick fans. I hope you like them!!

[fingertipsmp3]

The last like 12 hours have been one disaster after another tbh and I think I am mostly to blame

[qqueenofhades]

I don't know why I thought it was a good idea to argue with people about the worthlessness of voting third party. They just keep insisting that the influence is worth it, and that I was a coward for daring to suggest that we don't HAVE any other options than Democratic. I even cited how voting third party likely played a part in Al Gore losing ffs.

There's no "likely" about it, Ralph Nader DID directly cost Gore the election. He ran explicitly on the same "both parties are the same, so leftists/liberals should vote for me instead" rhetoric that we are still seeing among the Online Left, and it was successful: he got, for example, over 97,000 votes in Florida. Bush won Florida (and thus the presidency) by a miniscule 537 votes, after the fuckery of Bush v. Gore and SCOTUS ordering the recount stopped in Bush's favor. If the tiniest percentage of those Nader voters had gone for Gore, we would have had a president who was arguing in favor of tackling climate change in the year 2000. We would have been incredibly ahead of the curve. We would, in all likelihood, have a president who took the CIA's warnings of an impending al-Qaeda attack in the US seriously. We would not have had the disastrous Afghanistan and Iraq invasions and the "War on Terror," the rampant Islamophobia, "No Child Left Behind," the 2008 economic crash, and everything else that Dubya and his band of bloodthirsty neocons inflicted on us in the early aughties. Look, I try not to look back too much, but having Gore instead of Bush as president would have reshaped the entire timeline we're living in to such an unfathomably better degree that every moron thinking of voting third party For The Protest should be sat down and forced to learn this history intimately. Of course, they already saw it happen in real time in 2016, but they didn't care about that either.

The good news is: there are plenty of persuadable voters out there, and you can do work to reach them and convince them to vote for Democrats! They're just not online, because all the Online Leftists are terminally brain-poisoned against voting anyway and trying to argue with them is generally a waste of time. Instead, what you should do is take a gander at the following links:

This is the one-stop shop page for volunteering to get Democrats elected. You can do in-person and remote work, there are tons of different ways to get involved (i.e. you don't have to go directly out and knock doors if that's not something you're comfortable with), and your local Democratic party will welcome the volunteer help. There is also a page for finding your state party website:

I went there, clicked on my state, opened the webpage, and there was a "Volunteer" link right in the header, with an easy and quick form to fill out to register your interest and explain the kinds of work you would be interested in doing. You can canvass directly, you can manage data on the back end, you can phone bank, you can send texts and postcards to voters who may need an extra nudge, you can otherwise work with your state party in lots of ways, and it will be so much more productive and make you feel so much better than arguing with online idiots who will never, ever change their minds. What you can do is reach out to voters in your own community, in your own state, and have conversations with people who actually ARE willing to listen, but might need a little more educating on the facts, what's at stake, the truth about this election, and the danger that Trump poses. All of this will convert into critically important Democratic votes, and you can actually put your desire to make a difference into action. So yeah. I would 100% suggest you do it this way instead. Good luck.

[redeyerhaenyra]

perv neighbor basil smut im begging u

Perv!Neighbour Basil finds your camgirl account

Summary: Basil is your neighbour, and after having formed a parasocial relationship with you, he finds your camgirl account. Things get.. a little out of hand.

Warnings: Oh man this one is filthy- Stalking, Parasocial relationships, m masturbation, cum tribute, professional sex work, cumming untouched, jealously, crying, like alot of crying, sextoy use, f reader

Notes: Myself and @ominoose have been bouncing this headcanon around in the dms for a bit and I finally have the opportunity to write it! I hope you like it baby tysm for requesting xx I really got carried away like this is SO LONG my goodness- This can be read as a part 2 to this fic but can also be enjoyed standalone x

Basil has been watching you for a while

You're his neighbour, you moved in to the flat opposite him a couple months ago, and the only verbal interaction you'd had with him was a polite introduction through his letterbox when he wouldn't open the door

You hadn't seen him at all, physically. He'd seen you though.

Oh had he seen you

His heart swelled every morning and evening he'd watch you leave and come home from work, nights out, trips to the shop, ect

His relationship to you, practically non-existent as it were, at least from your perspective, was... complicated

Half of Basil understood you two were already dating, loyal to one another. The other half of him understood that that was a fantasy, and he often found himself caught between the two realities

Poor Basil so desperately wants the untruth to become the truth. He wants to kiss you, profess his love, have it be your hand tugging him off instead of his own every night

But since the... accident, he wouldn't dare let you see him. You'd never accept him- no one would. He was a monster

Poor baby, so insecure 😔

Eventually, jerking off whilst peering at you through the letterbox whenever you enter or exit your home isn't enough. He needs to see you, properly. Stare at your beautiful face and take in all it's contours and shapes without having to have you do the same to him

And so.. he goes online.

He knows your name- you'd told him when you'd tried to be a nice neighbour and say hi, and so with a little sleuthing, he finds your Instagram

Basil spends hours pouring through your every photo, getting wildly jealous and crying (yes he cries poor baby) when he sees photos with other men, and roughly pulling on his cock until its red and raw, having cum so many times over his thighs and chest.

He becomes even more obsessed, his need to see you covered in his cum in some way or another becomes an vital as eating and drinking

He starts printing out your photos and cumming on them- considers laminating them so he can wipe them clean and go all over again

But then what about keeping them covered? Forever staining you with his seed? He can't pick

One day, when he's going about his ritual of jerking it to your insta, he finds a new link in your bio;

"18+ site! Adult only content! Click here❤️"

That perks his interest

Sure he's not stranger to porn, or camgirls, what with all the time he spends alone watching porn, but you? He'd never have assumed.

Basil's heart races, and his dick twitches beneath his sweats

Tentatively, he clicks on the link

Your website looks professional, all properly set up

The first thing he sees is a trailer video- and oh boy

He literally cannot stop the sudden, untouched orgasm flooding through him when he sees the sneak peak you've put together of your content

He's so loud moaning and whining, tears well up again in his eyes becuase he's so sensitive but he needs more

This teaser video of you playing with your nipples and rubbing your tiny pussy through your panties isn't enough

And so, Basil goes to your subscription page. Immediately gets the highest sub deal, he doesn't care if he can't afford it. He needs you so much he'd bankrupt himself if he had to

The benefits of this subscription are many; He gets access to your work DM, he gets two video calls with you a week, and he gets to request some content from you.

Basil couldn't not be happier, he even forgts about his facial insecurity when a few minutes later he sees a message from you pop up on his notifs;

"Hi baby! Thankyou so so much for becoming one of my top donors! It really does mean the world x"

He forces himself to respond, anxiety creeping up his shoulder;

"Yeah np love your work."

Jesus he didn't mean to come off so dickish

You quell his feelings of worry with a smiley emoji, and ask him "So, what's with the username? "Lightningface"?"

He gulps. "I just like lightning is all."

"It is such a pretty phenomenon."

Pretty.. you'd called it pretty. The thing that had maimed him, his deformity... might you have called that pretty too?

"Soooo you're due to request some content from me! What would you like?"

And honestly, Basil isn't sure

Anything you'd give him, he'd take

"I don't mind."

"Are you sure? It is your request that you've paid me for, you can ask for whatever you like!"

Basil really thinks for a moment. A real head scratcher.

"Can you say my name?"

Basil doesn't realise how possessive he sounds

"Sure can!"

"Can it be my irl name?"

"Of course! What is it?"

The man holds his breath as he responds; "Basil. Like the herb."

"Omg!!! That's such a cute name!"

He giggles to himself, you're so fucking adorable he loves you so much

You tell him you'll make his request into a segment during your next livestream

He's jealous, he doesn't want you performing for anyone else.. but like I said, he'll take what he can get

Most of the time until his segment of your livestream he spends crying and jerking off in a strange cycle.

You're his, you shouldn't be showing off.. he feels like you've betrayed him. But at the same time you're the most beautiful thing he's ever seen

Poor Basil is so conflicted

Finally, however, his request segment begins

You smile sweetly at the camera, and wave

"So, next up, I have a request from one of my top donors, he has such a cute name! Said he didn't mind what I did so I think i'm gonna surprise him~"

You reach to the side, pulling forth a clear silicone dildo

It's big. Basil gulps, could you take it? What if it hurt you?

You place it beneath you on your bed and slowly tease it between your folds, having already discarded all your clothes at this point

Basil chokes, his worn out cock stirring to life again

And then.. oh then..

You moan out his name, slowly sinking yourself onto the sextoy

Basil moans with you, and figures you must have an expensive microphone because the sounds coming from the screen are all but blasphemous

He loses himself to the rhythmic squelching of your cunt and your moans of his names

He cums so quickly, and there's so much of it, all over his chest

Poor baby whimpers, trying desperately to coax his poor dick back to life, not wanting to have finished so quickly

He wanted to last longer for you..

Luckily you finish not too long after him, he wants to swallow all of your sounds with his mouth

He's never seen such perfection

Glistening with sweat and panting, satisfied, you address the camera for the final time that night;

"I hope you enjoyed Basil, again thankyou so much for donating, I love you all so much, goodnight!"

You end the stream, Basil is plunged back into the dark loneliness of his flat

He sits for a few moments, taking in what just happened..

He soon finds himself looking at wedding rings online

[vanessagillings]

I love your art so much!!! I've also been starting to paint with gouache, and I'd love to know a little more about your process! What kind of paints do you use, do you sketch first or start with paint, do you paint in layers over several day or all at once?

Hi and thank you! I hope you don't mind me answering this publicly and apologies for length, but:

MY ART PROCESS!

Supplies: I use winsor and newton gouache and arches cold press paper blocks, usually 140 lbs (the lime green ones) and sometimes 300 lbs (the teal green ones). Even though this paper comes pre-stretched in blocks, I actually take the sheets off and stretch them myself because I've found arches' glue isn't as strong as it used to be. This is how you get watercolor paper to lay flat! I recommend youtubing some videos on how to do it -- there's a lot of great tutorials out there. Also, I use princeton brushes, and kraft paper tape and these boards to stretch my paper. (these aren't affiliate links, I just shop at blick)

A word about art supplies: these are the exact tools I use but everyone uses supplies differently and two people with the exact same supplies might get different results! A lot of it is about what works for you and what you like, so I always suggest that gouache/watercolor beginners just buy a few tubes from a couple of different paint companies and some small pieces of paper from different manufacturers to see what you like. Just changing one ingredient in the above has created massively different results for me, but maybe that'll end up being something you'd like! The first step in learning a new medium imo is to play. Just have fun!

ALSO: gouache isn't super light permanent, check your tubes for which ones hold up to sunlight. Here is winsor and newton's color chart explaining which ones will fade when exposed to sunlight -- all manufacturers will give you this. I only use the colors rated A and AA, and I still frame my pieces with UV glass just to be safe. Not all gouache is re-wettable, but winsor and newton is. I just put it in my palettes and refill my palettes if it runs low. AND SOME PAINT IS TOXIC. A lot of paints have cadmium and cobalt in them. I don't use any of the toxic colors, but if you do, make sure you don't eat while working and wash your hands thoroughly afterwards. This information is also usually available on manufacturer's websites. As more people are rejecting cadmium paint, you'll see more tubes labeled things like cadmium-free yellow. This is why. More artists should be aware that their tools can be dangerous. You don't need that many tubes of paint to begin, just a warm and cool red, warm and cool yellow, warm and cool blue, white and black. I have around 50 colors and use 20 regularly. I always mix all my colors myself, and never use straight tube paint. Most of my colors have about 5-6 different tube colors mixed together. If you use re-wettable paint a tube of paint will last you years; even as a professional I only buy new paints every 5 years or so.

Process: I ALWAYS start with a sketch first. Not everyone has to, but because I do illustration work -- where sometimes a client gets input on a drawing -- I always do a lot of preliminary work before I even begin to paint. At this point, even my personal work usually involves the exact same process:

I start with a 3" or so thumbnail that I scan (left; I traced it quickly digtally for clarity to myself here) and then either clean up digitally or print out and clean up traditionally with tracing paper (right):

Then I scan the cleaned sketch in and color rough it digitally (left, this was for a gallery show, so no one had to approve my color roughs, so it's messy!) then I transfer my sketch to my paper (with either carbon transfer paper or a light table), stretch my paper, and paint (right):

I obviously changed my mind about the color of the ribbon in the trees, ha, and made everything a lot more vibrant. The benefit again of gallery work is no pre-approval!

You are correct, I paint in a series of washes, going from lightest to darkest, where I apply the same color beneath all shapes that are the same warmth (cools under all upcoming cools, warms under all upcoming warms). I paint a piece usually in one or two days, depending on complexity. I didn't take pictures of the above painting, but here's a different painting to show you a little bit what I mean:

I painted the peach color under everything (and twice for skin tones), and the gray color of the sky under everything that would be grayish (the rocks, trees, her pants, her skirt, and coat). I do this to stop me from getting darker lines where two different colors butt up against each other, and also for color harmony. I have step by step photos of this in my process stories highlight on my instagram; also check my FAQ and tip highlights for more info on all this stuff. Most pieces take around 25-30 washes before I start adding in the details (sometimes I add in face details early though because if I mess those up it's not worth finishing the rest of the painting! 😅)

All this might seem like a lot of work (...it is) but I do it so that I can show clients previews of the final piece and so I don't have to repaint the finals. I also used to pre-test all of my washes on scrap paper like this:

I still recommend doing this if you're just beginning! But at this point I only do it when testing techniques because I know my paints really well. (the above was my test for the pine boughs in this piece)

Painting by far is the longest part of the process, so I do more work up front to not have to do it twice. Every piece takes about 6-24 hrs of actual work time to produce. Stretching watercolor paper takes about 24 hrs to dry, and because I sell most of my originals in galleries, they need to be flawless, so planning ahead is useful and in the end saves me time.

And to conclude this novel of an explanation, don't be overwhelmed by all the information I've given you! I put it here so that people at various stages of their artistic journey can maybe find something useful in it. But seriously, the first step to learning how to paint whether it's traditionally or digitally is just to have fun. Try it out, see what's working and what isn't, and then try to solve specific issues that you're struggling with. I've been doing this for a loooooong time at this point, but here's my first watercolor piece from when I was re-teaching myself how to paint traditionally nine years ago:

Obviously, I was destined for greatness. Ha, yeah, no. If you scroll back through my tumblr archive, you can see me learning how to use these paints in real time. And keep in mind that I'd been working digitally for years before then, and years before that where I didn't post my work online at all.

So for anyone who needs to hear it: there's no such thing as talent, just hard work, patience, and trying again and again and again...and sometimes again. What I do is a skill and anyone can learn it. Sometimes, progress is slow. I'm 38. I only really feel like my art was half-way decent starting a few years ago, but I've been making art my entire life, and I went to art school at 18. 20 years later I'm kind of figuring it out.

The best advice I can give, whether it's about art or not, is find the thing you love so much that you'll keep at it even when you suck at it, because most skills you'll suck at to begin with -- and perhaps for a long time. I sucked at art for yeeeaaaaarrrrs. On top of the usual learning curve, I struggled with fine motor control and dexterity. But I loved it so much I kept trying every time I failed. If I can do it, so can all of you, no matter what stage of art you're at now, and no matter how old you are.

Anyway, thank you to those still reading this deep in. I wish you all the best on your artistic journey. Art can kick your butt sometimes, but it's also pretty dang rewarding 💛

[kristinagehrmann]

Freelance strategies that have saved my butt!

Some of them I wish someone had told me when I was a newbie illustrator, some I have used from the start and they're still proving effective. Hope they're helpful <3

1. Decide on a clockout time at the workday's end. Whether 5pm or any other, relax & do nothing more work-related til next day. It sounds counterintuitive, but if your times are random/too long, this will boost productivity & decrease stress! In German it's called Feierabend.

2. Overestimate your deadlines. Especially as a new illustrator it can be hard to accurately tell a client how long a project will take, so make a habit of estimating generously. Don't take on more than one "rush gig" at a time.

3. Don't apologise if you did nothing wrong. Instead, "Thank you for your understanding." (e.g. if you have to reject an unattractive project) is both effective and polite.

4. Have a professional website with an easily accessible email address. It helped me get work long before anyone knew me on social media, even when my skill level was lower than now. From an art director's perspective: www.muddycolors.com/2021/09/why-y...

5. communication is key! Whenever anything is unclear in a client's brief, ASK. When you won't be able to meet a deadline, TELL them. Have clear quote & contract templates ready. Don't have any? Ask a fellow freelancer (like me!) Example for a quote: x.com/KristinaDraws... (99% of project conflicts are due to insufficient communication, this includes vague terms and/or nonexistent contracts!)

6. Your can also ask your fellow pros for pricing information in specific markets. Chances are it's already written down someplace (GAG handbook, blog article...) & they can link you to it. Being specific increases your chances of getting good answers. Pro illustrators have a sincere interest in you knowing & charging good prices - a rising tide lifts all boats!

7. Identify your most productive time of the day. This is when you do your best work. For me it's morning to noon. So I tend to do other chores (grocery shopping, exercise) in the afternoon when I'm more "head tired".

8. To stay hydrated (important!), make it a habit to always keep a drink on your desk. For me that's usually a mug of tea. Hot tea feels good too, bc 90% of the year it's chilly at my desk. I'm also a serious believer in a high fiber diet.

9. Something that has LITERALLY saved my butt: an orthopedic seat cushion (from Bonmedico, bought at Amazon) where the spine can basically "hang free" when you sit. This will turn every desk chair into a healthy one! Be smart and don't use it as an excuse for sitting even longer than you already do, but it does make long periods of sitting to work so, so much easier.

[ezrazone]

(image drawn by ezra d.m., featured in a terrified child played by jeremy strong) im ezra im a jewish cultural worker primarily in comics and a big time sicko (medically disenfranchised advocator and aggravator of the “post-pandemic” fantasy) from the usamerican midwest. i believe in global solidarity with palestinians and all people against the american empire. i block transmisogynists and zionists on sight. i am helping the campaign by @save-mohamed-family get more traction right now. mohamed is my dear friend and i am greatly concerned for the wellbeing of his family as they survive genocide. please consider donating, sharing, and making your own promotional posts to assist mohamed and his family. published comics by me available to read for free: a terrified child played by jeremy strong, 2023, self (limited in stock, new print edition coming 2025) primavera or how i broke up with my mother, 2023, self (in stock) penistown motel, 2022, self (out of print) i dream of tom from succession, 2022, self (in stock) my shop is under construction, thank you for your patience. you can always inquire via ask box about print editions of my work. i am also currently trading copies of my comics for the price of shipping with evidence of donations to my personal friend mohamed's campaign.

recorded workshop offerings free to watch: experimental mini-comics for all!, 2024, three remote lectures hosted thanks to the minnesota state arts board creative individuals FY2024 grant

live performances: a terrified child played by jeremy strong LIVE, 2024, with music composed and performed by may klug as a part of her FALSIES cabaret at the southern theater in minneapolis (recording coming) reviews of my work: believing and understanding: hagai palevsky on a terrified child played by jeremy strong by ezra david mattes and the crafting of the new self, 2023 on SOLRAD aquifers of color: a review of a terrified child played by jeremy strong by c.s. garcía martínez, 2023 for the cartoonist cooperative journal literary criticism of work by other artists: everyone's wearing white at the end: ezra david mattes on EDEN II by k. wroten, 2024 on SOLRAD links: instagram website letterboxd ao3

i am a communist first and an artist second. i frequently share my thoughts here on intellectual property abolition especially as it relates to our current understanding of transformative works here on the fandom website. all of my work is free to read, remix, and to create new works inspired by and improving upon my interpretation of symbols that cannot possibly belong to anyone in any sense other than via capitalism's self-perpetuating mechanisms of artificial scarcity and exploitation.

[marshmelman]

New Agere Website FAQ!

If you're looking at my profile, it's probably related to my website project, so here's a quick FAQ for your convenience.

- What is it?

The website I want to build is going to primarily be a social media platform, but it would also function as a resource directory (links to other helpful websites, info pages for fighting the stigma) and have some free activities (online games, coloring pages, a gear shop). I want it to be a one-stop-agere-shop as much as possible, so make sure to let me know what kinds of things you want to add to it!

- Who is it for?

It would be specifically for all age regressors/dreamers and cgs. Though I'm starting to loosen up a bit on things like pet regression since the community has been requesting it often and in general there seems to be a lot of overlapping needs between the communities. However it is not a fandom site, so hobbies and fandoms that are not regression or almost-regression (babyfur, kidcore, pooular cartoon fandoms) aren't being catered to and if you're a member of one of those communities without also being a regressor, then probably you won't be very comfortable on the site...

- Why is it being created?

The short version is that regression was incredibly lonely for me and all of the existing sites have issues that make them difficult to navigate as a regressor imo. The full story can be found here!

- When will it be done?

Not for awhile! At this stage the project is only a little bit more than an idea. With the survey results in, I'm putting all the results into cutesy graphs, writing out my rules and guidelines, and test driving some of the features that people wanted most on a staging site. You can check progress reports at ChuChuu.net, I'll be releasing the official survey results report soon!

-How can I help?

Please share the link to my interest community survey, tinyurl.com/marshmelman with anyone you know in the community that might be willing or able to share their input on whether they want me to continue with this project, and, if I do, what features they want me to work on building. If you use more image-based websites (pinterest, insta), there's also a handy flyer!

- I have another question!

The best way to ask me questions directly is to send me an ask right here on tumblr. Asks will be tagged as "*raises hand*", so you can see previously asked questions. Also see my long list of answers to someone's long list of good questions pinned to my reddit profile u/marshmelmann. there's an anonymous ask box on the dev log site, chuchuu.net as well!

[hello-vampire-kitty]

Servamp online kuji: how to get the merchandise

There are new Servamp merchandise that can be obtained through online kuji (lottery)

(h)ttps://kujibikido.com/lp/servamp/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=twi

Tumblr has a problem with links, remove the () from the adress to go on the kuji website.

I'll try to provide some help if you would like to obtain them, based on my experience ordering stuff from Japan.

To start off, the kuji will start on December 1st and will last until December 29th (Japan time).

One draw costs 770 yen.

Estimated shipping time: Ships around early March to early April 2024

Alright, so how kuji works is that you have categories, this one having from A-D and another one called S. Each category has different merchandise and you cannot choose the item you want, so if you wanted an item with a specific character within the category and you don't get it on the first draw, you'll have to try again until you get it.

From what I have seen on the official website, if you only get the S category, you can select between these two framed artworks.

Category A- Acrylic stands

Category B- Half tapestries

Category C- Acrylic charms

Category D- Can badges

Okay, so like I mentioned, it's been a while since I bought things from Japan and only once did I get stuff from kuji.

If you never bought from Japan before, you're gonna have to look into a proxy or forwarding service. They're middlemen basically that will ship items where you live because most shops in Japan do not have international shipping.

A proxy service is where you will have everything handled by the service, from buying until shipping your items.

This method is for those who are not confident to handle part of the processes themselves because they don't understand Japanese.

Proxy might also be the only option if for some reason, you want to order stuff within Japan to be delivered to the middleman's warehouse, however your debit/credits cards might be rejected. (not many online stores offer Paypal or Google Pay. Animate Japan has Paypal, I got Servamp merchandise from there).

So if you try various cards and none of them will work, then you have to use proxy service because some shops might reject foreign cards.

If there are stuff that you want from online stores that sell second-hand items (such as Mercari) or you want something from auctions, you have to use proxy because you need someone in Japan to discuss with the sellers.

You need to look into services and see which ones will be best for you, based on their handling fees and what things they can do on your behalf, like the stuff like I mentioned above.

So, I summarized the proxy service and there's another one called forwarding service that I mainly used in order to reduce costs, because shipping isn't cheap...

The main difference about forwarding service is that you handle the buying part. You make the necessary accounts on the websites where the merchandise is sold, maybe even have to reply to messages...

If choose this option, when you create accounts on websites, you have to use the shipping adress provided by the forwarding service.

Once you set up the accounts and succeed in making purchases, the items will be delivered to the warehouse in Japan, to the middle-man.

So, this is the option if you want to save a bit of money. You can't do auctions or buy from second-hand shops because they are bit more complicated and you would need the help of someone living in Japan.

I hope this helps! You gotta look into these services and see their offers. Wish you good luck if you will try getting the merchandise!

[coolbeesbro]

Hello everybody!

These prints and designs are currently limited quantity only through Ko-Fi! I'm unsure if my shop posts are being suppressed by Tumblr's algorithm because they don't want to support posts that take people to another website, so I'm making another one without a link in hopes that this might get to more people (link is in pinned post).

All prints are done on thick photo paper and come in both regular gloss finish as well as a glossy holographic finish! They also come in a transparent sleeve to ensure they get to you unscratched and add another layer of water damage protection while in transit!

All orders are shipped and delivered within 5 business days, and although it states I only ship to locations in the US, send me a message and we can work on setting up an order and figuring out delivery prices for all out of country orders no problem! In that instance it may take more than 5 days to get to you, but tracking numbers will be sent out so you can keep track of where your order is in transit. If there are ever any problems with damage that happens to products in transit, so long as I get a pic of the damage I will either send out a new order or give you a full refund if you would prefer!

Every order goes to helping support an independent trans artist! It allows me to spoil my cats and dog, make sure they're up to date on all yearly medical expenses (and emergencies), and makes sure my senior dog gets the expensive prescription vet food as well as the anxiety medication that he needs.

If you can't place an order but still want to support me while I work on more free artwork and writing, please consider sharing this post so more people can see it! Shares help a lot more than you might think!

Thank you all so much!

[canonkiller]

the essentials

✨ fresh art only tag (#my art)

💫 shop and subscribe on Ko-fi (canonkiller)

🌟 website with everything else (canonkiller.com)

non-art + ask posts tagged with #not art; reblogs (things made for me + boosting friends) tagged with #not (my) art.

Canon

27

he/they 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈

♿ legally blind wheelchair user

main blog is / interacts from @androdragynous

Drawing mostly: my characters and friend's characters (the bulk of it), ttrpg, anthro/furry, dragons, fan art of 19th century fairy tale King Lindworm. Not really currently "in" any fandoms, but everything I've posted through the past years is tagged.

SFW for Tumblr guidelines, other links are on my site (canonkiller.com)

Asks, replies, comments + tag comments all welcome! I love seeing reactions :3

All of my info (including commissions, bases and designs I sell, 18+ account info, and other sites I'm at) is always available on my website, canonkiller.com !

Tag Directory:

#my art - new art posts

#not art - my text posts

#not (my) art - reblogs of other people's art

#self reblog - look at my posts boy

#victory lap - look at my posts boy, personal favs edition

#my ocs - my own characters (also tagged with their names)

[august-and-clouds]

Small life update :)

Hi everyone! It's been roughly a year and half since I posted anything on socials and...well there's nothing much to say other than I've been very busy and stressed, and thus creating content had moved down my list of priorities.

Unfortunately, this meant that I had also been neglecting any emails, DMs, or asks sent my way during this time and I can only sincerely apologise :( I am still not going to be online much (or at all), hence I've taken down my post about Mischief recordings (if you're looking for them...*ahem* personinthepalace might have them) However, if you have a burning ask only I can help with, do shoot me an email still! I will be checking my emails for the next week or so.

And just announced today, Mischief Movie Night In is coming back for the winter season! I will be tuning in to the best of my ability and hope you will be able too :) [Website link]

MMNI was what made me love Mischief so I'm absolutely thrilled it's returning. And because this page was formed by a video compilation of MMNI, maybe I might find it in me to create a new video to celebrate this occasion.

Hope that everyone is keeping well, and happy mischief <3

- august xx

(Slightly more personal thoughts below, feel free to skip)

I still adore Mischief with all my heart, but the burning passion I had for making videos/content has really simmered down. I forgot which video(s) it was, but shortly after I finished all the initial ideas I had, posting felt more like a chore than something fun.

I'm truly thankful for all the friends I made because of the whimsy & clumsy ideas I posted on the internet, but the unexpected stress(?) of having an blog/public page seeped into my mental health. Although I'm well aware these are all silly anxieties and everyone's chill and cool, taking a break from the internet really had a positive effect on my psyche.

With all that said, I don't want to give up this page because...I really love the name august and clouds😅Creating silly edits is still a fun past time for me, and perhaps one day (MAYBE next year??) I'll post my other fandoms stuff on this page :) Or maybe I'll just give up on the name and create another blog altogether because my interests are all over the place and I'm also quite an appreciator of single-fandom blogs. (And also my profile is the GORGEOUS ellie morris and we can't have a crack edit of tcg shop simulator linked to her image??)

Thank you to everyone who has loved my videos and in turn, decided to appreciate Mischief too. My heart is full everytime one of my videos is mentioned as a gateway to Mischief. Hugs all around <3

August out! (For real this time)

[thenameofsantiagossextape]

Shameless Pride month Etsy store plug!

GET IN GAYS, QUEERS AND GENDER NON-CONFORMING FOLKS, IT’S PRIDE AND WE’RE GOING TO THE MESOZOIC

Dinosaurs! Pride! They should hang out more right? Right! I spent ages searching for pride themed dinosaur earrings on Etsy, then I realised I could just make my own! SO I DID. AND I LOVE THEM.

Do you love them? Cause I have an Etsy store CHOCK FULL OF EM

WE’VE GOT YOUR STEGOSAURS! WE GOT YOUR T-REXES AND YOUR BRACHIOSAURS!

WE GOT BI FLAGS! WE GOT ACE FLAGS! WE GOT NON-BINARY FLAGS!

WE GOT STUFF FOR THE LESBIANS, STUFF FOR THE GAYS

WE GOT THINGS FOR GENDER NON-CONFORMING FOLKS

WE GOT ALL KINDS OF FLAGS FOR ALL KINDS OF QUEERS!

NEEDLEPHOBIC? NO PROBLEM, WE GOT YOUR CLIP ONS TOO!

(I keep saying "we" but actually it's just me. I've always wanted to shout "step right up!" like an old timey carnie, though, and I saw my chance and took it.)

SO ROCK UP AND SEE THE QUEER DINO ACCESSORIES WE GOT FOR YOU THIS PRIDE MONTH.

If you want a flag I don’t currently have in stock then DM me and I can make a new design just for you!

The earrings come on an earring card, wrapped in tissue paper and in plain, unmarked envelopes for those who need discreet packaging.

Whether these are for you or not, I hope you'll keep independent artisans in mind when you're getting ready for Pride this month! They work hard, are underpaid, and need your support more than corporations.

(Also, if you see an Etsy ad on google or in the ad space of a website, don't click on it! Search for the Etsy store's name through Etsy instead. When you make a purchase after clicking an advertising link, Etsy takes a percentage and keeps doing so every time you go back to that store. Etsy already takes 25%-33% of sellers' profits in fees, don't help them take more! Links like the above that are embedded in an individual person's post are fine, just look out for ads on the side or bottom of websites, blogs, and social media pages, as well as google ads.)

[parakeet]

Interesting inscription on this old copy of the seven seas by rudyard kipling

the inscription has a name and address, but also appears to read:

‘While staying with J. Chance Summer 1941 + between 10/09/41 til 19/09/41 + bought in Oxford Broad str at Parkers’

Inscriptions are so interesting. My man Edward didn’t even know the specific date he bought it. Maybe that’s not why he was recording it. Maybe he just wanted it to remember the trip as a whole? That J might be a T. Sorry Mx Chance.

Anyways here’s a picture of Parker’s bookshop in 1906 from the historic England website (ref CC50/00254 since tumblr won’t let me link things).

Parker’s bookshop at 26-27 Broad Street in Oxford was demolished in 1964. A new Parker’s book shop opened on a floor in the new building and a key focus was that you no longer needed ladders to reach the books

If you’ve ever been the Blackwell’s bookshop on 27 Broad Street in Oxford you’ve been where Parker’s used to be.

(In the second photo, Parker’s is the small building on the bottom left)

I didn’t even buy the book