#art on canvas fo

[coriphallus]

DA: The Veilguard Spoiler review pt2 - The Grime

this is a hard one to tackle without strawmaning anyone because itll be a direct response to alot of defense ive seen for the games morality system so ill just start by saying, iykyk

never a genre has been better equipped to discuss ethics than the interactive medium of games and yes, bioware games have been doing it since baldurs gate and no, theyve not always been 'centrist' and 'conservative'. im not even gonna entertain that idea. do you remember the cultural landscape DA:O released to? the landscape it was developed in? dont give me that just because zevran doesnt write in his little notes -that you can conveniently read- 'gay good. not me but me bisexual'

Thedas is a flawed world and its a world thats just as desperate to hang on to its status quo as our own. every time you play an elf thats thriving, or a human thats queer, or a mage thats not institutionalised you exist in a world that doesnt want you, it is an act of defiance that you do.

im sure we can all see why these games were so popular with the audience they can only weakly try to pander to today.

derailing time again; so one of my favourite paintings of all time is saturn devouring his son. it makes me feel so uncomfortable that it gave me nightmares as a child, and i still cant look at it without feeling this knot in my throat. i hate it. i hate how it makes me feel, how that man looks at me in terror like its begging me for help while cannibalising another. weird story but i was bewitched by that painting as a little kid.

it is not a well drawn painting, the proportions are all over the place, brush strokes crude and inelegant. it doesnt even have a deeper story nor was it intended for an audience. i will never know what goya thought of when drawing it.

i thought alot about that painting later in my life when i was struggling with mental health problems, i thought about goya alot too as an adult and after learning about his life. i stared at his paintings and remembered when i told my dad that i hated [saturns] big eyes and hed jokingly said "it would be scarier if he didnt have eyes"

i know what the drawing looks like now, nearly everyone with a little access to the internet does. if somebody removed saturn from it, we'd still be left with a brutalised headless carcass of a man in a canvas too big for itself. if we removed that too all we'd be left with would be void.

i dont want to live in a world where all i know of goya is his rococo work, i dont want to stare at the painting of a void knowing what filled it before. i hated every second of germinale but i never wanted it to be anything other than itself, the story it tells could never hold credence otherwise.

DAV has done its best to paint over it, but its still on the old canvas and i cant look away from the negative space its left, i know whats under it and it unsettles me, infuriates me. it hands me a palette with baby blues and pinks and tells me to paint over it to make a prettier painting. didnt i hate the eyes? wasnt it gross before?

i am not going to write why we need some grime in art, but its absence is disheartening. and to those who say hanged people in the streets or blighted villagers is dark and mature ill say no. its a kids idea of maturity, its the aesthetic of it with no substance. it means nothing to me if rook can just drench themselves in gallons of blight as they crawl through it. the horror of blight has never been the black goo and slimy tentacles, or the monster woman with way too many tits. it is watching people you love slowly fade away, it is a woman who was forced to cannibalise the contaminated flesh of her friends because the woman she loved betrayed her, it was the sheer scale and inevitability of it.

one area we go to is overrun by it and the game begs me to feel hopeful that flowers are growing again when it never let me lose hope. people have already prevailed, they have roofs over their heads and a steady supply of food on their tables. their spirit is unwavering.

its bad, everybody says. the sky is grey and soil is blackened, as my rook turns some statues to access a haunted house whos inhabitants are long gone and the only story they could ever tell is gone with them.

if the question is do i want to see famine? plague? misery? abuse? assault? the answer is yes. yes. i want to see it all of the filth. i rather face the fucking monster head on with its big bulging eyes and misshapen limbs than stare at the abyss its absence leaves on the canvas.

and if nothing else, this bastardization is disrespectful to the people who gave the IP its fame.

Why choose to be good?

back in the bsn days ive wondered why, even in a fictional universe where your choices have no real-life repercussions what-so-ever, players had more 'good' playthroughts than 'bad'?

what happens when you start killing NPCs, when youre needlessly mean to them? the game actively closes off its own content. you get less out of the game. just as, completely incidentally, you'd get less out of your life if you just started killing everyone around you. The world would be emptier, youd be alone.

in that quote i stole from good place chidi doesnt ask "why be good?" the wording is painfully deliberate. doing good is always a choice, and often not the easy one. what makes the act matter is that you chose to do it, even when given 6 other options not to. did i stop in the middle of an important quest to help a man retrieve an heirloom from a darkspawn infested hut? did i hear what that heirloom meant to him?

i cant stop thinking about that speech ever since playing this game after knowing its predecessors.

So, why do it then? Why choose to be good, every day, if there is no guaranteed reward we can count on, now or in the afterlife? I argue that we choose to be good because of our bonds with other people and our innate desire to treat them with dignity. Simply put, we are not in this alone.

i cant stop looking at this game that spits on its own legacy and think how could they have missed what fundamentally makes us human so bad, what makes us relate and empathise with eachother. what makes us pick the option to interact with an npc who openly hates what hawke is, and allow us to see the traumatised man underneath.

these characters of fiction are written by real people. i have absolutely nothing in common with a guy from canada yet for a brief moment in time i feel a sense of camaraderie as ive felt with goya that i couldnt articulate as a kid.

Nothing too terrible

DAV says it over and over again -as its wont to do with every piece of its flimsy morality- that people can change, people can be redeemed yet it shines as the game with most static characters in its franchise. it simply says things, and since it has nothing to show for it it makes sure to say it repeatedly, in case you missed it.

so when i first played DAO i was in high school, i started with a human noble because fresh out of dark side edgy kotor fame i wanted to be a posh brat. also because, ya kno, we were poor my entire life up until that point and i wanted to have power.

i committed to it, even as the game stripped cousland of everything he had, because i thought a man like him would. i picked the racist options, the sexist options, the options a man in couslands place would. halfway point of the game as i exhausted the initial dialogues something happened; this man who got paid to kill people, who showed no remorse nor care for his victims, begged my cousland to stil his blade.

and i did. i thought maybe he would be as confused as i was, maybe he had a moment of clarity but from thereon bit by bit he was less of an asshole. the characters grew around me, and my character grew around them. i chose to be good because -textually- we were in this together, at the end of all things.

rook is not a character, theyre a mascot. and quite frankly i think they may be a very evangelical mascot because they remind me of evangelical preachings of jesus more than the man from the bible (and i say this as someone whos only exposure to christianity has been through foreign media and the bible ive read that one time). they are the epitome of do no evil and their existence hinges on the frail concept of moral purity. theyre not a person trying to do good, who wants to be good, they are 'good'

-and lemme tell you its a wild choice to have someone like that locked in a prison of 'regret'-

rook can be mean to only one person in the game, and thats someone they dont even have a personal beef with for the most part. but even then they would be shouting at a wall because the game doesnt only undermine them with its narrative, but also every npc in the game suddenly gets possessed by the ghost of wattpad rejects past for a moment to tell them everyone can be redeemed. and i believe it because i played the other games, i believe it because i know zevran and sten and morrigan, isabela and thom and iron bull and dorian. i know it because i can see the vague shapes behind the new coat of paint but i am not rook.

so no, the game fails to get people-can-change points by its own merit, and it cannot gain points from its prequels because it destroyed them. none of those characters i watched grow exist in this universe. zevran cant exist with DAV crows, fenris` story cant exist in an imperium with invisible slaves only glimpsed through empty cages and broken chains left scattered on the ground. i dont know which morrigan this NPC is, is it the woman who grew to learn kindness, who begged to sleep with her friend just to save them despite knowing it would play into the plans of a destiny she so desperately tried to break free from? or is she the clever puppet her mother groomed her to be who wanted to harness the power of a god? i dont know her, i dont know this dorian or this isabela beyond their names ipso facto this is not a sequel.

bellara asks an assassin why he is trying to save the world and his answer is "ive done some things in the past im not too proud of. nothing too terrible, but some of it was bad." and i can hear the games desperation for me to not engage with its material in that 'nothing too terrible'

lucanis never killed anyone innocent, taash never harmed an animal they could shoo of or reason with, emmrich venerates the dead and is friends with every wisp he pulls to use in menial labour, davrin joined the wardens willingly because he wanted to do good...

rook tells harding that her anger is justified when shes not even allowed anger of her own.

nothing too terrible.

aside from creating boring and nonsensical and static characters it creates a dreadful echochamber that we're forced to sustain. No taash is not valid, their gender is but their behaviour is not and for the character to grow and mature it needs to be addressed. lucanis doesnt need to be pampered in shock blankets he needs to see how repressing his problems and jeopardising his health puts people around him in danger etc etc. they are adults and they need to learn more complex ways of healing. and if rooks flaw is that theyre an enabler, then that needs to be acknowledged by the narrative in some way too, and not mindlessly endorsed because they say some buzzwords.

none of these interpersonal relationships feels real because none of these people feel real beyond some draft of themes and tropes. some interactions literally remind me of two bots in facebook comments

i look at this dialogue wheel with familiar symbols and all im reminded of is hawke telling carver he carries every death with him, of him telling his uncle that he wasnt fast enough, of him begging the person he loves to tell him that his mothers death wasnt his fault.

and they dont. they just sit there with him.

[elysiaheaven]

KC cast with a streamer reader!- who's a serial killer like them!

Reader is

V

V finds your dark humor and unapologetic nature intriguing and hates it (Because it doesn't remind him of Ronin, trust). Tho Your shared interest in justice through violence (allows for deep conversations that often blur the line between morality and chaos.

He feels a strong urge to protect you, treating you like a delicate flower amid a storm. He appreciates your fierceness when talking abt your victims or discussing ethics in a humorous, detached manner.

V’s flirting is awkward yet sincere (When he starts to like you he tries). He struggles to express his feelings, often delivering compliments in the same cold manner he uses to discuss your latest "projects."

V loves animals, so he might show off a new pet or plant during your streams, inviting you to do the same. You both share a passion for nurturing life while secretly discussing death.

He grapples with the morality of your actions, often reflecting on whether your “mission” serves a greater good or merely satisfies your own darker desires. His love for you adds complexity to his views.

Misaki

Misaki loves your streams, your chaotic escapades, often turning your dark activities into comedic gold. Your goofy nature matches perfectly, creating entertaining and unpredictable streams.

Your playful, snarky interactions draw in viewers, with you teasing Misaki about their darker tendencies while they counter with silly remarks about “killing the competition.”

Misaki is deeply supportive, always cheering you on during streams. They value your ability to relate to their chaotic lifestyle, making your bond feel genuine and lively.

You might host cooking streams where you whip up meals with an edge—using “blood” as a cooking ingredient (like red food dye) while laughing about your “killing skills.”

Despite her silly demeanor, Misaki is aware of the emotional turmoil that comes with your lifestyle. She is there for you during low moments, offering light-hearted jokes to ease the heaviness.

Angel

Angel appreciates your sweet and dark side, blending her optimistic pessimism with your chaotic nature. Your streams could explore dark themes while maintaining an upbeat vibe that attracts viewers.

In moments of doubt, Angel is there to uplift you, reminding you of the beauty in your chaos and the importance of embracing who you are, even as a killer.

You might host streams that glamorize your lifestyle, wearing stunning outfits while discussing your “projects.” Angel encourages you to flaunt your darkness and embrace your identity.

Given her own struggles with manic episodes, Angel is sensitive to your needs. You both have open discussions about mental health, ensuring you both feel supported.

Together, you might create art or music inspired by your experiences, sharing your twisted love with the world through unique and creative expressions.

You challenge each other’s perspectives, often leading to deep discussions about morality, making your relationship both fun and thought-provoking.

Ronin

Ronin revels in your darkness, viewing your relationship as a canvas for corruption. He encourages you to embrace your murderous tendencies and even pushes you further into chaos.

Your streams are filled with dark humor and playful banter, where Ronin might take on a dominant role, teasing you and challenging you to outdo him in “kills.”

Beneath his playful exterior, Ronin is conflicted. He finds himself falling for you, struggling with his feelings as he admires your darkness but also fears losing himself in your chaotic bond.

You brainstorm ideas for streams that feature elaborate setups for your “projects,” each one more twisted than the last, often resulting in a grotesque yet artistic performance.

Ronin’s romantic gestures are laced with darkness. He might present you with a bouquet of “bloody” flowers or a heart-shaped trinket that’s a little too realistic.

You share secrets about your “work” during quiet moments, forging a deeper connection. Ronin is captivated by your innocence amidst your gruesome lifestyle, often leaving him longing for a deeper understanding.

[dailycass-cain]

2023 was another big stepping stone with Cass. The character was featured in A LOT of stuff this year amongst a few negative antics.

But unlike prior years the good really outweighed the bad. BY A LOT.

So let's take a look back one final time #CAINAISSANCE2023...

The year started STRONG with the release of Batgirls #14 aka the BEST solo story that involved the character this year.

I've gone in LENGTH on how AMAZING this tale was. If you haven't read it DO SO. You don't need any context but to just take in the masterpiece given.

Writers Becky Cloonan and Michael Conrad gave artist Jonathan Case just this canvas of an issue to tell AN EPIC mostly silent issue.

If there's a tale Batgirls will be remembered for it'll BE THIS ISSUE.

I've lost count to just taking in the gorgeous art Case delivers here and just letting the actions and emotions tell the tale.

The only regret is well no full payoff to what is fully learned within this issue.

It just hits EVERY mark and is something any Cass fan CRAVED, but never got in Batgirl Vol. 1. Batgirls #14 was a worthy issue that should be talked about amongst fans of Cass for quite some time.

February gave us Cass's grand entrance to Ram V's Detective Comics run (#1069) and what an entrance it was! Literally, I can't let it go of how AMAZING it was.

And the run itself? It just keeps delivering as THE Batman book out currently.

It's a slow burn and when the run lays the payoffs IT HITS THOSE PAYOFFS. The series just ended an exceptional bi-weekly event that featured Cass and well, I'm extremely curious where this run goes with the character.

If anything, I just want MOAR from Ram V or a smaller secondary story involving Cass. But given the various characters he's been rotating and given next year is 2024 (more on that later) I'm keeping my fingers crossed for ALL OF THIS.

This run does work in trade but I digress you'd be missing the GORGEOUS covers this series has been shelling out. If anything BUY the single issues and read the run this way until you get to the present.

Or reread them like I've been doing. 😋

The early half of 2023 marked Cass's surprise return to an actual role in mega crossovers. She took part in the final issue of Batman vs. Robin being one of the random factors to stall the possessed Batman until ALL of DC's magical users came to cast it out of him.

The weakest of the crossovers the character was involved in I have to say was Gotham War. It was a nothing burger that made me swear off the Chip Zdarsky run of Batman completely.

Honestly, I feel more rewarded reading Tec more. Unless Chip pulls off a miracle turnaround in 2024.

But I digress Zdarsky was only half of the problems with the other being Tini Howard and yeah, if you were a Bat Family member who wasn't Jason Todd (how did that mini turn out to be more entertaining then the ENTIRE event?!)?

This story SUUUUUUUUCKED. Quite possibly the worst Batman event story since War Games/Crimes for me.

Sadly, the most disappointing stories I'd have to say are on equal ground in Beast World and Knight Terrors. As there was interesting concepts with Cass involving them, and both stories just go NOWHERE.

I feel more so robbed with Knight Terrors as the design for Cass within it went hard. It's just that you give us THIS design and tease us with this little nugget and give us NOTHING?

COME ON!

Beast World was a whole nothing burger as well, save the pretty art and a full confirmation that Cass's old NML is now canonically her defacto one again.

Even if we had it mentioned earlier last year and again in the best crossover event involving Cass...

WHICH WAS IN LAZARUS PLANET: DARK FATE #1. It gave us Alyssa Wong returning for a THIRD time to write Cass and they were joined by Haining on art which introduced us to the world of Xanthe.

That in itself led to a spinoff mini-series that had Cass in it with SPIRIT WORLD. It did more with the new character Xanthe and laid out their origins and powerset nicely while also laying some seeds for MAYBE future Cass stories.

Again, I feel like a repeating record on how GOOD this series was. Like, I can't wait for the trade next year to take it all in again. But besides the creative team delivering it gave us Dustin Nguyen AND Marcio Takara drawing Cass again OFFICIALLY AS BATGIRL!!

Even when this series ended, I STILL WANT MOAR!! Like what memories did Cass lose? What the heck happened with Spirit World twisting her memories of Batgirl Vol. 1 #72?! How will Xanthe be with the Jade Court?

SO MANY QUESTIONS!!

Something else that left me with MANY questions was DCeased universe as even though the story ended back in April.

I still crave more starring Cass, because let's face it STEPH/TALIA DESERVE CLOSURE!! Cass could be the gateway to that.

Doing so would tie up the final loose ends as well. Let's see how Rose is raising her kid with Jason. Silent Olsen. Harley/Ivy. Ollie/Dinah. Jim Gordon.

But I digress. It gives us more Cazzam. We need more Cazzam.

But an alternate universe Cass just didn't pop up there we had a Cass show up in various other comics. Knights of Steel which also had me hankering for MOAR and Harley Quinn & the Legion of Bats.

I know some didn't like it, but me? I think it was LEAPS and BOUNDS better than what we got in the actual season of HQ.

Let us never talk about that season again…

Now something we SHOULD talk about more is the first actual appearance of Cass in a DC ANIMATED MOVIE!! Yes, Kai Li Cain from Batman: The Doom that Came to Gotham.

I was blown away at the extended role they gave the character in the film (to the, "Oh right Tim is here and alive." role in the books).

Kai Li voiced perfectly by Tati Gabrielle gave a balance of innocence and reason with the batshit craziness this film throws at us.

Like, I really REALLY want a sequel. Just to see what she'd do now given full access to Bruce's fortune? Will she follow his path? I mean yeah we want steampunk Bat!

Speaking of which artists we need designs for this stat still!

It just adds that anchor where you want to see more of this universe and the characters that inhabit it. I mean that's the sign of a REALLY good Elseworlds. Where you want more and sometimes you get just that.

But with all this good came the sad, and that was the canceling of Batgirls. I know many were against the series (especially after #7-8), but the series found its footing with #9 and ran into something I hope more positively can be talked about it.

It's true failing wasn't the creators behind the series, more just elements outside that just slotted it's end (Batgirl movie getting canned making #7-8 more wasteful), Evil Oracle #4 aka the pitch, and just being something it couldn't be).

I'm grateful for each and every creator who worked on this book because it was a GIFT that I'll always be appreciative of.

I'll say it again, THANK YOU TO ALL! 🙏

And its spirit lived on in the Nightwing back up a few months ago. It was something that was TRULY needed after the garbage fire that was Gotham War. It gave us this Cass/Dick sibling stuff and GIVE ME MOAR!!!

Unlike the past where we'd be done, DC brought us back up giving us the current BIRDS OF PREY ongoing which has Cass in it.

Really the series is a revelation of giving us things I always wanted that I'd never thought we get. Cass with Dinah? CHECK.

Cass meeting Big Barda and the two having a bond? HELLS YEAH CHECK! Anytime that bond grows I squee even more.

Just give writer Kelly Thompson ALL the time and ideas she has to churn this out to the proper conclusion she has envisioned. Just give me fifty-plus issues of her, Leonardo Romero, and Jordie Bellaire.

Finally of course there was Batman: Wayne Family Adventures which gave us THREE banger Cass stories. One where she and Steph are a MENANCE (as they should), Cass scaring the crapbaskets out of EVERYONE and of course...

Season 2 gave us A LOT of things I wanted in general (her interacting with Damian) and just showing the world why I really really love this character. Why I talk about her daily.

Really as 2023 closes and 2024 is about to begin... Well, it's the character's TWENTIETH-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY. 25 years of kicking ass and ripping our hearts out.

It's been a journey for sure.

really REALLY hope DC honors this anniversary and continues to mend the bridges burned all those years ago.

Give us that Omnibus. Give us a mini or SOMETHING to celebrate this character. If not, I'll take whatever Ram V and Thompson give us.

#CAINAISSANCE2023 may be over, but #CAINAISSANCE2024 will be the most important year yet.

25 YEARS OF CASS!! LET THE CELEBRATION BEGIN ON JANUARY 1st!

[dmercer91]

i’m in a roll with luca and black cat-

anyway

black cat not knowing what to get luca’s parents, so she both gives them a few framed photos of the boys big moments, but also sketches one or two of them out on a canvas

and they’re so thankful, but don’t want yo make it awkward

and adam- because he beats luca to it- goes up to his parents while black cat goes to the restroom or soemthing an explains js how much it means fo ther to give them her drawings

and it makes luca all 🥹 for black cat and adam’s bond

i’ve come back from the dead (i’ve been gone for a day)

i was so tired last night i fell asleep on the couch and my dad had to bring me to my room like when i was 7

but i started a load of laundry so i could stay up and write (knowing something needs to be done before i sleep is the only way i can function i hate myself)

but yes!!!! she makes a series of these three moments from ushl to mich to draft day for their christmas present

but like the boys are isolated and the backgrounds are all white

the middle one she’d done for a project (nobody knows this and she will make sure it stays that way) where she had to paint something with like visible facial expressions

but she felt like that wasn’t enough so she made multiple

she showed them to luca before they left for the holidays and he nearly sobbed on the spot

like he hugged her and held her head and smooshed her hair around in excitement and told her how much he loved her

and the hug lasted so long

fantilli christmas’ | opposites attract au, lf63

you’d never woken up early on christmas mornings, you never really celebrated other than being happy to have the day off and exchanging a gift between you and your dad

you’d had trees and sometimes your dad would convince you to make cookies, but only when you were much younger

so it was definitely weird to be awake before daylight, greeted with a tree full of gifts and lucas mom handing you a plate of bacon, eggs and french toast.

your legs were laid over lucas, your head rested on his shoulder while you fought sleep, his hands gently running through your hair not helping your case.

while adam dragged himself into the room, tired and rubbing sleep from his eyes, luca tilted his head to the side to be level with you

you gave him a small grin and he tilted your head to peck your lips, moving back to his original position once adam dropped down beside him and caused a ripple in the cushions

“it’s too early for you two to be-“ adam gestured vaguely in your direction, grumbling to finish his sentence

his mom brought him coffee and his food, and then everyone started on gifts.

yours to lucas parents was buried at the back of the tree- since you felt a little embarrassed by it and wanted to put off letting them open it for as long as possible

when they finally got to it you gave a small smile and clutched onto luca, nerves kicking in full force

luca was giddy, all too excited for his parents to open up your present, so he squeezed your hand and kissed your forehead, trying to reassure you that everything would be okay

they opened it and right away, their mom looked up with a heartfelt smile while they’re dad was just staring

“you’re so talented, sweetheart. thank you,” she turned her attention back to the art and leaned on her husband, smiling.

when they both looked back up, their eyes were watering and yours went wide, looking up at luca who was beaming at his parents

adam sent you a reassuring look, so you looked back over to them.

“can i hug you?” his mom tilted her head, smiling softly while getting up from her seat.

you nodded slightly, feeling a little awkward and you untangled yourself from luca and wrapped your arms around her waist.

she squeezed you tight, cupping your face and pulling back to look at you

“thank you, y/n,” you smiled in return, nodding slightly and moving back to your seat, re attaching yourself to luca.

the five of you sat around the living room for a while after everything was out away, yourself mostly silent

eventually, you poked lucas arm and mumbled that you were going to get ready. he smiled and kissed you, mumbling an okay before taking his arm off from around you and watching you walk off

once you were gone, his mom spoke up

“she’s beautiful, luca. and she’s got the biggest heart,” all he could do was smile, his heart swelling in his chest at her praise of you

“she’s good, isn’t she?” adam beamed, nodding to the piece you’d painted that was safe on the side table until there was time to put it up

both of their parents nodded and adam continued

“she works hard, mama. she was nervous for you to see. think it’s cause she spent so long and wanted you to like it,” luca watched his brother, smile getting harder and harder to contain

“well, we love it,” she reassured, adam smiling

“she’s at michigan for art, so she would’ve had to take extra time on top of other pieces. and i know she prefers to draw, so i think you guys liking it was really important for her,” he finished, smiling to himself

he looked over at luca, who was just glowing with pride for you, and his cheeks flushed

“sorry,” he mumbled and luca shook his head

“she loves you, too, mo,”

[longlistshort]

Laura Wheeler Waring, “Girl with Pomegranate”, ca. 1940, oil on canvas

Winold Reiss, “Langston Hughes”, 1925, Pastel on illustration board

Winold Reiss, “Alain Leroy Locke”, 1925, Pastel on illustration board

The Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism at The Metropolitan Museum of Art showcases some of the outstanding work created during this time period. The exhibition also provides some background on the artists, their peers in the art world, and their community.

From the museum-

The Harlem Renaissance emerged in the 1920s as one of the era’s most vibrant modes of artistic expression. The first African American-led movement of international modern art, it evolved over the next two decades into a transformative moment during which Black artists developed radically new modes of self-expression. They portrayed all aspects of the modern city life that took shape during the early decades of the Great Migration, when millions of African Americans left the segregated rural South in search of freedom and opportunity in Harlem and other expanding Black communities nationwide.

This exhibition explores how artists associated with the “New Negro” movement-as the Harlem Renaissance was originally known, after influential writings by the philosopher Alain Locke and others-visualized the modern Black subject. It reveals the extensive connections between these artists and the period’s preeminent writers, performers, and civic leaders. At the same time, it reconstructs cross-cultural affinities and exchanges among the New Negro artists and their modernist peers in Europe and across the Atlantic world, often established during international travel and expatriation.

This complex, multilayered story unfolds through portraits, scenes of city life, and powerful evocations of Black history and cultural philosophy. Highlights include seldom-seen works from historically Black colleges and universities and culturally specific collections. Across its broad sweep, opening with founding ideas and concluding with activist imagery made on the cusp of the civil rights era, it establishes the critical role of the Harlem Renaissance in the history of art as well as the period’s enduring cultural legacy.

Horace Pippin, “Self Portrait”, 1944, Oil on canvas, adhered to cardboard; and “The Artist’s Wife”, 1936, Oil on linen

The caption for the above paintings reads-

Contemporary artist Kerry James Marshall has described Pippin’s self-portrait as a “monumental statement of self-confidence.” In this small painting, tightly cropped at bust length, Pippin gazes confidently at the viewer, his firmly drawn likeness reflecting a well-disciplined hand. Pippin portrayed his wife, Jennie Ora Fetherstone Wade Giles, at three times the scale of his own image, but he unified the two paintings by using a similar palette. Jennie’s blue dress is echoed in the background of his portrait, while the background of her portrait is picked up in the artist’s tie and button-down shirt.

The portraits in the exhibition are not the only standouts. Below are a few more selections.

Suzanna Ogunjami, “Full Blown Magnolia”, 1935, oil on burlap

William H. Johnson, “Flowers”, 1939-40, oil on plywood

Aaron Douglas, “The Creation”, 1935, and "Aspiration", 1936,Oil on masonite

From the museum about artist Aaron Douglas–

A core objective of the Harlem Renaissance was to portray the history and cultural philosophy that gave shape to a specifically African American identity and worldview. The artist Aaron Douglas, whose monumental murals earned him acclaim as the period’s foremost history painter, was also respected for his masterful use of biblical allegory to convey aspirations for freedom, equality, and opportunity.

Douglas first developed his signature silhouette figural compositions-derived in part from Cubism, Egyptian tomb reliefs, and American popular culture-for book and magazine cover illustrations in the late 1920s. He later elaborated this distinctive style in large-scale works for public projects and institutional commissions nationwide as well as at Fisk University in Nashville, where he established the art department and taught for thirty-eight years. Both Douglas and the sculptor Augusta Savage, founder of a Harlem community art school, created art inspired by the work of the author and composer James Weldon Johnson.

Laura Wheeler Waring, “Mother and Daughter”, 1927, Oil on canvas board

About Laura Wheeler Waring’s painting Mother and Daughter from the museum-

Mother and Daughter is perhaps the most direct engagement by a prominent Black artist of this era with the controversial topic of racially mixed families; its very existence was a disruption of the silence on the subject within certain segments of society. Waring experimented with some of the modernist pictorial devices favored by Alain Locke in her portrayal of a Black mother and her white-presenting daughter, rendering them not as specific individuals but as generic types emblematic of the omnipresence of racially mixed families. Flattening their near-identical facial features in profile, Waring established the true subject of the painting via the title and through the work’s most prominent element: the divergent skin tones that point to the subjects’ radically different paths through a social life defined by color lines.

Beauford Delaney, “Dark Rapture (James Baldwin)”, 1941, Oil on masonite

Finally, this portrait of James Baldwin by Beauford Delaney was also a highlight.

From the museum about the work-

Delaney met the writer and civil rights activist James Baldwin in 1940. Finding common ground on multiple fronts-intellectual, social, and artistic-the two gay men began a friendship that would last thirty-eight years. Dark Rapture, the first of Delaney’s several portrayals of Baldwin, presents the author in a thickly painted, expressive tonal study of reds, browns, and blues against a brightly hued landscape. Both introspective and joyous, Dark Rapture stands as a visual manifestation of queer camaraderie, identity, and the search for belonging in the modern world.

This exhibition closes 7/28/24.

[call-me-maggie13]

Mary whacks the back of her head, snapping her head forward and knocking her book awry.

"What the hell?" Beatrice rubs the spot Mary hit, flinching when Mary raises her hand to scrape down her face.

"You squint any harder, your face is going to freeze like that." Mary squints her eyes and scrunches her mouth, leaning forward until her nose is nearly touching the book Beatrice is reading. "You need glasses."

"I do not!" Beatrice scoffs, turns to Shannon indignantly. "Do you hear your wife?"

"Yeah," Shannon doesn’t look up from her easel. "She’s right, Speedy. You can’t see. I’ve been telling you that for years. But what do I know? I only taught you how to ride a bike and drive a car and write a check and - "

"Yeah yeah, we get it, you were parentified, moving on." Mary waves her hand dismissively and Shannon pokes her head out from behind the painting to stick her tongue out at her. "Beatrice, you need glasses. You’re fuckin’ blind."

"Why would you think that?"

"The State would like to present exhibit A, if it so pleases the court?" Mary stands, rolls her wrist in a feigned curtsy to Beatrice.

"Oh, you took one class in pre-law and it was on accident, shut the hell up."

"I presume it doesn’t please the court," Mary chuckles, turning back to Shannon bemused. Beatrice throws her book at Mary’s back, she misses and it sails through the air, hurtling in slow motion towards Shannon’s easel.

In this moment, Beatrice realizes three things.

1) She probably should have joined a sports team like Shannon had suggested when she was twelve, Shannon’s always right about things like this. Not only would it have improved her aim, but it also would have given her a chance to outrun Shannon.

2) She needs glasses. Desperately. Mary was less than two meters away from her, there is no reason she should’ve missed that throw.

3) She is about to die. If that book even touches Shannon’s easel, not to mention the canvas Shannon has been diligently working on for the last month, Beatrice will not have enough time to apologize before Martha and Rich are shopping for her coffin.

There are three things everyone knows not to mess with around Shannon: her art, her sister, and her music. At this rate, Taylor Swift bursting through the door to formally apologize for Beatrice’s blunder wouldn’t be able to save her.

And the only person Shannon loves more than Beatrice is Taylor Swift.

Beatrice turns to run but she’s not fast enough, she hears the book make contact and Shannon yelps and screams a slew of curses as Beatrice runs from the room. She doesn’t even stop to apologize, there’s no time, she has to save her breath in case she has to hold it while she hides from Shannon long enough for her to stop being angry.

"BEATRICE NO MIDDLE NAME MASTERS, I SWEAR TO GOD!" Shannon’s voice echoes down the hall Beatrice darts through, opening and closing doors frantically searching for the best hiding place. But this is Shannon’s house, no one knows it better than Shannon.

Except Mary.

Beatrice hides in the utility closet behind the water heater until she hears Shannon storm past her, peeking down the hall before creeping back to the living room in search of Mary.

There’s paint all over their new carpet, the mixing palette overturned on the ground, smearing red and blue and purple into their brand new, white carpet. But the easel is still upright, and the canvas is still in its place.

"Mary," Beatrice whispers, still hunched over and nearly crawling.

"Oh no, kiddo. I’m not getting you out of this one. We haven’t had this carpet one month — one month, Beatrice. Haven’t had it thirty-one days yet, and you’ve already stained it. Stained! You ruined our new carpet and now Shannon will never forgive me for egging you on, you are a terrible sister-in-law." Her tone is light and teasing, but there’s a little rawness in her words that strikes Beatrice between the ribs.

"Don’t talk to her like that," Shannon mutters and Beatrice nearly jumps out of her skin, turning and bracing for her punishment. "She didn’t mean to. That’s what happens when we throw things at each other. We’re adults, we should’ve known the risks. I shouldn’t have been painting on the new carpet anyways."

"Shan, I will pay to have this cleaned, I’m so sorry! What can I do, tell me, what do I need to do?" Beatrice fights the urge to get down on her knees and clasp her hands together and beg for Shannon’s forgiveness.

"You can start by washing this paint out of my hair and end by seeing an eye doctor." Shannon scrubs a particularly difficult stain on her shirt, fingers dyed blue.

"Yeah… maybe I do need glasses… what’re you working on anyways?" She reaches for the canvas only for her wrist to be slapped and pulled away.

"I would show you but it’s not like you could see it anyways." Shannon’s nose twitches when she lies. It has the entire time Beatrice has known her. It’s how Beatrice always wins when they’re playing poker and how she always knew when Shannon was upset with her in the beginning. Shannon hated getting upset with her in the beginning, because Beatrice could shut down for two or three days if she thought Shannon hated her, so Shannon buried a lot until Beatrice started to trust her. To trust herself.

"Is it for my birthday?" Beatrice hates her birthday. Always has, probably always will. Shannon’s nose twitches when she glances at Mary.

"Dude, isn’t your birthday in like three months?" Mary calls everyone dude when she’s lying.

Beatrice’s birthday is in exactly eleven days, sixteen hours and twenty-two minutes. But she’s not counting. Shannon is, but Beatrice isn’t. Because Beatrice hates her birthday.

Always has.

Beatrice doesn’t respond to Mary’s fib, takes the cloth from Shannon’s hand and wipes away a red streak across her cheek.

"Bathroom or kitchen?" Shannon grins and grabs a dining chair, drags it in front of the sink and turns the water on. Beatrice gathers her shampoo and conditioner and a towel from the bathroom while they wait for the water to get warm. Beatrice folds the towel over the edge of the sink and Shannon leans back, hanging her head over the basin. She winks at Beatrice while she wets her hair, smile warm and dopey and so Shannon that it makes her chest ache.

"I love you, ya know?" Beatrice pauses her movement to meet Shannon’s gaze. "You’ve always been my favorite, Speedy. Even when you’re ruining my new carpet or stealing my favorite cardigan or scratching my car. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me."

Beatrice doesn’t fight the tears in her eyes, leans down to press a kiss against Shannon’s forehead and lingers in her embrace, in the turpentine and acrylic paint and lemongrass shampoo scent that Shannon has always carried everywhere she goes. If Beatrice could bottle the smell in a jar, she would carry it with her everywhere and take a deep breath of it when she needs to settle her nerves.

Shannon is the best thing that’s ever happened to Beatrice too. But she knows this. She’s known since the night before her thirteenth birthday when Beatrice asked her what she could give her as a gift and Shannon had responded with simply a hug. And when Beatrice had asked why, Shannon had smiled and said that’s what sisters are for, isn’t it?

Something that had been broken in Beatrice for as long as she could remember was repaired that day. Something was fixed and it made her hold her head a little higher and walk a little faster and smile a little brighter. Because she had a sister. She had a sister that wanted her.

She has a sister who loves her more than gifts.

"Where’s this coming from, if you don’t mind my asking?" Beatrice scrubs the shampoo into Shannon’s hair, smiles at the deep sigh she exhales at the action.

"I’ve just been thinking a lot recently. About you, about me, about family and what it means. I know I tell you all the time that I love you, but I feel like sometimes you don’t understand how much I mean it. How much I love you." Shannon allows her eyes to slide closed as she relishes the way Beatrice is massaging her scalp. "You’re a good sister, Bea. You always have been. I took a while to figure it out, but you? You had it right from the start."

"You’re a good sister too, Shannon. In fact, you’re my favorite sister." Shannon rolls her eyes at Beatrice’s remark, but pulls Beatrice’s bubbly hands from her hair to hold them in front of her face.

"You’re easy to love, you know that, right? You’re easy to love and you deserve to be loved and you deserve happiness. You know all of those things are true, don’t you? Because I know I’ve told you them, but I can’t make you believe something, my bumble Bea." Beatrice nods softly, her cheeks wet and eyes burning. "Good, and if you ever start to doubt any of those things, just tell me and I’ll remind you until you can’t help but believe it."

Shannon kisses the inside of her wrist before releasing her hands, just before the line of soap and water. She hums quietly while Beatrice washes the paint from her hair, the water racing away red and blue and green. She scrunches most of the water out of her hair before helping her upright, gently raking the brush through her hair and folding it into a French braid.

If Beatrice had a strand of ribbon to tie around the end of her hair, it would’ve been just like when they were kids.

Shannon kisses her cheek before Beatrice is allowed to depart, three short squeezes on her shoulder before she’s asked to help Mary clean the paint from the carpet.

One, two, three.

I love you.

Find more here!

Beatrice tries on every set of frames in the store. Yet somehow, she hates every pair more than the last. She’s halfway through her second round when Shannon squeezes her shoulders. Beatrice sighs.

"It’s okay, you can always try contacts." Her hand is soft and warm and has green paint dried underneath her nails.

"You know I can’t." Beatrice doesn’t like things in or even near her eyes. The idea of stabbing herself on purpose every day to put in and take out contacts makes her ill. Her single attempt when she was 16 had made her violently ill. For three days. "It’s just - I don’t know. I feel like they’re going to change my life or something."

"Oh my sweet, darling bumble Bea. Glasses won’t change your life. Not as much as me killing you because you take more than three hours to decide on them." She chuckles and scrunches her nose. "Just a smidge."

"Fine. What five were your favorite?" Beatrice rolls her eyes and Shannon grins toothily, patting her shoulder before speeding away and returning with five frames. She holds them out like a mentor would extend a prized sword to their protege.

Beatrice tries each on again, turning and tilting and spinning and following every direction Shannon gives while she inspects each one intently. Finally, she decides on one. A pair of thin round, wire framed glasses. Beatrice settles for them.

The first time she wears them, she decides she hates them again and they go back in their case for a week. It isn’t until Shannon points to the faded blue stain in her living room the next time she visits that Beatrice wears them again.

She hates it. She hates that she can actually see easier. She hates that she can see each individual leaf on the trees and each petal on the flowers and each crack in the sidewalk. She hates it because it means Mary was right and there’s nothing Beatrice hates more than letting Mary be right. She hates it because Mary doesn’t know how to win with grace, she gets pretentious and persnickety and boastful. It’s annoying.

The first time she wears the glasses to Ava’s, Ava and Diana are in the kitchen making eggs. Diana has shells in her hair and Ava is scrubbing yolk off the wall with a cup of water and dishrag.

"What’s it?" Diana reaches for Beatrice’s face when she steps into the room, eggy fingers grabbing for the untainted glass.

"They’re glasses. To help me see."

"You got glasses?" Ava chirps, still cleaning the wall.

"Uh, yeah. Mary’s been telling me I’m blind almost as long as I’ve known her, apparently she was right."

"She can’t be that right, you tell me I’m pretty all the time and that’s true," Ava teases, finally dropping the rag and turning. Her cheeks are flushed and she’s breathless, it makes Beatrice’s chest tight. "Oh."

The cup slips from her hand, sloshing dirty water when it bounces against the linoleum and splashing across Ava’s feet. Her cheeks and ears burn red as she stumbles over an apology, eyes wide with reverence. She doesn’t stoop to collect the cup, frozen as she watches Beatrice watching her.

She swallows, blinks a few times and shakes her head before restarting. "Sorry, you look… wow. Okay, I’m sorry."

Finally Ava tears her eyes away, face and chest burning deep as she clears her throat and mops up the water slowly.

"Mama red," Diana whispers, rocking into her toes and back. She continues, singsonging, "Tomatillo, tomatillo, toma-toma-tillo."

"Diana." Ava’s tone is warning, it makes Beatrice’s chest warm.

Diana giggles, tucking the fingers of one hand into her mouth and reaching for Beatrice with the other. Beatrice picks her up, settles Diana on her hip and narrowly dodges her attempt to steal Beatrice’s glasses.

"Are you alright?" Beatrice’s skin itches when Ava doesn’t look at her.

"Yeah, yeah… I’m…" Ava sucks in a deep breath, holding it in her chest before exhaling slowly with an easy smile. "I’m good, are you hungry?"

"Not particularly."

Ava nods and avoids looking Beatrice in the face, scrambling the eggs in simple silence.

"Are you… are you certain you’re alright?" Beatrice doesn’t like how Ava won’t look at her, even when she settles Diana in a seat with a pile of scrambled eggs in front of her.

"Yeah. Yeah, I’m alright. You’re just…" Ava’s cheeks burn deep red and she stares intensely at her feet, her hair creating a curtain for her to hide behind. Beatrice picks an egg out of Diana’s hair and resists the urge to brush Ava’s hair out of her face, resists the urge to make her continue. Ava takes a quick, deep breathe before exhaling, "You’re making me nervous."

"I apologize," Beatrice takes a large step back, Ava’s fingers wrap around her wrist and pull her back, glancing up at her quickly before dropping her eyes again.

"It’s - it’s not a bad thing. I don’t - I don’t think. It’s - its - good nervous," Ava stumbles, twisting Beatrice’s fingers. "I’m sorry…"

"Is it the glasses?" Beatrice is timid, pushing her glasses up her nose. Ava looks up slowly, eyes wide and cheeks pink when she nods.

"A bit."

Oh. Beatrice blushes and bites the inside of her lip to suppress her smile.

~*~

There is one thing.

Well, two things. Two little things that Beatrice wasn’t expecting to happen when she started wearing her glasses.

Number one is Diana’s freckles. She has so many. She’s more freckle than not. She has a smattering across her face, splattered down her shoulders and back, sprayed over her legs. Nearly every millimeter of her skin is covered in tiny, pale, freckles. It’s adorable.

"Has she always had this many freckles?" Beatrice is connecting a group of them to form a star across Diana’s back.

"Yeah, Bea. Have you always been this blind?" Ava smiles at her, drops her head on Beatrice’s shoulder.

"It would be a fair presumption, yes." Beatrice rests her cheek on the top of her head, lets the warmth of her touch burn into her bones.

"I have to say," Ava lifts her head up, takes Beatrice’s chin between her thumb and forefinger, tilts her head every direction while watching closely. "They do make you look hot."

Oh god. Oh no.

Beatrice’s cheeks burn a deep crimson red, her heartbeat thrashing in her ears and her heart trying to chisel out from beneath her ribcage. It’s unfair. It’s unfair how easy it is for Ava to do this to her. To make her forget how to breathe and become a complete dunce for ninety seconds while her brain reboots.

"I - uh - thank you." Beatrice can’t look at her. She can’t look at her because of the second little thing she hadn’t been expecting.

The second thing is Ava. Not just her compliments. But all of her. Beatrice can see the way her eyes sparkle when she smiles and her freckles dance when she laughs and she bites her lip when Beatrice tells a terrible joke.

Beatrice was already infatuated with Ava before she could see the crinkle in the corners of her eyes when she makes Beatrice laugh, before she could see the way her nose twitches when she sleeps. Before she knew, without a doubt, Ava is the most beautiful person to ever exist.

Diana twists in Beatrice’s lap and holds up the picture she’s coloring, it’s a very obviously giant orange cat. There’s a shaky house-shaped object, a sun in the corner of the page, and flowers that reach above the rooftop.

"Oh wow, Diana! This is amazing!" Beatrice leans closer to inspect it, traces the sun’s smile with the pad of her thumb. "Tell me about it."

"Arson." She growls his name then giggles brightly, swinging the paper through the air. "Like?"

"Like? Diana, I love your picture." Diana grins and presses a wet kiss on Beatrice’s cheek, thrusting the paper into her chest. "Are you giving this to me?"

Diana nods and Beatrice smiles, "Can I put it on my wall?"

Diana dances in front of her all the way to the wall where Beatrice proudly displays all of the art Diana has made her. Diana points to an empty space and Beatrice tacks the image there, stepping back and admiring the collage of scribbles that cover most of the wall.

"Come on, Picasso." She nods back to Ava, face alight with something Ava can’t name but it’s bright and shiny and makes Ava want to pinch her freckled cheeks.

Diana steals Beatrice’s glasses when she climbs back into her lap, attempting to balance them on her tiny nose. Beatrice laughs and helps her hold the frames in place, Diana grins.

[witchie-writings]

ALRIGHT. I hope you don’t mind me requesting human ones since I don’t really have any scenario ideas for a cybertron partner..But bayverse megatron with a human pet that likes to sing and dance to pass time? (Since I doubt there’s much anything to do when held captive by Megatron lol)

Definitely an interesting scenario! Hopefully these headcanons suffice. C: (they're a little short, sorry about that! not proof-read.)

TW for abuse and all that, typical of Bayverse!Megatron

Being the captured pet of Bayverse!Megatron is its own punishment. The grueling agony of being nothing more than a source of sickening entertainment was, in itself, a tragic fate, but there was some enjoyment for themselves the human manages to scavenge - the art of music and dancing.

It allowed them to reign in their sanity from the brink of frigid shadows; whatever style or form of dance they chose allowed them to express their inner woes, sometimes followed up by lulled tunes of their own voice to go along their wispy serenade. They never dared present their craft to the warlord out of fear, however. It was a secret they kept close to their heart as it was the last bastion of sanity they had left, but it didn't take long for Megatron to find out about the hidden art. And honestly, he found his pet's antics amusing.

He wasn't swayed by the human's graceful and determined steps nor found their voice particularly pleasing, but he found a twinge of enjoyment watching his pet be unaware of his presence at first and thinking they were able to keep their "secret" under wraps. It made them look like a fool, trying to hide their passion from the crimson gaze of the infamous tyrant when he had knowledge of their acts and what they did behind the veil. 

Definitely would have them perform in public, no matter if it was uncomfortable for them or not (though he'd find a sadistic glee in them being consumed by dread because of the publicity). While they danced and sang, he'd probably have some of the Decepticons shoot at their feet or narrowly avoid stabbing the poor human with their digits - anything to get their heart pulsing and blood rushing through their body, tinting the canvas a rosy hue before it quickly bled into a light scarlet. Expect a lot of snarky and degrading comments as well, both from Megatron and those that he rules over. The human is practically a dancing monkey to them, and oh, how hilariously ridiculous they looked to them.

Now, this isn't strictly restricted to this ask, but should any Decepticon actually harm the human during their performances, Megatron does actually get pissed and terrifyingly quickly. Whatever mocking statement would die in his vocal cords and out comes a raging beast of fury and hatred; if there is one thing that the warlord despises, it's when someone else damages his property, especially one that is valuable as his human pet. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to find such an entertaining bag of flesh amongst billions of squirming insects? The human is a rarity! (And only Megatron alone is able to harm the fleshling, no one else)

The Decepticon that harmed his pet is swiftly dealt with, though it wasn't a particularly clean kill. Megatron has quite the sadistic imagination.

Other than public performances, on particularly boring days the warlord might have the human perform something more personal for him alone, but the mockery and danger would never cease here. If anything, it's more refined and precise, making the words sting and burn with a searing intensity to a point one could feel it upon their skin. Megatron's words would sink deep alongside his assaults - bruises here, a few cuts or gashes here, nothing too fatal, but enough to satisfy his own sickening fantasies and to relish in the suffering he inflicted upon his pet.

In short, being able to sing and dance might have made the human's life more of a hellscape than if they didn't possess the ability or hobby. They're placed on this bloody pedestal and make a fool out of themselves, all for the sake of the amusement of others. At least they're granted some form of protection, though I doubt it's any better.

[jowrites]

Muse - 2. The Gallery

Main Masterlist Here

Prev....Next

TW: None

When he first saw her, she was very still. 

She sat there on the bench, her mind was completely absent as she stared ahead of her. Jake stowed back a bit, letting her admire the painting and just letting her get lost in the canvas in front of her. Oh, how he wanted to just sit there and let her soak up his own soul. BUt it was late, and everything was closing up. He just had to stand there and watch.

“Oh, sorry…did you want to read it? She asked, moving aside and letting the carvings of the painting speak to her.

“Oh, no, it’s okay. I know a lot about the piece anyways,” he said, shrugging.

“Oh…okay, he said. “I’ll be going now.”

“Do you know why the artist keeps painting landscapes?” he asked, suddenly.

“Because he likes the snow?” she said in more of a question.

“It’s warm to him,” Jake said. “No matter what happens, cold weather makes the artist happy. He feels much better in the cold."

"That's kind fo sad, isn't it?" he asked.

So that’s what makes her see so much snow. The artist paints so much snowy and cold landscape, she could feel it through the paintings as she looks. 

“Do you think they’re lonely?”she asked, as she looked at the same painting.

“Who? The artist?” Jake asked, not once looking away from her.

“Yeah…art is…it’s a lonely job,” she said.

“Only if you make it to be,” he said. “Art is subjective…but also quite wonderful.”

“Yeah,” she said. 

“I’m Jake, Sim…the artist,” he said, extending his hand to her.

“Oh,” she said , taking his hand then dropping.  “Adora.”

“Ah, a popstar,” he said.

“Mmm, yeah. Sure,” she said. “Nice to meet you. I’ll leave now.”

“You can stay as long as you want.”

“Really?”

“You look very in thought…let the sky take you…talk to you. Enjoy the night, Ms. Adora…”

He said, taking her hand and kissing it she looked at him. She sat back down on the bench, and continuously looked out the window as she went about her day. Little did she know, she was on the artist’ mind now.

[qiekzart]

requests open again be niceys ^_^ read my rules on my sntry before requesting! <3 hoping to be able to do one of those arts where i shove a bunch fo requests onto one canvas so requests appreciatd!

[ipsen]

Blank Canvas 14

Read on AO3. Summary: The world continues to turn. Word Count: 3789 Chapter 13 Chapter 15 Master Post

It was November now, with December looming on the horizon.

Some things didn’t change all that much. Haise still woke up early, still cooked breakfast for himself and Hide (when he wasn’t away). He still caught the train to the 1st ward when he was done, still failed to obtain a wave from Ami at the secretary’s desk, and still trotted down the 6th floor hall to the glorified broom closet with his and Sen’s name on it.

After work, he still went to Anteiku. Still got a black coffee and partook in Yoriko’s pastries. He still helped at Apes & Dobers, organizing both food and furniture in his spare time. He still went back to his apartment at the end of the day, still filled a sketchbook with images of Sen or draft ideas. The same steady routine.

However, there were aspects of it that were different.

Obviously, there was Sen. Unlike Takatsuki, she frequently asked Haise how she looked in her outfit for the day. He would always smile and tell her the same thing: she looked beautiful. And unlike Takatsuki, Sen would believe him and light up.

(And every now and then, she would teach him how to take them apart.)

The story was also progressing nicely. Sen introduced a new character for Fushimi to interact with: a companion named Miharu, an independent detective with a vested interest in— and a mysterious connection to— the Hierophants.

Haise remembered looking at Miharu’s profile and smiling. “A bit on the nose, don’t you think?”

“Art imitates life,” was all Sen had to say.

And then Anteiku. Mr. Yoshimura’s infrequent shifts now required more attention and care. Touka and Yoriko, gained a second job with Kaya and Enji making sure he was alright as he moved about. However, as the latter two became busier with Apes & Dobers, it became clear something had to change.

And then, one day…

“Manager?!” Haise repeated with his jaw hung open. “That’s— That’s incredible, Touka!”

“Hold your horses, Coffee Kid; I haven’t accepted,” Touka said, hands up. “Mr. Yoshimura only told me today.”

She’d been trying out new nicknames in light of his new name, ‘Coffee Kid’ being the latest of the bunch. ‘Little Helper’ was the one before, and it didn’t stick as well as ‘Coffee Kid’ apparently was.

“Still, wow!” He chuckled in disbelief, running a hand through his hair. “I’m so happy for you!”

Touka nodded listlessly. “Mhm.”

She did one of her impromptu crashes at his and Hide’s apartment, showing up with little to no warning. Once he let her in, she found one of Hide’s secret wine bottles, opened it without asking, and took the opportunity to spill the news.

Haise frowned. “You… don’t sound too happy about it. Is there something wrong?”

She took a swig of the bottle and sighed. Wordlessly, she slid a slip of paper across the counter.

He scanned over the miniscule text. “An acceptance letter into—?” He stared at the name— “Chigyou School of Medicine?! Touka, you—?”

“I got in.” She smiled tiredly. “For the spring semester.”

“But then, you’d be in Kyoto, so you wouldn’t— Oh.” He felt so stupid. “Touka…”

“And there you go.” She took another swig of wine. “My dream, or the legacy of the one who let me chase it?”

Haise sat back down in his seat, unsure of what to say.

“And it’s not like I can pawn Anteiku off to someone else; Yoriko’s a total scatterbrain, and it’s not like Uta and Itori are gonna give Yomo back anytime soon. Plus, he’s also a scatterbrain.”

He twiddled his thumbs.

“What?” Touka drank again. “You look like you wanna say something.”

“N-No, not really.” He shook his head. “I don’t know if I could choose between them, is all.”

“Must be nice. Getting your dream job dropped in your lap, plus a girlfriend?” She groaned. “I’m so jealous.”

“S-Sorry…”

“Oh, shaddup.” That alcohol worked pretty fast, it seemed. “Not like you can take Mr. Yoshimura’s place for me.”

“Still, there’s gotta be some way I can help.”

She closed her eyes, thinking for a moment. “I’ve got it.”

“Of course!” Haise sounded a little too enthusiastic, but he hated seeing her like this. “What is it?”

“Turn on the TV.”

He blinked, then chuckled. “Alright.”

They watched a few late night cartoons, laughing and relaxing the night away. Before long, Touka was fast asleep, with the wine bottle completely drained. She had a high tolerance, so he wasn’t particularly worried.

He pulled the bottle gently out of her hands, then threw a spare blanket over her. He found a pillow for her to keep her neck from getting sore, and turned off the TV. Once he was sure she would be comfy, he brushed his teeth and changed into pajamas.

Before heading into his room, he glanced at Touka one last time, and frowned. She shouldn’t have such a choice placed on her shoulders. He understood why she was the best choice for manager after Mr. Yoshimura, but it wasn’t fair. It wasn’t right.

And yet…

He sighed, and went to bed.

—

That night, his brain must have been feeling nostalgic, because he dreamt of the day he met Touka. It was the summer after he graduated high school. He’d managed to get into Kamii University’s waitlist, and until a verdict was met, his aunt demanded that he ‘finally make himself useful’, which was just code for ‘become scarce until your dorm is ready, or you’re out of here’. Not that he wasn’t already scarce; he hadn’t had a real conversation with her, his uncle, or Yuichi in years. But he didn’t need her to tell him that the threat was real this time.

That was how he came across Anteiku. He’d gotten unreasonably lucky for someone like him; Mr. Yoshimura seemed to pick his miserable form out of every customer, and took the other seat at the table. Even though Haise had been a little young to fully enjoy coffee, they chatted over a cup, and Mr. Yoshimura decided to hire him as a server.

(His aunt had been less than pleased. But money was money.)

Touka was heading into her final year of high school, and Mr. Yoshimura figured Haise would benefit from having someone of a similar age teaching him instead of Enji or Kaya.

At first, he was wrong. Touka was a terrible teacher. Haise’s demeanor apparently forced him to travel a minefield around her. Not only that, but his insistence on calling her by her surname instead of by her first name (like she asked) was grating on her. In some sort of petty (if deserved) retaliation, she called him by all sorts of nicknames.

And for someone who apparently struggled with kanji, she was pretty creative about them.

“Hey, Weekdays! Get over here.”

“Moneybags, need a refill for table eight!”

“Oi, Tree Hugger. You’re doing it wrong. Again.”

“Listen here, Gold Digger—!”

Until— ironically, in hindsight— he caved. He called her Touka— and they were arguing about Rize. Touka’s hotheaded nature— or maybe Rize’s aggressively cruel one— had rubbed off on him more than either of them realized, and in the heat of the moment, he said Touka’s name.

It had surprised both of them, and she walked away immediately after. Haise didn’t even remember what exactly he’d said to her, and ultimately, it didn’t matter. Rize left, and he realized that being discarded was far worse than being ignored.

Despite their argument, he dragged himself through Anteiku’s staff doors after closing time and made himself a lonely cup of coffee. Then, Touka appeared.

“Yo,” she said.

“Hey…” he said back.

“You’re… not with her.”

“Heheh… So I’m not.”

A beat. “Did she dump you?”

“She…” He sighed. “I don’t know.”

“The fuck you mean, you don’t know? She did or she didn’t, right?”

“I don’t know, okay!” Kaneki set the cup down harder than he wanted to. “She— She blocked my number, and her apartment is empty, and I just don’t— I can’t—!”

Touka raised a brow, unaffected. “Sounds like you got dumped.”

His hand curled into a fist, and he hung his head. “Alright. I… I got dumped.”

Another beat as she shuffled in her spot. “Do you wanna talk about it?”

“I… No, I don’t.” What was there to talk about? It wasn’t like Touka liked Rize, anyway. She’d probably just say ‘I told you so’ in a thousand different ways, which wouldn’t help anyone, least of all him.

But she didn’t push the subject like he expected her to. Instead, she looked at his coffee cup, then smelled the air around it. “You used the pre-ground beans, didn’t you?”

He gave her a confused look. “I did…”

She suddenly snatched the cup. “Wait here. Don’t move.”

He obeyed. Rather, he didn’t feel like doing anything else, but he stayed where he was regardless of the reason. After a few minutes, she returned with a fresh cup and set it in front of him.

“Go on.”

He took a cautious sip. “It’s… really good…”

“Hand-ground ones are the best,” she explained. “The flavor comes out stronger when it’s fresh.”

“Oh… I see.” He took another sip. Then another, and another. “Thank you… That’s… This is really nice of you.”

She smirked. “Don’t get used to it.”

He chuckled, then shuddered, then ruined the perfect cup with salty tears. “I-I’m sorry… I’m so, so sorry…”

And Touka dropped everything to embrace him as he sobbed into her shirt. He cried and cried and cried. He couldn’t say he was sad over Rize, but he also couldn’t say ‘good riddance’ and move on. Rize had brought normalcy to his life, telling him that even someone like him could be understood. But now that understanding was gone, and he was alone again. He was a—

“It’s not that good, Kaneki.”

Touka tried to joke, and Kaneki, in the blur of his tears and haziness of his headache, somehow laughed. For the briefest of moments, he was able to come up for air.

And then a realization. “You said my name.”

She scoffed. “Oh, please; I’ve always said your name.”

And then there was more laughter. “What kind of person is named ‘Gold Digger’?”

“The stupid kind,” she retorted, but she was smiling.

They’d been best friends ever since. To help Haise bounce back, she took him to her judo classes, getting him in shape while releasing all that pent-up energy. He learned that there was more to violence than just hurting someone; it could also be used to protect what mattered.

He also learned that Touka had a mean right hand.

———

“Between a job I’m good at and the chance to realize my dream, huh?”

At Shoeisha, Sen— hair in a half-done French twist— scarfed down Haise’s breakfast that he’d prepared for her: a simple omelet with black pepper, green onions, and shreds of bacon. She always made a habit of skipping breakfast, but with a ‘master chef for a boyfriend’, in her words, she had quickly changed her tune.

In the meantime, he figured he’d ask an unbiased party about Touka.

“This coffee shop’s quite precious to her, then?” Sen scooped up some bacon. “Oh, that’s some good bacon.”

“Haha… I’m glad you like it.” He smiled. “But yes. It’s precious to both of us; the manager helped us get off our feet when no one else would look our way.”

“I see…” She thumbed away some flecks of egg on her cheek, then licked them off her finger, making him swallow. “So she feels like she has some sort of duty to the place.”

“Yeah…” Haise pursed his lips. “The manager’s getting old, and he’s gotten much worse this year, so… it probably won’t be very long before the position is vacant.”

It hurt to say it out loud, but the truth was right in front of him: Mr. Yoshimura wasn’t long for the world. Who knew if he’d even make it to next summer.

“Oh…” She frowned.

“I-It’s okay.” He shook off the onset of sadness. “What would you choose?”

Sen was happy to get back on track. “I’d choose my dream, without hesitation. All that hard work, just to not take the next step? Sounds like a waste to me. I can’t just throw away everything I’ve worked for like that, even if it is for stability. If I haven’t seen the end, then I’ll keep running.”

Haise smiled. It was just like her to say that. “Even if the job has a lot of good memories?”

Sen wiped her hands with a napkin. “Especially because it has a lot of good memories. Besides, a building’s just a building. It has no soul, not like people do. Once the people leave, it’s just an empty space with nothing to offer.”

It was a solid point. “But the memories are attached to the building, aren’t they? We can’t just abandon them like that.”

She raised a brow. “Sure we can. Are memories in the building? If it’s destroyed, do the memories go with it?”

“No, but—”

“Then there’s no problem. You can always restart, rebuild, and regain.” Sen wiped her hands on a napkin. “Memories will always be memories. If you let them hold you back, then you’ll never get anywhere.”

She was always so certain of herself, and it was part of why he loved her. That sort of boldness, with little reason to turn back, was something he couldn’t look away from.

“You’re supposed to learn from them, not try to replicate them.” She snapped the tupperware shut. “You’re only hurting yourself if you don’t.”

However, much like how sutures stung when they stitched together a wound, that boldness and certainty was borne of vulnerability, of hurt. Haise made his way over to her, and offered his hand. After staring at it for a moment, she took it, making a surprised gasp as he suddenly pulled her into an embrace.

There was a pause, and then she said, “Thanks.”

“Mhm.” He carded her hair with his fingers, stopping whenever he reached a tangle.

“The omelet was delicious, by the way.”

“Oh…” He looked away. “Um, thank you.”

“I mean it, Haise.” She seized his jaw and forced him to look at her. “You worked hard to get where you are. Be proud of yourself.”

Haise remembered the journey well: he wanted to make himself useful while Hide earned all the money, and so he turned to cooking. Cooking meant learning, and learning meant books. Lots of books, followed by videos followed by shows followed by more books.

He and Hide had been the subject of many failed meals— there were many times where the two of them had to share the toilet after sampling his latest creation.

And when he thought of those days— days of overcooked meats and exploding eggs— and the fruit they bore now, he couldn’t bear to throw them away. Not until it was completely useless, or he lost his passion.

“I did,” he said, her assertion bolstering his confidence. “I did…”

She smiled, got onto her tippy toes, and pecked him on the lips. He smiled back and returned the favor.

It wasn’t enough. They kissed again, harder. One of his hands pulled her in by the waist of her dark skirt, while the other cradled the base of her skull, letting her lean against it for support.

She sighed when he massaged her scalp, and he chased that noise down her throat while she bunched up the fabric of his shirt.

She smelled a little different today. New shampoo? Like ripe fruit, specifically peaches. The fuzzy fruit crossed his mind as he licked the minute hairs on her chin, then found her mouth again. She tasted much sweeter, he thought.

Or maybe those were the hormones.

She nipped at his lower lip, and he felt her smile at the low noise that escaped him. She pursued her own sound from him now, carding his hair and tugging on his lip, and it felt so, so good.

Like some horny teenager, his hand hiked up her skirt, eager to access his favorite part of her, but then she seized it with a smirk. “Easy there, painter boy. We’re still on the clock.”

Haise immediately stopped, trying not to make a face. “Er…”

She saw right through him, and sucked a breath through her teeth, turning pink. “Too much?”

“N-No— Rather, it’s not that.” He cleared his throat. This would be fun to explain. “My, um, my friend calls me that sometimes, so if you say it, then—”

“Then it feels like you’re kissing them,” she finished.

He rubbed his neck. “Sorta, yeah, and not— You know.”

She grinned, sensing an opportunity. “I’m afraid I don’t. Not what?”

He huffed out a laugh. “Sen…”

“Tell me. It feels like you’re kissing your friend and not what?” She was enjoying this too much as she hung onto him.

He squirmed under her scrutinizing gaze, then screwed his eyes shut. “Promise not to laugh?”

“I can’t promise something I know nothing about.” It was a bit of an inside joke between them at this point.

He sighed and mumbled, “The woman of my dreams.”

She blinked, then made her own face, which was worse even if it was warranted.

“Too much, right?” he guessed.

“An understatement, but yes. Corny, cliché, whatever you wanna call it.” She patted his cheek, chuckling. “But I’m flattered.”

A consolation prize, if anything. He stepped back to let her go to her desk, and they got back to work.

———

“I couldn’t imagine being in her position,” Hide said, watching TV on the couch. “Manager or medicine? I mean, c’mon…”

It was a rare occasion when Hide was home tonight. He had been busier than ever lately, and his trips were becoming much more frequent. Chie had also become unreachable, likely having to relocate and kill her number. But for now, it seemed things had finally cooled down.

And that was when Haise brought up Touka.

“Sure, chasing the dream seems like the most sensible choice; she’s only ever worked toward that goal,” Hide continued, “but if she chooses it, what about everyone who’d lose out on Anteiku? We’re not the only ones who’ve attached ourselves to it— There’s Yoriko, Kaya, Enji, everyone at Apes & Dobers… What happens to them when it’s taken away from them?”

Haise frowned from the kitchen as he cleaned a plate. “Would you rather she give up on her dream?”

“I didn’t say that.” Hide scratched his head, and adjusted himself on the couch. “I’m just saying that either way, a lot more people beyond her are gonna be affected, regardless of her choice.”

“Mm…” Haise put the plate down and dried his hands. “To choose… is to sacrifice…”

“Woah, that something your girlfriend said?” Hide laughed.

He turned pink. “Sh-She has a name, Hide!”

More laughter. “I was kidding! Kidding!” It died down quickly. “But seriously: at the end of the day, she’s gotta pick one, and we’ll be there when she does.”

He picked up another plate. “Yeah. We will.”

That was when it happened. The news came on, and the world came knocking.

“Tragic news today, as one of the two remaining members of the Yasuhisa family, Nashiro Yasuhisa, has been discovered dead in the 13th ward.”

The first thing Haise did was drop the plate in his hands. It clattered loudly against the sink. What?

“Officer Ui, of the Washuu Crime Task Force, is attributing the crime to the crazed murderer known as the ‘Torso’, due to Ms. Yasuhisa’s torso missing from the site…”

Had… Had he heard that correctly? The Torso had been active lately, but he hadn’t paid much attention to it. It was always something in the background, always white noise— albeit unique— to an otherwise ordinary day.

“We will have to have everyone in the area to stay indoors,” Officer Ui said in an interview.

This time was different. Unlike the faceless victims the Torso had targeted up to this point, he recognized Nashiro’s name. They weren’t exactly friends, and he didn’t have a habit of talking to Kurona every day of the week, but dead? Nashiro? Just like that?

Her smiling face was on the news, with bleached platinum hair and gray eyes; a cropped photo from one of Taiwa Act’s group staff photos. Haise recognized it because he had taken it.

Hide broke the silence, staring at the screen. “What the fuck…?”

“We don’t know if or when the Torso will strike again, so we will be conducting a ward-wide survey,” Officer Ui continued. “There will be a temporary curfew in the 13th while we search the homes of any possible suspects.”

“Can they do that?” Haise asked, brow furrowing as he took a seat on the couch.

“They can with the right motive,” Hide mumbled. “This is the first time they’ve really cracked down on the Torso, though. And so dramatically, too. Something’s different.”

Now that Haise got a good look at Hide, he noticed Hide was glaring. Something was different, alright.

 “A lobbyist organization with a lot of government influence has been using serial killers to get rid of inconvenient opponents.”

As he thought back to that premise, proposed so long ago now, another thought occurred. “Hide, do you still have Donato’s case file?”

“The Priest? Uh…” Hide scratched his head. “Yeah, I think so…”

Haise prayed that he was wrong about this, if only because fiction became far more terrifying when it skirted close to the line that separated it from reality.

“Vengeance.”

He still hadn’t figured out that line from Donato yet. It had been at the back of his mind, simmering— until now. He had been so focused on Sen at the time that he had missed the finer details.

“Everything you need is in my case file.”

Hide came back, and the two of them went through the autopsies again. Two hundred victims later, Hide’s eyes widened.

“None of these people worked in the Washuu Task Force,” he whispered. “This is—”

“Hide…” Haise carried a warning in his voice. They shouldn’t be looking into this.

“Sauce—” ‘Sauce’? Really?— “we literally have an illegal government file sitting between us, and you’ve literally broken into Cochlea. I think we’re past the point of no return.”

Haise squeezed his eyes shut and didn’t reply. Just then, his phone buzzed:

From: Sen got our inmate! we’ll meet him next week :D

He stared at the message.

Yeah.

Way past the point of no return.

[sntssinclairs]

location : Museum

who : @lcblanc

She doesn't particularly see what is so interesting about this art piece; older than most in display, faded colors painting a scene many are enamored with. Helena barely recognizes her face, forever immortalized on canvas by an artist she doesn't bother naming. It is beautiful, she won't deny, but sorrowful and depressingly lonely. The bodies littered around the crying girl are strangely romantic. She knows there's nothing picturesque about death. Yet, it is here now, telling a story Helena knows to be a lie, but can't quite remember the truth. She is aware of the patron, the woman who keeps it close simply for amusement. Helena scoffs. If there's one thing she regrets not doing, is calling forth a banishment for Noailles. Many would thank her for it, she is sure. Alas, she removes the pen from her mouth, and continues on her search.

Helena doesn't know why she is seeking her out now, of all things. It's been a long time since they've been in each other's presence, a long time since there was a reason to be. There's no bitterness when it comes to them; no hard feelings or hateful words. Only sorrow fills her heart — faint and muted, fading away as the years pass. Still, Narcisse is her only fledgling, and she supposes it's her responsibility to check on her, every once in a while. After all, she wasn't there when Narcisse needed it most, was she? No. She was kindly reminded her position as maker has been emotionally replaced by someone who didn't leave the artist. She rolls her eyes despite the guilt that seeps into her bones. She really should try for that banishment. She knows Markus would be on her side.

Seeing her brings an easy smile to her face, and she clears her throat, calling for the woman's attention. “I haven't seen any of yours around,” she crosses her arms, licking her lips. “Have you stopped painting, fos mou?”

[jeahreading]

the description reads

A take on Sanjay Leela Bhansali's latest release of 'HEERAMANDI' by SUBHANGIK.... Sanjay Leela Bhansali's latest opus, Heeramandi, is a cinematic feast that intertwines beauty and complexity, drawing us into a world where aesthetics and artistry converge in an intoxicating dance. While body positivity is often associated with the female form, this film poignantly reveals how it equally shapes and shadows the lives of men, particularly those in the creative realm. Artists, the torchbearers of beauty, expression and grace, frequently grapple with societal expectations. Too tall or too short, too heavy or too slight, too dark or too pale — each deviation from the 'ideal' becomes a silent struggle. Add to this the quirks of less hair, smaller eyes, or a crooked smile, and the challenges magnifies. Heeramandi masterfully exposes these subtle tensions, inviting us to re-examine our perceptions of perfection. As we immerse ourselves in the lush narratives and rich tapestries of Bhansali's vision, let us also embrace the diverse spectrum of human form. In this Pride Month, it is fitting to celebrate all body types, honoring the unique beauty that every individual brings to the canvas of life... The love of the artist for their art is profound yet unseen, echoing the inseparable bond between the Atma (soul) and the Paramathma (Supreme Soul), often interpreted as Krishna. Just as the art and the artist are infused, Krishna's wisdom reveals the unity of the soul and the divine. This profound connection forms the essence of existence, guiding us toward our divine origin. In this union, we discover that true beauty and artistry transcends from the physical to the meta physical, resonating with the eternal dance.

This morning when I opened youtube to put on some music to work I came across this beautiful masterpiece. When I started playing it my first thought were the ones out into my head by the society..

"oh my god, how can men dance like this, this atrocious"

but, quickly replaced those thoughts, becuase that's what is poisoning my mind. Since I was young these societal expectations of girls having curvy bodies, fair skins, big eyes and melodious voices were put into my head and I was told men should be strong, muscular or at the very least be the breadwinner of the house, not curvy and expressive like this. Though since long I've changed that mindset it still sometimes haunts the back of my conscious, prodding at me and telling me that men shouldn't be like this and women should do this and that. But I actively try to push it away, because once I did

I saw the beauty and the glow these men emanated. The way expressions and dance flowed through them, strung me into their performance. Even if this performance has no words, it says way more with expressions than it could ever be possible to convey with words.

This performance was done on the song "Sayiaan Hatto Jao" which translates roughly to "Love, move aside"(Love here means someone you have a romantic relationship with) this song is by far one of the best songs in Heeramandi(The Diamond Bazaar). The new Web series. Though I haven't watched the series itself, I know of the songs because of how popular they are, songs like Sakal Ban and Tilasmi Bahein are amazing too, maybe ya'll can check them out. But this song, and of course the famous gajagamini walk which is said to be the peak fo seduction is truly just something else. The way Aditi Rao Hyadri just brings out the best of the song is amazing.

Coming back to this video, this take of the song, it captures the love men had for Shri Krishna. Artfully showing the affection they had for him while never actually showing it was Shri Krishn but portraying it with the peacock feathers and the signature blue colour.

I think it is fitting for Pride Month. Showing how It doesn't matter to a god whether you are a man or woman. Hindu Mythology often has queer encounters. How Vishnu Ji became Mohini, Ardhanareshwar among others. And the fact that this performance was done by an entirely Bengali team makes me so proud and happy. There is so much I can say about this but I think you'll understand it yourself if you catch the video.

[doodle-baldi-mania]

hiiii, for the artist ask meme

📏, 🌈, 🎼, 🐻 <3

HEARTS AND KISSES AT YOU DINO :-] 📏 - MY GO TO CANVAS SIZES ARE USUALLY THAT MAX SIZE ON KLEKI WHICH KINDA SUCKS >:-[ IT ONLY GOES UP TO 2048p </33 🌈 - LOOKS AT MY ART. LOOKS AT YOU. LOOKS AT MY ART AGAIN. UM. SO. THE THING IS. I STRUGGLE WITH COLOR ALOT BUT SEEING HOW MY ART IF I *DO* COLOR MORE IS PROBABLY WARM :-] 🎼 - OMG OMG ONG. IM SO GLAD YOU ASKED OMG. LIKE EXIST FROM MOB PSYCHO IS SO. GOOD. ITS SO SOMBER... OR OR OR YZMAS SONG :-] I REALLY LIKE THE DISNEY VILLAIN ESC GOING ON :-] andkindastartingtorevistnerodisneylandagaintoo 🐻 - I FEEL LIKE A SIMPLE BERN DRAWING IS USUALLY THE WAY TO GO WHEN I GET MY LOWS YKNOW,, HES JUST A PACIFIER FO RMY BRAIN TO SUCK ON,,, I LOVE ALOT,,,

[saheelproperties]

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[outcastcity]

Archive for Outcast City Trevorspace thread

yeah, I'm sorry but when I put it in Internet Archive it just shows the login page >:{

old quotes from my journal thread about Outcast City:

i’m starting an indie series (i’m silly) /srs

i’ll start production maybe in high school wheni learn to animate and get an email and iPad of my own

y’all give me feedback for my indie show NOW!!! /nf, i meant it when i said i was trying to produce a show :)

the idea is this: we have a friend group and they have a different adventure every episode.

the conflict is caused by the narrator and creator (two different people) getting bored of the happy-go-lucky vibes and inserting problems.

these problems grow in intensity until it escalates to relationships falling apart and people getting (physically and mentally) injured.

the cast realizes what’s happening behind the scenes, and they either (break the show) or (resolve their problems, then give up on the narrator and creator).

get basic concept down

design characters

flesh out world/setting

learn to animate

write script

release pilot/shorts/storyboards

if it gets attention, start crowd-funding

produce first episode and ask for public opinion and criticism 

revise and keep producing content

merch merch merch

use the conflicts to explore the relationships between the characters

use the conflicts to develop them 

put tons of references and jokes in 

practice world-building

practice art

try my hand at character development

the reason for the narrator/creator system is because i want to use omnipotence to explain the pacing and randomness of the show. if it was just a regular villain the episodes wouldn’t connect together!

the conflicts will cause arguments and force them to talk about serious things. also i wanna see Quyen pissed off >:)

i have not decided if there will be romance, as i’m not ready to write that yet. if there is, i’ll have a breakup in the middle of the series to show how devastating it would be and they may or may not be friends in the ending (i don’t want to have that “they got back together” ending though)

i wanna practice background art, music-making, character development, etc. the shows basically my canvas

i want REPRESENTATION that isn’t a shitty “we changed their race now buy our shit” stuff. it’s cheap and i’m sick of it. 

yes i’m going to self-insert myself in it. i’m the creator and i fuck shit up. i’m also one of the main cast because i know my personality the best- so even if the rest of them suck my insert will be realistic.

musicians to take inspo from: 

siinamota (for detailed composition and happy tunes)

Kikuo (for detail and tuning)

Cucak (just like the instruments they use)

MARETU (instruments and percussion)

Andre Rieu (piano parts and detail)

Aiobahn (eurobeat, transitions)

DECO*27 (pop)

i’m going to make the cast in Charat Genesis to see what they look like in a generic style

i’ll only be able to use maybe 12FPS

i’ll give the characters different music genres to make the OST cooler :)

Beginning: 2

Rising Action: 2

Climax: 5

Falling Action: 2

Ending: 2

Credits: 2

Total: 15MIN

Beginning: 5

Rising Action: 3

Climax: 5

Falling Action: 3

Ending: 1

Credits: 2

Total: 19MIN

possible software: 

MUSIC:

GarageBand

Freesound

FL Studios

SoundFont (like Toby Fox)

Vocaloid

SynthV

UTAU

a beach ep where they fight a shark

a (setting not decided) where they run from stuffed animals

a cooking ep where they foght moldy bread, a creature called BoB (he’s an inside joke) kills the bread. the bread becomes a BoB.

a sleepover where a ghost crawls out of the TV from a movie (TV ghost real?!?), she becomes part fo the side cast after they befriend her, this starts the problems getting more serious

yoppee!!!

want Kulap to be like Dalia Hawthorne: super pretty and super cold

trying to think of how long i want the episode to be lol

i wanna have a species based off of Worms On a String RAAHAHHAaA

i don’t want regular worms in the ground i want these bitches

go fishing with fluffy pipe cleaner worms

i’ll have the narrator be the real manipulating villain, and the creator be an anti-villain who only fucks things up for 2 reasons:

to try and have a good story

to please the narrator

the narrator has some bad goals but they try to achieve them in a decent way

the creator has good motive but they have to be shitty in order to do it 

e creator has good motive but they have to be shitty in order to do it 

feeling like shit? go work on your show. /neu

@HagioPhobia. still have the ghost lady? she could be the one crawling out of the TV in the sleepover ep, we can add her to the side cast if she isn’t killed off :P

choosing values, shades, and tints for the cast

Quyen: dark, nonsat, cool

Dung, dark, nonsat, neu

Hoa: mid, slight sat, neu

Marie: light, washed out (mix w gray), warm

Maya: light, low sat, warm

Kamon: slightly darker, sat, cool

Quyen: dark blue, light purple accents

Dung: dark bluish green, light yellow accents

Hoa: pinks and blues, no accents

Marie: washed out pinks and greens, green-yellow accents

Maya: reds and oranges, orange and dark green accents

Kamon: magenta, pink and white accents (after being exposed accents change to black)

Quyen: business, class, sharp

Dung: femboy, kogal/gyaru, comfy 

Hoa: simple, normal, pastel goth (sometimes, usually for special occasions)

Marie: cottagecore, jamcore, dresses, soft edges, feminine, modest

Maya: kidcore, bracelets, belts, boots, jeans, sleeves rolled up, functional

Kamon: fancy, ruffles/lace, revealing, tight, over-the-top, idol, hearts

i do find it interesting how many things count as indie and are made by younger people

Battle for Dream Island was made by 2 middle schoolers, Mandela Catalog was made by an 18 year old, etc.

have a liminal horror ep why not

Marie (voiceclaims):

Eleanor Forte (SynthV)

Tsurumaki Maki (SynthV)  

Solaria (SynthV)

Maya (voiceclaims):

Otomachi Una (VOCALOID)

Eleanor Forte (SynthV)

SV-A2 Miki (VOCALOID)

Tone Rion (VOCALOID)

i have 4 characters in the cast with a pink/red color palette:

Amias (that’s spelled wrong, sorry)

Marie

Maya

Kulap

i’ll fix it up, hopefully but i’m truly scared

then there’s the fact the only villain i have so far is dark-skinned and everyone else is pale…

i’m designing a black character to put in 4 ep to balance it out

cross your fingers friends /nf

i’m going to have the cast live in an “outcast city” 

so basically weirdo haven

and i’ll have Marie kicked out of Heaven for pointing out Heaven was fundamentally flawed (Hazbin Hotel REAL!?!?)

i’ll have the blood in the show be pink, and make it red in serious scenes

little details truly matter

just ask Studio Ghibli

wanna have episodes based of of shows and shit

(Meta Runner) everyone gets stuck in various different games, new artstyles for episode (yoppee!!!)

(Gordon Ramsay, Cutthroat Kitchen, Best Ever Food Review Show) cooking themed, everyone gets a themed apron, (failing to) cook various foods

(Spooky Month, Mandela Catalogue, Parasomnia) Halloween episode, features all of them running around like children, kicking ghost ass, and trying to deescalate a conflict between (@HagioPhobia. OC’s Arsenic and “ghost lady”) (ghost lady is the antagonist of the sleepover episode, they “defeat” her by befriending her so she isn’t lonely)

(Hazbin Hotel/Helluva Boss) episode focusing on how Marie got kicked out of heaven and temporarily separated from Maya (she pointed out flaws in heaven, such as how Heaven only punishes but doesn’t help/support humans, Heavens hierarchy system, their unrealistic standards, some homophobia/transphobia/etc. disliking humans, unfair judgement, child labor, blah blah blah)

(Gravity Falls, Craig of the Creek) episode where Maya and Sun run around

(Steven Universe, Adventure Time) world building episode, explains how the outcast city was built while everyone goes shopping/sightseeing

Dung’s business names:

Spider

Webbed

Spood (SPOOD)

Nhện Natural

[masood8686]

“10 Essential Tools Every Graphic Designer Should Know”

Graphic design is an exciting and creative field, but to succeed, you need the right tools to bring your ideas to life. Today, there are countless graphic design tools available, each with unique features to help you create stunning visuals. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced designer, mastering a few essential tools will make a big difference in the quality of your work and your efficiency. Here are 10 essential tools every graphic designer should know to help you create professional designs.

1. Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop is one of the most widely used graphic design tools, especially for image editing and manipulation. It’s ideal for tasks like photo retouching, creating digital artwork, and designing web graphics. With powerful features like layers, filters, and masks, Photoshop allows designers to create detailed and dynamic designs.

Best for: Photo editing, digital painting, and graphic design.

2. Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Illustrator is a vector-based design tool used to create logos, icons, illustrations, and more. Unlike Photoshop, which is raster-based, Illustrator allows you to create scalable graphics that can be resized without losing quality. This makes it perfect for designs that need to look sharp at any size, from business cards to billboards.

Best for: Logo design, vector art, and illustrations.

3. Adobe InDesign

Adobe InDesign is a layout design software commonly used for creating print and digital publications like magazines, brochures, and eBooks. It has features for managing text, images, and layouts, making it essential for designers working on multi-page documents.

Best for: Print design, magazines, and digital publications.

4. Canva

Canva is a user-friendly online tool that’s great for beginners and experienced designers alike. With a drag-and-drop interface, it offers pre-made templates for social media posts, presentations, posters, and more. Canva’s vast library of elements and easy-to-use features make it perfect for quick projects and professional-looking designs.

Best for: Social media graphics, presentations, and quick design projects.

5. Sketch

Sketch is a vector-based design tool focused on UI and UX design, specifically for web and mobile applications. It’s popular among designers for its intuitive interface and robust prototyping tools. While it’s only available on Mac, Sketch is widely used in the industry for creating wireframes, website layouts, and interactive prototypes.

Best for: UI/UX design, wireframing, and web design.

6. Figma

Figma is a cloud-based design tool that’s also geared toward UI and UX design. It allows for real-time collaboration, making it perfect for design teams working on web and mobile projects. With features for creating prototypes and conducting user testing, Figma is quickly becoming a favorite for product and web designers.

Best for: Collaborative design, UI/UX, and prototyping.

7. CorelDRAW

CorelDRAW is another vector-based design tool known for its powerful features and versatility. It’s commonly used for logo design, illustration, and print layouts. CorelDRAW has a user-friendly interface and a variety of tools for creating intricate vector graphics, making it popular among professional designers.

Best for: Vector illustrations, logo design, and print projects.

8. Procreate

Procreate is an iPad-exclusive app that’s a favorite among digital artists and illustrators. It offers a wide range of brushes and drawing tools, along with an intuitive touch interface. Procreate is ideal for sketching, digital painting, and creating detailed illustrations on the go.

Best for: Digital illustration, sketching, and painting.

9. Affinity Designer

Affinity Designer is a vector graphic design tool known for its affordability and high performance. It’s often considered a solid alternative to Adobe Illustrator, with features for both vector and raster design. Affinity Designer is highly versatile and suitable for everything from logos to UI designs.

Best for: Vector design, logo design, and illustration.

10. InVision

InVision is a digital design and prototyping tool aimed at helping designers create interactive prototypes for websites and mobile apps. It offers features like feedback, version control, and live collaboration, making it ideal for design teams. InVision also integrates with other design tools like Sketch and Photoshop, streamlining the workflow for UI/UX designers.

Best for: Prototyping, UI/UX design, and collaborative design projects.

Why These Tools Are Essential

Each of these tools has a specific purpose, and mastering them can open up a world of creative possibilities. From Adobe’s powerful suite to user-friendly platforms like Canva, these tools allow designers to create everything from simple graphics to complex multi-page layouts and interactive prototypes. Knowing which tool to use for each project can save you time, improve your workflow, and help you produce professional-quality designs.

Learn Graphic Design with Web Training Academy in Hyderabad

If you’re excited about learning to use these essential tools, Web Training Academy in Hyderabad offers one of the best graphic design courses around. Here’s what you can expect from the course:

Hands-On Training: Gain practical experience with tools like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and more.

Expert Instructors: Learn from experienced professionals who know the ins and outs of these tools and can guide you to use them effectively.

Updated Curriculum: The course covers the latest design trends and techniques, ensuring you’re well-equipped for the industry.

Portfolio Building: Work on real-world projects and build a portfolio that showcases your skills and creativity with these essential tools.

Whether you’re a beginner or looking to sharpen your skills, Web Training Academy’s graphic design course will give you the foundation you need to succeed in the design world. Ready to start your journey? Enroll today at Web Training Academy in Hyderabad and master the tools that will bring your creative ideas to life!

With the right tools in your arsenal, you can create impressive designs that stand out and captivate your audience. By learning these essential graphic design tools, you’ll be ready to tackle any design project and elevate your creative work to the next level