#back on my limited palette challenge

[dravenxivuk]

Nil, in @atroppa-nightshade ’s Dance Macabre

[icewindandboringhorror]

Pages from trying to keep a little sketchbook-scrapbook type thing going for two weeks lol. I gave myself specific rules in hopes they might all end up more cohesive/consistent seeming, but alas, scribbly chaos reigns, it seems

[eggo-tistical]

call me sappy and youd be getting it right because im feeling nostalgic even though ive never been to said specific country….. i get so many emotions looking at this,, if you listen closely you can hear the thud of me falling on the floor

"I'm just gonna do silly doodles today nothing too serious" dropped the biggest lie upon entering a call with blveherb

[abby-howard]

I'm going to be asking a lot of artists I follow this question, but how did you develop your style? It SEEMS like most people find their style and stick with it forever, just making improvements and iterations. I tend to work in a lot of different styles because I enjoy doing that, though I know there are things I gravitate towards as well. But I wonder what your journey was and how you got feedback and improved while staying true to what you enjoyed?

Hi there!

I definitely wouldn't say that I've found my style and stuck with it forever-- I feel like each of my projects has asked for a certain kind of art, and has presented new challenges that push me in new directions.

Some of that comes from seeing someone else's work and having something click into place that might fix errors/faults in my own, and then I might try to incorporate that, such as bigger outlines on my characters to help distinguish them from the background, or maybe a way someone else simplifies eyes that can help make mine look less weird.

When I first started drawing, I can see where I encountered certain influences because my sketchbooks suddenly switch to incorporating some new stylistic element that I liked from whatever I was reading/watching at the time. But it was never QUITE right, it was never just copying, there was always something ~wrong~ with it. And that wrongness was my style! As much as I hated it, that was what distinguished my art from being just a copy of someone else's. I hate it less now, and understand that other people see something there that maybe I don't, because it's just what happens when I filter other people's work through my head. My soul, if you will.

There are definitely through-lines with my work, driven by what I like drawing and what comes easily to me-- hatching is almost always a major component, and I like making expressive characters. Here's some of my earliest available stuff, from my old webcomic:

Then not long after that, I started The Last Halloween, which pushed me to challenge myself in both layout and style:

And here's the same comic, years later:

And here's a series I did for kids, where I had to use full color and lay off on the hatching, as well as learn how to reconstruct animals that we have no photo references for, which is definitely a place where style comes majorly into play, whether I wanted it to or not:

Then there was the horror book I did, where I tried to push my work to be less cartoony overall, and to work very hard on improving my hatching:

Then I started work on Scarlet Hollow, where I incorporated a limited/muted palette and had to once again push myself to make less-cartoony art, as well as learn more consistency so I could draw sprite sets. This was a big challenge for me, and has helped me grow as an artist so much!

And most recently, I wrapped up work on Slay the Princess, which required that I go back in the cartoony direction, but in a very different way than I was used to. This took a lot of sketching to figure out, and there's still a decent amount of artistic stumbling in Chapter 1 while I settled into it.

She's drawing on anime/Disney influence, but each Princess required a bit of stylistic variability. Some are more anime, while some are more realistic than even the Scarlet Hollow characters.

So I wouldn't worry too much, honestly! A person's style is often something that reveals itself over the course of their career, rather than something they choose and then try to stick to forever.

Even if you don't think you have a style, you do. It might vary a lot piece by piece, especially if you're trying to closely imitate another person's art, but the more work you do, the more you'll figure out your own strengths and interests!

[mellowtrashtrash]

FNaF World: Welcome to the Freakshow!

Today I challenged myself to see how many characters I could complete in one day. We've got a lot to cover, so let's get started with...

Scrap Baby!

Pizzeria Simulator's iconic wretched dumpster clown!

Some of my finest modeling and animation! Scrap baby was a doozy of a design to try to simplify. She practically has the detail of every Sister Location character combined! Naturally, this proved to be quite the challenge, but in the end it turned out great. The shapes are very smooth and the rigging is exquisite. You can hardly even tell with how swift the animations are, but I was very deliberate with how those little wire-orb things were rigged. They move with the limbs and body to skillfully avoid obvious instances of clipping!

There were lots of hooks and curves involved in the blender process, and it was a meticulous and precarious process, but I managed to pull Scrap Baby together in about three days. After finishing her today, I figured "Hey, why not do a couple more! I have it in me!" And with that, my quest began. The next character(s?) I tackled was...

The Minireena duo!

Everyone's favorite claustrophobic nightmare children!

I decided to go with two of them, in reference to Sister Location Custom Night's two different sets of Minireenas, and also because just one would be far too small!

Now these little punks were a delightfully obnoxious design process! I'd never had the (dis)pleasure of working with two separate armatures in one character before this, and it was quite the challenge. But you all know I like a good modeling/animation challenge. It gives the sometimes boring process some novelty!

Sidenote: Minireenas' eyes are kind of weird. They show up only in specific instances, but are absent the rest of the time. Obviously so, as you can see their little endoskeleton in their custom night icon. No eyes! I think Scott just needed a way to make their jumpscares a little more intense, and didn't want to worry about giving them eyes anywhere else. But hey, those beady yellow peepers definitely worked! They're quite the uncanny sight!

Next, we've got the one, the only...

Bonnet!

Sister Location Custom Night's very own adorable nuisance!

Remember earlier, when I mentioned how just one Minireena would be too small by itself? There wasn't any getting around it this time. Bonnet is, by all accounts, a palette swap of Bon Bon, but does that hold her back from having her very own identity independent of his? Absolutely not! Bonnet has set herself apart with her signature mosey, her insecurity about her (literal) button nose, and her unnerving ability to maneuver around without the aid of an uncanny, leg-bearing, scary bear companion! (Try saying that five times fast!)

It's a little tough to make a character like this work on their own, but I managed to pull it off, and have somehow produced some of my favorite animations so far. Her big leap is very rabbit-like, and it's pretty natural-looking. Her hurt animation has a little shiver to it, like she's shuddering from discomfort. Her animations managed to be very lifelike, despite the limitations of the character's design.

Next up, in a sort of redundant fashion, we've got...

Lolbit!

The oddball salesman adapted for the screen!

Kind of an odd choice of character, considering Lolbit's already been in FNaF World, but with their breakout roles in Sister Location Custom Night and Ultimate Custom Night since their initial debut, I figured it was prudent to include them. My working theory is that once the story of FNaF World had concluded, Lolbit got bored of hanging around in Animatronica, and decided to find some business elsewhere, winding up with their unforgettable inclusion as a face on a series of screens that forces you to type buttons on your keyboard. Not the most stunning appearance, but hey, it's unique! And it's funding the development of new and better Bytes! Then once their contract expired, Lolbit returned to Animatronica to continue developing Bytes, only to find that new shopkeepers had arrived to take their place. Naturally, this meant Lolbit had only one thing left to do: tag along with the adventurers to find someplace to sell without competition!

In contrast to Funtime Foxy's monstrousness, I gave Lolbit the cheeky, cheerful charisma they've been rocking in every one of their appearances across the franchise. As a result, Lolbit's animations are teeming with callous impudence!

Finally, the character you've all been waiting for, the main attraction, the star of the show... It's:

Gumball Swivelhands!

Pizzeria Simulator's shockingly stupendous sweet-supplier!

Bet you weren't expecting this one, were you? Move over Candy Cadet, Gumball Swivelhands is the new star of the candy-dispensing show!

This character was unexpectedly fun to animate, and I adored the opportunity to model its face, but I must say, that expression seems awfully familiar. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it makes me feel a profoundly frustrated sense of déjà vu...

Pizzeria Simulator is chock-full of memorable character designs, and despite its apparent genericity, there's always been something striking to me about Gumball Swivelhands. A concentrated sense of whimsy permeates this character like the suffocating aroma of six different flavors of bubble gum surrounds a gumball machine.

To me, this is what FNaF World is all about! Identifying and celebrating even the strangest corners of Five Nights at Freddy's history! There's a place for iconic, fan-favorite characters, right alongside obscure, sometimes even downright forgettable weirdos like this one! Five Nights at Freddy's is a freakshow, but not one that ridicules its freaks, one that holds them up high with a combination of joy and pride, like a father whose son has won the big sports game. "That's my son!" FNaF says, gesturing to the Eggbaby. "Hooray!" I scream from the bleachers. "Three cheers for these wonderful weirdos! Hip hip, hooray!"

I look forward to whatever I have to share next time. As always, thanks so much for tuning in! I'll catch you on the flipside!

[kellysue]

Members of the cast of #FMLComix tell you how to pre-order #FMLComix.

FML #1 arrives in November 2024 with main cover art by David López and variant covers featuring artwork by Alvaro Martinez Bueno, David LaFuente, Nicola Scott (1:10 incentive variant), and Pepe Larraz (1:25 incentive variant). One additional variant cover will be revealed at a later date. Each issue will feature bonus material such as essays on music, true crime, interviews, and more that will be exclusive only to the single issues.

“David and I have been talking about doing something creator-owned together since Captain Marvel, but it took years for the stars and our schedules to properly align,” said DeConnick. “Now that we’re here though, it almost feels planned — like we needed exactly as long as it took us to grow and change, both as artists and as people, so that we could come back together for this big swing.

“FML is a challenging book — stylistically and in tone — and I’m not sure we could have pulled it off five years ago, honestly. But here we are—and I’m so proud of and impressed by the work put in by everyone involved. David is drawing like he’s got something to prove, Cris is pulling disparate styles together seamlessly, tying them together with her palette and Clayton of course, our ace and secret weapon, works his subtle magic on lettering to make sure you hear everything in your head exactly the way it was intended. McCubbin developed this terrific logo that evolves with each issue, and I don’t even know where to start with how supportive and inspiring Daniel Chabon’s editorial team has been. They’ve given us exactly what we needed at every step along the way.

“For my part, FML feels of a piece with Pretty Deadly and Bitch Planet; it’s as personal as the former and as satirical and of-the-moment as the latter.”

"This is without a doubt one of the best and most important books I have had the honor to edit in my fifteen years in the comic book industry,” added Senior Editor Daniel Chabon. “I have been a tremendous fan of this creative team for a long, long time; and I cannot wait for everyone to pick up this series and to see what an amazing achievement it is."

Riley is a 16-year-old heavy metal kid who draws down his anxiety with a ballpoint pen. His mother is an aging punk cartoonist slam dancing with a true crime obsession. Bound by threads of magical realism, they navigate the absurdities and horrors of our modern lives.

Issue one introduces Riley’s daily life: terrorism diaries, school shooter drills, and social pressures under the constant shadow of encroaching wildfires that rain ash like a morbid snow. His refuge? The Forest Park Witch’s House, where tales of chaos magic and trickster gods promise some semblance of sense in a senseless world.

Echoing the comedy of “Bottoms,” the nostalgic pull of “Stranger Things,” and the coming-of-age journey in “Stand By Me,” DeConnick’s first return to creator-owned comics since Bitch Planet is an apocalyptic odyssey that speaks to the resilience of the misfit and the power of art.

FML #1 (of 8) arrives in comic shops on November 6, 2024. It is now available to pre-order at your your local comic shop for $4.99.

Be sure to follow DarkHorseComics on social media and check our website, www.darkhorse.com for more news, announcements, and updates.

Praise Kelly Sue DeConnick and David López: “DeConnick has always combed top-notch lyrical text with a knack for bringing out the best in the artists she works with.”—Polygon

“Kelly Sue DeConnick either writes with a King Midas pen, is one of the few remaining wizards in the world, or, most likely, is just that damn good because Bitch Planet is yet another amazing series with her name on the cover.”—Word on the Nerd

“Pretty Deadly pushes at the limits of medium, challenging our ideas of what comics can be.”—IGN

“Kelly Sue DeConnick’s Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons may just be the best thing to come out of the Black Label line to date.”—IGN

“Kelly Sue DeConnick is a force in comics.”—Book Riot

“Kelly Sue DeConnick—a powerhouse in the comics world.”—Salon

“A primal scream in exquisitely worked gold.”—Polygon on Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons

“López’s pencils are like a breath of fresh air. His style evokes a classic superhero aesthetic while still bringing subtle emotional vulnerability to these characters through strong storytelling and page design.”—Nerds Unchained on Captain Marvel (2014)

[weathertheraine]

MY MY, JUST HOW MUCH I’VE MISSED YA!

Forever ago, I assigned different ABBA songs to Haikyuu!! pairings. This one had to come first, of course - they’re too perfect. I’d also wanted to try out some more challenging bright/limited palettes for a while, since I enjoyed the palette challenge I did a while back, and ABBA felt like a good vibe for it :D! More to come !!

[ID: A panel redraw of Hinata and Kageyama’s handshake from the Jackals/Adlers game, in a limited bright palette of red, mint green and bright yellow. Above them is written ‘MAMMA MIA!’ in bold letters with stars around it. Behind them and partially obscured by their bodies are the next few lines of the chorus of ‘Mamma Mia’]

[finchwingart]

Your art is crazy pretty and is super inspiring, if you dont mind me asking, what materials do you use for your traditional works?

thank you so much ;o; !! I don't mind at all, I love talking about this stuff

I use a small variety of things, but my big loves at the mo are watercolours and fountain pen ink!

I have a couple fountain pens I can refill with a variety of inks depending on what colour I want, and they tend to be water soluable so you can use a waterbrush to wash them out and create really nice effects. Makes it so nice and easy to make a 'painting' on the go.

For my watercolours I have a small box with 12 colours (a mid yellow, a cool and warm red, a cool and warm blue, cool and warm green, two earth tones and 2 neutral tones, and admittedly 1 white gouache for lightening and opacity) and I find these cover all my mixing needs, I find it so fun and rewarding to mix colours! Not only are they super versatile and easy to use but since they're all dry in pans and rewettable for use, they're suuper portable and easy to clean up (essential for me bc I'm lazy; if I don't make things easy for myself, I'll never use it) it's so easy to throw in a bag, keep in a pocket, quickly bring out to do a fast painting wherever I am, and throw it back in a bag without any cleanup.

I also have a very limited palette of gouache (6 colours: white, mid yellow, cool red, warm and cool blue, black (though I wanna switch this to a brown)) which is a lil harder to mix with but again it's so rewarding to mix colours right, and I don't feel like I need much more gouache. Adding white gouache to watercolours makes them almost into a gouache themselves.

For non-painty stuff I have a few neocolor 2s (watersoluable wax pastels, quite popular with sketchbookers) colour pencils, and tombow markers (also watersoluable, and also popular with sketchbookers/stationery enthusiasts lmao) they're really nice to combine altogether for a nice variety of textures! Even tho I can't mix colours with these I try to keep my palettes really limited, not only to challenge myself but so I don't go crazy spending money lmao

[theelmoarchive]

hey, i just wanna say i adore your colours and i really want to know if you have any specific proccess in how you do them? :0 they're always so good i keep coming back to stare

HII!!! SORRY I FORGOT TO ACTUALLY POST THIS WHEN YOU FIRST ASKED, I ONLY REMEMBERED NOW ARGH💥💥💥💥

Thank you so much💥‼️🫶

My process is honestly pretty messy with colors, I sort of switch them around until im happy with it. Doing color theory and real life color studies really helps being able to choose colors that look more "real" ig, but for my drawings like these, I usually go off of complimentery colors‼️💥

(Purple + green is probably my favorite color combo next to red/pink and teal rahh💥💥)

it doesnt always look good, so I change it up if I want to though 💥💥

For my bigger drawings like these, I sometimes do also have some complimentery colors as a basis, but I often don't end up comitting to them lmao. For the most part, it's just guessing until it's right

With these, it's a lot of adding thing and changing hue until it looks nice.

I think my best tip I can give, is don't be afraid to mix in colors that "shouldn't" be there, and also like i said before, studying colors from real life and photographs is extremely helpful‼️‼️ and challenging yourself to use a limiting palette also really helps you understand colors, at least it did for me.

Like back when i was doing these, I was usually going off of a palette I found somewhere, cause it helped me understand what looks nice together‼️‼️‼️

Idk if any of that is helpful to everyone, but that's just how I do it ghfhfhg

[marxonculture]

Albums of the Year 2024

I used to do this every year, but as with everything else in my life, the pandemic and academia got in the way. This is the first year since 2021 where I've made a concerted effort to keep up with (at least to some extent) new music, and I'm feeling the itch to do that typical too-online, self-indulgent thing of writing up a list of my favourite new albums of the year in the vain hope someone might care about it.

Believe it or not, I used to do a full 50-album list, but I'm chilling out a bit with this one and limiting it to 20. These are the records that have gotten me through a hugely transitional year in my life, and my only hope is that if you're reading this, at least one of these records might end up meaning something to you, too.

20. Cunningham Bird by Madison Cunningham and Andrew Bird

A collaboration, built over the last few years, culminates in a wonderful ode to one of the greatest, most volatile, singer/songwriter collaborations of all time.

19. Understory: Live at the Village Vanguard by Ben Wendel

One of those great, live jazz recordings that makes you feel as if you're sat in the venue, watching it all unfold. Brought me back to my own, religious experience at the Vanguard from a couple years ago.

18. Woodland by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings

The neo-old time genre's greatest songwriting duo return with an unapologetically contemporary suite of beautiful new songs. There's a reason Welch is your favourite folk songwriter's favourite songwriter.

17. Nothing by Louis Cole and the Metropole Orkest

If you're into Louis Cole's whole deal, then the majority of this record will feel pleasantly familiar to you. Just add on a full orchestra to give the oddball's usual brand of jazz/funk/fever dream songwriting some extra depth, as well as provide a new colour palette for some rather daring compositional diversions. Lovely.

16. Eagle's Point by Chris Potter

Not a huge amount to say about this one other than that it's an immensly entertaining set of new tunes from four of the greatest jazz musicians currently alive. What's not to like?

15. King of the Mischievous South Vol. 2 by Denzel Curry

Not usually my preferred brand of hip-hop, but at this point, I'll give anything Denzel Curry does a chance, and while this record isn't as much my thing as his last few projects, it's so meticulously made and visceral that I've found myself returning to it over and over again.

14. HIT ME HARD AND SOFT by Billie Eilish

The first of three absolutely essential pop records from 2024 on this list. Eilish and her brother/producer have designed an imaculate album of queer love (and lust) songs which feel especially mature for such a young artist.

13. Against the Fall of Night by Sungazer

I'm glad bassist Adam Neely has diverted his attention away from video essays to focus on his metrically-experimental, electronic jazz group, Sungazer, because this band is doing legitimately crazy and fascinating work. Give this a spin if you like the challenge of trying to head bang to music which refuses to be rhythmically predictable.

12. brat by Charli XCX

Maybe the album of the year in terms of pure cultural dominance. brat is, by my count, second only to one other pop record released in this calendar year (stay tuned). If you could make an audio recording of adrenaline, it'd sound like this. Summer may be over, but I'm not ready to stop bumpin' that.

11. Cowboy Carter by Beyoncé

She's just unstoppable, okay? This latest record from arguably the most famous woman alive is properly totemic pop Americana. If I had to pick a single song of the year, it might be '16 Carriages', which makes it all the more impressive that the rest of the album is good enough to hold up in comparison. It's also cool getting to see some of my favourite bluegrass musicians being involved in a project this massive.

10. Speak to Me by Julian Lage

Julian Lage might be the single most impressive jazz guitarist alive. All of his projects are good if not great, but this one was particularly exciting because he made his recorded return to the acoustic guitar - a real treat whenever it happens. Surrounded by a large-ish and very eclectic ensemble of musicians, Lage's compositions and playing sparkle even more than usual.

9. Wall of Eyes by The Smile

I like Radiohead, okay? I do think Yorke, Greenwood and drummer Tom Skinner have found something special with this new collaboration. The sophomore record is more assured than their debut and has Yorke's best songwriting in years. This stuff is hypnotic!

8. All Now by The Staves

I was so worried that after the eldest Stavely-Taylor sister left the band, that the sound produced by the two remaining sisters would suffer some. Sometimes it's nice to be emphatically proven wrong. All Now is a sonic extention of The Staves' last record, Good Woman, but this one trades wistful melancholy for relentless optimism, and my goodness does it work for them.

7. Fearless Movement by Kamasi Washington

There are very few things more satisfying than when an artist you've felt let down by in the past makes an unequivocal return to form. Kamasi Washington has always been compelling, but I've found him liable to get caught up in his own legend at times at the expense of his music. This new record feels a lot more grounded and a lot more substantial. It's also just a ton of fun!

6. Väsen & Hawktail by Väsen and Hawktail

Two of the most exciting acoustic ensembles in the world, who have been dancing around one another for years now, have finally come together for a full-length record, and it's marvellous! Both bands have lost a member to other projects recently, so given their natural proclivity for each other's music, it made sense for them to collaborate in order to fill those gaps. The sound of these combined groups is nothing short of miraculous. If you like instrumental folk music at all, then this is essential listening.

5. Service Merchandise by Previous Industries

Often, nostalgia can be a blight on culture, but when employed effectively, it can be a tool for exposing deep truths. My personal favourite rapper, Open Mike Eagle, along with Video Dave and Still Rift, have done just that on their debut album as a trio. Service Merchandise doesn't bemoan the loss of the past, but rather highlights the out-of-placeness of those who cling to it. The themes are sombre but the bars carry Eagle and co.'s signature whimsy.

4. GNX by Kendrick Lamar

In contrast, the latest release from LA rapper Kendrick Lamar is maybe the least whimsical major release of the year. It's direct, confrontational, and introspective to the point where it comes uncomfortably close to self-indulgence. What is lyrically quite a challenging record is made spectacularly listenable thanks to its absolutely stacked lineup of bangers which are sequenced to perfection. Undoubtedly Kendrick's best since To Pimp a Butterfly.

3. Fly by Michael Mayo

To my mind, the most deeply underdiscussed and most exciting young voice in jazz right now is Michael Mayo. I'm deeply obsessed with his debut album, Bones, which is a big, dense production. His latest, Fly, is far more intimate by comparison, but no less ambitious. Backed up by virtuosos Shai Maestro (keys), Linda May Han Oh (bass) and Nate Smith (drums), this suite of songs by the vocalist and composer is the most involving jazz record I've heard all year.

2. Only God Was Above Us by Vampire Weekend

I wanted to put this list out today, because come Monday I will have seen Vampire Weekend tour this album live, and the experience will likely skew my opinion of it.

I cannot think of another mainstream popular music outfit that addresses the modern Jewish experience at all, leta lone this well. Vampire Weekend are truly singular in that way. Every new release of theirs speaks to diaspora Jewishness in new, specific and relevant ways. What makes this particualr record so special though is how aesthetically adventurous it is while being so cogent in the delivery of its themes. This is up there with the band's very best records in a discography without a single dud. P.S. 'Classical' is an all-time great indie rock song.

1. The Golem and Other Tales by Sam Reider and the Human Hands

Accordionist and pianist Sam Reider's newest project is a manifestation of something I've been personally wishing for for close to a decade now: jazz and progressive instrumental music as a vehicle for explicitly Jewish cultural expression.

When I was in New York working towards the PhD I would ultimately flame out of, I spoke with Sam Reider and his bandmate, saxophonist Eddie Barbash, about the connection between their music and their relationship with Jewishness (not to be confused with Judaism). It was a lovely and eye-opening conversation that I'd like to think was as helpful to them as it was to me.

I'm not arrogant enough to suggest that this album is a result of that conversation, but it's so unbelievably exciting to see Sam, Eddie and the rest of the Human Hands construct a suite of pieces which so perfectly capture what I was searching for during that period of my life.

Reider's compositions are a particularly magical amalgamation of jazz, bluegrass, klezmer and other folk traditions from around the world. Those combined sound worlds feel like natural bedfellows in Reider and co.'s capable hands, and on this record. The result is an instrumental retelling of the 16th century Jewish folk tale, The Golem of Chelm. I can't tell you just how special this album is to me, but I can tell you that it sounds amazing, and that this group of musicians, led by Reider feel like they were cosmically destined to make this music together.

[titleleaf]

1, 2, 8, 15, 18, 19 ?

1: What's the latest movie you watched, and what did you think of the costumes in it?

Excepting stuff I rewatched, the costumes in the recent Wicked film are a mix of things I adore and other things that are more meh. Costuming fantastical environments and musicals are two tall orders, and the impact can be muted when every character’s got something whimsical going on; but overall I liked the way Oz’s costuming (especially for characters outside the student body of Shiz) consistently reflected the setting’s historical influences and the sort of crossroads moment they’re in. Elphaba’s costumes would have been worth price of admission for me, I love how they’re visibly riffing on these visual signifiers of witchy otherness (unfashionable, severe, dowdy, plain) that evoke both Hamilton’s Witch and the trope of the witch as an old, ugly, unfashionable/out-of-date rural crone while also simultaneously looking really fucking good on her and making her unmistakable for any other character. I really loved Galinda’s little fluffy peignoir and nightie. (This has little to do with the film’s costumes, but it definitely was a hurdle for me in enjoying the film’s visual world — both leads look incredibly thin and unwell, and it’s sometimes difficult viewing/distracts from the impact of the garments.)

2: What's your favorite type of costume movie: period movie with historical costumes, sci-fi/fantasy movie with costumes from imaginary cultures, or "style" movie with contemporary fashion of the time it was made?

Historical costuming with fantastical elements, I’d say? Not necessarily a full on fantasy film but I really enjoy heightened, stylized elements incorporated in characters’ designs. My ur-example of this is Sandy Powell’s use of topstitched denim in The Favourite to evoke heavy, durable workwear. It’s not that the fabric itself is flagrantly non-period but the way it’s used isn’t an attempt to reflect the material reality of working textiles, it’s about textures and vibes. Powell’s downright operatic costuming for The Draughtsman’s Contract is also a fave.

https://fashionista.com/2018/11/the-favourite-movie-costumes-outfits-hair-makeup

I also have a special place in my heart for historical costuming pieces that aren’t showstoppers. Not necessarily casual and dressed-down, but ordinary work clothes and limited wardrobes are a really fun challenge for seeing designers flex their muscles in communicating character and place/time in subtle ways. Making stuff look specific. Some of the costuming in LA Confidential is making an overt statement and it’s full of drama and glamour (Lynn’s cape!) but the different styles of suiting on Bud, Ed, and Jack say a lot about them as people. This is something I’m really looking forward to with Queer (2024).

8: What movie or show has your favorite costumes for an imaginary culture?

Star Wars: Andor with the way Chandrilan culture and Chandrilan traditionalism is reflected in apparel! The Phantom Menace really awakened in me a love of big stagey costumes with everything the characters associated with Naboo wear back in the day.

15: What's a screen costume that you would wear IRL?

I simply think I should be allowed to wear the pink wigs from Amadeus. I also want Healy’s outfits in The Nice Guys. Russell Crowe is looking big and beautiful.

18: What is your biggest costuming pet peeve?

Coyness about showing the shape of men’s legs in settings and eras where the male leg was very much on display and an object of desire. Boring, samey color palettes in eras that had much more unusual and colorful attire than popular film ever seems to reflect, especially when that dovetails with the same impulse to convey “look, our heroes are serious and masculine!” by making everything gray and utilitarian. Bare heads and uncovered hair when head coverings all around are such a playground for opulence and texture and personality.

19: What is your costuming guilty pleasure?

When a period piece on film reflects the era in which it was made in especially striking ways. Especially in makeup (this is big for studio-era Hollywood films where the visual language is sometimes operating on a heightened level) but also when someone is visibly wearing the wrong kind of bra.

[literalliterature]

rolls into your inbox. a laika in seraphim or keet in sea angel i think would be very fun

Did both because as I said these are exactly the palettes I would have picked for each of them, you genius. Also in my head they are besties.

Thank you!!!!

palette challenge by @ultrainfinitepit

[ID copied from alt: The first image shows a shoulders-up portrait of a young woman in a graphic style done in a limited palette of white, oranges, and pinks. About half of her face is dark-skinned, while the other half is lighter and made of slime. She also has an extra eye on this side. Her neck-length hair is textured and shaved on one side, with a couple of lighter streaks running through it. She also has a tail with multicolored feathers at the tip. She grins widely and winks as she looks up toward a few white, five-pointed stars shooting over her. The background shows stripes in the approximate colors of the lesbian flag. The second image shows a shoulders-up portrait of a young woman in profile, done in a sketchy style with a palette of yellow, white, and various shades of blue. She is fat and has faintly visible white freckles on her cheeks, as well as a couple of scars on her face and arm. Her hair is dark and wavy with white streaks throughout it and is tied back. She wears a headband and a pendant around her neck in the shape of an abstracted wave. She smiles as she looks outward. The background shows shining blue water and a blazing white sun in a yellow sky. End ID.]

[gravity-what]

For the emoji/palette challenge: C2 Omi and C3 Chase with waves?

This request inspired a full on story which…I am currently writing but enjoy a short blurb????

(Look I needed to come up with a reason for them to have such expressions!! Omi is excited to get his friend back and Chase is excited to…well…meet a ‘powerful warrior’ as Omi put it…)

“Perhaps all you need is a mission all your own. A chance to spread your wings. To not be so…limited by what the temple is telling you to do.” Chase offered, giving Omi an indulgent smile.

“I…do not believe that is the best idea.” Omi admitted, his failure of a last chosen mission standing right before him. “My last attempt at such a mission did…not go well.”

‘Remember little one, as the past can be changed, so can the future. Only time will tell.’

“…but…perhaps, with your assistance, I might have better luck?” Omi asked hesitantly. The Chase in the other timeline had said that Omi could still change the future. Chase Young might still be Heylin now but…surely the other Chase’s words meant that he did not need to stay that way?

Hope started to bloom in Omi’s chest. It felt like it was the first positive feeling he had felt in some time. He might not have been chosen to be leader. Had not been promoted to Shoku Warrior. But, perhaps, he could still save Chase Young?

Chase tilted his head in something like surprised thought before a smile spread across his face. “You have me intrigued little one. What kind of mission would you have us go on?”

There weren’t many missions that Omi could think of. Especially off the top of his skull. The last mission he had come up with had taken hours of meditation and thought and Dojo suggesting he freeze himself in ice.

Freeze himself…

“I know the perfect mission!” He jumped to his feet, pointing excitedly at Chase, “you will help me to rescue a great warrior! It will be most rewarding!”

Chase’s own eyes seemed to light up at this, his head tilting as his smile grew just a little more. “A great warrior you say? Very well Omi, I agree to accompany you. It has been a while since we have worked together after all. Lead the way.”

[jasminedragonart]

hi! I had a question about your art! I was wondering how you developed your art style over the years! This can be anything like how long you've been drawing and such. I really love your style and am trying to develop my own too!

I started drawing digitally around 2014 with a wacom tablet. Tiny thing. My main issue with my art is that I don't like lineart. I've tried over the years to make it work for my art but the lineweight and such is just not working for my art.

Once I decided I didn't like it I started looking at art where the lineart is minimal. Arealtrashact as well as other artists like nathsketch do a lot of lineless expressive art. I studied how they made it look so good and tried to apply it to my own work. If you go back to my early work on this blog it isn't good. My style was too much trying to copy the reference image than stylize it. I found my niche with atla though.

I studied how Disney drew brother bear and Mulan which helped me with eyes and face proportions. Expressions I did that 100 heads challenge but I put an animated film on and paused it to do that which really helped with faces.

A lot of my work is trial and error really. I still try with lineart but colour is my struggle right now too. Limiting the palette is very helpful for that.

My advice would be to find artists you like and ask why you like it. Atalienart does a lot of cool watercolour looking art and I liked how they put blush on the cheeks nose and fingers so I tried that with my own and that's stuck for a few years now. Experiment with different styles Frankenstein art together and find what you find interesting and easy. But don't be afraid to do hard art either.

I hope this helps.

[wonviiii]

Spirited Away - Blog #1

Drifting to a faraway place, leaving your friends behind, and knowing nothing about what you will encounter are challenges many people face at least once in their lifetime. Chihiro, the main protagonist, is one of such people who had to leave everything behind and is left to struggle with a new sense of loneliness. However, it doesn’t take long for her world to flip upside down when she loses her parents due to their greed and is stranded in the land of spirits with only one boy guiding her and urging her to leave, Haku. As she learns to be independent away from her parents' coddling and protection, she is quickly thrown into a society where if she doesn’t work she will turn into an animal by the ruler of the land, Yubaba. This directly reflects today's society, where one has to work to live because if you fail to do so you will become society’s livestock. Chihiro is then challenged to come out of her bubble to survive and throughout the series, you can see her gain more confidence in herself as she goes from clutching her parents in fear of the unknown to actually facing the unknown head-on! 

Another notable circumstance of change happening is with Yubaba’s baby. Growing up in a spoiled environment, when the baby first met Chihiro, he was headstrong in getting his own way, even if it was against Chihiro’s wishes. He states that his mother told him that the outside world is bad and that he shouldn’t venture, to which Chihiro strongly disagrees and tells him that he is actually sick because he is always inside the bathhouse full of greed and power. Soon after he leaves the bathhouse to venture outside, when he comes back and reunites with his mother he has changed (he can even walk now!). He realizes his wrongdoing and even calls his mother out on her philosophy that “society has rules to follow”, fortifying that sometimes the best way to grow is to be let free and not be restrained within the limits given by others. 

The film really emphasizes very relevant issues in today’s society. We live to work and we work to live, greed drives anyone to do anything, exploitation and harassment in the workplace, environmental pollution, independence vs dependence, overconsumption, and a loss of self-identity among many others. To go more into detail about some of them, we can see environmental pollution being depicted with the stink monster that riles up the whole bathhouse in a state of panic but then turns out to be a river spirit that was full of human trash (bicycles, etc…). Exploitation and harassment as well as a loss of self-identity are depicted when Chihiro begins her work and is often excluded, overworked, or not even given the right to have cards to start baths because she is different. Yubaba also rules over others by stealing their names, therefore bringing up the loss of self-identity when you give yourself to work and your superiors.

Overall, This film was very beautifully written and crafted very intricately. Despite its otherworldly themes and fantasy-like elements it actually reflected the realism of many modern-day issues which spoke to the heart and really made you think. This is actually my second time watching it, though the first time I watched it was a very long time ago and I had long forgotten. Having grown up and watching it freshly anew I noticed many metaphors and feelings conveyed that I had not realized when I was younger. I really enjoyed looking for these underlying themes and not only watching the movie but wholeheartedly understanding it. The world-building and overall color palette are to die for and it made me wish I were in the bathhouse overlooking the water-ridden train station- so incredibly beautiful! 

[vibrantfoxart]

Palette-uary Day 1 - 3

original prompt from Tailsteak on twitter (image + rambles below the cut)

I meant to post these so much sooner but i forgot > < aaaaa

It's actually been soo long since I'd done limited palette drawings before these but it's genuinely one of my favorite art exercises~ this was another instance of me not fully finishing an art challenge but it was very fun to experiment again nonetheless and I'll probably come back to these just for fun ^^