#big canvas acrylic painting ideas

[jamswhams]

I've a massive thread of merlin screenshots I took for reference while watching and I have yet to properly use em smh

[meg-girumi]

How did you make your head for your Mr puzzles cosplay? (I’m trying to make my own, and I want to get some ideas for the face mostly.

Ok! Lemme tell you how I made mine)

It's gonna be a long one so...⬇️

The head

1) Make the simplified 3d model

It's only base. Without knobs and vent

Here's the link (to open it you'll need pepakura viewer)

This link is pdf (just glue sides with identical numbers)

2) Print it!

I used high thickness paper, so It would be more sturdy

Next is a long one, so you'll need scissors (scalpel) and a lot of patience

3) Cut out pieces

And don't forget to number them (If you're using the program it will be easier to assemble)

4) Glue pieces together

5) Cut out the hole for the neck

6) To make head even more sturdier we will strengthen it with plastic (not necessary)

I used 3d pen and pla plastic and covered the whole surface of the head with grid

Sorry, no photo :(

7) Cover with thin foam

I used white, 3 mm one

This face didn't make it btw

8) Paint!

I used metallic paint and also painted edges black for the cartoony effect!

How to wear the mask?

For head to be fixed in place I glued polystyrene foam (I had few big blocks left)

And to how actually get it on head I made a door that holds on metal hinges

Knobs and vent

Knobs were made out of cardboard and covered with foam

Meanwhile the vent was created completely out of foam

The hat and antennas

The felt hat was found in the arts and crafts store

Yet couldn't say the same for antennas

Base was made out of cardboard and then covered with polymer clay

As to how I attached them?

✨ 3d pen ✨

And the last but definitely not the least

Screen

The screens glass was made out of palette made of plexiglass (that's also the reason why here it's green)

on the photo the same pallet but this one I actually used for paint

Faces were made using the same white foam and acrylic paint

For the screens to hold up I glued small clamps to the base. This thing allows me to change faces)

That's how mask looks from the inside

As to how I see through them

Yep there's a hole in the mouth, covered with black plastic canvas. Yes the vision is a bit blurry this way, but it's better than seeing nothing.

Ok, that's all byeeeee

[sorensolsikke]

here's some punk diy tips and ideas

[other than crusty pants and battle jacket, although we still love those greatly.]

why should you diy, when you can just find decorated items everywhere, you can ask. what if you are clumsy at painting or anything?

firstly, good questions. we diy so we don't give credit to the big companies who rule the world. we diy to get more independent from the system we dislike. we diy so to save money. to express uniqueness, recognize eachother and be recognized. and especially to have fun and feel cool. diy is not only about clothing, but anything you can set your mind on. of course, one cannot make EVERYTHING for themselves, there isn't enough time and energy. but making at least small steps are already a statement and more than nothing. also, helping small artists by buying their products is also pretty punk.

that being said, i provide you with some tips of mine, all gained from experience:

anything you drew/painted on, you will WANT TO protect. acrylic paint/markers + acrylic paint varnish/transparent nail polish/textile medium are your best friends. read after anything that's new to you.

i highly recommend working with old clothing or thrift shop finds when it comes to textiles, as it is environmentally friendly and you will stay in budget. Anyways, always make sure that the material you use isn't gonna be problematic. for example, if you want to do some patchwork, the material shouldn't decay easily (if it does, it will come off so quickly.). if you want to paint on it, it shouldn't be rugged.

you can not only draw/paint on your canvas shoes, but can also sew, embroidery (just make sure to use a thimble, plus floss instead of thread could make your work more durable), and add beads and trinkets to your shoelaces. in the case of shoes, never use glue (neither hot nor instant glue) – it will come off quickly. for some inspiration, i'll show you my shoes!

(the fake moss is literally unstoppable from falling off or getting dirty. risky idea.)

it's good to carry around water and food!! you don't even have to pay for decorative water bottles and food boxes, as you can draw on glass and plastic just fine with acrylic markers. just don't forget to paint transparent nail polish all over your drawing. in at least two layers. don't be lazy or laid-back. even posca comes off while washing the dishes. and you WANT TO save your reference pictures/final designs, as the case of emergency is likely. but after all, my water bottle is exactly fine after six months, with no accuring problem.

if your current best option to get stickers from is aliexpress or overpriced decor stores, search for local artists and shops on instagram and tiktok, as it may be their most efficent way of getting you to know them. if it seems like you have no chance, you may can still find a print shop with the option of printing on self-adhesive sheets (at least in hungary, those are pretty cheap). and if you want drawings to print out as stickers, you may use your own or –ONLY IF YOU GET PERMISSION– other artist's work. not only good for decorations for like, headphones, but for vandalism too. WAIT WAIT who said that. who said it. not me. no never

(in case that's also impossible, you can create stickers by printing out/drawing a picture, cover it up in transparent adhesive tape, and then put some two-sided adhesive tape on the white side of the pic. it won't be that durable, but it functions.)

if you want to bleach-paint clothing, get some plastic brushes!! any other brush dissolves. draw your design first with chalk!! never forget to put cardboard inside the clothing, and to wash the finished work in a washing machine before you'd put it on. prepare to be patient with the process. and it's not dangerous to touch 5%-9% household bleach, just wash your hands soon after.

if you want your crusty pants to last veryyy long, wax them. look up on youtube jeans waxing.

some more things i made for myself so to give you some inspiration: totebag with pockets, a small crystal holder cabinet, badges, and i decorated some t-shirts, button-ups, an id card case, phonecase, laptop.

theoretically speaking, there is nothing that an individual would be unable to learn how to make, when it comes to diy. you can't imagine how easy it is to bake bread at home. consuming-focused media makes people believe that it's hard to make anything. of course, everyone has to decide about their own priorities, i don't want to convince or change anyone in here. and if you have any questions, send an ask!! i hope i had been helpful.

[leighsartworks216]

Self-Portrait of the Soul

Rafayel & gn!artist!Reader

Been playing around with this idea for a while, mostly cuz I think it's funny. But I also think it would be really cute if Rafayel went on to date an artist

If Thomas is mischaracterized, idc. I am using him as a vessel to move things along. If Rafayel is mischaracterized......... I have no excuse 😔

Warnings: mischief, heavily implied exploitation, misunderstandings, pre-relationship, possibly ooc

Word Count: 1,279

Main Masterlist

Love and Deepspace Masterlist

AO3

Tag List Form (Psst fill this out to be tagged in future fics! - Updated to add Rafayel)

You look up at the large painting on the wall. Acrylic paints hold each brushstroke in a suspended image, frozen in time. Even the carefully blended sections hold the evidence of their creation. A sheet coating of varnish makes the colors pop into a stunning vibrancy.

You’ll be the first to admit, it’s a bit experimental. The colors are chaotic and poorly laid out when compared to artists like Piet Mondrian, with seemingly no limit to the palette used. Your agent had been hesitant to put it in the exhibit at all, but you’d insisted. Now that you’re in the thick of it, you watch people in suits barely give it a glance as they pass from one painting to the next, and hear the occasional snicker from art snobs who only really like art when the artist is dead.

The rest of the works are ‘safe’, staying within the realms of comfort for buyers and gawkers. But this one… It’s the only one that sings to those willing to listen.

“There’s not many people appreciating this one.”

You jump a little at the voice that comes from beside you. A man, dressed in a simple but expensive suit, stands with his hands in his pockets as he looks at the painting. His purple hair and relaxed posture make him stand out like a sore thumb in a place like this.

He tilts his head to look at you, smiling. “Do you like it?”

Stumbling over yourself, you nod. Nobody has spoken to you about your work yet tonight. You can’t let the opportunity go, lest your agent get on your case about it. “Y-Yes, it’s my favorite.”

“Really?” There’s a twinkle in his eyes as he looks back up at the piece, and then glances at the other, markedly more popular, works around it. “Huh, how come?”

You glance at the other works, too. They’re just as familiar as you remember them.

Looking into the eyes of a portrait, you can recall the struggles of getting it just right so the figure is easily recognizable. The realistic painting of a cat stalking a mouse brings to mind the mind-breaking efforts of painting fur strand by strand. Most of the works are like that; easy-to-grasp realism, depicting things people would be interested in buying. A koi fish distorted by the ripples in a pond. Water droplets on a foggy mirror. A sunset. Each one with their own agonies, recalling only the pain of their production. Your agent’s voice repeating time and time again that this is what it takes to get into a gallery and have people be interested.

You look up at the big painting and all you feel is pride, peace, and like a burden has been lifted off your chest.

You settle for a more sophisticated answer. Your agent always said not to ruin the image of an artwork by pointing out the rough details. “Well, while the others are all technically correct, this one has more emotion and passion behind it.” You look at him, biting your cheek, hoping you answered ‘correctly’.

He cocks his head to the side, taking in the emotion and passion you mentioned. “It’s my favorite here, too,�� he finally says after a minute. “It’s more genuine, like you said. The rest are all surface level and boring. They exist to appeal to a wider audience, but they don’t feel true to the artist’s intentions. Here, it feels like the artist has transcribed their soul onto canvas with each color and brushstroke.”

Your heart flutters. He… He really sees past the exhibition. He sees more than the price tags and art collectors.

He turns to you with that same relaxed grin, though something playful dances at the corners, reflected in his eyes. “Their whole soul is here, but nobody seems to care about it. Ironic, huh?”

You nod slightly. You can’t deny it; the most important artwork to you has become reduced to amateurish abstraction by the other attendees. You’re more certain now that it will not be purchased tonight. “Yeah…”

A hand taps your shoulder. You turn to see your agent, an older woman with dyed brown hair pulled into a tight bun and thin-framed glasses perched on her sharp nose. “There you are! I’ve been looking all over for you!” Your agent huffs with barely-contained irritation. She smiles quickly at the man, no joy behind the gesture. “Madame Shrike wants to talk to you about commissioning a portrait! Come on, we can’t keep her waiting!”

A commission? Your heart skips a beat. You can’t tell if it’s from excitement or dread. Your agent grabs your arm to drag you over, but you stop to turn to the man. “Oh, I’m sorry, I have to go! But it was nice talking to you, Mr…?”

The man’s eyes widen slightly, the realization of who this art belongs to catching up with him. His smile doesn’t falter despite the surprise. “Rafayel.”

You smile in return. “Thank you for your observations, Mr. Rafayel. I hope you enjoy the rest of your night.” You turn and follow your agent with hurried footsteps as you struggle to keep up with her rapid pace.

Rafayel turns back to the painting. His eyes roam the colors, trying to seek out the layers to this self-portrait of the soul now that he knows just who it belongs to. Thomas sighs as he comes to stand beside him.

“Thought you snuck out again,” he says. He looks up at the painting with disinterest. The only reason they were there at all was to rub elbows with potential buyers for an upcoming exhibit. “Have you spoken to anybody at all since getting here?”

Rafayel smirked, like he’s just been told some juicy gossip. “I have, actually. I spoke to the artist being shown tonight.”

“Really? What did you say to them?”

“I insulted their art.”

Thomas’s face dropped immediately. “What?!” he hisses in a stressed whisper. “Do you have any idea what that could do to your image?!”

Rafayel’s eyes widen as he blinks dumbly at his manager, pretending to be shocked as he puts a hand over his chest. “I have no idea. How?”

Thomas shakes his head and turns back to the colorful painting. “You’re insufferable sometimes.” Rafayel chuckles to himself, all too proud of his little joke. “What did they say?”

There’s a bristle from the brush you were using caught in a stroke of red. He wonders what they’re made out of, where you got them, how long you’ve had them for. He wonders how many more bristles he’d find in the rest of your work.

Ignoring Thomas’s question completely, Rafayel says, “Buy this one for me, will you?”

“This one? Isn’t it a bit… ‘rough around the edges’?”

“It’s the best painting here.”

“... I’ll never understand you.”

By the end of the showing, you expect all but one painting to be missing from the walls. Instead, once everything was taken down to be wrapped for various buyers, the walls were blank. Your manager gushes at her phone.

“You did really well for your first ever exhibit!” she praises. “Every single painting sold! Even your… ahem, experimental work. That doesn’t happen very often! You should feel very proud!”

You smile at her, but it doesn’t reach your eyes. She doesn’t notice. You can’t stop staring at the big empty spot where you’d spoken to that man.

“Okay! Now that you’re in, we need to start networking. There’s an exhibition next week for Rafayel that will be packed with more critics and connoisseurs than you could shake a stick at.”

You turn to her, eyes wide. “Rafayel?”

[moosemann404]

Tears of Creation

(All together below)

Alt. Title: Drowning in divinity

Medium used was Acrylic on canvas (2 canvases both 16x20)

Creation notes: interstellar gas formation known as the Pillars of Creation used as a background, while the bottom canvas was meant to look like the creation melting and weeping. The stars are falling alongside.

And this week on ‘shit Moose has done instead of writing’. Apparently I thought it would be a good idea to make two big fuck ass paintings. I’ve never painted a person before, so this was an adventure. If I could go back I think I’d put more effort into the hands and redo some of the color mixing.

It’s up to the viewer if the top core is Morality or Wheatley

Hm… am I forgetting anything?

Oh yeah.

I took a gamble on some glow in the dark paint and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. I might add a second coat to the bottom canvas as it isn’t as bright as the top one, but other than that!!! Wowie!!! (There is paint all over my room)

[rufusahhahh]

in classic yoomtah fashion her painting might've almost caught on fire and/or burnt my skin off :D for context my acrylic pad was probably part cotton and while i was trying to stick the big flowers on the back, i decided it was the SMARTEST idea to use superglue and then i felt the canvas heat up where the flowers were. fun fact about superglue! cotton and superglue react very violently together and conduct heat! :) Thank god tho i mixed the superglue with elmers glue tho LOL badum tsss

[cant-shake-it]

How to Make a Printing Screen from Home

I wanted to share a quick cute little tutorial for how I made my own screen for making patches (and other things that don't require exact measurements). Cute lil how-to under the cut >:)

Disclaimer: I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing at any given moment. There could be a better tutorial out there for you. I'm just guessing for a lot of the things I do and this is no exception. With that out of the way:

THE SUPPLIES YOU DEFINITELY ABSOLUTELY NEED:

a small/medium canvas (depending on what you have and how big your design will be)

paintbrushes

a tight-woven sheer fabric (preferably not stretchy and STRONG)

a fine-tip pen

water-resistant gloss of some kind (mod podge works, but make sure it's a waterproof kind if you want to make more than one print)

paint that won't come off in the wash (acrylic/spray paint work)

good strong tape

a good sturdy card-like thingy

an easy/cool design for your print :)

THE SUPPLIES THAT ARE RECCOMENDED BUT NOT NECESSARY (aka things I like to use):

a good canvas fabric/thick cotton for printing on

fabric paint (will stay on the fabric best duh)

a 1/2in, 1/3in, and fine tip paintbrush for details (depending on your design)

some company for fun :)

Alright, so first you'll want to figure out the design you want to print out and get a good sketch over it. I'm a detail freak so I like sketching out my design then going over it in a black pen. The ideal is hard contrast and clear and discernable lines/fill-in spots, like pictured below:

(Note how I emphasized which spots were to have thicker lines, which parts of the stripes were to be printed, etc. I tried to think a lot about which portions I wanted to show up on the finished design and how they would look on the fabric as a whole.)

So you've got your design. Great! Next step is a fun one: Grab a canvas you are willing to part with (this one was a painting I made when I was 16. I hate it), and rip all the fabric off of that fucker!! If you pull off some staples in the process, don't worry. Just make sure you can retain the shape of the frame, since that's the part you'll need to keep. You don't need to take off every single bit of the fabric, but as previously stated, I'm a freak, so I did. You'll come out with something like this:

For the next steps you'll need a good pair of scissors as well as your pen and your sheer fabric. You're going to want to set the frame on your fabric and cut about an inch and a half around it so there's extra to wrap around the frame and tape down. You can draw a guideline for where to cut if you want, but once again, I'm a freak:

Now lay the front of the canvas frame (the part without staples on it) face down on the fabric and grab your tape! Now we're going to tape down each end of the frame so the sheer lays taut on the frame. I like to put one or two strips of tape on the ends parallel to each other and pull them tight, then do the same with the other side, then continue adding tape until the whole outside of the frame is covered. See below:

(Note: your goal in this step is to stretch the sheer as tight as it can comfortably go so there are no wrinkles or depressions in the fabric.)

So now you have you're frame. Fuck yes!!! Go ahead and grab the design you came up with as well as your pen (you can use a pencil too, but the pen shows up much better through the fabric so I definitely prefer it), and put the frame front side down onto the sketch.

If you're worried about keeping the frame steady, feel free to tape the frame down and go ahead and trace over the design with your pen. Make sure to fill in all the dark parts enough that you can differentiate them from the light parts.

Once you have your sketch copied to the frame, now you can grab your gloss!!! Hurry!!! You're almost done!!!!

With this step I like to start big and go into the details once all the larger portions of the sheer are covered. Pretty much you're going to paint over every part that isn't the black of the pen with your waterproof gloss. This ensures that once you start printing, the only parts that are going to bleed through the fabric will be the black parts that weren't painted over with gloss/varnish/mod podge/whatever you used as long as it's waterproof!!! Take all the time you need, it's not a race. Once you're done and the gloss has dried, your screen is going to look something like this when put up to a light:

Now that this step is over with, congratulations - you have just made a mesh screen!!! Keep reading to learn how to use it lol

So for the patches that I make I just went with black and white paint, and black and white fabric to keep it traditional, but you can use any colors of paint and fabric you want, truly! The world is your oyster! I do not care! That being said, we're keeping it simple today.

Grab your screen, a piece of fabric that can cover the design and leave at least an inch of space around it, and a surface you won't mid getting paint on on accident. You'll also want to grab that card-like thingy for this as well. It can really be anything that can provide a sturdy, even pressure across the screen consistently. Go ahead and pick up that fabric paint too, I guess. We'll probably need that.

At this point, this is what your workspace might look like:

Next up you are going to center your design onto your piece of fabric-

-and grab your fabric paint. put a thin little stripe over the top (start slow and add more - as you can see I added a little too much and kinda fucked up my design) then grab your card thingy. Make sure you have even pressure on it and swipe it down at a medium speed so you're dragging the paint down the screen:

Once you've got everything covered I like to go over it a few more times for even coverage. Then you pull it up from the screen (which you might want to rinse off so no paint sticks to it!!!), wait for that bitch to dry, and you're done!! Congratulations, you have your very own fun silly patch! Go sew it on something! Or not! I do really do not care!!!!!!

[dangerliesbeforeyou]

feeling kinda petty rn about that post i just reblogged w/ the people being weirdos about digital art cos like literally EVERY digital artist i've ever met has a rly good understanding of traditional art (like i think i've talked about it before? but getting better at traditional painting made me better at digital and also vice versa lol!)

but those losers who talk like traditional art is the Only Real Art (no one tell them about animators btw)? u give them a tablet and guaranteed they'd struggle producing something good straight away because nEWSFLASH assholes, digital art takes as much skill and time to master as any other fucking medium!!!!!

like you need to get to grips with however ur drawing it (drawing w/ a tablet is a big learning curve that takes months and months to get good at, and heaven forbid you (like me) don't have a tablet atm so have to do everything w/ ur laptop's mousepad lol), then there's understanding whichever program u use (there are some programs, like photoshop, that i don't touch purely because they're SO bloody complicated lol!), knowing how to export your art, trying to figure out how to get certain effects u want, figuring out how to get prints of it etcetc like the idea that digital art magically does everything for u and u don't have to work hard is ridiculous and plain wrong! like if that were true then there would only be good digital art, which anyone who has spent any time on deviantart will tell u that is absolutely NOT the case lol

(and i dont say that to be mean btw, every single artist has to start somewhere and it takes yrs and yrs and YRS of practise to get good at it!!!)

so actually u know what? ANYone can pick up a pencil and scribble something on a page, or whack some paint on a canvas, it takes a REAL™ artist to pick up a stylus and learn how to do digital lol!!! ESPECIALLY in an age where people are accusing every digital artist of using ai ugh

(putting this under the readmore cos i dont wanna come across as conceited lmao)

like oh u think ur superior cos u use acrylic paint? cute

i literally painted this with ONLY my finger lol get tf over urselves!!!!!

[lord-aldhelm]

WIP Wednesday

Another week, another tag game! Please share your last sentence; or, if you don’t have one, share a plot bunny or idea! (OR sketch for your artwork!)

No one has tagged me yet so here goes!

This is from Chapter 10 of my WIP Darkest Before the Dawn:

“Yes, Lord,” he said one more time, and left the great hall to seek his own chambers. He was glad that the incident with the guard’s injury was not a falsehood. If he had been caught out on that it would have ended badly, and he would not be able to cleverly talk his way out of the situation. But it did make his sporadic trips to Saltwic riskier.

I also just finished this rough sketch of my next big personal project:

This will be an acrylic painting on a 20x30 inch (51x76 cm) stretched canvas, with gold embellishments and gold paint for the halo. I really hope this turns out as well as it looks in my head! This is something I had planned on for TWO YEARS now! And I finally have the time and skills to pull it off (I hope). This was going to be the original idea for the first painting I did, before I chickened out and removed the crown and the halo.

The theme of this will be "green and gold" and have a multitude of shades of greens and golds, primarily. The background will be a washed out muted green, the halo will be metallic gold, his outfit will be emerald green with gold detailing. The crown, hilt of the sword, and his brooch will be gold with emerald cabochons inlaid into them. I just ordered my canvas this afternoon and cannot wait to get started on it!

No pressure tags:

@gemini-mama @synintheraven @garunsdottir @thenameswinter99 @thelettersfromnoone

@bagheerita @solinarimoon @errruvande @paula-in-dreamland @aneurins-barnard

@waterfallsilverberrywrites @whitedarkmoonflower @bilbotargaryen @holy3cake

@grinningkatz @ladyinred2248 @hikaruchen @st-eve-barnes @alexagirlie

[nostalgiclittlespace]

I'm sort of new when it comes to requesting fics, so I hope this is okay! I know Kipper isn't on the list of fandoms you write for, but I got inspired when you posted those headcanons about Kipper being a caregiver! 🩵

Caregiver: Kipper

Regressor: Reader (around five years old)

When Reader regressed around Kipper for the first time, they try to hide it from him because they are embarrassed: however, little does Reader know that Kipper already knows, and tries to make them feel better about regressing.

First of all, super cute prompt! this is the first Kipper fic I’ve written, which is lowkey surprising since I love the show so much (I’ve even watching it since I was a toddler!) secondly, don’t worry, your request format was perfect! 💕💗❤️

I left whether reader is human or anthropomorphic unspecified Mostly so it can be read to individual preferences. (and there’s this one episode where there’s just a human baby for some reason, so evidently Kipper’s world has both). So imagine yourself any way you want!

PS: If you want some extra Kipper CG vibes, some great episodes that showcase his caring side are Looking After Arnold, Hide & Seek, and The Visitor (all available on YouTube) They are super cute!

Anyway, enough rambling from me; here you go, friend!

SFW AGE REGRESSION FIC. DNI IF NSFW, KINK, PROSHIP, OR SIMILAR. DO NOT REPOST TO OTHER SITES

Title: The Painting

Pairing: CG!Kipper & Little!Reader

Wordcount: 1465

Description: You go to Kipper’s house to work on a painting together. You are a little nervous about showing your regression, but Kipper doesn’t seem to mind at all.

TW: Nothing major, but there is a little bit of embarrassment about regressing, and brief implications of past bad experiences because of it.

The Painting

Today you were visiting Kipper at his house.  Being your best friend, you visited him quite often, but today was extra special!  You were going to paint together!

Yesterday, Kipper told you about an enormous canvas he had gotten from the store, and he invited you to help him paint it.  You two passed ideas back and forth for ages, wondering what monumental picture would be put on such an exquisite frame.  Eventually you settled on a portrait of the neighborhood, with all your friends about it.  The playground, river, woods, Duck Pond, and Big Hill would be depicted across every inch.  It would be brilliant!

You skipped towards Kipper’s house, your paints, brushes, and some snacks to share tucked under your arm.  The walk was pleasant, perfectly warm with a light breeze bristling through the trees.  You would have stayed out all day if you weren’t so excited for your art project!

So, now arriving at his house, you knocked on Kipper’s front door.  

“Coming!” you heard him call, and moments later he threw open the door.

“Hi, Kip!” you greeted enthusiastically.

“Hello, (Y/N)!  The painting is all ready!” Kipper grinned, letting you inside.

The canvas was indeed massive–so much so that it had to be laid across the living room floor and not the kitchen table.  The palettes and Kipper’s own paints were also scattered around it.  He hadn’t started without you; so the blank white setting teased your creativity.  Imagine all the people, things, and colors you could elaborate it with! 

“Wow!  It’s even bigger than I imagined!  We’ll have room to paint the whole neighborhood!” you exclaimed gleefully at the sight of it.

“That’s what I was thinking.  Come on, then.  Let’s get started.”

You took to one side of the canvas, and Kipper took to the other.  You laid side by side on the floor, propped up by your elbows.  Bottles of paint were passed between you, hefty amounts added to your palettes, and with the brush as your applicator, to the frame.

It didn’t take long for both of you to be covered head to toe in  acrylics–quite literally.  Somehow you had managed to get splotches of vibrant colors across your nose and arms where you were sprawled across the floor.  But the mess was worth it; even if you had only recently started, every cloud and tree added felt like a true masterpiece.  

The urge to finger paint was there, to discard your paintbrush in favor of the classic method you used when you were younger.  But you dismissed the thought, no matter how many times it recurred.  This was an important painting, both to you and to Kipper.  You shouldn’t risk ruining it by regressing to more abstract methods and a younger headspace.   

“It looks brilliant!” Kipper declared as you added green ovals for lily pads in the Pond and he added white flowers around Big Hill.  

“Yeah!  I can’t wait to show our friends,” you agreed.  “Where will we put it when it’s finished?” 

“Hmm.  I don’t know.  Everyone should be able to see it.  Maybe we could take turns having it in each other’s houses,” Kipper suggested as he rinsed off his brush in the water and selected another hue.

“It’s awfully big to carry back and forth…maybe we could borrow Jake’s wagon to transport it around.”

“Yeah!  Speaking of our friends, where should we put them in the painting?  Arnold loves the Pond, maybe we can paint him feeding the ducks there,” he continued.

“And Pig can be with him, eating the bread!” you giggled, thinking of your two neighbors and imagining what a fun scene to draw it would be. 

The two of you continued to brainstorm, deciding on some clever locations.  Jake would be at the river bed.  Tiger would be in his front yard.

“Where would you like to be, (Y/N)?” Kipper inquired as he got the gray paint for Tiger’s likeness.  

“The park!” you exclaimed excitedly.  “It’s my favorite place.  I like to play there.”

Memories of endless adventures at the playground filled your mind–from the swings to the see-saw, to the slides.  On lucky days, you would bump into your friends there, and they would join you for a little while.  Then, even more games would ensue–tag, hide and seek, I Spy, Simon-Says...I’m really lucky to have so many friends to play with me! you thought, kicking your legs a little at the thought.  The park really was your favorite place in the world.

Just how many times had Kipper spotted you swinging by yourself and come to give you a push?  Or chased you around for a game of tag?  Or brought extra bread so you two could feed the ducks together?

Subconsciously, your thumb found its way to your mouth–one miraculously not dirtied by paint.  Thoughtlessly, you chewed on the nail and bobbed your head up and down, lost in carefree memories.

Meanwhile you painted Pig and Arnold at the pond, the beautiful, blushing pink shade vibrant against the green and blue hues surrounding it.  You even remembered to include the bread and a couple ducks!

“Wow!  That looks brilliant!” Kipper praised, drawing you from your trace.

Abruptly, you pulled your finger from your mouth and stopped kicking your feet.  Your cheeks heated up as you realized your friend could have been watching your childish mannerisms, given the way he smiled at you and carefully observed your progress.

Admittedly, you tried not to share that side with very many people.  Kipper knew you had some childish interests, and like most of your friends, still enjoyed a good game of pretend.  But you hadn’t ever given him a name for it, not actually admittedly that regression was a legitimate factor of your life.

Kipper was kind and fun, and he probably wouldn’t judge you for it…but the nagging fear and past negative experiences always tugged at your better judgement whenever you considered discussing it with anybody.  It was endlessly easier just to keep your headspace toned down while around others than to risk misunderstandings by making a big deal of it.  Right?

“Thanks,” you finally replied after a second to process his compliment.  “Who should I paint next?”

“I have an idea!  You can paint me, and I’ll paint you.  We can both be at the park together,” Kipper suggested.

“Okay!” you smiled.  You shook off your nerves and your headspace, then continued painting.

Well, you tried to at least.  As you colored with orange, white, and brown for your best friend’s caricature, he told you a very funny story about his toys, Slipper and Sock Thing.  

Soon enough you were bobbing your head again, giggling at Kipper’s imitations of his toys and the silly expressions he made along the way.  Every so often, the nerves would try to come back, but they were quickly banished by the way Kipper’s grin widened when you laughed.  He didn’t seem to mind after all!

The art project was soon finished, and you had to clean up the mess you made.  There were drips of color everywhere, including all over your hands, face, and floor.  Good thing you used washable paint!  And that you didn’t have to clean up by yourself–Kipper promised you a slice of chocolate cake if you washed yourself and the brushes clean of paint.  But that wasn’t a hard job, especially because Kip filled the sink with bubbles!

“That was fun,” you declared as you dried your hands a few minutes later.

“Yeah!  We should paint something else again soon.  But what?  We’ve already done the entire town,” Kipper hummed in agreement.

“Hmmm.  Maybe the beach.  Or the sky.  We could add rockets and balloons.”

“Yes!  That’s a great idea!” Kipper exclaimed.  He patted your head and you beamed under the cheer.  “We could put aliens and stars and the sun too!  What do you think, little one?”

You briefly froze as you processed the nickname.  Little one.  Kipper seemed to realize your hesitation.

“It’s okay if you sometimes feel and act small,” he informed you.  “You’re still my best friend, you know.  You’re still very clever and brilliant.”

“You mean it?” you chewed your finger nail nervously.

“Yes, silly, of course!”

Your smile returned.

You stayed for an hour longer, time you spent playing and having snacks while you waited for the painting you dry.  You wanted to stay long enough to inspect the product when it was fully dry, but you had to go home after that–it was getting late.  But Before you headed home you caught one last glance at the portrait and smiled; in the very center was the park, where you and Kipper’s likenesses held hands and played together–a lasting reminder that he would always be your dearest friend.

[noodyl-blasstal]

You know when you have a stupid idea and nothing can stop you?

--

“Are you done yet?” Lup asks through gritted teeth.

“The more you ask the longer Taako’s going to take.” Taako prods her shin with his foot

“How about now?”

“Yeah, no, absolutely, glad you asked actually,  cha’boy’s completely done.”

“Really?” Lup relaxes her face. ”Lemme see!”

“No, Goofus, put your face back!”

Lup sighs, but settles back into her cross legged pose and resumes the terrifying smile. “You owe me.”

“It’s worrying how well you can enunciate like that.”

“Years of practice.” She winks at him as he peers over the canvas.

“A multi-talented muse.” Taako squints at Lup, then ducks back behind his stupid tiny easel. He should probably prop it up somewhere else, but the legs hadn’t been right when they were fully extended for years, so the sofa with some structural cushions was his studio of choice. He’s applying the last few brush strokes to the teeth when Lup starts to fidget again.

“Are you done now though?”

“Just let me…” Taako looks at Lup, back at the page, and back again. “Yeah, you’re good.”

“Can I see?”

“Taako isn’t moving it. That’s what smudged it last time.”

Lup vaults unnecessarily over the back of the sofa, then runs round to stand behind him. She takes a deep, reverent breath. “Koko… It’s glorious. Your best yet. You captured the emotions so well.”

“It’s true.” Taako nods solemnly. “Cha’boy has a gift.”

“Everything your brush touches turns to gold.” Lup rests her head on his shoulder to get a closer view. He absently rubs his cheek against hers.

“Uh huh. How many gold specifically? Like 400?”

Lup snorts. “Dream big, why not six?”

“Good point, Taako needs to remember his worth.”

“Hell yeah!” Lup stands and pats him reassuringly on the back.

“Ooooh, that’s good.” Taako grabs his brush and makes a final addition.

Lup waits for him to finish. “Perfect. You’re a genius.”

Image description: a screenshot of a Facebook marketplace post which shows a picture of a blue owl perched on a triangular black shape. The background is a dark blue sky with a large moon directly behind the owl. It is grimacing with human teeth. "hell yeah" is written in the top left of the painting. The marketplace title is "one of a kind contemporary art piece hand painted acrylic on canvas." The price is $600. Description ends.

(I saw this and immediately thought of Taako haunting the buy and sell boards with these.)

[hypo-critic-art]

hey your art is so cool and pretty!!! I was wondering if you could give me some art tips ? :3

hello and thank you!! :]

i feel honoured to be asked something like that, i’m still learning myself and i have a long way until i feel satisfied with my art expression but here are some tips:

- observe the reality - my art teacher always said that the first step to becoming a good artists is to become a good observer. notice how the light reflects off of surfaces, how it affects their colour, how do different textures look, notice how a fabric crumples and why is a shirt you wear straight in some places while in others it’s not, see the shape of the eyes, how differently do they look from the side compared from the front, how many heads fit into average human body, see how tree branches grow from the tree- everything you see is a learning and observing opportunity. not only does it help you establish how things look before you start drawing, but also, it helps you appreciate neat little details in nature, in human bodies, even in objects of everyday use! world is beautiful!

- learn to understand the basics before developing your style - it helped me greatly to first battle the anatomy and nail the proportions, learn how to shade, know where to push my pencil hard or gently glide it on a paper before focusing on my style. but hey that’s just me!! i know equally big amount of people who say that getting to learn realism first ruined their style, others including myself feel more stable in their art getting to learn the realism first, so do as you feel is right but be aware of basic weight, proportions, muscles when drawing people for example

- references - references, references, and references again. i rarely draw without seeing something visual in front of me. it’s good to have couple of reference pictures (poses, clothing, images of background) in front of you and have fun figuring out how to combine them to reach your desired image. it’s a good practice and the search for reference images itself can give you more ideas for future drawings.

- you can make the most badass art using basic art supplies - that’s it!! don’t be discouraged when seeing others using expensive markets, watercolours, graphic tablets. some masters create using kids wax pencils, cheap charcoal or with just their finger on a free drawing app. though as you notice your progress in art, it can be good to upgrade your materials!! when i started painting i used the cheapest acrylic there is, now that i’ve started art school and professors recommended some brands of more pricey paints to me, and i genuinely felt that it made a difference and using them is much smoother than using a cheaper paint. but for the start - school-grade art supplies are a-ok to begin with!

- get a feedback - this is what probably helped me get better in art the most other than studying, drawing, practicing by myself - a feedback! whenever it’s your high school art teacher, your friends, art spaces on the internet (just be safe!!! especially if you’re a minor) the feedback is necessary, and often it’s the constructive criticism that helped me the most. not bashing or hate - constructive criticism. things like "it’s really great but the eyes may be too far from one another, look at the reference photo" or "i like it but something about the shadows seems off" you know? knowing there’s something i can improve and figuring out how to improve is great for your progress.

- have fun - don’t stress it! art should be an enjoyable hobby! if you don’t like what you’ve made - close your sketchbook, flip your canvas, take a walk, drink something, look at it later. sometimes there will be mistakes that are too late to be fixed, but sometimes it’s awesome to figure out how to fix them and know how to not do the mistake again! you’re learning! don’t be too hard on yourself, art is not a competition, art should be fun way to express yourself and your ideas :]

i hope it’s not too difficult to understand, i am not very good at explaining things so this is the best i can offer right now

thanks once again for the ask!!

[harrrydubois]

CONCEPTUALIZATION - Alright, brainstorming time. Remember, this is just the ideation phase. There are no *bad* ideas.

Behold! My interpretation of VISUAL CALCULUS!! (Lie)

truth be told i tried to make it look like the original... but i dont really understand acrylics or how to mix paint so i can get my desired colour. painting is so hard and intimidating

this was meant to be a test! i want to make a big painting on canvas of one of skills. and yeah this is hard

[annymation]

Okay, I know Valentine's Day just passed, but how would a Valentine's Day interaction go with Aster and Asha? What would each of them do for each other on Valentine's Day?

Sorry for the VERY late reply, haven't got much time to answer lately, and before I didn't have much inspiration for this one, but @uva124 gave me an idea, so here's a little Valentine's day story

Asha decided that for Valentine's day she'd make a painting for Aster, a painting of a field of purple aster flowers, with a beautiful night sky.

However, because she's quite the perfectionist, and not as skilled with painting as she is with drawing, she felt like the painting wasn't quite good enough no matter what she did. So for days before Valentine's day arrived she'd hide in her room trying to finish it, not letting Aster see it.

But then the day actually arrives and she loses track of time trying to finish it, before she knows it it's already close to night time

*knock knock*

"Asha? You're in there?" Aster asks worried from outside her room

"A-AH! Don't come it yet! I'm busy!" Asha has her hands and arms all covered in paint as she tries to hide her unfinished work behind a cloth

"I know, you said so earlier but... Valentine's day is almost over, do you wanna hang out?" Aster sounded a bit sad that they didn't even see each other earlier

Asha looks surprised noticing it's indeed sunset, she completely lost track of time "Oh no! Ugh I knew I should've used acrylic paint!" She says in frustration

(For those who don't know, acrylic paint dries way faster than oil paint, I'd know, I used to make oil paintings)

"What are you talking about" Aster says coming in the room, they see her covered in paint "*gasp!* You were painting!?" He smiles widely "I didn't know you knew how to draw AND paint too!"

"That's because I honestly don't know how to paint, this turned out a mess" She points to the canvas hidden behind a piece of cloth

"... Let me be the judge of that" Aster walks in and pulls out the cloth to see her art.

The night sky is full of white dots splattered around that do resemble stars, and the purple field of flowers looks quite messy because the flowers all sorta mixed together into one purple blur.

Aster looks at the canvas in awe while Asha covers her face in shame "It looks like a child made it, I'm sorry, I've wasted the whole day instead of spending time with y-"

"I LOVE IT!" Aster exclaimed hugging her tightly "It looks amazing! What do you mean "like a child made it"???"

Asha smiles at him, but she still feels insecure about the painting "I wanted it to be perfect"

They smile at her reassuringly "You don't have to be perfect, you just have to be you, and that's way more than perfect for me, okay?" he says while still hugging her

She blushes as a big smile stretches across her face, she hugs him as well "Okay heheh" she giggles a bit, feeling her heart flutter

"Now! It's my turn to give you a gift, come on!" Aster pulls her by the hand out of the room

They go to the cliff next to the tree Asha wished upon Aster

(I make a lot of romantic scenes take place next to this tree but come on it's a cool location)

They watch the sun set together, leaning on one another without really saying anything, just admiring the beautiful sight

Once the sun is gone and the stars start to appear, Asha says "That was a beautiful gift" holding Aster's hand

"Oh that wasn't my gift yet" Aster corrects her with a cheeky smile "OKAY GUYS! Do your thing!" Aster yells to the sky above them

Asha looks up, already excited to see what he got planned but... Nothing seemed to happen

"... Guys???" Aster asked the stars, already getting nervous they wouldn't do the one little favor he asked

Then, Asha sees it, a shooting star cutting through the night sky

"*Gasp!* You asked for a shooting star just for me?" Asha asks hugging his arm

Aster looks quite disappointed though "... No, I asked for a meteor shower, it was supposed to be A BUNCH of those, like come on, is throwing some asteroids around too hard???" They ask, frustrated that things didn't go as he planned

"Hehe you don't need to make a whole cosmic event happen to make me happy" She leans on their shoulder "I love just watching the sun set with you"

Aster feels his heart beating faster "And I love you"

"I love you too"

They kiss under the starry night sky.

A few more shooting stars can be seen passing by.

[pvnksnotdead]

❝ close your eyes ! ❞ she had been a bit frantic about it; kept the box out of sight, despite his towering around, trying to get a peek. she knew she wanted to make something herself; she knew she didn't want to make the same thing. hobie had enough portraits and paintings hanging around.

❝ don't cheat— okay, keep them closed ... um, maybe— bend over a bit ... ❞

something presses against his lips, the gesture awkward and weird, causing felicity to stiffle a laugh. it's not a gesture that's unknown to hobie, but it lacks the expertise of someone used to that kind of stuff.

❝ at least it didn't smear. ❞ she keeps laughing once he opens his eyes, holding an opened tube of black lipstick, the box in her hand holding a few identical ones. no brand on the side.

❝ i figured you'd— you'd run out of those after a while, so, i wanted to learn how to make some. ❞ another laugh as she hands over the package. ❝ merry christmas, hobie. ❞

First thing's first, Hobie knows what he likes. He likes creativity. He likes when the maker isn't afraid to dig into places that most flinch away from. Too many artists get too comfortable. Too many artists dislike the idea of straying away from what's familiar. How many Henry Raeburns and George Stubbs does one world need? How many museums need to hold the pieces only meant for the aristocrats to look at while drinking wine more expensive than a block's worth of homes?

It's rubbish.

Hobie likes when Felicity gets her hands dirty, smeared with paint and oils and charcoals. She's in her prime when she doesn't resemble something human, hunched over her creations, seeing the world in colors that Hobie couldn't ever try to comprehend.

He's taken to being a muse, goes with the flow, let's her use him as a canvas. His lips knew the taste and texture of countless paints by now, gouache, acrylic, watercolor. Caked and layered with so many mediums, he might forget that he's a man, and think that he's a figure in her sketchbook.

She asks for him to close his eyes, Hobie obliges, smirking somewhat and tilting his head back.

" Gonna throw a mouse at me are ya? " He teases, knowing that she wouldn't do such a thing. He'd let her though. If she wanted to put shock on paper, he'd be the willing model.

Lips on lips. He knew this gesture well, liked it even more than the hairs of the paint brush that traced the curves of his mouth. Hobie cracks a grin, slouching forward the moment Felicity starts to laugh. A familiar feeling is left against his skin.

" You get me a bloody kiss for Christmas? " Hobie jokes, opening one eye and touching his bottom lip-- black makeup smudged on his fingertip.

" No kidding, you made this? " He sounds impressed, taking the lipstick tube. As he expected, it lacks any sign of packaging, no logos, no connections to corporate beauty. Clearly it was poured somewhere over a sink, carefully-- he can tell that at some point there was a shaking hand, a bubble in the liquid at the bottom of the stick.

Little imperfections made things feel human, and Hobie knew that big businesses wanted the human touch removed from their products.

This one's a winner. He takes the box, tucks it under his arm and hums thoughtfully.

" Gonna have to open all these, test 'em, you'll need to stand still real good so I can make sure they don't smudge when I use it. "

The assumption is easy to make. The only way to try out lipstick is to kiss. That's what it was for. Speaking with lips and translating thoughts without speaking; men like him with lips like his, speaking words of his own, weren't meant to sip wine from Marseille. Staining glasses bought with Sunday coupons and stored in simple cupboards suited him, leaving a part of himself on her whenever he felt the urge.

" Get you to make eyeshadow next time. "

[clearthesilence]

Paints might not be a good idea for a gift

I understand that you want to gladden your artist friends/sons/daughters/sisters/brothers/whatever and want to give them some art supplies. It costs a lot so every artist will be happy for them (including myself). However, it’s not a good idea to buy paints. Especially, without consulting the artist, other artist or an art supply seller.

Just imagine, you buy an acrylic paint set full of vibrant colors. You wrap it, give it, what’s going to happen next? We would like to please you as well so we will paint you a painting. And if you, someone who doesn’t paint just go to some supermarket or cheap shop, we’ll probably cry a lot and tear out our hair while making the painting.

Here’s why:

There are different types of paint.

There are even more types of acrylic paint. Have you known that there are oil paints that are used with water instead of paint thinner?

2. Every brand of paint acts differently.

Yes, every brand of paint is different. So even if you buy acrylic paint to an artist, who uses acrylic paint, he/she might end up having a hard time using them, because the paints might act differently on the canvas than the ones they’re used to.

3. There are different standards of paints.

No, that’s not a crap. There are student grade paints and artist/master grade paints. Student grade paints are usually cheaper and worse quality than artist grade paints. Sure, there might be some exceptions, but are you familiar with them? (I am, I spent an awful time, money and hair running around local art supply shops)

4. Paints have a life span

Nah, not a crap either. Just remember your school years. At the beginning of the year you were going through the list of the art supplies you need and compared it to the art supplies that remained from the last year. You take the paint tube into your hand and it’s hard as hell. You take off the lid only to find out the paint is completely dried out. That’s one of the more pleasant problems… Although, do you want to throw away 2,5£ worth paint tube out of the window?

The paint also disintegrates after some time. Especially the cheaper ones. What into? Oil (or something like it) and pigment. You can mix it back together, but the cover up ability is going to be quite limited.

Paint disintegrates the tube. Yep, nasty. It leaks, covers everything around and smells (happens mostly with cheap oil paints). It’s not that the paint would be so aggressive, but rather the tube being made from cheap materials. I had one unbranded paint set, where lids liked to crack.

How long it takes? Depends on a brand and grade. I had a Daler-Rowney gouache paints and some of them disintegrated after 6 months.

If you still want to give paints to an artist, just please ASK:

What media do you use?

What brand of colors do you prefer?

What do you expect from the paint? Good cover up abilities, consistence etc.

Are there any brands of paints you have bad experience with?

Do you need some specific colors? (For example, I use ultramarine blue a lot, while I barely use black color)

Is it okay to give you a paint set? How big it should be?

THANK YOU

It’s not fun to paint with paints that have zero cover up abilities, don’t blend and lift up from the canvas while applying second layer of color. Moreover, it breaks our heart. Not because you gave us crappy paints, but because we won’t be able to show you what we did with them.