#but i hope this somewhat helps you

[heretherebeturtles-comic]

Hello! Many people have said this but ill say it too, I LOVE YOUR COMIC SO MUCH ( ´ ▽ ` ).｡ｏ♡

I really wanted to ask you about how you do the backgrounds? (Something i struggle with) whats the process? Like from start to finish, also, to do the rise backgrounds do you use reference from the show and generally real photo of ny? Or do you come up with them? And last question- The shadow and light on the background- Like HOW

i know it’s a lot of questions but i’m just so curious qwq and wanna learn to be better, thank you again in case you read this and respond, in case you don’t, i hope you have a nice day and a wonderful life uwu keep up the great work! (≧◡≦) ♡

Backgrounds are a really broad subject and I'm always a little overwhelmed when asked this question. Just like drawing the human body, backgrounds take time, repetition, and practice!

My answer got a bit long, so it's going under a read more :) but if you digest info better in video format I found this on youtube

It pretty much goes over everything I wanted to say, but in a much better way. I wish I had found it before writing all this out lol

ok, first of all, I'm not a teacher nor was I built to be one of those cool helpful art tutorial people who do a full coloured tutorial filled with illustrations. This is just going to be a messy "how I do backgrounds / environment layouts from start to finish." kinda thing.

... lets start with a sight tangent.

Sketch from Life!!!

If you want to get better at backgrounds I recommend doing some sketching out in the real world!

When I was first getting into doing backgrounds I went to cafes and parks to just sketch the buildings and objects. Sketch rocks, flowers, clumps of grass, garbage cans, bottles, tables, street signs, etc. If you are drawing a tree observe how the trunks twist, how the bark flows, or how the leaves are bunched.

If you can't leave the house the same still applies! Sketch the interiors of your house, the walls, or common objects like chairs and bookshelves. How are objects stacked? items on the floor?

If you aren't comfortable with drawing outside or in public you can take some photos to draw from! They are good for practice and you can use them again as references later. Alternatively you can find pictures online of buildings and objects to sketch as practice.

All spaces have objects in them, it becomes easier to draw those kinds of spaces when you already have spent time observing and sketching them.

ALSO! They don't have to be good sketches! It's just to build out your mental catalogue and strengthen your perception of perspective.

now the actual thing...

BACKGROUNDS

(the pictures used for this are my own. I dug them out of my 2022 folder)

Backgrounds have slightly different rules based on what you are making them for. Videogame Environment Concept Art vs Animation Layouts vs Comic Backgrounds vs Illustration backgrounds.

They all follow the same basics, which I will go over here, but the intention and function of those designs are going to be different. It's all about how you set up the scene and what it's purpose is!

Brainstorming and Thumbnailing

I like to think about a location as though it is a character. An abandoned old house with creaky sagging floorboards is very different from a futuristic space ship with sharp metal floor panels. A gas station has a very different feeling from a library.

I usually start by asking what is this location's story? Why was it built and for what purpose? What kinds of things does this room need to fulfill that purpose? You don’t need solid answers, but its good to be thinking about it while you are working.

Next, sketch some ideas for how this place is going to look. For me, this usually involves drawing the idea from multiple angles and then making lists & small sketches of the objects I think should be filling the space.

Example: The main character of my original work is a Wanderer. They collect a lot of things on their travels, but those items have to be small enough to be easily carried in a backpack. I wanted his room to be in the corner of an attic, walled off by curtains, and filled with trinkets. You can see some of my brainstorming above.

References

I only look for references after I've done some sketching and planning; this is to solidify my idea first so that I don't accidentally copy anyone else's work. I will make a moodboard with pictures of lighting, colours, items, rooms with specific ceiling beams, old chairs, etc. basically whatever I feel fits the vibe.

Honestly, I don't use references as much as I should. For ROTTMNT fanart I look at backgrounds and screenshots from the series to study the style. I also reference actual photos of NYC to get a feel for how Rise condenses the visual information.

In general, it's good to have references of real life objects/locations, because there are so many details like cracks in pavement, stickers on polls, crowning on buildings, fancy fencing, weird chair legs, etc. that you might not think of. It's the imperfect details that can make a location feel more alive.

Perspective

Once you have your chosen sketch we move to.... the infamous perspective boxes. Doing backgrounds is just learning to be comfortable drawing So Many boxes and carving items out of them.

Many better artists than myself have made videos on perspective, vanishing points, and all the technical bits. Videos like THIS ONE and THIS ONE are helpful (this post is great too!!). There are probably a lot of classes to be found on Skillshare or Schoolism. I learned a lot of this in my college art course, so I can't give you a specific video which helped me.

You can get by and be a good artist without learning this stuff. There are quite a few successful artists who have admitted they never bothered to learn perspective (one of these people even made a whole graphic novel series).

I personally avoided properly learning this stuff until I was in my 20s because I thought it would be boring and difficult to do. tbh I really wish I had learned it earlier because it's so much fun to make those silly little boxes imo. It looks scary and complicated but, just like drawing humans, it just takes time, repetition, and practice to develop the knowledge and skills.

Cleanup

You have your boxes and lines! Cool! Now to make a scene out of it. Fill in the details, get everything placed were you want it! Generally, the lines of each item will point back towards the horizon line, but they can have different perspective points.

Generally you would want to clean it up and get your room completely sketched before doing the lineart. I tend to combine the steps (not recommended)

Lineart

I've mentioned how I do this before. Closer objects have thicker lines and more detailed inside. Further objects have thinner lines and less detail. I didn't quite achieve that balance with the image below, but it's close enough.

Colours and Shading will have to be a separate post. In the meantime, I highly recommend the book "Color and Light" by James Gurney. I used to borrow it from my local library and a good chunk of my knowledge was learned from it :)

[theswedishpajas]

Inspo from this random short I stumbled into on youtube today

[canisalbus]

Currently suffering an ear infection and all I can think is how you said Vasco is prone to them. Does he get miserable and exhausted from the pain or is he more the type to get short tempered and cranky?

.

[meownotgood]

if i may ask for advice... how do u make dialogue sound so natural? as much as i love viktor. i feel like i physically Cannot write anything that he would say or for any character really i've watched arcane over 10 times now but when it comes time to write suddenly idk how jayce has ever spoken!!! Help Pls i will owe u my firstborn (a completed fic)

I put my head in my hands many times... I groan while writing... I rewrite it at 3 am while staring at my phone with my eyes burning and my brain like mush.......

okay but really. I definitely understand your struggle, know that you're not alone!! dialogue is always the hardest part of a fic to get right for me. I'm always changing it even up to the minutes before I post haha...

the first thing that might help you is if you write all of your dialogue first, like the fic is a play, before you write anything else. I always draft my dialogue first to make sure it fits well with the story even without explanation. this way, you can make it seem more natural, and adjust the flow as you see fit without any distractions. the next thing I do is watch clips of the character speaking before I write, it definitely helps me to envision their voice while I'm writing (especially so for viktor... his accent is harder to nail down for me). it can also help to watch without sound, just with subtitles. this way, you can better understand the speech patterns and vocab the character might use. just reading the subtitles will show you it's a lot easier to write for them than you might think...

and anon really... the best advice is... fake it til you make it... the thing is, the audience will imagine the character regardless and won't be looking into everything closely like us silly authors. how do you want viktor to speak in your fic? just be confident with what you're writing!

[divorcedwife]

Please do you have any art tutorials, especially on colouring, or brushes I can buy?

i never think to take screenshots during my process so it would be easier to explain, but i do it like this : i sketch in a colored pencil, change it to black when i consider it done enough to start adding colors, and then i choose the dominant tones of the drawing. if i want the background to be colorful, i choose it now! if you choose all your colors against a white background but change it last second, it will change the balance completely. by choosing dominant tones, i mean picking either one color or two colors that contrast, and fill the whole sketch with these tones. for example, if im drawing a princess on a white background and i want the tones to be warm, i might fill her whole form with the same red. then i start picking her skin tone so that it matches that warm red, and it might end up being a tone that would look much too saturated and red on another drawing. but here, it looks harmonious. and if i started from a green base, i'd end up with a very different color. see here : a blonde lady wearing a blue dress, but starting from red & green

it's the same way when i paint with real paint ; i don't mix from scratch, i often reuse my mixes and change them just barely to get to the color i want. so if i paint orange flowers, i will add blue to that mix until it's green enough, and it's a nicer color that will match my orange flowers nicely, way more than if i started from scratch every single time

it's also largely a matter of practicing and training your eye to palettes you like, as unhelpeful as that is. i'd recommend looking at the palettes of artists and art you like, seeing how it's balanced, maybe color picking it for practice and see how that helps you think in colors

for brushes ; i do have a couple special brushes, i mostly use procreate defaults (6b pencil my most beloved) but i do have some from this pack (i think it's the right one?), i use sketchy sarmento all the time and it's really nice

[pleasedontcareaboutme]

Happiest Birthday to the coolest drummer, Yagami Toll - the dedicated man who never put his hair down ahaha.

Not only is he a great drummer, but as the oldest member - who probably had to take up on the role of a parent many times - he is a very admirable human. The big brother of the band and the fans.🤍

Despite struggles and hardships, he always had a smile on his face. I hope he keeps rocking on and laughing for another 62 years!!! 🙏

I truly wish his birthday is the best it can be despite the circumstances, and I hope him and the rest of the members throw a huge party 🤍🤍🤍

Love love Aniii please keep being you and keep making music🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍

[dimonds456-art]

Maladaptive daydreaming.

[aitsuheart]

I wish to find platonic Riku and Kairi content because they interact so little but the moments they have together are so nice

Even though their friendship is not as close as the other friendships they have, you still can tell they care for each other.

It's just not as close or the destiny trio seems to be more two sided than a trio.

I do believe that the games might be trying to say friendships change and involve which might have to do with Kairi not being as close to Sora and Riku, but that doesn't mean they can't still be friends?

It also could mean she gets more friends too.

[trinitywc]

big fan of the great light!!! do you have any advice for story structure/finding the balance between slow and fast pacing?

so long answer, as usual

I start off by thinking of the Main Points I want to write about, and then fill out from there with Secondary Points. For example, TGL: Main Points (this isn't 100% accurate to the book just a rough example) - WoodClan and CreekClan go to war; a nuclear bomb is dropped - The cats are split up, but find each other by a badger sett - Radiation sickness sets in while trying to find their friends - The cats decide to leave to find their Clan Is the basic plotline, and then i fill it out with moments I want, I'm calling these 'Secondary Points', these are what needs to happen to allow the 4 Main Points above ie for the First point to happen, the Clan needs to be introduced and the setting developed so; - introduce Pinepaw and those closest to her, her mentor, her sister, - introduce the war between the Clans - give Pinefrost a motive to hate WoodClan (her mother's death) and reject her pacifist wishes - hint at the human war with various planes, barbed wire, and soldier mentions So I made a timeline of Apprenticeship > Warrior > Bomb, adding scenes that served a purpose (Secondary Points) and those I deem necessary; introducing a character like Blackwillow as mysterious but distant from his Clan by having him appear on the riverbank, showing Chestnutspike and Ouzelheart's relationship, showing CreekClan's buildup to war and training, showing Pinefrost as a rash, impulsive, but curious, young cat by introducing her as runnign away from her duties to explore the forest (with her friend who wants to impress her). "Necessary" scenes in WaCa fic are stuff like 'this is the medicine cat' 'this is her warrior ceremony' 'this is Clan life and hunting and patrolling', so mileage will vary on your story. When it comes to "fast vs slow" pacing, I'm not sure. I think by starting with the Big Points and whittling down, you can keep the story going- and Story also includes character moments - the "break" in TEW where the cats are in the House also explores the ruined city and affects of the bomb, gives Cuckoopaw and Rutherford some character moments (ie training sessions), not everything is nuclear war 100% of the time. Even if characters are doing something "slow" like walking, or routine hunting, something can happen- character motive reveals, backstory, or just some joking to build relationships, a nice 'break' from the fast 'something happening all the time'. I like to think back to first arc warriors were something happened every chapter (Dangerous Path - Tigerstar is revealed as ShadowClan leader, then Whitestorm reports smelling dogs, then Fireheart bumps into Greystripe in RiverClan, then Cinderheart gets 'pack pack kill kill', then Fireheart observes Snowkit acting weird, then Bluestar refuses to make new warriors, all in the first five chapters; all these are tied up by the end; vs the newer books were to me, it feels like a whole lot of nothing happens in between each chapter)

Later, I'll end up going back and adding things once I know how the rough outline goes- ie once Flaxstripe ran away from the Clan, I went and added some scenes of him being selfish and self-serving- I think it's best to get the skeleton and then paper mache on the meat of the story. 'Slow' pacing is where nothing happens (ala Stevie King where he drones on and on about advertising or some 'scary' childhood story with no relevance to the plot), as long as you are providing some information- be it plot, character beats, 'a nice break', or some fun. Eg, if a character is walking home, that's not very interesting just describing the path home, think of why you're describing it- are you setting up their home route or have we been here before and could skip it with a brief 'and she went home' mention? Is she daydreaming about the awkward goodbye she just had, or her plans for tomorrow, or marveling over the simple beauty of her walk home?

It depends on what you are going for, but if you start small and go big, it works itself out

[gallusgalluss]

hii!! i was wondering, when you draw how do you get that splotchy-like effect in your coloring? i hope you know what im talking about, i cant really use an image bc im on anon ^^' but id really like to know!

if ur asking about what brush I use to make my coloring look like that, then I've already answered it here

If you're talking about what I do to make my colors like that, I used clip studio paint's "Color Jitter" feature, where the hue/sat/lum of a brush slightly changes each brushstroke. I'm not sure if other art programs has something similar to this, so sorry if yours doesn't have it.

I enjoy using this because it gives my art a more painty look

I've also recorded a quick timelapse of my coloring process, if that's more helpful :V it's a bit messy but helps gets the point across

mild flashing warning for the last 2 seconds, it's very short and nothing too bad but just letting y'all know

[lord-squiggletits]

Speaking of Tyrest. A lot of people forget that he treated Pharma with absolute disdain, not only using him as a test subject for a clearly painful mass murder machine, but talking to Pharma like he saw him as nothing but some henchman to order around that was nothing more than a 'diseased cripple' if Tyrest hadn't come to rescue him.

Like it really is an interesting background dynamic with some curious implications, but when you look at fandom posts from around that issue/the years after, for some reason people just saw "Pharma worked with Tyrest" and concluded Pharma is a card carrying bigot ksjfnskxkd. Like yeah Pharma didn't do anything to stop Tyrest but it seems his main beef with the Autobots was with Ratchet in particular and maybe a general disdain for his ex-comrades. As well as continuing to hate Decepticons which like, not even the "good Autobots" are immune to (even in Pharma's introduction, First Aid says in his journal something like "yeah we all hate Decepticons, but Pharma REALLY hates them"). And despite what fandom likes to construe there's really no evidence in IDW1 that Autobots and Decepticons are different "races" or "types" of Cybertronians, so Pharma hating Decepticons really isn't a bigotry/robot racism thing. And instead probably has something to do with, idk, the 4 million year long galaxy-spanning blood feud war, or maybe being blackmailed and tortured into insanity by the Biggest and Most Decepticon-y of Decepticons.

Tyrest treated Pharma like trash, the other Decepticons working for Tyrest (how come no one ever brings that up btw) also hated him, so if anything it seems that Pharma was more of a rogue element only staying with Tyrest bc he was his best option and probably had no way to even escape.

I'm glad that at least in recent years the fandom has acquired a keen reading eye and good taste to finally recognize Pharma as the (accidentally) complex character he is instead of making him some posh, racist Starscream clone SHSJDGSGDH

[angeart]

I have a question about these rambles you're working on. :x you said it edges spice... How spicy would you say they get? And is it mostly spicy stuff?

(I don't normally look at spicy stuff. :x Its not my personal cup of tea. But I'm sure others are gonna enjoy it!!!)

-🎀

hi!! that's a good and valid question.

the start is cute and kind of fun, and then it devolves, but the vibe is there throughout i'd say, from pretty early on?

i call them suggestive, because to me, they don't cross any sort of explicit line. they stay in their underwear, don't touch each other down there at all, and i cut out a lot of bits. it's mostly about them getting dazed and lost in instincts and drunk on each other.

and yes, these are mating instincts (and a bit of a prey/predator clash), and it reflects. the vibe is very much there. grian gets pinned down, and he absolutely wants to be there. there's kisses and bites and claws and they're definitely feeling the heat burning across their skin. a lot of it is about trust and being bewitched and also letting go of control.

so. somewhat spicy! but not too explicitly so? if that makes sense?

[redbean-nom]

watched the first 2 episodes of acolyte and so far i like every character except for the main one lol. (also is her name osha as in occupational safety and health administration??)

[faksyan]

In hindsight it's. not that surprising that my anxiety is really bad since I had the night hallucinations that make me see Creatures in my room since I was like four. For the longest time I was like ah yes part of it are the nightmares I had as a child and only now I'm realizing that oh yeah. probably the Creatures as well. that was a thing.

[jellyfish-grave]

More of my fucked up hatchling ocs. Hi. Watch as I change artstyles halfway through the day (YES I KNOW THE INK BLED THROUGH THE PAPER IM SO MAD. That's also why i edited in the text)

[what-the-stories-have-foretold]

heyyy i Hope you have a good day <3

I really hope i dont make you feel um , uncomfortable with that or anything but uh you can totally ignore this but i recently got sick and i have a emetophobia which is why i got a Panic attack .Aswell i have way too much homework and exams to do so i had a really tough start in the Week . Also i had to call my School to Tell them that i won't able to make it there and then i needed to Go to The doctor but they Just sent me away :/

I hope i m Not wrong for calling this a emergency requests .

Please just some comfort with shuichi and/or rei furuya Just comforting The Reader mabye?Mabye they make an appointment for them at the doctor?Insted of the Reader after having a hard time doing so?

Thanks a Lot ,youre work really makes me Happy <3

Take youre time and it IS totally fine to ignore this !<3

Stay hydrated and have a good Week!

Oh no, I hope everything gets better soon 🥺

I'm keeping it slightly vague so I don't make any mistakes - if I still make some, let me know, I'll fix it right away 💕

Take care of yourself and remember to rest when you need to 💕💕💕

Akai x gn!reader, Furuya x gn!reader

Warnings: only slightly edited (i read it through once while already laying in bed 😅) exam/homework stressed and sick (relatively unspecified) reader, implied panic attack in the (not so long ago) past (also mention of hacking?)

"Baby, let me." Shuichi took the phone gently from your hands. "Just sit down and let me handle the call, okay?"

"But-"

He shook his head and led you to the couch, heavy hand resting comfortably on your lower back.

"You've been pacing the room for ages, sweetheart. I'd prefer it if you laid down so your body can get some well-needed rest and you get better soon."

You bit your lower lip, looking at him with uncertainty in your eyes.

"What about my exams."

He hummed, pressing a soft kiss to your forehead.

"Don't worry about it, yeah? It won't get better if you stress yourself. Just - relax for a while, and I'll take care of the rest."

You murmured an 'okay' as you nuzzled against his stomach. Maybe a small nap really wouldn't hurt.

He sighed when he saw you slumped over your homework.

"You need to take a break," he said while he lightly massaged your shoulders to relieve you off at least some of the tension.

"I can't, you know that."

He clicked his tongue, but stayed undeterred, simply turning your chair for you to face him. Your eyes widened in surprise.

"Don't be stupid," he murmured while his hands moved to cup your cheeks so that his thumbs could brush over your skin. "You need to rest, sweetheart." He hummed for a moment, as he thought. "How about this? I'll look over your stuff and choose the tasks that I think will appear in the exam. We can go through them together later. I'll do the rest of your homework after."

"You say that as if you didn't need rest yourself," you chuckled tiredly.

He smiled and kissed your nose.

"Nah. I've got a lot of energy still left in me. So just let me hold you while you take your power nap. I promise everything will look a lot less bleak when you wake up again."

(Btw both of them may hack your teachers' computers to either delete some documents so your workload lightens or to view your exams and thus be able to prepare you as efficiently and perfectly as possible - by giving you the solutions 👀)