#but like each drawing has its own vibe they don't look consistent like i wanted

[scooterpengie]

I finished Succession like 3 weeks ago and I have thought of nothing else since, what an amazing show 😭😭 go watch it if you haven't!!!

I wanna use this show to practise my colouring, like I tried to make these scenes look really colourful but I'm not sure I like how they turned out 😐

[iztea]

They still feel off specially the eyes i could feel them about to manifest their own life and run off

Even my linework is ... Idk what's wrong and it's the problem maybe I'm staring too much but I don't think so

Sorry for bothering alot but i loved your last advice ty

i think the main problem with the first picture has to do with the proportions and anatomy of the lower body area aka the neck and shoulders. i'd make the shoulders wider and add some sort of form to the neck so that it looks believable instead of a flat rectangle shape ( maybe make it slimmer a bit too? although that might be just a stylistic choice so you do you). That's the first thing i'd fix because otherwise the head looks too big in comparison to the rest of the body, and it can throw you off

I actually think you did a great job with the eyes, they have a lot of life and that comes from the fact that they are the most rendered part of your piece, which is not a bad thing. The thing is, while it is true that the eyes are the main focal point of a face and portrait in general, that doesn't mean you can neglect the other parts, so i think it is also a consistency issue or not figuring out exactly what sort of style or rendering you want to go with that holds you back (which is totally fine and normal ofc). So let's pick a semi-realistic stylized rendering style for this since this is the vibe i'm getting from this piece.

If that's the style we're going for, then the face should have a bit more form. You have to remember that our facial features ( eyes, nose, lips) are connected with each other via the planes of the face, right? So, for a semirealistic style, revisit your reference and try to idenitify what those planes are and how they connect to those features, and most importantly, where the shadows hit, and just accentuate them more, because at the moment they look like 3rd forms plastered over a 2d surface which is not right, our skin has form as well. Color-wise, don't be afraid to go darker with the shadows, they really make your drawings pop. Without looking at a reference, i'd def add some shadow under the lips, a bit where the lips connect to the nose, under the neck, and in the lower body area.

I'm really trying to avoid the most basic answer which is " practice anatomy !!1! " because everyone can say that however, at the end of the day, this is the main thing the face lacks. And tbvh you don't have to actually know anatomy, you just gotta know some proportions things that make the face look believable enough. I feel like the features are mostly just drawn from the reference without an understanding of the structure behind it. Something tells me that in the reference picture, the person had their head tilted a bit upwards, but here it's kinda flat and the features are just painted without following the motion. Try to draw over your reference picture the vertical and horizontal lines and make up the head shape behind it to figure out the way it is tilting and facing, because the lips, eyes nose, etc will follow that same sort of flow, they're not stationary. I'd also make the eyes a bit smaller, or maybe make the skull bigger bc i think they are touching the outer edge too much now, and also narrow the distance between the nose and lips just a bit. Kinda hard to explain without actually doing it myself. But really, try to play with that, and try getting comfy with drawing 3d forms i know it's easier said than done but..... there really isn't any shortcut unfortunately As for the lineart drawing, yes it's actually pretty solid, i like that duplicate blur thing you did, i'm familiar with that technique and it def has its perks so that's great. Im not an expert on lineart, however here i think there are too many " unnecessary" lines that could easily be omitted (purple). Less is more and all that~ The hair strands at the end feel too stiff and identical (green). If you notice, they all just end in this " V" shape and they rarely overlap thus making the image look flat. Try to break this pattern by introducing more spontaneity aka random hairflies, making the strands overlap, adding more shape variety etc

Make sure that the lines connect properly whenever they meet, and also although you already did it and i think that's great, you can make some lines even thicker, go even further and add even more lineweight. As a general thing, usually, the exterior or contour lines are thicker and whatever it is inside is thinner so experiment with that, you can start from the nose- thicker lines for the nostrils thinner for that nose tip i forgot what it's called and also add thin lines that just hint at the form. Lineart is hardd so i don't blame you, but if you're gonna keep the lineart in, try "shading" with black blocks so to speak, make sure the lineart layer can stand on its own, and pay more attention to the lower part area (neck and shoulders) even if it is less exciting to ink

[trigger-discipline]

I dreamed that I saw an image that I thought was AI generated. I mean I guess it was generated by a neural network, but like... my own...

When I woke up I tried to get DALLE-3 to produce something close as a joke, but...

The prompt was:

A landscape, of lava flowing down the center of a green valley. At the top, in the purple sky, there is a logo which resembles the Taco Bell logo. On the left side of the valley is a poorly-drawn cartoon t-rex on its back, dying. In the foreground, two giant photorealistic strawberries stand on their points, one on each side of the flow. The tops of the strawberries have been removed and the insides hollowed out, and they hold a glowing yellow-green liquid.

I don't think it understood the whole strawberries full of cartoon acid thing. Also why is there a volcano? I know that lava is supposed to come from somewhere, but I didn't ask for a volcano. All of the results had volcanoes... I guess the vibe is sort of there though?

I love how it can't handle the art style mismatch, either. A lot of the quick and easy consumer-facing stuff has One Art Style and it's so funny. And it's always so nice-looking... "Why would you want a poorly crafted image???" IDK . Sometimes I want Taco Bell. Fuck you.

I also tried to get it to generate another figure from the dream because their whole floral schtick was very algorithmic:

This was the only semi-accurate result. (There were a lot of really, really bad ones.) There's a lot to unpack here (horse ass ribs), but the way the roses sort of grossly sprout out of the ground is accurate to the dream? Sort of? I asked for bones sprouting too though...

I don't know, I would prefer to fucking draw this myself at this point, or just leave it in my head. People are always like "oh AI is so powerful actual artists are unnecessary" and it's like, sure, if you don't care what you actually get out?

And then people never question this claim and appeal to like, Catholicism, or whatever. You don't need to do that! The claim is already wrong!

It is useful for like, stochastic imagery (cw flashing lights, body horror, Tame Impala). I think those results are great! Clearly not something where you want it to specifically resemble anything, and, when combined with a framework of more explicit imagery, it works as interstitial trippiness...

But trying to get something specific turns into total dogshit. Cause like, I do care about specifics. To the point that even when what I want is explicitly meant to look AI-generated, it doesn't... work?

I know there are more powerful tools than DALLE-3 and other basic text-prompt based tools though, ones which allow you to redo parts and specify composition. But like... With that, and even with the stochastic work - that takes a lot of human effort and ingenuity! That takes artists! Congratulations, new art form invented.

I guess it's like how most people can't just point a camera and get a really nice looking photo. You might accidentally get one, but not consistently. Sure the camera is doing the "work" of recording the light, but you still need a human to consider composition, lens type, exposure; not to mention creating or chasing after subject matter, etc...

That isn't a "need" in terms of like, for the "spirit" of the art or whatever, who cares. It's just practical need. If you want something to look like a human made it, then you need a human to make it...

Of course that requires you pay close attention to quality in the first place. Maybe most people just don't and I'm a weirdo or freak for bothering in the first place... The visual equivalent of a pedant... (Animal crossing wind sound effect)

I might try playing around with other tools though. Some combo of curiosity + genuine desire to see these images... Or I'll just draw/collage it myself

[the-lark-ascending69]

My art teacher once told me the key to getting better at drawing wasn't to train the hand, but to train the eye. What she meant was that you can practice as much as you want but if you can't learn how to actually observe, you're not going to make any progress. I apply that to writing as well - real life is one of the best references. Pay attention to the flow of conversations you have with other people, or listen to other people talk. What does that look like? People talk over each other all the time, and they repeat themselves and talk in circles and rarely say things directly. But you also don't want your characters saying "uh..." and "like" and "er..." four times in one sentence like real people do, so you need to strike a balance between making your dialogue believable but also not uncomfortable to read, and that's where you can go to fiction for help. Find movies or books with great dialogue and pay attention to what works, or better yet, find movies or books with awful dialogue and observe what DOESN'T work. You can apply that to anything in your writing - exposition, pacing, scene structure etc - if you can't find it irl, you can find it in books and movies. With fanfiction, you have the advantage of having already established characters with their own behaviors and ways of communicating so you can rewatch their scenes as many times as you need in order to get their vibe. I.e do they tend to lie? Are they brutally honest? Are they careful with their words? Do they speak softly or roughly? Do they talk in circles or more directly? How concisely do they explain things? Do they use simple or complex language? What interjections and expressions do they tend to use most?

As for more technical stuff like keeping a consistent tense, I recommend either using a program like Grammarly to help identify your mistakes (I use it a lot because english is not my first language and I don't feel fully confident in it), or ask a friend to beta read for you and give you a hand! But I mostly just recommend reading more professionally-published books. The more experience you have with the written medium, the better you'll become at it. After reading a lot of good and bad books and paying attention to what works and what doesn't, a lot of things will become second nature to you. You won't even realize you're doing a lot of the same things you used to think about a lot.

Other than that, just remember you don't need to "copy" anyone else's style to be a good writer. It's great to learn from writers you admire, but don't beat yourself over not being the same as them. Your style is yours, and you need to develop it in its own unique way. Just keep on writing and try to push your limits, identify what works and what doesn't and work on developing your eye before anything else.

I also recommend checking out the YouTube channel "hellofutureme", it has a lot of great writing advice, I think I rewatched the video on how to write first chapters a million times already - it's really good, it'll probably help you a lot. Good luck!

does anybody have any advice on writing fanfiction, specifically on creating a better flow between dialogue, action, and the story itself? i feel like i struggle with flowing between what the characters are saying and what's going on, and their thoughts. I have ideas and then i write them out or rough draft, but it always feels so robotic? idk if it's my autism or what, but i'll try looking at fics i love for examples or to try and emulate their style and i still feel like i can't get it right. I also struggle with keeping things past or present tense and it stresses me out. will gladly take ANY advice. i have so many half written fics because i get so frustrated i don't want to go back to them.

[act-addict-actors-matchups]

@kawaiiipandaa said,

Hello! I was wondering if I could request a matchup? This is my first time doing this, so please let me know if I'm doing something wrong! ^^; For starters, I'm a Cancer and I'm 157 cm [ 5'2 ]. I suppose you can say my most distinct physical features are my short hair and glasses. Some of my hobbies consist of reading/writing stories, sewing [ just learned last year but I'm pretty proud of the pillows I've crafted ], and occasionally sketching.

I dislike large crowds, most seafood and speaking out loud. Personality-wise, I can be pretty standoffish and aloof upon first meetings. As I grow more comfortable with an individual, I'm known to be easily-embarrassed, somewhat clingy but still very much awkward. I laugh at jokes even when they aren't funny and tend to space out at times. I have a hard time opening up about my feelings, so most say that it's hard to understand me.

I prefer for things to go how I've planned for them to and when they don't, I get anxious.

✧ Thank you so much for requesting a matchup. I literally have no idea when you send this and I’m genuinely sorry for the very long wait. Please look after yourself. I wish you good health and all the best! 💓

I’d match you with: . . .

➜ HOW YOU TWO FIRST MET ; The first time you met Kazunari was via a mutual friend of yours. It really wasn’t that surprising, considering the fact that he is someone who can talk to anyone without any discrimination. And when you guys did meet, there wasn't anything special between you two― you were just his friend’s friend which was also in the same year as him, and he was just your friend’s friend. He would smile at you whenever you were near each other, maybe strike up a conversation and out of politeness, you would give him a small smile back, weirdly enough, that was all and your friend was totally depressed about it. They wanted you guys to be friends too, or maybe more than friends but you don’t know that😌. Sometimes your friend group and his would have lunches together, which wasn't rare but also wasn't common either. And you would occasionally share a laugh and coversation with the others along with Kazunari, but you were always closer with your side of friends. But one day, you've gotten sick but you didn't want to burden and worry your friends because their classes were still ongoing so you had no choice but to try and walk home before you fainted but that day was said to have a rainy weather, and when you were about to leave to the school gates, not caring if you’d get soaked or not, a familiar voice called out for you, running up to you. You were confused, nevertheless stopped yourself as you saw Kazunari’s figure coming closer to you. “Oh, Kazunari.” your hoarse voice was evident, but you tried to clear your throat anyways. “I heard you were sick and you had to go home.” he started off, “Here,” he handed you an umbrella you didn't notice he held on his right hand. “I heard that it was going to rain today and saw that you didn't have an umbrella.” Not going to lie, you wasn’t expecting that. “No i could't i―” "What? Could it be that you are falling for me? I just made your heart flutter, didn’t I?” He asked excitedly, only to receive a blank look from you, the unfamiliar thumping on your chest, butterflies in your stomache being unknown to him. “Sorry, sorry. I just couldn’t pass the opportunity to tease ya you know?” He said with a smile and continued. “Your friends wouldn't be happy since you're already sick, and I still some classes and a spare umbrella. Get well soon ♪.” As you accepted his umbrella, you walked home with nothing but Kazunari wondering in the deepest cevices of your mind that you didn't know existed. After that day, something kinda changed between you guys. Don’t get me wrong, smiling at each other in the hallways were still a thing; but there were a bit newer accompanies, the peach on your cheeks, and the nervousness on both of your nerves. The two of you would have a small chit-chats with each other even if it's just the two of you inside a classroom, occasionally laughing at a joke one of you had up your sleeves. You and Kazunari would hold unusual, and long gazes at each other― the one would also look at the other when they aren't looking, and vice versa. You get the point. It was some time after that kdrama kinda thing that Kazunari invited you to watch him perform at Mankai.

➜ PERSONALITY COMPATIBILITY ; You two compliment each other perfectly! If I had to describe your relationship it would be introverted found its extroverted and I think it’s really cute skdhskdhkdhd. He loves how easily-embarrassed and clingy you are because hello??? he literally finds you the cutest thing ever. I headcanon him as the type of boyfriend who hugs you from behind as soon as he sees you or just closes your eyes with his hands and asks “Guess who, cutie~?”. I wouldn’t worry too much about having hard time opening up about your feelings or being hard to understand. He may not look like it but this boy is perspective. Very perspective. I feel like Kazunari is naturally observant of others' behavior due to being overly concerned about what other people think of him. This helps him notice the tiniest details of others, including their habits and personality. He’s not the type of person who would force you to spill everything inside your head. Instead, he would let you know that no matter what, he’s here to talk. That he’s here for you. After all, he knows how it feel like to not voice the things inside your head because you feel like it would only cause unnecessary trouble for the receiver. Kazunari teaches you that love should be fun and full of joy. There’s no reason that loving someone should be completely serious and perfect; imperfections make love real, they make love unique. His impulsive way of loving you is uniquely him; he loves you deeply, and diving into that pool of bottomless love he has for you from the highest diving board with no lifeguard near sparks more joy in him than should be humanly possible. He falls in love with how fun it is to love— with how fun it is to be in love with you. 

➜ SHARED ACTIVITIES ; Since you have a harder time with big crowds than him, who doesn't mind showy spectacles, he usually spends time inside for you because he doesn’t want you to become uncomfortable. But be sure to offer going on outside dates to him from time to time. Both of you are into crafting, so I can imagine you two making masks, drawing together or making collages. You just get together to hang out and decorate your masks. You can both do your own thing or have them based on a theme. Whatever works for both of you. Don’t worry if they turn out horrible, that’s part of the fun. Oh, and Kazunari will make sure to get some photos together after you finish and post them on his social media accounts. Also, you two have a fun drawing game, where one person draws one part, and then the other does the next part. Or if you want a really interesting picture, one person draws until a timer runs out and then the next person goes. Depending on how serious you are taking the game, the finished piece is usually either a masterpiece or something that neither of you can describe. Needless to say, you two get a good laugh on the later. Oh, also I hope you don’t mind PDA because Kazunari likes to show the world your good times. The conversation would never cease as you lay wrapped in his arms. One arm would be slung around your waist, and the other resting beneath your head. Usually cuddling with Kazunari would be playful, more tickling than actually laying around, but sometimes, like a lull in the storm, he would stop talking, choosing instead to bury his nose deep in the crook of your neck. The room would be cast in silence. As you laid beside him though his mind reeled. You were real. You were beside him, a goddess in a mortal world, and you were with him out of every person in this world. Of course you had faults, but they were what made you, you. “I love you.” He would say, breaking the silence of the room, and causing you to startle. He had to tell you though. For all he knew, you would disappear like the dream you seemed to be, when he opened his eyes again.

➜ ZODIAC COMPATIBILITY ; Kazunari’s birthday is on August 1, which makes him a Leo. Cancer and Leo both have a playful attitude and a desire for an epic, enduring romance. These two are neighbors on the zodiac wheel, and depending on the degree of their sun, they share many of the same cosmic energies. They are fun-loving and creative. Leo likes romantic gestures, and Cancer knows how and when to show sincere affection. Both are strongly loyal, even to the point of possessiveness, Cancer for safety’s sake, Leo for the sake of their self-confidence. They are also both committed to a enduring, rewarding connection. Since their desires are similar, a Cancer and a Leo may fill very important voids in each other’s lives. What’s the best aspect of the Cancer-Leo relationship? Their mutual commitment to a sincere relationship. Together this pair can share a supportive, positive and healthy vibe. People see them as a winning combination, and their mutual desire for a secure, loving relationship makes them strive for harmony.