#but the only ones I could find with the anatomy I'd need are like Actual Jewelry amount of money and this is not a 300$ whim lmao

[blujayonthewing]

HEEHOO

[cas-kingdom]

For drabble requests how about something for Greys Anatomy where while Derek is busy in surgery the reader comes in injured and Amelia is there to comfort her and make the medical decisions? It doesn’t have to be anything serious really, I’d just love some reader and Amelia bonding 🥰🥰🥰

The walk of shame along the corridors of Grey Sloan was not altogether unfamiliar to you. Many times had you trudged reluctantly along the polished floors of the surgical unit, clutching some injury or another, purposefully trying to avoid the eyes of anyone you knew--which, in such a unit, was pretty impossible.

Years ago, you would have been slightly less embarrassed. Kids always got into medical equipment, right? At least kids of surgeons who were constantly working. But now, it didn't seem quite right. You were a month away from Johns Hopkins, had aced all your exams and probably wouldn't have even needed the reference letters from half the surgical team, and here you were, head hung low in disgrace as you held your bleeding hand to your chest.

If it weren't for the fact you knew your dad would absolutely murder you if he found out you had hidden an injury from him again, you would have locked yourself away in a break room somewhere and attempted to patch yourself up best you could. Alas. Your father was Derek Shepherd. And after the broken nose you'd managed to keep from him for almost twenty-four hours a couple years ago, he'd all but held you hostage until you promised on his life you wouldn't do it again.

So, here you were. Reluctant as hell but somehow still not regretting the situation that had lead you to this moment.

"Hi, have you seen Dr. Shepherd around?" you asked a passing intern. When he made to walk over to the surgery board, finger already pointing at one row in particular, you visibly grimaced.

"Uh, no, the other one. Amelia Shepherd?" You had no intention of crying to your dad today. Your pride had been smashed to pieces enough.

The intern pointed down the hallway and you saw your aunt walking around a corner with another nurse. Pressing your lips in a thin line, you thanked the intern and followed after her. Your pace was fast enough not to lose her but slow enough that you had time to rehearse your lines before you were bombarded with judgment.

Amelia ducked into a radiology room and you steeled yourself before pushing the door open. "Amelia?"

"Y/N. Why are you holding your hand like that?"

You wouldn't have been surprised at the question, in fact you had fully expected it, if Amelia had turned around to actually see who had walked through the door. Your aunt could do powerful stuff, but mindreading was not on that list.

"I saw you earlier." Amelia turned, arms crossed, brows raised. "Well done, by the way. Meredith thought it would take you longer to find someone. I said it would take..." She glanced at her watch and shrugged. "Twenty minutes. Not bad."

Her supposed victory was short-lived when she looked up. Her eyes fell on your hand and her face dropped as she walked quickly over to you. "I'd rather you not drip blood on the floor," she said, an obvious tease behind her words, as she gently pulled you over to sit down.

You made a face, not having realised. "Oops."

"Oops is right, kiddo." Amelia knelt in front of the swivel chair and let you uncover your hand, humming under her breath when she noted the long, jagged line running down the side of your hand from the base of your wrist to the middle of your pinky finger. "How'd you manage this, huh? Don't tell me you found the electrical saw again."

You rolled your eyes. "I stabbed myself, actually," you said matter-of-factly.

"Ooh, that's a new one. With what?" When your reluctance finally kicked in, Amelia looked up. "With what, Y/N?"

Your hand began to throb and only then did you decide that answering your aunt's questions was probably the easiest way to getting relief. "A needle," you said. "I found a suture practice kit and, oh my God, Meelie, you know that's like giving me candy. I couldn't just leave it alone."

Amelia nodded along, gently probing at the red skin around your wound. "So you practiced sutures on fake skin and, what? Sewed yourself?"

"There was a noise outside and I jerked my hand," you deadpanned. Amelia glanced up, on the verge of laughter, and you looked away stiffly. "It hurts."

"Well, lesson learnt. For now," she added after as a second thought. There was a short silence after that was broken only by your hiss of pain when Amelia touched an exceptionally sensitive spot. Sucking a breath through her teeth, the surgeon sat back on her heels and looked up at you. "How were your sutures?" she asked. "Straight? Neat?"

You lit up, Derek's smug smile curving your lips not a second later. "Straightest and neatest you'll ever see."

"That's my girl." Amelia squeezed your knee before standing to her feet and taking out her phone. "Now, what do we tell your dad when he sees you later with stitches in your hand?"

You couldn't have groaned louder. If the chair didn't have a straight back, you would have fallen backwards with the force of it. When you righted yourself, a fierce look of indignation on your face, Amelia wasn't even attempting to hide her amusement.

"I need stitches?"

"Yup. Aaand, lucky for you, I think Derek should be out of surgery by now." Chipper as ever in the face of her niece's almost tangible disgust, she held open the door and nodded in its direction. "Come on, kiddo. He'll be glad to do a little needlework. Bring him back to basics."

You rolled your eyes once more as you got up, cradling your hand to your chest. "Like brother, like sister," you grumbled as you passed your aunt.

"What was that?"

"I said: like brother, like sister, you sadist."

Amelia snorted.

Grey's Masterpost

[that-tmr-girl]

Just Questions

Thomas’s innocent sounding questions lead to some not so innocent activities.

Vaginal sex, fingering, praise kink

Thomas has been a curious Greenie from day one. He’s wanted the answers to absolutely everything, no matter what it is. From the Maze to jobs, he always has something that he wants to ask.

I was the only medjack today. Ironically, Clint and Jeff were sick, meaning they had to stay in bed. I didn't mind seeing as I enjoy my job, but it can still be a lot.

It was easy today. The only patient I actually had was Thomas, who had fallen while running, successfully cutting his face on a rock.

“You're lucky this wasn't any worse,”I pointed out, cleaning the blood from his forehead.

“How bad could it actually get?”He shrugged.

“Pretty bad if you don't disinfectant it,”I chuckled, pouring rubbing alcohol on a rag.

“You’ve probably seen worse though,”He shrugged again.

“Oh yeah. Lots worse,”I promised.

“How bad?”

“Broken bones, a concussion, the works,”I answered, dabbing his wound.

“You never seem to mind my questions.”

“I don't at all. It's kind of cute how much you want to know about everything,”I admitted.

“So would you mind if I asked you some more personal questions?”

“Probably not,”I said, getting the last of the blood. Pulling away, I sat down as he kept his eyes on mine.

“You're a girl. That has to make your experience different than everyone else, right?”

“Maybe sometimes, but I’m fine with being here now,”I shrugged.

“You don't ever catch anybody looking at you?”

“Sometimes, but I usually brush it off. I'd rather not start anything,”I explained.

“The female anatomy, it's very different from guys, yes?”

“Definitely,”I nodded.

“Like how your clit is your pleasure spot?”

“That's definitely one difference,”I got out, crossing my legs.

“Can you show me?”

“Probably. I’m sure there are some books in here or something,”I shrugged.

“You're cute.”

“What?”I asked quickly.

“That isn't what I meant, angel. I wasn't asking about books. I was asking if you could show me,”He drew out, his voice low and lustful.

“I-I don't know if that's the best idea in here,”I reasoned.

“As long as we're quiet, nobody needs to find out,”He smirked.

“What if someone catches us?”

“And what if they don't?”

“But they could?”

“I can see you rubbing your thighs together,”He told me. Instantly, my face flushed as I realized I had unconsciously been trying to get some friction between my legs, wetness starting to soak my panties. “You should let me between your thighs instead?”

“Yeah? You think I should?”I asked, slowly leaning in.

“Yeah. I really think you should,”He nodded, wrapping his arms around my neck. I set myself on his lap, allowing me to feel him growing hard in his pants.

“And maybe I will let you inside of me?”I teased, holding his face in my palms as I leaned in close to him.

“Yeah?”

“Yes-”

Before I could finish my sentence he had smashed his lips against mine. Shutting my eyes, I kissed back as I placed my hands on his chest. Sliding his down, he grabbed my ass as he slipped his tongue inside of my mouth. I grazed mine over his as we explored each other's mouths. My hands traveled to his pants, tugging on them, begging for him to undress. Understanding what I wanted, what I needed now, he pulled them off with one hand while still kissing me.

Pulling away, I took a breath as I pulled my shirt over my head. He grabbed the hem of my pants before sliding them off. I forced his shirt over his head, revealing his abs. Tracing my hands up and down his stomach, I grinded on him. He groaned as he leaned back, watching me.

Reaching back, I unclipped my bra. The second it was on the ground he took both my breasts in his palm, tracing his thumbs over my nipples. I bit my lip to hold in a whimper as I only grew wetter.

“Do you really want this?”He whispered.

“I need this now, Thomas.”

Accepting my answer, he slipped his boxers off as I got off of him. Sliding my panties down my legs, I was left completely nude in front of him.

“Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful,”He praised, standing up and grabbing my hips. Pushing his lips back against mine, he kissed me as deeply as he could as I wrapped my legs around his waist. Turning me around, he set me on the bench before spreading my legs.

“Tell me if you need me to stop, okay?”

“Just go already,”I begged.

“So needy,”He teased.

“Thomas, please?”

Listening, he wrapped my legs around his waist as he pushed into me. I whimpered at the feeling so he stopped for a second, giving me time to adjust.

“Just go,”I repeated through heavy breaths.

He pushed more of him into me, making me throw my head back and clench my jaw. Tears threatened to fill my eyes as he stretched me out.

“It's okay. You're taking me so well. You're doing so good,”He praised, admitedly making me moan. “You like hearing how well you're doing, good girl?”

“Yes,”I breathed out.

“You're taking it so well,”He grunted, pushing more of him into me. I let out another moan as he slid out before slamming back in, completely penetrating me. My eyes rolled back to my head as he thrusted in and out at an even pace, the table shaking beneath me.

“Oh god. Oh Thomas,”I moaned as pure pleasure ran up my body.

“You take it so well. God, you're such a good girl,”He groaned, starting to increase his pace. I moaned again at the words as I felt pressure in my lower stomach. My walls tightened around his thick cock as his thrusts got sloppier. He groaned each time he pushed back in before twitching inside of me.

“I’m-I’m close,”I stuttered out.

“Good girl. You gonna cum for me? Gonna cum all over my dick?”He groaned.

“Oh fuck, oh god, Thomas,”I moaned, throwing my head back again as I broke. Still going, he slammed deep inside of me again before climaxing, filling me up with his warm, sticky seed.

“I need more,”I begged as he pulled out.

Grabbing my waist, he spun my around before bending me over. I bit down on my lip in anticipation as he grabbed my waist while positioning himself behind me.

“You ready?”

“Please, just do something?”I pleaded.

Slamming into me, he filled me up again. I whimpered as I dropped my head, clawing at the bench at the feeling. With my teeth gritted together, I closed my eyes at the feeling of him pulling out and pushing in.

“You take it so well. Looking so damn pretty while you do,”He praised.

“Fuck, Thomas. Oh fuck,”I moaned, already threatening to break from sensitivity. “Thomas, I’m close,”I whimpered.

“Cum. Be a good girl, and cum,”He ordered.

Moaning louder at his words, I was practically cross eyes as I came again. My liquids spilled between my thighs, slowly traveling down my legs.

He didn't stop though. He kept slamming into me even harder and rougher than before, making my body shake. I let out more whimpers as I took him deep inside of me. He groaned each time he slid in.

The room was filled with the sound of skin on skin and pleasured sounds. Unable to take it, my walls tightened again as he twitched inside of me.

“Close. Close again,”I panted.

“You can cum. Do it. Cum,”He grunted, pushing in again and finishing inside of me. My hands balled into fists as the knot broke.

Breathing heavily, I rested my head on the table as both of us spilled down my legs, collecting in a puddle at my feet. My chest heaved as my vision wasn't right yet, too overcome with the pleasure I just felt.

He pulled out before turning me around, setting me on the bench. Spreading my legs, he buried his face in my neck, kissing my skin as he trailed his hands up and down my body.

“Thomas, what are-”

“I’m not done yet,”He hushed, biting down on my skin. I took a deep breath until he pushed two fingers deep inside of me. I let out a loud moan as he pumped them, hitting my g-spot. Using his thumb, he rubbed circles on my clit, leaving me breathless.

“Fuckkk, Thomas,”I moaned, feeling the knot in my core come back. He increased his pace on my clit and inside of me, leaving my physically unable to keep my eyes open as I broke all over his hand.

“Good girl. You took my fingers so fucking well,”He praised, pulling them out of me. Placing them in his mouth, he sucked down before softly pressing his lips against mine. I barely managed to kiss back as I was still taking in air.

“We should do that again sometime,”He suggested as he pulled away.

“Yeah. That can definitely be arranged.”

[kaythefloppa]

Wild Kratts: Our Blue and Green World Trailer.

Underneath the cut for those who consider it to be spoilery, but we have a trailer for the one-hour special, Our Blue and Green World, airing April 1st, 2024.

The Kratt brothers disagree on what's better; blue oceans or green forests. Aviva takes on the role of referee to demonstrate how oceans and forests work together to make our living planet, just like Martin and Chris need to keep working together. It's up to the gang to get Martin and Chris back in sync in time to save planet Earth from Zach and Paisley's villainous plans.

This special was first mentioned back in May of 2023 during an interview with Martin Kratt heralding the show's premiere of its 7th season. The original title was Blue and Green: The Living Earth before it was chaned to our Blue and Green World. The episode will feature climates and habitats corresponding with the Kratt's "blue and green." With it, will come the introduction of new Creature Power Suits: The ones we have seen thus far in the trailer are Indri Power, Green Anaconda Power, and Blue Whale Power.

My thoughts:

HOLY SHIT THE BLUE WHALE SUIT

HOLY SHIT THE BLUE WHALE SUIT

HOLY SHIT THE BLUE WHALE SUIT

*calms down.*

Ok but I'm starting to see a weird pattern in the PowerSuits in this season. For some strange reason, they have to retrofit the wearer's mouths to match the ACTUAL anatomy of the animal the suit is based off of. They did it with the Wild Pony and the Mountain Goat Power Suit and both of them were.... ugh. Now they did it with the Blue Whale Suit and to be fair, while I hate that particular feature, it's not enough to make me hate the suit. In fact, I kinda like it more because of how silly it looks (Martin is the perfect person to wear this suit tbh). Still though, I wish they designed it like the Crocodile, Hippo, or Puffin Suit where the giant mouth is simply an attachment that doesn't move while the wearer speaks.

For those who don't know, Indris are the largest species of lemur in the world (alongside Diademed Sifakas). They are the only animals besides humans that can find and use rhythm using "wailing songs" to communicate. They're also critically endangered due to slash and burn of their habitats and poaching for their flesh as delicacies (yeah, very odd that Gourmand isn't here, but I digress). There's an estimate to be less than 10,000 left in the wild and are expected to have a population net decrease by 80% within the next 30 years... yeah, considering that they're endemic to Madagascar, not a very good sign. I didn't even know what an Indri was until reading the article, and if I'm not the only one who had no clue about these guys, it's probably definitely a good sign that they're getting some spotlight in this show.

The Indri Power Suit looks so goofy, but again, something about how silly it looks just makes me appreciate it all the more. I... weirdly expected it to be way bigger like the Puffin Suit, but again that's just me.

I am a huge fan of how they designed the snake-inspired Creature Power Suits in the show. But the Anaconda Creature Power Suit... holy shit.

LOOK AT IT /POS

Look at the markings! Look at the green! Look at the patterns, and the color schemes! Chris FINALLY got a green Creature Power Suit to activate! Our boi won! It's also a pretty clever callback to the Amazon special where Chris met the Anaconda (I really hope the Power Disc for this suit is green because god that would be so aesthetically pleasing).

Ngl, if the old flash games were still on the website, and this was one of the Power Suits I could earn for my character, I'd play it in a heart-beat.

I'm really interested to see the Zach/Paisley team up. This season already started to utilize her better by giving her another solo appearance, and now we're seeing a 1 on 1 team up with her and another villain. I was always gunning for a Paisley/Donita teamup but this works too. They're both very similar characters that can bounce off each other in similar, yet different ways (I actually headcanon that they're related - second cousins to be exact - because of those similarities). The final battle is gonna be kickass.

If you were to tell me without any context at all that this was a screencap from the upcoming WK feature film (that this episode is often mistaken for), I would believe you. Because HOLY SHIT! The linework, the lighting, the hues, AND the shading! I am becoming more and more grateful for the 2-year long hiatus - the animators needed time to cook and they fucking COOKED. For an extended TV episode, this is pretty damn impressive.

People don't talk enough about this, but fun-fact: A lot of the animators of this show had experience working for Disney. Erika Worthylake was one of the artists on this show, doing several beta designs for animals such as wild ponies and salmon sharks. In 2019, she was the lead designer for Anga, one of the new characters in Disney's The Lion Guard (which, much like Wild Kratts, was animated in Toon Boom). Ben Balistreri had collaberated with the Kratt Brothers and Luc Chamberland in 2007 to work on the show's pilot episode, creating several different designs for the animated characters. Ten years later, he became the executive co-producer of Tangled: The Series. Kendal Brouet, who animated A Creature Christmas, worked on The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder in 2022. Just to name a few. It's just a fun little thing that comes up in the back of my mind whenever the topic of WK animation comes up, and this instance of animation is so fucking good that I HAVE to talk about it, because I have MAJOR respect for these guys, and if there were ever moments in the show that remind me "Oh, this slaps," I just remember what these talented artists worked on through the years and it clicks together nicely in my brain.

According to Whrokids, this episode is gonna have a runtime of 58 minutes. I found this screenshot of someone who did far more searching and sleuthing for new episode content (they were the ones who found this trailer actually). I'm not sure how valid this particular screenshot is, but if this is the case, then this will be the longest episode of Wild Kratts in history, and will be the closest thing we get to a Wild Kratts movie (until the actual WK movie is released in theaters).

Fucking. Hyped.

[thottyimagines]

Heyy, i really love ur akatsuki headcanons, like every one of them is so believable lmaoo.

Could u do akatsuki headcanons where their s/o asks them to hold their peepee while they pee? I swear there was one exact ask on tumblr but it cant find it

Thanks and i hope its not a weird question but they r weirdos anyways so

Thank you!

I've gotten a variation of this ask several times which is telling me the people (or just one tenacious anon) really want to know, so...god, here goes nothing:

Pein is...weirdly complicated, given the real body in the basement/paths for his bidding situation, but I'd say the only way he'd allow it is if it's absolutely necessary because his actual bod is too weak to even help himself. I imagine he just diapers the poor thing and gives Konan the honor of cleaning him up, though, so he doesn't really need an s/o to aid in that venture.

Konan, should she have one for her s/o to hold, would be kind of confused by the request, but not put off. I don't think she'd really get it, but sure, knock yourself out, s/o.

Itachi would get flustered and embarrassed, should his s/o ask to do the holding for him. He'd reassure them that he is more than capable of performing his own bathroom duties, from ablutions to urination, and their concern is...well, kind, if unwarranted. He'd probably wonder if his s/o is noticing his deteriorating eyesight and then frets that he can no longer aim, and everyone has felt too awkward to tell him. He starts using the bathroom with his Sharingan always on and the door locked tight so he can make sure he cleans up properly.

Kisame would probably be amused and go for it. He'd somehow find a way to be flirtatious and horny about it, but hey, his s/o was the one to be a freak and ask in the first place so as far as he's concerned it's all fair game.

Hidan would only accept if he could be flirtatious and horny about it. He'd probably just assume his s/o developed a piss kink or something, I'll be real with you.

Kakuzu initially shuts that down with a firm "no." If his s/o is persistent, he'd relent, but he'd be annoyed and brusque about it. If their finger gets caught in the zipper when he's done, well, that'll show them to stop impeding his business.

Deidara gets very embarrassed and flustered, like Itachi, but in a weirdly flattered, excited way. He's young and horny and will gleefully embrace any opportunity to have someone touching his dick, even for something as mundane as him peeing.

Sasori probably didn't give his puppet twink bod any genitalia, as he needs to neither pee nor fuck in this form. He'd be sure to let his s/o know that.

Tobi would get embarrassed and deflect and probably accuse his s/o of being a pervert (fair), but forgive them because they're just too cute. They're still not giving the assist, though. He's self-conscious about how it looks soft.

Zetsu also doesn't seem to have the anatomy required for this scenario, given he's running around in the buff all day long and no one has ever commented about his bits hanging out and about.

[desertdollranch]

Opening my first Bonnie & Pearl doll

I'm back with yet another obscure, rare, or defunct doll brand I never thought I'd own!

Bonnie & Pearl will probably be unfamiliar to most of you. They were based in the UK, producing a line of seven beautiful and high-quality 19 inch dolls and clothing.

They had wigged hair, blinking eyes, and had a variety of hair and skin colors. After they went out of business, I knew that finding any of these dolls secondhand in the States would not be easy. So I put them out of my mind and moved on.

What made me remember and reconsider them was the fact that I've been extremely lucky lately to find all sorts of dolls that were on my wish list but I never thought I'd actually find my own. Encouraged by my success, I searched again for a Bonnie & Pearl, and struck gold by finding two of them from American sellers. One was in original form, and the other was someone's unfinished project doll. I bought them both, so that I could decide which one I preferred and resell the one I didn't.

The one that I chose to keep was in almost new condition and came with her original box, clothes, and extras.

The box is beautiful and sturdy. Bonnie & Pearl's commitment to reducing packaging gave them the unique idea to make a box that could be turned into a bed for the doll.

Keep reading to see what's inside........

...........

The bed is decorated with pictures to be colored in.

More box details. It's interesting that I'm being prompted to give her a name when there's already a name on the front of the box?

Here's the doll's pink purse and hairbow. And a doll bed is incomplete without a pillow, so that's included as well.

There's a little pamphlet talking about how to care for your doll's hair and body, and additional outfits available for purchase.

The seller included the doll's original sleep eyes, which she replaced with stationary glass eyes. She included some extra 16 mm eyes for smaller dolls (they won't fit this doll). These were a nice freebie surprise, since I have a Hearts for Hearts doll who needs an eye replacement! The rest will be put into my doll parts stash.

All Bonnie & Pearl dolls come dressed in this beautiful ensemble: a floral skirt, a white shirt with pink buttons on the placket, white underwear, and matching shoes. The skirt has an attached tulle crinoline.

Now let's get to the good stuff.

Here she is! Her original name is Charlotte. I very often keep my dolls' original names and ethnic origin in tribute to their heritage, but I already have an English modern character. This girl will get a new name and backstory.

I can tell right away she's lovingly and beautifully made. She feels very sturdy, and her vinyl skin has a lovely matte finish that looks very much like porcelain. Her wig is fabulous, so soft and just the right thickness. The only thing not original about her are her glass eyes, but I actually prefer them to the blinking eyes. These look more realistic and give her a more childlike appearance.

I adore her. 10 out of 10. She is perfection from head to toe. I wish

Now let's do some comparisons.

She has a vinyl breastplate and soft tummy. She's a bit taller than an American Girl doll, but her proportions are very similar.

They can share clothes easily, with the biggest difference being that B&P's shoulders are a little less broad than AG's.

Shoes are a bit more different. B&P's feet are more meaty at the top, even though their length and width are almost identical. So she would do better wearing American Girl brand sandals rather than closed-toe shoes. AG can wear B&P's shoes easily.

Her anatomy is much like a Karito Kids doll, but B&P is a few inches shorter.

Since she was a project doll, her wig wasn't glued down, and the seller included the piece of her scalp that was cut open in order to change the eyes.

I superglued it back into place, and then put the wig back on.

I also glued on some soft brown eyelashes. I did try darker eyelashes on her first, but they were a bit too intense, and so I prefer the more subtle look of the lighter brown lashes.

And a bonus picture of her wearing an American Girl brand dress and posing with Nareen, my My Imagination doll. I get the vibe that they'll be good friends.

I'll reveal her name and show more pictures in an upcoming post! I won't be showing the other B&P doll I bought since I won't be keeping her after I fix her flaws.

[akaiitori]

Attack Dog - Rendering Breakdown

OK here's an attempt at explaining how I go with illustrations. This isn't necessarily an 'effective' way to paint, but rather it's a process to maximize my personal enjoyment. I encourage you to do the same! Find those steps you have the most fun with, and exploit the hell out of them.

For this post, I'll be going step-by-step for this illustration

1- Sketching

A Mess. I don't like making lineart unless I'm super in the mood for it. In this case, I couldn't be bothered to spend a lot of time in the sketch. I often use 3D models as a base for paintings because, if I'm making a painting I only want to paint, not to stress out on anatomy.

2- Blocking values

I only start painting with colour if I'm certain about what I want to do. In this case, I wasn't. When it comes to visual information, values (light and shadow) are more important than colour, so it's easier to block those out first than trying to improve the values in an already coloured piece.

This is a very insightful video if you want to see if a greyscale-first process could be useful for you. Marco Bucci's content in general is a treasure.

Here's a link to the head model used for light reference

3- Paintinggg hell yeah babyyyyy

Not much to say here except, look at a lot of reference. I only limit my canvas to one or two reference pics to not get it super crowded, but I'll always have more pictures open on my browser, tablet, etc.

There's this little app you can use to compile reference pics. I don't use it because the act of opening it is too much work for me but, it's a neat tool.

The main brushes I use for rendering are the following:

Regular round brush with pen-pressure opacity.

Custom triangle brush. It's just a triangle with some texture layered on.

Clip Studio Paint's textured paint. Unmodified.

Custom square brush. Same as the triangle, but it's a square.

Clip Studio Paint's gouache brush. Unmodified. Good for blending.

"Fur block-in" from this pack. Excellent for blocking in feathers.

"triple line" from this pack. Very good for adding texture.

You don't need this many brushes, but I like the variety to keep things interesting. I'd say that only #1, #2 and #7 are essential to me.

A quick trick I used for the muzzle was to make the wires with a white brush, on a layer with border effect.

I considered explaining how to shade feathers here but, it was making this post a little too long. Even more than it already is. But, let me know if a guide on drawing feathers is something you'd be interested in seeing!

4- Colours

For this one I kept it simple. I liked the values and I wanted to have a very stark contrast with the red blood. I made some quick tests with gradient maps trying out different palettes, using gradient maps and overlay layers.

While I enjoyed #1, at the end I went with #5 as it worked better narratively. The clinical white and silvery shadows give a stoic indifference to the blood, which fits with Blackbird's character.

The muzzle and situation on itself aren't a canon event happening, so it also felt more fitting to keep a more stylized 'colouring' rather than actually putting in the character's colours and scene. For this colouring, I only used a single gradient map, but it's not rare if I end up using several, placing masks for areas of different colours.

When it comes to colouring greyscales in character colours I follow a different process, for which I'll use another illustration as an example.

(this is Loketh, he belongs to my partner)

So, for this drawing I also started with a grayscale, but started adding colour in much earlier.

1- Black and white base render

2- New layer with a flat colour, put it on overlay. This will serve as a base for colouring, kinda like glazing on a canvas for a traditional painting

3- Adding character colours, in a new layer on overlay mode. You can do this in a single layer, or make new layers for each new colour. Just keep it loose, no need to add all detail yet.

4- Colouring the shadows. I used a gradient map adjustement layer, set to overlay. Made the lights green, and the shadows purple.

5- Flatten and paint! Now this is the step to add all intricate colour details missing from step 3.

5- Post-Processing

This is a term more used in 3D renders, where it refers to colour corrections and final tweaks. Things like adding depth of field, motion blur, vignette, any final filter.

For almost all my art I'll add a grainy noise layer and chromatic aberration, I just think it looks neat. You can also add paper textures or flat colours on top of you image and set that layer to overlay, it helps to tie everything together.

AND THAT'S ITTT

I hope this was useful, and remember to just have fun with it :)

Further reading:

Marco Bucci's youtube account

Jason Rainville's blog with breakdowns of his illustrations

Sinix Design's video on colouring skin

Anatomy For Sculptor's 3D models for muscle reference (cw nudity)

[existslikepristin]

Okay, so I had someone send me an ask last night and now I've been thinking about it all day. It wasn't anonymous, which I appreciate, but I'm not responding to it directly for because

I reached out already to say I'd do some editing, and I've let them know the rest of what I'm about to rant on below, but I want to make sure at least a few more people see this

I flip flop around on how to say this shit all the time. Like, do I say that everyone's a good writer in their own special way? Do I say that you don't need likes and reblogs for validation? I don't fucking know what to say except for maybe one more thing that I'll reiterate until the day I die with various embellishments that will fade in and out

You. Yes you, the person who's reading this who is also a writer/aspiring writer. Come closer. We share a bond, you and I, so really get in physically close

Art can't be contained, you scrunge

If you don't think whatever you're creating is art, go to a damn museum. Or do a virtual tour. Or google the phrase "modern art". It doesn't matter. You're going to see some shit in there that, I would hope, makes you think the artist was a dipwad

I'm ranting more than I thought I would. Here's a keep reading line

You know who fucking sucks at art? Pablo Picasso.

Look at this absolute pile of bullshit, then look me in the eye, and tell me this isn't the colorized manifestation of an elementary school dropout's Wattpad account

"But ELP, Picasso demonstrated actual working knowledge of anatomy. This is just his AbstRACt sTyLe"

SHUT UP. Nobody asked you, Barbara

Picasso, Piet Mondrian, Andy Warhol. Their artworks are money laundering schemes. Their fame doesn't come from their talent. It comes from obscenely rich people trading blood diamond money for crisp, clean, still-fake money by claiming that poor people "don't get it"

And yet, despite popular opinions being developed because of ridiculous sums of money being pegged up these guys' assholes, artists today still find meaning in their works, tunneling straight through their cognitive dissonance to tell themselves that, no, I actually enjoy staring at blocks of washed out color until my retinas have burnt in just the right spots that I can see an actual human face because an art teacher once told me that these pictures got the most likes on the pre-internet Tumblr

Does that mean people don't actually like this art? Am I trying to tell you you shouldn't like this art? Maybe, but then you'd be obligated to remind me that Churchgirleum Yawjinius is a disgusting assault on your imagination and yet has as many likes as Definitely Real Medicine, which you wouldn't believe was actually written with all the earnestness my void of a chest cavity could muster

Take it from someone who willingly threw away the opportunity for automatic dozens of reblogs and hundreds of likes per post by telling people to fuck themselves (and still gets a bunch for some reason):

The validation is cool, but it's not worth it

The validation does not define what is good or not

What is good or not doesn't even matter

You're not going to make money off this shit

Someone who is genuinely terrible is going to get more validation than you, and is going to flaunt it in your face, and their writing is still somehow going to mean something to way too many people, and it doesn't matter because their soul is just as unfulfilled by the validation as yours is unfulfilled by the lack of it

What is fulfilling is doing something because you can

You are your only source of real validation, no matter what fuzzy dopamines you get from the vapid click of a like button

Oh, and if you do get the validation of Tumblr notes, that doesn't mean your work is shit or you don't deserve love or whatever. Accept it graciously because it's definitely not uncool that people like your shit, but recognize that it's not going to cure your depression

Art is art. We can look at Roman columns and marvel at how their art built modern civilization (though the Romans can fuck themselves IMO (oh wait they literally did haha)), but did it really? Art makes otherwise brutalist architecture tolerable, but the curly Qs at the bases and tops of columns isn't what kept the coliseum from collapsing on thousands of people watching live murder

If you have a story that has overstayed its welcome in your head and needs to be on paper or on a screen, then write the fucking story. Nobody actually cares about the qUaLiTy of your spelling or grammar. They care about being given permission to think about Karina's tits. Do you think their opinion matters?! I mean, they may have great contributions to make on their own, and they should have voting rights, and it's chill if they have something nice to say to you, but the point is that they're already thinking about Karina's tits regardless of your writing. They're just your thralls to manipulate into thinking about Karina's tits in the way that you, the all-powerful artist, want them to think about Karina's tits. If they try to tell you "Karina's tits would have tan lines" then write a whole fic about how Karina is a nudist and has a perfectly even tan, and who's going to argue about it? The idiot who wrote a pedantic comment? No! It's YOU. THE ALL-FUCKING-POWERFUL ARTIST WHO ACTUALLY MADE SOMETHING TO PROVE YOUR POINT WHETHER OR NOT IT IS CORRECT

If you're an artist, then fucking act like one. Embrace the chaos inherent in creativity. Maybe gentleman is vampire. The poison contains joy. We exist in these devastating, beautiful worlds of contradiction in which we hate people and how lonely we are, we crave kindness and embody violence, and we beg the universe to give us direction despite knowing full well that we're going to zigzag between paths. Maybe you relate. Maybe you don't. THAT'S THE POINT. You're not right. I'm not right. We both write (wow, bars)

I keep saying that everyone should just write, and it's not because I think everyone is secretly a good writer. It's because someone out there needs permission to write after being told their entire lives that their value lies in A, or they're not good if B by all the non-artists in who genuinely don't understand why someone needs to make something impractical to begin the infinitely long road to completion

The dumb fucks who don't understand want to contain you because it's in their nature to desire order. They like to come up with metrics to categorize what counts as art and what doesn't so they can change the rules on you. Chaos always wins though

So WRITE. The world doesn't need your artistry. YOU DO. If you write a bunch of shit and people like it but you quit anyway or nobody likes it and you quit, then idk. Maybe you weren't an artist in the first place, which is perfectly fine, or maybe you're giving your corporate overlords too much control over your mind. If you're an artist, you'll burn with the need to create, no matter how much you create. If you feel that, keep writing

[pancake-breakfast]

I should be sleeping, but I'm not known for my wisdom in that particular field, so on with Trigun Book Club!

Archive

Trigun Volume 1: Covers + 1-3, 3 Detailed Thoughts, 4, 4 DT, 5-6, 5-6 + DT, 6 DT, 7-8, 9-10

Trigun Volume 2: Covers + Extras, 1, 1 Supplemental Research, 2-4, 5-6, 7-8

TriMax Volume 1: Covers + 1-2, 2 DT, 3-4, 3 DT, 5-6

TriMax Volume 2: Covers + 1, 2-4

Stream-of-consciousness thoughts for TriMax Vol. 2, Chapter 5 below.

Chapter 5: Desperado

Oh, no. They're coming for Vash's friends on the sand steamer.

Wait, that's the girl from the end of the last chapter, huh? That means they can't be far from Milly and Meryl.

Nico-oniisaaaaaaan!!!

"Did your work go well?" Heh. I'll note he does not answer this question. Nicholas D. Wolfwood. The "D" is for "Deflection."

Gods, his hands. This is so much more traumatic in context.

NIGHTOW, WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING HERE, LITERALLY ON THE SAME PAGE AS THAT NIGHTMARE?!?!

NM, it's just Vash's bad driving. Or maybe he noticed WW wasn't sleeping so good and decided to unsubtly wake him up?

LOL, I have SO MANY THOUGHTS about what's going on in WW's head here, but they're all spoilers, so I'll keep them to myself.

LOLOLOLOL, WW dragging unconscious Vash into the inn and demanding two rooms is just so funny to me. Like, no wonder these people are staring at him like that. They must have SO MANY QUESTIONS.

I assume there will only be one room. And one bed. Edit: My assumption was wrong.

LOL, nothing wakes Vash up quite like the sound of someone else in need, trying to do the right thing against impossible odds.

He's so cute when he's semi-conscious.

WW, what the hell life have you been living? I'm so sorry, my guy. No wonder Vash is giving you such a headache.

I wish I could find a suitable picture to show just how much this building looks like the old Spanish missions dotting the landscape in certain parts of the Southwestern U.S., but it seems like 99.9999% of the pictures are of the buildings inside the walls... or of the ones that have been extensively renovated rather than having crumbly bits like so many of them do. (Also, it's late and so I can't be arsed to do a detailed search. Maybe this will help get my point across? IDK, I'm not writing an essay on Spanish missions right now. I already did that back in 4th grade.)

If I had a son who was recklessly hellbent on getting himself killed alongside me as I defended the town/inn/whatever, I'd tie him up and lock him away, too.

LOL, dehydrated Vash. Gods, babygirl is in baaaaad shape. He's trying, though.

I dunno, a half-dead Vash is still probably pretty competent.

Is now a good time to point out that the word "Desperado" means "The Desperate"? (Also, apparently it's not actually Spanish. We're learning things today in Trigun Book Club.)

"What was that, Vashie?" *Vash barks insistently* "You think you can come up with a plan?" *Vash barks enthusiastically* "Ok, I trust you, boy!" *Vash wags his tail.*

Some quick Spanish notes on page 134 here for those who may not hear these terms so frequently: Mi Amigo = my friend (may not actually indicate a friend; can also be used to create a mock-friendly tone in a situation where intimidation is coming into play) Jefe (pronounced "heh-fay") = slang term meaning "boss" or "leader" (can also be used sort of like "man" or "dude" in English, or in a mock-friendly tone to kinda rub in that the person being called "jefe" is not in charge of the situation) Comprende? = Do you understand?

This guy has too many teeth. And a weird way of standing. Is... is he wearing metal underwear?? What kind of weirdness do you have to go through to get this kind of anatomy? How does he close his lips??? M... maybe it's a mask of some sort??

Holland en Flambe sounds like a dessert.

Rest in peace, vodka. I'm sure someone out there misses you.

Hahahahaha, this kid. He's having to hold the whole weight of intimidation because Vash looks like a rag doll someone left out in the rain too long. Wait. Does Wolfwood know Vash is here?? Heheheheheheheh.... BF's gonna be maaaaaaad....

I love Vash's expression through this bit. He's trying, but he does NOT have the energy for this right now.

FWOOM

Listen to your father, Rob.

Ohhhhh, shit.

Ok, I LOVE LOVE LOVE this. I love the absolute chaos of the top part taking over the whole page, with this guy's shouting bearing down on Vash and the family from the top, claws sweeping in from the left with a motion so fast and deadly it leaves motion lines going all the way up the page... and then, cutting in at the bottom, in a panel that's practically pure-white serenity, the soft but definite *click* of the Punisher's machine gun opening. Beautiful.

And, of course, we turn the page into a two-page spread of Wolfwood letting 'er rip, adding a more controlled and entirely different type of chaos to the scene.

LOL, BF's mad. Just a little, though. Confusion has tempered his anger.

Ok, this, though. How the angle goes from him carelessly tapping Vash on the head with his gun (while practicing shit trigger discipline, I might add) to us looking up at Wolfwood from a perspective very close to what Vash's would be if he could lift his head. How, in the second panel, Wolfwood looks like a desperate man about to pull an executioner's trigger out of fear and confusion for the unknown before him. How, even so, he's debating if Vash is actually the monster he's heard of when there's so much evidence that, despite superhuman skills that Wolfwood has witnessed multiple times firsthand, Vash seems so kind and cares so much for people he ends up in this situation even while half-dead.

Meanwhile, Vash seems to be taking well-deserved nap....

[intrepid-creations]

Okay so ..... I'm still working on the thing that I'm doing (sorry I'm like on night shift number 3 and coherent thought is not my forte at this point. But vibes are. And here are some vibes.) The thing I'm doing is more than this sketch of Eivor. It's Eivor and like a ton of other people and Soma weaving them all together like a Sami band and look it'll be done eventually.

But I just wanted to kinda give a bit of an idea about my process.

Which I can only sum up as:

Internal screaming and wondering what I'm doing with my life.

First ... sketch the thing.

Like ... I'm getting better at poses. And by better I mean about 90% of the time I still need to trace over a ref photo to figure out how the fuck the human body functionally moves. Because I never went to art school and I didn't get to stare at naked women (or men) to do anatomy drawings.

Second ... Cry in a corner

Decide how I'm going to shade this thing. Because I could go either of two ways - "color" in the line art as all white and then subtract to shade... kind of like how you'd handle shading a regular sketch. I tried that.

And what I got was something I'd describe as: Actual Disney Princess Eivor fuckin' Varinsdottir. Which while she collects enough goddamn animals to qualify as one - it was not what I was going for here.

So I move to step 3:

Look up an absolute fuck ton of references on lithographs and shading on lithographs (which ... quick definition: they're like hand-made prints. You sketch the thing on a block of limestone with special ink or whatever, then you can use that to make a ton of prints - but basically ... you have to do a lot of interesting things with shading. Look it up to know what I'm talking about. But if you've seen like tarot cards or even US currency - that's the kind of shading I'm talking about.

First ... I edit the hell out of the reference to really get the contrast up and make it grayscale. Helps me find the highlights and shadows.

Hej there sexy.

Anyway - got the ref down. Now spend the next like three hours doing the shading. Or really ... it's just coloring in her face but like with a bunch of lines and shit.

And voila...

She looks like she belongs on the $1000000 bill.

Still not even REMOTELY done with this but I'm tired, it's almost noon, and I'm still on night shifts so I really need to go to fucking sleep. GOOD NIGHT.

[autisticdoomslayer]

Anatomy & injury tips, P1

So I'm taking an anatomy class, and not only is it interesting, it's useful for writing/making art. So I figured I'd talk about some of the stuff I've learned so far that could be useful.

Before I get into it, I'd like to point out that I'm going to be doing this series by the modules of my class, so it's going to be fairly spread out. If you want more of this, you might want to follow my "Doom's Anatomy Tips" tag instead of following my blog.

Tumblr doesn't let me indent bullet points so this is structured a little confusingly. Feel free to ask any questions (just be open to the fact that it's possible I might not know the answer.)

PLEASE NOTE: there's a lot of Fancy Tedious Medical Names in these posts, but you don't need to actually remember them or tell the difference between them all. I only use the names so that it's easier to know what I'm referring to. So I might refer to areolar connective tissue or whatever, but the name of it isn't actually important, the important part is where it is and what it does. If you're confused about anything, let me know!

OK, lets go.

First off, let's talk some of the basics.

Body Cavities

The wording for the body cavities are incredibly confusing. The ventral body cavity, for example is made up of 2 cavities - the abdominopelvic cavity and the thoracic cavity. Then the thoracic cavity is made up of 4 cavities and the abdominopelvic cavity is made up of 2 cavities. I'm not joking. They're not called sub-cavities or anything like that, they're all just cavities. I hate it here. So I'm gonna give you a picture of what the cavities look like.

Here, you can see the ventral body cavity (pretty much your entire torso) and the dorsal body cavity. The dorsal body cavity is pretty simple, with little fancy names. The cranial cavity has the brain, and the vertebral cavity has the spinal chord. Then there's the ventral cavity.

The superior mediastinum (orange) contains the thymus (which is primarily responsible for the production and maturation of immune cells), the trachea/windpipe, the esophagus, some very large and important arteries (the aortic arch and the carotid; the act of slitting one's throat involves cutting through the carotid arteries), and the thoracic duct (responsible for lymph drainage for almost the entire body)

The pericardial cavity contains the heart and it's main attachments. Lots of important stuff.

The pleural cavities contain the lungs.

The abdominal cavity contains the liver, kidneys, ureturs (the kidney tubes that attach to the bladder), gallbladder, spleen, stomach, duodenum (the part of the small intestine that attaches directly to the stomach), the large and small intestines, most of the colon, the appendix, pancreas, and some adrenal glands.

the pelvic cavity contains the bladder, rectum, part of the colon, and the reproductive organs.

All of those ventral cavities have a lining called serosae (or serosa if singular). Serosae are kind of like fluid-filled sacs that the organs sit in to protect them and to allow them to move around a little bit. Serosae is also made of epithelial tissue, which heals very well. So if the abdomen is cut deep enough to cause the intestines to spill out, but the intestines themselves are undamaged, recovery is 1000% possible. The biggest problem would be the damage to the dermis, which we'll be getting into in a bit.

The abdominopelvic cavity is sometimes separated into quadrants to better understand direction. I find that these quadrants are helpful for knowing where the organs are.

Ignore the "planes". The directions might be a bit confusing because in anatomy, you're always supposed to use the patient's right and left, not your right and left.

Next up, we'll be getting into tissue.

[nahalism]

i was wondering, how did you get to develop your art? im currently in a process where i am trying to experiment and go beyond the need to create art that is realistic (as in "objectively like reality as it is", like I was being told by both school and family). i feel like I struggle a lot to follow my inspiration because of this, and I am also trying to learn how to draw scenes from my own ordinary life, but unfortunately I am quite impatient and frustrated with my inability to create what I wish to create + perfectionism in general makes me scared of using colour as well 😭 I really admire your art so much, both your sketches and finished pieces, and I have always wondered your own learning process throughout the years. please feel free to not reply if you feel uncomfortable cause I know it is a very personal process as well, and above all I hope you are doing well and I am sending you endless love <333

🥺🥺 this is so lovely to receive because if im completely honest there are multiple moments where i feel exactly as you've just described and despite pushing through it, a message like this is very validating that ive progressed in some way

i dont mind sharing at all. i started drawing/painting when i was 21/22 which is relatively late and i was so fearful because despite having a vision for what i wanted to create i lacked any skill that could help me bring what was in my minds eye to fruition. i was also insanely depressed and in the middle of getting my degree at uni (so felt like i had no time to pursue art, at least not to the extent i wanted to). — my plan to get better consisted of multiple things. id draw everyday. i had/have two styles i'd practice, one realism, and the other 'freestyle'? basically draw only from my head and from the rhythms that came naturally to my hand, no references. by doing that, or drawing the human figure/portraits/cars/buildings from my imagination, not only was i reinforcing what id actually learned from my study of the fundamentals, but i was learning to incorporate my own creativity into the rigid structure that sometimes comes from only drawing from reference. by doing that and drawing studies every day i began to build a library in my head of images/poses/character archetypes i could pull from which made drawing from my imagination easier, but also had the structural knowledge of forms/perspective/anatomy to make them look credible. id do this whenever i had free time, and once i left uni began practicing anywhere from 6-9 hours daily. a bit extreme but i felt like i had time to make up for since i started drawing relatively late in life. only tip there is to balance practice with making finished pieces. finished pieces will show you which fundamentals you still need to work on & how much progress you've made. they also show the completion of a thought whereas practice only gives you the tools to bring that thought to reality

just so u know, ur practice of the fundaments is not in vain. you just need to revive your own capacity to draw from your imagination/subconscious. the main thing is knowing your going to find your work horrible for a long time before it gets better. the joy has to come from the process of creating rather than the end product. by the time it gets better, your eye will also have improved, so you still wont be satisfied. thats where growth comes in. being your biggest critic is what will make you great, as long as you remember where you came from (date and keep your work so you can look back on it) and the role criticism plays. separate your skill from your self worth.

something helpful i was once told is along the lines of 'perfectionism is a lie we tell ourselves to justify our procrastination. no one is ever perfect, so the only way to gain skill is to practice. you cant grow if you dont begin. so if your really a perfectionist, your only solution is to start'

i would love to see your work someday and hope i will. wishing you luck and sending you all the courage to begin and be great. you got this <3

[e-wills-afterhours]

@hazel-sage

"Oh, good to see you back :) If it strikes inspiration in you, I'd love to see some shenanigans with our favorite gang of six at any age! Basically, I loved the snark in the one-shot of Hiccup losing the bet and getting the tattoo, and I'd love more of that banter :P"

A/N: I'm glad you actually find shenanigans as enjoyable to read as they are to write. Be careful, though. You wouldn't want to give me any crazy ideas, such as I might actually be funny and clever! We all know that's not true. XD

This is the closest to pure crack-fic I've written in...years. Really, I'm hoping to amuse you with this as I'm amusing myself by writing it.

The gang is 17-18ish here. RTTE is not canon in my writing.

Marital Un-Bliss

--------

All of Berk was gathered in the Mead Hall, dressed in their best furs and garments. Formal occasions were causes to show off and stand out, regardless if the day was meant to focus on someone, anyone else--like the young couple who had just exchanged their vows and bound their lives together before the entire tribe. Astrid did not know them well, as they were a few years her senior. The bride's name was Tora, and she was Mulch's niece. She was also partial to Deadly Nadders. Whereas the groom, Brigir, was Gustav Larson's second cousin, and he favored Thunderdrums. That was a much as Astrid really cared to know.

The ceremony was beautiful enough, against the backdrop of reds and oranges consuming the forests of Berk in the distance. There was a slight chill in the air, but beneath the extra layers of wedding finery, it was not unpleasant.

What really lifted the spirits was the feast that came after. Wedding festivities in their village lasted for days, as any proper Norse wedding should, with the attire growing less stifling and restrictive, until all pretense faded away by the end of the celebration.

But even the prospect of copious drink and frivolity could not spare Astrid one day of her friends' complaining.

"This sucks," Tuffnut grumbled, conspicuously adjusting the crotch of his best pants. He went right for it too, by the handful, tugging and palming at himself.

A few people glanced disapprovingly at him, too sober to pay him no mind. The barrels had not yet been cracked open. By nightfall, Tuffnut could probably streak through the Mead Hall with half the tribe failing to notice, and the other half wouldn't much care. But he did not need any ideas to get him going.

"Could you stop that, maybe?" Astrid hissed, slapping the elbow of his offending hand.

Tuffnut rolled his eyes. "It's simple anatomy, Astrid," he replied, matter-of-factly, pointed emphatically between his legs. "You see, for us guys, when the seam on your crotch is too tight, it really strangles the--"

"I'm going to strangle you, if you don't cut that out."

"Did you even try on your formal clothes before the wedding?" Fishleg asked. He was wearing snug long sleeves, which he often found constricting over his large arms, but he had the sense not to whine about it. "I mean, we only have to endure them a few times a year."

Astrid shook her head, answering for Tuffnut, "No, that would be too practical. Sensible, even."

"Now he's stuck with pants that are two sizes too small," Snotlout snickered.

"Kind of like your brain, huh?" Astrid retorted.

"Haha, yeah!" Snotlout chortled. He paused for a beat, brow furrowing darkly. "Wait. What?"

Astrid swept her braid back over her shoulder. "I rest my case."

Snotlout opened his mouth to fire back, but was mercifully interrupted by Hiccup, making his way toward them through the sea of bodies. It was quite easy for him, as everyone readily made a way for his dragon.

Astrid's heart skipped a beat when she saw him. He dressed so unassuming normally, and only donned elaborate leather garb when flying might be involved, which was admittedly often. Only on their most formal occasions did he wear the finest tunics with silver and gold embellishments. She had not seen him in furs since their younger days, when any such cloak might swallow him. The leather he wore for now the pageantry of it, like his belt or his bracers, were classic and dignified.

"Sorry! I got away as soon as I could," he said, with a wary glance back at his father, who was busy chatting up the newlyweds in high spirits.

"Hey! That's okay!" Astrid replied, giving him a quick hug that he gladly reciprocated. "You're here now." She turned to his dragon rubbed his snout, crooning, "Hey, Toothless."

Snotlout made a sour face. "Please, don't you two start. I'm all romanced-out enough as it is."

"Start what?" Hiccup asked.

Snotlout gestured at the two of them vaguely. "You know."

Astrid smirked. "Oh. You mean this?"

She grasped Hiccup by the fur cloak pinned around his shoulders, pulling him in until she could snag him in her arms, dipping him low as one might do to a swooning maiden. He let out an indignant squawk before she silenced any burgeoning protests with a deep, theatric kiss.

Some wandering children shrieked and giggled to see them, pointing shamelessly. A few more responded with "EWW!" before running off into the crowd.

Snotlout and Tuffnut made loud retching noises while Ruffnut cackled. While the two boys found public affection between Hiccup and Astrid nauseating, Ruffnut cheered them on with great amusement.

She wolf-whistled then shouted, "Yeaaah! Get it, get it!"

"Okay, you guys," Fishlegs muttered, casting anxious glances at people nearby.

The hypocrisy was not lost on Astrid. Only moments before, she had scolded Tuffnut for lacking decorum. Now the eyes of judgment were on her. But as long as she got to kiss Hiccup and make Snotlout uncomfortable, she couldn't care less.

People began to move away from them, seeking a healthy distance from the teens' shenanigans. It was for the best.

Astrid released Hiccup and grinned, pulling him back onto his feet.

"You could warn me next time," he said, a little red in the face, pointlessly smooth out his neat and tidy tunic.

"But then it's no fun," Astrid teased, gently hip-checking him.

He cracked a smile in return.

"I need a drink," Snotlout grumbled.

He turned and strode toward the barrels of mead, quite surly. The other teens followed him with no provocation, joining the line to receive their liquid merriment; it would undoubtedly be the first round of many.

They took their drinks to an open table, dodging their parents, Berk's many dragons, and the wayward wing or tail. Toothless cleared the path ahead of them, and no mead was spilled. A feat in and of itself.

"Skol!" they shouted in unison, clinking their mugs together before knocking them back for a long gulp.

One swig became several, and Berkian mugs were crafted to be deep, and the mead was strong. As the volume of the hall around them continued to rise, so did their speech, inversely of their inhibitions.

Snotlout, in particular, was cockier the more he drank, forgetting his limitations for the confidence of a nice, steady buzz. Perhaps that was why he thought it good fun to challenge Astrid to an arm-wrestling contest, though he had not beaten her since they were thirteen. Astrid all too eagerly accepted, as the other teens, apart from Hiccup, placed their wagers. Fishlegs bet chores and the Twins bet silver; Hiccup refused to make a bet, saying it was not sporting if he already knew the outcome.

Sure enough, Snotlout's arm was leaning and trembling beneath the pressure from Astrid. Further and further, it went. He pleaded aloud, his inevitable defeat playing out in almost slow motion.

"No...no...NO!" he cried.

His arm hit the table with a dull thud, and the other teens erupted into cheers or boos, depending on which side of the wager they fell. Hiccup caught their teetering mugs before mead spilled out across the table, Tuffnut and Ruffnut each handed Fishlegs a piece of hack silver.

"Have you ever challenged her?" Snotlout asked his cousin, rolling the shoulder strained by the match.

"Why would I do that?" Hiccup asked, as if the idea was as absurd as standing on his head.

"To assert..."

"My...dominance?"

Hiccup and Astrid shared a glance, then burst into laughter. Fishlegs and the twins joined in. Toothless regarded the teens as if they had all lost their minds. Snotlout just rounded his shoulders and sulked.

"Contrary to what it may seem, I do not seek out pain and suffering," Hiccup replied, reaching for his mug.

"Then why are you dating?" Snotlout fired back.

Hiccup ignored him, drowning any retort in mead, while Astrid flashed him the middle finger.

"They seem a great deal happier than you," Fishlegs pointed out.

"Yeah, a regular dicking will do that to a person," Ruffnut mused.

Hiccup choked on his drink mid-swig and had to turn away quickly to cough and sputter into his elbow. Astrid patted his back and his dragon watched with great concern.

"I can help you with that," Snotlout offered, wiggling his eyebrows at Ruffnut, paying no mind to his flustered cousin.

"Ew, no," she dead panned.

Snotlout gestured at himself as if to insinuate he was quite the specimen.

"First, you might need to figure out how to treat a lady," Fishlegs teased.

Ruffnut whipped around scowling and Fishlegs shrunk back.

"Who are you calling a lady?" she demanded.

"Oh, and you know how to do it right, then?" Snotlout asked, sneering.

"Sure, I do!" Fishlegs answered, a little pink in the cheeks.

"Your mother doesn't count."

"Okay! You know what?" Fishlegs snapped, puffing out his chest. He rose to his feet.

"Finally! A worth opponent!" Snotlout declared, cracking his knuckles. He slammed his arm down against the table, poised in the arm-wrestling stance. "Let's go!"

Fishlegs produced a stack of the dragon cards he had made himself, throwing them down onto the table. They were functional as a game, with damage and protection points based on the natural stats of the dragons painstakingly recorded on each card. They were as practical in a tabletop battle as they were educational. Much to his friends' chagrin.

Snotlout glanced down at them. "What the actual Hel?"

"I challenge you to a game of dragon-knowledge!"

"No, I'm not doing that!" Snotlout protested, pushing the stack of cards away in disgust.

"Oh, yes you are." Fishlegs retorted, sliding them back toward him.

"Get that nerd bait away from me."

"Snotlout--!"

The two of them began to bicker, shouting over one another simultaneously, to overtake the music and dull roar of conversation, as well as each other.

Astrid rubbed her temples, leaning over to whisper to her boyfriend, "Want to dance?"

"No," Hiccup replied. Then he took her hand, swinging his legs back over the bench. "But actually, yes."

They escaped the inanities of the other riders by weaving toward the center of the chamber that had been cleared for dancing. The long tables were pushed off to the sides and the back of the Mead Hall, while the firepit blazed on in the middle. Several couples were already leaping and swirling about to the fast and cheerful music, including the bride and groom. Silent Sven beat the drum furiously to the melody of the rebec and lyre: like the enthusiasm of a summer rain, coursing through every fiber and rushing in the blood. Free from distraction, one simply had to dance.

Hiccup gestured for Toothless to stay put on the periphery, and the dragon merely cocked his head at the dancers spinning and hopping in laps around the firepit.

Astrid placed one hand on Hiccup's shoulder as he drew her close by the small of her back. Her other hand was firmly settled in his. They took a second to count the beat, and they joined in at the next measure.

The Mead Hall turned into a blur of colors and faces as they skipped forward and back, as if on a track, in one large circle around the floor, following the other couples. Hiccup twirled her at the right intervals, and Astrid beamed. Her dress fanned out as she spun, only to hug her legs once more as she moved in close to him again. Her jewelry felt heavy as she bounced on her toes, but the clacking of the beads against her chest was oddly satisfying.

"For all your reluctance to dance, you're not half bad," she told Hiccup, when she saw him smiling too.

"I never said I couldn't dance. Only that I don't purposefully seek out pain and suffering," he laughed, spinning her again.

"Aw, babe. Don't worry. There's no way you can dance with two left feet, on account you only have the one."

Hiccup let out a "Ha!" and the song came to an end. All of the dancers and several of the crowd applauded the band for their contribution. Immediately, they struck up a new chord, and the next song began, as lively as the one before it.

Astrid felt a tap on her shoulder, and she almost jumped.

Tuffnut was standing right behind her hand outstretched.

"Mind if I cut in?" he asked with a mischievous grin.

Hiccup gently pulled Astrid toward him with a frown, saying, "Yes, I do m--"

Tuffnut grasped her by her free hand and skipped off anyway, wrenching her out of her boyfriend's arms, leaving Hiccup standing there in empty-handed bewilderment.

"Here we go!" Tuffnut cried gleefully, guiding her along.

He at least had the sense to avoid placing his hands anywhere that would earn him a black eye. Then, Astrid heard Ruffnut call out, "Come on, string bean!"

She looked back to find the other girl leading a very reluctant Hiccup along after them. It became clear, however, that the twins were by no means intending any offense by their actions. They only ever meant chaos and hilarity. As Astrid settled into a cadence with her new dance partner, she just rolled her eyes and smiled. She saw that Hiccup came to the same realization. He was now dancing along with Ruffnut, with the two of them laughing at the absurdity of it.

Tuffnut whooped aloud as they pranced around the firepit, and Astrid echoed him. Several other calls and whistles responded from the observing crowd, as the drinks were now flowing freely.

When it came for time for Astrid to spin, she felt Tuffnut let go of her. As the world came back into focus and she found her footing, she was in familiar arms.

"Oh, hello," Hiccup said, holding her up against him.

Astrid looked to see that Ruffnut and Tuffnut were now partners, bouncing along like two shuffling Gronckles. She beamed from ear to ear.

The four of them continued to dance, switching up partners occasionally, until Astrid even danced with Ruffnut, leaving the boys to twirl each other around in overly dramatic fashion. Upon their third rotation around the floor, Fishlegs and Snotlout joined in. They announced their arrival, running into the fray with hands aloft, clapping loudly in time. The music played on, and Astrid suspected it was being looped for their benefit.

Forgoing partners completely, the six of them locked arms and hopped along to the beat in a chain. They had taken over, as they so often did; like the music was played just for them. Even the newlyweds cheered them on with great amusement. Astrid's face hurt from a persistent smile and breathless laughter. She could not recall another wedding she had enjoyed so thoroughly.

Gustav tried to link up with them at one point, but Snotlout held him at arm's length and mouthed, "Not you."

Astrid decided then she could tolerate the stifling formality of fancy clothes and the others' incessant whining; and all the decorum of thousand weddings if they could all be as memorable.

[facelessharbinger0]

I remember it like it was yesterday. The sight is burned into my mind. It was near the end of the school year, I stayed a bit later to finish grading some papers. I start walking to my car when I notice how eerily quiet it is. You see, typically around this hour, about 6pm, you begin to hear the buzz of crickets, the wind rustling the leaves, the occasional passing car on the road, and yet, there was nothing.

The only sound I could hear was my own footsteps as I approached my car. I was immediately put off by this. Then, just out the corner of my eye, I thought I saw the trees moving off in the distance. The school yard is placed right next to a densely packed forest. Normally you wouldn't think much of seeing the trees move, but there was no wind, I didn't feel it I didn't hear it and yet the trees, they had moved, almost as if something was emerging from them. I turned to see but there was nothing. A chill sent down my spine, I KNOW I saw something moving, and yet there was nothing.

I wrote it all off as a long day, I've been up and running since 5 this morning after all, I probably just needed to get some rest. I unlock the door to my car and step inside and then, right in front of me, I see it. The Tree Ghost, just as local legend describes. It's unnaturally tall, maybe 8-10 feet in height, I thought for the briefest of moments that it was just a man but NO MAN is that unnaturally tall, no man is that inhumanly skinny. It's limbs twisted and bent in ways that would imply a lack of standard anatomy, and the most horrifying detail, the part that now haunts my very dreams, no face. No face I could discern at least I didn't see any eyes it was just smudges and blurs in my memory of where a face typically lies. A faceless ghoul looked back at me from just beyond my windshield. It hunched over to look me dead in the eyes, despite being roughly a car's distance from me as soon it bent towards me its face was a mere foot from the glass. It was RIGHT there and yet I couldn't make out any details of its expression, almost as if it was being burned out of my memory by it.

My vision blurred and I felt intensely dizzy before blacking out. Suddenly, I awoke in my car. It was dark out, I checked my phone for the time and to my shock and horror it was 1:04 AM. "That can't be right what the hell is happening??" I thought to myself. The Tree Ghost was no where in sight, and I began to hear the hum of crickets once more. I felt nauseous, but I put my key in the car and started it, I needed to get home. Thank god it was a Friday night, or I guess rather, Saturday but the time I was checking. No work tomorrow but I'll never forget that night. I stopped staying late, anything I needed to do I'd either show up early or would take home with me to get done.

That doesn't help though, I've started seeing it more and more, just out of the corner of my eye or as I'm passing a window I'll see it. Every time I try to do a double take and yet it's never there again. Sometimes I'll go a few days, a week, without seeing anything I think, it's hard to tell what's paranoia and what is actually The Tree Ghost, staring at me. Perhaps waiting to take me away, to kill me, whatever happens to those who disappear I know one thing is for certain, I am NOT about to find out.

[nostalgiachan]

What's this? Two art posts in one day? Bah gawd. Yes, it's 100 OC Challenge Time!

But yes, since I already cleaned up these images for that group image I posted, it's time for the individual images, the OG designs from 2010, and character descriptions below the cut.

#57: Illus Artemida Idea: Arrogant elven archer Story: Dragon Tavern

Of course, my second Mountain Kingdoms squad wasn't going to go without a Moon Elf representative, so I rolled up the other Moon Elf class - because Moon Elves and Dwarves have two specific classes each - the Ranger.

Illus, like most of the Seekers, got most of his development with his first redesign in 2017. In particular, I built his design around two inspirations: Kenpachi Zaraki from Bleach and the uniforms of the Mongolian State Honor Guard. Illus had always been a bit flamboyantly designed, and I decided to make that a character gimmick. Basically, Illus is an incredibly talented Ranger and he knows it. Though he's fairly mild of temperament and doesn't tend to verbally boast, he so thoroughly believes in his skills that he wears brightly colored clothes, puts shiny crystal beads in his hair, wears loud and heavy silver bangles, and has sleigh bells dangling from his torso and tied to his ankles; in his words, "You will see me coming. You will hear me coming. You will not stop me."

Also his arm being that long isn't an anatomy fuck-up, Moon Elves are just lanky.

#58: Darja Handrukkari Idea: Dwarven berserker...or should I say, beerserker huehuahueahu Story: Dragon Tavern

When I was making the Seekers, I figured it was high time I stopped being a coward and made a dwarf. Like the Moon Elves, there are two classes specifically for dwarves: Dwarven Earth Sage and Dwarven Berzerker.

Since this squad was missing a melee fighter, Berzerker was the only choice. Unlike the Moon Elves, the Dwarves are still rather a WIP when it comes to lore overhauling. I'd considered having them be created literally from the earth, but uh...I didn't realize that was already a Tolkien thing. Darja herself, unfortunately, is equally a WIP; like most Berzerkers, she's a violently heavy drinker, which makes her a more fearless and unpredictable fighter, and she's rather stubborn and short-tempered.

#59: Faid Innamorata Idea: Puppeteer and Pierrot stan (derogatory) Story: Dragon Tavern

Faid (pronounced "fade") is one of the three characters out of the Seekers who happened to win the development lottery and get a little more thought put into her backstory. In the beginning, she was essentially Tira from Soulcalibur, except replace the ring blade with two life-sized puppets. In Dragon Tavern, Dark Puppeteers are a class that puppets various salvaged body parts, and they're noted to go a bit batty thanks to all the concentration required to puppet larger hordes of parts, but I thought "Fuck that, I want her to have full marionettes because killer dolls are cool." Her particular madness was essentially cribbed from Tira's Jolly and Gloomy modes; when she did small-scale puppet shows, she'd be jolly, and when controlling her full puppets in battle, she'd be gloomy.

And then years later, I tossed that. I kept the puppets and the madness, but the new backstory is as follows:

When Faid was at the dawn of puberty, she was a massive fan of one Pierrot Douleur; she'd go to as many of his performances as she could, bought multiple copies of his wax cylinders (because she'd inevitably wear one out, so she needed backups), and even took up puppeteering in the hopes that she could one day go on tour with him. And then three years later, he fell off the face of the earth. As far as anyone knew, he'd gone out beyond the borders of the Deadlands to "find inspiration". It would be another six years before Faid would actually find out what happened to him - or, more specifically, that the Gate Council would put out a reward for his capture.

In that time, Faid had become skilled enough in puppetry that she could control two life-sized puppets, a masculine doll named Silvio and a feminine doll named Vittoria.

However, she'd pushed herself far too hard far too quickly in trying to get that skilled, and between the stress of training and the general havoc of adolescent hormones over the years, she was already approaching the deep end. By the time she heads out into the world and joins up with two compatriots, the Death Knight Lusine and the Bone Lord Sirno, she's begun to see her puppets as living beings - when she's not in her right mind, she believes she's in love with Silvio and that Vittoria is conspiring to steal him from her. Over the course of the story, it grows so bad that she violently abuses Vittoria, and plans to make Silvio into a "real boy" - by building him a body out of corpse parts. When she confirms that Pierrot's still alive, her plan changes slightly - she'll either convince him to come away with her, or Silvio's real boy body will be Pierrot's.

#60: Lusine Awaria Idea: The Most Dyingest Death Knight Ever Story: Dragon Tavern

I promise that's not Geralt. When I first drew Lusine in 2016 (after procrastinating on designing him for six or so years because I sucked at drawing heavy armor and horses), I accidentally made him look a bit like Geralt face-wise. With this redesign, I decided to lean into it more and directly reference a popular Geralt cosplayer because I thought it would be funny to have a guy who looks like your typical post-Geralt grizzled fantasy man, but who 100% sucks at his job.

See, if there was anything Lusine came to be known for as I played him, it was dying. I want to say he died in battle more than any other character I have, which is baffling considering he's a heavily-armored death wizard on a mighty steed. So, I made that the defining feature of his character.

Death Knights are essentially undead paladins; through a particularly complicated and resource-intensive ritual, a candidate for knighthood is trapped in a state of undeath. They're not completely immortal, as eventually the magic keeping them from passing through the Death Gate completely will wane, but until that time, they can only be temporarily killed . They're supposed to present a middle ground between the magic-oriented Necromancers and the melee-oriented Bone Lords, what with their combination of sword and sorcery.

But then there's Lusine. While Death Knight candidates are typically chosen from among the most elite soldiers of the Deadlands, and Lusine was presumably one of them, something must have changed once he underwent the ritual. Perhaps the process severely dulled his combat prowess and magical capabilities, perhaps he was suddenly possessed by a spirit with ill intent, or perhaps he was never actually a capable soldier at all.

Whatever the cause, the truth of the matter is that Lusine has died more than any Death Knight in history. Creatures big and small, magic wielders of all kinds, sentient being and automaton alike, all have at one time or another laid waste to this man. And yet, for all of his constant failure, he always manages to fail upwards. He'll get disemboweled six ways from Sunday and lose a limb or four, but somehow, he always wins the day. Surely, if the Gate Council could see the embarrassing displays Lusine put on in combat, they'd undo the ritual and put the man right through the Death Gate immediately.

Well, lucky him, he works alone so there's only the results to speak for him. Yet, despite his ability to fail upwards, Lusine feels that eventually, someone's going to actually catch wind of what a fuck-up he is and it'll all be over. So, when word is sent out about the Seekers, he jumps at the chance to get the hell out of the Deadlands for a while; perhaps by going out into the wider world, he can finally get his shit together and become an actually competent Death Knight.

[yeets-you-out-the]

Did you try anything new this year? I did! I tend to play around with art styles and they turn out good but really inconsistent, so I'd say those are the new things I tried. I used to draw a lot of Furries with a cartoonish stylization, so this year it did a complete 180 in the other direction and I'm actually rlly proud of it. New things also included different forms of art composition, from detailed backgrounds to simple but interesting ones.

What did you improve on? Everything. Anatomy, Character design, Lineart, Backgrounds, Composition, Colour theory, Storytelling, Colour Contrast, HANDS etc. I think in this whole thing of trying several styles I ended up touching on everything you could consider important for artwork knowledge. I could be wrong though, but so far I can't think of anything I haven't explored and improved on. All of the artworks I show in the summary are magnum opuses of mine, there haven't been any moments in mine where I thought I might've been getting worse, they all made me proud while I made them and have a nice space in my heart.

What do you want to work on for next year? I need to find my actual style- I ended up with so many styles in my hand I couldn't even find my own, I'll need to review all my previous artwork and consider everything I like in each one, then compile everything into something more comprehensible.

What did you have the most fun with? Colours and colour theory. I love colouring and rendering a lot. It tests my brain for if I can remember what colour interacts well with the other. Hands! A lot of people hate drawing hands, cus they take a lot of time and effort and never look exactly right, I think that's the fun of it, you gotta find out what's wrong and fix it, it used to be frustrating for me, ended up becoming second nature. Rlly nice. Eye shapes! They show a lot of personality, also rlly fun. Hair!! Used to hate drawing hair cus I could never get it right, anyways, found out how it works, it's just a bunch of disorganized strands of hair that shift in hue and saturation slightly so much that they make an interesting effect on the hair. At least that's what I did.

Do you have any tips or advice to give to other artists? I dislike the advice of "draw daily" so my advice is actually gonna be "fuck that" Try lots of new things, you'll improve a lot really fast. Have problems with a certain part of drawing? I.e hands, emotion, skin tone, etc etc- Include them in your drawings. Don't care if you have problems with it or not. You're only gonna overcome it if you go through the trouble of challenging yourself to make em work. And do the stuff that makes you happy. Got no motivation to do it? Don't. That's right. Unless it's for work, then you're gonna have to cry about it.