#colored this and semi rendered this in like an hour

[nhyhu]

@hot-scarian-summer-2024 Day 3 - Dark Nights are Upon Us - Haunted - Murder Mystery

scar you should not be blushing right now

[halfmaskshadow]

girl help i accidentally left my art crunchy

[sinnful-darling]

yan! zombie hcs

cw : gore, parasitic infection, zombie apocalypse, zombies are a tw on their own, confining, infection, non-con somno mentions but nothing descriptive, kinda pervy zombie if you squint

— yan! zombie who hadn’t known you at all pre-apocalypse. they were a shut in degenerate who, despite their appearance, was actually pretty cleanly and organized. they only went out to obtain groceries and to their weekly therapy appointments.

— yan! zombie who, when the apocalypse started, was fucking ecstatic. no more work! no more social interaction! no more paying bills! but their excitement would only last so long.

— yan! zombie who, within the first month had to leave their apartment to scavenge for food and first aid supplies. they’d watched enough youtube videos and how to’s to know what to get. but, upon leaving their apartment, they realized that maybe a zombie apocalypse wasn’t so great after all.

— yan! zombie who ran into a hoard on their way back to their apartment, and unable to defend themselves they were bitten in several places. they were able to push their way through the hoard (not without sustaining further injury) and reach their apartment, bleeding heavily and littered in bitemarks.

— yan! zombie who fought like hell to resist the virus even though they knew it was futile, causing the strain to mutate and develop further.

— yan! zombie who succumbs to the virus after hiding away in their room and feeding into their miseries, wrappers and bloodied bandages surrounding them.

— yan! zombie who, thanks to the virus mutating, is able to think semi-clearly, but has lost the ability to speak and write. they still have full control over their limbs as well.

—yan! zombie who hears someone enter their apartment and finds their mouth watering. they’ve never fed before! how wonderful, their prey has walked right into their grasp!

— yan! zombie who finds you scavenging in their apartment. they’re immediately hypnotized by your presence, watching as you scour their supplies and as your nose scrunches at their odor.

“ew… it smells like something’s died in here…”

— yan! zombie whose viral instincts demand they take you as their mate. they can feel the virus taking over their mind as they take you by surprise and render you unconscious.

— yan! zombie who ties you up with some sheets they tore apart and watches you as you rest. you were just so fascinating and lovely. and you smelled so good too! surely a bite wouldn’t hurt…

— yan! zombie who doesn’t bite you, and instead goes off to hunt, returning with chunks of flesh in their teeth hours later.

— yan! zombie who, upon their return, finds you in a panicked state. your eyes meet theirs and… now you’re thrashing..

— yan! zombie who grunts and stalks off to grab you some food, head hanging low and cursing having been turned into one of the undead. they return with an armful of snacks and drops to their knees in front of you, slowly opening the wrappers.

— yan! zombie who feeds you, upset at how much you were squirming in the beginning. it seemed that you were allowing them to feed you thankfully! they cant have their mate becoming malnourished :))

— yan! zombie who you slowly warm up to, quietly talking to and explaining what you needed them to get on their trips to the outside world. it was kinda nice being provided for..

— yan! zombie who becomes your friend. they mimic your speech patterns and relearns how to speak, causing their strain to mutate further.

— yan! zombie whose flesh starts to mend itself, taking an unnatural, almost translucent color. their veins turn an inky black and they find themselves releases something similar to pheromones that wards off other undead.

— yan! zombie who feels a painful sensation in their nether regions when they find something you do attractive (which is everything) and has to remove themselves.

— yan! zombie who gives into their instincts while you’re sleeping, careful not to wake you.

— yan! zombie who turns you once they feel like they can’t wait any longer. you need to be together forever! they’ll take care of you, so just be patient while their strain rots your brain <33

[educatingmerlin]

Hi and thank you if you answer this one!

Is it just me or does any content with Gwen/Elyan/both of them gets so much less attention from fandom?

ArWen is much less popular than Merthur, despite it being canon. As an artist, who loves drawing Gwen, it's sad to say that Gwen/ArWen arts don't get as much likes and reblogs than Merlin/Arthur. I don't even want to start on Elyan.

And I wanted to know what if it's about art quality? I tried many different stuff with Gwen. Fast and lively sketches, full rendered arts I spent hours and hours of my life, etc etc. Many experimental things to see if there's any difference. But a simple sketch with Merthur gets much more attention in just minutes :/

I can't understand if that's racism towards the character? Or people in fandom just generally love gay characters, absolutely ignoring one of the main characters who IS a female? ://

It really is frustrating to see. As an artist I, of course, love attention (there aren't much who doesn't). But I also don't want to be stuck drawing two same white dudes just to get more likes&reblogs, considering that I myself AM NOT a white man and I do want more diversity in art.

And there's this dilemma in what should I draw to satisfy fandom's needs or should I draw for myself only and suffer from no attention

Thank you for your submission and for sharing your experience.

I am sorry that you have had to go through this, especially with working countless hours making artwork only for it to go unappreciated.

First of all, it is important to know that this is not due to you personally or the quality of your artwork, but it is an issue with the fandom and how they interact with certain content. So please do not blame yourself!

What you have said is right. The fandom is largely dominated by fans of the white characters or non-canon ships (who are mostly white themselves). Whilst there are fans of Arwen/Gwen/Elyan, there are not nearly as many fans for characters such as Merlin, Arthur or Morgana.

Of course the racism has affected the situation too.

It is likely a mix of both things. As there are more fans for the white characters, they are only interested in seeing content of the people they love. This is not a bad thing, but it does impact the way they interact with content. And with racism they usually do not want to see any content of the Black characters.

With the fandom being majority Merlin/Arthur/Merthur fans it is pretty easy for them to gain a lot of interactions with their content and it has often led to certain posts becoming viral (or at least semi viral with thousands and thousands of reblogs).

It is a really difficult situation to be in when you are constantly trying to get your work out there and appreciated. The fandom needs to be a lot more welcoming to content which celebrates a wider part of the show and the characters.

I have a post about this planned which I will share soon but I am striving to do this within this page. It is so important to support creators and artists of color in the Merlin fandom.

For now, there are a few things that I would suggest:

Try to follow and interact with artists who also focus on Gwen/Elyan. Finding a circle where you are on the same page as other fans may be helpful in building up your page and interactions.

No doubt you are doing this already but make sure that you are tagging correctly. For example on Gwen artwork, do not solely tag Gwen related things. Often the hashtags for Black Merlin characters get bombarded with non-Gwen related posts. Many fans follow Gwen tags to see Gwen content but end up unfollowing as posts about her are usually lost in a sea of white Merlin characters.

Make sure you are on different social media platforms. I have spoken about this before but on each site, the fandom is different. One site may be more welcoming and supportive of your artwork than another.

I know this is difficult as this is something which is out of our control and we have to rely on others to support us. It would not surprise me if you have already tried these things, but if you have not, I hope that they do help.

I also hope that other artists share their own tips about this!

My future post will be asking artists what this page can do to help other artists (of color) in supporting them so please look out for it or feel free to submit something here.

[emergency-vehicle]

‼️‼️ EMERGENCY COMMISSIONS ‼️‼️

ALL PROCEEDS GO TO THE SAYBROOK-ARROWSMITH FIRE PROTECTION UNIT

Hi everyone! As all of you are aware, Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee have been devistated by Hurricane Helene. This is an incredibly important event for many, many reasons, and one that brings great grief to my heart.

I am Appalachian, though currently I live in Illinois, and it breaks my heart that I cannot be there to support my community during its darkest hours. But, that does not mean I can't do something about it.

One of my coworkers volunteers with a fire department up here, and I just spoke with the fire chief. Their goal is to help the Chimney Rock Fire Department get new supplies, trucks and equipment to help in the rebuilding process, along with bringing supplies for the community.

They have had such an outpouring of support from other departments that they are trying to get ahold of semis in order to bring everything they've been given! And that is where we come in: Every dollar towards this endeavor helps. Every donation to this project helps rebuild communities in Appalachia that should have never had to endure such terrible conditions. I will spare you my rant, but the short of it is: Appalachians are people, deserving of support. They cannot do this alone, and it is up to us to support them however we can.

With that in mind, I've decided to open my commissions. Every dollar I make off these commissions will be going to the fire department. If I continue to make commissions after the trip, the fire department has assured me they will send the money where it needs to go in order to help the community of Chimney Rock.

If you CANNOT support, that's okay! I totally understand. I was in the very same boat until recently. What you CAN do is reblog this to all your blogs and spread the word as much as possible. Appalachia needs all of us to begin to heal.

SO! Let's Talk Commissions

First up: Art Commissions

Pictured under the cut is my regular commissions sheet. Also pictured is some of my other work that has special pricing. Let me explain.

Paintings: I will run a special on them, 75 dollars for a fully rendered painting (normally they start at 175). Additional characters will be 30 dollars each.

Cell Art: Send me a photo that you would like to have done, and I will work on a color palette with you. These will cost 75 dollars.

‼️HALF MUST BE PAID UP FRONT AND THE OTHER HALF WILL BE PAID AFTER THE FINALIZED SKETCH‼️

WHAT IM WILLING TO DO:

OCs (must have an image of them OR a detailed description)

Characters from ANY fandom (NOTE: I normally draw humanoids. I'm still learning the ins and outs of drawing mechs. This is to say that if you want something non humanoid, i will gladly take it, but it WILL take longer)

Ships

Landscapes and Nature

Animals

Furries (this will add 10 dollars to the final price because I struggle greatly with furries)

Anything else I'm missing is negotiable, just know depending on what it is, I reserve the right to add 10 dollars to the final price

WHAT IM NOT WILLING TO DO:

NSFW

Gore

Body Horror

Incest

Zoophilia

Xenophilia

Underage shit

Second Up: Fic Commissions

Fanfiction is going to be more strict in terms of what I can and cannot do, simply because I want to ensure that I can deliver a quality product to you and not butcher your favourite characters. I will link my AO3 after this paragraph. There isn't much there yet, but I feel like it is a good sample of my writing style.

PRICES:

500-1.5k words: 10 dollars

1.6k-2.5k words: 20 dollars

2.6k-3.5k words: 30 dollars

3.6k-4k+ words: 40 dollars

The price will be agreed and paid before I start writing. If I accidentally go above the agreed upon word limit, there will be no extra charge.

FANDOMS:

Transformers One

Transformers Prime

Stardew Valley

Red Dead Redemption 1/2

Yakuza

Wolf 359

Welcome to Nightvale

Assassins Creed: Valhalla, 3, and the Ezio Trilogy

X-Men (Specifically First Class, Apocalypse, Days of Future Past, The Last Stand, and Dark Phoenix)

Bluelock

Demon Slayer

Blue Eye Samurai

WHAT IM WILLING TO DO:

SFW fics

Fluff

Most tropes, will be discussed when discussing the commission itself

NSFW fics (there are some kinks I am unwilling to do, we can discuss these in private) (‼️ YOU MUST BE ABLE TO ENSURE TO ME THAT YOU ARE 18+ ‼️ I RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE IF I AM SUSPICIOUS OF YOU LYING ABOUT YOUR AGE. just a disclaimer)

Major character death, major injuries, the angstiest shit you can think of

Song fics (i love these)

Horror

Ships

THINGS IM NOT WILLING TO DO:

Dub-con/non-con

Underage nsfw

OCs

Zoophilia

Xenophilia

AUs

Incest

Alright! I think that about sums it up!

‼️AGAIN! If you cannot contribute monitarily, you CAN contribute by spreading the word. EVERY single dollar helps this endeavor, and all of it will be going to heal my home.‼️

I cannot express enough gratitude to every single person who has done something to help Appalachia, nor can I express the grief that weighs heavy on my heart every single day. Appalachia is defined by its strong communities and its insistence to survive against all odds. It will survive this, but we must do what we can to help.

And, as always,

[wwithoutarmor]

“When you pass through the veil of fantasy, there’s a world with a rhythm for you and me.”

Concept Illustration/Splash Art for Color Your Judgment: Chapter 1 — younger Aamon, Ariadne’s “paint-splattered apron”, plus some details and initial sketches that I love 🥹

I tried a more semi-realistic style with this one because I wanted it to look like it’s an artwork from the official in-game lore 😆

Some notes:

• Aamon’s just eighteen here and not yet the Duke of Aberleen—of course he doesn’t have his scar nor his resting mean face yet 😆

• I purposely drew him at the right-side angle of his face (where he won’t have the scar later on) to symbolize and represent this ‘other’ side of his—the Aamon before all that’s happened in his life, the Aamon that used to be free, the Aamon that “he could have been” (cc: Aamon’s in-game lore).

• Notice how he’s still got a little bit of his cheeks 🥹 Current Aamon has cheekbones and a jawline so sharp it could wound me.

• Look at that smile on his face 🥹 I wanted it to look like a smile that’s just bloomed, and I wanted his general expression to look like someone who’s just realized he’s actually having fun, and maybe falling in love just a little bit. Nevermind that it took me two hours to draw just to capture what’s supposed to look like a captivated or enthralled face lol

• His shirt! I absolutely love those loose white undershirts that noblemen wear. I just had to do this for me 😩

• That paintbrush stuck in Ariadne’s hair to pin it into a bun LOL resourceful queen

—

Q: Girl, why is the update for Color Your Judgment taking so long?

A: ahahaha… so I have this ambitious project… where I intend to include a concept illustration/splash art for each chapter… so ahahaha… I’ve been drawing instead of actually writing…

No, but, really. I am first an artist before I’m a writer, and I want to flesh out and visualize Ariadne as if she were an actual character in his lore 😆 JKJK

Here’s a WIP of this pre-render 🤍

[quonka]

The Lasting Effects on Writing Concentration That an Aggressive, Near Insatiable Childhood Obsession with Neopets: The Darkest Faerie Can Inflict on a Man

The first console that I ever owned was the PlayStation 2, and while we had many games, most of them were nearly and completely unplayable. Mostly because I was like, eight.

That's why I made my sister play them.

Maybe "made" is a strong word, it was technically her console-- her games-- but I definitely begged her to play certain games more than others, just so I could sit and watch on the teeny tiny little box television, its frame decorated with neon orange and white acrylic paint, and SpongeBob stickers.

I had a couple favorites I liked to cycle through, Spyro: Enter the Dragonfly, SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle For Bikini Bottom, and Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa -- but no game was I more annoying about than Neopets: The Darkest Faerie.

Just a Bit of Background Research

Neopets: The Darkest Faerie is a third person, single player action-adventure game released in 2005 and developed by Idol Minds Digital Entertainment for publishment on the PlayStation®2 system.

The console game is based off Neopets.com, which was an extremely popular fantastical pet collection and care browser game published to the internet all the way back in 1999. While still active today, it has gone through multiple dubious changes and similarly perhaps questionable owners. However, the current owner of the site, Dominic Law, is looking to really dig in and overhaul the site for a modern era, with a budget of four million dollars.

I did play on the Neopets website when I was younger, but not as much, or as well as my sister knew how to. I more just played the minigames to earn Neopoints for my sister's account-- Neopoints being the sites currency.

Nostalgia Brained

despite my lack of relative interest to the site, I was completely enamored as a child with Neopets: The Darkest Faerie.

The game was, and still is, fantastic.

The graphics are... well. PlayStation®2 graphics, with the console's technological limitations making for a better experience when played on a much smaller, less detail-oriented television screen in the early 2000's than the ones we have today.

But despite the game generally being a little blurry, in my nostalgia-coated opinion, it still holds up pretty well. With its characters and semi-open world all being taken and expanded on directly from the Neopets website and put into 3D; there's a lot of gorgeous design and color and creativity given to the environments and the anthropomorphic Neopets inhabiting them.

You can even switch between the two main characters, a knight named Tor and a sorceress named Roberta whenever you want, only having to press two buttons at the same time once you get to the third act of the game where they meet. This allows you to instantly be able to change between their respective brute melee sword attacks and ranged magic attacks.

There's magic, and monsters, and multiple heroes and villains, all thrown into a medieval fantasy setting-- and despite how many video games I've either played myself or watched others play over the years, I really can't think of a single other game like it, in both gameplay and soundtrack.

"I'll Do it Myself"

Being a game made in 2005, there is nowhere to buy the official Neopets: The Darkest Faerie soundtrack like you can with many modern-day games. The cinematic scoring producer of the game, Jack Wall, doesn't even have the soundtrack listed on his website with his other projects, or on his Spotify. The In-Game music producer Keith Leary doesn't even appear to have a website or Spotify.

This has left the creatives of YouTube to render their own easily accessible versions of the music.

In 2019, user monster860 uploaded their three-hour seven-minute render of the OST to YouTube, "This music was rendered using the tool I wrote, so it might not be totally accurate."

Then, in 2021, they uploaded an eight-hour five-minute render of the soundtrack, "This is the new and improved Neopets: TDF soundtrack video! Now featuring all of the variations, adding up to 8 hours, and also in stereo. In addition, certain issues are fixed, such as the flute part in the Bazaar District music not having the trills."

While not being technically official, it sounds very much like how it does in-game, and the inclusion of all the minor variants, as well as any cut and discarded tracks make this cataloguing of the game's OST perfect to study to for me.

Cause and Effect

In last week's post about Darkwood, I talked about how the horror game's OST was such an essential part to the horror atmosphere, that the intense focus I carried in-game, transferred out of the game when simply just listening to the soundtrack, and that it helped me with concentrating on my work.

Neopets: The Darkest Faerie OST has a similar effect, but in a different manner.

I have kept my PlayStation®2 specifically for the purpose of playing this game every couple years or so, with my oldest save on the disc being from 2014, and my newest being just from last month, 2024. I have beaten the game in entirety at least three or four times, and created a new save file much more than that.

Because I have played the game so incredibly often since childhood, whenever I have the soundtrack on, I can remember exactly where each song plays in the game.

It of course helps that monster860's video has its chapters titled with song currently playing, which is where it is found in the game-- but most of the time as I'm writing in a different tab, just through memory I am able to recognize the specific area, what its main color palette is and what character is available to play, and how far that specific song is in the game.

Instead of the soundtrack promoting a bit of healthy fear in order to get me working, the Darkest Faerie OST is calming, comforting really.

Don't get me wrong though, there are a lot of really fun and intense tracks in the game, my favorite specifically being "Brightvale Battle" at 4:39:32. Just starting off with that call and response melody at the beginning, on what I assume to be some sort of keyboard, is immediately effective at grabbing one's attention, which is apt for fight music. Then a little later into the song at 4:40:05, when the flute comes in on top of all the lower instruments, it sounds pretty and adds a bit of contrast while still feeling just as powerful as the heavier drums.

My absolute favorite piece of that song, however, is when the piccolo comes in at 4:40:41. It immediately pierces through the other instruments, sharp and passionate, and extremely impactful for how little time it actually stays in the song.

There are so many songs on the soundtrack just like this one that definitely don't inspire the horror that Darkwood's does but are comparably exciting-- and I think this drive that I get from more of the battle tracks, in combination with the calmer, atmospheric tracks-- in further combination with the nostalgic familiarity I have with the game and its idiosyncrasies-- leads to the Darkest Faerie OST promoting a similar concentration on the direct task at hand for me.

Recommendations

Honestly, I definitely would recommend for anyone struggling with concentrating when writing to try listening to the soundtrack of a beloved childhood videogame, or one that just meant a lot to you at some point. I'm not certain it will work like it does for me, but it'd be interesting to see more people talk about what their specific "work music" is and the story behind it.

Unfortunately, with the game being so old and so niche, the only way to play Neopets: The Darkest Faerie legally now is through buying a PlayStation®2 that works, and then also the disc. This is a lot to ask, I recognize.

If anyone is interested though, there are countless playthroughs on YouTube, so just find a commentator that doesn't annoy you and enjoy!

With the 25th anniversary of Neopets coming up, along with Dominic Law's aforementioned four-million-dollar plan to renovate the site, hopefully there is at least a miniscule possibility for a remaster of the game. I realize this is incredibly unlikely but considering both Spyro and SpongeBob: Battle For Bikini Bottom got their remasters semi-recently, maybe it's not completely out of the cards.

[sheabeanie]

Commissions are OPEN!

SLOTS: Slot 1 - OPEN Slot 2 - OPEN Slot 3 - OPEN Slot 4 - OPEN Slot 5 - OPEN

Please read my Terms of Service before messaging me.

More Information/Rules below the cut:

Contact me via Discord (Shea Bean#0020) OR through Tumblr messager. I will respond within 24 hours.

Prices are in USD. Payments are made through Paypal Invoice EXCLUSIVELY. I will not accept payments by any other means.

PRICES:

Character Art -

Lines/One Color ... $20 bust / $35 full body

Flat Color ... $35 bust / $50 full body

Full Render ... $50 bust / $65 full body

Backgrounds ... +1/2 of the original price (if character is $20, background is $10, etc.)

Character Reference Sheet -

Starts at $80 (includes one full body render, two bust expressions, a block of information, and color palette)

Additional objects or expressions are +$10 EACH

Icons/Tokens -

$10 for flat color + a simple background

***Prices may vary depending on complexity and number of revisions needed during the commission process.

What I WILL draw:

Humans

Animals/Furries

Robots/Mecha

Gore

Semi-N/S/F/W

Monsters (Depends on what they look like.)

N/S/F/W (Depends on content.)

Fan Content

⚠ Complicated Designs

⚠ Complicated Clothes

⚠ Anthros

What I WILL NOT draw:

Characters intended to be or appearing underage in any sexual or suggestive context.

Extreme F/etishes (Ask)

Any sort of hateful content, such as racism, transphobia, homophobia, and characters with N4z1/Soviet/etc. imagery or paraphernalia.

If you are unsure if something is allowed, please ask! I am willing to negotiate certain arts.

Examples (with theoretical prices):

[kaopiak]

Luco Notes

He/They - 30s - Semi-Aquatic alien that has similarities to earth fauna

Their name is based on the scientific name of the Sea Krait, an anagram of the first half Colubrina > Luco.

i stared at that for so long trying to figure out a name for this guy LMFAO AGHH

His home is on the land area of his planet, but spends most hours of the day in the ocean if he’s not doing a job.

Luco collects their poison in many vials; not needing a lot to paralyze or kill a person. Sea Krait venom is one of the most potent of venoms. His bite is usually painless . Prefers injecting targets with the vials by needle or putting it in their food or drink.

I wanted to base his personality somewhat on how sea kraits act in nature; they are actually docile and non-aggressive animals that only attack in self defense or if they’re searching for prey. Luco is easy-going and actually friendly but he uses his personality to ease into people’s walls and strike when they’re most comfortable and when they let their guard down. Their method of betrayal varies, they’re usually loyal to the person who pays the most and pays upfront with consistency.

As for the ‘executioner’ outfit they have; it’s often used and originally made for underwater hunts. Often times it’s used in a method where the target is lured or ‘lost’ in a secluded area and Luco comes from below or along a hidden area in the colorful corals and strikes. The wetsuit is also space-travel safe so he takes care of it very well. Not everyone knows of his special suit because the services rendered in it are more high stakes and also uses a lot of time and planning in order to get it just right.

They don’t seem to be romantically involved with anyone currently and tries not to hang around too long with a person because they fear they may get too attached. Many one-night stands but they DO have their favorites despite trying not to stay in one place. They can be sweet and love to leave little gifts; they give everyone they meet their own special and unique color item. He is especially interested in those who reciprocate. It takes two to tango, baby! Luco also does enjoy teasing and slithering his way into someone’s heart also. His love is a poison that can linger.

Character Relations

Lone Starr knows them from various body guarding jobs, along with seeing Luco on his free time since they seem to get along. They drink whiskey together and have spent the night in a bed with each other before but nothing came of it. Is aware of his actual ‘job’ but turns his cheek to it.

Shuuti has hired Luco as a body guard before, she loves when they give her bouquets of peach-colored carnations. She appreciates his work as a guard but has shown Luco not to mess with her. She is aware of his true character.

Neo has not encountered Luco personally but may have seen them swimming on random planets.

Solare has had Luco reserve a room for themselves at his Inn but does not know much about them.

Luco is sort of unaware that the star siblings are siblings, they do think it’s odd that they have similar colors but are so different from each other. Luco likes to spend long hours watching people here and there at bars, spending time tasting whiskey from planet to planet.. He doesn’t seem to be in a rush to go anywhere and lives modestly.

[shynetyme06]

1 - 23 :3

cracks knuckles okay

1. how would you describe your art style? uhhhhhhhh, maybe "safe" is the word rn. whenever I think of my art style, what comes to mind is just how little I've been pushing things with it. I wanna change that ;D

2. what's your favorite thing about your style? I realize I like to use semi-realistic proportions, its cool how comfortable I've gotten with drawing faces and bodies

3. what's your least favorite thing about your style? It's so static man. same thing I said for the first question, I don't think anything really looks bad, but it just is lacking in creativity in comparison to the older art that should be looking worse than what I do now. I prefer my older stuff ;D (looking at you inktobertale2021.. where did it all go wrong)

4. favorite thing to draw? regular ol people. human characters are def more in my comfort zone, which explains why I keep hitting skeletons with the humanization ray (also I prefer to draw feminine characters)

5. least favorite thing to draw? I can't even say I rlly dislike it cuz of how rarely I even do it, but I am procrastinating so hard on learning backgrounds..

6. warm colors or cool colors? cool colors are my fav, but i find it easier to work with warm ones (I used to put a cool overlay over all my warm toned drawings hgdhfg)

7. show us a WIP behold, the wip ever. this drawing... was supposed to be posted on august 2022. and then, it was supposed to be posted on dec 21st, dream and nightmares birthday. (atp if I do end up wanting to finish this idea again, I'll probably just scrap it and start over)

8. what's the most fun and least fun parts about your process? most fun is flat color and rendering. (though I rarely do the latter anymore) and for least fun, tbh a lot of the sketching part tends to be difficult for me, sometimes its cool tho

9. show us a finished piece alongside the original sketch example from when sketching was fun

10. how many different sketches do you usually have until your piece is finished? I think I do need to make more of at least thumbnail sketches tbh.. I usually just make one and keep editing it, trusting the process. (and that fails like 70% of the time. woww wonder why sketching isnt fun for me-) 11. show us the last thing you drew, be it a finished piece or a small doodle can this count,,

12. show us an old drawing first deltarune drawing. here's the redraw I later made of this :3 (also old hsgdhgf)

13. how long do you usually take one a piece? depends. I'll have like 276478923 wips started, and then I get a random idea that I just have to do right at that moment, and I'll get it done in like 1-4 hours. meanwhile old sketches start to rot and maybe if its lucky I'll revisit it before my motivation dies and my style is too different to wanna continue from where I left off 14. digital or traditional? digital all the way, i've gotten too dependent on the transform tool + liquefy ;D (and many other things tbh but I'd be here all day if I tried comparing them more jhdjdf)

15. if digital, what program do you use? procreate, the layouts on other drawing programs scare me

16. favorite media to work with when drawing traditionally pen on paper (am I understanding this right wdym media-)

17. what do you love getting compliments about? I like when people enjoy the humanizations I come up with, and also original designs in general 18. are you satisfied with the attention your art usually gets? hmmm yeah

19. how often do you draw? very often, I just don't have finished things to share most days

20. a piece from this year that you're really proud of :3

21. something you would like to improve on the dynamicness (well, the lack of it) of everything, as said before

22. what inspires you? Ink sans and a ton of creators in this fandom (also animated shows and movies, I love animation)

23. what's something you hope people notice when looking at your art? idk tbh, just notice it at all and I'm happy :>

[extracontentmediareviews]

Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright - Game Review

Tl:dr - Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright presents an inspiring and enchanting world beautifully executed and scored. Even where the story fails in its egregiously drawn-out third act and glaring plot holes, I constantly find myself returning to this title to be visually and musically inspired. 

In regards to game play, Professor Layton vs Ace Attorney provides enough intrigue for veteran players of either series while also serving as a soft introduction for newcomers.

My first interaction with Ace Attorney was several years prior to me stumbling upon this title…probably 2008-9ish. However, I had never spent more than an hour with it. It wasn’t until one lazy summer day in 2015, while wandering the ways of Walmart I found this game. It intrigued me with its catchy box art and semi-familiar brand name. I remember thinking to myself, “I know about Ace Attorney (sort of). And I’ve heard Professor Layton is quite popular…why not?” Almost immediately following the completion of this game I purchased and played every single mainline AA game up to that point. I was sold. Professor Layton on the other hand…I decided was less up my alley after playing an additional 1.5 titles (Miracle Mask and 2 hours in The Curious Village). With this in mind, my review below will reflect thoughts colored as an AA fan rather than a PL fan.

Review

First and foremost, how does this game stand on its own without regard for the brand names and gameplays it leverages? 

The music in this game is beautiful: catchy, pleasant, and memorable, with absolutely gorgeous medleys and mash-ups of each series’ iconic themes. It’s as if these series were meant to exist together.

Visually, this game is a masterpiece. The characters, design, and style — the world of Labyrinthia — is so enchantingly rendered and visually engaging with just the right touch of whimsy. The overall color pallets were sophisticated without forfeiting color or brightness — like that of a classic children’s storybook. The use of 3D graphics brought a unique charm to the entire presentation too — one that would become a pleasant staple in all future AA games. For the puzzle sections, there was an absolutely adorable chibi execution in both 2D and 3D drawings, along with delightfully whimsical illustrations for the non 3D elements.

The character designs in this title were also highly inspiring, both in terms of concept and visual execution. I have not encountered another AA game to date that pushed the idea of “witness singularity” quite as uniquely as the 10-as-1 Vigilantes. Though the commonplace humor and banter between Nick and his clients/opposition was largely toned down in comparison to his native titles, I found the trade-off for competent (and likable) prosecution quite agreeable. Inquisitor Barnham was such a breath of fresh air from the, what I feel to be too often, narratively pumped up prosecutors that specialize in throwing out mundane objections dipped in ad-hominem attacks (Franziska, Sahdmadhi, Barok van Zieks etc). Dare I say, Barnham actually felt competent as a prosecutor, unlike Franziska. Then there’s Darklaw — I love everything about this character. Her name, her concept, her (real) name, her outfit (specifically the regalia version), her personality, her presence, her voice. I can’t tell if I want to be her or want to be her girlfriend. As far as Espella and the Storyteller… they were the least compelling characters in the game as she was lackluster and he was just an a**hole they tried to redeem at the very end.

Gameplay-wise, this title offers the puzzles of Layton and the courtrooms of AA. I’ve seen other reviewers largely agree the puzzles are collectively easier in this game than in other Layton titles. Personally, I didn’t mind this. I thought they were engaging enough without becoming too much a narrative roadblock to the plot like I felt they were when I played Miracle Mask. Maybe this isn’t the title to pick up if you want to spend a solid 20 minutes figuring out a single puzzle, but it’s a decent taste to what you can expect from an exclusively PL game. And regardless, it’s still largely enjoyable. The courtroom battles of AA are also a little more succinct than what you could expect from a full fledged AA game, but I still found them fun, engaging, and a decent representation to the AA experience. Until the last act…

As visually compelling as this story is, the narrative is where I find this title fumbles the most. The premise holds great promise for ⅗ of the game (yes, that number is chosen very specifically) but the final act, in both its telling and gameplay, is unnecessarily convoluted and drawn out. The third act is almost longer than the first two acts combined (hence the ⅗), and not for good reason. There are several instances where you are forced to trudge through 2+ hours of interrogation that position the dialogue for the “dramatic reveal” you, as the player, already figured out an hour and a half prior. This happens in AA games regularly (the player figuring out the plot twist before the game does), but never to this degree of offense. It doesn’t help either when much of this interrogation feels like the developers mistaking convoluted storytelling for gameplay. The number of times you have to “press” statements, and re-”press” statements (in which little to no new dialogue was added from the character being pressed) is absurd. On top of that, the story just wouldn’t end. This is a common frustration I encounter concerning Japanese storytelling in video games and anime: where 2-3 additional “twists” and drawn-out explanations for things are jammed into the final act just to extend the conclusion by another hour or two. There’s an art to knowing when to end things. 

Back to the narrative’s conclusion however…yes, it ties its bow on all the major questions itself purports, but this sense of satisfaction is short lived in the face of two glaring plot holes.

*spoiler warning*

I’ll keep this brief. The people of Labyrinthia are hypnotized by exposure to a special ink, and through that hypnosis they are unable to perceive pure black. For that reason, the bell tower draped in a pure black tarp, and a bunch of machinery used to simulate “miracles” and “magic” remain imperceivable by the denizens. However, the hypnosis only makes the objects “invisible,” it does not actually remove or displace the mass of the objects. Shadows (I hope you see where I’m going with this) are not pure black, and would therefore be visible. Labyrinthia isn’t just some simulation, it exists— outside and exposed to the elements. Outside where the sun is. Outside where the light from the sun would cause objects to cast shadows. All that machinery that existed in Labyrinthia, though imperceivable to the eye, would still cast very noticeable shadows…everywhere. On top of that, you expect me to believe that no one, in an entire decade, accidentally crashed into the hidden belltower while crossing what they perceived to be an empty clearing? 

*spoiler over*

Admittedly, these plot holes are cleverly disguised with the dramatic and emotional climaxes of the story, and don’t cause the entire experience to implode... until several minutes into the credits. There, as you ruminate the revelations, the flawed logic may just begin to naw at you. In conclusion, if you can look past the plot holes of the narrative, this game still offers a (temporarily) satisfying conclusion. The game is fun and the game is beautiful. It’s definitely a title worth playing regardless of your familiarity with the properties.

[ivyfox-illustration]

BEAGLE gaiting movement well bred wall art akc breeds Copper Vacuum Insulated Tumbler, 22oz Your favourite breed art print - head or body conformation - groomer gift - Other Breeds Available - dog breeder gift - regional specialty or national specialty prize gift idea Artwork by Ivy Fox Illustration Follow Ivy Fox Illustration on social media https://m.facebook.com/IvyFox.illustration/ https://www.instagram.com/ivyfox.illustration/ Find your dog breed: Personalized Pet Portraits: https://ivyfoxillustrates.etsy.com/ My website: https://ivyfoxillustration.com/ Art Prints Merch Original PaintingsTravel mugs are great for dog shows! Stay hydrated AND rep your breed on a daily basis with this personalized tumbler. With a 22oz capacity and copper vacuum insulation, our tumbler keeps your favorite beverages refreshingly cold for 24 hours, and soothingly hot for up to 6. Its stainless steel exterior is condensation-resistant while the powder coating adds extra style points. .: See-through push-on plastic lid .: Material: Durable, double-wall stainless steel vacuum construction with copper insulation .: BPA free .: 22oz (0.65 l) .: Durable powder coating .: Note: black design elements on black bottle may differ in tones. Use transparent background .: Note: semi-transparent design elements do not always render correctly on dark-colored bottles .: Note: The print provider cannot guarantee that the design placement will line up with the cap handles as shown in mockups A drawing of a PLOTT HOUND! This makes Great gift for dog lovers, Plott Hound and other hound fanciers, and all alike. This drawing is a movement illustration of a Plott Hound. It is imperative to me that the breed’s correct gait be represented completely, and that the dog is drawn to match its breed standard. Don’t see your breed yet? Keep an eye out for the future additions to my AKC All-Breed Series! About the Breed The origins of this ancient breed have been the subject of conjecture for centuries. Even the breed name is a shrouded in mystery. Some experts say it derives from the Gaelic word beag (“little”), while others point to the French term for the sound hounds make while hunting: be’geule. There are reports of small pack-hounds employed to hunt rabbit and hare in England long before the Roman legions arrived in 55 B.C. An English authority called the Beagle the “foothound of our country, indigenous to the soil.” By the 1500s, most English gentlemen had packs of large hounds that tracked deer, and smaller hounds that tracked hares. The smaller, more compact hounds were ancestors of our modern Beagle. The phrase “foot hound” is vital to understanding the Beagle’s broad appeal for hunters in England, the Continent, and North America. Unlike larger pack hunters like foxhounds or Harriers, the Beagle could be hunted on foot—no horse was necessary. Those who couldn’t afford to feed and stable a mount, and ladies and gentlemen too old spend a hard day thundering across the countryside on horseback, could easily keep up with a pack of Beagles on foot. Beagles imports began arriving in America in the years after the Civil War, and their popularity among U.S. rabbit hunters was immediate. The AKC registered its first Beagle, named Blunder, in 1885. To this day, “beaglers” in woodsy areas of North America still swear by their breed’s great nose, musical voice, and enthusiastic approach to rabbit hunting. Breed standard: Size: Beagles come in two sizes: the 13-inch Beagle (no taller than 13 inches at the withers) and the 15-inch Beagle (between 13 and 15 inches at the withers). Head: A Beagle's skull should be fairly long, with a slight dome at the back part of the head. The skull should be relatively broad and full. There should be a distinct separation between the top and bottom of the face when seen from a profile. The ears should reach almost to the end of the nose if drawn out straight, and they should be rounded at the tips. The eyes (hazel or brown) should be large, set far apart, and have a gentle, pleading expression. The muzzle should have a square shape. Body: There should be no wrinkles in the skin around the neck and throat. The shoulders should slope downward into a relatively short back. The dog's chest should be deep and broad but proportionate to the rest of the body. Legs: The Beagle's front legs should be straight, not crooked. The hips and thighs should be strong and muscular. Tail: The tail needs to be fairly high on the rump and carried in a jaunty fashion, but it should not curve over the back. Coat: The coat should be of a medium-length and lie close to the body. The coat should feel hard to the touch. No silky fur here. Color: The standard is vague here, saying only that any recognized hound color is OK. The most common color is the tri-color (black, white, and tan), but it can also be red and white, chocolate tri-color (solid chocolate brown instead of black), and shaded tri-color (varied shades of brown instead of black). So, too, is ticking.Contact Email: IvyFoxIllustration@ gmail(dot)com ———— Tags and other miscellaneous info: ———— Ivy Fox Illustration Ivy Fox dog art Museum of the Dog American Kennel Club Showsight - Where Champions Are Celebrated American Dog Fancier InfoDog Best In Show The Canine Chronicle AKC Gazette best pet portrait artist watercolor fine art unique art Akc meet the breeds Westminster kennel club dog show national dog show crufts grooming intergroom superzoo petquest groom expo dog sports well bred dogs purebred preservation breeders ethical breeders breeder of merit akc grand champion Ch – Champion of Record – earned by gaining 15 points in conformation wins. Points awarded is determined by the number of other entries the winning dog defeats. A dog must win at least two majors (by winning at two different shows under two different judges where there are enough entries defeated to equal 3-5 points by the AKC point system. OTCh – Obedience Trial Champion To earn an obedience title, the dog must have a passing score of 50% of possible points or better, and an overall passing score at three different competitions under three different judges. CD – Companion Dog (First Level Obedience Competition, basic obedience exercises) CDX – Companion Dog Excellent (Intermediate Level Obedience Competition, more advanced obedience work) UD – Utility Dog (Advanced Level Obedience Competition, difficult obedience work, including hand signals) UDX – The highest obedience degree AKC presently awards TRACKING TD – Tracking Dog TDX – Tracking Dog Excellent VST – Variable Surface Tracking HERDING HIC – Herding Instinct Certificate HT – Herding Tested PT – PreTrial Tested HS – Herding Started HI – Herding Intermediate HX – Herding Excellent HCh – Herding Champion AGILITY NA – Novice Agility OA – Open Agility AX – Agility Excellent MX – Master Agility Excellent NAJ – Novice Agility Jumper OAJ – Open Agility Jumper EAJ – Excellent Agility Jumper AKC Unofficial Titles CGC – Canine Good Citizen ROM – Register of Merit – A dog or bitch must earn a number of points specified by the DPCA rules, and also meet the numbers of champion and major pointed progeny required by DPCA. The requirements for bitches are less than the requirements for the dogs because males have the opportunity to produce a far larger number of offspring. ROMC – Canadian ROM ROM/C – designates that the dog has earned an American and a Canadian ROM. TT – Temperament Tested TC – Temperament Certified AOE – Award of Excellence-A dog must meet qualifications in conformation, obedience, and also be OFA´d to earn this award. New competitions are being added and rules for competitions change, for the most up to date rules and regulations, check with the AKC and the DPCA. Miscellaneous American titles often seen on pedigrees and in advertising. BIS – Best in Show at an All-Breed Show in conformation. BISS – Best in Show Specialty (where only dogs of the same breed are competing in conformation) BOB – Best of Breed BOS – Best Opposite Sex BOW – Best of Winners (best between Winners Dog and Winners Bitch in breed conformation class competition) WD – Winners Dog – the winning dog overall of the regular classes of his sex. WB – Winners Bitch – the winning bitch overall of the regular classes of her sex. RWD/RWB – Runner up to the winners dog and bitch, if the winner becomes ineligible for the award then the runner up will receive the points awarded from that show. Special – A dog that is already a Champion that is competing for Best of Breed only. A Champion cannot compete in the classes where points are earned (because a Champion has already earned them!) RTD – Registered Therapy Dog TD I- Dog has passed Therapy Dog International´s testing HEALTH CERTIFICATIONS OVC – Ontario Veterinary College OVC Hip Certification – A dog may be preliminary screened at a younger age, but will not receive a certification unless the dog is at least 18 months old. It was told to me by a tech in the radiology department of OVC that they consider hips to either be bad, in which case they are rated on a scale from 0 – 4, with 4 being the worse, or they are “good” in which case the animal will receive a certification number (if 18 months or older. Therefore they do not follow the U.S. rating system which includes “FAIR”, Good, Excellent”. Their exact words were “the hips are either GOOD or they are NOT. OFA – Orthopedic Foundation for Animals OFA Hip Certifications – dogs within a specified range of normal hip x-rays are certified OFA-Excellent, Good, or Fair OFA – Elbow Certification – Certified by OFA for normal elbows on x-ray, only one grade recognized as normal. Check with OFA for proper procedures and positioning for hip and elbow x-rays. A dog may be preliminary screened at a younger age, but will not receive a certification unless the dog is at least 24 months old. OFA is also now doing certifications for other canine health concerns such as normal thyroid levels, check with OFA for accurate data and rules concerning these. CERF – Canine Eye Registry Foundation-dog is certified to have normal eyes. Re-certification must be done annually. vWD – Von Willebrands Disease free-meaning the dog has been tested and found free of vWD, a bleeding disorder, vWD free ratings also are often given with a percentage listed. For the best information on Von Willebrand´s Disease, contact Dr Jean Dodds, who is the leading research specialist in blood disorders. Dog show prize idea

[bumblefruit-ahhh]

A SEMI-SATISFACTORY RENDERED SKETCH? Whoa, I totally didn't accidentally spend, like, two hours on this!

Tbh, I feel like the shadows on this are kinda VERY wrong, but I mainly wanted to see the colors on her outfit and try to be less reliant on my line art. So mission accomplished!

[penwrythe]

Thinking about returning to my NPR (nonphotorealistic rendering) research for my WOR style guide thingy.

Fell off of it last year, but since I'm working on these three characters here, it's important to remind myself of the goals for WOR's style.

Also, need to make a moodboard and media example list for WOR's fantasy 3D/2D aesthetic.

With this said, guess what I found recently!

So, I was revisiting an old webcomic I had read in my teens called The Dreamland Chronicles by Scott Christian Sava. This site is currently an archive of the 3D comic series that started in 2006. If you visit, just know that some of the pages, both the old 3D comic and the 2016 drawn comic, are either missing or misplaced throughout the site. I'm not sure if this site is still updated or maintained.

I found a series of pages that explained how The Dreamland Chronicles was made. Pages start here! This gives me a good starting point for developing and designing 3D characters, environments, and assets for a comic. The only thing that's missing is the render time (the style is similar to most 3D animation during the early 2000s on a 3D Studio Max version during that time) and how they organize all the files.

I did check the comments under one of these pages on the site and the creator did mention that (mind you, this was back in 2008 with 2000s 3D software) it took either a few hours or days to render a single frame. Nowadays, Blender, Maya, 3D Studio Max, and other 3D software are more advanced, so something like this would take half the time on a good computer rig.

Got some more information about the comic from the FAQ section here. It's no longer on the main site, but still accessible on the Wayback Machine.

What I found interesting is that once all the characters, sets, environments, and other assets are completed, it takes about a day or so to create a page. Depending on what the scene calls for, maybe more pages created within a day. Back when Dreamland Chronicles was running, the comic updates five times per week.

~ I mean, still, there's render time. So maybe, pages were created one week, then rendered out while the next pages were created, and so on?

Considering this comic's semi-realism style, yeah, that render time is going to take a while.

For WOR's style, I'm going for a cel-shaded 3D style similar to my own drawn style.

Example, my Spoon Ballerina character from last year, from concept to 3D model. Note: the 3D render on the right was less than a minute for a single character and plane using EVEE (Blender 4.0).

Another example is the anime 3D models by Bran Sculpts like the one below:

Both examples use Blender, and while Bran uses Blender's emission shader nodes to create the flat colors and shadows (with painted shadows), the Lightning Boy Shader I use also works off of emission nodes. Lightning Boy has the advantage of layer shader nodes, thus simplifying the setup for more complex models. The painted shadows I might had to do for certain areas of the character depending on how they are lit in an environment.

Rendering time might not take long for these- hang on

Downloaded and rendered the Akko rig - in less than half a minute. That's just with one character, tho, how long would it take with a full scene with a fully modeled environment? Idk, but maybe time might not be an issue for this style lol. And the character models might not need a high poly count for rendering, either. Interesting!

The most time-consuming thing I could see for WOR's style is modeling and texturing (gods, humans, all mimic/war and civilian object types, assets, environments, etc) per issue for Rise of Relics (maybe for months depending). Setting up for a scene (for panels and so on) might not take long at all...

[warmhealerr]

Joufos (he/him) blowing bubbles because he's silly and pink like that and I love him. I still kind of prefer the original sketch/coloring/rendering but it's one of my most complex and time consuming artworks in a long while. It took about 14 hours, I think, though I blame that on starting a lot of things from scratch over and over (the lineart, the hands, the rendering on his face, etc). There's some alts but I prefer the og gold ones I think.

[ID : First picture is a semi painted side portrait of a deep gnome and pink draconic sorcerer. He is holding up his hands playfully breathing bubbles into the distance. Joufos has a defined big and hooked round nose, pink hair kept in a long wavy ponytail alongside bushy eyebrows and beard, and pink scales adorning his face. He is wearing a deep maroon velvet tunic. Second picture is the rendered concept sketch. It is identical in description to the finished artwork. Third and Fourth pictures are alternative versions, respectively one with a cyan background, and the other with a dark blue background. End ID]

[veebs-hates-video-games]

The actual next big post I need to write is about how great Fire Emblem Engage is and how Not Ok the Gamers have been about it, but for now it's time to complain about how disappointing Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is.

I literally waited years to find a copy cheap enough I could justify picking it up, all the while seeing people go on and on about how good it is and how it's a shame it's been so many years since there was a new DK game. I finally managed to find it semi-affordable and grabbed it, ready to see what everyone had been talking about.

The short version is that it's extremely polished but also just not at all fun for me, at least up through the first main boss at the end of world 1, and I kinda suspect if I haven't gotten into yet it I'm not going to.

I guess I probably should've expected it. My history with the DKC games goes back to the original SNES one, and I've always thought they were only ok. I especially never understood why people thought the SNES games looked so amazing because they kinda looked like ass to me. The hardware just didn't have the power to display the pre-rendered sprites in a way that did them justice. I liked the art style enough in the promotional material and other places it showed up higher DPI and a decent color depth, but crushing everything down to fit in the SNES limitations just killed it for me. Thankfully newer games on modern hardware can actually handle it, so it looks perfectly fine even if it's not my first choice of aesthetics I'm into.

But more importantly I've never loved the way the DKC games feel to play. Something about the speed or momentum of the characters or something always feels slightly off to me, and that hasn't changed in this one. I'm not the biggest fan of the style of level design they use either, but it's fine I guess. I didn't get into any of the ones I played in this game enough to have any interest in going back and finding the collectibles I missed or other secret stuff though, which is not a good sign.

Also I just kind of find the general vibe of it kind of annoying? I think I like the Donkey Kong characters less after having played like an hour of this. There's nothing fundamentally wrong with them, but it just really doesn't click with me. Ironically one of the biggest complaints I've seen about Fire Emblem Engage is that too many/most/all of the characters are annoying, but I just happen to personally like the way those weirdos are annoying and not the way these weirdos are annoying, I guess.

Anyway, DK64 continues to be my favorite DK game, Beaver Bother and all, despite being the only 3D one and the least like the others (or maybe because of that), but also it's been over 20 years since I played it so who knows what I'd think now?