#diy body art hooray

[aureoboros]

forgot to post this

here’s an adriel dress-up doll for their reference sheet I’ve been working on for a while!! I’m probably going to change some more things (mostly the body scar patterns probably…??) but it’s a start!

anyways ramble in tags

[mdrngoth]

Hooray for new PICTUREPLANE!

Liner notes:

For his sixth album as Pictureplane, Travis Egedy owns the identity that's been his to claim all along: Degenerate. Via music, painting, fashion, and DIY events that combine all three, he's spent a decade investigating the esoteric, embracing the paranormal, and otherwise riding for the lunatic fringe. Now, Degenerate finds our anti-hero standing tall on the periphery of polite society, addressing his fellow outsiders over a booming soundtrack that merges electronic body music, industrial hip-hop, gauzy '90s New Age, and gothic darkwave. If 2015's Technomancer confronted the ways our lives are merging with external technological forces, this album moves inward, examining how pain can cause the soul to either atrophy or—in Egedy's case—thrive. 

We open on a dystopia that's oddly familiar. The squelching synth of "Pit Viper" surges forth like venom catching a pulse as Egedy sings, "I'm lurking for something to get my mind off nothing / Abuse of power comes as no surprise, world on fire, an epitaph for a dying empire." The next scene is no less unsettling as "Gang Stalker" serves up pure paranoia in both message and its relentless, vintage-NIN-evoking beat. Later, "Disasters of War," named after the grisly Francisco Goya print series, depicts disconnect in our violent world: "We sit pretty with our empathy, black-painted shells, youth cast under a spell." But Degenerate soon reveals alternate paths through the murk. We find solidarity on "Sex Trigger (Burn in Heaven)," where Goth Boi Clique founder Wicca Phase Springs Eternal trades lines with Egedy over a beautifully burnt soundscape. And with "BDSM," there's escape—into a soft-focus fantasy of whips, synths, discipline, and drums. 

Pain was a recurring theme in the two-plus years that Egedy made Degenerate in his Brooklyn garage studio. Even as he honed his dark art, embracing both new tech (FL Studio, finally) and old toys (he found the Yamaha keyboard he made his first beats on, via eBay), he saw parts of the DIY community that inspired that art unravel in terrible ways. Oakland's Ghost Ship fire not only took people Egedy knew, it led to the hostile police shutdown of the DIY space he came up in, Denver's Rhinoceropolis. That loss, in turn, factored into the suicide of dear scene compatriot Colin Ward—the kaleidoscopic, breakbeat-driven "Color Spectrum (Tokyo Drift)," which features emo-trap upstart smrtdeath, is a tribute to his magical spirt. Another friend passed too: GBC's shining star Lil Peep, all of which underscored the adversity that artists face in America's rapidly gentrifying cities, from economic hardship to lack of access to safe spaces and health services. 

Degenerate does mourn, getting lost in the crystalline jungle of "Obsidian Blade" and blissing out amid echoing keys in "Intoxicate," but it doesn't acquiesce. In defending his beloved culture online, Egedy became a target for alt-right trolls who'd call his dead colleagues "degenerates"—the same term the Nazis used to debase abstract artists. On this album's thumping title track, he reclaims the word as a badge of honor, something to distinguish truth-seekers from repressed squares. One song later, he's threatening to unleash freaks everywhere over the blown-out rap swagger of "Gatecrasher." And by the bleakly banging closer "White Flowers," Egedy's become some kind of renegade goth warrior: "My blood is like a glacier, living my life on a razor / I'm so erratic, wearing black and white like TV static." In the end, all that radical individualism is about inclusion: we're an entire race of degenerates waiting for the right moment to show our stripes.

[princesuggestions]

Ah! But it is a question! Sent to me not as an ask but in a more personal message. I decided to answer this more publicly, just in case there were other shy princes who might want similar advice and that this will likely be quite a lengthy reply. 

First I would like to clarify that proper address for a prince or princess is ‘highness’ not ‘majesty’. Majesty is reserved for the monarch. Dukes and duchesses are ‘Your Grace’, while knights and dames could be ‘your grace’ but more commonly ‘sir’ or ‘sir knight’ and dames are ‘lady’. But I do thank you for attempting to address my social standing, it is greatly appreciated.

Now onto the matter at hand:

How to Feel More Regal

1. Proper posture. It may be difficult to stand tall and look up, especially when one is shy and/or introverted but there is a trick to doing this if you don’t like looking others in the eye; don’t. Look past them, further toward your destination as you’re walking. See what’s ahead. If you need to stop and speak to someone and you don’t feel comfortable looking them in the eye, focus on something else. The bridge of glasses, a lock of forehead hair, the nose (or piercing) or anything else around the eyes. No one will know you’re not looking them in the eye as the angle is exactly the same regardless.     This behavior exudes confidence, even if you’re not feeling it. 

2. Dress the part. You needn’t look like you came from a gothic lolita magazine to feel like a prince. Neat, clean and properly sized clothing will help immensely when wanting to feel princely. Straight legged trousers, a vest, a button down shirt (or a polo) and you’re already well on your way to looking like any modern prince. Add a tie (or bowtie) or a suit coat and you’ll look even sharper. Men’s clothing have two measurements when it comes to pants, the waist and the inseam. I am, personally, on the short side and often have difficulty finding trousers with an inseam for my height. Likewise, I require a ‘short’ suit coat, which given modern proclivities of tall and lanky suit cuts, can be a bit challenging.     If cost is an issue for you, try yard sales, garage sales, boot sales, thrift stores, second hand shops, flea markets and even friends and relatives. You would be surprised what gems might be hidden at the back of a closet because they were only worn once (or not at all). If this prince was completely honest, they buy all their clothing second hand. Vintage cloths fits my body type much better than newly styled clothing.     A polished look always appears more regal.

3. Accessorize. Finish that look with a woolen scarf and a pair of leather gloves for the winter. A pair of capris and loafers for the summer. Add crown cuff links to your sleeves or a tie pin (men’s jewelry has come back into vogue again- hooray!). Carry a nice messenger instead of a backpack. Have a reusable coffee (or tea) tumbler with a fleur de lis on it. HATS! For generations men in the west wore hats out of doors. Find yourself a real fedora or a beret (you may need to check women’s accessories for the latter).     You can decorate all kinds of items with things found at craft stores and online. Add some gold trim here, a silver applique there, jewels with a bit of fabric glue and you have a smart and stylish prince.

4. Decorate. Clean up your space. No, really. A nice, neat space is sometimes all you need to feel a little more confident. Get rid of clutter! And when you can’t be rid of something, don’t tell anyone I said this, but hide it. But things in boxes and slide it under the bed (and cover it up with a dust ruffle). Organize and close that closet door. If you don’t have a closet (like me) then try and find some shelves or racking that suits your tastes. Cover it up with curtains or screens. Put up framed pieces of art (or frame your prints and posters) for a more refined look.      Then slowly get things that feel more you. The you that you want to be. A leather journal. A fountain pen. A glass paperweight with a rose suspended within. You’ld be surprised what even little things can do. Don’t be afraid to experiment and try something completely new.

5. Look for Inspiration. Tour a museum. Many have discounts for students and some even have FREE weekends. Keep an eye out. Nothing says that you have a more refined taste than taking in a Raphael or a Degas in person. Go to your local library and look up some books on the monarchs of history. If you get a chance, tour a botanical garden, estate or castle. Nothing quite beats looking up into the dome of a great glass greenhouse wearing a smart, princely coord (outfit), feeling the other people of power that also stood on that same spot. Listen to some of the great composers who crafted hours of music for kings and queens, emperors and empresses. I literally just found a CD filled with selections of fanfares from various classical works. I LOVE it.     Scour the internet for ideas- the world wide web is vast. Use it to your advantage. 

I have tags for many things, all which can be found along the sidebar on my page. Feel free to check out Decor or DIY. I have a constant queue that keeps adding to all things. 

But above all, know that you are a prince and nothing is going to change that, no matter how you look or what surrounds you. You are noble and regal. Remember that.