#generally a good rule of thumb when you aren't feeling your art is to do the opposite

[haxxydraws]

[cosmermaid]

Mewtwo's cloning machine colored became my most popular post so I'm making a tutorial with it.

I know I only colored it but I did use some pretty important techniques when doing original art too so I'm hoping it helps.

Okay so let's say you have a sketch, or in my case an image you want to color. Rule of thumb, you don't want to leave that in grayscale.

If you have a color scheme in mind you'll want your starting point to reflect that. Most art programs have ways for you to do tonal correction.

I like using levels for cleaning up the brightness and making lines sharper, and color balance for adding colors. Gradient map works nicely too. Generally you want to pick contrasting colors for light vs shadow. I did yellow for lighting and blue for shadow because I wanted to catch that oceanic underwater feel. But you CAN do cool lights with warm shadows!

2. If you want to color under your image or sketch, set it to multiply. Lower the opacity to help you see better if you want to do linework over it, or leave it as is if you just want to color your sketch.

3. Block in your colors to get a feel for the lighting. You'll want to make sure you have a CLEAR sense of foreground/middleground/background. Which means you need to pick colors that are bright/medium/dark shades and assign them accordingly.

In this case my foreground is darkest, I chose to make middleground (the machine) my light source, so it is brightest, and background is my medium shade. You don't have to do it in that order, but just keep those rules of three in mind. Foreground, middleground, background. Light, medium, dark. Assign accordingly as your piece needs.

A great way to test your composition is to set your image to greyscale, or even remove your sketch. If you still have a clear impression of depth and where everything is, you're on the right track.

4. What's your focal point? What's the main subject of your piece? What do you want to draw the viewer's eye, to stand out, to be the whole point of what you're drawing? Because that's the part you're going to focus on rendering now.

For me it was the shell.

This was three different layers on different blending modes where I just played with textures, colors and brushes until I got an effect that I liked. In fact I liked it so much that these layers are actually above the base image, so that the texture is untouched by the manga scan texture and the yellow-tinted multiply effect.

5. By this point, if you're applying these steps to any art piece you're working on, you should have a pretty good basis. You should have your colors mapped, your composition, and your focal point for your work. You can continue to render the details, but try to stick to your composition.

None of these steps are particularly complicated. It's just a matter of coloring within the lines, staying true to your chosen color scheme, and remembering where the light source is.

6. If you have a secondary focal point, (in my case, Team Rocket) you can give it a little bit of special treatment to help it not get lost in the image.

I went as far as to copy and paste them, adjust their levels separately from the rest of the work so they looked sharper and cleaner, gave them their own colors separate from the scheme of the main peace, and only tied them into it with their shadows. I painted some rim-lighting around them true to their colors (like Jessie and James's hair) just to help them pop. They're not the main focus of the image, but they're somewhere that they aren't supposed to be, so they need to stand out a little in their own right. 7. Add some finishing touches.

This can be things like adding soft glows to your light sources (I keep mine simple, just a few strokes with a watercolor brush set to the add blending mode) and some shines to shiny objects.

And that was about it.

Coloring this piece was just an excuse for me to play with color composition and textures without having to worry about my own line work for once. But I still used some pretty important principles in illustration to catch what I saw in my head while looking at the original uncolored page. (Especially step 3!! Try that in your next work!)

[backfliips]

how do you go about choosing colors for your illustrations? sick work btw i love all your stuff

That's a tough question, because it really depends on what I'm doing. I feel like a lot of my art is very unplanned and I just kind of go with the flow of what I'm doing, which means I don't spend a lot of time developing color palettes before I do stuff.

That being said, I do have a cheat sheet of sorts, which is my saved swatches on photoshop. I don't even remember where the majority of these colors came from, but they're ones I've found useful or taken from specific pieces where a shade of something stood out to me, sort of scavenging for colors wherever I can find them.

These are sort of my "baseline" colors in no particular order.

However, what I think is more interesting and a LOT more useful than a cheat sheet of my general base colors is how I go about learning and adjusting colors.

In order to build my color picking skills, I sat down and did a LOT of photo studies. (If you follow my art closely, you know a lot of those photo studies come from concert photography, with all sorts of crazy lighting and poses.) It's one of those things where when you start it makes absolutely no sense --- what do you MEAN that skin tone is green?? it doesn't LOOK green to me in this photo --- and then as you continue, your brain starts to make connections and recognize how colors aren't always what they look like at first.

Good rules of thumb are to avoid pure black and pure white (notice how I have some almost-black and almost-white shades saved in my swatches) because that can really flatten your artwork, and because it feels a lot more organic.

Now, when it comes to adjusting colors, I tend to make shadows slightly warmer on the color scale (I just don't like how most cool toned shading looks, and I like adding reds to skin shadows because the harsh light can illuminate blood vessels under the skin. cool, right?). I also like to add a dot of a different color, then use a blending tool, and eyedrop off of the tint I've created (like actual paint mixing._ I highly recommend watching videos about color matching using actual paint to help develop this skill.

And, because I have no self control, I like adding vibrant colors where they don't belong to add an additional element to my work. I don't know why, it's just fun. I like bright colors.

Also, ADJUSTMENT LAYERS ARE YOUR FRIEND. Play around with them yourself and figure out what each of them do! They add a lot to my artwork and help tie my colors together a lot of the time.

Anyways this is just a big rant. I have a lot of ways of approaching color in my artwork and I hope this was helpful, I just kind of do whatever speaks to me in the moment. If you have questions about any specific pieces I've done please let me know, and I'll try to walk you through my process.

[hi-intrepid-heroes]

Hi! I hope this isn’t bad to ask but I’m going to the Netherlands in a couple of weeks (first time traveling outside the US) and I was wondering if u have any recommendations on things to do/foods from the area I should try?

hi anon!

I've been thinking about this for a while, cause I wanted to give you some tips that aren't also in any google search, so here they are, sorted into an activity, food, and general tips to survive the country section (it's mostly focused on Amsterdam and Utrecht, cause that's where I have the most experience)

Under the cut cause I had a lot to say apparently

Activities:

In Amsterdam, I love the Hortus, which is a botanical garden dating from the 17th century! It's partly outside but there are several indoor parts that are really pretty!

This probably is in the google searches but the Amsterdam Light Festival is going on, and it's really fun. There's a walking route and boat tours, but you can also just keep your eyes open when moving through the city and spot the art works that way

The Hallen in Amsterdam is a really fun place to go if you want to do something a little more lowkey, there's a few cute stores, expositions, a market hall-style food place and a cinema, as well as some events that they host certain days!

I haven't done this myself but the Adam Tower (in Noord, so you can take the ferry from central station which is fun) has a lookout deck where you can see the whole city! There's a swing set where you can book a place to swing over the edge I think (Europe's highest swing let's go). My brother did this a few years ago and thought it was really fun!

If you like books Savannah Bay in Utrecht is one of my favs, one of the top bookstores I've ever been to in my life in general I think

When in Utrecht pls hit the Miffy stoplight, it takes 5 minutes and she's a national icon (it's literally just a stoplight with a Miffy figure and it's adorable)

This may not be worth it if you're only here for a short period of time but if you have a day where you want to escape the city, Dutch beaches are beautiful even in the winter! The practice of uitwaaien (lit. outblowing), or walking into the wind to feel more invigorated (specifically a winter thing and popular among the Dutch especially on Boxing Day or New Years Day), is really nice to do sometimes, and a beach walk can be nice for a change!

Food:

Stroopwafels are on every list BUT I'd specifically recommend getting a hot one somewhere, cause they're much better than the packaged ones! They sell them at outdoor markets and I'm sure there's also some stores that have them!

Everyone also always talks about hagelslag but I personally prefer vlokken, which is a similar concept but thinner so they're nice and crispy would recommend

If you want a quick lunch, Bagels & Beans is a small chain that's got places across the country, they have nice bagels and I have it on good authority the coffee's also good!

If you want to get takeaway food, I would highly recommend Surinamese food. These generally don't really have restaurants and the places I've been to haven't really differed in quality so I'd just pick a nearby one but you simply must eat roti (a dish popular across the Caribbean so not specifically Surinamese but delicious) it rules so hard

Editing this cause I just walked past an oliebollen stall and you should absolutely try one of those if you’re here on time they’re a traditional Dutch new years treat!

General tips:

Always look every way when crossing the street even if it's one-way cause bikes can and will come from everywhere

In a similar vein: some tourists think bike bells are rung simply for fun, they are not, they have the same function of a car horn! If you hear one please do get off the road lmao it'll save you a lot of cursing from the locals

Pretty much everyone here speaks English really well, but a general rule of thumb for non-English speaking countries is that it's really appreciated if you learn at least hello and thank you in the local language (hallo and dank je wel in Dutch)!

Finally, a request more than a tip: please don't rent a bike cause it's genuinely dangerous. 99% of tourists can't bike that well and even those that can aren't used to the type of traffic here, as it's incredibly chaotic because of all the bikes, and tourists on bikes are even less prepared for that than ones that are walking (I know it looks fun I get it but the amount of times I've almost gotten into an accident bc a tourist made a weird swerve is so high I just had to put this in)

I hope you have a lovely trip anon, enjoy!!! <3

[yconic]

Guess who was bored and decided to make a Stonytasha pirate AU sjsj

Alright so!! What I had in mind: Th name of infamous pirate captain Tony Stark , stretched across all land for being the skilled and more than ruthless bandit that Steve Rogers, son of a navy/military general, finds himself to be too infatuated with.

Like, proper and posh Steve, with just a whisk of innocence and fragility falling for charming and flirty sea bandit that is Tony , who stops mid battle with his dad's crew to kiss his cheek while evading getting hurt?? Cuteness, I have no self control sksksk

When Black Sabbath ambushes the town of Brooks, Joseph Rogers is crimson to the hairline at being caught so unprepared. Due to celebrating his son's birthday the day prior.

Half his force stood ditzy on their feet, still so drowned into the debauchery they failed to realize the pirate ship they were supposed to guard was floating carelessly at the docks has been there for two hours.

In their surprise, Tony and his crew aren't spreading chaos or destruction. They carry the calmness of a silent storm, not thunder but raindrops as they collect what they can carry. From bare necessities such as food to a random jewelry that caught their eye.

Steve knows retaliation wouldn't result in a victory. At least 10 men against one aren't odds that favour him. Not only is he outnumbered, but he is also undertrained. Despite being a soldier in name, his father had been adamant about actually introducing him to the practice. Steve is tore between being grateful or regretful about his incliation to arts now.

They're not hurting anyone. That's what confuses him.

He would love to paint the Captain, however. Even a quick sketch would have sufficed, even if it wouldn't do justice to the undeniable beauty in front of him. Tony was a rarity he couldn't pry his eyes off of. Hair dark and soft looking curling at the nape of his neck, Skin kissed by sun, complimenting the gold beam smile that's too enchanting for it's own good.

The pools of brown lock with him for a moment, but it was enough to make his legs buckle slightly. Those were the Deadeyes, he told himself, that put fright in monsters and men alike. Except the cruelty, coldness, and blankness from the tales he's heard was missing. Tony was alive, and he was laughing.

The smile grew bigger as he advanced in his direction, dropping the sack of goods he's been carrying not even a moment ago. Steve made the effort of keeping his eyes past the pirate's shoulder instead of the sight of his bare chest, provided by the low cut red blouse.

Steve felt his face burning, which only seemed to amuse the Captain further if the chuckle sending shivers down his spine was any clue worth following.

"You're Rogers blood, " Tony commented easily, tone full of glee. Even if he was taller between them, Steve never felt so small. His form turned to wood when calloused fingers rested on his jawline, touch gentle.

Almost too loving for what they probably done. Steve wanted to melt into it. "Pretty fella, aren't you, sweetling?"

Steve's dry throat was, at once, workable again. "And you, the pirate sacking my town, " he responded, voice silkier than he intended. The darkness of Tony's eyes intensified with just a shade, but it was enough to make him swallow a whine. "You'd have better luck in Quinz. From what I hear they've been recently restocked. Why us?"

A rich laugh boomed from Tony. "Darling, " he started, grin crooked and voice dripping in honey. "You don't KNOW what a sacking done by me looks like." Steve was positive he never wanted to find out.

Silence washed over them for a moment before the pirate spoke again.

"We're just taking what we need, not want. We're housing a few extra guests and we regrettably ran out of food, which is terribly embarrassing for me. I've been told I hold the title of the best host over all 50 seas. My people shouldn't expect less than the best, as I'm sure you understand."

"If you wish, we can also provide you with an appron, " Steve said, waiting for the thin ice to crack. Tony's lips quirked upwards and somehow the nobleborn knew he won't sink just yet. The blonde's hand extended in invitation. "I'm not certain what the manner pirates use to introduce themselves, but here we shake hands. I am Steve Rogers."

"It may shock you, but some of us swap spit. I suppose however, since we're on your land I'll comply to your rules, " a wink and a tongue leaking with sarcasm, accompanied with a firm handshake enough to make Steve's skin raise upwards. "You know who I am."

Steve nodded. "Deadeyes. Parents and eldery tell the children about you."

"Jesus, " Tony swore. "I'm not sure if I should be proud of by my everlasting popularity or offended that so many consider me an ancient ghost ship. Why parents think I'm an appropriate subject for discussion escapes me."

"They do it so the children won't grow up like you."

"Grow up? Oh no darling I'm afraid I only grew old, " Tony chuckled, eyes dancing on the blonde's body, making Steve feel warm. "But only in certain fields."

"You could have tried to buy something if you were in need. Like all people do."

"I would love to, but not only are my pockets in great mourning, I must say your system makes it very difficult for people like me to make ends meet."

"The criminals?"

"The poors."

Before either men could say more, a fire was shot in the open. Tony reacted in a blink move, pushing the blonde to the ground with a shocking force. He heard someone shout Tony's name, but the ringing in his sensitive ears dafted all sound trying to stab in.

"Stay down until the fire dims, then find shelter!" The pirate's order came in form of a yell, but to Steve's ears it was more of a soft instruction. He could spot familiar boots with the glittering royal emblem shining blindly through the dust blinding his vision

The force is chasing the crew, more drunk than awake, shooting at whatever they can aim. The blonde's heart slammed against his ribcage, adrenaline and fear for his people coursing through his blood at an alarming speed as the men flooded the market place.

Steve was quick on his feet, body becoming it's own host as he helped the two men, -- whom by the looks of it were apart of Tony's crew, -- lead the people to the town's church where they would be safest. The tail of his eye spied a flash of red darting above them on the roofs, but before he had the chance of getting a better look, he was knocked aside by the crowd.

The gates were locked shut.

Steve resigned behind the closest beer barrels, placing his hand on the pistol harness tucked safetly on his hip, ignoring the slight tremble of his digits. He leaned over to peek through the tangle of soldiers and bandits huddled up together like fight dogs in a ring, at the violent scenery Tony painted with a mindnumbing grace.

The footing was almost too hard to follow with the bare eyes. The pirate seemed to barely touch the ground, blade cutting through the air with a force that temporality privated Steve from air. He was accustomed to battle, twin swords in each hand seeming at home and comfortable.

He trapped the wrist of one soldier between the edges of his weapon, head moving just in time before the bullet shot could crave his skull. The military man received a kick in the gut, sending him straight to the floor.

Tony was swift on his toes, predicting the sloppy moves of his adversaries and dodging them with ease, smirk sharp and lethal as the men around him hit the ground like rain. By gun shot, he realized, put to the ground by a shower of lead. His eyes hunted every direction in hope of finding the gunslinger but with no such luck.

The soldiers groaned from their spot on the ground, each holding onto their bleeding legs. Most of the damage was done to either their hands or inferior limbs area. The coin dropped. Whoever it was, their objective was not to dig graves, but a weeksworth of bed rest, if that. The symphony of battle got quieter and quieter for Steve, who failed to register Tony making his way to him.

"Love, we have to stop meeting like this, for the sake of your heart. " He thought he heard. Steve couldn't make out the words properly, sentences becoming incoherent .

Everything became white noise and unclear, blurry dark silhouettes. The nerves in his body all numbed, lost of feeling until a rough hand curled around the nape of his neck. The firm but tender touch provided him some much-needed grounding.

His senses awakened again, his being coming back slowly. His mind was sober enough to hear the pleasant graveness of Tony's voice whispering sweetly against his ear as he raised him from the soil that tainted the fine cloth.

"It's over now, " he soothed as a child does a spooked animal, thumb rubbing circles into the sweat coated skin. Tony did not hesitate to brush his lips across. "Please, sweetling, return to me, will you? You were brave, doing exactly as I told you. I have you. You're safe now."

"I was a coward, " he retorted, mouth bitter and eyes burning. "I HID from battle, from the danger, while my people were attacked. What kind of soldier does that?"

"So what? Better a dead hero than a living man?" Tony asked sternly. "Your people are safe, are they not? You lead them to the church, Steve. You protected them, and--" the cock of a pistol made them both pause.

A tiny gasp slipped past Steve's lisp as the soldier who they both missed sneaked behind them, firearm aimed at Tony's back. The smaller man planted between him and the attacker, not letting him be exposed to danger.

"You don't want to do this. Trust me." Tony warned mildly. "I am trying to give you a way out, you'd be smart to take it." The soldier was stilled, and the gun wasn't lowered. His finger caressed the trigger.

"I see, " strangely, he could hear a hint of smile in Tony's voice. "So. Is this the end of me?"

Steve's eyes were clamped tight, fingers clenched around the thin material of Tony's dress shirt as the bang of fire lingered in the air. After a passing minute, he felt something fast and hot shredding the oxygen right beside his left ear.

When the black faded away, Steve was not expecting to see Tony still standing, and the soldier shot down clutching at his injured soldier. The shot hasn't came from him, but from behind him. Whipping around, Steve paused in mild shock. A small woman, not tall enough to reach his shoulder without raising on her tips, had her slandered arm extended and wileding a pistol.

Her looks was deceivingly innocent, features soft yet sculpted pleasantly resting in a mask of winter were captivating. Her hair was red and her most eye catching asset, warm auburn and planted in a bun, reminding Steve of autum leaves painted in rusty undertoned he loved to collect when the season was of middle.

Fierce green eyes melted as they landed on Tony, the stone in them cracked. A glimpse of adoration washed over them, clearly exposing the nature of their connection. Steve felt his heart clench.

For some reason, her voice decreased some of the burn his chest scorched with. "Not today, Captain."

[getitinbusan]

Night at the Museum

It was finally here, the first Monday in May, The MET Gala had been on your calendar for months. It was a closely kept secret that that the boys would be attending together as BTS to the CAMP themed event. You were allowed to come along as part of their special entourage but it had stipulations. When Jungkook first asked you about going with him you didn't think it was a good idea. It would be awkward to watch your boyfriend interacting with everyone while you had to stand in the background and watch. You hated pretending to be staff, not getting to actually be with him, truth be told it really hurt that he could ignore you so easily at these things. You didn't see the point of watching beautiful celebrities throw themselves at your boyfriend while you could do nothing but pretend it didn't bother you. There was also one other thing that raised a red flag in the back of your mind, this years host was Harry.

You'd dated Harry Styles for the better part of a year as his One Direction days were coming to a close. You'd joined 1D on tour as an assistant chef for Sarah's Kitchen making sure they were always fed. He was charming, good looking a complete flirt, you had been instantly smitten. You travelled the world with him, spending your nights in his bed, but never getting to publicly be "Harry's Girl", it was just the rule of boy bands. Things were great until everything in the 1D universe unravelled. They had decided it was time to call it a day and nobody could quite figure out what to do with themselves. Harry took a break and went back home, you went with him for a while but you both wanted more. He needed to discover himself, write and record his own album, but he needed to let go of everything to do it. You understood, you loved him and wanted him to be happy outside of the bubble he'd been in for years. You had left each other, open ended, maybe one day you would find each other again. You turned to growing your career and started your own on the road catering company.

Here you were, the same situation repeating with Jungkook. You really hadn't thought about the pattern until that damn invitation showed up. You absolutely loved him, just not the lifestyle of pretending you weren't together. He could always talk his way into getting you on his travel team. Management knew about your relationship, buy they weren't happy and made sure you both knew what the fallout would be if the fans found out. It was hard. So when he received the Gala invite your heart sank in your chest. You'd grown up with Vogue as your guide to life, it was every girls dream to be a part of that fashionable world. Now it was just another thing that you couldn't really share with your boyfriend.

"Baby you are going to come right?" He asked with his arms around you. "Guk, I don't think its a good idea" you made every excuse you could think of knowing that being in that room would break your heart in pieces. The ache of seeing Harry again would only be compounded by being treated as stranger by Jungkook. Tears fell down your cheek and Jungkook kissed them away. "Please don't cry Y/N. I'll buy you the prettiest dress and I promise after its over we can spend all night drinking champagne and dancing in our hotel room, just us. I know its hard but its all I can offer right now." Not wanting to disappoint him you agreed to go.

Standing in your room at the plaza you couldn't take your eyes off your boyfriend. Here he was before you, a vision in Gucci, he looked ethereal. You watched on in track pants and his oversize t shirt feeling a little inferior as the stylists worked around him. There was that sinking feeling creeping up again. You dropped your head and pretended to play on your phone, you would never be good enough for him. Like he sensed your eyes not on him anymore he asked "Are you ready for your surprise baby?" He motioned for the stylist to begin getting you ready. She went into the closet and brought out the most beautiful Vivienne Westwood gown you'd ever seen. "She's your favorite right?" You ran to embrace him and speckled his face with grateful kisses. "I have to leave early for the red carpet but I can't wait to see you in this tonight. I love you"

When you got to the car with the PR team you turned on the arrivals live stream from your phone watching all the amazing outfits and celebrities walk the carpet. The crowd roared suddenly and you knew why, everywhere they went cheers followed. Exiting the car one by one, each of them looked stunning. They gave waves and smiles posing for the photographers and stopping for the entertainment show interviews. You were so proud of them, they truly deserved their success. The hard work and dedication that they put into their career was like nothing you've ever seen. It was just a sad fact that their personal lives suffered for it.

You were guided out of the car to one of the back park entrances. You would be free to wander the galleries with the guests but you were not invited to the dinner or ball. You'd been to the MET once before and you could easily spend hours taking it all in, the beauty of the building alone was as noteworthy as the pieces. You moved from room to room generally not paying attention to who was around you, your mind frequently imagining what Jungkook would think of certain works. Moving to the Contemporary Art Wing you saw them, surrounded by beautiful women all wanting to be seen with them. You weren't even a blip on his radar, you may as well be back at the hotel, he'd never even know. The door to the deck overlooking Central Park was right there so you decided to go outside instead of torturing yourself by watching them.

Staring up at the night sky you were lost in your thoughts when a soft voice brought you back to the present. "Of all the places in the world I could have run into you, I never would have imagined it to be here." His voice was unmistakable. "You look amazing, I've caught glimpses of you all night and tried to follow you but you kept getting away" god that accent made you melt. You turned to face him, smiling "What are the chances we're both here and we're both wearing Westwood? I've missed you Harry" you said, sure that the somber tone in your voice gave you away. "Why are you alone out here when you look this stunning? Every man in this place should want you on their arm tonight." He lifted your chin to look at him and you couldn't hold in the tears any longer. "I'm so sad Harry, why do I keep falling for men I can't really be with?" He brushed your cheek with his thumb, "Its not easy from the other side either you know. I couldn't keep track of how many times I wanted to do things with you and show you special new places, it wasn't only hard on you." He kissed your forehead and stood looking out at the skyline. You knew he couldn't stay long, people would be waiting for him but this moment was enough. You'd always have a special place in your heart for him but times had changed and you truly loved Jungkook.

The glass door opened and your boyfriend stood staring at you. Harry picked up your hand, and kissing it he said, "until we meet again" On the way out he shook Jungkook's hand. "She's an amazing girl, make sure you make her a priority. She deserves better than to be left waiting in the wings, she deserves to be seen" and on that advice he left. Jungkook walked over to you "I can see the tear stains on your face Y/N, I know how sad I make you but please don't think you aren't important to me. You may not have noticed but my eyes have been on you and only you all night. When I first saw you looking at the Degas I had to catch my breath, you look more stunning than any of the pieces in this museum. I hated that I couldn't stand there with you, I just wanted to be beside you holding your hand. When you cried seeing your favorite Monet I wanted to run to you and hold you. When I saw your ex consoling you I hated that someone could have gotten the impression that you were his. I want everyone to know you're mine, i want to show you off proudly" You were dumbfounded, although he hadn't been by your side he had actually been with you the whole time. He leaned into you, resting his cheek on the top of your head "I don't care what everyone has to say, I don't care what's best for my career, I care about us. I can't keep pretending you mean nothing to me, it hurts us both too much. Everyone needs to know that we are together and that I have an amazing girlfriend" He picked up your hands and wrapped them around his neck placing his on your waist " I want to dance with my girlfriend overlooking Central Park and I don't care who sees."