#honestly i love both of these as individual pieces of art and i wanted to see them next to each other

[anthropologist-on-the-loose]

These were from two separate posts but I *NEEDED* them to be united

Ceramic Crab Vessel with Double Spout from the Calima Region Colombia, 1500 B.C.-A.D. 100. And Porcelain Crab Tureen from Jingdezhen, China, 1736-95.

Beautiful. Magnificent. Two artful hand-crafted serving containers whose creation was separated by at least 1500 years and the largest ocean on the planet. Both with the same glorious form.

Carcinisation is eternal

Original posts from @theancientwayoflife (x) and @hieronymusarchives (x)

[eirist]

Little Bits and Pieces of Heaven

THE ART OF BEING SUBTLE

One-shot #: 37

Disclaimer: One Piece (and its characters) belongs to Eiichiro Oda-sensei.

Reminder: I have no beta-reader. Any grammatical and spelling errors are solely mine.

Warning: OOC possible. One shot.

Rating: T

Note: I just wanted some ZoNa as seen through Usopp’s eyes. I love how he’s close to both of them.I swear he’s probably, possibly one of the first to notice if something is up with them. It’s just cute to think.

Summary: Things will definitely be more interesting from here on, ne?

It was subtle.

So subtle you will never really notice it… especially if you are not paying any attention.

Which most of the time is what happens because honestly, who would even think that something like that is happening between two of the most hard-headed individuals you ever came across the Grand Line and even in the New World?

Yes they are friends, but not really the makes-your-heart-warm type. Theirs is more… complicated—for the lack of word. Plus it does seem like irritation is the key component of their relationship.

Also there is that distance… that certain reservedness between them. Kind of like a safe space that the two seemed to inadvertently placed in the middle that neither one would deliberately try to step foot on.

But despite that, when push comes to shove… they always have each other’s backs.

In a way that makes it alright.

One fine day of sailing along the New World sea, while everything around them was quiet and calm (no marines or pirate enemy on their tail, no sea kings attacking, nothing) and the Thousand Sunny was smoothly gliding above the water heading towards their next destination…

…something in Usopp’s perception regarding his two friends changed.

He was playing a game of catch along with Luffy and Chopper on the lawn deck. They were all being boisterous, more than the usual, as if they are trying to make up for the day’s tranquillity.

They were tossing the ball up and running around, catching it and tossing it up again as they chased each other back and forth on the whole expanse of the deck.

The trio were momentarily distracted when the galley’s door opened and out step Sanji at the same time Zoro descended down from the crow’s nest.

Usopp groaned inwardly. He was having so much fun playing around and he’s really not in the mood for another squabble between the two-thirds of the monster trio.

Thankfully both seemed preoccupied with their respective thoughts and they just ignored each other, as Sanji headed towards where the aquarium hatch is, earning a sigh of relief from Usopp. Thank heavens for that!

Good thing too that Luffy managed to snag the green-haired man’s attention. The rubber captain immediately bounded towards the swordsman when he saw him. Usopp absent-mindedly threw the ball towards an eager Chopper, who shifted to his heavy point to catch it before instantly reverting back to his usual tiny form.

He called out to Luffy to get his attention. Their ever-juvenile captain was obviously pestering the taller man to play with them. And based from the way Luffy’s tone was reaching a rather whiny pitch (and also from the way Zoro was now looking totally irritated), it was a lost cause. 

Usopp called out to Luffy again and as if on cue, Chopper threw the ball towards him. Luffy immediately laughed, his attention shifting away from Zoro and in one swift move, he stretched his arm to meet the ball halfway… with enough force like he was about to sucker punch one of their enemies.

Suddenly Zoro nudged Luffy’s shoulder with his own. Not too much but just enough to make Luffy turn his attention back to his friend, his gaze questioning. The younger man’s outstretched arm wobbled in the air slightly though that wasn’t enough to make him miss the ball. His closed fist still struck it, only with less force than before.

And right at that moment, Nami stepped out of the aquarium bar.

Usopp could swear everyone froze on the spot when she appeared.

Except for the ball.

It headed straight to her. Usopp can only squeeze his eyes shut as he braced himself for the unwanted impact.

Which never came—much to his disbelief. The ball ended up hitting the wall a few good inches from her.

Nami let out a loud shriek from surprise and glared icily at them before proceeding to kick the ball which has rolled down the grassy deck.

The trio let out a disappointed cry when the ball went overboard, falling down the water below.

Nami silenced them with a scowl, huffing angrily before she marched away from them. Usopp was thanking his lucky stars that she didn’t resort to physical violence or even financial.

Though he clearly doubted if they really got away from the latter.

“Why is she mad,” Luffy complained with a pout, a tad disheartened at the loss of their ball. “It didn’t hit her.”

“But it almost did!” Chopper said with a hint of fear in his tone.

“Still it didn’t,” Luffy argued, a bit stubbornly.

“Yeah it didn’t,” Usopp mumbled, “Luckily.” He shot a quick glance at Zoro who had walked away from them to head to the men’s quarters while Nami was busy giving them her death glare. 

Usopp can tell that that ball would definitely hit Nami face first… if Zoro didn’t pushed Luffy earlier like he did.

Talk about good timing.

Then he stopped and blinked himself into a thought.

Nope that definitely wasn’t just good timing.

No one knew that Nami was in the aquarium bar, and certainly no one had known that she’ll be exiting it right when Luffy smacked the ball towards that direction.

Yet Zoro already bumped Luffy even before he hit the ball, effectively derailing its path and diminishing it strength, preventing it from hitting Nami.

And saving her.

Usopp blinked again.

Saved her in one swift and subtle movement. Huh.

Usopp scratched at his cheek.

------------------------

From that point on Usopp decided to train his watchful eyes on Zoro and Nami, observing their daily interactions attentively and inconspicuously.

True enough, their disagreements had dwindled down after their two-year separation and astonishingly, it continued to do so the further they sailed into the New World.

He’d sometimes see them quietly talking to each other on one side of ship or at the far corner of whatever island they are currently on, instead of having their usual loud interactions (that definitely includes yelling and fighting). They still engage in their good, old bickering sometimes but not as often as they used to.

And that was when he noted that there were a lot of subtle things the swordsman was doing to keep Nami out of harm’s way.

It was just small little things. Just tiny things. Things that can just be overlooked.

It was so unnoticeable… that not even Nami or the whole crew was aware of it.

Unless you pay really, really close attention.

Like what Usopp was currently doing.

He once saw the green-haired man casually moving her cup of hot tea a few inches away to the side before her elbow can hit it and the steaming liquid inside spills on her.

And Nami never realized what Zoro did.

There was one time when they docked on an unruly island filled with shady people and equally shady pirates and Zoro kept bumping and nudging her so she’d change directions while they were walking. Usopp later realized that he was moving her out of the reach of the bounty hunters who were persistently following her.

Though that instance actually ended up in a violent shouting match between the two because Nami finally snapped from all that pushing. She even summoned Zeus, his lightning fully-charged, intent on unleashing it at Zoro.

The bounty hunters that were targeting her decided to high-tail it out of there instead of getting caught in the crossfire between the two terrifying pirates. No one wants to mess with the totally vexed woman, armed with a weapon that can jolt the life out of them. Nor do they want to face off with an equally annoyed swordsman with three katanas who they now realized was the fabled pirate hunter Zoro.

There was also a time that Zoro deliberately knocked down Nami’s beer mug thrice while they were all out eating and drinking in a rather seedy bar because it he knew it had been tampered.

That also resulted in another shouting match. This time with belis and debts involve along with some throttling.

Usopp didn’t need to mention the times when Zoro helps her out with shopping and carrying their groceries and stocks without being told or forced to. Which Usopp also realized, kind of happens a lot as of late.

And in all these occurrences… Nami remained oblivious.

And Usopp had to freaking stop himself from knocking her on the head because it was really goddamned obvious what was actually happening.   

Once, they decided to camp by the beach of an uninhabited island. They settled around the fire that the boys enthusiastically made as Robin was about to narrate these amazing ghost stories from her newest book. Usopp quietly observed at the corner of his eye that Zoro strategically sat near Nami, knowing she’d definitely shift closer to him once she gets scared.

Usopp did the same. He deliberately sat near Zoro—on his other side, to be exact—in case he also gets scared and needed comfort.

All these were subtly done. Very subtly done, that no one had an inkling that it was happening at all.

But Usopp does. And he continued to watch and observe and wonder how long will it actually take Nami to figure it all out.

------------------------

Dinner was as usual chaotic, with a lot of laughing, talking and even yelling as they tried to get their fill of their cook’s delectable dinner dishes.

Usopp chewed on his food slowly yet with gusto as he eyed his crewmates, especially those who were at the other end of the table.

Nami had just entered the kitchen and Luffy accidentally barreled into her while running away from Sanji with a stolen plate of newly-cooked meat. Their captain shouted a quick apology to her before hurriedly bounding towards his seat at the head of the table before she can even hit him.

The blond chef was automatically at his tail, yelling expletives at the younger man about stealing food and hurting his Nami-swan.

If Usopp was not mistaken, Nami had been charting her maps all day. He hadn’t seen her since breakfast and she did have smudges of blank ink on her hands and fingers.

Grumbling and promising hell to their captain later after dinner, Nami bent down to retrieved the eyeglasses that she dropped when Luffy bumped into her.

Usopp instantly knew that the orange-haired navigator miscalculated her position. Nami was near the edge of the table when she bent down and had moved closer to it, as her glasses had fallen a bit farther under the table. He can hear her muttering something about Luffy paying for a new pair if her glasses where damage from his idiocy.

If she lifts her head up…

The sniper paused on his chewing, his eyebrows lifting up, when he saw the swift yet subtle way Zoro’s hand move to position itself at the table’s pointed corner, grasping it and effectively covering it.  He had done it so casually while still keeping his attention fixed on what Chopper was explaining to him, that the movement was barely noticeable at all.

When Nami finally raised her head and was about to stand up, her forehead hit Zoro's knuckles. A quick flare of temper showed on her face and she glared irritably at the man before her as she straightened up. Zoro looked unfazed and didn’t bother looking at her direction.

Nami continued to stare daggers at him for a few seconds before a confused look crossed her features.

Usopp watched her intently as she took in Zoro’s hand at the corner of the table and why it was there.

Then her hand went up to touch her forehead.

In his mind’s eye, Usopp was nodding his approval at the turn of the events.

Nami must have realized that if it wasn't for Zoro's hand, she would definitely be sporting a large bump on her forehead or worse…

…the dining table’s sharp edge would have caused a bleeding wound that would send her directly to Chopper’s office.  .

Usopp continued looking at her, as she in turn continued staring at Zoro.

Her brown eyes suddenly widened as realization dawned onto her.

Well, looks like she finally caught on.

Things will definitely be more interesting from here on, ne?

[freyjas-musings]

I think its come to a point where I have to clarify a few things.

To start with , to everyone who reached out , thank you I am doing ok, I am just busy, I have a lot of work related travel in the next two weeks and I am preparing for my deadlines and dealing with real life . I promise I am fine.

As far as people who have doxxed me and have put my username on display subjecting me to bullying and harassment, the irony of the entire thing is not lost to me .

The fact that Elriels accused me of threatening to subject someone to harassment, when I specifically did not mention any username or individual .... while simultaneously displaying my username not only on several public FB groups which I have SS of, but also in several posts on both Tumblr and Twitter is baffling . Don't they see that they literally did what they accused me of "wanting" to do?

Who is the only one who is being subject to harassment and bullying ? Me and somehow I am the person who is in the wrong here ?

Now , coming to the part of character assassination, this isn't about fictional characters or books anymore , these people have written horrible things about me as a person ... twisted something I said on a post which most certainly wasn't said in a serious manner its dumb to think it was ( How would someone force someone to write an English exam ? The entire thing was exaggerated and ridiculous) and have called me different things varying from a Psychotic bitch to a creepy person aka defamation thereby posing a threat to my emotional and mental well-being.

I have been in this fandom long enough and I have interacted with enough people that it should atleast give most people that I have interacted with a general idea of what I really am like.

I have mostly kept well away from Elriels , I don't engage with them in any manner if I can avoid it and I have gone ahead and blocked as many of them and their tags. So , I clearly have no intention of interacting with them irrespective of whether they are decent people or not , I simply don't see the necessity and its not my preference. This is the reason most of my interactions usually revolve around Gwynriels and they are the only ones I usually address even in my posts.

I am a part of this fandom for myself and I commission art because I like the creative aspect of it and I love interacting and supporting artists. This much everybody knows about me.

The locus of my identity is internal to me and my circle of validation is a total sum of 2 people - My husband and my child.

So for anyone who thinks they can bully me into going away from the fandom by twisting things and saying mean things about me... you are really wrong.

I honestly wasn't feeling right about BB milking the ship war and preying on vulnerable people while also not lending their support to artists who are integral to the fandom... which is why , I literally stated 2 days back that I would be stepping back from the SJM fandom till we have news on the next book.

But .....

If this is the sort of shit people try to pull with me then it's not about BB anymore, My priority now is bullies in the fandom. My priority is people who thought they could manipulate my people against me.....

I HAVE A FEW WEEKS OF WORK THAT NEEDS MY FOCUS BUT COME APRIL 21ST .... I AM COMING BACK ... WITH MORE CONTENT , MORE COLLABS , MORE GWYNRIEL INITIATIVES AND BETTER STRATEGIES AND YES I WILL BE BOOSTING SEVERAL GWYNRIEL ART PIECES ....CRY ME A RIVER

This is to Gywnriels, I will totally respect it if you guys would like to unfollow me based on the propaganda that's been in action by the Elriels. But seeing I have gained 15 followers in the last 2 days I am going to assume you guys truly understand what I am as a person and for that I am thankful and incredibly grateful 🙏. If you guys see posts of people displaying my username please report both the post and the blogger.

Now , I would like to go back to work because irrespective of who Azriel gets to fuck in the next book ... my work is what is important... its what feeds me and pays my bills.

[chubbening]

OH MY GOD OKAY HEY so me and a popular artist friend who shall not be named recently got into your fic Calories and Kink and IT IS SO HOT AND SUCH A HUGE INSPIRATION!!!! I literally started my own fic bc of it and I'm trying so hard to do my own things based on my own tastes and not lift too much inspiration xD

I just wanted to ask if any of your characters (Alexa, Reggie, or anyone else) has references? We may or may not be doing gay fanart for your adorable fat lesbian comfort fic.

Also I was stoked to find you're trans (us too)!!! Happy for you, also just learned you're a system!!! You both rock, keep up the good work, you got some real fans here :D

I think you just broke Ava's part of the brain lmao (she'll be fine) but thank you so so so much!! We've gotten so much lovely feedback on this story, and it means so much to us that what started as a kinky little side project has so engaged folks in our corner of the internet <3 Best of luck with your fic! One thing about writing is no one else is gonna do it like you, so even if you take inspiration, it'll still be your own.

It's funny you ask about references, because we've been thinking about commissioning some art for a while, just haven't gotten around to it (*coughcough* $$$). So like, we don't have ref sheets or anything. But (speaking of lifting inspiration) Reggie was originally inspired by one of NekoCrispy's characters, Astrid. Specifically the energy of this piece sparked something. Obviously we made Reggie a maned wolf and very much our own character, but we still think of her shape as similar to Astrid's (while compensating for NekoCrispy's more stylized hips), but 6' tall and with bigger arms ;)

For Alexa, shape- and vibe-wise, we go to https://www.tumblr.com/littlestpigletann. She's been posting since she was a lot smaller, so it's handy to dig back (on various platforms) and get a sense of Alexa at various points in the story. Although, Alexa's probably a bit lankier than Ann, who if I remember is 5'1" (Alexa's 5'6").

Feel free to DM us with any questions (about this stuff or w/e), we love chatting with folks! Honestly feels surreal to have people calling themselves fans and talking about doing art of something we created, like… Obviously no pressure to follow through, but we'd love to see what y'all come up with!!

Woo, trans! Honestly if we had a do-over, the one thing we'd change is making one or both of the MCs trans. We were just at a weird place with our dysphoria when we started writing it, and by the time we got comfier with things, there wasn't enough support in the story to retcon that. That's probably why we started doing more with Ash, tbh.

Okay, last anecdote here, the system thing is so funny in relation to Calories & Kink, because we didn't know we were plural when we wrote most of it, but we 1000% wrote Alexa and Reggie as individual self-inserts. When one of our partners started reading it, she compared us (still unaware) to Reggie because I fronted more during sex, but Ava, the more frequent fronter at the time, was like, "What? No, I'm way more like Alexa."

Anyway, thank you so much for sharing this message <3 We'll be giddy all day now ^^

Promise we'll work on the last few chapters soon--we really do want to give this thing a proper ending.

Take care,

Seija

[hybbart]

i love your art and the distinction between all the characters in shapes and colors. is there a specific reason you dont fill in the whites of pearls eyes why you draw her? it always gives her a sleepy look, which i think is neat.

That's exactly why! It started with Grian, who I gave small black beady eyes as many Grian designs have, and half the time his eyes are half-lidded to give him that mischievous/annoyed mood is is often in, and I decided not to give him whites.

When I went to design Pearl, honestly that design aspect was already in my head it was my first instinct to give her these droopy sleepy eyes that fit with her chill vibes and sleepy aesthetic, and it went well with the fluffy straight bangs. I accidentally tried it with whites one time when I forgot who I was drawing and it just did not look right at all. It makes her match Grian, too, which is nice. (She looks just a bit like both her brothers.)

(I started rambling about the rest of her design below oops)

Honestly MOST of Pearl's design was first draft instinct and it just ended up basically exactly what I wanted. The black legs/leggings and the long hip-length sweater that match Griand and Jimmy's legs/clothing lines, but in her own style. The more urban style that I thought went well with her alien base, and the sleeves that have thumb holes cause she feels like she needs to have her hands in pockets even when they aren't.

In particular there was a piece of double life 'welcome home cheaters' art where she looked exactly like a college stoner and especially with the beanie I love that vibe for her. The other aesthetic inspiration I pulled from was a picture of her (and the rest of boatem) jacked in sleeveless tops. It's probably just a muscle lady appreciator in me but she goes well with the industrial age streetbrawler/lesbian lumberjack vibe too, so even though she usually looks skinny she's also very fit and well muscled. (I put more heavy muscle on False, Stress, and Katherine, I simply cannot help myself)

I knew I wanted her to have a human design first and foremost unlike Grian and Jimmy, for reasons that I don't get to draw often- I really wanted to give her big chunky overly-detailed shoes. There's a specific style of anime girl that is quite small and wears simple urban fashion and then will emphasize these brand sneakers that look big and stompy on them, and for some reason I really liked that vibe for her with hold long and skinny she is. (problem is I don't draw her feet very often lol)

I also made her tall because, well, Pearl is tall, irl and fanon, and I'll take any excuse to make a lady tower over literally everyone else. The only person whose (base design) is taller than her is Mumbo. (And sometimes Lizzie, because I decided Lizzie can be whatever height she vibes with in the individual picture)

[goqmir]

i kind of like maybe just a little adore the new clue set cards like. the clue set itself is a weird and overpriced product and the physical cards themselves are definitely gonna be stupid overpriced because nobody wants to buy a board game to crack packs but like. the cards themselves? kind of fire?

i kind of adore that theyre not just all rares and we are getting clue set commons and stuff :3 its cute! and we're getting a new lonis too-- its not a super interesting card but i adore lonis and im very excited to play with more of her. and we get an interesting new land cycle in the cluelands too! the art for them kinda blows at the moment but at some point in the future i assume they'll be reprinted in a set that gives them fun and interesting art? maybe? please? im not exactly itching to play them but ill never turn down another cycle of duals teehee

id love to talk about some individual cards from the lineup so far that i adore! these are just my top picks but id recommend going and looking at the full list spoiled so far on scryfall :3

for starters, my favorite card from the whole spoiler season right now i think has to be scuttling sentinel. i dont think i want to play her in any commander deck, but in my opinion this is like one of the top cards for cubes in 2024 period-- like cankerbloom tier of cube card. she's awesome! a crab elf which is such an awesome creature type, playable with green or blue, puts 1/1 counters on things and its main draw is just being a decent body that offers protection :) she's great!!!! ive already slotted her into the cube ive been piecing together recently. i like her a lot.

resonance technician is such a cool spell copier <3 every part of it is kind of expensive so im not really sure where youd play it but it does a lot of cool things all at once on a single card which is fun! the flavor is cool-- we all love weirds here-- and the functionality is useful and cute. cool card. big fan

we also have portal manipulator who is like one of the weirdest and strongest combat tricks ive ever seen? this is like if aetherize also fucked your shit in. so i can absolutely see this seeing a lot of play honestly. but lets be real here this card just has amazing art. thheres portals around her skull !!! god shes so cool.

corporeal projection gets a shoutout because what a fun effect <3 it being izzet is awesome and on-flavor and the card itself is both an interesting choice to give your creature myriad for extra damage and a fun wincon :) im glad theres a simple and convenient way to give one creature myriad now that isn't a brick to run in my commander decks because it has a high-cost endgame mode. yay!

finally it wouldnt be a goqmir set review if i didnt shout out the new cards that work well in Naya Cast From Exile :3 Boros Strike-Captain seems kind of mid but it's important to remember that the card never goes away, and you can cast it any time after when you attack with at least 3 creatures even if BSC is off the battlefield. big fan of this one! im not sure if i can find the space to jam him in my Rocco Street Chef decklist but he's a very playable option.

Personally, i think Headliner Scarlett is the winner this set. She's a very good hit pretty much any time-- you're always gonna get a minimum of 4 free damage when she sticks, and if you play her early you get some pretty strong card advantage, which turns into very very strong card advantage in both Rocco and Prosper. if you pull her late, she can win you the game straight up by allowing you to swing out uninhibited-- though i can't speak for Prosper players, this will pretty much always be at minimum a knock out if you pull it lategame in Rocco. definitely making room for her in my decklist.

anyway thats just some cards i liked from the weird product thats coming out :3 i was and still am iffy on purchasing the product and expect the cards to be a little too expensive but as far as designs go they're pretty cool and im very happy that they exist! um sqrrk <3

[voidthewanderer]

I was gonna do this under a read more, but fuck it. You get to deal with me now.

Nothing is truly original and people need to get over this fact.

Yes, you can make original work, but someone, somewhere is going to find a correlation to an existing thing. It doesn't matter if the original work's artist has never seen what they're referencing, it came from somewhere.

The last truly original thing I have ever seen be created was the Cannonball Loop in Action Park, NJ. And you wanna know something about this monstrosity?

This thing never opened to the public because it was too dangerous even for the testers. Gene Mulvihill was apparently trying to pay people to try this death trap. His own son was even hesitant to try it. The last truly originally creative thing I've ever seen was a death trap waiting to happen.

Human creativity builds off of what it sees; changing it into something for an individual's own palette. A good portion of the time, it's a subconscious thing, you don't even realize that you create something that's similar to something else. It could be something even as simple as "I saw this thing a while back" and just forgot until you see it again.

I linked this before, and I'll link it again. TomSka's video on plagiarism in the arts. He talks specifically about his own experiences with plagiarism (both actual and not actual plagiarism). In all honesty, I do urge every creative to watch.

I shared this a while back specifically for his "Somerton Scale". Here it is typed out.

No Correlation -> Parallel Thinking -> Subconscious Appropriation -> Inspiration -> Influence -> Reference -> Allusion -> Derivative -> Imitative -> Cloning

So, obvious, the first point (no correlation) and final point (cloning) are straightforward. No plagiarism and blatant plagiarism. It's those in between points that I see far too many people get their fucking panties in a bunch. Most specifically, the two points I want to talk about; parallel thinking and subconscious appropriation.

The first two points kind of go hand in hand. Parallel thinking is the process of two unrelated people having the same idea. Now, why do I personally say that this goes hand in hand with subconscious appropriation? Well, there's a reason why certain riffs in music are called earworms or why an idea might sometimes be called a brainworm. You get an idea from somewhere that you love and you make it your own.

Let's take, for example, I dunno... Counting freckles on your partner. I can't begin to tell you how many times I have read this, quite frankly trope in free harlequin ebooks on Amazon. I used to have time to read a lot when I was younger and I didn't care what it was, as long as it was reading material. Did they all steal that idea from one another? No, they didn't. It's honestly a very human thing that actual real humans do. A person doing something to create a mental image of their partner; wanting to engrave every little detail into their minds. That is an adorable thought and a lot of people do it. I know I would.

It's these two points that I always see people throw the biggest, most absolute infantile tantrums. And, almost 98% of the time, it's always the only correlation between two pieces is the same idea. Yeah, you know my "Elect Death for President" art I recently did? I highly doubt I'm the first person to make art of such a dark concept. Especially since I even got the idea from the Wednesday 13 song of the same name. I'm also writing a fic based off the Creature Feature song A Gorey Demise, which was based off of The Gashlycrumb Tinies. Just because I'm using the lyrics of the song for the chapter titles, it doesn't mean it's plagiarism. Now, if I used the lyrics for the chapter titles, didn't tell anybody that it was based off of a song, and possibly changed the name of the story? Yeah, that might be a different story. But even then, that would more fall into the category of allusion (thinly).

As I previously mentioned, we see and hear things we like, it doesn't matter what the media is. Music, stories, movies, tv shows, even just the world around us, and locks it away into a place that we call our own. We make up our own little ideas based off of these things our minds take in; it gets twisted into our own personal tastes. Sometimes people just don't remember where they might get an idea from. Or, they do know, but it's just a small thing, it's not worth mentioning. That doesn't make an idea plagiarism.

Now, I wanna swing the topic slightly for a moment. Character creation and theft. I'm gonna be blunt with you guys, some of my characters are stolen... to a degree. What do I mean by this?

Savino and his brothers; they were all my and an ex-friend's rendition of The Midnight Crew from an old roleplay we'd had going on for like two years. Yes, Homestuck Midnight Crew. By the time I actually took control of the lot of them, they were shadows of their former selves; the only thing distinguishing them from what they were originally being that I hadn't actually made them human at that point or changed their names. If I'd never said anything, there's literally only like two people who would've known that they were originally a roleplay version of the homestuck characters.

The same thing with Jason. He's my former Turbo from my Wreck-It Ralph rp blog days. Now, granted, my Turbo was already pretty disjointed from WiR even in his initial creation, but once I left that era of my life, I didn't want to just throw him into the pit. I still wanted to use him for something; I loved him too much to do that. A fresh coat of paint, a new backstory, and he's now a part of my Fallout line up. Doesn't negate where he came from, however. But, again, if I hadn't said anything, only maybe two or three people would have known.

However, these characters are so disjointed from their original content that they're not that anymore and haven't been associated with their former selves for a long time. Without mentioning anything, most people would be none the wiser unless you previously knew me from those eras of my life. And I am still further developing these characters to further disjoint them from their origins. Vague references at best (Savino and his brothers initials being the same, as well as their crew still being called the Midnight Crew or Jason still sporting the facial markings I'd originally given my Turbo).

There's no real excuse to steal another person's character, however. Outright laying claim or using another person's character for any reason, especially without doing any sort of changes is no different than plagiarism. And, quite frankly, you must be quite the miserable person to do as such. Kinda makes me wonder, what else are you hiding.

Sure, it's possible to have a character that's similar to somebody else's without realizing it until someone points it out. It does happen, quite a lot. However, I also see it more often than naught someone just sees a character, hates how the original creator is portraying them, and then steals it. When they're called out about it, they throw a temper tantrum, claiming that it's totally their own character for sure. Some people are just cheeky cunts and extremely blatant about it.

Theft/plagiarism isn't something that should be taken lightly. Nor is it something that you should just throw around willy fucking nilly. It's a serious claim. And to claim something that you know doesn't actually fall under plagiarism/theft, honestly makes you a shit human being. It's time to learn that not everything you do isn't actually original.

I'll be the first to tell you, just because I ran my shit through a plagiarism checker and got 100% original content? Doesn't mean that I'm not the first person to come up with a brothel in a church or a scummy bad guy kidnapping someone for leverage to rule something. I'm not the first person to write two friends having drunken sex. And I know I won't be the last. You certainly aren't going to be the first to create your ideas either. But you also won't be the last, either.

Just, sit in your little bubble and create. And stay in your own goddamn lane. Unless it's actually, legitimately a beat-for-beat recreation of your work; just shut up. It's not as original as you might think it is.

[shyfairies]

Hey could I get a JoJo’s matchup? (All I ask is any part but part eight since I haven’t finished it yet)

I very much love to joke around with others that I enjoy being around and always end up being upfront and blunt with who I am. Even with this, I don’t really like people all that much, preferring alone time with myself, except of course when it comes to the people I actually like. I would consider myself pretty intelligent, both emotionally and logically. Due to my very upfront nature, some people can find it jarring, but it’s fine to me.

I am a big fan of writing and reading, passionately so too. I also love RPGs and Table Top RPGs. Which means by extension, I can be a bit of a math nerd when it comes to games. I always love dissecting the media I enjoy, talking about each individual part and piece of the media I am consuming.

The main ways I show me caring about someone is usually being there for them, basically a listener. Quality time is a quick way to get to my heart regardless if it is platonic or not. Hopefully you can find a match!

i match you with...♡

☆rohan kishibe☆

i feel like you guys would work together really well

you both are comfortable with just having your own space and chilling on your own

but when you are together you guys can have a really good time

he loves that he's dating someone who's actually smart bc he's tired of being around idiots all the time (*cough cough* josuke)😭

he always lets you read his manga before anyone else

you guys like to dissect it together

hear me out

his guilty pleasure is dnd

he honestly loves that you're blunt?? like he loves that you're always gonna be real with people

you're like a breath of fresh air to him

that's why he fell for you

he feels like you guys just click so well together

i could see you guys spending quality time by just sitting in his office keeping him company while he works

you don't even have to be talking, like you can just be doing your own thing

you guys just feel comfortable being in eachother's presence

he'll get so used to it that he'll start to miss you when you aren't around

like miss you bad

when you guys have an argument i feel like he'd write a note to you to properly communicate how he feels because it's easier for him to express himself that way

especially so there's less of a chance of him snapping at you

also likes to write you poems

this may be a far strecth but he might even write you love letters

sometimes he has a hard time showing that he loves you and he thinks a letter is a great way to do that

late night talks in bed are a yes

doesn't have to be about anything specific, maybe just telling eachother about your day

you really enjoy listening to eachother talk

definitely not into physical affection but if you're having a hard day and you just need a hug (if you like physical touch) he is definitely going to give you a hug

a silent hugger

like he'll just stand there and embrace you for a while until you're ready to let go

but if you don't like to be touched he will always be there to just listen to you, you can always talk to him about how you feel

i think he'd be more of an advice giver rather than a comforter?

one of the ways he likes to show his love is by brushing your hair (unless you're bald)

i think his favorite way to kiss you would be on the top of your head

likes to just stare at you and admire your features

he just thinks you're a work of art

and he is SO detail oriented

like he will remember every little thing that you like, or all your little habits and quirks, he'll even remember all your drink and food orders

it's the little things that he does

genuinely wants to marry you

will marry you

[all-or-nothing-baby]

15 QUESTIONS, 15 (or whatever) TAGS

i was tagged by @ash-mcj—thanks dude! HERE is their's.

.

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYBODY?

my middle name is the name of my mum's friend/dad's ex who died (my folks ended up getting together a year later).

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?

about 10 minutes ago? to WELLY BOOTS which is an amazing devil song i've heard 10,000 times before. i honestly cry a gajillion times a day bc i don't just cry at sad stuff but also anything that moves me: from hearing a wonderful piece of music... to someone saying something kind to me or anybody else (real person or fictional character)... to being overwhelmed by the enormity of life and all its fucked-up and wonderful complexities... seriously, absolutely bloody everything makes me cry!

3. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?

yes, two of 'em; a brilliant, beautiful, super-talented, immensely kind and outrageously hilarious 24 year old and a brilliant, beautiful, super-talented, immensely kind and outrageously hilarious 15 year old :) they're incredibly different individuals who bicker like siblings absolutely should and love each other a lot. i love them both so much it makes me cry when i think about it (surprise surprise).

4. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?

oh, no, never. (probs too much at times—although i don't always understand when others are using it with me #neurodiversesquad).

5. WHAT SPORTS DO YOU PLAY/HAVE YOU PLAYED?

used to do what the american folks call 'run track', back in the day before chronic illnesses became the villain in my story.

6. WHAT'S THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT SOMEONE?

whether they, you know, get it (or not).

7. EYE COLOUR?

erm, a bit of an odd sort of dark grey/blue with lots of dark green swirls and splodges

8. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?

oh definitely scary movies, horror my beloved <3 i think i'm finally (bc it's been on my list for so long omg) gonna get around to watching RELIC tonight! *scratching at the door noises*

9. ANY SPECIAL TALENTS?

forgetting absolutely fucking anything and everything all the fucking time. ALWAYS knowing the first letter of the word i can't think of. having a bit of a photographic memory. being able to play the william tell overture by flicking my fingernails against my front teeth. making really good pancakes. good at accents. pretty good at drawing faces. playing music by ear. great at making inconsequential lists lol

10. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?

blackpool, a seaside town in the north-west of england, UK. imo it's a veritable shithole these days, only good for trashy arcades and getting stabbed... but i do miss the ocean now i don't live there.

11. WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES?

making art, making words, making mixtapes, making trouble, making time for reading, making music, making a mess.

12. DO YOU HAVE PETS?

yes—i couldn't imagine not having critters in the house! i have 4 precious arseholes cats: little jimmy novak and moriarty, who are both house-loving cats—like, they do go out, but are indoors wanting cuddles more often than not. whereas the other two, grace jones ii and goku, are practically feral and only really come home for dinner and if it's raining hard (and the occasional i-will-allow-you-to-stroke-me-and-let-you-have-the-honour-of-me-sitting-on-your-knee-i-suppose).

13. HOW TALL ARE YOU?

5'2". short king.

14. FAVOURITE SUBJECT IN SCHOOL?

loved art and english in high-school, and also enjoyed drama and history. i studied art at college and fashion at uni (which was a mistake, that world was very much not for me pfft).

15. DREAM JOB?

i honestly don't dream of jobs. but if i did? i suppose a portrait artist or published poet who was paid enough to actually live on, aha.

.

tagging, play or nay: @shealynn88 @sharkfish @novemberhush @greyhavenisback @poebin @jmeelee @raisesomehale @rajalagang @ohhalefire @halinski @kikiroo @lovebillyhargrove @harrgrove @slytherkins @witchsickness @ltleflrt @wellwaterhysteria @deklo @chasingcastiel @racheld93 @gabedemon absolutely anybody else who wants to do the thing!

[skypiea]

(I'm with you with regards to the "quite easily I like it" OP post btw! Just wanna make that clear ^^;;) I almost wonder if the gripes are like, in part people who see how the women are drawn and base All Their Opinions of the series on that. That or they got mad at the clown thing Tumblr did and just decided to hate the series for it. Or they're just a little hater, honestly anything can apply. I'm not a fan of OP, haven't seen a second of it to make a decision, but like. 5 or 6 (including you- im not just a random, im just really shy LOL) of my friends are, and the one thing keeping me off from watching it is the fact that it's one of the longest animes still going- And I almost wonder if that also has a part to play in the "lol how can u watch one piece" thing people have going on. Also, have you seen the bananawanis yet?? I don't go here but I love them.

Thanks for the message! I hope you don't mind a bit of rambling (all that I'm capable of, always).

The thing is, I think there are plenty of things to criticize about one piece. I’ve seen and had many thoughtful discussions about elements of the work that can easily be considered harmful stereotypes, as well as some well-intentioned ideas that I think were executed in a subpar and clumsy manner. Some of these are directly a result of the author being only 1 guy with 1 lived experience, some are the result of broader issues in the shonen genre.

And these discussions are great! Everyone is better off for having thought about these potentially damaging aspects deeper, and it’s incredibly important to be able to recognize that an author you respect and follow isn’t perfect and doesn’t need defending over every single thing. And at the same time, I fully respect anyone who has no interest in getting into the work because they don’t want to put up with any of the parts that are far from perfect.

Personally, what I can’t stand is the tone of condescension people are very quick to take… I do not fault anyone for not digging the show's visual style, it's not for everyone. But I don't really appreciate the implication that I'm like, stupid or misogynist or cumbrained just because I enjoy the work overall. Or even because I do enjoy Oda's art; I think he is a really talented artist, but elements of his stylization are not always my favorite, including both his general figures for both women and men. This is not even starting to mention the incredible talents of many of the individual animators who work on the one piece anime, who all put a lot of their own amazing flair into adapting the work.

On the topic of the latter thing, I've truly never understood the length being a barrier to the ability to enjoy the work. It's always really baffled me...? I don't know if it's like, people who are only interested in getting into OP specifically to interact with the fandom, but in my opinion there's no actual factor that makes you need to catch up to current as fast as possible. In my mind, having so much of a new thing is wonderful for me; I'll have a lot of great story to enjoy, I can take it at my own pace, enjoy watching a bit at a time for a long time. I guess everyone just wants to be done with something as fast as possible these days... Pretty sad... Make it last and enjoy it lots :-)

I've gone on for long enough, but basically, I couldn't care less if anyone doesn't enjoy the same thing that I enjoy a lot--that's life! I simply can't stand being treated like some sort of idiot for liking it, and I'm done basically agreeing with those kinds of people by giving them any ground. None of this is a super serious problem of course, just a pet peeve... but what is a blog for if not talking at length about my silly little pet peeves ;-)

Of course I adore the Bananawani, as well as all the other fun and silly animals of the one piece world. I hope we'll see them again one day, it's been so long... Here's one of my favorite one piece species for you, the Lapin. Love these guys.

To finish off, I'm just going to include one of my favorite recent pieces of one piece's animation. Hope everyone's havin a lovely day ^_^

[loemius]

Hiii this is @arkefthos :> one day tumblr will allow us to send asks from sideblogs lmao 🙏 anyway!! I would like to know, in a totally ideal world where you had all resources needed, what would your ideal perfect altar/s look like? Maybe even a whole devotional space? It's a favourite daydream of mine + would love to hear your thoughts :>

hi hi!! thank you for the ask, such a great question!! love your blog <333 honestly if i had unlimited money and resources, i would have an entire devotional space. my entire house would be altars (lmao as if it isn't already). i would want statues of all of the theoi, including some of my favorite heroes like herakles and maybe even odysseus (do they even make odysseus statues). i would have tapestries and paintings on the wall, not just of the theoi but of some of my other beloved figures from other pantheons. i'd have a very, VERY nice shiva statue, a white one, and perhaps a statue of maa durga to pair with him. i'd also probably have some stuff for the vanir too. i'd definitely want one working altar with some of my most personal and sentimental items where i burn incense and make libations. i'm not sure if i'd want one big altar for all the theoi in general or to break them up into individual spaces (or shared altars between two-three theoi where it makes sense and is okay with the theoi, like zeus and hera for instance might share an altar space). apollon and aphrodite would probably get their own spaces, simply because i have the most kharis with them and already have a lot of altar stuff for them that's specific TO them that i wouldn't feel comfortable putting in a shared altar to all the theoi. everything else on the altar, though, i'm a big believer in accumulating stuff over time, little bits and bobbles you pick up here and there as offerings until it slowly adds up and you suddenly have more stuff than you know what to do with. i've realized i don't tend to get a lot of votive offerings for theoi i dont have a specific altar space for, simply because i have nowhere to put it all, so i think having to the space to actually put those things would be really nice. i think the key here is the idea of like.. slowly accumulating things and building that kharis over time. i wouldn't want to just buy a bunch of votives all at once. then it feels more like a decoration project to me instead of a space that's been cultivated through my worship. i like the gradualness of it and seeing my collection of altar pieces grow over time. i also really like to make things by hand, so tbh i would probably buy a huge bag of stoneware clay and glazes and make pottery. i'd want a bunch of vases in the red-line style (something i dream of making someday should i get access to a ceramic studio again). and of course, a vessel for libations to both be poured from and poured into in the same style. tldr: i'd buy a shit ton of statues and wall art like tapestries and paintings and save the rest for buying votives when i see something that really speaks to me. i'd also stock up on nice incense (big fan of the morning star brand) and things to make more votives and devotional projects with. thank you again for your very thoughtful and sweet ask! i hope you have a lovely day and eat a kickass meal <3 gods bless you!

[babyangelsky]

Now that Anti Reset and Perfect Propose have soothed my salty little soul and I've had some time to sit with the finale I just wanted to get some thoughts out.

I'm...unsatisfied, to say the very least. I know we got that "to be continued" which hopefully means we get another season or a special or a movie or something to tie up all these loose ends because I need them tied. Cliffhangers by nature are meant to leave at least a couple of loose ends untied but Den. Bro.

Even if what we saw was a season finale and not a series finale, that doesn't really help because even season finales give a little bit of closure. Here there was no closure. None. Anywhere. That finale didn't leave me with the anticipatory kind of frustration that season finales have been leaving me with my whole life, where I'm excited to see what happens next. It left me with the frustration of needing answers but not knowing whether I'm actually going to get them.

One, because there's no guarantee we'll actually get a continuation. How many series have we seen announced that just never get made? (Wish Me Luck and Love Puzzle, I'm still waiting for you) And two, because Den has lost my trust as a writer.

I've been writing for eleven years. Not in any sort of professional capacity, just as a hobby, but even so I feel qualified to say that we tell on ourselves a little bit through our writing. Through any creative medium really. Part of the artist always goes into their art, they're reflected in their art.

I remember @heretherebedork saying in a post that Den's hangups about kink, virginity, and sex within and without the context of a committed relationship were coming through in his writing choices, and they did. Especially when you compare Playboyy to Only Friends which you can't help but do because there's so much overlap. Echoes of Only Friends were always present from the very beginning.

Den said himself that what he didn't get to say in Only Friends he said in Playboyy, and to an extent I do think that's true. I do think he touched on a lot of things he wanted to touch on, but that's just it. He merely touched on them. Commentary about sex and sex work was there in Playboyy and when it was done well, it was done really well.

When it wasn't, it stayed very surface level at best and at worst, it hindered not only the development of the characters and their relationships but also the plot.

I enjoyed Playboyy. All I ask of the media I consume is that it entertain me and I try not to look at it through the lens of a writer. If a piece of media I consume entertains me, it has done its job. Playboyy did its job but I am so dissatisfied with that finale and that dissatisfaction is deeply rooted in my lens as a writer.

I can't just see it as a piece of queer media about sex. I can't help but see all the things I would've changed or done differently or excluded all together. Stories about sex have the right to exist. Stories that talk about and include sex have the right to exist.

But if you set out to write a holistic story about sex that runs the gamut of experiences on both an individual and societal level, which is what Den intended, how then can you demonize the aspects of sex that don't conform to your worldview while idealizing the ones that do?

That I think is my biggest beef with Playboyy and with Den's writing. If I can't trust you to do what you said you were going to, how can I trust you to tie up the entire tassel of loose ends you left in your plot?

Who knows if that all made sense but I just needed to get it out of my system so I can rest. I hope we get some sort of continuation for this story because I have so many goddamn questions but I'm honestly wary of hoping for it.

[spookyheaad]

Bits and pieces of stuff

Lots of sketches on this one, and more traditional art!

@girlwiththepapatattoo @p-riama @goldenshowman

KenUno first because they’ve taken shelter in my brain for the winter.

This was a couple minute sketch for fun; wanted to give them both hats but once more I was about to run out the door for work when I did this.

Update on this sketchdump page!! Did some inking and started colors :))

Love doing soft and tender poses with them. I’m realizing that my brain is defaulting to Modern/Actor AU for sketches like these; because I purposefully made them out of character to fit within our society as individual human beings. But I honestly like diverting from their canon selves; I love writing/drawing them as people like you & I.

Ugh ok sorry for the shit lighting, I did this just before I was about to pack my art stuff up to sleep. But I found an excellent replacement for posca pens; Arrtx Acrylic markers. You don’t need to prime them & they don’t mess up the paper if you go over areas multiple times. I’m still playing around with them but I whipped up something real quick.

And once more the Demo remaster that Have a Nice Life just released has me listening to Trespassers W on repeat, that’s where said lyrics in the red come from (the demo version sounds a bit better than the official version on Sea of Worry imo)

A little closer (I have to put a second coating on the purple in the Kenny headshot)

An old Tesoro sketch that I love so much ☺️ did it in ballpoint pen after not sketching in pen in a while.

Small Tesoro sketchdump. I will always adore playing with his hairstyle & his facial expressions.

Monster of the New World, Gild Tesoro

And my most recent piece! Very proud of it; was messing with blend modes in procreate, really wanted to challenge myself here, and I think it came out stunning!

Timelapse of the above piece:

[melodygatesauthor]

okay, curious question since it’s probably my system-ness talking rn

What are your thoughts about the whole ‘Marc and Steven are judged together vs separately with their souls (or what you count that as)’? As a system I’m kinda mixed feels on that, but I wanted to see someone else’s thoughts?? (this is definitely not inspired by @guruan ‘s art of all the boys in the Field of Reeds)

This question is tough for me to answer without getting into the concept of religion and theorizing the "afterlife" question. So I'll answer this with my thoughts under the cut for anyone who doesn't want to get into that...

I'll preface all of this by saying, I'm personally not religious, but I also am open and accepting of all religions. (Except you Scientology).

I'm what I'd consider agnostic I think? So I believe in a higher power but I don't know what I believe necessarily. That being said, it's hard to define what a "soul" is.

Like if you ask me, I think my dog has a soul, but if you ask certain religions, animals don't have souls. So what separates humans from dogs and gives us a soul versus them? Our conscience? Consciousness? Self-awareness?

It's all a bit philosophical when you break it down to its core.

So if you ask me, I would say that every alter within a system has a soul. That being said, it's kinda hard to determine how I feel about the field of reeds situation.

As someone working in the mental health field I'll add that we all know logically that DID can happen for a variety of reasons but most commonly is due to trauma. Steven and Jake are both, from what we see and understand, a result of Marc's trauma, and by "letting them (namely steven in the show) go", he's letting go of his pain and the trauma he faced and finally having peace.

I think Marc's realization that Steven isn't just a piece of his troubled past, but instead his own entity that Marc needs in order to truly be at peace, that's what would give Steven a soul? Like Steven is as much a person as Marc is, and Marc's love for him sort of "gives" him a soul, if that makes sense.

So maybe what I'm saying is, I think if you are loved, or were loved, that's what gives you a soul. And if you give love, that means you can have a soul too.

I'm tired and just finished working 63+ hours in the last 5 days so I hope that this makes sense. Long story long, I think all the boys have their own individual souls, and that @guruan's art is completely possible for our boys.

But also, since we can't really define a soul, I don't honestly know. I just think that when Marc says "you're an individual whom I care about" that's when Steven's soul can be realized as separate from Marc's instead of just a piece of Marc's.

(and again this is all just speculation and my own personal opinion. I don't really have any hard evidence for any of this)

[mareenavee]

In the spirit of continuing the ask exchange, I've got one. Is there a quest in TES (Skyrim or otherwise) that stuck with you -- excluding the main game arc? Some side quest or storyline or codice that somehow wormed its way into your brain, pitched a tent, and made itself home? If so, what is it, and why?

HELLO again, again -- and probably again lol (: This is a phenomenal question and I have literally spent most of my day waffling about which quest I wanted to talk about. I'm going to stick to Skyrim just for simplicity's sake! But I could answer this question easily twice. Maybe three times. And perhaps I will. :D We'll chat. LOL

I'm going to do one that has stuck with me for a long time for a positive reason. I'd love to talk about a negative one, too... but I am spoiled for choice on both accounts. So I've narrowed it to my favorite faction for now because otherwise I'll need to write a second novel to post in response LOL (which is how you know it's a fantastic ask!!!)

The faction I have the biggest soft spot for -- I've said as much -- is the Thieves Guild! I love the sort of outcast camaraderie they have, down to stupid dialogue between individuals and proper reactions to said stupidity. It feels siblingish. The mystery with Rune. Adding in shady merchants as the rebuild begins. Sapphire, Glover and Delvin all being literally family and only part of the party knowing it. Fences out in the world. The whole tie to Nocturnal. Getting to defeat an absolute bastard who tries to kill you anyway -- but first you get to come back to dunk on him before killing him -- priceless. And we regain a good reputation all through the province, which kinda feels cool as hell. The eyes of the Falmer statue in general is just. Chef's kiss. I wish there was more lore. Always about the dwemer/falmer thing, but specifically that gorgeous statue just gets me every t i m e. Ancient art in general, really lol

HONESTLY. The whole thing makes me wish for more lore. But not in a "aw man this is in bits and unfinished pieces" way, except maybe my gripe with Bryn being too busy to talk to us forevermore after the end of the quest. While I don't think LDB needs to be guild leader at all, I still enjoy how much of a tie to the world the thieves' guild has. How the fact that it is a foothold in so many Holds afterward (even if we do need to help it along) is good world building. It is also the first faction quest I completed in my very first playthrough of Skyrim. That and I do have bits and pieces of my version of events which I mentioned to you for my fic universe. I could just be staring at it with big rose colored glasses on, maybe. They are, after all, criminals.

[3ofpents]

100 Palette Challenge // Palette #10 // Lady Dahlia

I know I'm late again this week. I'm in the midst of a lot of school stuff. I've mentioned, I think, but I've gone back to school to get a graphic design certification. I started last Fall and it was my hope to be done by this summer because the certification programs are designed for adults with careers who want to expand their skill sets and so are pared down to only the classes that are directly relevant to the subject matter. In my case that's only 9 classes, so 3 per semester. But unfortunately I had to withdraw in the Spring because of some health issues. So now I'm trying to pick up where I left off after the school went and changed a bunch of their online systems. So now I get to try and recover my old accounts on their new system and deal with class requirements that don't exist for my program, but apparently exist now for individual classes that are required.

And on top of that we're prepping our toddler to go to daycare, which comes with A LOT of paperwork and supplies lists and doctor signatures and also EMOTIONS.

Anyway.

Today's palette comes from a poster that appears to have been an activist piece of art. I've tried not to go into too much detail here about the posters since the bulk of this book is the palettes and the pieces they were picked from. I'm already posting every single palette in the book, so I'd rather not include the posters also. But I just love this one so much, I have to at least share the information so you can look it up yourselves. It's called "Dig" by Sadie Wendell Mitchell, it's part of a series she did called "Girls Will Be Girls". It depicts a young woman perched on a chair engrossed in a book, and also surrounded by stacks of books. Only a few of the books have visible titles, "The Study of Bugology", "The Psychology of the Male Human", and "Economy" (the one she's reading). And on the wall you can see part of a poster that says "DO IT NOW".

It feels like a very pointed protestation as a poster designed in 1909.

I struggled with this palette a lot. It's not only very similar to a lot of the previous palettes, the values are just so similar, particular with the green and teal. It works fine in the original poster because Mitchell used a heavy black outline, but the author of the book chose not to include that in the palette.

I actually started a completely different piece that going to be a face study, but I just didn't like the way the colors were playing together. So I ended up scrapping it.

So I pulled back a bit. Our dahlias have started blooming and the first ones to pop were these gorgeous red and yellow blooms, and I've wanted to draw a fairy for one of these for several palettes so far, so I did it.

The dahlias were SO much easier and more fun to draw than the peony was. They're so geometric, I really just enjoyed layering the petals and the colors.

I attempted to give the fairy some petal clothes, but it just wasn't doing what I wanted it to do. And I think the form is distinct enough to make her out. I do really like the effect of the teal on the green; the heavy similarities of them both make the fairy and flowers pop more. I do wish I'd filled in some more greenery in the background, but honestly I'd spent so much time on this palette already I didn't have it in me.

I'm really pleased with the final result, though, and I doubt this will be the last fairy piece in this series.

I want to shout out Fat Photo Ref again. I used them for the pose and the hair for the fairy and I remain exceptionally pleased with the range of references available and the easy navigation.