#i didn't keep working on these because i was unsure about the slightly different style

[sunny-marl]

Mowdown headcanons!!!! as requested :•3 ( @shakusame )

(using she/her for the girlie.)

please do not. mind. that a portion of these hcs are basically me projecting some of my life experiences onto her. :autism eyes:

hope you like them tehehehe

starts with • <- "main" headcanon, not really linked to other with •

starts with "-" or "--" <- "sub" headcanons of main headcanon

• i really see her living with a single parent(unsure about mother Or father. might end up making them NB and that's it) for some reason?

- she isn't sad about it though, she knows it's for the best, and since it's been that way since she was like a baby it doesn't affect her that much

-- she also has a baby (half-)brother 🥰 he's a little menace, and tries to get away with punishment doing cute faces (it does work with everybody But Mowdown and their parent)

• she wants to change her birthname, to one that isn't similar to Philip.(Maybe. Amelia.) she still calls herself her birthname because. well, it's not really an open thing about her being A Girl, and she gets afraid of saying any feminine name and that end up in the ears of her parent.

- she knows there's possiblity of her parent accepting her, but she's also Too Scared of the possibility that they Won't.

• while she does get some dysphoria from times to times, she is pretty okay with her looks as of now. she doesn't really feel the necessity of changing stuff like her style to be more fem looking, but that doesn't mean she doesn't want to try a thing or too.

-- she finds makeup really interesting, and tried to use nail polish on her claws once(it didn't really work and she just gave up on applying it 😔)

• she goes to the gym regularly! and whenever she's in a real bad mood she tends to spend much more time doing exercises to get the energy out.

- she doesn't like skipping leg day☝️

-- she also know how to play drums!! 😁

• Mowdown LOVES horror films!! she really gets into the story and it doesn't really affect her (in contrast of most of the detention gang 💀)

- she specially likes the criminal "trope" of cannibals. she just finds it really interesting how they're get different mentalities but there's also many points in common with one another.

• her favorite aes ever is Gurokawa!!! She also likes Yami Kawaii and a bit of Dokukawa 💖 she has many posters in her bedroom with those elements, and in some of her clothes too :autism eyes:

- she has a collection of tiny plushies!! some she customizes to look a little creepy(-ier).

-- for her gifts with some sort of meaning really outstands any price or size... if you give her a slightly cracked heart-shaped rock because it made you think of her shirt, she'll be Extremely Happy. even if many times she tries to hide her excitement.

• she LOVES hugs. Big Bear Hugger. and she also really likes to squeeze who she's hugging(it just feels more right!). many decline her hugs because of it though, since she may squeeze too tight sometimes 🥺

• she has a plain body pillow she sleeps with. it's pretty old, and she doesn't really like sleeping without it.

- she used to sleep in the same bed as her parent as a little kid, and she liked to cuddle them sometimes (fr i'd love if people really normalized cuddling with family/friends... it's not that deep)

• she has no idea of how to label herself in terms of Liking People, and she didn't have that many crushes overall.

- But. she did have a "small" crush on Scythe once... before her Romantic Feelings faded, it was around when Scythe and Rotten started to "have a thing"(and later date). she tried to play it cool and keep a straight face whenever they were around, but she soaked her pillow with tears because of it at least Once 💔.

i THINK that's most of them!! :•) hope it's understandable.

[minuutti]

like mother like son?

these are old sketches that i never finished for some reason but am now wondering if i should

[bluerosewritings]

Bitter(&)Sweet | Vil x Reader x Malleus

[Originally from “The Heart Mirror” on Wattpad]

—

Vil Shoenheit was at a loss. While he would usually see his Magicam page as something to be proud of, his latest posts had seemed... off, to him, like something was missing. Not that there was anything wrong with him, obviously - he would never share anything of himself that was less than perfection. However, he still couldn't look at the posts and be fully satisfied with what he saw.

Perhaps it was the lighting? No, that seemed fine. The background? That would make more sense. He mainly posted photos of himself in his dorm room, so perhaps a change of scenery would make this feeling of discontent go away.

That was how he found himself wandering around the school grounds. Nothing around the Pomefiore dorm seemed to stand out to him; nor did the botanical gardens or anything on the school field. Vil considered going to Heartslabyul to see if he could take photos in the Rose Maze before deciding against it - quite a lot of Cater's photos were taken there and he didn't want to be accused of stealing ideas. Still, he was determined to find... whatever it was he was looking for.

Vil's answer came not long after. Turning a corner, a voice reached his ears. If he was correct, the Light Music clubroom wasn't too far from where he was. Perhaps they were practicing late? It wouldn't surprise him if they were, but the voice was so different from the usual screamo Lilia sang... the voice was so soothing...

Walking down the corridor, Vil followed the sound of the voice in almost a dream-like state. The voice had made something click in his head - his sense of unease was lifting. So his answer was in the Light Music club?

His hand reached out to the door only to have it swing inward. Vil looked up and saw the form of Diasomnia's dorm head, Malleus Draconia, looking down on him.

Vil furrowed his brow in confusion (or at least he would have, if it didn't risk giving him premature wrinkles). Malleus was the one who was singing? But, even if Vil did rarely hear Malleus talk, he was sure that the voice was different to the one that had beaconed him...

He didn't have to wait long for an answer. "Tsunotaro? What's wrong?"

The large frame of the dark fae shifted sideways, almost like a doorway. Vil couldn't quite describe what he felt when he saw you - your looks were not what Pomefiore boasted, yet there was something enticing about you that made Vil unable to look away. As you moved off the clubroom's stage, he couldn't help but move forward, for once unaffected by the dark fae's presence.

"Ah - you're... Pomefiore's dorm leader, Vil, right? Sorry, did we- woah!"

Your feet caught around some misplaced wires left on the steps, causing you to fly forward. Before Vil could make a move to catch you, Malleus was already by your side, straightening you up.

"Are you alright, (y/n)?" Malleus asked, moving his hands off your sides.

You nodded, slight frazzled. "Yeah, I'm fine. Oh, wait, my shoe..."

"This one?"

You turned around to see Vil holding your shoe. "Ah, thank you!"

Vil pulled the shoe back when you reached out for it. As confusion flickered on your face, he knelt down. "Allow me."

Delicately, he pulled your foot towards him and slotted in back into its shoe. A light blush grew on your cheeks from the interaction. Vil rose up and met your eyes.

"You should be more careful," he chastised, shaking his head, "it would be a waste to see you hurt, Cendrillion."

"C-Cendrillion?" You stammered, caught off guard. "M-My name's (y/n)..."

"Hmm... I suppose that name does suit you." Vil said. "However, Cendrillion does as well. Or perhaps you'd prefer to be called a songbird?"

"Songbird...?"

"Yes," the growing blush on your cheeks pleased Vil, "that voice of yours is quite beautiful. Perhaps you could allow me to listen to it once again?"

In one quick moment, Vil caught your hand and placed a light kiss on top of it. Raising his eyes, he watched your eyes dart to Malleus, whose face was expressionless. The lack of reaction from the other dorm leader seemed to cause a look of sadness to grow in your eyes; though Vil didn't let his thoughts dwell on it as you returned you gaze to him.

"I'd be happy to." You told him with a smile.

Vil smiled in return, straightening up. "Excellent. I'll escort you back to your dorm?"

You nodded, moving closer to his side. The two of you went for the door, though just before you left the room you turned and smiled at Malleus, who had continued to watch you two without any noise or shift in expression.

"Good night, Tsunotaro."

His reply was a mute nod.

Vil closed the door.

—

Your life seemed to change almost instantly after meeting Vil. It seemed he wasn't content to just keep your singing to himself - no, he said, it would be wrong of him to deprive the world of your talent. After helping you put on a small performance to the other residents of Pomefiore, they were all eager to help the dorm leader promote you online.

First, the residents who were most adapt in page design helped to create a Magicam account, typing out the most algorithm-friendly description to do with your new "brand" and giving you a list of the best tags. Next, the residents who were best at design and filming helped to record you and your voice with the most pleasing visuals possible. Once that was done, Vil began promotion work on your page.

There were other people who helped promote your work such as other popular members of Pomefiore and Vil's influence friends, but none were more prominent than Vil himself. Not only did he enlist the help of Prof. Crewel to make you an outfit that you swore made you shine every time you looked in the mirror, he insisted of doing your make-up and hair himself (in a style that was not too different to his own, the other residents noticed). Even after he promoted your page with a picture of the two of you together in your "recording studio" - a spare Pomefiore room Vil had had cleaned out that had basically become a second home to you - the occasional photo of the two of you hanging out appeared on his page, keeping you fresh in his fan's minds.

You were showing up so much, in fact, that it didn't take his fans long to start spamming questions about if the two of you were dating. At first you were surprised, but it didn't take long for your mind to change. Nowadays it seemed the two of you were inseparable, Vil standing so close to you that your hands brushed together. The feeling of his hands against you, whether it was to doll you up or just in a friendly gesture, had become so natural to you that going a day without it left you with a sense of forgetting something.

Life really had changed for you. Not necessarily in a bad way! You appreciated Vil and everything he was doing for you, and he treated you well (even if you weren't officially a "thing"). It was just...

You flipped through your phone gallery, past all the selfies of you and Vil. Stopping, your stared at the one picture you'd grown accustomed to staring at. A candid photo of Malleus, his head turned slightly towards you, mouth opened as he talked about something a certain overprotective dorm mate of his did. A nearby tree had cast and shadow on his face, making his eyes seem to have an ethereal glow to them.

A feeling of sadness always came when you thought of the fae. When you'd first met Vil and heard his request to hear you sing, you'd turned to Malleus in the hopes he would say something. Something that would make you know your feelings weren't one-sided.

But he'd just stood there, silent. Looking down at Vil with a twinge of shock and annoyance in his eyes, but still silent. So you said yes.

Before Vil, Malleus had been the only one you'd sung for. A couple of your friends knew of your hobby, of course, but Malleus had been the only one who you'd let hear your voice frequently. The small smile and words of praise as he clapped you made you feel like you were on cloud nine. Made you forget about all the other times he'd failed to pick up on your feelings for him.

You barely saw him anymore. More and more of your nights had been spent in your room at Pomefiore, cutting away almost all of your nightly walk-and-talks with Malleus which themselves were becoming awkward. There were times you wanted to ignore Vil's messages and go leaping into Malleus' arms and apologise for leaving him alone so often; but then Vil's open care and affection for you would ring in your head and you couldn't bring yourself to do it.

What would Malleus do, if you cut off Vil? Would things go back to how they were, him with his odd talks of gargoyles and parties, you listening and singing for him, waiting for the day he told you he reciprocated your feelings? Would things progress that way if you did?

What would Vil do, if you told him the words you knew he wanted to hear? Say you loved him back and took the next step with him, even if it felt like a lie? Would you be able to forget Malleus and let Vil into your heart instead?

Thoughts swirling in your head, you turned off your phone and lay in darkness.

—

"What seems to be the problem, Malleus?" Lilia asked, coming down from the ceiling. "You seem upset."

"I'm fine." Malleus replied with a small frown.

The older fae raised an eyebrow. "So you're not upset at the new relationship between (y/n) and Vil Shoenheit?"

"Relationship...?" Malleus turned his head, eyes wide.

Lilia smiled reassuringly(?). "Just the new friendship between the two. I must say, they hit it off rather well, as the youngsters say."

Malleus turned his face away. Yes, the two of you had gotten along great. That was precisely the problem.

When Vil had first pushed himself into one of his nightly serenades from you, he had been to shocked and unsure of himself to say anything. Malleus could hardly watch as the other dorm head had wooed you, whisking you away from him. He'd watched in despair as the two of you left him alone in the clubroom because... because...

Because he had feelings for you. There. He admitted it, even though he was pretty sure you didn't feel the same way. Most people shuddered at the very mention of his names - yet you didn't, even if it was initially out of naiveté. The fact you considered him a good friend was a miracle in itself. He's contented himself with letting it stay that way, not wanting to risk losing your smile.

So why wasn't he happy for you? There you were, living in a blissful paradise with a Prince Charming who'd all but literally swept you off your feet. He should be happy that you found someone who could make you smile. Yet he couldn't. All because he wanted that smile for himself.

Lilia watched as the conflict grew on the younger fae's face and sighed.

"Malleus, you know it would just be easier if you told (y/n)." Lilia chuckled.

"But..."

"Would you rather wait for (y/n) to tell you they were officially with Vil?" He continued. "Even if the answer is a no, at least you'll know what your relationship really is. (y/n) means something to you, Malleus, and I can promise you you don't want to waste your life on what ifs."

Malleus gritted his teeth and crossed his arms. But "what if" he just made things worse between you two? "What if" you felt pressured into saying yes to him and no to Vil? "What if"... what if your smiles did mean something more?

"(y/n) should be at Pomefiore!" Lilia shouted to Malleus as he practically ran out of the room.

—

You and Vil sat opposite each other, tea cups and printed photos on the table between you.

"We could do a variety for autographs," Vil explained, tapping the two you both liked the most. "Then your fans would be more likely to-"

"M-Malleus Draconia!?"

You turned your head up and saw Malleus striding into the room. His face was determined; it was one of the rare times that you'd seen anything so evident on his face, maybe the most ever.

Worried, you practically jumped off the sofa and went to his side. "Tsunotaro? What's wrong?"

He grabbed both your hands and held them in his. "(y/n). I like you."

"...eh?" The bluntness of the statement caught you off guard. "Wait... like? As in...?"

"No, wait. Not like. I love you. That's how I feel."

A bright red blush begun to spread across your cheeks. You tried to open your mouth to say something, but your mind couldn't think of anything. You closed your mouth and he took it as a sign to continue.

"(y/n), I've loved you for a while now. I know you may not feel the same way and I don't blame you. I just wanted to tell you because I... I needed to." Malleus gripped your hands tighter.

The suddenness of the situation had made you forget you were in Pomefiore, with all the astounded residents watching on. Finally able to think of a reply, you opened your mouth again to tell Malleus, but a hand on your shoulder stopped you.

"I'd hoped to wait a little longer before saying this," Vil said, "but I'd rather not risk losing because of that."

Vil softly grabbed your chin and turned your face to look at him.

"(y/n), ever since your voice led me to you, you have captured all my thoughts. Just spending time with you as friends is no longer enough; I wish to be more. (y/n), I love you. Do you feel the same?"

You looked between the two boys, face red from the abruptness. It was only a few days ago you were thinking of the two of them - now this? Not just one, but two confessions in under a minute. Your heart couldn't keep up.

Taking one last look between Malleus and Vil (and a deep breath), the answer came clear in your mind.

"I..."

[katedrakeohd]

#Wacky Drabbles No. 11

Happy Birthday Drake

Prompt: " Did you have fun? "

Rated: (M 18+)

Pairing: Damien Nazario × Drake Walker

Tagging wacky drabblers:

@emceesynonymroll @jovialyouthmusic @sirbeepsalot @dcbbw @speedyoperarascalparty @bbrandy2002 @jessiembruno @brightpinkpeppercorn @mfackenthal @qween-corgis @gardeningourmet @pedudley

Word count: no idea, cuz I wrote it here.

____________

Drake woke up tangled in hotel sheets. Stretching out his limbs lazily with a sigh, the throbbing in his head reminded him of last night's drinking binge.

Rolling over toward his bed partner, he hugs the pillow against his stubbled cheek and gazes into a face with a pair of chocolatey brown eyes and a sleepy smile.

"Good morning Mr. Nazario." He drawls with a smirk.

Damien leans over placing his warm hand on Drake's rough cheek, bringing him in for a soft kiss. "Good morning to you too hot stuff."

Drake kicks off what's left of the sheet, sliding his foot over to nudge against Damien's shin. "Hot stuff huh?"

Tilting his head back to take in Drake's naked profile in the morning light, Damien swallows as his breath catches in his throat. Memories of the drunken night before come back to him in hot passionate flashes of skin on skin.

----

It had been Drake's Birthday, and they'd been at a bar. They were just two anonymous guys at first, nursing tumblers of whiskey and watching the room as they sat on barstools. As the evening wore on and sweaty drunken people wandered over from the dance floor to order mixed drinks full of more ice than alcohol, he and Drake had outlasted them all.

Drake was on his third double whiskey and feeling fairly buzzed and relaxed when he noticed the man at the other end of the bar watching him. Lifting his glass in greeting, he's met with a slight nod and a grin from the other guy.

Damien had been casually watching the tall handsome devil all evening. He'd seen busty drunk girls sidle up to him and flirt but get brushed off with a shake of his head or a sullen frown. He had found it odd that someone so desirable could be so unwilling to accept a date. When the younger man had finally lifted his glass and made eye contact, he'd felt a sizzle of attraction and couldn't help but smile back. It had been a while since Damien had shared the company of a man so attractive, and he decided to take the leap and introduce himself. After downing the rest of his whiskey he fished a handful of bills out of his wallet and placed them on the bar and set his glass on top.

Walking around the corner of the bar, he notices the other guy glance at him and then look away. When he nervously rubs the back of his neck and then shifts his gaze down to the floor, it makes Damien smile. He knows I'm coming over for him.

Damien stops a few feet away, putting a barstool between them and then catches the attention of the bartender. "Excuse me barkeep, what kind of payment does the pool table over there take?"

"It takes coins," Drake interrupts, tossing back the last of his whiskey.

"Wanna play?" Damien asks, with a grin.

Drake gives the man with the dark hair and soulful eyes a quick sweep with his gaze, trying to gauge if he was flirting or just bored. With the amount of alcohol thrumming through his veins at this point his inhibitions were pretty low and he didn't care either way.

"Okay, sure. It's my lucky day and I'm feeling generous so I'll buy the first game."

Damien nods, slapping down a few bills on the bar. "Ok, if you buy the game I'll buy the beers."

Pushing away from the bar, Drake smiles. "Works for me. I'm Drake by the way."

Damien picks up the bottles of beer and then jerks his head in the direction of the table. "Damien. Lead the way."

Taking a sip from the bottle, Damien followed Drake across the room, appreciating the way his straight leg jeans hugged his ass and thighs. That sizzle of attraction buzzed through his veins again, and he took another sip of beer to cool the heat crawling through his belly. Setting the bottles on a side table, Damien peels off his leather jacket and then unbuttons and rolls up his sleeves. He felt very warm and wished he'd opted to wear a tshirt like Drake had. Taking another swallow of beer, he opens the top button on his dress shirt.

Drake shoves his hand in the front pocket of his jeans searching for coins to pay for their game. Damien's eyes are drawn down to his groin and the way he adjusts himself slightly as he digs for coins. Sweet Jesus, the way he fills out his jeans. Or maybe it's just the layers of denim and zipper giving an illusion of more? Fuck, it's indecent the shape of what he's packing.

Drake catches him looking and clears his throat, sending Damien's gaze back up to focus on his face. "So I come to this place often but haven't seen you here before."

Damien leans against the table, crossing his arms across his chest. He hesitates a moment, wondering what to tell Drake about himself. "I'm not from here, just passing through between jobs."

Drake takes in the worn quality of Damien's clothing, the scuff on his boots, trying to decipher what he did for a living. There was a slight wrinkle to his cotton shirt as if it hadn't been folded up or seen a hanger for a while. Damien's style wasn't that much different than his own. Wash and wear, throw on the floor, then wear again.

Damien startles Drake out of his idle thoughts, the whiskey was evidently starting to make his mind fuzzy around the edges.

"So you said it was your lucky day. What's so special about today?"

Drake smiles as he puts coins in the pay slot of the pool table and releases the balls for play. "Oh yeah, I said that didn't I? It's my Birthday today."

After Drake straightens back up, Damien claps him hard on the shoulder, and smiles, "Really? Hey that's great man, Happy Birthday."

Drake nods, his shoulder tingling from the slap. He'd only been touched that way by his friends. And for some reason he felt excited about how Damien's slap made his skin tingle. Sucking in a deep breath, he grabs the ball frame and arranges the pool balls on the table for play. "Uh, Okay..Damien. Go grab a couple of cues and let's play."

What was it about this guy that made me want to do things I've never done before? Maybe it's the way he keeps looking at me like I'm a snack. He's so smooth and charming, and commanding but not in a rude or condescending sort of way like I'm used to hearing from the nobility. I kind of like it.

An hour, and three beers each later, Drake was up two games to one. Was Damien really that bad a player or was he just sloppy from the alcohol?

They'd joked about random stuff, talked about women and argued about whose favorite teams were better, ranging from football, baseball to basketball and beyond.

They hadn't realized how late it was until the bar was empty, and the lights went up. The bartender thumped his hand on the bar to get their attention, "Alright guys, it's closing time. You have a tab, now settle it. Call a taxi, stagger home, or whatever, I don't care. But you can't stay here."

Drake looked at Damien's grinning face, and the glassy luster of his eyes. He looked about as drunk as Drake felt. Shrugging into his leather jacket, Damien pulls his wallet out of his pocket and hands it to Drake. "Here, pay the man I gotta go take a piss."

Drake's mouth drops open, as he watches Damien shuffle his way to bathroom at the back of the bar. Glancing over at the collection of empty beer bottles on the table, he reluctantly opens the wallet and tries not to look at anything personal. Damien has an impressive wad of cash. There was a mixture of Euros, American and Canadian. Who was this guy?

Drake grabs a bunch of Euros and hands them to the bartender, stealing a glance at his ID before closing the wallet. Damien Nazario, New York City.

There was some other sort of identification card that Drake didn't get a good look at in time before he saw Damien returning from the bathroom.

"All paid up?" Damien asks as Drake nods and hands him back his wallet.

The bartender folds his arms across his chest, giving his head a jerk in the direction of the door. Time to get the fuck out.

Drake and Damien both wave goodbye to the bartender and follow eachother out into the cool evening air. Drake gasps involuntarily, the cool air sobering him up somewhat because he hadn't worn a jacket.

Damien glances up and down the deserted street, not seeing a taxi stand or bus stop in sight. Drake's shoulders are hunched and he has his hands shoved deep in his pockets. He looked cold. Damien bites his lip, considering their options. He didn't feel like going back to his hotel alone, and he didn't want to see Drake wander off cold and alone on his Birthday either.

Pulling off his jacket he offers it to Drake. "Here you can borrow this. I dunno if we're the same size, but at least you won't be so cold."

Drake looks at Damien, feeling unsure. Offering a jacket to your companion is usually a date night sort of thing. Was Damien suddenly his date? They had just spent the evening drinking and playing pool together, but just by chance. It wasn't a date.

Damien raises his eyebrows in question, "Well? You want it or not? You can walk me back to my hotel and then hand it back."

Drake shrugs, "Yeah, what the Hell. We're just two guys walking up the street together. Nothing unusual about that right?"

"Right."

Drake slides his arms into Damien's leather jacket. It smelled of his cologne, sweat and coffee. Things that were uniquely Damien. Drake liked how it smelled. It was a little tight in the shoulders so Drake didn't zip it up. He appreciated the kind gesture, and it was full of Damien's body heat, which was oddly exciting.

"Thanks." He says, falling into step next to Damien as they head up the sidewalk.

As they walk, Damien did up the buttons of his shirt and unrolled his sleeves to keep himself from getting cold. Although they had spent the past hour together, Damien was only now realizing how much taller Drake was than him. A couple of inches for sure. And in his jacket he came off as broader and bigger as well. This only made Damien want him more. If only for one night, to make Drake's Birthday one to remember.

They don't talk as they walk together. Both entertaining their own thoughts over where this night may be heading. As they approach the front doors of the Hotel, Damien stops walking and grabs Drake by the forearm and pulls him into the dark alley. Drake is off balance as Damien pulls him close and whispers in his ear. "Happy Birthday Drake, did you have fun tonight?"

Struck speechless by the heat of his breath in his ear, all Drake can do is nod.

Damien's voice is a low rumble as he says, "The fun doesn't have to stop yet."

continued...here

[jorjathomas]

Digital and Physical mood board comparison

In this post, I have began to explore particular artists I've enjoyed and apply them to samples. When looking for inspiration of layouts for the zine, I enjoyed the monochrome aspect of these images below. My tutor told me they would be achievable with a screen printed process. I decided to try this as well as digital outcomes and compare the two and I will be using both physical and digital aspects within my work.

(Singapore’s limited-edition Rubbish FAMzine) available at https://eyeondesign.aiga.org/singapores-most-creative-family-meets-its-patriarch-in-the-latest-rubbish-famzine/

As I begin to move away from research, I found myself feeling slightly confused with my visual works identity. To solve this, I went into the print workshop to create some background samples inspired by the work above. I decided that I should create some screen print examples of particular patterned with the generated screens they had that I could work into potentially. When creating, I decided that I would also create similar samples digitally and see the difference between the two as I will be back and forth between both styles of work. Below was this process.

These are my screen printing outcomes. I hadn't doesn't this process in a while and I was unhappy with the outcome. I think I didn't apply enough pressure to the screed because the paint looked bubbly and thin against the paper. I unsure whether the paper had caused this either because I'm the paints are more suitable for fabrics. Nevertheless, despite not being as florescent as I hoped, I realised that these outcome may be suitable for my aesthetic of the zine. I needed to try to be more creative rather than being really precise with my zines. As this is heavily based of collage work and scanning in, having these base samples can always be useful to keep in case I wanted to layer on top of them or even reworked into them digitally.

I did this this digitally with the help of a new technique within photoshop. When explaining my wants of using this style of work to my tutor, with help of the inspiration above, he suggested a technique called ‘duotone’. In the next post I will explain this process better however, I was able to get the result on the right with this. This image was taken in the print workshop when I was creating the failed samples. I loved the paint consistency and colours so when I was clearing up, I took a few pictures of the paint. Then, I worked into them digitally using duotone as well as ‘threshold’ to make the two contrasting colours, green and pink. I loved this style especially from an outcome I was originally disappointed with. 

I knew I wanted a lot of content within this zine and my tutor highlighted the importance of creating breathing room for the zine in order to keep them interested in between the text. This is what sparked my interest in creating some pages with less chaos so the readers were able to focus back on my intentions of the book. The image on the left  suits this idea which is why there is only typography work present. I created this with a technique which I had learnt in the previous module. Using a standard font, I matched it with the colours on the right image and then went into liquify to build the warped effect.

These are more samples with the new technique of duotone in photoshop. 

As I discussed earlier about having breathing space, I decided to correlate some sample art which I could potentially use in the zine. I thought it would be best if I were to create some pieces which were also interactive to the readers as this was a self-help book. Many self-help book have imagery or note pages where the reader can feel inspired by their personal journey. The image above was created to be used as a poster in the readers room. I wanted this piece to be smaller than the rest and have a removable slit so the reader was able to remove and place wherever they wished. This was to maximise the engagement of my audience. This was also inspired by many children's magazines but with content which I believe would reach my audience a little better than toys. I loved this idea however I'm unsure if this outcome is suits my current theme. It looked fairly flat to me despite the collage in the center. If I were to create this again, I would render the work with more physical aspects like pen marks as the font because this poster is digitally based except for the background. The background is actually one of my screen printing examples which I made in the print workshop. Although they didn't turn out the way I wanted to, I used them to create this piece. I did this by scanning in the image, using the liquify tool to add the warped effect and finally adjusting the saturation to create the orange undertone. I loved the outcome of the background and inspired me to develop these outcomes with other physical work I didn't like.

To conclude this post, although the screen printing examples didn't work out as well as I hoped, I used them to my advantage to create a new style of work which I intend to use in my final outcome. Despite not finding the images which originally inspired me suitable for my theme anymore I will adjust the existing work and layer them to create the contrast of physical and digital work within my zine. 

[tarajones4]

Cay awoke early. Far earlier than she would have liked. In keeping with tradition, at least a little bit, she had slept on the other side of the manor from Niklas. Now she was awake and nearly vibrating with nerves. She looked across the guest room she used and smiled at the lace wedding gown displayed on her sewing mannequin. Today was the day. She and Nik were finally getting married after a year long engagement. They'd been through so much together, it felt like they had already been married an eternity. Yet that eternity wouldn't be long enough to express everything Cay felt for the man she had fallen in love with. The father of her children. Her soulmate.

A maid knocked at the door and came in when bid to do so. "My Lady, I've brought you breakfast. Some fresh fruit, toast, eggs, and a pot of your favorite tea." The young woman smiled brightly at her Lady and sat the tray down, taking a moment to prepare a cup of tea just how Cay liked it. "You look nervous as I did the day my Will asked me to marry him."

Cay smiled at the maid and took the offered cup gratefully. "Thank you, Marian. And aye, I've got butterflies just looking at my dress. But the good kind, you know? The kind you only get when you're on top of the world from joy." She kept smiling as Marian directed two other maids to start filling a large tub with warm water and sweet smelling oils. "How is Will, anyway? I know he took a job at the school teaching recently."

Marian grinned while she helped prepare the bath. "He's doing wonderfully, Lady Cay! The children adore him, and the few adults he teaches in the evenings all respect him. He was so happy to see that school built, since he'd been out of work for a time." She was bubbling over with happiness today, it seemed. She even hummed gently as she helped Cay into the water and began washing her hair. "We're... well... I was going to wait, but I can't hold it in anymore. We just found out we're expecting!" The effervescent woman giggled girlishly.

The bride to be gasped and grinned up at her maid. "That's wonderful news! Congratulations, luv! If you need anything at all, don't be afraid to ask. If the morning sickness starts to get to you, please feel free to appoint someone to attend your duties so you can take care of yourself." She sat back in the tub, letting the maids wash her long red curls, one of them using a small household charm she knew to dry the locks and start styling them while Cay washed. "I'm very happy for you, Marian. I really am.”

"Thank you, My Lady. You and Lord Niklas are far too kind to me." Once Cay had washed and rinsed, she helped towel her dry and brought over her garments to help her dress behind the screen. There was a knock at the door, and two footmen entered just as Cay had slipped behind the partition. They bowed to the other maids in the room and deposited a trunk at the foot of the bed. Marian clucked her tongue lightly while lacing the corset. "Really... coming in without leave, the rapscallions."

Cay chuckled as she helped pin her stays to her chemise so she could hide the straps under her wedding gown. "Good thing I was behind here, isn't it? Otherwise, they would have gotten an eyeful." Two layers of petticoats were pulled carefully over her head and tied in place, secured to the stays with looped closures. "Let's save the gown for just before we leave. Don't want to accidentally drop makeup on it."

"Of course, My Lady." Marian smiled and helped her into a dressing gown. "Shall we stay in here with you, Lady Cay? Or would you prefer to be left alone for a bit? We can easily take some time to fetch your coronet from the master suite and make certain it's polished."

"Hmm... aye, I think so. Just a little while to reflect before I finish getting ready." She stepped out from behind the screen and eyed the weathered trunk that had been brought in. "A bit of time to pray would be nice." Caoghlan walked over to the trunk and flipped it open, just staring at the two framed portraits that lay atop the other items.

The maids bowed and left the room, knowing their Lady likely wished to take time to mourn her parents' absence from such a special day.

The redhead sighed and picked up each picture, kissing the glass softly before setting them aside. Underneath the portraits was a reverently folded gown of perfectly preserved white fabric. She pulled it out and laid it across the bed, soft fingers tracing the embroidery on one of the sleeves. It was her mother's own wedding gown. She had considered wearing it, but couldn't bear the thought of having to alter it to fit her. With a sad smile, she turned back to the trunk, next pulling out a bouquet of preserved lilies and roses in soft pinks and whites. She gently sat it down next to the dress and reached in for the veil she knew her mother had kept in the chest. When she pulled the length of lace and chiffon out, an envelope fluttered to the ground.

Cay blinked and wiped away a stray tear as she reached down to pick up the envelope. On the back, it read: "To our darling daughter on her wedding day." She almost fell back at the shock of seeing her mother's neat writing nearly a year after her death. With trembling fingers, she broke the wax seal and sat next to the dress on the bed. The parchment inside was slightly brittle, having been sealed away a year ago according to the date in the upper corner. She pulled the two sheets out with a degree of trepidation and began to read.

The first page was done in her mother's elegant script, the same as the envelope.

"My dearest girl,

Today is the most glorious day of your life. I know that you've had a child before getting married and have experienced the joys of motherhood already, so I won't go on about how thrilling that is. Today is different. You'll be filled with so many emotions throughout the day, with many being similar to the day your daughter was born. But the others... oh the other feelings! You'll feel as though you're walking on air as your father leads you to Niklas. Like your heart is going to burst when he lifts the veil to give you away. Then you'll look at Nik and suddenly you'll be anchored back to Azeroth by his love for you. Because it's plain to anyone who sees that he loves you more than life itself. That he would do anything for you and your family.

I was unsure at first when you talked to me about the dashing and debonair man you pledged yourself to. But seeing you two together has assured me that you made the right choice, just as your father and I made our own so long ago. Light... it seems like forever has passed yet no time at all has at the same time. It was only yesterday I held you in my arms to nurse you after you were born. I was so scared that day, my angel. I thought for certain the Light would take you from us as it did your twin sister. You were so small and fragile and sickly. But you held on. Because even then, you were strong.

I look back at all the time we had as a family, and it cheers me to know that you've grown into a strong, independent woman. You've done your best to keep your values through every trial that you've had to endure. And Nik has been with you for each of them since you met. I'm starting to bawl as I write this, knowing that you'll be only hours from becoming a wife to your soulmate when you read it. It will be my greatest joy to see you and Nik be bonded in such a way, and I will treasure it always.

Love,

Your happily crying Mum"

Cay had tears streaming down her cheeks as she read the letter, gently caressing the parchment before bringing it up to clutch over her heart. The faint scent of jasmine floated up, reminding her of the perfume her mother favored. After a moment, she sat the parchment aside before it got too crumpled and looked at the second sheet. This looked like a letter from her father, his looping script giving him away.

"My sweet little rose,

Words can't begin to describe how I feel as I write this. I have had the distinct honor of watching you grow from a small and curious child into a beautiful and strong woman. I watched you work and study and face challenges nobody should have had to, let alone a child. Yet you overcame each trial that life threw at you. The day you took up the mantle of priestess was one of the proudest moments of my life. And I grew even more proud when you stood up for your beliefs and left your corrupted order to pursue the noble path of medicine.

I have stood by you in every decision, because that is what a loving father is supposed to do. Though I was admittedly very tested when you introduced Niklas to us. I couldn't help but feel that he had seduced you, thinking you naive or foolish. But those fears were quickly put to rest when I saw how much he truly cared for you. Though your relationship is far from conventional, I can't disparage it. After all, your mother and I didn't get married until you were old enough to stand in the wedding with us! I wanted to pledge myself to the both of you when you were able to understand it. Otherwise, the vows would have felt empty.

Now I'm sitting here thinking of your upcoming wedding day and trying not to cry in front of your mother. I'm a manly man, dammit! I'm kidding, of course, but I bet I made you laugh! I'm blubbering just as much as Sarah is, and I'm not afraid to admit it. Because all I can see in my mind is me walking you down the aisle, looking as radiant as your mother did, and then giving you away to the man you've given your heart and soul to. Then your mother and I will sit and hold our granddaughter and (hopefully) newborn grandsons as we watch you be sealed together in the Light.

Never forget, my beautiful child, I love you to the stars and back.

Your loving Papa"

Minutes passed. Or was it hours? Time seemed to have stilled as Cay read the words. Then she picked up her mother's letter and read them both again. Tears poured from the stormy eyes she had inherited from her mother and splashed onto her dressing gown. She sat like that for ages, until the tears dried and she was able to stand.

A knock came at the door, and her maid entered again, not speaking much as she helped Cay into her bridal gown. Hair was fixed, light makeup was applied, nails were manicured, her shining coronet placed. Then Marian gently lifted the veil and carefully placed the comb securely into her Lady's curls. With a last look in the mirror, Cay smiled. For the briefest moment, she thought she saw her parents smiling back at her as the front of the veil was brought down over her eyes. Then they were gone. It was time.

[jorjathomas]

Aesthetic Research

At the beginning of this project, I was heavily inspired by the first two artists and wanted to base my zine around them. As I've progress with research, my style plan has changed slightly which is why there is two versions of this post. This is the original aesthetic I wished to use.

Originally, I wanted to have majority of my work made digitally as this was my strong point however, as I began to research other artists, combining some of this work with physical art would help my zine feel nostalgic and personal to the reader. This zine will be playful and humorous to remind the viewer not to take things to seriously. I will also be adding personal imagery alongside these inspirational work techniques. At first, I was fairly worried as I knew I wanted to cover a lot of different subjects within and I felt as though I had to keep the overall aesthetic layout similar on every page but a tutor advised me to do as I please as the more different each page would look the more engaging it would be to read. Below are some inspiring artists who may spark some of my layout ideas.

Florence Given- Women don't owe you pretty

I had read Florence Givens book last year, ‘Women don't owe you pretty’ which actually sparked this idea and learning more about feminism in the first place. She not only wrote this book but she also created all the visual identity behind her work. I love her aesthetic which reminds me a lot of the 70s because of her common curved typography. I enjoy her colour palette also as of course there is pink within her book but she also uses orange, red and yellow to add a fiery and informal side to her art. I've previously talked about colour phycology in our group project and I love the combination of pink and red in visual art. The light pink symbolises the generic stereotypes behind a woman and is very feminine just like we are told to be. The red conveys the opposite despite being close on the colour wheel. The primary colour symbolises the fiery presence and confidence that should be the representation for women. I am most definitely will be using this combination throughout this zine as I think the red alongside doesn’t make it look as girly and soft as the light pink alone will be. When creating a zine around this matter, it is hard not use the stereotypical colours that everyone would know and is associated with a women. Although this would catch attention quicker, feminism doesn't like this attachment which is why I will be aiming to use a lot more colours along side pink to wash out this opinion. I think I will use pinks, red and oranges like Florence but also add blues, greens and purples to add as much euphoria as I can.

Natasha Ahmed- Illustrated Wardrobe

Natasha Ahmed is a social influencer and illustrator. She has recently collaborated with a clothing brand with her motivating art which is what inspired me prior to researching more artists. All of her work is drawn digitally which is was sparked my inspiration originally. As I progress, I think I will use digital illustrations to an extent with typography but I have decided to rely on my collaging ideas to provide the main aesthetic for the zine. I will add digital art over the top of existing work to add personality and a ‘diary like’ feel. For example adding pieces like Natasha's or drawing over a image. Nevertheless, I love Natasha's work as it highlights normal life. A lot of her work consists of trendy objects or pictures of her room. She has made a magazine full of illustrations of famous musicians which I was drawn to. The first image above is what inspired me the most as I like the idea of the cluttered objects placed behind a patterned background. This ignited my idea of making it more personal by adding certain objects and imagery that could make the zine look as though it has been placed on a table without any thought. What I mean by this is imagery within the page such as tea-stains, nail polish, eyelashes, jewellery etc.

Below is some artists I began to research after I knew I wanted to add some collaging techniques into my zine. I was given this book by a tutor. The book is called Cute and Paste.

Julian Pacauld- escapism

I had always liked this persons art as I had found them on Pinterest a few projects ago however, the book helped be find the artists name and look further into his work. I always love the abnormality behind collage work like this and wanted to include it into my work some way. Originally, when you look at Julian's work it feels humorous as he places certain images in particular ways that aren't common .He plays around with size and proportions which is where this personality of art comes from. His pieces remind me a lot about escapism and the functions behind a persons mind. It requires a lot of imagination and playfulness to form this which is why I love it so much. I didn't know how I could tie this sort of technique into my work however, the more I thought about my original message behind the zine, I think Julian work fits in quite well. I’d like readers to feel eased when reading the zine as a lot of my content would involve the importance of living present and not overthinking certain life situations. I will use this technique when I try to explain the small severity behind a persons problem. For example; I have recently stressed about silly problems and I have made a conscious effort to remind myself how amazing life is as a tiny human on a floating rock in space. I could portray this message with abnormal collaging imagery as this could help get my message across better than heavy amounts of confusing text.

James Dawe-  adding  new stories into existing imagery to help portray messages

I believe James has used collaging digitally as this work seems fairly flat. I am unsure yet whether it would be easier to create my collage this way or to print pictures off. Nevertheless James is another piece of art which has inspired me greatly. What I enjoy so much is the layers within the pieces. I believe he only uses one or two pieces of art but multiple copies of them so he is able to get different outcomes with different cut outs. This is a interesting technique to add a new narrative within a image. I hope to do this slightly to some of my images. I may do this with my own personal images to again add a sense of playful into my work or combine two contrasting images together to create a different aesthetic. I am excited to start this process and see what outcomes I could create with James inspiration.

Craig Atkinson- personal touches

This was the final artist which I liked from the book Cut and Paste. Although Craig's background work is fairly simplistic, what adds character is the additional pen lines and mixed media. This is exactly the aesthetic I am going for. Just like Craig, I hope to create the a narrative that makes the reader feel as though they are snooping through someone's diary yet becoming educated at the same time. Using this sort of technique will make a big impact on particular pages and help portray my fun message for a female's life. I am unsure yet how to execute this process perfectly as I've previously tried this technique with the trend lookbook however, there is a difference between physical lines and digital lines. It would be easier to do this digitally on top of pre-existing collaging work however I don't want it to look too clean and pristine and I think digital sketches give off that look.

To conclude, all of these artist have inspired my visual idea. Despite changing my original aesthetic idea, all of these artists has contributed to my new visual layout of my zine and I will make an conscious effort to keep referring to these artists pieces for inspiration when I finally begin to speak these ideas into creative existence.