#i got can't draw the same face syndrome

[motheryves]

flame princess, but i drew it in class and can't keep a single face

[ryllen]

BEEP BEEP

🚗

new son coming through

[milkneutrality]

Marble hornets not having much of a visually distinctive cast can be really frustrating, especially when ur first watching it. Then multiply that frustration 10x because of all the visual distortion/glitching. But nowadays I'm p thankful bcs wanting to make mh fanart is what pushed me to put more effort into drawing faces and making faces look distinctive from each other.

[honeybeezgobzzzzz]

𓅨 Sleepy Bitch Syndrome: Chapter Nine

Sleepy Bitch Syndrome: You've got narcolepsy and have been visiting the Dreaming daily for years. Then its Lord and King finally return and he doesn't know quite what to think of you.

Warnings: Death, Angst.

To Note: Morpheus/Dream x Narcoleptic!Reader, for you dear @aralezinspace.

Word Count: ~2.4k

Previous | Masterlist

Fiddler's Green spreads before you, an expanse of rolling hills and blooming flowers. It's a place of peace and beauty, yet all you feel is an overwhelming emptiness. The colors seem muted, the scents dulled. You find yourself perched on a low branch of an ancient oak tree, staring blankly at the horizon.

"Why did it have to end like this?" you mutter, the sound barely escaping your beak.

Fiddler's Green appears beside you, his form solidifying from the landscape itself. His presence is a comfort, though it does little to lift the heavy fog of depression that clings to you.

"Sometimes," he begins softly, "the paths we tread are not the ones we would have chosen for ourselves."

You look at him, your eyes reflecting your turmoil. "I had so much left to do. So many things I wanted to say." Your voice breaks, the words catching in your throat. To him.

He nods, understanding etched into his features. "It's never easy to accept what has happened. But you must remember that your essence remains here in the Dreaming. You still have a purpose."

"Purpose?" You scoff, flapping your wings in frustration. "What purpose could I possibly have now?"

Fiddler's Green kneels down, bringing himself to eye level with you. His gaze is steady and filled with compassion. "You were always a part of this realm, even before you became one of us. Your presence here has always been significant."

"But it's not the same," you argue, the weight of your new reality pressing down on you.

"No," he agrees softly. "It's not the same. But that doesn't mean it can't be meaningful."

You fall silent, contemplating his words. The sun dips lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the vibrant fields. The tranquility of Fiddler's Green contrasts starkly with the storm raging inside you.

"I just... I don't know how to move forward from this," you admit finally. "I was looking forward to so many things with Morpheus and now— now I'm a bird."

Fiddler's Green's gaze remains unwavering. "Moving forward doesn't mean forgetting what you've lost. It means finding a new way to exist within it."

You close your eyes, breathing in the scents of the Dreaming, trying to draw some strength from the world that once brought you so much solace. "I don't even know where to start."

"Start by allowing yourself to grieve," Fiddler's Green advises gently. "Grief is not a sign of weakness but a testament to the depth of your love and your loss."

The mention of love makes your heart ache. Morpheus' face flashes in your mind—those intense eyes, the way his presence filled every corner of the room, the rare moments of vulnerability he shared with you. You wonder how he's coping with your absence, whether he misses you as much as you miss him.

"Lucienne said I should go to him," you whisper, unsure if you even have the courage to face him now.

"She's right," Fiddler's Green responds, his voice firm but kind. "Morpheus needs to know you're still here, even if not in the form he remembers. You owe it to yourself—and to him—to find out what comes next."

You shake your head, feathers rustling with the motion. "I can't face him like this," you say, voice tinged with a mix of fear and defiance. "I refuse to show him what I've become."

Fiddler's Green sighs, a sound like wind through leaves. "It's not about what you've become, but who you still are."

You hop from the branch, taking to the air with a swift flap of wings. The sky stretches wide and blue above you, but it feels like a cage. You fly aimlessly, avoiding the paths that lead to Morpheus' palace. Each flap of your wings seems to take you further from the courage you once had.

Lucienne finds you perched on a gargoyle overlooking a vast garden. She looks up at you, eyes filled with a mix of sorrow and understanding. "He's worried about you," she says, her voice carrying the weight of her words.

"I know," you respond, barely more than a whisper. "But I can't—"

"He's not as unfeeling as he seems," Lucienne interrupts gently. "You meant more to him than perhaps even he realizes."

Your heart clenches at her words, but the fear remains. "I can't stand the thought of seeing disappointment in his eyes."

"Disappointment?" Lucienne's expression softens further. "He's more likely to feel relief that you're still here in any form."

You want to believe her, but doubt gnaws at you. "What if he sees me as a failure?"

Lucienne shakes her head slowly. "You're not a failure, and he won't see you that way."

You turn your gaze away from her, staring at the distant horizon. "I just need more time."

"Time won't change what needs to be faced," she says softly but firmly. "But I understand your need for it."

You nod, grateful for her patience even if you're not ready to accept it fully.

"Take your time," Lucienne continues. "But don't let fear keep you from what might bring both of you peace."

She leaves you then, walking back toward the library with a grace that belies the heaviness of her heart.

You remain on the gargoyle, watching her retreating figure until she disappears from sight. The silence of the Dreaming surrounds you, a stark contrast to the turmoil within.

Perched high above the garden, you let out a sigh that seems to echo in the vastness around you.

"I'm sorry," you whisper into the wind, unsure if you're speaking to Morpheus or yourself.

For now, facing him feels impossible—but deep down, part of you knows that this isn't something that can be avoided forever.

But today is not that day.

You find yourself lost in thought, perched on a branch in Fiddler's Green. The beauty around you is almost painful, a stark reminder of everything you've lost. You wonder if Morpheus feels the same, if he even misses you. The weight of your new existence presses down on you like a leaden shroud.

Meanwhile, in his palace, Morpheus stands by a window, staring out into the Dreaming with vacant eyes. His normally composed face is etched with lines of sorrow and confusion.

Lucienne watches him from a distance, her heart breaking for him. She finally steps forward, unable to bear his silent suffering any longer.

"My lord," she begins softly.

He doesn't turn to face her but acknowledges her presence with a slight nod. "What is it, Lucienne?"

"Y/N is in Fiddler's Green," she says gently but firmly. You’ve been moping and punishing yourself long enough.

Morpheus' eyes narrow slightly as he processes her words. "I cannot feel their presence," he says, a touch of confusion lacing his usually steady voice. "Not in Fiddler's Green or anywhere in the Dreaming."

Lucienne steps closer, her gaze unwavering. "They are there," she insists. "If you would go and see for yourself, I am sure that your melancholy would lessen."

He shakes his head slowly. "If they are there I do not wish for them to see me like this," he admits, his voice strained.

Lucienne places a hand on his arm, a rare gesture of comfort. "You owe it to yourself—and to them—to see for yourself," she says softly. "They need you now more than ever, just as you need them."

Morpheus closes his eyes briefly, as if summoning strength from deep within. Finally, he nods. "Very well," he murmurs. "I will go."

Lucienne watches as he steps through a portal that leads directly to Fiddler's Green, her heart heavy with hope and worry. You remain on your perch, staring into the distance when you sense a shift in the air. A presence approaches—a familiar one that sends your heart racing and feathers trembling.

Morpheus materializes in Fiddler's Green, his dark silhouette stark against the vibrant backdrop. He looks around, his gaze sweeping over the landscape until it lands on you. His eyes widen slightly as they meet yours—an unreadable expression flickering across his face. You feel a rush of emotions—fear, hope, love—all tangled together in a confusing knot. For a moment, neither of you move.

Finally, Morpheus speaks, his voice soft yet commanding. "Who are you?"

The question hits you like a physical blow. For all your fears about this moment, you'd never imagined he wouldn't recognize you.

Oh gods you make an ugly raven, don't you!

Morpheus' question hangs in the air, a knife poised to strike. You feel the weight of his gaze, sharp and probing, cutting through the layers of your new form. The courage you'd tried to summon evaporates, leaving you exposed and vulnerable.

“Hi Morpheus,” you manage to croak out, your voice a mere whisper carried on the wind. For a moment, disbelief flickers in his eyes, quickly replaced by an intense sorrow. He takes a step closer, and you see the pain etched into every line of his face. He’s never looked so pathetic.

"Y/N?" His voice trembles slightly, an emotion you've rarely heard from him.

"Yeah,” you confirm, your heart aching at the sight of his anguish. "I'm sorry."

He reaches out a hand as if to touch you but stops midway, uncertain. His fingers hover in the air, trembling with restraint.

"How—" he begins but chokes on the word, unable to finish the question.

You flap your wings awkwardly, feeling more exposed than ever. "I had an episode. I fell into a coma and... I guess I died while I was asleep.” Your words come out stilted, each one a fresh wound reopening. “It’s a little muddled.”

Morpheus' eyes close briefly as if trying to absorb the magnitude of your revelation. When he opens them again, they're filled with an unbearable sorrow. "I failed you," he whispers.

"No," you interject quickly. "It wasn't your fault."

He shakes his head, his expression darkening. "I should have protected you."

You want to reach out and comfort him, but your new form makes it impossible. Instead, you let out a mournful caw, hoping it conveys some semblance of your feelings.

"Being here isn't so bad," you say softly, trying to lift some of the weight from his shoulders. "I still get to be in the Dreaming."

You see the determination harden in Morpheus' eyes. It's a look you've seen before—a resolve that bends worlds to his will. A chill runs through your little bird body as he steps closer, his fingers reaching out again. What is he going to do…

"Y/N," he says softly, voice imbued with a power that sends ripples through the Dreaming. "I will change your form. I will restore you to a semblance of what you once were."

Panic surges within you. "No, Morpheus, you can't just do that on a whim!" you protest, your voice cracking with urgency. "This isn't something you can fix with a snap of your fingers."

He halts, his gaze piercing into yours. "Why not? You deserve more than this... prison of feathers and beak."

"It's not about what I deserve," you argue, wings flapping in agitation. "It's about accepting what's happened and finding a way to move forward."

Morpheus' jaw tightens. "I cannot accept this. I cannot lose you in this way." His words are laced with desperation, an emotion so raw it cuts through the air like a knife.

"But changing my form won't change the reality," you insist, trying to make him understand. "I'll still be dead in the Waking World. I'll still be... different. You can’t changing reality just because you don’t like it!”

His eyes soften, but the resolve remains. "You have always been different," he speak. "That is why I cannot bear to lose you."

Before you can protest further, his hand reaches out and touches your feathers. A warmth spreads from where he touches you, enveloping your entire being. You feel a strange sensation, like you're being pulled apart and stitched back together all at once.

"No!" You try to pull away, but his grip is firm. The world blurs around you, colors blending and shifting until you're no longer sure where you end and the Dreaming begins. The sensation intensifies, and for a moment, everything goes dark.

When the world comes back into focus, you're no longer perched on the branch but standing on solid ground. You look down at yourself and see hands—human hands—where feathers used to be. You stagger back, disoriented by the sudden change. Your heart races as you take in your new form—a reflection of your old self but tinged with a dreamlike glow.

"Morpheus," you breathe out, both breathless and horrified.

He stands before you, eyes filled with a mixture of triumph and trepidation. "You see?" he whispers softly. "You are still here, with me.”

Tears well up in your eyes as conflicting emotions flood through you—relief at feeling somewhat human again but also an overwhelming sense of loss for what was taken from you without consent. Being a bird wasn’t all bad.

"I really want to slap you," You grouse at him. He doesn't blink at your words, reveling in the sight you once again in his realm.

"If that is what you wish, you may do so without fear of repercussion," the Endless has the balls to inform you, presenting his cheek. You want to grind your teeth together in exasperation, but you can't seem to stay mad at him. A sigh escapes your lips.

“That was a very stupid thing to do,” you mutter weakly, but the conviction in your voice wavers as he reaches out and gently cups your face.

“Perhaps not,” he murmurs, his thumb brushing against your cheek. “But I could not bear to see you suffer and I do not wish to exist without you by my side..”

The warmth of his touch makes you quiver and tremble in place, and for a moment, all the anger and confusion melts away. You’re left with a raw, aching need—a need to feel connected to him again.

"I'm still angry at you," You inform him, lifting your chin. Your face betrays your words and he can see it. A moment goes by with you staring into his eyes, wondering what would happen now, then his hand pulls your lips to his and he kisses you. Right on the mouth. In front of Fiddler's Green. You forget to care and kiss back.

Responding instinctively, wrapping your arms around him and pulling him closer. The kiss deepens, growing more urgent as the world around you fades away. In this moment, there is only Morpheus—his warmth, his intensity, his love.

When you finally break apart, both of you are breathing heavily. His forehead rests against yours as he gazes into your eyes. The stars in his eyes are blazing with vibrant elation.

“I missed you,” he admits softly, his voice barely more than a whisper.

Tears well up in your eyes at his words and your shoulders slump in final resignation. “I missed you too,” you confess, the raw honesty of the moment breaking down any remaining walls you have tried to hold up.

Date Published: 9/4/24

Last Edit: 9/4/24

Previous | Masterlist

[hydn-jpg]

redraw of this piece!! i mentioned in that post that i would redraw it at some point and ig that time is now! (i meant to post this before id2 came out but i got really busy so y'know lol better late than never)

i like to think i've improved! still can't draw chairs though haha

side by side comparison under the cut + rambly artist commentary(?):

i still have a long way to go in learning proper anatomy but i think the new pose looks a lot more natural and comfortable! also ~sexier~ perhaps

i tried to make the bg look closer to the actual cg they used in the book, i am arguably better at doing backgrounds now i think! i used to not put a lot of thought into it and just blocked out random shapes and called it a day (okay, i still do that now lol but i put more care into it now !! i try to make the shapes a bit more distinct and actually plan and sketch it out rather than draw some blobs and hope for the best ldkfkhsl). also more colour range(?) to give it a bit more depth!!)

i'd also like to add that i think i'm also better at figuring out compositions now, idk how it is for y'all but when i look at the original my eyes can't help but just fall to the centre, bc there's no focal point(?) or anything that's visually interesting for the eyes to land on. plus with the way it's structured, my eyes just naturally fall to center (+ bottom half bc the skin showing through the rips are bright in contrast to the black) >_> in contrast, in the redraw your eyes are automatically drawn to the face bc it's arguably the most interesting thing on the canvas and thus acts as the visual anchor of sorts (plus there is enough contrast with the background to make cas stand out instead of blend in)

even though i cringe looking at the og i can't help but to also feel endeared bc this was one of the first immortal desires fanart i ever did and also one the first of my posts to do really well! i never expected to get that much attention since i was only posting casually but it really warmed my heart reading all the lovely comments and motivated to draw more :D

it's also really fun seeing how much my art style and techniques have evolved! i don't think i use any of the same brushes i used to use for my old pieces anymore now haha. i also watched the timelapse for the old one and am honestly kind of in awe at how my different my drawing process used to be!!

i still have a lot to learn (esp in terms of anatomy, lighting, shading etc.) but i'm happy with where i am rn! the great thing about being a hobbyist is that there isn't really any pressure for me to improve quickly so i can just take my time haha (except maybe from imposter syndrome but that's neither here nor there)

i think i could've drawn his face and expression a bit better but i think this is a satisfying enough redraw for now!

btw, these are just my thoughts! i am not an art student so the things i said might not be technically correct but this is how i make sense of things in my brain

[sciderman]

Hey uh random anon here but I’d just wanted to thank you for something Sci😄

Ok so I’ve been trying to find my art style for a while which my art is usually some form of cartoon realism. I’ve been trying over the years to find a solid ground for it but always came with too cartoonish or too realistic. But recently I got inspired by your blogs and for fun drew some characters in your style. Then I think that’s what helped me to finally find my own style!

I use to even struggle with same face syndrome but the way you stylize your characters helped me to create individuality and diversity.

I just felt like I should thank you in some shape or form cause I think I really found my own way with your aid.

Sincerely,

-A very thankful anon

auugh! bless you, anon! faces are something i'd historically struggle with (hence the running of a blog where i could avoid drawing faces)

the distinctive features helped so much in my starting to love drawing wade and peter's faces and finding a consistency with it - now I just can't get enough of their faces.

i'm so proud of you for discovering your style, anon! i know it'll continue to grow and evolve - mine certainly has, over the years - and it still is! so sexy of us artists, i think.

[gen-toon]

hopping on the train of saying that your art is p h e n o m i n a l

I don't use that word lightly, I mean that your art is so close to the cannon designs that it really feels like they're part of the show. Your designs of all these characters that I haven't really looked at (like the tadc background characters) were amazing and I think that you deserve to get attention from the original creators of what you draw because your depictions are so well done and created beautifully.

Keep up the perfect work and just remember that everyone following you thinks the same way :]

And also go drink water if you haven't yet

I'm really sorry I took so long to respond to this but this truly did blow me away that I didn't even know how to process it. And then had a kind of insecurity imposter syndrome crisis about it for a while n thus couldn't face it. But aside from that, I really, really appreciate the words. Honestly, this really does mean a hell of a lot to me. They make my year or life. I really had to show my friend like look look at this godly compliment I got, as I hide under the floorboards.

Ahh what. It might sometimes look like I know what I'm doing, but I assure you, I don't lmao. Reallyyy glad it looks toony though. My stuff is heavily inspired by 90s n early 2000's cartoons, so I'm glad it kind of shows. I think tadc has really brought it out of me really, since I never used to draw much comics or even that much slapstick previously, even despite drawing a lot of ed edd n eddy. But it's definitely all from what I've mainly absorbed from eene n some others. I have a lot to learn though. Anyway, absolutely KO'd, thanks so much man.

ghuhhhh shucks I'm dying, I can't handle it. That's so nice.

[isitfurbait]

There's a new mobile game Dislyte. There's 5 characters who are perfect for this blog but first I'll ask about Freddy since he's the one with the most simps so far.

For both the sake of efficiency and for the sake of atoning for my neglect of this blog, I'm going to rate all the Dislyte characters that don't suffer from "anime character with body accessories" syndrome.

To start, here's Freddy, as per the inbox request. You may have seen a lot of artists (over a year ago) talk about this design and draw it. That's probably fine enough. I mean it's a pretty standard wolf furrybait design. Can't fault it for following the effective formula. It's not wholly my thing, but I will respect it for being the furbait it is.

Drew, the one I actually associate with Dislyte furbait. I hate his name, but if not for Dislyte's aggressive advertising campaign, I may have actually got into the game just for Drew. In that sense he is furrybait like queerbaiting is a thing. What else can you truly say? Furries love a hot wolf man (I'll get to the Roman one eventually) and a hot Anubian jackal (The Khemian will probably show up eventually too).

This is Daylon. We like him here. He's furrybait. Not much else to say. It's fun to anthropomorphize Egyptian gods.

Djoser is a hot bull, for which I haven't seen much love from a famous bull-wolf on here. Anyway, yeah the hot wolf is furrbait.

Sander here is the whole Set animal thing. That means he's kind of some sort of canine but I haven't been able to uncover which one. Probably based off a standard jackal. Kinda looks like a stuck-up dick, and reading a little of his wikia, that's within reason. However, he's still furbait regardless of all that.

Brewster suffers from baby-face, despite being in his 20s. I reiterate, he is 25. I assume this baby face makes him popular among other furry circles I tend to distance myself from. At any rate, he is furbait the same as anyone else on this list thus far.

Tevor also suffers from baby face but that's just because he's a catboy twink. I mean it's a cute design, genuinely. Furries also love a catboy twink. This is furbait and that's not really up for question.

I have said it before and I will say it again. HOT. LION. MAN. Javid is slept on in this distinction. I don't know what to say that I haven't more-or-less said of any other hot lion men, but that's just his best distinction. Make more hot lion men the furry of the month.

Though this looks more like a costume than a character, Li Ao was just something I couldn't let slide. I mean his shape and his dragon design are just a wonderful facet of furrybait and furry culture.

There we go. All of the furbait characters of Dislyte. Nobody else on the list of espers is. Now I can rest from Dislyte.

[eldritch-spouse]

I honestly love doodling your characters because of the cartoony way you draw them. I can't do much since my phone's pen broke, but I used to love drawing Cero the most because it was fun learning how to draw his face (for I am a dumb bitch who sticks to same face syndrome out of habit). That has changed to doodling Grimbly cuz I just wanna smooch his head shape.

I am sorry about the bald jokes. I made them about Santi mostly because I am super childish with my humor and I love the dude so much. It was either this or your mama jokes-

And succubus don't really know their mamas. 👁👄👁💧

Yes, Santi, you do make people cum hard. Now get over here and lemme suck on your head.

(I do wanna say that the Miles sprite drawing of Santi is very delicious. I wanna eat those claws with a passion.)

Thenk you! Hope you get a new pen soon. :7

Grimbly's face is pretty fun to do (in front view), in the sense that it's a white heart shape with a "horn mane" framing it. Cero's face already requires some imagination to draw from different angles, it's usually never perfectly front facing, that only happened in one instance and it confused people enough that I think at least one person with very poor grammar got genuinely mad.

There's no need to apologize about the bald jokes, come on, it's not as if you're bullying real people. But I get those remarks so much in my inbox that it makes me think "Wow I'm really catering to a niche here, just look at how they react to hairless characters-", as a passing observation. What matters most if that I'm okay with how they look, naturally.

To be honest, wanting to suck his head is probably not the weirdest request Santi's heard in his years as a sex worker. But that's hardly the best thing you could suck on him.

[One of these days I'm just going to start drawing all of my characters in different Ace Attorney sprite poses and no one can stop me.]

[stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale]

i watched dom the bombs reading of book 2 and saw people making really negative comments about tillie and the book, it made me feel bad seeing how far people are going to hate on tillie instead of just the book

Yeah, I saw some of his livestream. I don't really watch his content, but I have watched the videos he did about Clementine Book One. I only watched the stream for about two minutes before I had to shut it off because it was that unpleasant, and I'm not referring to the content of the book. Then when I heard through discord that he'd gotten to chapter 9, I turned it back on and watched his reaction and the rant that followed and like... I have a lot of feelings but to put it simply, I'm kinda pissed so apologies for this long post.

Here's the deal: I don't know Dom, and maybe his reactions were exaggerated for his chat, or maybe he really does feel that aggressively passionate about twdg and what these comics have done, I don't know. I jumped into the stream the first time when he was at the part where Clementine's being introduced to new cast at the party, and it's when he was reading and said, "'John is Morro's son' I don't care" that I clicked off. Why should I keep watching when you're not going to put in any effort into the story outside of just hating on it? That's the whole vibe I got and it put me right off.

He can hate them as much as he wants [and he did say that if this wasn't about Clementine, it wouldn't be that bad], that's not my issue. My biggest issue comes when he brings Tillie into it because he always does.

I think his stream had a little bit of a ripple effect that's lead to Tillie's social media. Looking through her most recent post on insta, there are a bunch of new comments with people parroting some stuff he said in his stream... as if she needed more shit. She's been getting these comments for days now.

For those unaware, Tillie Walden just had a baby on October 4th, the same day Clementine Book Two came out, and these are pieces throughout the comments section of that post sharing the news:

I'm trying so hard to put this into words because, on one hand, I get that Dom is just one person and it's not like he can force his audience to do anything. Plus, the hate was happening before his stream so it's not like it's his fault anything... but just because he throws in a "I don't condone harassment of Tillie guys" disclaimer around, that doesn't mean he isn't contributing to the problem.

You can't go on a rant about how Ricca is Tillie's self-insert and no one can change your mind about that, and then be like "but guys don't harass Tillie, she doesn't deserve it." THAT is what people are sending her threats over! You're just validating that self-insert idea! You are contributing to the problem!

Personally, I don't think he's saying "don't send anyone harassment" because he actually gives a shit about Tillie Walden or anyone involved in the project, he's saying it to cover his own ass so no one can point any fingers at him. I'd like to be proven wrong on that. I'd love for him to be more serious about it and say more than just "I don't condone harassment" before going on to say he's gonna bring the hammer down for his review.

And y'know what? You're right. I can't change your mind about Ricca being a self-insert because you don't want to change your mind.

Both of them having glasses isn't evidence, and "they look exactly the same!" doesn't work when Tillie's art style has same-face syndrome. Slap some glasses on Olivia and oop, Olivia must be a self-insert, too!

Like... do people still not get how stories are made? Writers tend to write what they know, they draw from their life experiences and that influences their characters, settings, and plots. You know what probably happened? Tillie wears glasses, and she probably thought about how much it would suck to wear glasses in the apocalypse, and gave that idea to one of her characters.

But does it even matter? You've already decided it's not up for debate. You're not open to discussion on it. You're set on spreading "Ricca is a self-insert" to your audience, that ripples through the fandom, and a shit ton of people are weaponizing it. "Ricca is a self-insert" is why they're going after her on a post about her newborn baby.

I know how that this works. It's happened to me where I've said something only to see some of my followers weaponizing it against other people. Shit, when I was on the subreddit the other day, I saw someone misquoting me from my first read through of Book Two post: I never said I would lose my shit if they named Olivia's baby Amos Junior, AJ 2.0. I was making a fucking joke. And do you know how many times I've come across "AJ 2.0" since? An alarming amount!

When you have a platform with any amount of followers, shit you say is going to spread and it might be used poorly. There isn't much you can do about it except think about the future shit you say and how you say it. You're never going stop everyone from being shitty; some people are just insistent on being assholes, but you can always try to reach through to more people.

There is a conversation to be had about the contents of chapter 9, and how this story is leaning toward a more romantic focus over a gritty zombie drama. There's a lot to say about Ricca as a character. There are legit criticisms of these books, and criticisms to be had of Skybound for continuing the series after the games ended... but I don't think many people are interested in actually having those conversations. I think they just want to be mad. I think they want to put all the blame on one person, and since it's Tillie's name on the books, they want to hate her.

And I don't even dislike Dom or anything. He seems like a nice guy who's passionate about the games and is disappointed the comics didn't do them justice. From the parts I watched he had good points about how Skybound were the ones who hired Tillie knowing her previous work. I see where he's coming from with his dislike of the romance angle, too.

But it's the reactionary anger that feeds and grows, which again, I don't blame him for having strong feelings or reacting. I used to stream on twitch and you do get carried away; you exaggerate, you get pissed off and so does chat and suddenly everything is heated and you're bouncing that off each other. So I get it.

I guess I just dread his actual review because I know what's going to happen. And now I'm also a little worried about my review.

I'm just upset that this is what the twdg fandom's turned into. I mean, we've always had toxicity but I don't remember it ever being this bad. There's nothing I can do about it except hope people calm down.

...I can't believe this is where my character arc has led me. I'm the Tillie Walden and, to an extent, the Clementine comics defender... Well, shit.

I don't even like the comics, I think they're bullshit too, and yet-

[theoneandonlyduskstrike]

Ramblings Reuploaded #2

My Trans story so far (2024)

Hoi there, and happy trans day of visibility. I can't possibly be more vissible then this right? I had to share my story with someone a few months back when i came out to them, and ever since then i had the idea of making it my next post in this inconsistent and confusing series.

I say series because this is part two. Here's part 1 on...sonic cd. yup.

So the format is simple. I take something i already typed and try to make it more legible for a blog type racket. No reason not to get right into it. Beware of typos, and transphobes begone!

I'm a kid in a barber shop. My grandpa is talking up a storm to some random clerk. I'm extremely bored. There are some toys though. Poly pocket. I never seen these before. These are so cool. I wish i had one of these but they don't make boy versions right?

Some time in 2022, I was at work dealing with closing cleaning type things which let my mind wander. I started thinking about a fairly innocuous interaction I had in FFXIV no earlier then 2021. The race I wanted to play was gender locked so I was playing as a female character. Two players starting joking around with me and the whole time they used fem pronouns for me. I didn't think too much about it back then but on that day in late 2022 it made me question why I was so ok with that use of language towards me

That was the day my egg cracked.

I spent the rest of 2022 trying desperately to figure out what my relationship to gender was. Just what the heck was I and did that even mean anything? Maybe I was gender fluid. It was hard to feel fem at work. Or oh! Maybe i'm just a drag queen in the making. But why did I not want that to be true and did that mean anything? Well clearly i wasn't actually trans right? Nevermind that gender fluid was trans. I thought maybe that I only felt that way because I was playing a character. So I made up my mind. In 2023, at the start of a new year I would begin to experiment.

It's around the era of the nintendo wii and something is bothering me feircly. I spent days on my gamecube on my tiny crt and realized I was picking princess peach a lot on my precious 'cube. I confide in my friend that I really must have a crush on her. When pressed I can't say why. I'm so glad he doesn't embarss me for my stupid feelings. It was a little weird I didn't like her as much in that one game though. Not my fault she just looked better in a dress.

I stopped cutting my hair and started trimming my beard and prized mustache so I was always smooth and baby faced. Anyone who asked I simply told them that it was a new year and a new me. Except for my friends who were the first to know.

My imposter syndrome was HIGH. And it remaind so for a long time. so afraid was I that I was actually, secretly, a fake trans. I had no evidence for this except piss poor self confidence. I only talked myself out of it much later with the idea that "Being trans and just really thinking you're trans is functionally the same so it doesn't mater if i'm 'fake' "

Unfortunately, my friend group wasn't doing a lot of online gaming at the time. I got a little desperate to see if my new pronouns fit. To my shame I basically asked one of them to contrive reasons to put pronouns into a sentence so they had reasons to use my new ones. They did not oblige.

Another pokemon game for my precious nintendo 3ds. I pick the girl because clearly they'll have better fashion options. I had just learned my lesson from Pokemon Y. No other reason. A few other simular things. I pick up megaman zx for the first time and choose the girl because, obviously, only female megaman.

I got a break when I was invited to a short lived DND group. I started hanging out with a separate friend group I was already beginning to know before gender stuff started. With ample chances to try my gender out I realized that something felt right.

So I went deeper. I remember wandering around a good will trying not to draw ire or eyes as I went and both tried on a dress and managed to bring it home. The few times I wore it felt great. Would feel much better if it actually fit.

It's my childhood again and i'm sat in front of the ps1 with my little brother. Namco museum only had one true co-op game. Toy Pop. I pick the girl so he won't have to.

In days to come I kept experimenting. I started to realize all the small signs. You already know many of them. I've peppered them througout my story. Unbeknownst to me I had already started to experiment with gender. Awhile ago I, once again trying not to get attention, bought some thigh highs from a party store. I really enjoyed wearing those. Everyone except for me knew I was trans before me, including me.

When I was dead certain on my path I set up an appointment with planned parenthood. I told my grandparents I was simply heading to Dave and busters which was technically not untrue. I began my medical transition but I was also urged to come out to people. I couldn't live in the closet forever. So I did so with my very obviously gay manager… And it went nothing like I expected. It went well, but not how I thought. I ended up coming out to the whole work force as well.

The right wing had tricked me into thinking any "regular" person would react with shock and confusion on a reveal of my new gender identity. All the media I consumed had colaborated this.

I'm just entering furry twitter when I see quite a few posts of male characters in dresses, usuasly of the maid variety. How cute, i think. I'm allowed to do this one because it's a shared joke. So i draw the one dress.

And then a few more.

"I wish I could look as good as my characters do right now"

Eventually I managed to come out to my grandparents. They were confused but attempting to be accepting. Things have mostly been rocky in the sense that they haven't made any effort to treat me the way I ask, but they don't deny me. The parents who raised me are forbidden to know their daughter.

I even came out to my astranged mother. (seperate from my step mother mention a second ago). When I was in highschool she moved back in town and we started to rekindled our relationship. Being the first to know I was ace, it was a shock when she became a born again christian. I thought she'd never accept me and I was almost right. Behind closed doors she tells my younger sister to not refer to me by my pronouns, or so i'm told.

After I was out for awhile something weird happened and I stopped.. Policing my own behavior. How I held myself. The words I used. I was my own women. I didn't need to fit into a box. The more I went on the more free I felt!

I started holding my hands in gay little ways. I crossed my legs. I walked however the hell I wanted. I used 'hon' whenever i felt like it. I wore this cute little collar I owned out to my weekly dnd meetings. Who cares. I'm me now. This cat can't be boxed.

The longer I've been on this journey the more I felt right. And here we are now. A two year or more journey still ongoing

It's 2023 and i'm attempting to put on eyeliner for the first time. It goes horribly. I laugh, inform my friends of my mistake, and we play games through the night. I wear my favorite of the two dresses. I ask them if it's ok to do so. They laugh. What and absurd thing to ask. Why would a woman not be allowed to wear a dress?

I would like to thank a huge number of people for their help in my journey but my brain is mush so i'll try to get as many as I can

@tuttifruttifox my ex who's been supportive of my journey and put up with my experimentation @biddyfox girl you are my sister and I couldn't have done this without you. Thank you so much for everything. @bigbadkingboomboo for casually replying to my nervous bullshit with "ma'am this is mcdonalds" which was simultaneously very funny and very affirming.

@cynical-cy for being you. Honestly just being a out trans woman who's art I happened to enjoy did wonders I think. Sorry to tag you. I know we're not really friends.

@patricia-taxxon that one fucking video you made on just being a furry and doing your own thing litterally changed me. You made me stop hidding who and what i am.

Honorable mentions to my friend xio. he doesn't do tumblr, but He's been my best friend through everything and his support is invaluable to me. I love you buddy.

if you think you should be on this list too, let me know and i'll add you cause honestly it takes a village to raise a catgirl.

[kraehenkunst]

Any drawing tips? I'm in love with your drawing of people and I think you avoid same-face-syndrome very well :)

Hi! Thank you very much thats super nice of you!

I never really feel like I'm equipped to give art advise, because most of the time I don't really know what I'm doing either. But especially in regards to character design and same face syndrome, I feel like the number one mistake people make is trying to make every character pretty.

So many artists shy away from "ugliness", or even just stepping away from the beauty conventions they are used to. But like, perfection is so boring! And thats just not what human faces look like, the people around you don't look like marvel actors, they have big noses or double chins and their eyebrows are too thick or too thin etc. and thats what makes them recognizable as the people they are! So I guess my advise is: work with references, look at people on the bus and try to understand how their features work, and how they can be translated in your chosen medium. And look at other artists too, try finding out what you like about a work of art, try to replicate the parts you enjoy and see what works for you and what doesn't.

And don't get locked into a certain style, I think there is too much focus on that, especially on social media. You can't just form an artist identity from one day to the next and then be done with your journey. Its an evolution, and the best way to prevent artblock is to let go of the confines you have set yourself and to try something new.

All right ok, sorry that got so rambly.. umm. here is a sneakpeak of what im working on right now! ♥️

[naughtynoodle056]

I wish I could comment but I can't so:

oh my godddd I know this is kind of counterproductive or, like, just pointless for me to say this as a white person adding noise to the conversation but please please PLEASE DO NOT LET THOSE PEOPLE GET TO YOU!

I've only found ur acc recently since I've joined tumblr instead of lurking and your art is some of the best I've seen.

I have Aphantasia and general face blindness irl, so defining features (not even ethnic features, just general appearances) in drawings are the main thing I've had to focus on my whole life because I struggle to accurately display them in my art.

I've practiced and studied countless art styles and ways people have drawn and depicted eyes, eyelids, mouths, hair, skin, lips, noses, faces, body types, etc. Of course it differs depending on the art style, but you literally managed to perfect the way you draw individual features in your characters that make them not only stand out from eachother, but as characters with unique and diverse backgrounds.

I don't wanna clog up ur inbox too much, so without repeating the whole thing again, I will say that I also saw @cheeseburgersinparadise's comment on your post and I was thinking the exact same thing.

Idk what these people want you to do short of making racial caricatures or stereotypical depictions of people.

So here's some things I really enjoy about your artwork instead:

Little differences in body type are noticeable and really cool to see

you're very consistent in your character's personalities and depictions, so even if in one drawing they have their hair tied up and in another it's just completely natural, I can still tell who it is at just a glance!

Despite what the armchair critics say, the skin tones you use are really good and I can tell they're well thought out.

Your lineart is awesome. I've never been able to use the uhhh the one effect (I forgot the name) that makes the lines all sharp and stuff without my drawing looking like a SBAHJ comic parody/shitpost, but in your drawings it looks super neat and has a cool kind of side effect where it highlights the colors and stuff, making it all really pop but at the same time feel really like.. story and held together? I'm terrible at describing visuals I'm sorry but just know it's good! You know how to actually use brushes and effects/overlays.

facial expressions. You nail them every time. 'nuff said.

Same Face Syndrome fears you.

"try exploring shape language" idk what crack these people are smoking because your art is like the pinnacle of good use of shape language in drawings. It reminds me of Canadian cartoons (IN A GOOD WAY. I GET CANADIAN RADIO/TV SIGNALS, I GREW UP WITH IT) where it's like 'less is more' in terms of line detail and instead putting the focus on the basic shapes in a way that can make even the quickest sketches/simplest versions of a drawing look lively

if nobody else got me, the tumblr crowd got me fr 🥹💖

It's hard to articulate how much this means to me (hence why it took a bit for me to answer this ask lol) because like. I don't know if y'all remember that one episode of iCarly where one of Spencer's favorite artists just blew him tf off and it lowkey ruined his life for a while, but I felt just like that fr

It can be really frustrating sometimes being a silly kink artist(TM) and feeling like because I have a particularly cartoony art style and don't often draw the most extreme WG art, I get kind of overlooked and treated like IDK what I'm doing sometimes, y'know? I never went to art college and studied drawing there, other than one cartooning class I took for funsies at a community college, my knowledge comes from what I learned throughout grade school and studied myself with online resources or books at the library. So sometimes it DOES FEEL A LITTLE like certain huge artists who did go to college for that turn a nose up at artists like me.

It's the craziest feeling when someone makes a criticism on your work that's just like, objectively unhelpful or even hypocritical, and then doubles down and like subtly paints you as one who just can't accept criticism. Because if I couldn't, then you wouldnt have such kind specific compliments on my art hahaha. My lineart is so clean because I took the advice from an art teacher when I was 16 and it was shaky. I keep facial features and whatnot simpleish and cartoony so I can depict expressions in a more fun way.

Hell, that artist's "fair criticism" about leaning into ethnic features more may have been referring to the fact that Shay doesn't have a noise here. This is seen in some other pieces of mine, too

but that was intentional... a gentle nod to certain anime facial expressions were they leave the nose out for Extra Effect

It's a little ode to the funny facial expressions in Sailor Moon that do much of the same

Speaking of the lineart effect, heh, I'm soooo touched someone noticed it omg?? ;0;

I like to duplicate my lineart and put the top layer on multiply with a lighter (usually warm) color and guassian blur it and then the bottom layer with a bright (often brighter) and then guassian blur it even more before setting it to glow dodge :^)

I feel vindicated that I wasn't just like. overreacting when I was DEEPLY offended by the "helpful criticism"

I feel like whoever made the skin color comment just. forgot about the concept of lighting in a dim room 💀💀💀 It was so crazy to me that she was talking to me like I haven't been drawing these characters for years at this point and use the same base skin color like. 98% of the time

ALSO DW I THINK THE CANADIAN CARTOON COMMENT IS A BIG COMPLIMENT CUZ I USED TO WATCH A LOT OF THEM ALL THE TIME!! 6teen is one of my dearly beloveds fr and a friend of mine said my art style reminded him of that so 🥺🥺🥺

TLDR: thank you for being a real one and the heartfelt ask I will be mentally hanging this up on my fridge 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 (also sorry Tumblr is wack and wont let you reply to posts smh)

[mint-berry-crunch]

KENNY

KENNY, MY BELOVED!

Oh boy, OH BOY, where to start with this guy?

I think I'll start out with his appearance, then move on to his identity, likes, dislikes, and misc. shit.

But before we get into it, minor TW for mentions (slightly in-depth!) of bad home life, an eating disorder, and mental illnesses. It's the first thing under the cut; I put a ✨ when it's safe to read again.

Ok, so, I definitely hc Kenny as underweight, for more than one reason. One being obviously that his family is poor, and can't afford much food, but I also think that Kenny has an eating disorder. ARFID, to be specific. It's not to lose weight, either; I think it formed because Kenny would rather his little sister Karen get to eat more food than him. His parents are also CLEARLY abusive, it's stated and even outright shown. I think that one of their abusive punishments is withholding food when Kenny does something they perceive as "bad," or even just when he makes them mad.

Kenny, I believe, also has a slew of disorders, mostly from his traumatic life. I think he's got:

ADHD, AFRID, C-PTSD, DPDR, and Cotard's syndrome. The C-PTSD is self explanatory- his life is shit. And I already explained the ARFID. But as for the others, I believe he has: ADHD just based on the actions he takes in the show. DPDR, as a symptom of his C-PTSD, and coping mechanism to the trauma of dying over and over and over. Impossibilities aside, if that were to happen to someone in real life, they would likely have a VERY hard time with their sense of reality. Cotard's syndrome, I considered not listing. Because Kenny really DOES die. But after thinking about it, I DO think he has it. I think his DPDR causes him to not be able to tell if he is really alive, or if he has died yet again.

✨

All the triggering stuff is out of the way now.

I think that Kenny has snake bites and an eyebrow piercing. He just gives those vibes, doesn't he? Like, come on, he TOTALLY has face piercings! Same with a mullet. Like, Kenny is THE most mullet-having mullet haver I've ever seen!! It's less of a "hillbilly country bumpkin" mullet, and more of a tik tok alt mullet, and it actually looks kinda good on him.

I also think he wear Hawaiian shirts under his parka. At first he didn't like them, not even wearing one when he went to Hawaii and just keeping his parka on, but after a little while, he realized that he loved button-up shirts, but that normal button-ups were to formal for him. His solution? Hawaiian shirts.

I think he's genderfluid. Genderfaunet, in specifically. He uses he/him/they pronouns. This is because he's almost always a boy, but is sometimes non-binary, so usually prefers he/him. He's straight and even when he's non-binary, he still calls himself straight. It's just a personal preference of his.

I think Kenny's intelligence is definitely above average. However, his strengths don't lie with schoolwork. Instead, he's better at real-life problem-solving, and emotional intelligence. I'd place his IQ at around 120, although he never got tested. His worst subject in school is math.

Some things he likes are: Rock music, the aquarium, dogs, "bad" weather, nature, sports, urban exploration, social media, cars, and video games.

Some dislikes are: Reading, drawing, writing, speaking (sometimes), school, and closed spaces.

When Kenny gets to be in high school, he works at a gas station with Stan and steals cigarettes from behind the register. Kenny's job as an adult is at Sea World.

Kenny has GOT to be my favorite character. He's funny, but can have serious story lines that you can take seriously, unlike, for example, Cartman. He's got some things about him that are very relatable to me and a lot of other people and he's just overall a great character!

[notsofriendlyfriendlyreminder]

fun fact I play genshin impact (lately I've been thinking about uninstalling but that might be an entirely different post for the future lmao) and while I never really got into the shipping aspect of genshin fandom... there are exeptions, those being Lisa and Jean (Jean and Diluc also!!!), Itto and Gorou (big dumb x small smart) AND OF COURSE

KAVEH AND ALHAITHAM

I wish I had the abbility to draw comics, because while I do draw I just cannot draw comics, because while I think I do have the same face syndrome, I can't draw 2 same faces? ESPECIALLY not in short time between them. A lot of my post (not just genshin) would be way better in comic way.

I digress, if you ever see genshin posts, this is why.

PS: I think out of all of these Kaveh and Alhaitham have the best chemistry in daily problems way. Like the drama for Jean and Lisa and Itto and Gorou are mainly one-of-them-dies, but Kaveh and Alhaitham? BOTH OF THEM CAN BE VERY ASSHOLY TO EACHOTHER SOOOO

[aquillis-main]

What are your thoughts on the IDW Sonic artists that aren't people brought over from Archie? (like Jack Lawrence, Aaron Hammerstrom, Bracardi Curry, Thomas Rothlisberger, Mauro Fonseca, etc).

I decided to go off and list off the major ones you listed here, because I'm a sucker for looking into these things long after they were written apparently. That, and I really don't want to play 'Who was IDW Exclusive?' at all.

Jack Lawrence: I don't really know what to say? He goes over the top with the chibi style (most evidenced with how he handles Sonic's eyebrows) And I feel some his artwork could be reworked better to keep the characters from being cutesy, but his work on Scrapnik Isle is fantastic, and his emotions are on point with the characters, even though I feel sometimes they suffer from the words not matching the expression (though that's more the writer's fault, not the artist's).

Arron Hammerstrom: Apparently he wrote 'Rough Patch' in the 2022 Annual? Heard all of those stories in the annual were crap, but I have no frame of reference for that, so I won't comment on it.

As for his art, he's pretty damn good! Got a lot of variety in his style, and isn't afraid to branch out into different styles according to his cover arts. Which he had more freedom with his styles, because man I feel his art styles should be given more focus over ABT.

Bracardi Curry: Dude, this guy's got a lot of skill I think is needed for the comics! Why's he only doing the linearts and the colours, as well as the Covers? His covers are amazing to see, and I really want to see him do inner pages or do his own webcomic at some point. This guy's freaking talented, and he's being wasted on a poorly written comic...

Thomas Rothlisberger: Dude suffers from 'two or more people standing around in an endless void on one colour', which all of his covers are, but he does try to invoke some scenes with them. The last one he did for the comic he tries to give more of a background, but it's obvious that the smoke is there to hide the fact that he can't draw backgrounds for shit. (I mean, same, so...)

Mauro Fonseca: He did this shitty ass cover of Impostor Syndrome #4:

And this shitty ass cover for Issue 53:

All of Fonsesca's covers are either 'too cluttered' or 'have no focal point that makes sense'. They're so cluttered and over wrought it makes me wonder what he's putting in the inner pages of the comic themselves, because damn are they festered with uncessecary details and things that take the attention away from the main focal point. Like, I can't stop staring at the puddles with Surge's lightning, or Tails being randomly washed away.

I mean, he somewhat gets better with his alt cover for Scrapnik Isle, but man does it still suffer from 'no true focal point' like his other attempts:

Like, the focal point being Mecha's eye is good, but it's such an intense colour you're either looking up toward the smoke above him and Sonic, or to the goofy ass Scrapnik eyes in the background to alleviate some of the intensity. There's also Sonic's mouth being off because it's not fully on his cheek like the games would do. It's square in his face which makes him look like a badly designed emoticon instead of, well, Sonic.

He's also listed as an artist for STC:O!, and IIRC STC:O! has had problems with badly done art for their stories, and it kind of feels weird to read it when the pages aren't particulary good.