#i guess this is my new campaign. my very own soap box

[masterfuldoodler]

wait guys actually! I have a great idea! Instead of feeling bad for reblogging our own art why don't we do a thing where we reblog older pieces/art that didn't get much attention/whatever you want and give commentary on it! Talk about what was fun to draw, what was hard, any interesting stories surrounding the making of it! Behind the scenes! pls guys that would be so fun to read I would LOVE to see that let's do it!

[headlesssamurai]

My Lazy, Poor, Stupid Person’s Attempt to Paint Tabletop Miniatures

by headless

This has nothing to do with covid-19 really, it’s just something I reckoned I’d share.  For several years I’ve played Dungeons & Dragons, and occasionally others like Call of Cthulhu and Delta Green, or Shadowrun. Though, I say ‘play’, when I mostly run games as a Dungeon Master. It’s one of those “hobbies” that is a lot of fun for someone like me, but requires a ton of dedication, so it isn’t always easy to get a dedicated group together.

Anyhow, I generally homebrew settings and adventures, never really been too big on running pre-written games, even if some of them are fantastically written. And one of the most frustrating things is I some times want to have a miniature on the battle grid that looks a certain way. This is hardly a big deal, since miniatures are just markers meant for reference in combat encounters, the real image of the characters is in all of our heads.

Still, I sometimes want to have something especially specific, a lot of the players in my current group appreciate cool looking miniatures, and seeing as I’m usually hard-up for cash, I can’t always buy pre-painted mini-figures, unless I get a good bulk deal on ebay or something.

One of my recent attempts to acquire bulk miniatures came a few years back when I realized during the 4E days, Wizards of the Coast had released boxed board games themed with the D&D style, which all came with a great deal of unpainted miniatures; these came in sets like Wrath of Ashardalon, or The Legend of Drizzt, with lots of themed minis for the board game’s scenario.

Anyhow, I’ve had a ton of these unpainted miniatures forever and use them often for nobody-NPCs and other characters the players run across. Lately, however, the group I’ve been running in a campaign for about eleven months (usually weekly), ran across a problem where their dragonborn ranger Grixxis was captured by and then negotiated his away out of the clutches of this ancient entity who calls herself Gorgoth (who appears to be a pale, beautiful young woman, but probably isn’t; even the not so arcane-y Grixxis intuited that much). She was actually impressed that he resisted her Sleep spell, and offered him a deal, she’d let him go but he needs to complete a task for her in the next seven days, and if it isn’t completed in that time frame his soul will be bound to her forever.

The task was to go to a mountaintop and retrieve something that resides there, though Gorgoth did not explain what the object was, so the party set off to find this mysterious mountain. The journey led them to an area of bad wilderness where no one lives, and where roving bands of orcs constantly hunt and war with one another, so only a few people know anything about that region. The party ended up hiring a guide, who was a wood elf exile named Skaya. They seemed to be intrigued by her because she’s living in a city which is currently at war with wood elves, so there’s a lot of prejudice and racism against her kind. Skaya does have facial tattoos that indicate she’s been exiled from her tribe and therefore no longer truly considered by her people to be a wood elf (their worst form of punishment in this universe), but still, the party seemed immediately fascinated by this single NPC among the potential seven or so they might’ve hired for this expedition.

Anyhow, my players have only gotten truly invested in one other NPC they’ve met before this; a small little orc toddler named Gruuba who they saved from a bunch of slave trading bandits early on in the campaign. I’ve had difficulty finding a good miniature for Gruuba too (because she’s really small and scrawny), but since she’s at the same developmental level as a human six year-old they try to keep her out of combat scenarios (despite Gruuba’s excited insistence that she enjoys using clubs “for smashings”). Since the party have begun to really enjoy Skaya as character, the longer they’ve slowly, slowly gotten to know more about her stand-offish personal history, I really wanted to get a miniature for her that reflected my image of her better than the one I’d been using.

So, even though I got basically no experience doing so, I bought a miniature from Reaper Miniatures, and after looking up a few tutorial vids for beginners like me, I set about trying to paint my first mini-figs.

Two things, if you’re looking into this yourself; First, I’m not totally unartistic, I write creatively and I sketch with pencils and ink. Painting’s fairly new to me, but it’s not like I have absolutely no artistic talent. I also solder a lot of really small wires and components in my normal daily job, so I may have better muscle control for this sort of thing than some people. I only mention this because I may have had a few advantages in this undertaking. I just don’t want to make people overly confident, keep things in perspective. So whatever your level of expertise at this, if you want to start just try to patiently measure your expectations, and don’t get discouraged if your first results aren’t so great. All things improve with time.

 And B. if you’re poor, lazy, and stupid like me, there’re ways to get around that. This video I watched gave me a good rundown of the basic steps which are; - scrub the plastic down with some dish soap, luke-warm water, and a toothbrush; allow at least 1 hour to dry (I let them sit for a day because I’m paranoid), and be sure there’s no lingering moisture before you start painting - get a good primer or base coat on the model before you start adding other colors; lighter base coats allow more colors to show up easier, while darker base coats tend to make the colors you paint over them darker - stay calm and take your time - try to paint the colors that’ll go under other colors first, like, if a barbarian dude is shirtless but’s wearing a few pieces of armor, paint his shirtless skin first, then paint the armor he’s wearing second because it layers over better that way - use thinner paints and multiple coats of a color to get an even final color instead of one thick coat - allow each coat of paint to dry for 10 - 20 minutes before applying the next coat - learn about washes, pigments, and inks, because they’re awesome - get a decent varnish for a final protective coat, matte varnishes make the model look dryer and flat, gloss varnishes make the model look shiny and wet, if you do a coat of gloss and a coat of matte varnish it equalizes it pretty good

And this video here sort of laid to rest my fears that I’ll need to spend $600 on paints and washes and stuff. The very helpful lady in that video explains how she uses generic acrylic paints from the craft store (I got mine at Wal-Mart) to paint her Warhammer miniatures, and she even offers a method of making your own washes from a combination of paint and flavorless mouth wash. It’s genius. So try not to stress too much about buying the really nice brand name paints, because it’s not necessary, those paints just have an optimal mix I think, otherwise they’re the same damn thing as generic acrylic paints. Also, you’re just trying to learn, so unless you really, really feel like emptying your bank account, just use the generic stuff.

I started out painting something I didn’t care about. I wanted my miniature for Skaya to look badass and awesome, so I wanted to start with some practice miniatures. Grabbed a few from those 4E board game sets and gave it a shot. But I had also recently gotten hold of a Goliath Barbarian miniature from the Player’s Handbook Heroes sets (also from the 4E days) a rare find, since it usually goes for like $60.00 by itself. Randomly found some dude on ebay selling an unopened box set for $20.00, so I got a wild elf druid and a human berserker along with it. So I started out touching up the goliath’s armor to make it look more like armor and less like weird blue stuff.

Here’s a before-and-after for him (I didn’t take photos of them before because I wasn’t anticipating this, so I just found examples from around the web):

Next I tried a re-paint. A friend of mine had recently guest-played in my campaign and created a half-drow monk (his backstory was fantastic), so since nothing like that exists, I took a Soulknife Infiltrator miniature seen here:

And repainted it to sort of look like his half-drow Monk of the Open Palm:

I finally had the courage to do a full paint, so I grabbed the Dragonborn Elementalist from the Wrath of Ashardalon box, and painted her up with reddish scales (I’m one of those who thinks dragonborn should have physical attributes of their heritage).

In the box her name’s Heskan. I definitely used way too much wash on this one so she looks super shiny.

I then took the orc archers in that same box, and not really paying too much attention this time, quickly painted them, because I lack many orc archers:

At this point, I felt it was time to finally paint Skaya, the wood elf exile. I used the Reaper Bones model Deladrin, Female Assassin ($1.99) for Skaya’s mini.

And taking way more hours than I did on the others, which were only about 1-3 hours each, when you count waiting for the coats to dry, I managed to sort of make her look like Skaya, I guess:

After this, the fact that it wasn’t complete and utter shit, which is what I expected, I was encouraged. So I tried to do out party’s tortle cleric, named Daruuk of Chult (who oddly speaks with a Slavic accent, so that’s how people from Chult sound in our campaign), for whom we’ve lacked an accurate mini-figure for some time. I bought a pack of Spikeshell Warriors ($2.99) from the Reaper Bones line.

But Daruuk characteristically wields a large shield and a warhammer, so for some reason I got super detailed and bought a pack of loose shields from the Reaper Bones line ($0.99), then bought Halbarad ($1.49) a human cleric.

I clipped off Halbarad’s hammer at the hilt, then I trimmed the spikes off of the spikeshell warrior’s club, and used a dremel to carfully mill a hole inside the shaft of the spikeshell’s club, then pinned the hammer inside and secured it with gorilla gel. I used an actual cork board pin to push the shield onto the spikshell’s offhand after cutting off his turtle shell shield in order to pin it before gluing, then clipped off the rest of the cork board pin. Somehow, this ended up making the shield look meaner because it now has a like pyramidal spike sticking out the center. After allowing the glue to dry I painted him up, and my attempt at Daruuk the Death Cleric turned out thus:

I guess his hammer looks sort of Acme-level cartoony, but he’s a giant 350 lb. turtle-man who talks like Omega Red from X-Men The Animated Series, so I’m okay with that. The spikeshell also fits well with the razorback sub-race feature I allowed Daruuk’s player to homebrew for himself. I was really proud of this one.

Finally, because I’m an insane asshole who is getting obsessed with my new hobby, I decided it was dragons or bust. So I bought a pre-primed unpainted Young Blue Dragon from WizKids ($13.99).

And spent, like, three days meticulously testing different paint layers to see how they come out. I tried to paint her in the tradition of blue dragons as they appear in the art of Forgotten Realms material, but gave her a somewhat darker cast, and added metallic blue layers to her claws and spinal ridges. I still need to paint her base, put some highlights on her eyes to accentuate the glowing effect and add my washes to give her a final layer of dimension, but here’s how she came out so far:

Behold, Stormfang! Mistress of Thunder...

Anyhow.

This is super long and I wonder if anyone will bother to read any of it. But just wanted to put this out there. From a dude who, if you asked me a year ago if I thought I could do this, I’d have said I’m too stupid, poor, and lazy. I still think of myself as all of those things. The real pros use crazy detailed techniques with like seven layered highlights on their models, and airbrushes and all kinds of other madness. I use maybe three coats total and I don’t get too worked up if I make a mistake here and there, and I haven’t spent more than maybe fifty bucks total across six weeks, and most of that was wasting paints because I was still learning how to mix different shades. 

So if you got something you feel like you’ve always wanted to do but are too stupid, poor, and lazy to figure out, just go for it yo. I managed to crack out these bastards and I still think I suck, but it’s way better looking than I expected. For real though, you should see some of those Warhammer players, they got mad crazy god skills at this stuff compared to me. But your level of skill isn’t the point. The point is to have that moment with that thing you did, and look at it, and just go “Yeh, I did that” when at one time you never believed you ever could.

There’s always going to be somebody better than you, but even they, like all of us, are still learning.

              侍    headless                     

[raiseveganus]

Your Weekly Dose Of Vegan News Roundup

This week in news, we have seen some exciting launches of new products and we have a few amazing cruelty free plant-based brands with whom we’ve collaborated and are sure that you will love!

Here is your weekly vegan news round up for this week.

Ariana Grande Coming Up With ‘Thank U, Next’ Beauty Line, Will It Be Vegan?

Popstar and vegan queen Ariana Grande will be launching a makeup line based off of one of her most popular hits yet. Will it be vegan-friendly?

Gardein launches new Spicy Flavored “Breakfast Saus’age Patties”

Credit: gardein/ Instagram

Gardein, a known and loved name among herbivores, has launched what is sure to be one of your favorite weekend breakfast essentials: a vegan sausage patty.

Art for Awakening: Florida-Based Artist Paints Agony of Animals

Credit: freebison/ Instagram weekly vegan news round up

Artist @freebison uses art to share with the world the horrors that animals face on a daily basis.

In Search Of The Ultimate Vegan Baking Kit? Meringueshop Has It

Credit: Meringueshop

Looking to bake delicious, colorful, and 100% vegan meringue? The Meringue Baking kit has just the thing! (P.S. We have a sweet treat for Raise Vegan readers inside.)

On the Brink of Slaughter, 20 Lambs saved. Owner now a “Veggie”

Losing out on 9,000GBP, a farmer from the U.K. decides to embrace his compassionate side by saving his lambs from slaughter and going veggie.

Rhino Poacher Dead, Stomped by an Elephant and Digested by Lions

Credit: by GauSax/ Shutterstock

Karma works in weird ways; a man in South Africa was found dead after he went out trying to poach a rhino. Well, there wasn’t much to find after what happened.

Meeting Andrew Bernstein, the Mind Behind Kinder Beauty Box

weekly vegan news round up

Raise Vegan got to chat with the founder of the widely-loved Kinder box, Andrew Bernstein. We love them and we know that you will too!

Ursa Major, a Modern Approach to Cruelty Free Plant-Based Skin Care

Credit: Joe Robles

Looking for skincare that represents you and your healthy, grab-and-go lifestyle? Check out our interview with Ursa Major to see why they might be the perfect fit for you!

Shocking: Man Who Ate Raw Pig’s Head Stabbed Mates With Knife In School

You Tuber known for making appearances at vegan events to eat raw, dead animals apparently has a violent past, one where he pulled out knife at school.

Meet The Vegan Star cast of Game Of Thrones

Credit: deciccosbeer/ Instagram

Can’t get enough of GoT? We can’t either! Check-out here which of your favorite stars are vegan.

F.A.K.E News Alert- Vegan Fashion Pop-Up to Arrive in LA

Credit: S O C I A L . C U T/ Unsplash

Going to be in LA soon? You won’t want to miss this awesome vegan fashion pop-up.

Vegan Actress Pamela Anderson Reprehends Assange’s Arrest

weekly vegan news round up

Pamela Anderson, known from Baywatch and Home Improvement, took to Twitter to share her opinion on the arrest of Julian Assange.

Singer Anthony Garguila’s Amazing Acne Cure with Plant-based Diet is Unmissable

Credit: @AnthonyGargiula/ Twitter

Looking to cure your acne for good? According to singer Anthony Garguila, a plant-based diet may be the answer.

Antispecist Militant Vegans Jailed for Ransacking Butcher Shops in France

In Northern France, two arrests and jail sentences have been made for two vegan activists who had broken into and vandalized shops which served meat and sold fur.

DC’s Vegan Fans Rejoice as Joker Goes Vegan- Again

Credit: Yong Chuan/ Unsplash

The Joker has been vegan longer than we thought! Who would’ve guessed that he was enjoying plant-based foods between getting chased down by Batman.

New Proposed Law in Australia Can Imprison Vegan Activists

Credit: by Fure/ Shutterstock

Following last week’s events concerning a large vegan-led protest in Australia, the aftermath may be future laws for the imprisonment of activists.

Disney Extends its Magic: Plant-Based Food Guide Available in Pamphlets

Family fun at Disneyland has just gotten even sweeter with new, vegan food guides available to visitors.

Foodtech Enabled Plant-Based Burger Developed By Brazil Startup- ‘Fazenda Futuro’

By Tatiana Shepeleva/ Shutterstock

Watch out, burger joints! Brazilian company Fazenda Futuro has launched a plant-based burger that apparently tastes, looks and feels like real meat.

‘Hannah Montana’ Fan? Miley Cyrus Costumes to go on Auction in NY

Going on a trip to New York? Get the best of both worlds and join in on a very special auction to be held this May 18.

Too Sweet? KIND Fights Against High Sugar Snacks. Know more here.

Credit: @KINDSnacks/ Twitter

Tired of every “health” bar you buy tasting overly sugary and sweet? So is big brand, KIND.

McDonald’s Receives More Than 160,000 Signs for McVegan Burger

Will the surprising amont of signatures for McDonald’s to launch a plant-based burger get the tire rolling on more vegan fast food options?

Popular P*rn Wesbite Launches Beesexual Web series

Credit: Patrick Brinksma/ Unsplash

The leading porn streaming site has had enough of empty promises and has begun its own initiative to save the bees. Will you go BEESEXUAL to save these precious insects?

Buy Soap and Help the Homeless: Unilever’s Right to Shower Campaign

The Right to Shower/ Emily L. Wood

The Right to Shower is here to make you feel good while you do good. Find out here how you can help increase accessibility to showers for the homeless just by using soap.

Which of these news stories was your favorite from this week? Were there any stories that we missed? Let me know in the comments below.

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The post Your Weekly Dose Of Vegan News Roundup appeared first on Raise Vegan.

source https://raisevegan.com/your-weekly-dose-of-vegan-news-roundup/

[letitproducejoy-blog]

Me, Too: Breaking the silence

This post is full of triggers. Please read at your own discretion. TIME Magazine just came out with its Person of the Year 2017, and I have to say, y'all... I'm speechless. The Silence Breakers But now, I'm speechless for the right reasons. Finally, after all this time, we are finding our voices and speaking out against boundaries crossed, opportunities lost, lives shattered. We're telling our stories, not meekly behind computer screens or stealthily to our dearest friends, but with gigantic fucking megaphones. And finally, there are repercussions. Sure, we still have a long way to go; after all, Bill Cosby still admitted to his crimes and walked away, Brock Allen Turner still only served a paltry sentence for rape (and is now fighting that ruling because of course he is), and we have a shameless sexual predator occupying the highest office in the land. Still, there's a palpable shift going on, and TIME recognized it. Sought it. And if #MeToo brought these truths to the world stage, TIME just flicked on the floodlights. And begrudgingly, it's my turn to step into the spotlight. This is the first time I've ever told my entire story, and while it's one of many I could tell, it's the one that stands out most clearly, was the most egregious of them all. I was eighteen when I was raped. He has a name, but he's not famous. He could be anyone; in fact, he's been everyone since. I barely knew him. He worked stock, I was in the photo lab, so we didn't interact very often. He was twice my age, too, so when there was opportunity to talk, there weren't a lot of common interests. But it's not like he was a stranger. It started at a Fort Lauderdale nightclub. I was invited by a friend of his, another coworker who had about seven years on me and who thought it was a great idea to doll me up to go out (she told me later, because this guy had a thing for me). Not only was I grossly uncomfortable in the short skirt and the makeup, but the attention at the club was disconcerting, too: Men of all shapes and sizes and colors and ages grinding up against you, touching you wherever your skin was exposed, and in some places where it was not. I left the dance floor a number of times, only to be dragged out again and again, finally by him. I guess he thought I was "his." One hand on my lower back, pulling me closer, the other steadily pushing other men away. I didn't know you could feel simultaneously thankful (only one guy was grabbing my ass now) and disgusted (someone still has my ass in his hand). He forced a few kisses, too, on my neck and my face and my lips, even as I turned away and tried leaving the floor again. Blissfully, 2am came and the club closed for the night. Since my female colleague had already left -- no doubt because she was hoping something would happen for his friend, if you know what I mean -- he offered to drive me home. I was already past my curfew, so calling my parents was a no-go... so I accepted. I don't remember the drive home, only when he dropped me off and how his hand felt on my thigh and the alcohol on his breath as he tried to kiss me again. I got in quite a bit of trouble last night, but I should have known my parents were the least of my concerns. I avoided him pretty well after that night, only going to the stock room, where the printer paper and ink and all other supplies I needed to do my job were stored, when absolutely necessary and always when I saw him on the floor. Of course, him being occupied by something else didn't stop him from dropping whatever he was doing and pressing me between his body and boxes of merchandise. Cardboard still give me anxiety for the way it feels against my bare hands. I couldn't say anything, though. He had been working there for several years and I was only a teenager -- an adult in the eyes of the law, yes, but a child in every other aspect. I was terrified that saying anything would cast doubt, get me fired, or worse. So I kept quiet and away as much as possible. Where it went from "what a gross guy" to "what have I done" was summer of 2003. My workplace was less than a mile from my parents' house, so I often walked to work. One hot July afternoon, as I made my way to work, a car pulled up beside me and he called out, "Do you need a ride?" It was hot. I had on layers (regular clothes plus my work smock). Things had been relatively calm for the preceding month, so maybe he had changed. Whatever excuse I had, I took him up on the offer and climbed in. "Oh, I just need to grab something from my apartment." Sure... oh, your apartment is a ways away... "This might take a second, do you want to come up?" Um... yeah, you have a balcony, I'll just stand there and out of the hot sun. "Do you want some water?" No, thanks... hey, why are you grabbing my hand... I remember the layout of his apartment. Not really much inside it, just that a tiny kitchen was immediately to my left, a dining area as you step inside, a living room just beyond that, and a bedroom and attached bath the next left, just past the kitchen. I remember thinking it weird that he had such a huge mirror over his bed. I still can't look at myself naked in a full-length mirror. I remember his eyes looking around my entire body as he took away the fun of undressing. Looking up as he took away the fun of oral sex. Looking down to my chest as he took away the fun of penetrative sex. Looking away, not with shame but a grin, after he came and pointed me to the bathroom. I remember the shower stall was like a black hole. There was a pattern on the tile, but I couldn't make it out past the blurriness welling up in my eyes. I hated that I had to use his soap, had to smell like him the rest of the day. Bar soap. Like he was rubbing himself against me again. I don't remember much else, a small blessing. I did go to work that day, a hazy, lazy Sunday. The walk home after closing up felt like an eternity as he followed me slowly in his car, his voice echoing my name. I don't remember responding. Or sleeping, or any of the days that followed. I eventually left that job and that city to attend college almost 500 miles away. I had new friends, went to class, started dating. It was a warm fall evening and I was walking with my boyfriend to the cafeteria for dinner when I heard it: A wolf whistle. And there he was, down the street, walking towards me with purpose. I guess he thought I was "his." He had followed me across the length of the state of Florida to find me. There was no social media at the time, no digital means of tracking my movement, but on a campus of almost 25,000 students, he managed to find me. I don't remember what I said then, either, but my words were harsh, biting. He asked for privacy; I told him no. He asked for another kiss; I told him no. He asked me to take a ride with him; I told him no. He asked me to keep this between us; I told him no. Within an hour, campus police knew of his whereabouts and had him escorted off the premises. Still, I locked myself in my dorm for the rest of the evening, told the front desk not to let anyone in without their student ID, and stayed inside, almost cowering, for the rest of the week. I sought no legal recourse; after all, though they did their job and found him, their reaction when I told them I was being stalked and harassed was far from encouraging. Why would city police believe me. It's been 15 years since, and while writing this out still spikes my anxiety, I feel these stories need to be told. #MeToo isn't just a social movement, it's personal empowerment, and not only for those who share their personal experiences. I've shared aspects of my story several times in the last 10 years, after I bucked up the courage to say, "Yes, I've been sexually assaulted." Of course, the story just gets new layers year after year, since some men never learn and insist women are objects and treat them accordingly. My story isn't the only one adding layers, either. But by sharing my experience, I've had several friends and family share theirs with me, too, either publicly or privately. TIME recently revealed that their photo features an elbow. At first glance, it appears surreptitiously cropped from the rest of the photo, like someone just didn't make the cut, or perhaps a result of sloppy editing. Instead, they reveal it was "an anonymous woman who is a hospital worker who was experiencing harassment and didn't feel that she could come forward." These are the women helped when we reveal our stories. Who truly benefit from the #MeToo campaign. If those in power (or who, like me, feel confident enough to) share their experiences, we may see the true "trickle down" effect and dole out consequences to other men and justice to those who have suffered at their hands. Including my rapist. He with a name, he who could be anyone... and he who always has been everyone. http://dlvr.it/Q4qKw1

[masterfuldoodler]

adding my own tags because i like them (and I can)

#like the commentary section in the extras on a dvd#*taking you by the shoulders very gently* i want to see the art. i want to see the art you're thinking about#the art you want to remind your followers about. i want to hear the secret lore about your art#i want to see you point out the details you added. i want to see process pictures#i want to see that enjoyed making the thing#i want your art to take up space on my dash. in the world. in my mind#whats the point of tidy art tucked in a corner where its convenient. how will people see it. how will it reached who it needs to#dont put a sheet over it. thats what they do when the house is abandoned and being sold! you're still living here!#your love of art. your joy will infect other people. its not annoying it's not too much#i guess this is my new campaign. my very own soap box#text#august rambles

wait guys actually! I have a great idea! Instead of feeling bad for reblogging our own art why don't we do a thing where we reblog older pieces/art that didn't get much attention/whatever you want and give commentary on it! Talk about what was fun to draw, what was hard, any interesting stories surrounding the making of it! Behind the scenes! pls guys that would be so fun to read I would LOVE to see that let's do it!