#i lack photography skills

[jimvasta]

[afaroffsong]

I’ve always loved these two trees. They look even more fab in the summer, when they’re surrounded by a huge field of tall, tall maize.

[blackwolf7]

happy birthday frank!

i tried to recreate a tiny version of him but i suck at crafts so i could not make a small skull shirt and decided to give him a white tie instead

[euqinim0dart]

Some positivity in these turbulent AI times

*This does not minimize the crisis at hand, but is aimed at easing any anxieties.

With every social media selling our data to AI companies now, there is very little way to avoid being scraped. The sad thing is many of us still NEED social media to advertise ourselves and get seen by clients. I can't help but feeling that we as artists are not at risk of losing our livelihoods, here is why:

Just because your data is available does not mean that AI companies will/want to use it. Your work may never end up being scraped at all.

The possibility of someone who uses AI art prompts can replace you (if your work is scraped) is very unlikely. Art Directors and clients HAVE to work with people, the person using AI art cannot back up what a machine made. Their final product for a client will never be substantial since AI prompts cannot be consistent with use and edits requested will be impossible.

AI creators will NEVER be able to make a move unless us artists make a move first. They will always be behind in the industry.

AI creators lack the fundamental skills of art and therefore cannot detect when something looks off in a composition. Many professional artists like me get hired repeatedly for a reason! WE as artists know what we're doing.

The art community is close-knit and can fund itself. Look at furry commissions, Patreon, art conventions, Hollywood. Real art will always be able to make money and find an audience because it's how we communicate as a species.

AI creators lack the passion and ambition to make a career out of AI prompts. Not that they couldn't start drawing at any time, but these tend to be the people who don't enjoy creating art to begin with.

There is no story or personal experience that can be shared about AI prompts so paying customers will lose interest quickly.

Art is needed to help advance society along, history says so. To do that, companies will need to hire artists (music, architecture, photography, design, etc). The best way for us artists to keep fighting for our voice to be heard right now is staying visible. Do not hide or give in! That is what they want. Continue posting online and/or in person and sharing your art with the world. It takes a community and we need you!

[loosethreadstitchery]

Finished yesterday. Cross stitch for the frame and blackwork embroidery for the circular fills, on black 14-count Aida cloth.

While I feel like I've generally improved my project photography skills over the last few years, the contrast (or lack thereof) between DMC 211 and DMC B5200 in those smallest circles was A Trial.

Pattern here.

[queenoftheimps]

Artistic Expression as a Form of Love: aka Some Meta About Interview with the Vampire

hey guess who spent all of today putting off a really boring work task

So I'm just suddenly just having a lot of feelings about how love is tied to creation in Interview with the Vampire.

Specifically, each character's artistic impulses and what they say about their relationships, and how they use their creative output as a sort of love language.

From the very first episode, we see hints of this. Miss Lilly asks about Lestat's music box, which plays a song he wrote for Nicholas once upon a time, evidence of his love for someone who's been dead for over a century.

He later writes his own song for Louis, 'Come to Me', and Claudia makes the connection explicit while deliberately poking at him -- he wrote a song for each of his true loves, but does one signal love more strongly than the other?

She's being facetious to prod at him, but the show seems to genuinely make the point that we can track each characters' relationships through the art we see them create.

After all, we see it with Claudia herself later -- even before there's any discussion of becoming companions, we can feel Madeleine's compatibility with Claudia in the way she makes dresses for her.

Madeleine dresses Claudia as the grown woman she wants to be seen as, as she really is, even before she fully understands the circumstances of Claudia's age. It's telling that in Madeleine's dying vision, the one that convinces Louis of her love for Claudia, that Claudia is wearing a dress that Madeleine made for her.

By contrast, we see how Claudia is incompatible with the coven in the role that they have quite literally written for her. If Madeleine shows her love by treating Claudia as an adult, the coven shows their lack of caring by creating artwork where Claudia is forced into playing a part that diminishes her.

In turn, we can see Claudia's enthusiasm for the coven tied into her willingness to perform -- she starts off trying to smile her way through the situation, before quickly growing tired of the performance (and, relatedly, the coven itself).

But then again, how does the coven show its real loyalties? Well, with a painting.

We don't know who painted Lestat (Armand, possibly?), but having artwork of him in a place of prominence is pretty telling. But then again, the theater's creation is itself a reflection of art as a signifier of love & bonding -- Lestat suggests a theater to a lonely Armand as a way to regain a family/coven structure, after the last one fell apart.

Which makes particular sense for Armand, the character who most explicitly equates artistic expression with love and understanding. We see him underline it in his own telling of his backstory -- "No one has painted me in over 400 years." He associates painting with being seen and cared for by his maker --

-- and yet we, the audience, can plainly see what a warped, toxic relationship it was from the painting itself : a whitewashed version of Armand's face that doesn't truly look like him.

Hell, we even see Armand's betrayal of Louis in the form of creative expression -- to quote Daniel, "He directed the play!"

His treason isn't just that he sold Louis & Claudia out, it's that he participated in a creation that would condemn them. Artistic expression shows us love and loyalty in this world, yes, but it can also be used as a tool of abuse or betrayal.

Which brings us to Louis, he who has the eye for art but maybe not the skill for it, who never said 'I love you' to Lestat and wouldn't call Armand his companion, who ultimately gives up on creation in favor of becoming a collector.

It's especially interesting that his abandonment of photography is also explicitly tied to the end of his visions of Dreamstat. Even the one photo he takes that garners praise is one he tries taking of Armand & Dreamstat at the same time -- as if the closest he can get to expressing love through creation is something that blurs the lines between both men he has complicated feelings for. (Note that the scene where he develops the photo is directly after the "Show me the only way you know how to love" sequence of Louis bashing some guy's head into a wall.)

Hell, if we want to take it even further, we can even see some of this pretense in the inclusion of the Fred Stein photos (assuming Armand actually did sneak them in). On one level, we can see it as Armand trying to build up Louis' happiness, but on the other, it's him trying to build up the image of their romance.

After all, if artistic creation is a sign of love -- especially to Armand! -- what does it mean if Louis is openly disparaging his own abilities to make anything at all?

Taking it further, what does it say that he and Armand have a collection of photos of various boys over the years and expensive artwork hanging on every wall, but Louis doesn't seem to have taken any pictures of Armand in almost eighty years?

And hey, speaking of fascinating boys: what does it mean when Louis hasn't made anything creative of Armand since the 1940s, but he has no problem writing a book for ten hours with some guy he picked up at the bar?

Hell, writing a book where Louis spends ten hours talking about his life and hasn't even gotten up to the part with Armand yet? The supposed love of his life doesn't even garner a mention, to the point where Daniel didn't even know he existed when he arrives fifty years later.

And what does it mean when that book you never wrote is a giant hanging thread in your life, enough to create a connection strong enough that you remember that guy fifty years later and go back to that writing it? Even over the objections of the love of your life?

Especially when find out that Daniel's entire writing career is sparked in part by inspirational words given to him by Louis -- a sign of their bond withstanding the test of time, enough to make them friends after a fifty year absence.

That said, if we're working with the idea of artistic expression as proof of connection -- especially when it comes to Armand -- then it also makes perfect sense why Armand would insert himself into the interview once he's been revealed.

Then it's no longer about Louis & Daniel, or Louis & Lestat, it's about Louis & Armand and artistic proof of their connection! They're both now creating a story, a book that will include their entire romance! It's the first time that Armand has had the possibility of being an artistic subject in decades, so no wonder he's quick to latch onto it.

Even then, though: I think it's interesting that when Armand is talking to Daniel alone, the first story he thinks to tell him about is his relationship with Lestat. Make of that what you will.

(Also, I've said this before, but I am very curious what Armand's feelings towards Daniel will be after having an entire book written in which he plays a starring role.)

I think that this is all very rich with subtext and possible further progression, especially since we are about to enter a season where a new book is being written by Daniel and there's going to be an entire tour's worth of music being performed, all of it ripe with potential for further relationship nuance.

And while I don't want to wander too far into book spoiler territory, I think this might even neatly factor into a potential Season 4 -- especially since book fans will know that a specific musical performance is the catalyst for a lot of what happens in The Queen of the Damned.

[girlactionfigure]

THURSDAY HERO: Faye Schulman

Faye Schulman was a young Jewish photographer in Poland who became a resistance fighter after her family was slaughtered by the Germans. For the next two years, she took pictures of what she witnessed, leaving an extensive photographic record for posterity.

Born Faigel Lazebnik in 1919, she was one of seven children in an Orthodox Jewish family in Lenin, a small village in Poland. Known as Faye, she learned four languages: Yiddish at home, Polish at school, Hebrew in religious school, and Russian among the non-Jewish townspeople. Her brother Moshe was a professional photographer and she worked as his assistant, developing a keen eye and a talent for photography. When Moshe moved to another town, Faigel took over his business.

After the Germans invaded Lenin in 1941, they forced the town’s Jews into a squalid ghetto. On August 14, 1942, the Nazis “liquidated” the Lenin ghetto by brutally murdering 1,850 Jews, including Faye’s parents, sisters, and brother. Only 26 Jews were spared because the Nazis could make use of their skills. Faye was ordered to develop photographs of the massacre that claimed the lives of her family as well as almost everyone she knew. She secretly made extra copies of the pictures and kept them to bear testimony to Nazi crimes against humanity.

Soon after, Faye escaped from the Nazis and joined the Molotava Brigade, a group of Russian resistance fighters in the forest of Belarus. She said, “This was the only way I could fight back and avenge my family.” They were known as “partisans” – an insurgent militia group opposing an occupation army. Despite rampant antisemitism in the group, she was allowed to join because she had some basic medical skills learned from her late brother-in-law, who had been a doctor in Lenin. Faye became the group’s nurse, serving alongside the resident doctor, a veterinarian. For almost two years, Faye dressed fighters’ wounds and did whatever she could for sick and injured fighters, despite a lack of medical equipment. She participated in armed raids, later remembering “When it was time to be hugging a boyfriend, I was hugging a rifle. Now I said to myself, my life is changed. I learned how to look after the wounded, I even learned how to make operations.”

Faye’s partisan brigade raided her hometown of Lenin, during which the resistance fighters acquired food, weapons and supplies. As they passed her childhood home, Faye urged her fellow partisans to burn it to the ground, which they did. “I won’t be living here. The family’s killed. To leave it for the enemy? I said right away: Burn it!”

Faye found her old photographic equipment, and brought it back to their forest encampment. For the next two years, Faye documented the dangerous existence of anti-Nazi partisans. It was vitally important to her because as she later said, “I want people to know that there was resistance. Jews did not go like sheep to the slaughter. I was a photographer. I have pictures. I have proof.”

Faye’s resistance group was liberated by the Soviets in July 1944. After the war ended, she was overjoyed to find that her brother Moshe had also survived and had been part of another resistance group. Faye and Moshe were the only survivors of their family of nine. Soon after Faye married Morris Schulman, who’d fought alongside Moshe. They decided to make a new life in Palestine, then occupied by the British, who made it difficult if not impossible for war-scarred Holocaust survivors to enter the land. For two years the Schulmans were stuck in a displaced persons camp in Germany, waiting for the opportunity to immigrate. They helped smuggle arms into Palestine to support the Jews fighting for independence. In 1947 Faye became pregnant, and they needed someplace safe to live. They were able to get visas to Canada, and settled in Toronto, where they ran a family business and raised two children. In 1995, Faye published a book about her experience as an anti-Nazi resistance fighter: “A Partisan’s Memoir: Woman of the Holocaust.”

Faye died on April 24, 2021, surrounded by her family, at age 101. Sadly, the last few years of her life saw an upsurge of antisemitism worldwide. Faye left an inspiring message for young people today: “To Jewish kids I would like to say – be proud to be Jewish. To non-Jewish kids I would like to say – if there is a war and you have to fight, fight for freedom and don’t be ashamed to be in the army.”

For saving lives, battling Nazis, and leaving a photographic record so the horrors of the Holocaust would not be forgotten, we honor Faye Lazebnik Schulman as this week’s Thursday Hero.

[sorryimananti-romantic]

thoughts on this choi san?

(quality is low but)

quality may be low but that's the highest quality ultra 4k hd man ever to exist on this earth and i'm so down for him-

and in this fit?? biker san??? i've got cute little collection too hehe

you wanna know my thoughts? biker san, bad boy of the neighbourhood who comes across you by chance when you're out with your camera, trying to capture a photo of the landscape in the golden hour for a little competition- nothing fancy, you just finally managed to gather the guts and enter a competition with this new skill/hobby.

you can't seem to get the perfect shot. like everything is perfect- the sun looks absolutely breathtaking with the pastel hues of the sky, the saturation is perfect, the main road is mostly empty- lack of traffic which might be what's making this shot look empty. the road is reflecting the sunlight beautifully too, but you just need a little something-

you were so focused on changing the settings of your camera and sulking that you almost didn't hear the sound of the heavy bike rolling behind you until it came to a pause and you realised it wasn't bg noise. you weren't sure what you were expecting but this was not it- the flashy jacket and helmet threw you off.

"looks like you're having a little trouble," the man said as he took off his helmet and you internally wowed when he stopped ruffling his hair and finally looked at you- all sharp angles and perfectly sculpted that softened into something sweet when he smiled a little. "couldn't help but find your sulking cute when i stopped by the signal."

"oh," you finally exhaled, not realising you had been almost holding your breath. "yeah, um... yeah," you looked at the camera and then back at him, finding him grinning at you and you felt flustered- he must be finding your inability to form a proper sentence quite funny. you straightened, "i'm just trying to take a shot of the golden hour but it looks empty."

"i see," he looked in the direction you pointed. "i don't know much about photography, but is there any way i can help? i could take you to a better location if that's what you want."

"that's a kind offer... but i'm not sure i would want to get on a bike with a stranger," you politely declined.

"of course," he nodded, understanding.

"but..." you scratched your chin. "there's another way you could help. do you mind being a model for my shot? i'd like to capture your silhouette- it would look perfect."

he raised his brows, wondering if there was a compliment hidden somewhere there. "uh... i haven't tried that but i think i could pose with your help?"

"yes, thank you," you sighed in relief and he finally relaxed. you asked him to just stand in the middle of the road when he's sure it's safe and there's no traffic, and to simply look in the distance. take off his helmet. play with the bike. surprisingly, he was quite good at it and you wondered if this was a flirting tactic in his book.

but you soon got your answer- when you showed him his photos and he reacted with surprise, you knew then that it was his first time actually posing with the bike. "it's definitely you, it can't be me."

"i only clicked a photo, you were the one who made it pretty," you told him for the umpteenth time, cheeks hurting from smiling and laughing as you scrolled through the photos and chose the best shot. you told him about your competition entry just now and he got all anxious, saying if you had told him earlier he would have tried better but you insisted he did a great job anyway.

"tell you what- if i win this, even 2nd or 3rd prize... i'll treat you to dinner."

"on one condition," he smiled.

"what?"

"if you like me by the end of the dinner enough to trust me a little, let me drop you home on my bike."

you considered him. was it something he was used to offering people?

"i get to be your first model, and you get to be the first passenger," he told you. you found yourself smiling at that and you nodded slowly, both of you caught in a trance as you stared at each other, lost in trying to process a gazillion thoughts in your heads. you finally broke the silence and asked for his contact number.

"your name?"

"choi san."

suddenly, you're frozen in your spot and you manage a weak smile, praying he didn't detect that little pause. because there's no way he's the choi san. the 'bad boy' you've heard so much about from your friends-- just what had the told you? something about him being a biker, yes, and then?? you can't seem to recall and you internally curse yourself for tuning them out whenever they ranted about boys. you wished you had actually paid attention, but all you know is that he's not supposed to be good news.

but here he is, with his innocent smile and curious eyes. is this a facade? a trap? you can't tell, because you genuinely don't recall what you've heard about him. you've def seen him ride his bike around- it was odd how many people rode bikes here, you thought when you moved to the neighbourhood a few months ago. if he's the playboy they say he is, you'll have to tread cautiously.

"thank you again," you grinned at him, the suspicion in his eyes disappearing. "i'll text you when they announce the winners."

"you did a great job," he patted your shoulder. "if you don't win, i'm treating you anyway."

you laughed at that- a genuine laugh. "offer accepted."

you might regret that phrase. in the week that followed, you got closer through texts and you learn more about who he is (with you). and then on the day they announce the winners, before you text san, you finally call your friend and ask him about the infamous biker so when you sit before him, you know who you're facing.

but learning that he's a notorious playboy who's way too messy to get tangled with doesn't stop you from having a good time at the dinner you treat him to. and when you get on the bike with him, you think it's the most thrilling moment of your life as he races through the streets and alleys. so thrilling that you ask him to take the longer route and he obeys, showing you how the river looks at night- a blur of colourful lights being reflected on the surface, something you'd like to take a shot of. you tell him that when you make him drop you outside your block.

"can i take you there then, when you decide to go?" he asks. "as an assistant this time?"

your smile is his answer.

[bonus]

[guylet-456]

My eyelids are drooping

STUMBLING and BLEEDING through science articles and studies at 9pm

[brawlingdiscontent]

TV is ultimately a visual medium and it often relies on visual metaphor to convey complex ideas to viewers. Black Sails and Interview with the Vampire both use the form of painting to further their thematic explorations of meaning-making via narrative. What I mean, essentially, by this fancy language is that the shows use painting to explore how the stories we tell ourselves and others shape our experiences of reality (and reality itself). 

Spoilers for Black Sails season 1 (mild), both seasons of Interview with the Vampire below.

My first target is Black Sails’ iconic “Fruit, fruit; tits, tits” scene in season 1, episode 2. Below its surface-level general hilarity, it taps into some of the show’s key themes. In the scene, we see a pirate captain and an appraiser looking at two paintings with identical subjects but painted at vastly different skill levels. One is ‘unmistakably’ a ‘masterwork’ by the painter Adriaen Hanneman. The other is an amateur knockoff. The appraiser says, “To suggest that the value of one has any bearing on the other simply strains the very bounds of reason.” However the captain starts the scene off by highlighting their similarities, pointing back and forth between the two paintings (if you haven’t seen it, try to imagine these lines in a thick Scottish accent):  “Fruit, fruit; tits, tits; plant, plant – it’s the fucking same.”

This exchange reveals that value is constructed, not inherent. To accept the claim that the Hanneman painting is worth more than the knockoff requires one to buy into a pre-existing value system regarding what makes for “good” art. The local pirate’s refusal of this system signals the potential of Nassau to generate collective meaning outside of the central authorizing force of England (here represented by the appraiser). The question at hand in this short scene—who ultimately decides and how do they define the relative worth of the paintings?—is what Black Sails is asking on a grand scale. In this brief exchange we find the central conflict of the show which sees Black Sails' characters battle England and each other for control of the narratives that shape their existence. 

In contrast to Black Sails’ look at grand narrative, Interview with the Vampire explores narrative on a smaller, more personal scale. While Black Sails is primarily about struggle, marginalization, and how narratives sway the balance of power, Interview with the Vampire ponders the role that narrative plays in defining the highs and lows of a meaningless existence. The show considers how the stories that give us meaning are generated (particularly via memory) and where they may be flawed. Most obviously/prominently are the many narratives that Louis constructs (and that Daniel challenges) through the titular interview, but the theme pops up in a number of other places, from Claudia’s diaries, to the coven’s ritualistic stagings of what it means to be a vampire—and this is particularly evident in season 2. 

Armand struggles with an absent self-narrative. Lacking a strong concept of who he is, he instead relies on others’ understandings of him, and the show uses painting to help convey this. When Armand takes Louis to see the portrait of him commissioned by his maker, he asks: “Who am I, Louis? Am I my history I have endured? Am I the job I do not want? I do not know anymore. No one has painted me in 400 years,” revealing how deeply he depends on external narratives for his own meaning-making processes.

Painting and its analogue photography are also significant to Louis’ grappling with meaning-making both inside and outside the context of the interview. One way the show makes this connection is through a subtle use of set design. Louis has strewn the walls of the Paris apartment with paintings and photographs—portraits, specifically—that can be read to represent various selves he’s trying on in a cluttered meaning-making process while he’s “out here finding [him]self.” Louis jokes to Armand that the portraits “hide the cracks in the walls,” but they arguably metaphorically hide the cracks in Louis’ sense of self. 

The writers/set designers also use painting to signal Louis’ missing memory. In the 1973 scenes in 2.5 (the big ‘missing memory’ episode), above the coffin in Louis’ townhouse are empty spaces on the wall where paintings once hung. They visually echo Louis’ reference to, “Pieces of myself, missing. I knew who I was without those pieces,” later in the episode. 

The ‘Bacon triptych’ is another key point. Armand keeps Louis in the dark about the status of the painting hanging in their living room. When he announces that he’s found a buyer, Louis says, “I didn’t know we made it available.” Later when Rashid comes in to notify them that the buyer’s lawyer is ready for the teleconference, Louis asks ‘Lawyer?’ and Armand responds, “It’s about the painting, the Bacon triptych.” Louis’ ignorance here maps onto his ignorance about his missing memories, and signals Armand’s control of the narrative. Meanwhile questions about the painting’s authenticity that arise in the call with the buyer’s lawyer subtly foreshadow later questions about the authenticity of Louis’ memories of the first interview—as do the act of Louis’ photographs being replaced with Fred Stein’s in Louis and Armand's album.

Louis and Armand’s disagreement about what to put on the wall to replace the triptych signals a breakdown in their collective meaning-making as a couple, which culminates when Louis slams Armand into the empty space, cracking the wall in the process. 

For pretty much all of his and Armand’s relationship, Louis has sought meaning through external value in a way that is distinct from but not dissimilar to Armand—through his bankable skills rather than his relationships with others, the more objective benchmarks defined by capital and financial value. The paintings and other objects he collects are not necessarily about his own enjoyment of them, but about what will generate the greatest profit (as we see in the 2.6 scene when he barges into Armand’s office with a new purchase).

After the removal of the triptych, the blank spot on the wall represents the space for Louis to write his own, individual narrative one not tied to Lestat or Armand, or a cold figuration of external value. The blank wall at first represents loss and the absence of meaning—which seems to terrify Louis at the start of the season when he’s talking about dreams—but in having the courage to face his pain and loss and move forward, Louis is able to replace it with a painting that’s meaningful to him, and arguably more important, Paul’s portrait and Claudia’s dress, which map his loves and his grief, writing their meaning and their memory forever into his narrative.

Thank you for reading!

[teaboot]

I follow you because you have some damn interesting stories and generally are an interesting guy imo.

But i also really appreciate seeing you reblog realism art posts with wide and bold announcement that it is in fact a painting not a photo (altho photography is art too in a way). Especially with how big of a following you have.

You're really cool for that 👍

thanks!! Photography is a super important and underrated art that I feel people take for granted too but seeing something with amazing photographic qualities that you step back and realize was ALSO made by hand?? Wild. And it's so easy to miss the small caption (or lack of caption) when it's done well

I hope in an age of AI and art theft and mass-produced media we can spread an appreciation for small, slow, meticulous skills

[riveroftales]

Hello! Can I ask for Genya x reader who a artist and and designer? Basically reader draws alot of pretty outfits and would sometimes imagine Genya wearing fancy things and he caught the reader drawing him, sorry if this doesn't mean scene english is not my first language

✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩𝐂𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐧✩✩✩✩✩✩✩✩

ɢᴇɴʏᴀ x ɢᴇɴᴅᴇʀ ɴᴇᴜᴛʀᴀʟ! ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

ᴍᴏᴅᴇʀɴ ᴀᴜ

𝖢𝖢'𝗌 𝖭𝗈𝗍𝖾: YOO IM FINALLY BACK TO WRITING🔥🔥

Art is vast. Music is art. Photography is art. Designing is art. Anything which uses one’s creativity is art.

Through all of that though, drawing is like the main stakeholder of art.

It was also how you expressed yourself.

Funny enough, a lot of your relatives told you that you had started drawing before you learned how to read or write. With time came practice, and with practice came skill.

Your art style had improved from 2D shapes and characters to semi realism and you loved how your own work had turned out. You learned how much you loved drawing your characters in beautiful clothes, so you took the fashion design course when you reached college.

But every artist has a muse, and you knew you found yours when you sat on a campus bench, drawing one of the trees out of boredom when you saw him.

You were never a fan of Mohawks because of how ridiculous it looked, but you were sure it was because it made just for him. His hair was long — long enough for you to run your fingers through, braid, style, do whatever you wanted with its length. The scar running across his face made you so curious about how he got it, wondering if you could feel it when you dragged your finger across it or if it was sunken in completely, letting you caress it without feeling the rough bumps and instead feeling the smoothness of his perfect skin. He was laughing with his friends as he ran with them. He was so tall and muscular, and you could tell he was a little intimidating and even scary. But his smile was so radiant you would think he was incapable of doing anything bad.

You learned his name was Genya when you overheard his friends call out for him one day. It easily slipped out your lips, like it was meant to be there.

He became your muse.

Every ideas you had for men’s clothing, you would draw him wearing it, and damn did he look great.

You just wished you never played your music so loud through your AirPods because while sitting under a tree, someone sat next to you and immediately took your pencil and book.

“Hey-!” You protested as you took out one of your AirPods before you instantly froze.

“My hair flows this way…” Genya said softly, adjusting your drawing. “And my scar’s a little longer at the end, but other than that, the drawing’s great.”

You were frozen in the spot. Neither of you had officially met, and your very first meeting was him corrections your portrait of him.

Crawling in a hole and dying in it wasn’t so bad after all.

Genya seemed to notice your lack of words, a small smile gracing his lips.

“I’m flattered to be your muse.. I’ve seen you draw me a lot in most of your sketches, and honestly, I’ve never looked better.”

��U-Uhm-”

He chuckled softly as he stuck his hand out.

“Can we let this be our official meeting?”

You slowly shook his hand.

It was rough and really calloused, but warm.

Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.

[belladonnadawn]

Silver Springs

“I know I could have loved you if you would just let me.”

Alex x Reader

After your ex’s infidelity, you swore that you’d never let your heart be discarded once again. Then came Alex. He was sweet, charming, and passionate. His charm seems to skyrocket once you find out about his skill at photography. How he captured images and changed its perspective truly enticed you; and soon he captured your heart too.

You were guarded– scared. That feeling of fear was valid after what happened in your last relationship. But Alex was understanding, he told you how it happened to him too and your heart broke with his. Nevertheless, your relationship blossomed from there. Slowly let your guard down, with a hope that maybe this time it was worth it.

Everything was smooth sailing, you sometimes wonder if you got lucky or blessed. Either way, you’re sure that what you had was meant to last. And it did, for four amazing years. You knew what you and Alex had was special. 

HIs success was inevitable. You believed since then that he was bound to go big, making his own name in the industry. It meant more gigs, more work, and less time with you. You understood since you were building your career path as him.

But these past few days a new name became familiar in your household: Natalie. All you know from his accounts was that she's a good colleague: efficient, passionate, and pretty. You knew her position and understood her significance in his career, but to see that Alex has someone to bond with the same passion together… it did bother you. You tried to swallow the jealousy bubbling up inside you, blaming it on lack of affection and distance from each other’ but it never went away.

Then came the doubts, the suspicions, and finally the argument.

There's not a day where the argument never replayed in your mind. You pointed fingers at yourself, wishing you were quieter and more understanding. You’d stare at him, wishing he was assuring and empathetic. But you know that no one wins in the blame game, so you try to move forward. After four years, there’s no storm that you and Alex haven’t weathered… right?

Tension filled the night air as you and Alex faced each other again. After the argument, you expected reconciliation– after all, there’s a calm after a storm. But you were wrong. Alex revealed that a new life was welcoming him, a life in New York filled with new opportunities and experience. You were beyond happy for him, especially when you watched his journey for years. But that happiness didn’t stay long as he revealed that it was best for you and him to part ways.

“With the right person, I think I’d be able to do it.” Alex took a deep sigh, head hung low. The statement made you flinch, heart falling to your stomach. After dissociating for how long, it brings you back to the situation as if it’s rubbing it in the wound, mocking you. 

“Do you hear yourself?” He looks up at you, meeting your gaze. You look at him in disbelief, not recognizing the man you love. 

Both of you sat in silence, the air was thick with things left unsaid. You felt your heart beating out of your chest. You never thought that you’ll reach this point in your relationship. 

“We had just one argument, one disagreement; and now you’re casting me away for New York? After four years?” You tried to hide the hate in your words, but after being placed in such a predicament, you know you can’t. 

Alex stood up, trying to make his point across. “It’s not just that, you have no idea how complicated our relationship would be, especially after you accused me!”

“Are you really breaking up with me because of my accusations or you're breaking up with me so you can enjoy your new life in New York?” You stood your ground, wanting to awaken some senses to him.

Alex only sighed, looking away from you. “You don’t understand.”

“I know I don’t.” You spoke, words laced with contempt and sorrow. Your heart shattered; you didn't know that this is how it ends. You could see your picture perfect future shattered in front of you.

“Did you even imagine a future or a life with me?” With a heavy heart, you looked at him for answers.

‘Did you even consider me as the right person?’ 

You bit your tongue, holding back the question. At the state of your relationship, you already knew the answer. It was tragic that it must come to an end. You love him, but you know that love is not enough foundation in a relationship.

“I think I need to get some air.” You grabbed your belongings, praying that the tears you’ve been holding back won’t burst out in front of him. Your relationship flashed in your eyes, a bittersweet feeling engulfs your heart.

You could fight and beg for him, but that would seem desperate– and love isn’t built out of desperation. You could scream how much you deserve better, but only the ones who truly love you will be willing to listen. So you just decided to take a walk to clear your mind. The night was quiet, a contrast to the tumultuous emotions that continued to fill you. Your gaze fell on the stars, with a silent wish that the pain that you carry would hurt less. Holding your heart, you let yourself love for the last time.

“Good luck, Alex. I wish you well in New York.”

Note: Hello, everyone! Thought I might post an Alex fic before taking a break. Been visiting the doctor these past few days, and let's just say I'm still under observation. I'll be okay (Maybe a Kayson audio would revive me, I miss him so much), and I promise to come back with more bangers. Might lurk from time to time tho hehe. That's all, thank youuu!

Pattern banner from Cafekitsune.

[sirfrogsworth]

Most of my photos were from 2012 to 2016. I have learned a lot since then. My photo restoration hobby has improved my image editing skills in general. And I was curious if I tried editing one of my photos from scratch if I could improve upon my original edit from years ago.

This is my friend Nicole.

( @nicolebelongs I hope you don't mind being my guinea pig for this.)

This is just a direct output of the original RAW file. RAW files are typically flat by nature so you have more latitude when processing and editing.

This is my original finished edit from 2016.

I actually made a pretty big lighting mistake when shooting this photo. A beauty dish can cause harsh reflections on makeup and so Nicole's forehead bounced all that light directly into my camera. I was still learning back then and didn't know anything about makeup. All that was required was angling the dish a few degrees up or down, which feels like a pretty silly mistake all these years later.

And here is my 2023 edit. I did not reference the 2016 image until after I finished.

The main priority was the glare on the forehead, but I think this is much more balanced overall as well. I also tried to fix the weird neck shadow and the lack of light in the eyes. I probably should have used a reflector originally, but thankfully Photoshop has a solution to almost any photography blunder. I removed some vellus hairs on the edge of the face, as that is not something you would notice in real life, but the camera and lights can exaggerate them. I'd also like to say I love the new remove tool. Getting rid of flyaway hairs was such a monotonous pain in the ass before and that thing just zaps them with a click.

I am also trying to learn new editing techniques I was never good at. There is a retouching technique called "dodging & burning" that I had trouble with back in the day. Mostly because finding advanced tutorials can be difficult. Much of the content on YouTube focuses on beginner techniques.

Dodging & burning was originally innovated by Ansel Adams back in the days of film. He would block portions of his negatives for a second or two so those areas would develop darker. Or he would let sections expose longer so they would be brighter. It was basically analog Photoshop. You can see a neat video of his darkroom here.

While Ansel mostly did landscapes, portrait photographers of the digital age utilize dodging & burning to help bring out dimension in the face. It's quite similar to makeup contouring, actually. It is very hard to perfectly light every nook and cranny on a face and many portrait lenses are slightly telephoto. Longer lenses compress faces to remove distortion, but you end up losing three-dimensionality as a tradeoff.

My first attempt dodging and burning did not go well but I played with this photo for a few hours trying many different approaches and I think I landed on something I like. But I have been staring at it for way too long, so it is hard for me to look at it objectively.

I do wish we could all look at this on the same display. Green is notoriously difficult to keep consistent from screen to screen.

In any case, there are a dozen subtle things I did with my upgraded knowledge that may not be noticeable individually, but I'm hoping it all adds up to a better finished result.

And I guess we'll see if there is a consensus regarding the dodging & burning. Either good, bad, or just... different.

[tcustodisart]

Your art is really good. Very cute and whimsical. Are you self-taught or did you go to an art school? Do you use references? What is your creative process like? Hope u have a great day.

Thank you! I kinda started as a self-taught, huge kudos to my best friend who I met in middle school who was my drawing partner for many many years. Then before going to uni I took one year of architectural drawing course (I wanted to study architecture, but turns out you need to be smart for it and know how to math). I learned all the basics I was lacking before, like building the perspective, composition even how to draw with colored pencils. Then I went to Technology University of Łódź to study textile design which oh man, that's where I actually learned how to make art and what art really is to me. We're talking oil painting, sculpting classes, drawing classes, photography, linocut, we even had a class where we learned how to make icons (the religious ones) and the best skill I learned from there - how to make patterns. Instead of a doodle I'm going to share some of my favorite things I made for uni (most of them are from my master project, gosh i keep forgetting i have a master degree).

References - yes! I use them a lot. The folder with my refs takes almost 20 gb of space.

As for the creative process - it all depends. For the doodles I just think of the idea, sketch it out, do lineart. I do not remove the layer with the sketch, instead I just erase lines around lineart to make it feel more 'organic', then I do colors, done. With comics I need to write the script first, then figure out thumbnails, and then I search for references and draw the whole thing out. Most of the times it all starts with a sentence, a joke and I build everything around it.

This for example is how my usual sketch for doodles looks like:

Thank you for asking and have a great day too <3

[strawberryfaced]

one of my mutuals did this so I hope they don’t mind I stole their idea….

@scatteredraysofhope first of all the person who inspired me to do this. you’re such a sweet sweet person and just so. genuinely kind. you’re so approachable and sweet and easygoing and genuine and and everything else good in this world. also your face painting skills are TOP TIER!!!

@g0rgeousaurus one of my first mutuals :] I think I have never met anyone kinder than you. I hope you know that all the kind things you’ve said to me have a special place in my heart - a little garden I’d say even. where the flowers are your words + sealed with a heart shaped lock!!! you deserve the world friend!!!!

@socks-swamp one of my first mutuals too!!!! thank you for being here!!!! you’re so so so wonderful and I love seeing you in my notifications:) we haven’t interacted too too much directly but thank u for reblogging from me + I love reblogging from u. our ownspecial little love language I’d say :3 /p

@everyonehateserik ALSO one of my first mutuals!!! I remember the day you sent me a very kind ask saying I helped make your day a little better. I hope you know that you made my entire week :) there are also other things you’ve said to me I never stop thinking about. you are such a cool person and I always smile when I see you in my notifs!!! you are fucking awesome and if you ever stop thinking that just know someone out there does (it’s me. shhhhh don’t tell him guys) !!

@oh-cramity-its-amity we haven’t been mutuals for very long but you are SO SO SO SO awesome. also I think you are my famous mutual (as you should be. you deserve all the friends n mutuals n likes in the world) but I hope u know I’m your one of your biggest fans !!!! I love seeing your posts so much and I love interacting with you. thank you for engaging in long ranty conversations with me :] youre awesome !!!!!

@ezrasageisajellyfish YOU ARE AWESOME. please never forget that. thank you for always reblogging and liking my posts it truly does make me so happy. you are so so cool and I hope many good things come to you <3 (also whenever I like one of your sadder posts just know I am giving u a warm blanket)

@numberninetyreprise you have this sort of energy vibe about you that’s just so. fresh and cool. on the worse days your posts often ignite a sort of appreciation for life I lack at the time - so thank you for that :) i’m sooo honoured to b mutuals with you nd infinitely wishing good things your way :]

@yakultstan we haven’t been mutuals for too long but I just NEEED to tell you how much I love your writing. I love it so much and I love reading it whenever you post :) also not to mention your photography skills!!! SO BEAUTIFUL!!! +on top of that you seem like such an awesome human!!! multitalented AND wonderful!! 

there is more of u but I am slightly more scared to interact with u all. thank you to all my mutuals (even if I was too nervous to add you here!!!!) for making me smile all the time :) i love U all silly people in my phone !!