#i might just leave them as sketches and do it digitally but who knows

[hobgobbin]

Finally trying to color some doodles to try my metallic pens out

[pamaizai]

Hey, what's your favorite Dont Starve Character(by Lucy from last post I would guess Woody) and why you preffer this character, also whats your least favorite one. And besides of that, any advices for a person that just starts to learn drawing? (like i sketch a bit from time to time with pencil or on secondhand graphics tablet (small wacoom one) for relax but i would like to draw more often and try to improve my skill from almost zero XD, and do you have any advice about shaky line in digital? Like sure I can use stabilizer setting, but if i put it too high i draw hella slow, and if its too small its too shaky(I use fire alpaca and medibang if it has anything to do with it).

I am playing as him since 2018 so even before he got his update. Why? well, he has Lucy- undestructible axe that you cant get rid of (you can actually abuse it bc by design its a flint axe and you can switch a 1% durability one into Lucy, giving other player the brand new) and i vibe a lot with him regarding his backstory. Also most friends i played with are Wendy, Willow, Wortox, Wickerbottom, Warly and Wx players- so we have fire and charcoal, attacker, healing, quickstart with backpacks, food making and a aguy who goes head first underground- but no real gatherers.

Before updates he was just a "chop chop" guy that could go insane if he did it too much (rel) so you had to balance it with planting and cutting down the trees. After his character refresh it he became ace of all trades- he can gather wood, stone, grass saplings as a beaver, he can kill hoardes of hounds and spiders and even the Deerclops as a moose, he can locate lunar island and discover the map as goose.

And after skilltree update he can even create a helmet and +15% speed walking cane- tho other perks regarding his wereforms i think make his character too easy, especially when you earn points by playing as him so you KNOW his weaknesses and learn how to work with them, to just turn them off (hunger and sanity).

He is useful in every situation in my eyes. And i like bringing 5 stacks of wood in first 3 days. Also i learned to kite treeguards :D

I dont really mind any characters. All of them are pretty balanced and dont have annoying drawbacks that makes me not want to touch them-i simply prefer Woodie. But i aint fond of one decision Klei made regarding Wortox, Wurt, Wormwood and Wanda, so all purchasable ones-not because of mechanics tho.

Why do they have ghost models corresponding to their equipped skins, but not other characters? I want wood themed Woodie transformations too q-q even Abigail has her own skins whyyyyy

Regarding drawing i dont really have good tips. The only ones that are coming to my mind is

breaking model into geometric shapes might help (thats how i draw most of the time and its visible in my sketches)

referencing instead of tracing, even badly referenced helps you more with drawing

using your own hands as a reference is enough XD and its not cheating to look out poses

the more you draw something the better you get at it

you can actually make black shadows work but it will make it seem flat, dark purple set on multiply is enough to me but it depends on artstyle i noticed

Those happened to me:

you may see a lot of mistakes in your own artwork more often than others so dont fret abt it. But if you really are anxious (like me) you can go back to look at it some time after finishing.

you dont have to draw everything in every style. Its no artschool here and you are mostly drawing for yourself anyway. Tho dont use it as an excuse to only draw one thing, try something new from time to time.

custom brushes are cool and dont be afraid to experiment with them. Who knows, it may become your go-to/default brush.

harder pencils dont erase that well but are good with details and leave a lighter mark, als you probably wont need a whole set of 'em i am using like 3 at most (5H, HB, H)

even tho i have a sketchbook on myself 24/7 i still end up drawing in notebooks because i think "its not good enough for a sketchbook"- no, SKETCHbook, its meant for doodling so do it there and you will have a way to track your progress (i myself have a whole DRAWER of papers that i sometimes look through and let me tell ya, seeing that progress is noice)

i knooow they may seem generic but everyone has a different way of drawing and some things may or may not work for them. and i never went to artschool im self taught tho i learned a lot by looking at other artists and watching speedpaints.

With Stabilization- I didnt really use FireAlpaca or Medibang, but I remember that when i was using my old One by Wacom tablet i did had it on like 7 in SAI, because my hand was trained well enough to not shake so much but i needed it to be more precise. I would try drawing a zig zag and waves on the lowest setting and then increase it until you can draw sharp edges and smooth curves at the same time, with line following your pen path as close as possible. The slower you draw lines the more precise it gets.

it might be a bit different in each program especially with different ranges of stabilization but it might be similar to what i have here.

It could be issue of a compatibility between tablet and program, but i checked for myself and it shouldnt be it, tho it doesnt really make it impossible.

hope i helped with artist part of ask ^^"

[tailsdollr]

your art is really coool! im inspired! do you have any art tips?

Thank you so much and yes I have a bit of knowledge since all the work I have done over the years. However, I understand everyone does things differently. So perhaps not all I will share will benefit you much. Especially if you already knew it BUT I will try give as many I can!

I saw that you mostly do traditional drawing, so I will keep it mainly for that. However I will mention some digital tips but will have them related to traditional in some way.

Pencil types. There are many types of pencils and most depend on darkness or light. I usually have a 0.6 and 0.9 on me. A step further is charcoal however I'm not as experienced in that. Something I often do in case of smearing is lightly dabbing my finger on the art. This can work for many tools but I think a pencil smearing can just be annoying lol. How far you press can be very important too as going to hard can leave lines into the paper that will permanently be there and affect your art in case you wanna erase. I usually go light first then dark then work around. It's okay if it's messy at first if its light as that can be a lot easier to clean.

Paper. Paper is very important to me at least due to how much it can vary. For certain tools, I'd prefer certain types of paper. Always check texture and thickness before buying. Don't just buy random sketchbooks. I've regretted many times of getting paper far too thin or way too much texture.

Texture and thickness all depend on what you'll use on it. Thicker paper can handle wet bases like water, paint, or markers. While thinner paper is much better for pencil. As the more texture the more difficult it becomes to not make a mess of extra that might smear if you're not careful.

If you have thin paper and are using markers, make sure you know when is too much for the paper. It could tear or eat a hole in it if not careful. I don't think it depends on art supplies either. I just think it depends on skill and paper. Like, I would not use Crayola markers on printer paper. But I would on card stock since it's more likely to handle it. Speaking of card stock, it can be really good for just sketching. However I don't think it takes pencil very well depending on it's texture. Since most are usually kind of glossy on top.

Thin paper can also be great if you want to transfer a drawing over. Imagine a digital sketch that you draw over. Thin paper can be used in the same way so I'd never fear messing up when you can easily get it onto something else and start over. This applies to tracing it in digital.

Speaking of tracing, I would not be afraid of using it as a learning tool. I've used references but sometimes I cannot see exactly how to draw that. So I trace and see what it looks like on its own. I don't think using something traced in your final piece is practical or good. But I think learning and guiding yourself with it is an excellent thing and I want more young artists not to be afraid of it.

Poses and certain features can be quite difficult for some. I think the best way to build up on these is to break them down. Like making the person who is doing the pose into very simple shapes.

This like all off the top of my head. If you want to ask something specific like, painting for example, feel free and go ahead! Or need further elaboration I can certainly try!

My biggest art tip of all tho, is to have fun. Draw whatever you want. Make yourself feel happy and don't let others dictate what you do.

I think cringe culture really hurt a lot of learning and growing artists. People who just inserted themselves into stories, made strange aus. They all were just having fun. I let myself not show that I loved things just for others comfort and you know what fuck them!! So what if evil teletubbies is weird?? Why are you upset that I'm having fun!

Love what you love. Draw weird and strange things and never give up on yourself when you feel disappointed.

You will get there with your art. You will if you feel love and passion for the craft.

[tideswept]

Oh, oh! Made up title: The Midsummer Incident

This could go either very bad or very harmless in my mind lmao and I haven't decided which instinct would win out so I took my time but--I think I finally have a definitive answer.

And it's... a short story? (wait, wait, stop throwing rotten fruit, it's wasteful! your plants want it!)

"Why do houses bleed?" Morkie—whose name on her birth certificate is Helen Camilla Lynch, but who has a particular set of ideas about whether real names are meant to be used or hidden because she's obsessed with faeries—asks.

I continue buttering the bread. "What do you mean?"

My tone is only curious. No matter their advanced vocabulary, five-year-olds are five-year-olds. Combine that with a fertile imagination, and I'm used to just about anything coming out of my child's mouth. Last week, it had been the deeply philosophical question of whether Santa pays his elves.

(I told her I wasn't sure, and that we could write to him at the end of the year to inquire about his business practices to make sure everything was on the up and up.)

Her attention is on the toast, eagle-eyed that I might screw up the butter-to-bread ratio, which would then throw off the marmalade ratio. "Mr. Barbie's house bled last night."

My head cocks to the side to glance out the kitchen window at the squat house across the street from us. Replicas of Italian statues dot his yard, including an exquisite copy of David that the real estate agent had tried to block with her car when she'd been giving us a house tour, not realizing that my daughter had seen more artistic nudes than most art critics by this point.

Mr. Barbie—Mr. Barberio, but again, due to fairy law, real names were something to be protected—had not been the most pleasant neighbor when we'd moved in late in the spring, but he'd warmed up to us after he discovered I was an artist. Digital, but I had my fondness for charcoal and paper, which had convinced him I wasn't a complete barbarian out to stomp on all things beautiful and true.

He was a spry old man, cagey about his age, with a shock of snow-white hair maintained with the precision of a mathematician's formula, slicked back as if to show off what a full head of it he had.

My husband, who's had a widow's peak since he was Morkie's age, had ruefully rubbed his thinning hair and said, "If you leave me for him, I'll know why."

"Mmn." With a flourish of my wrist to indicate a job well done, I slide the buttered toast onto Morkie's plate. "I can't say saw it happening. What did it look like?"

Morkie takes a bite of her toast and bluntly says, "Like blood."

Alright. Point to the smartass. I pull the closest sketchbook to me—I kept at least one in every room, not out of pragmatism but because I lose them and encounter them again like old friends—and start roughing out the shape of Mr. Barberio's house. "Where? And—hey, no butter fingers."

Morkie looks at her butter-slick hand as if it's betrayed her and pulls it back to hover an inch over the sketch. "Here, and here," she explains, pointing at the two upper windows that face the road.

I dutifully shade in those windows. "Like this?"

"Like crying, mommy." Morkie chomps on her toast, sounding exasperated that I'm not picking up what she's laying down. God, I'm going to miss her when she starts kindergarten in a month. Sassy little beast.

"That's a bit sad, isn't it?" I prod gently, pencil unmoving. The sketch remains as it is, the two windows dark. "Did it make you feel sad?"

Morkie nods. She's finished with the bread and is now dragging her sippy cup to her mouth. She can drink just fine out of a glass; she just likes to vary it up with a classic every once in a while.

"When did you see it?"

"When I was sleeping." Morkie sees no issue with this.

Ah. "Like in a dream?"

"Nope," she says, popping the "p" definitively.

I'm weighing whether to say anything at all because not everything needs an explanation when the sirens, muffled by the closed windows, register.

We live in a quiet neighborhood, deep in a maze of residential streets that simply end rather than looping back into the arteries of the city. So any emergency services hauling ass with all lights on aren't simply passing through; this is their destination.

We watch silently as the ambulance stops in front of Mr. Barberio's house.

📚 [send me a made-up fic title and i’ll tell you what i would write to go with it;]

🍓 [quick jump to ask inbox]

[aloeanemonabee27]

I have a lot of things in mind, and because of that I tend to block not knowing of what to start over first. So, sorry for that. But I wanted to share a possible ASL au concept idea, randomly appearing out of nowhere when I'm supposed to finish some sketches. It won't be a long introduction like I said is a concept only, I'm not sure if I want to continue this unlike the others that I'm actually hyped about and want to introduce properly the day I get better at digital art. Also most of what I introduce is supposed to be drawings, but since my inspiration is spontaneous the only thing I have close to is writing and I have to before the idea dies.

Leaving the unnecessary explanation behind, this ASL au concept is a genderbend ASL trio being mythological beings. I've seen fanfiction on this idea, but they are in so little portions and the stories are either in indefinite hiatus or cancelled. The ambient is the same old One piece, pirates etc. exept that the ASL trio are mermaids. Elaborating a bit, Ace and Sabo are sirens while Luffy is a mermaid and this beings share some similarities but they are different. As everyone knows (or at least I remember) some mermaids are peaceful creatures, they are fun, loving and usually get along with most people ore creatures. Sirens however, are not, their nature is absolute hostile and unpredictable, some can be tranquil if no one gives them a reason to drown them in the deeps of the sea. Ace and Sabo (or in this case Ann and Sab) are traveler sirens who are always on the move, once in a while putting people in their place or merely just surviving. Luffy is a lone mermaid who is always close to the beaches of Dawn Island, specifically Fusha Village cause she doesn't have family or a home. She gets along with the people in the village, especially with Makino and the mayor. The villagers coexist with this happy and mischievous mermaid, it was basically an unspoken rule to protect Luffy from slave traffickers or greedy pirates and often have to remind Luffy to not get close to Goa kingdom in fear of what might happend to her. But Luffy can defend herself too and ain't afraid to throw hands, or tail. One day, the villagers warn to themselves to beware for apparent sirens that appeard in the close beach's, and of course warning Luffy about it cause it's no secret that sirens and mermaids don't get along. Of course, Luffy ended up meeting this two sirens, ending up doing the opposite of what she was supposed to, Luffy tried to befriend them and of course this two had no plans in doing so.

What Ann and Sab weren't prepared for was the persistence of this mermaid, or better yet her stubbornness, which turns tiring at some point. But the two sirens ended up hanging with the mermaid, who somehow wormed herself into their hearts, and started to acknowledge her. Ann and Sab learn alot of things about Luffy and Luffy of them, the two sirens became somewhat a family to Luffy knowing that she doesn't have a family and became sisters.

And that's all I have to share. I just can't stop thinking about mermaid Luffy and siren Ann and Sab. What do you think?

[daisy-dooodles]

About me :D

hi, hello! to start this blog off I think it would be nice to introduce myself a little, so here go a couple of basic questions about me...

What's your name? I go by Daisy in English (cause it's way cuter and easier than my original name in Polish lol and I really like flowers). But let's say my initials are MP, that's why I sign my artwork with it :D

What are your pronouns? She/Her

How old are you? I'm 22 years old, living that early 20s crisis lol

Do you have a degree in art? Nope, I went to uni for Romance Philology, cause I really enjoy languages, literature and different cultures too. But I've always liked art too as a side project!

So why this blog? Well, I don't really know what I want to do in life, so I decided to make this to start taking it more seriously as a possible actual job or just a way of having a place less chaotic than my insta to show the art I'm proud of sort of like a portfolio (and maybe even some behind the scenes I never shared...)

And what would you like to work in? I feel like a creative space would be cool. Maybe like editorial work, maybe designing stuff for books... idk, but I like the idea of being able to work on many different things instead of doing the same for years on end...

Do you do original art or fanart? Both. I have many ideas, sometimes I get obsessed with a show or something and want to try making fanart for it, but I have many original ideas too!

Is it traditional or digital art? Well, I enjoy both immensely. Because I sort of moved to Poland from Spain I don't have many of my supplies, so I'm resorting to digital more. I use the XP-Pen Deco 01 V2 tablet to draw. The program I use is Medibang Paint (and I am thinking of buying Clip Studio in the future when I have more resources at hand, cause I heard it's really good!) Unfortunately, my laptop is not great at colours, so I really like Medibang for letting me upload to the cloud and letting me deal with the colours on my phone :D (none of this is sponsored btw, I'm just sharing my experience)

How would you describe your art style? "I'm just trying" lol. I don't have one, I just try new and different things and supplies and programs as I feel like it. Many times it depends on what feeling I want the piece to have, so that makes me try and learn new techniques and I really enjoy doing that :D

Do you do commissions? Maybe a store? No, I don't. I'm not ready for something like that yet. Maybe down the line uploading stuff to pages like redbubble could be an option, I don't know much about how any of this works, I'll be figuring it out slowly

Can I message you? Please do, for anything! You wanna be mutuals and share with me silly posts or about a fandom we share? Go ahead! Do you need advice or vent to someone? DMs are open :D

What fandoms are you in? Well, I was in Sanders Sides for a long time, but I don't really go there anymore, maybe when we get more content I might just jump back in, though I still follow Thomas and check his content when I can cause I still enjoy it! I do enjoy figure skating and follow a bit on Yuzuru Hanyu, mostly Then we have my most recent fandoms I am kinda obsessed with: MDZS and BTS. Yeah, wild stuff. Have I drawn anything about them? Not yet really, I do have one MDZS sketch I'm working on, and a couple based on BTS songs, so maybe soon I'll share those here cause I feel quite proud of them so far :D I do enjoy many other series and films, but I don't think I'd be able to just list them cause it's so random. You can always ask if you need a friend to whom you get to be weird to, no judgement, we all be like that! I ranted about BTS to my bestie who knows basically nothing about them for almost a year now and they still love me nonetheless hahahah

(...yeah, so let's leave it at that for now, will update when new things pop in my head)

see you around 💜

[firewolf-pyro]

Episode eight: too deep to dive

Investigator Jones took his time to walk from the parking lot to his office. It had taken a while to re-contact the diving team they had paid to explore the pond and the texts he had been reading through from Henry and the rest of the team were disheartening. He paused at the intersection of the hall to briefly look down the hall where the cell holding the Dalek sat closed tight. With an irritated huff he turned to continue his way into the office space.

“It’s a no go, Jones.” Henry spoke while Jones continued on his way past the desks to his office. He paused again to glance at the empty desk before moving on.

“The device went too deep, even a submarine wouldn’t be able to make it down there.” Olesia explained. Jones stopped at the door to his office and looked back to the trio.

“Well now that makes it even more important we collect it. Why would a device like that vanish into the depths of the deepest part of the ocean, there has to be something amazing down there.” Jones started,

“We should brainstorm what we can do from here. It’s not like we can just - buy ourselves a submarine.” He grumbled in a sarcastic tone before vanishing into his office. His little group was already on thin ice with the main organization. He did not need to push into their finances even more than they already have.

“But we don’t need to purchase a submarine…” olesia mumbled to herself a long moment after the door to Jone’s office had closed. The round mark of a coffee stain on one of her blueprints from her mug reminded her of something. Someone who might be capable of helping the, without having to risk any other humans getting involved.

“We have something better than that in our custody.” She smirked before she looked around the room to all of the other members. None of them were paying her any mind so she took the chance to leave. She had made it to the hallway door before Kendra came up behind her with a curious smirk on her face.

“Going to talk to you Dalek boyfriend again?” Kendra asked bumping her side into Olesia’s.

“What?” Olesia spat in a flabbergasted sort of way. She could feel a slight blush cross her face before she shook off the insult. The both of them were walking to the Dalek’s cell again.

“I know I know, it’s just a phase.” Kendra giggled with a sigh. She rested her sketch pad under her arm while she watched Olesia hesitate to open the cell doors.

“That Dalek knows things about this device it refuses to talk to anyone here about. I was- going to go press it for more answers.” Olesia lied while her hand rested on the wall just besides the locking mechanism of the cell door. She was debating with herself if this would be worth while.

“Right, and I’m a bullfighter. Listen, agitating an already rage fueled alien over the theoretical uses of an ancient piece of technology is probably not going to get you anything more than a blaster ray through the chest.” Kendra scoffed not believing a word Olesia said. Neither of them were expecting the door to slide open just then. Olesia hadn’t entered in any of the codes nor her key yet there in front of them stood the casing of the blue Dalek. Without a single word between the three the door began to shut again though it slid shut quite a bit slower than it had opened.

“I… keep forgetting that Dalek’s can unlock digital locks faster than rats can chew through a man’s chest.” Olesia gaped before quickly opening the door again.

“Well that was a gruesome comparison.” Kendra mumbled quietly as she followed Olesia into the cell.

“Hello Blueton, were you planning on going somewhere?” Olesia asked as she approached the Dalek who was still backing up back into the same corner he had been resting in only a day or so before.

“….No?” The Dalek would respond looking behind the two at the heavy metal door behind them. The eyestalk then focused on Olesia soon after.

“Why have you returned?”

“Because it’s about time we get you out of this cell.” Olesia breathed finally. A nervous smile played on her lips. She could tell the Dalek was getting impatient sitting around in the cell so she thought if she played things right she could get it to help.

“You are continuing our agreement?” Blueton asked plainly, their eye stalk continuing to stair past her into the open hall behind her.

“Continuing? More like fulfilling! We’re so close, now we just need a bit more help from you.” Olesia grinned.

“Olesia- why are you talking to this thing like that? What did you agree with it about?” Kendra whispered to her. She was very concerned over the secrets being kept between these two. Olesia’s nervous energy seemed to leave her completely.

“Oh, right. Well- it was mostly an agreement to hold off on any violence until the weird technology has been collected and studied.” Olesia gestured idly to the Dalek as she explained.

“Mainly he agreed not to exterminate us all if we stayed quiet about its existence. In the meantime it will assist us in locating and studying this technology.” She continued, giving the Dalek a wink. The eye stalk seemed to blink for a moment as it looked from Olesia’s to Kendra then back again.

“Stay quiet about his existence? You mean like waving a big red flag at a group of Daleks going ‘over here, over here- your number one battle strategist is right here!’?” Kendra huffed as if it were a sort of threat.

“Exactly.” Olesia agreed.

“That is not what we agreed on. You are putting words in my translator.” Blueton stated in mild concern. The sudden noise from the armored being startled the two briefly.

“Ah- well, that’s what I believed our deal was.” Olesia pulled herself out of the startle, showing her bravery with a wide grin once again.

“As I said before, we have the coordinates but no way to actually reach the piece of technology. Seeing as you said we don’t need to reconstruct it to follow it to where it was leading, I was hoping you could go into more detail about that.” She prodded as the Dalek moved closer to the pair. Both of them seemed to be testing boundaries now. Kendra failed to keep herself still from the intimidation and took a quick step backwards towards the cell’s entrance.

“All of this detail. You have not even taken A piece from the device, yet you have so much detail.” The Dalek spoke about the blueprints Olesia had shown him before.

“What other technologies do you possess here?” They wondered. This was likely why they had begun to feel so impatient. There were many pieces of technology down here that likely drew its attention.

“Now that would be a Torchwood secret! My turn to play that card.” Olesia sniggered tapping the Dalek’s eyestalk. It pulled up away from the touch causing the armor to back up a moment.

“Come on, let’s make another deal.” She hummed.

The hours of talking afterwards had sent the Daleks' mind into another restless slumber the moment she had left. The urgency he was feeling reminded him of the warnings his underling had sent him after decades of being stuck within the asylum. It would be destroyed. The asylum, by the enemy of the Daleks of all people. They remembered the chaos. The Doctor was walking with their companion cautiously. Wriling up the inmates. Neither noticed the Dalek in full black that had followed them into the asylum. As they had worked to rescue one of their own, so too did the underlings aim to save one of their own. The chaos of the two rescues, the planned destruction of the asylum- the pressure the Blue Dalek felt as his own worked against the clock. It stuck with them even as they and their rescuer stared down at the imploding planet from miles away. Somehow this sense of pressure arose within them even now as they rested pressed up into the dark corner of a mere human’s cell.

[echojulietfoxtrot]

Artists, I'm totally down with all of this, but speaking as somebody who actively seeks out people to commission semi regularly, help us out to meet you half way!

Notes and Tips from a Client.

- Does your profile actually indicate you're an artist and that you're open to commissions? That might seem like a goofy question, but you would be absolutely amazed how many artists on here do not have any trace of that. (Several artists in these very notes don't!)

- If your slate's full rn, do you have a wait list? Can I tell? How does somebody get on it?

- Is your askbox open for enquiries? Have you checked it lately? Is there some way I can make a quick enquiry with you - and this is important- *without leaving Tumblr*? That extra layer of clicks makes a big difference.

- Is there a standard package of info requirements and material you want from a client to consider/work with them? Even a template? Your client may be in a different timezone or work schedule to you, so teasing this stuff out one message at a time can take foreeevvverr - try to make it clear in advance what you need to know so everything is said/asked in as few chess moves as possible.

- This will be a theme.

- Please, please don't expect people to just 💫DM you for info💫 about anything you already know they'll have to ask - that info should be just about impossible for them to miss. By the time they're DM'ing you, they should pretty much just be clarifying something they've read or pitching the particulars of this specific transaction. Everything they have to ask is one more little obstacle to contacting you at all.

- Do you have lots of diverse and easily found examples of your work? Have you tagged your work consistently and properly? Have you told me what what that tag is? Have you distinguished between Commissions and Personal/commercial stuff? Your style is probably great, but I need to know if it's my vibe! Again, several artists in these tags have not done this. I have no idea what kind of work you've done!

- Have you made it clear what you're capable or interested in working in, subject wise? For example, I look for artists I know can pull off f/f tv/movie fandom ship stuff, and female bodies and musculature, in relatively realistic proportions. Maybe you can do that! But if I can't see any indications of it, and all the stuff I find is m/m or OCs or D&D, I won't assume it and I probably won't cold call to find out.

- If you do LGBTQ+, furry, fetish, mecha etc - anything anyone else might not do, for any reason - make sure to say so. Again, try not to make people have to ask.

- Also, make it clear if you work in Spicy flavor or not, or what kinds of Spicy you will and won't. (And on a personal level, if you do, try not to draw those boobs so high, Tumblr)

- If somebody approaches you with stuff you can't or won't do just out of preference, is there someone else you can steer them to? The favor might just come right back around.

- Is there somewhere I can find your ballpark prices? I don't need to know to the penny, but I do need to know if my budget and your pricing are at least in the same orbit. At least tell me how many digits to expect. Just saying "It depends!" is a psychological brick wall for a would-be client; I promise you that "contact me to discuss pricing" without any indications of floor or ceiling will cost you work.

- Also I strongly suggest a two-chunk payment structure, with some upfront and some on completion. I personally prefer to pay the whole lot upfront where possible, but at least for your first commission with someone, getting part upfront is safest for you, and "the rest on completion" is reassuring for them.

- Consider different tiers if you haven't already. A 60 buck quickie sketch is 60 bucks you didn't have yesterday, and if you agree to post it, it's essentially an ad for you. But maybe I'll like it so much I'll ask you to go further with it, and stump up for a more developed version? If that's an option, it should be clear to me too.

- I strongly recommend having a look around at the all-in-one commission info sheets some folks put together, with pricing, payment, wills and won'ts, and FAQs and making one of your own, and then - and this is important - *pinning* it, or linking to it in your profile. It should smack folks in the face, they won't seek it out, and it should be like a used car ad, every fact or figure you can anticipate them wanting to know should be plain to see.

- And keep it, and your Tumblr, active and up to date. If your commission info sheet and your Tumblr hasn't been touched since 2012, I'll assume you're in space or dead. I will not check your Twitter or Patreon for signs of life.

- Reblog other artists, and actively engage and tag in fandoms/tags you have worked in and want to work in. Branch out into new subjects/fandoms/tags now and then just to experiment and broaden your footprint. Tumblr is a bunch of circles glued together, that's how you get out there. (And personally, I tend to find new artists through previous artists more often than via tags or Recommended feeds.)

- There is absolutely nothing wrong with reaching out to a high profile blog in a given sphere and asking for a shout out. They'll likely be more than happy to.

- Reblog yourself plenty, for the day and night crowd, weekends and weekdays etc. Gas yourself up a little, nobody minds. Add a few new comments about your process or something now and then, it's interesting. Try not to talk shit about your art, even just in jest - it's not good for you and it's kind of a bummer to onlookers. If something wasn't perfect, think and talk about what you learned from it.

- And don't go doxxing yourself or anything, but maybe give some idea of when and how you work on your art - it's probably not a great idea to commit to an ironclad timescale, but if your posts give a sense of how and when you fit the work into your life, people can have some sense of what to expect and be a little more understanding than they might be otherwise.

- Blaze it. If you're sure you can tune out the whiney clowns, Blaze it. Yes you'll get whinging edgelord nitwits in the comments, but you will also get seen by potentially interested folks who would never have stumbled over you otherwise, and they'll stick around when the other dummies are gone.

So you've been Commissioned.

- Keep in touch! Generally speaking, just staying in touch to say "Hey, this is still in the pipeline" now and then is plenty. Don't weird yourself out about it, don't psyche yourself out of getting in contact if it's been a while. Just message. It's cool! I don't mind waiting for the art itself, at all, but long periods of ghostly radio silence are disheartening. If you're art-blocked up the wazoo, it's nbd to say so. If you're taking a break to work on some personal stuff or casual no-pressure sketches, say so! Literally any contact at all is better than no contact. If nothing else, all you have to say is "Hey, just checking in. I have been making progress on your piece/I plan to get some work done on your piece today/this week/this month. Hope all is well!". Bam, done.

- Some would-be commissioner types like to have their shiny completed art piece revealed all in one go and kept all to themselves. Some (me) love to see WIP updates that they can reblog from you, so they have an extra chance to roll around in their fandoms and tags a little. Some artists don't like showing their WIP stuff publically though. All of that's fine - regardless though, make sure you're both on the same page about all of that, and what format and what channel they'll get their piece in, from Day 1.

- Let the client know if you'd be up for working with them again, or if you'd like x and y conditions if they want to work with you again, or if you're all done and you never want to see these damn characters or this bloody setting again. As a client, you can feel a bit weird about hitting the same talented creative up five times in a row for the same two blorbos in a situation, so it's a good idea to intercept that if it's not an issue for you.

Remember - commissioning something has the potential to feel a little like a weird awkward Tinder convo for money. As an artist... well, you're already an artist, but it’s in your interest as somebody who eats and uses electricity to make it obvious that working with you will be easy and hassle free for all involved. What can you do to ensure that, and signal it?

All the love to Art Tumblr. I'll come knocking on some of your doors again next time I have spare cash and a hankering for some more angsty Dani and Grace McTerminatorDarkFate stuff.

The only thing I need tumblr to do is to get like... cool with the idea you can hire people here to do commissions for you and to like.. consider monetary support for artists cuz one of the reasons and the biggest reason I moved to twitter in the first place is because people there buy my art. I make a living there doing art. And the vibe here is **we don't do that here** If you want artists to be here and do art you gotta be okay with the concept of artists trying to make money. I hate capitalism as much as the next person but I'm also 30 years old living with my fucking parents because I can't pay for a 1 bedroom apartment. Artists are not 'big business'. We're not Disney. We're just people trying to make a living or some money for groceries and shit.

[slimehatart]

Hello everyone!

Today's post will show you some of my earlier sketches where I tried planning out the meeting of a new addition to the party!

(original Tweet: "A couple of hand drawn doodles I wanted to draw digitally for the sake of doing a warm-up!

They are OCs of my story (that has had like six major arcs in my head now but none on paper lol). Click on the alt texts to learn more about them! Ah if you knew about them what I know....", August 20th, 2022)

So, as I told you last time, Liora leaves that prestigious guild, along with Victorine and Hertz (who would later be renamed to Sarim, so I'm going to call him that after this point). After some recollection, she is going to operate from Victorine's motel, trying to earn her own name with her own guild. It's just that... well, there are no members yet! There is Victorine who has no combat abilities at all, Liora who has avoided danger at all costs and Sarim who is trying to earn money in other, less harmful ways.

In the meantime, Miles, the Mii Brawler with the slime, joins the group. At this point of the story, I wasn't really sure how to let him join and at what point, but what I knew was that the first four members of the guild would be them. Someday, they find a letter in their mail. Some old guy from the other side of the town is asking all kinds of guilds for their support. His youngest daughter seems to have been possessed by a demon or something like that.

Liora, who thinks this seems like a pretty unserious mission, accepts in her desperation. She needs the money, after all. So she sends Miles to the old guy to get a first impression on the situation. There, he meets another guy who looks like a solitary adventurer. Turns out, the old guy didn't only send an invitation letter to Liora's guild, but put up a huuuge note on the community board hoping to get as much as help as possible to lift the curse on his daughter.

(Previously unreleased sketch of the old guy and his three daughters. July 23rd, 2021)

The old guy owns a medium sized pub or restaurant that he runs on a family business basis. He thinks his youngest daughter, who would serve the guests, caught a curse since and says she's getting more gruesome with each passing day. He claims it's been getting so bad his guests will not come visit anymore. His other daughters will happily bully the youngest sibling.

(original Tweet: "Daily practice piece. Feel like drawing (almost) daily makes my drawings look cleaner with each try, even if it's just sketches & flat colours.

I get a better grasp of how to draw my characters & the routine & drawing regularly makes my attempts & progress more efficient, I feel.", July 23rd, 2021)

However, the girl seems pretty fine, so the group is at a loss at first. After a day of spectating the girl and her family dynamic, Miles and the adventurer make their way back home. Liora comes to pick up Miles which is when she and the new guy are introduced, at last.

(Previously unreleased sketch of Liora and the new guy; Liora is dressed up as Rinoa Heartily from Final Fantasy VIII which was just a choice for the fun of it. July 23rd, 2021)

To be honest, I initially planned this mission as an opportunity to introduce the man who would be named Risebert to the main party. I was wondering how their paths might cross and I wanted to make sure that he, with is simp qualities, would make sense in a guild and missions setting, so having him attend the same mission as Miles made sense since the mission's objective was to lift a curse off a young maiden.

Clearly, I've drawn inspiration from the simp trope for Risebert's new reincarnation. He has been a reoccurring character ever since the earlier sketches. From originally being hedonistic he has changed to simp for a pretty long time. I have toned this quality down a bit because I think there's always a very thin line between funny and annoying / borderline harassing in the in-story universe such as seen with Sanji from One Piece. Don't get me wrong, Sanji is one of my favourite Strawhats, but the way his worst qualities are portrayed, especially after the time skip in Fishman Island, was very off-putting. It has become an even more prominent personality trait during that time because it was used as a running gag so frequently, but it has reached such heights that it started to affect the character in my opinion. Another great example for a flanderized simp character in such extent is Pokémon's Brock. I didn't want that for my character, to be honest.

In my newest iterations of the character, I plan Risebert to be significantly less simpy. There will be no or at least much less heart-eyes love jumps such as shown in the sketch above, and I want him to be more flirty and charming which I think is when Sanji, for example, is most brilliant at, too.

Also, besides the introduction of Risebert to the party, I wanted a simpler mission to kick-start the beginning of Liora's guild and establish the dynamics between guild members without having to concentrate on a complicated plot. I think I need to think up scenarios where single members are paired together to showcase their dynamics more. In my head, they're already chosen family to each other, but this is something only I know and find logical since I am the one who has been spending the last years with them and their evolution.

However, upon meeting Liora, Risebert seems to fall head over heels for her and takes an interest in the party. This goes so far that he will soon be a constant guest in Victorine's motel, too. The curse of the ugly sibling, however, turns out to be true in the end. It will be revealed that the girl does indeed have an aura of darkness around her which was a point in the story I brought up to introduce another key element in the story then - in the world of my story, people were originally going to be "cursed". By curse, I mean getting strange powers really, comparable to devil fruits, magic powers yada yada. It was a way to make sure the reader knew something was coming up with the curse thing, but I have dropped this concept in later stages of my planning.

There are still special powers involved, but they're implemented in another way. I still remember so clearly how Risebert was supposed to join the party in this arc, but I have other plans for him now! He also has his own motivations and goals and I think I will introduce him properly in another blog entry.

As always, it was very fun to cover yet another part of my story! I think as soon as I've caught up to the other Tweets and older art, I will try to create a timeline-post where I talk about the order of events that lead to what is going to be. But this is for another day. Thank you again for reading! I hope to be seeing you soon, again!

[sprinklebnuy]

Pinned Post!!💖

Click to read more about Star!! or the Artist behind him!!💖

Get to know the Artist: Hiii i’m a small town disabled queer and trans artist who has big dreams of one day writing and designing my own 80’s style inspired cartoon!! I absolutely adore older toys and collecting them and they influence my art and aesthetic highly💖 Although it might take me more time to do things i absolutely pour my being into every art piece, no matter if it’s just a sketch or full on painting!! So if one day you commission me know that my art is full of hard work and passion!! Another thing is i love to dabble in different art mediums but enjoy digital the most, so maybe expect some silly plushies or mini sculptures along with my digital works!! or Check out my Streams for chat and draw hangouts or gaming with my friends!!💖 and Maybe one day i’ll even have a silly stream about my collection that inspires me!!

Get to Know the Bnuy!! (Pngtuber/Character): Star is a fluffy pink bnuy (bunny) who’s originally from space, on a lil strawberry shaped planet. They love to draw and leave lil doodles wherever they go! They smell of strawberries and twinkle like stardust!! Star loves to get their paws on lots of yummy sprinkles and juicy starberry fruits!! (a specialty of their home world) This bnuy is soft spoken and kind and would love to make friends from all over the galaxy💖

And as a reminder!! on my page or streams I do not welcome bigotry or hate, so please keep that off and out of my chat and comments. I wish to keep my stuff friendly for minorities and give them and myself a safe place to express themselves and exist in peace, thank you

[clarktooncrossing]

HEY THERE PEOPLE OF TODAY AND ROBOTS OF TOMORROW! IT'S ME, CLARK! There is a madness deep in the dark catacombs of Castle Clarkenstein. For years these claustrophobic corridors have been the home of the ghoulish giraffe himself, watching as the world passes by. He prefers it this way. It gives him more time alone with the voices. The voices tell him many strange things. Yet they always come back to one: make more monsters! Everyday they tell him this. Everyday he is unable to comply. Hey, being a mad scientist on a budget means he can’t afford the fancy scientific equipment needed to breathe life into newborn abominations. Guy’s gotta afford pizza somehow. Luckily, he has discovered a way of sorts to please the voices. During all those years of watching, Dr. Clarkenstein noticed a particular pattern. Every night during October saw artists posting new pictures based on peculiar prompts. Many of them based on children of the night. While the spotted specter might not be able to craft new zombies, he can sure as heck sketch’m! As such, I provide this friendly warning to you all now: Be afraid. Few people can survive the horrors that are DUDELZ of the Damned!

By that I mean I decided to do my own take on Sketchtober this year just minus the prompts. Anybody gotta problem with that? Tough, cuz I already drew this crap so you might as well check it out.

Bumper is a mystery. Nobody knows when he died, how long ago the deed was done, or who did it. All we know now is that he is a child-like spirit who can only speak one word: Boo. Despite not knowing much about his own origin, the floating marshmallow is more than contempt with living an adventurous life with his family whenever not making new friends. However, one shouldn’t be caught assuming the friendly specter doesn’t have a dark side. It rarely comes out, but is a sight to behold nonetheless. Revealed only when the spirit is angry or agitated, the small spook becomes a hulking, haunting mass of fear! Gone are his pudgy digits in favor of sharp claws, his round, caring eyes swapped out for white, lifeless dots surrounded by a ghoulish gray, even his Boo becomes a deafening wail! For others this form proves frightening. For the Swamp Gang it’s a sign that the little ghostly goober needs a nap.

Just like this drawing needs an explanation! Back in 2017 I had sketched a ‘scary’ version of Bumper for no particular reason. Whether it was an idea for a story or just a random scribbling didn’t really matter, so the idea was left behind. That is until June of this year when the Dungeon Moron @burningthrucelluloid decided to pull the wool out from under me. During the Curse of Strahd campaign, Crocie managed to find his otherworldly companion within the titular blood sucker’s domicile. However, by then a week had passed and Strahd had gaslit the spirit into thinking the reptile had abandoned him. Why Bumper would believe that when the vampire was the one who torched his original body and held him hostage for all the time is anybody’s guess. Gaps in logic aside, the floating marshmallow transformed a dark, snarling, horrendous version of himself Alec referred to as 'Dark Bumper'. Making it all the more spookier was the fact that I hadn't shown him my sketch until after that session. It was after doing so I realized I shouldn't let a cool design go to waste, thus utilizing it for this DUDEL. Here’s hoping you all enjoy it and that Bumper is really just a double agent.

MAY THE GLASSES BE WITH YOU!

HAVING SAID ALL THAT: Two Bumper DUDELZ in a row? Jee Clark, I love the undead goober but don't you have other characters to draw? Yes, and I do plan on drawing more of them soon. However, do to prior art projects demanding my attention, there won't be any more DUDELZ for the next few days. This was the last one I had in the reserves, scheduled to be posted later on this month, but I didn't wanna leave you folks hanging. So here's one last DUDEL before we enter a temporary pause. 

[cherry-shipping]

OH WOW I TOTALLY FORGOT MY S/I ART PROJECTS HUH

[jankillbride]

[ID: three digital sketches of Kim Dokja holding Lee Gilyoung in various positions. In the left most sketch and the top right sketch, Lee Gilyoung is held in something like a princess carry. In the bottom right sketch, Lee Gilyoung is perched on one of Kim Dokja’s arms and the other arm is supporting him, as if he’s sitting on a chair. End ID]

true fact, i searched up “ben affleck.holding dog like sack of potatoes” to get this ref

this is just orv thoughts since i’m reading it for the first time and the tags maxed out on me :( so i’m moving all my predictions and whatnot here. it does exist in my annotations but i want to group them together. if you decide to read pls don’t give spoilers, i only just finished ch 50.

absolutely would die for gilyoung. each time kim dokja goes ‘this kid is cute’ i’m like yes he absolutely is. also wish i started a counter for how many times he pats gilyoung’s head/strokes his hair cause that man is fond.

also i wrote a fic where people were like. comparing one aspect to it to orv and now that i’m getting deeper into yoo joonghyuk (ish) i can’t wait for this man to go through agonies

it’d be interesting if a regression did happen and then we’d get kdj’s narration as it was in the beginning of the novel, though yjh would act differently cause he’s interested in this new prophet. also he did try to recruit gilyoung at a point, and gilyoung might’ve said yes if there was no dokja. so.

also let’s talk about bugs. because in the beginning humans were compared to insects. and that puts me in mind of the three body problem. but more relevantly, gilyoung’s ability is with bugs, and gilyoung is most definitely supposed to at least be a parallel to dokja. so it’s very inch resting

also the re-occurance of a maternal-son relationship. (maternal as in someone is fulfilling that role somehow) and how deficiencies in that have different outcomes. there’s gilyoung and the woman on the train, dokja and his mother, the mother and child at that one place where she encouraged her child to kill (i actually forget if the child was a boy but i think so), and jung heewon with her slightly younger brother (she had to fulfill the parental role (at least she had to force him to go to school) when her mother didn’t do that).

secretive plotter. so i think that they’re either a young yoo joonghyuk or some version of him. i used to think it was young/alt version of dokja partially cause he’s a reader and secretive plotter. but my friend who knows the ending said it wasn’t him. there is an author character though, so maybe it’s a version of her? or wait, one slight spoiler i know is that she was the original writer but dokja thinks she plagiarized off of someone else, and that someone else could be secretive plotter. which would make more sense considering all the scenarios follow ways of survival and so some outside force should be enacting this.

i think dokja might become a constellation in the end. i know people are conflicted about the ending and kdj possibly ends up separated from everyone but it’s happy for him? anyways becoming a constellation would lead to that. and becoming a constellation would mean he has the power to remain a ‘reader’ if he chooses, by watching the streams. but at the same time he can choose not to. he can no longer participate in this story. he can leave the narrative and i think that’s nice. it’s also part of the reason that i thought he could be secretive plotter, since there’s the potential for him to become a constellation, and perhaps in a parallel universe, a young dokja lives through ways of survival and watches orv dokja to see how he would’ve been in another world, had he had the chance to grow up and know what the apocalypse would be like. it would also serve as an additional parallel or foil to gilyoung because gilyoung doesn’t have the choice to grow up in a non apocalyptic world

[natequarter]

i want to start writing image ids for art, but i dont know which details to keep in or leave out. should i describe the style? if it's fanart, should i describe the characters' appearances, or is saying their names and what they're doing enough?

here's a good post for image descriptions! a few basic tips:

you probably don't need to describe their appearances unless they're drawn differently to in canon (e.g. a white person drawn brown), although describing their clothing is generally useful

don't describe the style beyond basic stuff like 'charcoal sketch' or 'uncoloured digital painting'

id stands for image description, so you can just say id, not image id (which would equal 'image image description')

don't put image descriptions below cuts, in italics or small text; don't put them in indented, loopy or coloured text. some people who need ids need help understanding the specifics of the image, and they can't do that if the text is illegible

basically don't put ids in fancy text, no matter how tempting it is

don't waste entire paragraphs describing one small aspect of an image; conversely, try and cover more than just basic details

don't use meme language or jokes when describing an image

ultimately, a bad id is better than no id - you might not have described every single aspect of the image perfectly, but you've still made it more accessible

feel free to ask for more help, and good luck!

[ink-the-artist]

hey Ink! not here to ask you about art you didn't make this time, lol.

I finally did some experimenting with my colored pencils using some of your tips & tricks, and what I did looks pretty cool but HOO BOY did I underestimate how long it would take lmao. I only did like 2 little drawings, no backgrounds, and I started getting frustrated at it taking so long despite having fun doing it.

doing stuff like this will obviously take more time than what I usually do and I feel a bit silly for not realizing that lol. anyway, I was wondering if you had any tips for not getting frustrated, bored, or burned out? there's probably some basic stuff like "take breaks" but I figured I'd ask just in case you had other advice, lol. and maybe I'll be able to build up some drawing stamina too since I don't usually work on the same thing for long.

thanks for making those tutorials/guides btw! the thing about going over your sketch in a color and then erasing the graphite is really neat! fun to try and do more of a lineless style. :)

Oh man yeah, the time it takes to finish something was pretty much the reason I used to not like colored pencil at all for a while and part of what got me past that was just, starting to use less space on a paper. which sounds pretty obvious but my previous experience with colored pencil was having to use it on these big sheets of paper in my art classes and that was TEDIOUS (Ik this is also the reason so many people hate cross-hatching, because they only ever did it on big surfaces when taught it in an art class and they dont realize its not nearly so tedious if you shrink the surface down a bunch) Ik you mentioned that your drawings are little but you could try something even smaller and see if it helps, colored pencil is v good for detailed art so even a smaller drawing can look nice

also what I find most tedious in using colored pencil now is not how long it takes but whenever there's a lot of really boring coloring to do, like if there's a big space thats just one solid color that feels way more tedious to fill in than a space full of detail with different colors and shading etc, even though the second one takes longer. for me at least when the coloring isn't boring I actually enjoy taking the time and getting lost in the details

Try see if whatever you're drawing is actually best to do in colored pencil. if you're doing something with lots of flat color it might not look very different from if you used marker or colored it digitally, and you end up spending more time on it without getting any of the benefits of colored pencil in the end result. and similarly you could see if what you're drawing is best to do ONLY in colored pencil! you can color something with marker or watercolor first and then add all the texture and detail later in colored pencil. this usually really speeds things up and can be especially helpful if you're already comfortable with a different medium that you can just add colored pencil on top of

ok last thing is there's a LOT of different styles and ways of using colored pencil out there and some take much more or much less time than others. most of my colored pencil works posted here are done in a realism style that's more time consuming but some like the more colorful creature art (like Creature Activities or Leaving Milk Out For The Neighbors) have a style that take way less time. I def recommend looking at other artists who use colored pencil and seeing how they go about it because there's lots of different ways to do it! I don't know too many other artists that use a lot of colored pencil but one I really like is @hannahlockillustration ! if anyone else has any recommendations pls comment them

[cheri-translates]

[CN] S2 Gavin - The Stories Project

🍒 Warning: Detailed spoilers for content not yet released in EN!🍒

Trigger warning: Mentions of suicide

Features S2 Gavin but contains no spoilers regarding the S2 storyline

This is a continuation of The Broadcast Countdown Project. Do read that first!

[ This was released on 25 August 2021 ]

[ Chapter One ]

Gavin and I are standing outside Door 501 of the 7th block in Pavilion Village.

This is also the home of Zhang Nian, the kidnapper who handed me an anonymous letter in the TV station before eventually committing suicide.

A thorough investigation of the case involving the anonymous kidnapper and his suicide has ended. The STF has also removed the cordoning around the scene.

I liaised with the TV station, planning to showcase the incident from start to end in a special episode of the show which will be aired in the last episode of “Inquiries”.

Gavin: This used to be a crime scene. If you’re afraid, wait for me here. If you need any materials, I can head inside and find them for you.

MC: It’s okay, I don’t avoid such things... Also, I have a feeling that there’s definitely something behind this case worth seeing in person.

The husband and wife who were kidnapped had related the details to me, and mentioned that even though Zhang Nian had kidnapped them, they weren’t treated harshly at all.

It’s just that Zhang Nian was deaf and couldn't speak. He could only communicate with them with hems and haws, which ended up frightening them.

In hindsight, they realised that Zhang Nian never harboured malicious intentions towards them.

MC: What was Zhang Nian’s goal and what did he want to tell us? The answers to these riddles... they might be hidden here.

Gavin pushes the door open, and we step into Zhang Nian’s house.

Gavin: This place was sealed off since the incident, which is why the arrangement of furniture we’re looking at is the same as when he was still alive.

In contrast to the dim and cold space I had imagined, the living room is well lit.

The cream coloured wood flooring, a white cloth sofa, a simple wall painting of the ocean... all of these elements set off one another in the indolent afternoon sunlight, displaying a warm atmosphere. 

MC: This place gives me such a strange feeling... the person who lived here must have really loved life...

Gavin: His fiancée decorated this place.

Gavin taps on a magnet on the refrigerator. Tiny colourful slips of paper are stuck underneath zebra, bunny, and elephant magnets. 

“Special discount for wax gourds on Tuesday, special discount for pork ribs on Thursday.” - It’s as though the weekly booklet of discounts from the supermarket had been copied down.

“Invitation cards, wedding dress, decide on the hotel.” - The ring which had rolled onto the zebra crossing in the news immediately flashes across my mind.

Aside from that, they have simple recipes on them.

MC: What a pity. If that incident didn’t happen, they would have had a perfect life here.

Gavin: All the furnishings and decor came to a halt when the incident happened to Xu Wen. He did everything he could to retain traces of her existence. As for his own life...

Gavin opens the refrigerator, showing me that it’s more or less empty aside from condiments which had been used a few times. 

White cold mist hover in the empty space, out of sync with the warm tones in the living room.

Gavin: This too.

He opens a wall cabinet to reveal a few boxes of ordinary flavoured cup noodles. The incandescent light in the cabinet is chilly, shining on plastic film surrounding the cup noodles.

Imagining the taste of cup noodles submerged in MSG, I once again turn towards the recipes stuck on the refrigerator.

Gavin shuts the cabinet, then points at the bedroom.

Gavin: MC, I want to show you something.

-

[ Chapter Two ]

Gavin: During the investigation, we found these.

Gavin guides me to the bookcase, then pulls open a drawer at the bottom.

MC: A disability ID, marriage certificate, graduation certificate, guarantee card for a hearing aid and a bank book...

Gavin: We checked his background. He grew up in an orphanage. 

Gavin: Back then, the orphanage didn’t have adequate facilities, and didn’t have teachers or special medical setups for guiding people with hearing issues. He was always reclusive in the orphanage, and didn't have friends. 

Gavin: When he was ten years old, people from the orphanage and community sent him to school.

While saying this, Gavin retrieves a pile of books from the drawer and shows them to me - they are all sketchbooks, and the pages have long since turned yellow. It’s evident that they were here for a very long time.

MC: He can draw?

Gavin: In these books, there are some sketches of streets and still life. Some are comics modelled after existing works. Although I don’t know much about art, I think he could draw pretty well.

While flipping through the pages, I find myself affected by the exquisite details conveyed in these drawings.

Perhaps because he didn’t go through systematic training, he wasn’t limited to one style in the way he expressed his art.

A distinct and unique style leaving a deep impression seems to break through the sheets of paper, revealing the emotions the artist had hidden in his heart.

MC: ...he must have been a really talented artist. 

Gavin points at the wall - there’s a sketch hanging on it. It takes up almost half of the wall, and it’s mounted in a white frame.

MC: The person in the drawing is Xu Wen.

MC: ...it’s drawn really well.

Gavin releases a “mm”, and is unable to hold back a sigh.

Gavin: Extraordinarily well.

It doesn’t matter if it resembles the actual person. It doesn’t matter if it was meticulous or not. 

The person in the drawing has her eyes curved upwards with a smile on her face, and she looks like any other young girl you can find in a crowd.

But the limitless gentleness and happiness contained in her eyes - that’s a unique feature belonging only to one person.

Gavin: They seemed to be schoolmates. I read through Xu Wen’s background - she graduated from the same school for deaf students. But there weren't any questionable points in this case, which is why we didn’t probe further. If you want to know the specifics, we'd have to investigate again.

My heart hovers in the air, wanting to figure out everything about this matter.

But from the STF’s perspective, this case is already closed...

Gavin gives me an affirmative gaze.

Gavin: I know what you're going to say. I want to continue listening to this story too. He wasn’t able to speak, but he left behind a voice that he hoped for others to hear.

After a pause, he turns his head, once again glancing at the drawing hanging on the wall.

Gavin: I can feel such emotions.

Gavin says this softly, and the light in his eyes grow deeper.

Floating dust in the surroundings gather on Xu Wen's portrait. We stand in this warm and tranquil space, as though we can sense their story surging forth without a sound.

-

[ Chapter Three ]

After this, Gavin and I gather information about Zhang Nian and Xu Wen from various sources.

A few days alter, we arrange to meet at a cafe to exchange materials collected from our individual investigations.

MC: I found the teacher from the school for deaf students. He said that when Zhang Nian first arrived at the school, he didn’t even know how to use sign language. He was gloomy and blue. 

MC: Only Xu Wen knew how to converse with him, and would teach him sign language after school. 

MC: After learning of his interest in drawing, she used her pocket money to buy him colouring pencils and drawing paper in secret without her parents’ knowledge. 

MC: They had a pretty happy time in school. Zhang Nian even organised a small exhibition in school, and many teachers and students supported it. 

MC: But after graduation, his days became a little more difficult.

He didn’t have a place to stay, and he couldn’t find work. While Xu Wen could rely on her parents for financial assistance, he could only rely on himself. 

MC: During this time, Xu Wen seemed to have been using her parents’ money to buy him stationery for drawing, and even accompanied him to set up a stall for his paintings...

MC: But they couldn’t earn money at all.

Gavin opens a few files in front of me.

Gavin: Afterwards, he found a job in a finance company. He went around conducting financial transactions for people, and earned commissions based on the number of successful transactions.

Gavin: Not long after, this company was reported for illegal fund-raising. Both he and his boss were jailed for three years.

I recall seeing his ID from before - a crew cut and a white shirt along with a black suit which looked tidy and fitting.

Turns out he wasn’t working at a bank...

Gavin: Even during his time in jail, Xu Wen never gave up on him. She’d visit him every weekend and converse with him via sign language from across the glass.

Gavin: Of course, Zhang Nian behaved very well in jail, and gave his own drawings to many prison guards. After he was out of jail, he found a stable job.

Separated by the scorching 3pm afternoon sunlight, the gaze Gavin gives me is deep with a tranquil light.

Gavin: Do you know why he planned this kidnapping and handed you the video clip anonymously?

I shake my head. This has been my biggest question.

Gavin takes out a few photographs from the file.

Gavin: Before the case was closed, these documents couldn’t be disclosed to the public, which is why I didn’t tell you at the time.

I scrutinise one of the photographs - an A3-sized sheet of paper is stuck on a door, with a few lines written on it.

From the format of the digits, they appear to be bank account numbers.

Gavin: He was behind this door.

MC: Then these bank account numbers...

Gavin: We checked them.

He points at the first line of digits, then speaks calmly.

Gavin: The first account is for an animal treatment centre. It treats stray cats and dogs which meet with accidents. 

Gavin: This one is for a 10 year old girl with hearing issues. She lives with a granny who sells fruits, and is currently saving money for surgery.

Gavin: The both of them had a habit of sending money to these accounts.

Gavin: Even though Zhang Nian continued sending money to them after Xu Wen passed away, he could only maintain his own livelihood with his income.

MC: What you’re saying is, if the video camera could capture this... and document them properly so that more people would know about them...

Perhaps he could help these people. Even if it was for the last time.

MC: ...but that was such a complex method. There was no need to do a good deed in such a roundabout manner, and even kidnap people to reach that goal.

Gavin silently picks up one of the photos from the table - it’s a note that Zhang Nian wrote before he committed suicide. A short message is written on it - It’s Wen Wen’s birthday today.

Gavin: Aside from that, he more or less did think of seeking revenge.

Gavin’s finger remains on the photograph.

Gavin: In Zhang Nian’s life, Xu Wen was the only one who gave him warmth. She was his lover. 

Gavin: After losing such a person, it isn’t difficult to guess what kind of an attitude he had when facing this world, and facing the people who caused such an ending.

Gavin: When people are in pain, their hatred will involuntarily become amplified.

Gavin: From this perspective, at least he didn't take things even further.

Gavin’s voice is dull, as though he’s mulling over something, or affected by their misfortune.

I can’t help but reach across the table, gently bumping the tip of his finger with mine. 

Silence permeates the air. He curls his finger slightly, hooking it around mine.

-

[ Chapter Four ]

The files, photographs, and a few scattered pages of a notebook are spread on the table randomly, as though illustrating their entire story in front of me.

The car accident was a tragedy, but it wasn’t the only tragedy. I find myself hesitating to speak. When I open my mouth, I sigh.

MC: Xu Wen was such a good person. She tugged onto him from beginning to end, and never gave up on him for a single moment. She actually managed to pull him out of the abyss.

Even though she couldn’t hear nor speak, she used her gentle gaze to heal the person she loved.

Gavin tidies the items on the table one by one, storing them properly.

His composed voice is mixed with ruefulness. He seems to be slightly moved, but has more or less come to terms with his emotions.

Gavin: From the perspective of an observer, there were many dismal and extreme traits in Zhang Nian’s personality. This is a point that can’t be denied.

Gavin: However, he was abandoned from the moment he was born. The path he walked on all these years, and the world that he saw - those are things we’d find difficult to relate with.

Gavin: Perhaps from the time he knew about the world, he realised that living was already something requiring courage.

Probably seeing such stories again and again when handling various cases, Gavin’s attitude is objective and calm.

Gavin: No matter what attitude he had when he made this decision, he shouldn’t have done so.

In contrast to the practised manner in which Gavin handles his emotions, I remain immersed in the regretful ending experienced by the two.

MC: Aside from her, he had nothing else.

The furniture, the recipes underneath the magnets, and the drawing hung on the wall... these images flash past me one by one.

MC: If I were the one who experienced this, and the only important person in my life was gone, I’d lose my connection with this world. Perhaps death would be a form of liberation.

Before I can finish speaking, Gavin raises his voice, cutting off my impending sigh.

Gavin: It wouldn’t.

He looks at me resolutely and decisively.

Gavin: No matter when, death will never be a form of liberation. Pain can always be treated. 

Gavin: Whether it’s because someone important is no longer around, or if you were to lose contact with someone, it’s inevitable to carry some pain.

Gavin: Perhaps time is needed, and perhaps meeting a certain someone is needed, to gradually put an end to such pain, and to use various methods to put an end to such pain.

Gavin: But things will always get better.

Gavin seals the brown paper bag which is filled with materials related to Zhang Nian and Xu Wen, then places it at the corner of the table which has been warmed by the sun.

I watch as his palm presses against the paper bag, a moment of hesitation surging past his slightly lowered gaze. Almost at the same time, he looks up at me -

There’s only certainty in his eyes.

Gavin: No matter when, never give up on yourself. Xu Wen was constantly pulling him out of the abyss. He shouldn’t have given up like that.

-

[ Chapter Five ]

By the time Gavin and I walk out of the cafe, much of the sun’s heat has dispersed. Wind blows over from the river, and it’s refreshing and soothing.

Countless little flowers with names I’m unaware of bloom among the grass along the street, swaying in the evening breeze of midsummer.

MC: The weather is really nice today.

After sitting down for an entire afternoon, I can’t help but stretch, relaxing my shoulders and back.

Before I can take a few steps, I suddenly remember the moment I met Zhang Nian face-to-face, causing me to halt in my footsteps. He had walked towards me in a timid manner, a sincere and apologetic expression on his face.

He had handed me a letter, its edges creased from being pinched. Then, he turned away hurriedly before running away.

Too much time has passed. Even his Evol has lost its effectiveness.

Gavin senses that something is off about me, and draws a few steps closer. I wave my hand at him, signalling that I’m fine.

Having second thoughts, I can’t help but sigh with emotion.

MC: If only Zhang Nian was willing to contact me earlier and tell me about what exactly happened...

MC: If only I could tell him how nice today’s weather is. I wonder if he’d have made such a decision.

Gavin responds decisively from beside me.

Gavin: He wouldn’t. 

Gavin: If someone told him that the weather would be nice today, he’d have definitely held on for a while longer.

Gavin: But he couldn’t always wait for someone to pull him along and bring him out of the abyss. He had to muster his courage and walk out by himself.

I nod quietly, gripping the notebook in my hand. 

MC: Gavin, aside from the original plan for this episode, I think I’d need to add some new content...

Gavin halts in his footsteps, immediately reading the thoughts in my heart.

Gavin: Are you thinking about how there are many people in the world like Zhang Nian?

MC: Mm.

There are definitely some people who are shouldering pain alone, and are hesitating at the crossroads of life and death.

MC: Although this tragedy can no longer be salvaged, we could prevent even more tragedies from occurring.

I turn towards the direction of the river, looking afar at the boundless sky.

MC: I want to tell them about the beautiful scenery all around the world, and the beauty of the four seasons.

MC: Tell them about the colours of sunset, the sounds of the ocean...

MC: And tell them that as long as they’re willing to wait for a while longer, there are still people on earth who will love them.

MC: I want their eyes to be able to see the world that I see. I want them to believe that this world is always worth it.

Realising how overly idealistic and visionary my words are, I give Gavin a smile.

MC: ...I might have sounded too exaggerated.

Gavin: Nope. It will be a very meaningful show.

He suddenly reaches out, combing my hair which has been blown messy by the wind. His fingers linger on the ends of my hair for a long time.

The corners of his lips curl upwards slightly, and he brings me into his arms.

Gavin: Thank you.

Gavin: This world is always worth it.

His voice is far too soft. For a moment, I wonder if I misheard.

MC: What did you say? I couldn’t hear you clearly.

Gavin chuckles, then raises his volume.

Gavin: Since the weather’s pretty good, want to go for a drive?

MC: Did you drive here today?

Gavin: Mm. It’s rare to have such nice weather, so I took the car out for a drive.

MC: Wow~ That is rare. It’s been such a long time since I sat in Captain Gavin’s car.

Gavin takes my hand, striding with large steps as he leads me forward.

Gavin: Let’s go. The car’s in front.

- End -

Filming for the special episode of “Inquries” came to an end. When the final episode aired, the show became a trending topic. After watching it, many members of the audience provided assistance and support for organisations targeted at disabled individuals. Although Zhang Nian and Xu Wen have already left this world, they’ve enabled people who experience difficulties in life to obtain warmth. Such warmth continues to last. I guess being able to allow more people to believe that the world is worth loving, and to do what little they can to help those in need is what it means to be a person in the media industry.

More S2 content: here