#i need to get better at coloring orz

[zrllosyn-art]

Pocket hoshinyas! From this morning but colored in a lil bit (th idea is mainly from th kn8 discord, thank u all for fueling this lmao)

[hapfish]

Hey! I'm making a F!Leo cosplay and I was wondering if you have any advice for how to do the shell? The plastron, specifically. Yours was amazing! Ty xx

Yeah of course!!! Luckily the rise plastrons are very geometric so its pretty easy to make a pattern from it! I dont have pictures of early steps so pls bear with me <3 info n pictures below the cut

First thing i did was make a pattern of my torso with plastic wrap and tape so i could see the curve of my stomach and chest. Cant say this helped a TON, but i cant imagine things in my head, so it helped me conceptualize the size and dimensions i would need the front panels to be to cover my torso.

Next i started sketching small patterns for what the cut outs may look like. DEFINITELY make a paper pattern, this took a lot of trial and error and you dont want to waste too much foam. I cannot for the life of me find my paper patterns unfortunately, but hopefully you can see part of where im coming from with the detailed pictures of the plastron!! I made patters for 1/2 of the plastron, and flipped the patters over to make the other half mirrored and symetrical.

Now the cutting. I used .7mm foam (i think?? I got it from micheals. Joann fabrics has some but only small sheets. If you want less seams you should get the bigger ones, or buy massive sheets online. EVA foam isnt too hard to find, but make sure your density and width is appropriate for what youre making. When actually cutting the pieces out, some cuts will be flat while others may work best at an angle. I used mostly 90* and 45* angles to make clean edges and corners.

Bear with me bc the pictures in this next part are kinda uglie </3 ill explain why later.

For matching the curve of the body, i used a fresh blade and made shallow triangle cuts on the backside of the foam as can be seen here:

It would have worked better if the chest pieces were also vurved by i was on a time crunch and didnt have the time to make a 3rd or fourth plastron (yes this was a second fully completed attempt orz). Im also a bigger dude so it may be easier if your torso is smaller. I also had the benefit of making my pants from scratch (using a demon slayer uniform pattern that i altered) so i made the waistband big enough to tuck the shell into, which helped with keeping it curved around my body.

(This but only applies to future leo and i did post gluing the pieces together, but for his Top Surgery Scars™️ i cut into the chest at a 45*angle, then glued those pieces back onto the back side to seal the cut)

For gluing, i tried a whole lot of types but jothing worked as well as cement glue. It is toxic tho so make sure you do it outside or with good ventilation, and wear gloves/a mask. I did two layers on each edge then stuck the edges together, 3 if i noticed the foam absorbing it to much. Make sure you take the gluing slow and really put pressure on the pieces to lock them together. Follow the instructions and youll do fine.

For painting, i did 2 layers of modge podge, 1-2 priming layers (depends on if foam is white or black to start), and then whatever layers you need for a smooth coat of color. I topped it off with modgepodge again to seal it, but that may not have been the best idea for the following reasons....

EW YUCK. WHY IT LOOK LIKE THAT.

Well. It didnt always. Turns out when youre wearing approx 3 laters in the summer then cover your body with insulating foam, the heat and moisture makes the modgepodge MELT. and like i said before, this bottom portion was tucked into my pants so it did not breathe. I have yet to even try to find a solution but just keep it in mind when making your cosplay (and if you find a solution PLEASE LET ME KNOW! My one idea was tryna find a sealant that wont melt (obv) but idk what that would be)

And FINALLY. how to secure it to the body suit!! I used snaps!! So easy and nice (besides the melting issue but thats a different thing entirely.) They never came off or gave me problems (minus the melting) and made the shells easy to transfer/travel with and put on.

(Heres a pic of them on the suit sewn in by hand, and above you can see them on the shell itself.)

All in all, The plastron was so so hard and im honestly still not happy with it, planning to remake it before i wear him again. Please show me your cosplay when you finish it, id love to see!! Please lemme know if you have any other questions!! 🐢💙

[nabaath-areng]

People I want to get to know better

(Was tagged by @semper-miles and @sealrock, thank you! ♡)

Last Song: 'Fat Fetishism' with The Piass (don't look up without lowering your volume first just in case LOL) (Random tangent but seeing them live will forever be one of the best things I've ever experienced... I need to frame the stickers I put together on my old calendar cover. Honestly I'd love it if I ever got another chance to watch them perform, seeing that they've only done lives since the one I went to back in... oh my god 2012 what IS time—)

Favorite Color: Pinks, preferably light and pastel though I do love hot/neon pink too. Other people usually expect it to be black considering the way I've always dressed IRL (which is to various extents reflected in my OCs), and I do like black! But what I like to put on myself vs what I like to surround myself with (like my room, personal belongings, everyday items etc) differs and therefore I'm overwhelmingly surrounded by pink lol

Currently Watching: ... Honestly I tried to start multiple things many months ago but my ADHD makes watching anything an actual nightmare and if I finish a whole series, especially if it's long? You can bet that I'll barely remember anything orz So I guess in order for me to answer the question should be "what's the last thing you tried to watch" which would be Heavenly Delusion (hoping to finish it but I can only watch things properly in my gf's direct presence and we're long distance sooo...) (Though last year something possessed me and I watched the entire SVSSS donghua start to finish several episodes in a row without losing focus even once and I'm still riding that high. I suppose it helped that I'd already read the whole novel lol)

Last Movie: Movies are a bit easier for me (due to them having a very clear cut run time for me to mentally prepare for beforehand) but they're still subject to the same problems as the previous question... and I think the last one I watched was Ghibli's Castle in the Sky about a year ago or so (my favorite movie also)

Sweet/Spicy/Savory: Love all three, could never pick just one!!!! And for that matter, LOVE sour.

Relationship Status: In a relationship with @amberwound !!!!

Current Obsessions: My new desktop and the fact that I can have more than one game installed at a time on it. I've also been stuck in HSR cause something about the combat just scratches my brain in a way I can't explain...

Last Thing in my Search History: 'Svenskt lejon' to show friend lmao

Tagging: @fourfoldfires @amberwound @captainqster @ahollowgrave @mythandral @witcherbatard @apheliondusk @yloiseconeillants @tsupertsundere @draculas-husband @neoma-eltanin @ffxivtribehydrae @tinolqa @magicalyams @unfotp @cytherae-rubin (I bet more than half of these won't actually get properly tagged with no way to correct it cause this always happens when I tag people and this website might just hate me--)

+ anyone else who wants to! Consider yourself tagged by me!

[grief-worn]

munday: getting to know you ! ! !

Respond to the following prompts out of character, then tag others you'd like to get to know a little bit better!

ROLEPLAYER NAME: addi, or sometimes i go by glacier.

ROLEPLAYER PRONOUNS: they/them.

MUSE NAME: on this blog; shadowheart.

PREFERRED COMMUNICATION: gay hand-holding and parallel play. alternatively; here on tumblr (asks/dms/etc) or on discord if we're friends/good mutuals!

EXPERIENCE: i think my very first roleplay was on gmail chat, pfft. but i also did stuff on deviantart, IRC chatrooms, forums, skype/discord, and this one roleplay site i will not name because it's genuinely awful. (no it's not f-list). i have pretty limited experience writing on tumblr. just recently got back into it here after having a kinda meh experience in the resident evil fandom.

PREFERRED ROLEPLAY TYPE: not sure if this means like ... 3rd person? or like ... paragraph length? or what, but i'm open to pretty much anything! i'm super open-minded. i don't even dislike the infamous 1st person writing style, as someone who hungrily consumes reader insert fanfics.

PET PEEVES AND DEAL-BREAKERS: kind of a hard one to answer, but here's what i can think of off the top of my head:

guilt by association: dealt with a bit of this in another fandom. just because i'm writing with someone doesn't mean i'm aware of their issues. curate who you follow and what you see on your dash for sure, i will always understand quietly blocking to maintain your own peace, but i've gotten mixed up in some weird stuff just because i ended up writing with the wrong person.

heavy formatting: this isn't like, that big of a deal-breaker, i just specifically have poor eyesight and difficulty reading/processing words if there's a bunch of different fonts, and font sizes, and colors, and whatnot. definitely might be something i ask people to tone down, but it doesn't really make me mad haha.

soft blocking instead of hard blocking: i'm pretty stupid. please make it obvious if you don't wanna interact anymore! otherwise i won't realize and i'll probably accidentally make it worse orz.

vagueposting/sub-tweeting: that stuff is kinda mean and weird. i don't like seeing it!

PLOTS OR MEMES: either one is awesome, but they both definitely have their contextual uses! sometimes a bit of talking beforehand is nice, sometimes i like just winging it. they're both fun!!

LONG REPLIES OR SHORT REPLIES: again, they're both fun. long replies are sort of harder to get to since they take so long to write but sometimes that's exactly what i want; to get lost in a reply for like 2 hours straight. not sure if i have a preference, it's just that short replies are faster and therefore fit better into my daily schedule, but that doesn't mean i don't love dumping my text walls <3

BEST TIME TO WRITE: unfortunately i've found that writing at 4am when everyone is asleep is a WONDERFUL time for my creativity hehe. i wish i could write as good in the daylight hours lol !!!

ARE YOU LIKE YOUR MUSE: yes and no. personality wise; not really. we're both kind of goofy deep, deep down. and i project a lot of myself onto her, but i think that's just because her story and trauma resonate with me very strongly! i try not to like, overwrite her character and inject too much of my own stuff. i honestly just have the biggest, fattest crush on her and i need more of her in whatever way i possibly can have. i guess we both love animals. but i'd never have such ugly bangs. ew, shadowheart.

tagged by: @astralrogue (thank you very much!)

tagging: whoever wants to do this :3 it's sharing a lot of ooc info so i don't wanna pressure peeps!!!

[xenomeowph]

okay im gonna pony up and actually do this, but i need some help fairly badly

at the start of april a feral cat crawled into an engine and in my efforts to get it out, it bit me on the hand something gnarly. to save face i’m not gonna post pictures of the wound itself but rather the notes from my medical visit

anyways, what this summarizing down to is that i have 5k in medical debt because i got bit by a cat

as such with my current payment plan i am paying 200+ dollars a month in order to pay this off, my insurance already drained me of 600 dollars earlier this month in regards to a DIFFERENT medical bill.

i’m a bisexual trans man living in the middle of nowhere, im working on getting a better job in the city but as of current i will need to drive 40+ miles every day to get to work, and many jobs out here only are intaking with experience in specialized fields or pay less than what im making now (12/hr)

i’m not looking to pay this off entirely on mutual aid, but at least pay it down some so that i don’t have to lean on my parents for the next couple months, because i will be expected to pay them back twofold if i do so. if i can get this down to 100 dollars a month that would be infinitely more manageable. in addition i have two cavities i need to get filled at the end of this month (june) so truly anything helps!!

i only get about 400 dollars a pay check right now so this would totally wipe me out!!! if you want sketches, or small colored commissions in trade i can do that, please ask for examples and i can share orz

my vnmo is @ djslime and my csapp is $internetwizard, if you only have paypal please dm me and i can send you mine- it has my deadname attached!!! if you need more proof feel free to dm too

[peppermint-moss]

13, 19, 22, 25, 32! :)

13. talk about a wip you like! wink wonk needletail amv!!!!!!!!! I'm determined to get him done by end of summer before uni starts again AUGH its gonna happen im gonna do it i SWEAR here's some thoughts

I was like 'why is this video taking so long' n then realized most of my amvs are 3 min tops and this one is 5 MINUTES WITH BACKGROUNDS like yea bud its gonna take a while afjskdlhg

I'm trying da vinci resolve again and with a new faster computer it's actually been going alright!! I hate. the gaussian blur it's doing weird things but I don't want to figure out how to use fusion to workaround it and it's not a huge issue so... just gonna leave it be

i hatee backgrounds and they're just kind of. im doing them out of necessity and shortcutting the hell out of them lol dont look at the backgrounds too closely when the video comes out LMAO

video itself is going good!! there's a lotta scenes im v excited to see come into its final stage and im v excited C: !!! sneak peak be upon ye!!

19. where do you find inspiration? I have an 'art ref' tag on my main blog that I usually just kind of scroll through so its mostly a collection of art/photos/colours etc i find on tumblr c:

22. do you have a favorite color palette to work with? I love warmer toned like soft brown-tinted pieces but I've never actually drawn with that i don't think.. Cooler tones I think are trickier for me (I keep ending up with pink in there but I don't think I should be??? idk lol) but i Looove when I can add a pop of like cold piercing cyan to a warm piece hehe

25. what size canvas/paper do you use? I used to draw somewhere in the 3000x2000 px range, BUT my friends were like thats so small!! and they draw on like 5000x5000 px which sounded WILD to me but I gave 5000px a shot and WOW i do like it... i can get more detail in with my lil brush.. yea so I'm transitioning over to using bigger canvases now lol

32. have you done a lot of collabs? No not besides the occasional map part (which I only really stick to doing just my part anyways!) I prefer to work individually waay more which is like a strength and a weakness cause I don't think I'm very receptive to collaborative work lol (i have less patience for it and am less likely to voice my thoughts orz.. I'd like to be better at collaboration but because its smth I avoid my brain's like well no need to improve that then afjdsklgh) BUT im p baller at getting things done on my own

Something i DID do a while back is the art collab meme with some friends which I actually really loved how they all turned out!! C: (Jo is me btw lol) (idk if there's an originator for this meme ? closest i could find was this but lemme know if there's someone else to credit)

ask game questions here

[nyannerpudding]

I'm really not used to this stuff, but @nighternex tagged me in one of those "get to know me better posts"! I'm really happy a mutual would like to know me better so, here we go! ;v;

-

Last Song: Come Along - Cosmo Sheldrake

Fav color: Greens, creams, and caramels!

Currently watching: I haven't watched a series proper in a long time, but recently I've been into long-form youtube videos! Stuff like Pointy Hat, Tale Foundry, and Jacob Geller. They're wonderful to listen to on the background of whatever you're doing and I've learned a lot of interesting stuff through them.

Last movie: Kung Fu Hustle

Sweet/spicy/savoury: Sweet for sure! I actually enjoy baking a lot and have a big ol' pie cooking up as we speak.

Current obsessions: DCA (bigtime), DnD (I'm finally in my first ever campaign), FFXIV, Pokémon, writing exercises.

Tea or Coffee: Tea. I really can't handle bitter flavors orz

Last thing you googled: Rhabdophobia (a friend was playing Fear and Hunger and we needed to figure out what the heck that meant)

I won't be tagging many people, but I encourage anyone to freely pluck this up and try it out! However, I am gonna slap @muttonbones with this because I want y'all to meet my gorgeous bae u3u

[rollychan]

Tag Meme

Tag people you want to catch up with/get to know better

Was tagged by @illwynd :D Took a bit to sit down and do this but here it is!

Last song: let me quickly check my VLC player on the phone cause my memory is a sieve orz Oh, it was A Kind of Magic by Queen. I tend to not listen to music a lot because my living situation currently is such that the TV in the next room is on basically all day and that's more sound than I can bear so no additional sound for me, which includes music, unfortunately.

Last film: uuuuuh it was probably Elemental when I was visiting my brother and his wife, it's actually not bad, nice family dynamics in there, but also nothing special if I'm honest (it did make me tear up a bit because the emotional weight was definitely there, or maybe the main theme hits a bit too close to home, Idk, but yeah)

Current/last read: I am embarrassed to say that I'm still on Blow-Up by Cortázar (a book @illwynd actually gifted me, double RIP to me) because I'm an idiot who can't move her ass to read anymore even though I've absolutely fallen in love with the stories, especially Axolotl. I really need to sit down again and continue.

Currently watching: my computer screen. That's sadly not a joke because, well, I'm a software dev and also currently working on my final thesis in Augmented/Mixed/Virtual Reality, so most of my time is spent in front of the screen. Other than that I'm not really watching any series (what the question is probably about?) though I'd like to try the One Piece live action show at some point because it actually looks good. Knowing me I'll probably watch it in five years or so lol (late-to-the-party syndrome, I have it)

Current obsessions: ironically, despite my problem with too much sound currently, I have started playing the (classical/acoustic) guitar in August (minus quite a few weeks because I just can't get rid of being ill, I hate it and I just want to be healthy pls), which is a lot of fun, and the history of the instrument is so interesting that I ended up learning about so many string instruments, it's not even funny lol I watched a more than 2-hour long video about how a classical guitar is built and am preparing for watching how an electric guitar is built (another 2+ hour video). I may have a problem. On another note, I got into Paleo Pines, which is a really cute 3D farming sim with dinos. Can only recommend, befriending dinos in different colors is very good for my mental health because they're very cute (especially the pride flag colored ones).

Tagging @iamnmbr3, @iamanartichoke, @tanelorn8615, @firethesound, @papercactuss, @derjemand, @j2stwincestiel, @autheane, and last but not least @kael1030 (only if any of you want to, of course) and also everyone who sees this and wants to do this (I only tagged my mutuals, and also feel free to put me as the tagger if you want!)

[yooptheyotewe]

I GOT TAGGED RAHHHHH

tagged by @skeletood to get to know ppl better !!! Omfg i used to love these thank you so much

rules: tag 10 people you want to know better!

Relationship status: Taken and happy ^^

Fav Color: GREEN hooray!!!!

Song stuck in your head: Soramimi Cake by Oranges & Lemons

Last song you listened to: Samba de Orfeau (from “Black Orpheus” by Breno Mello and Marpessa Dawn !! Not really sure what its from but discover weekly hit this week

3 fav foods: spaghetti bolognaise, tikki masala & Sweet and sour chicken ... they never miss, though i had a real hard time choosing between tikki masala and yellow curry. 

Last thing you googled: "html style element” ...orz

Dream trip: i need to take all of my friends where i grew up but it needs to be all seperate trips because i dont want to mix groups

Anything i want right now: more time oh my god i do not have enough time to do things

Currently watching: Chugging through Kodocha, and also the azumanga daioh anime at long last! I used to love the manga so im suprised it took me this long. 

Currently reading: A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara! started it a couple months ago but got busy :(

Current obsession: homestuck ocs....

@mechanical0hands @trickstermoon584 @yougotsstyle @mimegrime @pawsypop @g4stro @smoresinlondon @psyhcic @fenmizer @cosmichampster

[cyanoceans]

Tag someone you want to get to know better! Or just check in with.

tagged by @sparrowmoth ❤️ thank you, i enjoy doing these

favorite color: turquoise and pink

last song: actually the one you listened to because i checked it out hnskhfs (and liked it a lot) but before and after that rush by troye sivan because if i find a new song i like i need to loop it for at least 8 hours before i’ve had enough 😭

last movie: the barbie movie 🌸💕

currently watching: uhm… do cooking shows count because i’m watching school of chocolate and the ukrainian masterchef version with mom currently, our tastes differ so much that cooking/baking stuff is what we usually settle on. oh and if youtube counts, i’ve started watching a dnd campaign hsnnsbs the bg3 influence….. orz

other stuff i watched this year: shadow and bone s2 obviously oh and i really loved yellowjackets but i still have a few episodes left to watch of s2. rewatched a couple seasons of x-files which i need to get back to as well

shows i dropped this year: not sure if i can say i’ve fully dropped anything, more that i didn’t feel interested enough… i might still come back if i need distraction idk,,, but that’d be both the new witcher and heartstopper season

last book: well 🙃 i took quite a break so the last finished book would be crooked kingdom,,, but i’m currently slowly making my way through the gates of europe by serhii plokhy and dark rise by c.s. pacat

[windydrawallday]

This is a nice way to poke around peeps, batty buddy! Thanks for leaving this open to grab (I hope what I'm doing in replying like this is fine)

Alright, let's unpack:

Currently, I'm working on 6 sequential artworks for my usual rarepair because I have a month without doing something for them and since the past year I have this thing dated to be posted on 11/11 (tomorrow).

Tho, a few hours ago I finished setting up a cardboard box to be my new photoshoot lightbox... tho I will need to delay the testing of it because I discovered my trusty lightbulb lamp broke u_u

This was quite a sunny weekend! Today the sun was so strong it helped to dry clothes and of course, the glue and painting I applied to the cardboard box I mentioned before x) So, it was a productive weekend with what I can manage in my current creative energy.

You already know what project and why I'm excited about it coff ISAID-

I doubt you want to know how many WIPs I put off for years. LMAOOO, there are too many to count, but if I need to pick one, it's making a Meet the Artist sort of presentation (I have the sketch, but I haven't inked it… since February orz).

My color scheme to go is usually the Magenta/Cyan/Yellow combo, LOL, but I like to pick other colors from this palette!

Show finished recently: Batman Animated Season 01! It is one of my oldest visual inspos, with the clear sharp grimdark + art deco mix that characterizes the cast and mature themes it shows. Show started recently: Scooby Doo Mystery Inc; I'm taking so many screenshots because the backgrounds with those grunge textures and abandoned feel is hella rad!

Comfort characters: I've been with the same rascals you know for three years right now. Four? LOL It's difficult for me to get attached this hard and for a long time to fictional characters. Though I can't call him a comfort character, I enjoyed the Penguin on Batman Animated! There was an EP where they let him show such an awkward and gentlemanly side that I just WANTED TO SQUISH HIM.

Books read: AFTER THREE YEARS I FINISHED KING'S DANSE MACABREEEEE. I saved lots and lots of QUOTES I will be citing and using in my work for decades to come MUHAHAHA coff I want to start reading NEXT YEAR Frankenstein: I left it half there idk why so, I will need to start over. It's for the better.

Someone that inspires me… Y O U The end

Re-reading/Rewatching: in my bookcase, I always have The Little Prince and Lovecraft Anthologies (quite the contrast, eh?). Now if we go very personal-intimate: Neverending Story will always be absolutely groundbreaking to me, it really deserves its in-book title of "the book of all books". In the movie department, I'll never get tired of Scooby Doo's animated movies between 1990-2000s, the animation and storytelling were top! In a memory stick, I have tho Treasure Planet and Atlantis: Los Empire for similar reasons.

About the rewatch/re-reading effects mmm I think it affects me but to certain games: movies and series are unilateral in interaction, with games the interaction depends on you and I admit even if I like a game with all my might… there's always a level or part of the story I loathe to do again orz

Collecting wise: I never was into it until robot hell tackled me and it made me brave to spend and be more versed in buying this or that figures and toys was quite an experience. Out of that… I print official artworks and plaster them in collages around my journal, that counts? xDU I don't live in a place where merch is easy to get. And yes I draw fanart so technically I printed my own merch too skdfhskjdhf

Laughing is a rare thing from me daily I'll refrain from replying because *explodes*

I personally see my art better as stickers and postcards in format… I never designed art for t-shirts and such… or even tattoos idk, I feel a tad uncomfortable in general to take my art in such bold ways? Something rare because I worked before doing logotypes and such mmmm

I'm stupidly multifacetic x'D From drawing traditionally and digitally with inks, watercolors, and acrylics to then sculpting with clay, and cold porcelain to then designing maquettes for packaging (I'm learning to use the cutting plotter) without counting baby steps knowledge on game coding… I would LOVE to sew my own plush toys but %D I don't have that level of patience… same with SCULPTING IN 3D??? Idk, that's witchcraft to me!

… Too many hobbies you can guess from what I said before this point HAHAHA Aside from character design and goofy worldbuilding mmm Board game design? Big dream of mine.

Something new I learned: using the cutting machine!!! Was like going back to my Illustrator era roots sdkfjhsdjf On a personal level… I turned back to my witchy side and created my first magic servitor, my first spell on the 31 of October and I'm excited to try more things during rituals!

I think I have enough of this year? Even if at times I feel like it won me over… it wasn't so bad. But I need to take action in setting more habits I left aside like walking more frequently and respecting my sleep schedule (I slipped bad so many times in the year, I think that's why I'm feeling so sleepy lately).

That's all I think! I hope you find it educative entertaining haha

Thanks once more for the opportunity x)

To bring a bit more social into social media…

Tell me what you’re working on!!

How’s you’re weekend going?

Do you have any projects or plans you’re excited for?

What’s one thing you feel like you need to work on but keep putting it off? (could be a wip or practice with drawing backgrounds, house hold chores ect.)

Do you have a color / color scheme you are obsessing over right now?

Have you watched any shows/movies you really fell in love with?

What is your favorite comfort character right now??

Have you read any good books lately? What cute characters in there made you laugh or smile?

Who is someone that inspires you?

What is a show / movie / book that is so precious to you that you keep reading it over and over again?

Can you reread / rewatch a beloved thing over and over or does that bug you?

Do you like to collect merch from favorite shows, or are your favorites so obscure you have to make your own??

What’s one thing you’ve seen online recently that has made you laugh?

Do you enjoy making your work / pieces into wearable art? (making merch ect.)

Do you like to do artistic things? ( Draw, write, music, sewing, jewelry, scultping, crafts)

What hobbies do you have?

Have you learned anything new this year?

If you could learn one new thing this year what would it be?

[swiftsaltsweet]

I wanted to try a different type of coloring technique, try to take a manga/light novel illustration and make it look more like an anime. So I chose one from Twilight (I think this is from the Breaking Dawn light novel). 

So here’s a comparison for my coloring (background not mine), and the original picture.

[restinpeacesensei]

got sick ;;

[dzkust]

rm 11918

[tepperz]

sorry it took me a bit to reply, this weekend went by so fast!

So in a way you already do have references organized and at hand! You must remember where certain significant scenes are in a series so you can flip there and find it quickly :3c  It’d be very cool to see an examination of comics from an art perspective since most reviews focus on the story and characters… Ah but yeah, it’s a looot of work making videos! @@

You know, thats true!! 8U

Haha that’s fair, especially regarding Sugisaki’s writing. Plus it drives me up a wall how inconsistent her locations and left/right hand placements are from panel-to-panel! Right beside each other!!! Even so, reading the pages does feel so… smooth. It all flows impressively well. I don’t even know how one begins capturing that. I’ll have to look now and see how infrequently she draws feet and shoes because I do have trouble thinking of more than a couple moments loool

Very true. I've analyzed her panels and she just has such a grasp on page flow that makes things feel so natural and fun to read. A lot of varied panels and artwork that points to the next spot to read. She's also very good at page cliffhangers, which is a thing where there is the question at the end of the page that makes you want to turn it to get an answer. It can be a dialogue stated question or an unsaid question that raises a mystery or intrigue. She might not answer a lot of questions but she sure asks them a lot in her story! But yeah feet and backgrounds are not her favorite thigs. If she can replace her backgrounds with screentones or effects then she will xD Still, it does take a certain mastery in order to put so many screentones and still have them fit so well. She does randomly place characters wherever and mixes up the left and right a lot from panel to panel, but I'd also say that's usually intentional to help with her flow. I wonder who she studied under? Hmmmm. Sorry if this rambeling doesn't make sense, i have a bit of brain fog!

Ey if others’ artworks have unique value then yours do as well~

Pikachu face. I guess thats true, but its hard to see it for yourself!

agree that sharing processes are interesting too~ The “history” adds more depth in a way! (And I’m curious how other artists make their stuff~)

That's true, I'd love to see other processes too. I watch speeddraws and stuff but that's not really the same as knowing about their decision making process!

I wish I had more processes to share. I’ll try to take a screenshot of my references all together while I’m working on my next pieces!

I'd like that! :D Its cool to see inside your brain ooooh 👻

I swear the strong winds are a coincidence in this case because I drew the lines long before I had a color scheme in mind…! They look extra similar though, can’t deny. xD

How interesting!! I wonder if part of the reason you subliminally chose the reference picture is because of that vibrant wind feeling?

It’s pretty hard to get the right colors yeah, so a lot of my pieces turn out lighter than I wanted.

Ohhhh that makes sense. Yeah, that's the rough thing with watercolors... do you ever color correct on the computer after? I end up sometimes make my digital pieces lighter then I intend and end up color correcting myself. I think this is a good example

The left is the before and the right is the after darkening it a bit. It's a subtle thing but it adds something. Luckily I've been getting better at picking what color I want the first time but I'm still happy that I can turn to color corrections if I need to.

Like you showed in your blue gouache below, when I try to do darker washes, there’s a huuuge risk of it looking streaky too (and that’s why I ended up covering one of my paintings in gouache because the dark watercolors just did not work out orz)  But I’ve been trying to incorporate them more anyway. Paper quality definitely affects watercolor’s forgiveness ;;;;  BUT I’ve been going wild with dark pieces digitally and it’s so much fun!

I think that's great! It's cool to hear about the struggles of the medium from someone so experienced with watercolors. Dark colored pieces can be so satisfying, right? Man, paper quality... yeah. What sort of paper do you like to use? Lately Ive just been using canson mixed media sketchbooks because I like that they can take a beating. My third eye opened recently because I realized that I could probably paint the top of my sketchbook if I wanted. Ive never done anything like that before :0

Right right, I feel the same about his videos! It’s like I need to just digest or put that one lesson into practice before I can even think about what he’s going to cover next. I love his passion for the subject. He drew yugioh cards?? Good taste, OP. :3c I honestly didn’t know anything about his career so it’s cool to learn he has all this experience! He’s brilliant anyway but still~

Yes! I wish I could put him on in the background as I draw more but since he speaks japanese I have to really pay attention and watch the subtitles when I enjoy his videos. Did you see his channel take-down a while ago? I feel so bad for him, having to start up his channel all over again. All that lost knowledge, too. ): But I'm so glad he still had a few essential videos of his ready for reupload! And he's still going strong too with creating for his new channel. What a determined guy! And he still tries to be so cheerful for his audience. I look up to him.

Yes, thank you!! I can always use more color theory tutorials. I need to read things worded several different ways before it sticks, apparently orz  Oh dang too bad about the creator… But yeah, that doesn’t change whether the lesson itself is helpful. So that’s what’s in the psd file! I’ll have to open that up ASAP. Kwacy has a gorgeous style so I’ll love seeing it broken down. Phew, I’m glad I added the book after all. And I hope the rest can be useful somehow too! Thanks for sharing even your  paywall materials. ;v; I feel the same about artists lifting each other up. I have Fowkes’ “How to Paint Landscapes Quickly and Beautifully in Watercolor and Gouache” and “Artists’ Master Series: Color and Light”. The first has process shots on his paintings and how he works from and alters his references/plein air views. It’s also a pretty artbook lol. The second was a collaboration with several other artists and is basically a textbook. A heavy, colorful textbook that has lots of light science in it~ I like to flip through it when I feel like I’m missing something but not sure what.

I have gratefully downloaded all of your tutorial files! Thank you so much again for sending them my way, there is SO much good information, and I haven't seen the bulk of it anywhere before! Really great for references. Ohhh those books you have sound amazing. I will have to look into trying to get those myself. An artbook that is also sort of a textbook sounds SUPER useful. And yeah np if i run into any other cool tutorial stuff i will send them my way, let me know if anything was especially useful to you and Ill see if I can find anything similar.

As much as I fight with gouache sometimes I also adore it. Love those flat, solid colors so much. I think the hardest part is getting used to the long “ugly stage” my gouache pieces have because watercolor doesn’t really do that (not that it can’t look ugly too, but it’s so transparent that the plot is never lost along the way, I guess?) Right, I feel you there. And once water’s added to gouache, it can look like it’s going down smooth but when it dries… betrayal. It’s a delicate balance of wet vs. dry orz Ooh your gouache pieces are nice with it watered down like that! Ye, a a single color can look quite different from one end of the gradient to the other. (Love the dancing cat things btw. They have so much personality~)

Yeah, no, i get you with that. Even if watercolor goes down messily or there is a mistake, the texture of watercolor still tends to make something look beautiful, I think. Plus a few dabs of water and you're a lot further on correcting it! Do you always seal your paintings ad sketches when you're done? I don't really do that as much as I should. I think out of all my sketchbooks I've only properly sealed maybe one. Apparently good hairspray can do sealing well too. (!?)

Grandmas have all these hidden talents that they just whip out of nowhere like “okay quick before you go let me just impart 60 years of rug-making secrets onto you”~ But yeah, I enjoyed learning from her. And exactly! Oil’s drying time, the solvents, the smell, the CLEANUP– I absolutely get the appeal because mixing them is something special but I’ll leave that to someone with more patience~ An oil painting of Kirby sounds so fancy! Good use of the medium =v=

Haha so true! The wisdom! The good vibes!! Oh yeah, oils are not only messy, but the cleanup.... oi vey. Yeah. Not to mention getting oils out of brushes just feel like such a chore... I like just being able to run my brush under water and being done!! gap! You like mixing them???? I absolutely do not like that part at all xDDD I feel like it's never mixed properly!! But I love seeing people mix oils, because it can be satisfying to watch. But yeah they take SOOOO long to dry. I will share my kirby once it's dry!!!! In a million years xD Pus not only are oils stink though, and messy, but if you have animals it's a disaster. I have to hide away kirby inside a ice cooler in order for my cats not to walk on him!

Uh oh talking watercolors could make this long message actually endless~ I use a bunch of different brands nowadays but I started out with Sakura Koi and White Nights.

thats ok i really like hearing about your experiences. Oh, I have some sakura koi! I have not tried them yet though. I haven't heard of white nights! ohhh but they look so pretty on amazon.

Still have a lot left from the latter though if I need a new color I usually get M. Graham (honey-based so it’s gentle on my brushes but also messy) and Holbein (super smooth, not much granulation).

HONEY BASED??????? Omg i want some that sounds awesome. (looking them up) They look so VIBRANT. Ohh and ive seen holbein around but i wasn't sure about them! Good to know they have your approval. I know whats going on my christmas wish list xD

Tubes aren’t cheap, very true… they last forever at least!! I pour mine into little pans and let them dry so they’re portable.

that. is. adorable. Handy! Makes sense! But so cute. You can just whip it out!!! Makes sense!

OH one more: from May to August I only used my Meiliang watercolors… They’re a student grade of the Paul Rubens brand so they’re cheap yet very good quality.

ohhhhhhh.... tbh those look exactly up my ally. I don't know what it is about student grade high quality watercolors that makes me wag my tail, but those look great. I will for sure try those once I get a chance. What do you find is the difference between student grade and professional grade when it comes to application, for you?

Do you like Winsor and Newton even if you prefer the ovals? I only have a couple colors from them but they seem like a solid brand. (And props to you for having the patience for the super super cheap paints because they’re another challenge altogether!)

Okay so I was wrong! Apparently what I've been using recently IS the koi! But I also used a bit of winsor newton too. And, you know... I have no idea if what I'm about to say is controversial or not (because my experience with talking to watercolor enthusiasts are limited) but so far the professional grade watercolors seem... lighter? I don't know if its because the little half pans I use for the professional grade, I use less paint because I'm scared of using them up, or....? You know, now that im thinking about it, maybe its because I don't use the tubes? I buy pans and half pans and maybe that has something to do with it. Regardless my prang ovals really do it for me for some reason. Heres what i mean

These are some sketches from the zoo of a monkey. I did tree different watercolors at the bottom, and the bottom is the prang. Reusing them again made me really remember how much i love them. I put about the same amount of time into all of the colors. So weird xD I wonder how you'd find the derpy prang paints!

How did you learn to draw so well? Like was it from classes or a book on fundamentals or just trial and error?

//// thanks for the kind question!

I guarantee you I would have improved faster if I’d taken a class, but I hope some of the materials I’ve used over the years can be of use to you too:

Andrew Loomis’ books - I never made it past the first chapters, but those had some great advice.

Youtube - Proko’s bean method. Figure drawing references will greatly improve anatomy and “drawing what you see”. It’s boring imo, so doing just 5-10 minutes a day can keep one from burning out while still seeing improvement. Speed painting videos are a nice way to relax and study.

Will Terrell’s People Drawing series - He’s a humble man with personal advice for artists. I watch his videos when I feel discouraged or lost.

Art, art, art - Whenever I see an artwork that I like, I figure out exactly what pleases me: line thickness, nose shape, finger positions, composition, the way the hair bends in the wind, etc. Then I try to incorporate that specific characteristic into my own art.

I have growing folders of (I’m a bit embarrassed) almost 8,000 pictures, organized by characteristics, for the sole purpose of studying their prettiness. Sometimes we don’t need a tutorial to spell everything out, just an example can help us envision our own works’ potential. Also, staring at pictures is a relaxing way to study too!

And of course, trial and error~ I don’t post my sad, failed paintings or all the weird sketches I make, but they exist and teach a lot!

[tickly-trashcan]

Height Matters {KazuScara}

A/N: i actually wrote this a little bit ago, way before Kazuha was announced so i apologize if he’s ooc orz. I’m also working through sentence starters and headcanons, sorry for the wait! some are already queued so expect them soon! Anyways, hope yall enjoy this one!

Summary: After noticing Kazuha’s height, Scaramouche finds himself a bit down in the dumps. How will Kazuha cheer him up?

Word Count: 1.6k (under the cut)

Scaramouche grumbled. He was spending some time with Kazuha, exploring the waters in a cove. Scaramouche had taken off his sandals and hat for better maneuvering, and Kazuha had removed his own shoes as well when Scaramouche noticed something.

He had taken plenty of time to observe his partner’s features. His cream colored hair with a single red streak, the moles that decorated his shoulder blades, his beautiful crimson eyes that could make all of Scaramouche’s worries melt away with a simple glance paired with that sickeningly sweet smile of his. 

But there was something that Scaramouche noticed now that they were standing next to each other as Kazuha held his hand above his eyes, blocking out the sun as he stared over the water. The waves crashed gently against the sand of the cove, making sloshing noises that echoed over the stone cliffs that came over them.

Scaramouche looked over at Kazuha when he noticed it. He wasn’t looking directly at Kazuha, he was looking up at him. Scaramouche felt his heart sink as he noticed that now that he didn’t have his shoes on he was in fact shorter than his partner. 

Kazuha smiled fondly at the water, taking in a deep breath of the salty air as Scaramouche slowly raised his hand, placing it on his head and sliding it off towards Kazuha, realizing it hit just above his ear. Scaramouche’s face darkened as Kazuha turned to Scaramouche when he felt the sudden touch by his ear, showing yet another sweet smile to Scaramouche.

“What’s going on Scar?”

“...You’re taller than me.” He said darkly, and Kazuha’s smile quickly vanished. He held his hand flat on his head and dragged it across the air, seeing that it ended up roughly two inches above Scaramouche’s head. Scaramouche grumbled, and Kazuha frowned. 

He didn’t think it was funny, he knew how self-conscious Scaramouche was with his height, and he definitely didn’t want him to start hating Kazuha because he was a bit taller than him, so Kazuha immediately began to sputter as he tried to find some comforting words.

“Your height doesn’t matter! Plus the shoes add on some extra height, you’re completely fine Scar! Trust me, I wouldn’t lie to you about that!” Kazuha started, waving his hands around in frantic gestures as Scaramouche grumbled, crossing his arms as he sat down in the sand, crossing his legs.

Kazuha frowned, feeling like he wasn’t able to successfully comfort his partner. He sat next to him with a sad look on his face, almost akin to a pout as he glanced over at Scaramouche, who still wore an angry look on his face. 

“I’m sorry Scar…” Kazuha said sadly, and though Scaramouche gave no answer, his expression softened as he glanced over at Kazuha, who frowned.

Scaramouche sighed. He figured he had overreacted a bit, especially with someone like Kazuha who felt responsible to comfort his friends and those close to him. Scaramouche turned to face Kazuha, opening his arms slightly as Kazuha looked at him.

“No, I’m sorry. It’s not your fault, I shouldn’t be angry.”

Kazuha bit his lip to keep himself from smiling wider than before. He was so happy that Scaramouche wasn’t upset with him and he immediately dove into the offered hug, wrapping his arms around Scaramouche’s tiny waist as he held him tightly, Scaramouche letting out a short yelp of surprise with how tightly he was hugged.

Scaramouche wasn’t big on affection, even with Kazuha. He was always the one to initiate it, whether it be a quick forehead kiss or a brief side-hug, and Kazuha respected that. However, there was one thing Kazuha was able to initiate on his own.

A grin creeped up Kazuha’s face as his hands rested on Scaramouche’s waist, Kazuha gently tracing circles on it as Scaramouche froze in the hug, squeezing Kazuha a tad tighter.

“Kaz, no-”

“I think you need a bit of reassurance though, Scar. Can’t have a great Harbinger like yourself feeling insecure about something as silly as his height, now can we?”

Before Scaramouche could let out another word, opening his mouth to speak while all that escaped was a shriek as Kazuha suddenly latched onto his waist fully, giving it a firm squeeze. Scaramouche crumpled forward, pulling his arms off of Kazuha and using his hands to grab at Kazuha’s, squirming in his grip.

“K-Kahahahaz! I hahate you!” Scaramouche immediately gasped out, and Kazuha only chuckled as he pinched his sides, slowly travelling down to his hips before kneading them like dough, Scaramouche throwing his head back as he laughed loudly.

“NOhohoho! Not thehehere!” Scaramouche wailed, and Kazuha only hummed as he continued to squeeze his hips, digging his thumb into the bone and wiggling it around as Scaramouche spasmed in his grip, unable to worm away.

“If you say you’re a lovely height I’ll stop,” Kazuha said, though he knew Scaramouche would never say anything like that.

“Shuhuhut up! Like hehehehell I’d say thahahat!” Scaramouche squealed, jolting when Kazuha pinched where his hip and upper thigh met, a shrill squeak escaping his lips. Kazuha grinned, pinching there again as Scaramouche let out a similar chirp. Scaramouche shook his head but Kazuha simply grabbed onto his upper thighs, squeezing them as Scaramouche positively cackled, throwing his head back as his shrieky laughter echoed through the cove.

Kazuha chuckled at Scaramouche’s rather dramatic laughter, though it was part of what he loved about him. He never let anyone else so much as touch him, but with Kazuha he would be alright with the occasional poke or prod. He wasn’t sure about full-on tickling, but…

Scaramouche wasn’t making much of a move in terms of trying to get Kazuha to stop, and he hadn’t asked him to either. This piqued Kazuha’s interest, and as he slowly travelled down Scaramouche’s thighs, he decided to ask about it.

“Scar… do you like this?” Kazuha asked curiously, and Scaramouche’s face went as red as his eye makeup. He shook his head frantically, jolting when Kazuha’s hands brushed his knees.

Kazuha took note of this but paused his tickling, wanting an answer from his partner.

“Do you?”

Scaramouche didn’t answer, and when he didn’t Kazuha grabbed his knees and gave them a firm squeeze, making him practically scream as he arched his back, trying to uncross his legs which was proving difficult as Kazuha easily squeezed just above his kneecap, sending Scaramouche into a fit of hysterics.

Kazuha realized he likely wouldn’t get an answer if he was attacking Scaramouche in a spot that made him unable to do anything but screech and laugh hysterically, but he didn’t really care. 

“KAHAHahahazuha! Kahahaha - Kazuha!” Was all Scaramouche managed to say before bursting into a fit of unintelligible hysterics, completely spasming as Kazuha hummed, teasing his partner.

“You’re pretty ticklish here, huh? You sure you don’t like it?”

Scaramouche shook his head, a screech bursting from his throat as Kazuha went back to his upper thighs, squeezing the sensitive flesh as Scaramouche arched his back, trying to worm away again before Kazuha wrapped an arm around his waist, gently squeezing his side as he kept him from rolling away.

“Stahahahap! STAHAHAhap!” Scaramouche screamed, his face bright pink as tears started to prick the corners of his eyes. Kazuha ceased his fingers but still held onto Scaramouche, who panted heavily. He looked at Kazuha who offered him a shy smile, Scaramouche quickly glaring at him before shoving him off and into the sand, Kazuha laughing.

“You think it’s funny? I’ll give you something to laugh about!” Scaramouche threatened, and Kazuha immediately started shrieking as Scaramouche pounced on him, hands descending on his sides as Kazuha squealed, immediately squirming as Scaramouche straddled him, digging his fingers in rather hard as Kazuha laughed.

“Scahahahar! Wahahahait, I’m sorrehehe! I didn’t mean it!”

“It’s too late for apologies, Kaz, now suffer,” Scaramouche said, his tone dark as Kazuha shook his head, cackling when Scaramouche crept up to his ribs, a spot he knew was especially sensitive as he dug in, vibrating his fingers against the skin as Kazuha spazzed.

“SCAHAHahahar! Not thehehehere!” Kazuha shrieked, kicking his legs weakly as he covered his face with his hands, only exposing himself more as Scaramouche continued to easily tickle his partner.

“How do you like it, huh? Not so pleasant, now is it?”

“It is! GAha! No no no not thehehehere!” Kazuha shrieked when Scaramouche started to prod at his upper ribs, slowing his pace slightly as his attention was caught by what Kazuha said.

“Kaz… do you like this?” Scaramouche asked, and Kazuha nodded his head. Scaramouche pulled his hands back, Kazuha catching his breath as he looked at Scaramouche with a confused look on his face.

“Why did you stop?”

Scaramouche felt his cheeks warm as he averted his gaze from Kazuha, who sat up and chuckled.

“It’s not embarrassing to like it, Scar,” Kazuha said, holding Scaramouche’s hand as he huffed, his eyes still looking away from Kazuha.

“I don’t like it, I only tolerate it because… because it’s you,” Scaramouche said softly, making Kazuha’s heart melt. Kazuha threw his arms around Scaramouche, who gasped at the sudden touch, though he didn’t pull away. He hugged Kazuha back, still frowning as his grumpiness slowly faded.

“Kahahahaz!” Scaramouche suddenly wailed when Kazuha’s hands were back on him, digging into his ribs with ease as Scaramouche flailed around, trying to escape Kazuha’s devious fingers.

“What’s wrong? You said you tolerated it!” Kazuha teased and Scaramouche could only laugh as he realized those words had basically dug his own grave. He threw his head back as laughter poured from his lips, Kazuha laughing with him as he dug under his arms, making his partner squeal. 

Kazuha had definitely succeeded in one thing that day, and that was making Scaramouche completely forget about his height, and as the two of them laughed in each others arms, all insecurities were forgotten.