#i’m not used to watercolor brushes so i feel like the colors look a bit muddy

[the-storyteller78]

ODYPEN

He’s not actually that short (or is he 😏), he’s just bending down a lil

[wepepe-draws]

I LOVE THEM YOUR HONOR AAAA!! I HOPE THEY KISS IN TRISTAMP S2 😭

I’m too lazy to color them so I used the watercolor brushes, never disappoint.

Edit: updated this one bc I feel like Meryl look a bit weird in the previous doodle, also added a bit of shadows and highlights.

[tojisbbg]

𝙤𝙝, 𝙞 𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙣

❝oh.. cara mia, how i love him.❞  

♡ rin itoshi ♡

a/n: first time writing for blue lock!! ugh, guys, the brainrot is very severe. they’re all my babygirls fr.

content: rin itoshi x reader, sprinkle of sae in it (if you squint), fluff, angst, hurt/comfort, childhood friend to strangers to lovers, rin’s a little mean, unresolved feelings cause sudden confession, small little tweaks of events, not edited.

---

“rinnie!” your six-year-old self screamed loud and proud for your best friend in the entire world as you ran inside the itoshi household. your parents were left behind at the door, chuckling with the itoshi’s parents because of your excitement. 

you tightly gripped the coloring set to your chest, climbing the stairs as fast as you could upstairs to rin’s play room that he shared with his brother sae. you opened the door, seeing the familiar ravenette sitting on the child size chair, focused on drawing. 

“rin! you were supposed to wait for me.” you whined, your smile now becoming a small frown as you sat in front of him on the empty chair. rin looked up at you, finally acknowledging your presence. 

“ah! y/nie, you’re here so soon.” he gave you a bright smile, his eyes shimmering at your company. suddenly, you even forgot that you were mad at him in the first place, his smile being so contagious as you returned one yourself.

“look! papa got them from his business trip last week and it has crayons, markers, paints and so much more!” you showed him the coloring kit, making him awe from amazement from the variety. 

“so cool! hey, can we share?” rin asked and you eagerly nodded your head, laying out your coloring supplies on the table freely. 

“who are you drawing for the project?” you asked, beginning your masterpiece, which would consist of cutely drawn stick figures. 

“i’m gonna draw big bro, i wanna be just like him in the future. he’s just so cool, he’ll become the best striker in the world and i’ll be the second best.” rin spoke with such passion in his tone, his eyes holding a loving adoration at the thought of his brother. 

“nice, i wanna become like my mama. i want to make food as delicious as hers so that i could feed the people that i love.” you chirped, dipping your paint brush in a little bit of water before swirling it inside the watercolor paint palette. 

“even me?” rin asked, making you look at him with a slight dust of pink shading your cheeks. 

“of course, rinnie. you’re my best friend and i’ll always love you. i think you’re more awesome than sae.” you whispered the last part, making him giggle as he shook his head. 

“hm? talking about me?” you suddenly hear a voice behind you, your eyes being covered as you yelp in surprise. 

“sae!” you finally peeled his hands away from your eyes, eyes meeting another pair of emerald ones. sae chuckled before ruffling your hair. 

“hey! you’re messing up my pigtails.” you huffed, trying to fix your hair that slightly ruined, straightening the bows that were a little crooked. 

“sorry, sorry, cutie.” sae raised his hands in defense, making you hum as a response of accepting his apology. he sat on the ground, eyes watching what you and his brother was doing. 

“look, big bro! this is you and me when we win the world cup together.” rin eagerly showed his finished drawing, earning a proud grin from his brother as sae ruffled rin’s hair. 

“we’ll be the best of the best, together.” sae said, warmth spreading inside rin’s heart from satisfaction. 

“yup!” rin nodded. 

“hey, what about me? i don’t know how to play soccer.” you pout, feeling left out from the itoshi’s conversation. 

“i offered to teach you but you didn’t wanna.” sae replied, pinching your cheeks teasingly as you winced. 

“yeah ‘cause soccer is for boys not for girls.” you fake gagged, making sae roll his eyes from your overdramatic reaction.

“you can cheer us on, you’ll be in the front seats watching us.” rin suggested, making you think hard on if that’s the job you wanted to play in the itoshi brothers dream. 

“okay! i’ll be your good luck charm.” you gave them a thumbs up, making them both agree. 

“my, my! aren’t you three just so cute. let’s take a picture!” rin’s mom cooed, pulling out her phone as she ushered both brothers to stand by your side. you dropped your paint brush, holding your colorful hands up with a bright smile that made your eyes disappear. 

you felt rin and sae bent down, placing a kiss on either of your cheeks as a pose. 

“1...2...3... awwww!” your parents were in the middle of having a stroke from cuteness overload. on the other hand, you were combusting with happiness from how lucky you were to have two of the greatest friends ever. 

---

change is something inevitable. 

seasons change and so do other forms of life such as plants, animals and humans. it’s just the cycle of life that we must go through. 

the world was still too big for your liking at the age of sixteen, afraid to dip your toes in waters that seemed too cold and foreign. 

you were afraid to change.

and perhaps that was one of the reasons why you let the two most important people in your life slip out of your grasp. sae became a hotshot in a small period of time, hitting the news which spread like wildfire. of course, this alone made your and rin’s hearts soar from happiness. 

but that was two years ago. 

things were different now, so different that you don’t even recognize the itoshi brothers anymore. sae was absolutely no longer in the picture, frequently traveling to places like spain and his visits back in japan lasted no more than a couple of days. 

and your best friend, rin, has become nothing but a total stranger. he still lived within close premises, yet his aura felt like someone splashed you with cold water. that warmth that once resided within him was gone. 

you quickly barged into rin’s room, your face now becoming pale with horror as you saw him go berserk. his eyes were dark, smashing every single trophy, medal and picture frame him and sae owned. 

“i hate him! i hate, hate, hate, itoshi sae!” rin bellowed, not even caring about your existence that was terrified by the door. your shaky hands went behind you, closing the door as you slowly tip-toed your way to him. 

“rin?” you meekly called out his name, trying to catch his attention as he was heaving from frustration. he looked at you with a sharp glare, making your throat go dry. 

“what.” he spat out with so much venom, making you mentally wince. 

“sit down and talk to me.” you grabbed his arms, pushing him back until he sat on the bed and you stood in front of him. your hands were on his shoulders, grounding him on the mattress to make sure that he wouldn’t get up to do anything else. 

“there’s nothing to talk about. itoshi sae ruined my life by teaching me soccer, and i will get my revenge on him.” rin spoke with so much hate in his voice it made your stomach churn. 

“that’s crazy talk, you both are supposed to become the best together, remember?” you frowned, cupping his cheeks as you tried to somehow make this hateful glint of his disappear. 

until he swatted away your hands. 

“we’re not kids anymore, y/n. it’s time that you grow the fuck up and realize that this stupid dream the three of us dreamt of was never going to become reality. even seeing you makes me angry now.” rin harshly spat out, making your mouth agape from shock, looking at him with glossy eyes. 

“rin, the hell is that supposed to mean?” your voice croaked, your heart feeling like it was on the verge of cracking into two. 

“i hate you too, y/n.”

those were the last words that were ever exchanged between you and rin, the last time you both were even near each other. every time the both of your parents would try to organize an event together, you would make some lame excuse to not join them.

but, today it seemed that no matter how significant or desperate you tried to make your excuse look like, your parents didn’t buy it. 

“what happened between you guys? you all used to be such good buddies.” your dad asked out of the blue, looking at you through the mirror as he drove. you shrugged, playing with the hem of your dress. 

“we just grew up, i guess. besides, the both of them are pretty busy people so i don’t wanna butt in.” you quickly dismissed, not wanting to talk about this whole sibling rivalry they both had going on which eventually wrapped you into it as well. 

“yeah, it’s a shame. but, the itoshi brothers are doing very good. sae has gotten into nationals and rin got into some bootcamp place called blue lock. we’re going over for dinner because the brothers are gonna be off on their own path tomorrow.” your mom informed you, making your eyes go wide like the size of two full moons. 

it was bad enough that you’d be seeing both sae and rin after two years, but the fact that now even more distance was being created left you unsettled. there was no more hope in restoring whatever friendship you guys had. 

you didn’t care much about sae, but rin? he was your best friend, your person, the only person who could actually turn your frown upside down. 

what probably hurt the most was the stupid crush you had on him that never died down. you know him like the back of your hand, and you know that the itoshi rin right now is not the sweet rin you befriended and fell in love with as a child. yet, a piece of your heart knew that somewhere in those ferocious green flames of his, your rinnie was still there. 

the dinner party was like usual, a bunch of rich people all in one place. you felt stuffy and suffocated, deciding to go up to the balcony to get some fresh air. you noticed a tall figure leaning on the rails, peering down. 

“shouldn’t you be hosting your own party?” you snickered, standing beside him as your voice rang a bell in his ears. rin straightened his posture, easily towering over you as your mind couldn’t process how tall he has gotten within the span of two years. his body was more fit and muscular, yet his face was stoic and bored like the last ever time you had seen him. 

“tell that to mr. famous, he’s the hot topic of the table.” rin grumbled, stealing quick glances at you with a side eye that you failed to notice. he couldn’t help but notice how you’ve gotten even prettier within the years, his heart fluttering upon the sight of you. 

you grew up so well, yet you still reminded him of the old y/n he knew. 

“hm, well, congrats on getting in blue lock.” you awkwardly said, rubbing your bare arms as you avoided eye contact with him. 

“thanks.” he dryly responded and silence fell between you both. 

“so, you’re gonna go away for a long time?” you asked, trying to stir up a conversation with your best friend whom your heart ached and yearned for. 

“don’t know.” rin simply shrugged, his resistance making your blood boil. he was acting like it was your first day meeting him and that every single memory between you both never existed. 

“alright, i’m fucking done.” you said through gritted teeth, making rin look at you with a cocked eyebrow. suddenly, you grabbed him by the collar, pulling him down to make at eye-level with you. 

“the fuck is your problem, huh? i don’t know what went on between you and sae, but that shit does not involve me. i don’t give two flying fucks about soccer, i just want my best friend back. so stop being such an asshole!” you screamed in his face, your eyes pooling with tears that began to sting. rin looked into your eyes, his lips thining into a line before his larger hands peeled your fingers away. 

“are you fucking deaf or dumb, huh? that weak and pathetic version of rin itoshi you so dearly hold in your heart is dead. my dream is no one’s but only mine. only i will become the best of the best in the world, the best striker. i will defeat itoshi sae and make him eat his damn words.” his hands balled into fists, making you crouch down as you held your face in your hands, sobbing. 

“then why.. why am i looped into this shit?! did you mean what you said to me last time?” you asked, praying to whatever god up there that you overthought everything those past two years. 

“of course i did, y/n. you mean nothing to me, right now, the only thing important to me is soccer. hell, i’ll even put my life on the line for it. anything and anyone who gets in my way is nothing but a fucking pain the ass.” rin glared down at you, each of his words feeling like a few hundreds of knives stabbing your heart. 

“you fucking jerk. i hate you, itoshi rin! i hate you, i hate you, i hate you! go to fucking hell.” you yelled, getting up with tears in your eyes as you ran inside the house. you tried to navigate yourself to the bathroom to fix your face which was probably streaked with black remains of your mascara. 

you bumped into a hard chest, making you groan in pain as you mumbled a quick ‘sorry’. 

“y/n?” the familiarity of the voice sent chills down your spine, looking up to see none other than sae. his hairstyle changed completely, his eyes dull as he looked at you with an undecipherable look. 

but for some odd reason, his presence made you furious. a part of you couldn’t help but blame sae for the reason why everything went down the drain for the three of you. you roughly shoved him off, catching him off guard. 

“do me a favor and go back to spain so that i don’t ever have to see your face again, itoshi sae.” you said in a monotone, not even wanting to look him in the face as you walked away. 

a beautiful friendship that you once molded with both brothers turned nothing but into puddles of sorrow and agony. 

---

“come on, y/n! it’ll be fun, i promise.” your friend whined, trying to convince you to attend soccer match between u-20 and blue lock today. 

“eh, i don’t know. i’m not really a soccer person.” you nervously laughed, trying to shoo her away. but, your friend was persistent. 

“come on, pretty please? didn’t you say someone you know goes to blue lock?” your friend narrowed her eyes, making you look at the side as you tried to come up with a lie. 

“well, uhm, yeah? but like, i don’t know if he’s still playing in it.” you scratched the back of your neck, trying your best to decline her offer as politely as possible. 

you knew that these tickets were hot and porbably costed a lot of money, yet her friend who is playing in the match gave her two. 

“well then, i guess you’ll find out!” she said and you sighed in defeat. 

“fine.” you mumbled, taking the ticket from her hand. 

you both were now outside of the stadium, the lines were making you feel all sweaty and suffocated. you texted your friend, getting annoyed that she was running late and you felt a little stupid standing in the middle of all of these die-hard soccer fans. 

“ah, sorry! i’m here.” you friend waved to you at the distance, running over as you rolled your eyes. 

“i was gonna go home if you didn’t show up within the next minute.” you gave a small empty threat, making her chuckle. 

“hey, no worries. getting inside won’t take too long, let’s get jersey’s!” she sang out, dragging you the stand where they were selling the shirts. 

“i’ll get number eleven for blue lock please.” you friend said, pulling her wallet to pull out the money. you read the name on the shirt: isagi yoichi. it was most likely the friend that gave her these tickets. 

“what about you, y/n?” she looked at you and your eyes scanned the shirts for both u-20 and blue lock but the summer’s heat was making you feel dizzy. so you just went with some random number that popped inside your head. 

“uh, i don’t know, number ten?” you asked more than said. the man gave you a judgemental look which made you a little embarrassed. 

“for which team? u-20′s number ten is itoshi sae and blue lock’s number ten is itoshi rin.” the man informed you, making your heart drop as those two names rang loud and clear in your ears. 

no way that this could’ve all just been pure coincidence. you were broken out of your thought as the line grew, deciding that no one would even see you anyways from the distance. so, you’d cheer him on behind the scenes. 

“blue lock’s number ten, please.” you said with a small smile. 

after purchasing the jersey, you and your friend went to the bathroom to change into it. after you both were done, she guided you through different doors in which security people guarded it. 

“vip tickets.” you friend eagerly showed them both your and her ticket to the man before they gave her a brief nod. they opened the red rope barrier and allowed you two to enter. 

“hey, this is so close to the field.” you said in awe, looking at the huge green field before you. 

“of course, dummy. we have first row seats.” she gave you a wide smile, making your heart thump. you both took your seat, waiting for the match to start. the announcer people did their little speeches, making you bored. until, the doors opened and the players began to walk in. 

you watched how u-20 walked in, the familiar red head leading the team. your gaze fell on his jersey, it was number ten, itoshi sae. the door on the opposite side opened and the blue lock players walked in and it felt like time had stopped when your eyes fell on the person’s jersey whom you were wearing. 

itoshi rin. 

you noticed how rin’s eyes held a different glint in them, it was filled with determination and the will to devour. he was finally going to play against his brother whom he once dreamt of playing together with side by side. the more you remember that old childish dream that you three dreamt of, the more your heart ached. 

you could only wish that it could go back to that. 

the match has been going for what felt like an eternity, but you couldn’t help but have your palms get sweaty. it was intense, both teams filled with bery talented and skilled players. this was your first time watching rin and sae play soccer, as you’d always skip out on their practices in the past because it was boring to you. 

but now after witnessing it live, you were nothing but dumbstruck from amazement. their speed, intellect, strength, stamina and overall talent was unremarkable. you would be liar if you denied the fact that you were proud of both of them. 

yet, your heart was rooting for blue lock to take home the victory. unfortunately, things weren’t going towards your liking as u-20 was in the lead. one more goal in for u-20 sent the whole crowd roaring and cheering for none other than itoshi sae. 

however, your eyes not even once fell on him. you were more focused on rin, his every move was sharp and hypnotizing. you watched him pant from exhaustion, until a different aura replaced him. 

you looked at him and your heart dropped to your stomach, recognizing that look from before. it was a look as if a demonic entity has taken over him, his eyes darkening as his tongue slipped out in focus. 

fuck. 

you watched him go berserk, zooming past all the players and strategically knocking down everyone’s skills with his own. that was until he was now head on head against sae now. 

you noticed how his movements waivered for a little, but he shrugged it off and continue to get in his shooting range without being interrupted by sae. the crowd grew quiet as they began to whisper and murmur about the sibling rivalry. 

you heard them badmouthing rin, taking sae’s side just because rin wasn’t as well known like sae. you couldn’t take it anymore, leaning over. 

“you could do it, itoshi rin! make that fucking goal, rinnie!!” you screamed at the top of your lungs, your voice catching both brother’s attention. rin looked at you with shock, sharing the same look with sae. you gave rin a hopeful smile, giving him a thumbs up. 

“i believe in you, rin! you can make that goal!” and with that being said, it was as if his mind was being possessed by your voice, your words guiding him as his body acted on its own. 

rin surpressed sae, who didn’t even notice because he was startled by your sudden appearence amongst the crowd. and in a matter of seconds, rin’s leg swung and like fire the ball hit the net. 

“fuck yeah!!” you jumped from your seat as the announcers flooded everyones ears with compliments towards rin. 

blue lock won. 

---

“holy shit, that game was insane!” your friend babbled, making you chuckle as you nodded your head in agreement. 

“yeah, it was.” you smiled, the events of rin’s amazing goal and overall play rewinding in your mind. 

“hey, i’m gonna go catch up with my friend. i’ll text you when i get home.” you friend quickly excused herself and you nodded your head, wanting to leave as soon as possible to avoid bumping into either brothers. 

you were finally able to leave the stadium, now outside as you saw the sun was slowly setting. you leaned against the fence, taking in the breathtaking sight.

“running away from me so soon?” a voice spoke out, sending chills down your spine. you turned your head only to see the 6′1 striker walking towards you while drinking water. he was out of his uniform, now wearing nothing but sweats and a t-shirt. 

“rin..” you said under your breath, your voice already half gone from your screaming. you haven’t seen rin face to face for a while now, especially after that night. he made your heart tremble, your knees weak and you always grew nervous. 

“never expected you to show up to one of my games.” rin blurted out, making you scoff. 

“why? ‘cause you think i don’t know anything about soccer since you’re a hotshot player and i’m not?” you taunted, making his lips curl a little upwards into a small smirk. 

“you’re the one who said soccer was boring.” he argued, making you tsk. 

“well, it’s not as boring when watching you play it.” you mumbled under your breath, but your words were as clear as day to rin and it made his heart swell with pride. 

“is that so?” rin asked, tucking a piece of your hair behind your ear. his skin softly grazed your face, making your cheeks grow warm. your eyes remained on the ground, not being able to meet his intense eye contact. 

rin let out a sigh, grabbing your chin before forcing you to look up to him. he looked down at your flustered face, looking over every feature that he has memorized in his mind. you were still the same, the only difference is you’ve matured as you’ve grown. 

your adorable doey eyes that would look at him like he’s the most interesting person ever to exist, your cute button nose that would scrunch up in excitement, soft and chubby cheeks that would blush whenever he kissed them and plump lips that would say the sweetest things to him. 

you’ve never left itoshi rin’s mind. 

“why did you come today?” he asked, looking into your eyes like he’s trying his best to search for the truth. 

“my friend had extra tickets.” you admitted, watching his eyes droop a little and lose their shine. 

“oh.” his voice sounded disappointed. 

“the man in the jersey stall asked me if i wanted u-20′s number 10 or blue lock’s number 10. i chose you, rin.” you said before cupping his face, getting tired of knocking on this hard wall rin has built around his heart. 

rin could feel his heart hammering against his chest, the unfamiliar feeling of this weird fuzz made him confused. you were rooting for him from the beginning? 

“but why? sae is still a better player than me, i got that goal in by luck because he was distracted.” rin frowned, dropping your hands from his face as you heavily sighed. 

“even if everyone in that entire crowd cheered for sae, i would still be your number one supporter and wear your number and scream for you loud and proud. whether you won or lost, you’ll always be the one that i would root for, rinnie.” you gave him a ceshire smile, that beautiful shimmer in your eyes returning just like how you’d have it when talking to him as a child. 

suddenly, you grabbed his neck before pulling him into your chest, hugging him tightly. you didn’t want to fight against your feelings anymore, you no longer cared. 

“i’ll always choose you, rin. i love you, i love you so, so, so damn much that it hurts. all these years of being away from you made me become nothing but miserable. come back to me, rinnie, please.” you begged, tears streaming down your face as you sniffled. 

and it took only those few words to have that wall itoshi rin built around his heart to come crumbling down. he tightly wrapped his arms around your waist, lifting you up as you wrapped your legs around his waist. 

“i missed you so much, y/n. i’m so sorry. i-i don’t even know what to say.” he stammered, as you felt him sniffling against your chest. your hand came down to his cheeks, wiping away his tears as you shook your head. 

“it’s okay, i know it was hard on you. you suffered a lot on your own.” you kissed his forehead lovingly, feeling him tighten his embrace. 

“but still, i was such an asshole to you because i was so consumed by my hatred. i’m so sorry for hurting you, y/n. i felt so guilty, i couldn’t even face you because i knew my feelings would conflict with me.” rin admitted, making your heart skip a beat. 

“i love you too, y/n. i always have and i always will.” he said, leaning away from your chest to meet your gaze as his eyes softened. you giggled in content, your hand going behind his neck to pull him into a kiss. 

it wasn’t anything too much, a soft yet savoring kiss that you both shared. rin could taste the sweet fruity gloss you used on your lips, humming at it’s sweetness. you smiled against his lips before pecking them multiple times. you cupped his cheeks, squishing them as a pout forcibly formed on his lips. 

“ahhh, you’re so cute, rinnie! i just wanna eat you up!” you squealed, continuing to pepper his face and pouty lips with smooches. rin’s face noticibly grew warm and red, but he liked getting this kind of attention from you. 

you both spent the next few minutes just hugging and pecking each other, enjoying each other’s close company that you both ached for all those years. 

“we got the whole week off, so uh, do you wanna go on a date?” rin asked, averting his eyes from you. a teasing grin danced on your lips as you decided to play with him a little. 

“hmm, i don’t know. let me think.” you pretended to think hard, making him scoff. 

“y/n!” rin whined, playfully smacking your thigh as you chuckled. 

“just kidding! of course i’ll go on a date with you, rin. but, only if you first ask me to be your girlfriend.” you asked with a cheeky smile, making him pinch your nose. 

“now you’re asking for too much.” rin teased, making you scoff. 

“hey, i was your lucky charm that helped you make that goal. the least you can do is ask me to be your girlfriend.” you roll your eyes, sending him a small glare. 

“now why would i give you any credit for that goal.” rin tilted his head, making you huff. 

“jerk, fine, then go on that date by yourself.” you said in a petty tone, squirming out of his release before walking off. rin chuckled to himself, knowing that you were right. your voice was the only thing that put him in that trance to make that goal, so yes, you were his lucky charm. 

rin lightly jogged behind your before engulfing your figure into a back hug. he snuggled his face in the crook of your neck before kissing your temple. 

“be my girlfriend and go on that date with me.” he said, pressing a tender kiss on your cheeks. a girly smile was now plastered on your face and you hummed. 

“if you insist, okay then!” you exclaimed, your stomach filled with butterflies. 

“good, i can’t win my games without my lucky charm.” rin breathed out in content, wrapping an arm around your waist as he held you close while you both walked. 

from a distance, the other itoshi watched, tightly clutching onto his duffle bag. an overwhelming amount of sadness washing over him as he watched his once beloved brother and childhood friend walk away together. 

sae let out a heavy sigh, walking in the opposite direction as a bitter smile was on his lips. in a way, the dream you three have dreamt came true today. 

the itoshi brothers played together in an intense soccer match while you were in the front rows cheering. only difference was the molten sea of hate and complicated feelings that made things more different. 

you only cheered for rin, completely ignoring sae’s existence and perhaps that why this feeling of tightness in his chest prevented him from even caring about what rin had in plan next during the match. 

although you and rin found each other once again in the same world, itoshi sae realized that he was way far gone from you both. 

he could no longer dream the same dream as you and rin. 

itoshi sae has lost his brother and his childhood best friend and he knew that he couldn’t blame anyone else but himself. 

[syaolaurant]

Hello hello, I love your work and was wondering if you'd be open to making a little breakdown of your art style?

It's really interesting to me and I love taking bits of different artists art style elements and incorporating them into my doodles to get better

Totally okay if you don't want to! 💜💜💜

Take care and have an amazing life 🤗💜☺️

Hello!! Thanks for asking 🤗 I'm not making a little breakdown of my art style I already WROTE A WHOLE ESSAY ABOUT IT!!

Sorry I exaggerated it a bit🥲🥲...

I was very happy to receive this ask, but at the same time I felt worried. Honestly, I didn’t know how to give you a relevant answer because  I don’t even think I have a consistent art style 🥲. Except for my usual chibi style which I feel most comfortable with, I feel my style constantly changes. So after going back to review my old paintings, I think my style is a combination of children's book illustrations and Japanese anime style. Many times I have received comments about my paintings looking like they are from children's books, and I agree haha, maybe because I mostly draw small characters in big settings and I usually use bright colors. 

My favorite artists:

My drawing style is mostly influenced by my all time favorite artists Heikala and Koyamori, I stumbled across their Insta accounts during my 1st year in college (that was 10 years ago) and from then my drawing style gradually took shape. I also admire Paulina Cassidy, mostly because I like her whimsical nature sprites theme. Recently I’ve been investing in Stephanie Law’s artwork, her coloring technique is so god-like that I hope one day I can reach that level…

Ideas and Inspirations:

Japanese anime/manga culture has had a great impact on my childhood. It was a dream come true for me to be able to pursue my college study in Japan. I think this journey greatly affected my current style. I draw lots of things from small doodles to funny comics. I'd describe my drawings as “silly and cute” since I love to make people laugh and I also live for the fluffs (Sometimes I drew angst too but it still turned out cute haha..). Aside from that,  I prefer making “storytelling” illustrations with colorful backgrounds. My favorite things to draw are tiny characters in big scenery, I like to create peaceful static moments that when looking at them help warm my heart and calm my mind. 

When making game fanarts, I usually take screenshots as references for background and imagine how the character will act in that setting. I just do what I feel comfortable and use my own judgment for composition … which… sometimes results in weird perspectives (and you know what I’ve just discovered the rule of third recently 😅…). 

Characters:

When it comes to drawing characters, I honestly don't know how to explain my style. I think chibi is my most recognizable style, apart from that I usually draw characters in semi-chibi (is it the right way to call it??) or simple anime style. I don’t usually draw characters with dynamic poses or movements ( that’s why I still suck at anatomy and expression 😩😩). I think I’m shifting from anime to a more cartoon style since I kinda have same face problem and  I’m trying to practice face shapes.

I think my character drawing style is most influenced by Akihiko Yoshida (who is behind many FF/Nier/ bravely default concepts), as I always draw my characters with chubby round faces and dreamy eyes. I made an example of how I usually draw my characters below.

Technique: 

Watercolor technique is quite complex so I’ll explain how I always do my paintings in another sharing post. I’ve posted part 1 of my sharing here. Generally, I love using bright, saturated tones and black ink brush pen or color brush to paint line work. 

. I hope I could answer your question. I’m definitely no expert, all the things about art I've learn was self-taught but I'm happy to help anyway I can. 💕💕

And you 🫵🫵 yes you dear sweet anon! I wish you a happy life too!!!! 💕💕

[verenvuoto]

to artist en— your work is so gorgeous!! may i ask a little more about your art materials/process? i work in traditional mediums because i find them the most comfortable, but i feel like my stuff never feels very clean when compared to digital art. meanwhile your traditional stuff looks very polished, and i’m curious just what tools you use to get there :0

(please do feel free to answer privately, i wouldn’t want to clutter up the art blog!)

Hello! Thank you so much, I'm super happy that people like my drawings <3 and haha, same hat, I definitely prefer doing traditional art but also feel it's waaay messier than my digital stuff, but I'm very glad you think it looks polished!

As for art materials, I basically use anything :'D for sketching, I always use a light red pencil (and then never erase it after I do the lineart oops) and then a blue pencil to define the sketch a bit more. For lining, I like using brushpens because I like me some line variation :'D but I also often use different colored fineliners if I want some less harsh lines. Or even colored pencils. For coloring, I basically use whatever I feel like at the moment (and what works best with the paper I'm using xD), so it can be watercolors, alcohol markers, colored pencils, paint markers, highlighters, and often it's everything at once haha. I love doing base color with alcohol markers and then shading with colored pencils, it creates a fun texture. Or if I color with colored pencils, then I like to go over the area one more time with a marker/highlighter in a similar but lighter color to have the whole thing look more blended out.

For the comics I post on this blog, I "color" them with water-based brush markers. And those tend to be kinda streaky, so I think the key here is to have a steady hand and find a good rythm for putting down the color???? Like, not go too fast or too slow, so the ink flow is consistent???? Easier to do for small areas, for bigger ones I gave up and accepted the streaks XD

Ahhh I feel this answer is kind of chaotic and not very helpful, but I hope you can get something out of it! If you need me to elaborate on anything, let me know!

[daebakinc]

Dirty, Dirty Dancing Pt 8 (M)

A Dirty Dancing AU

Pairing: Yunho X Female Reader X Hyunjin (polyamorous relationship)

Word Count: 4.3K

Synopsis: The college campus where boyfriend, Yunho, is a visiting dance instructor seems like every other university you’ve visited until a secret party reveals it’s anything but. After a drunken mishap, promising dance student, Hyunjin, is left without a dance partner. Enlisted in helping him before a big audition, you begin to catch feelings for him. Can you help him and maintain a relationship with your boyfriend?

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7

~Admin V

           Hyunjin tried to blink away his shock as you removed your shirt and asked him to paint you. The chorus of the music seemed to bring him back to focus. He walked to the large canvas and turned it to the backside, then placed it on the floor. Quickly, he expertly removed the staples from the wooden frame so it was just the cloth of the canvas.

           Seeing what he was doing, you helped to clear space on the floor, so the canvas would be able to lie flat.

           When he had it off the wooden frame, Hyunjin flipped it over again, then taped each corner to the floor with masking tape.

           He exhaled as his eyes landed on you again. At his workstation, he grabbed a thin wooden box labeled “water colors.” He grabbed a tube of blue colored paint, and squeezed a large portion of it on a plastic square.

           “Why watercolor? Why not oil based?” You weren’t very familiar with art or painting, but you knew oil showed deeper, richer colors.

           “Watercolor will wash off. If I use oil based, we’d need turpentine to get the paint off your skin.”

           “Ah.” You watched as he spread the blob of paint until it was bigger.

           Hyunjin combed through a cup filled with paint brushes until he found a large, wide one that looked like what was used to paint walls in houses. Once he was all set up he looked toward you. “Can you remove your pants?”

           Nodding, you did as asked, then walked over toward him and the supplies.

           At the audition, you’d seen him look nervous, but this was a different kind of energy as he scanned over your body. Exhaling slowly, he prepared his paintbrush with a large dollop of blue, then got on his knees. He began painting the front of your thighs. He painted them from just above your knee to your panties, careful not to touch the fabric.

           When they were thoroughly covered, he stretched up to paint your tummy. Again, he was careful not to touch your underwear, and painted your skin until he was at your ribs. He got up from his knees and stared at your chest then looked in your eyes. “I think it would be best if you took off your bra.”

           “Okay.” You didn’t feel nervous like when you were trying on the dress with Wooyoung there. There was excitement as you reached behind your back to unclasp the garment, and you felt yourself tremble a bit.

           His eyes never left your chest as he watched you. A blush filled his cheeks when the bra was removed and you tossed it by the t-shirt.

           Breathing slowly, he dipped his brush in more paint and started covering your ribs until he was under your breasts.

           His breath was shaky, and his voice was a whisper as he asked, “Can I touch you?”

           “Yes.”

           He carefully lifted each breast to ensure the paint fully covered beneath them. He then painted over your nipples. “When Yves did this, he taped the canvas on the wall and pushed the women into it.” His voice was at regular volume now as he concentrated on your upper breasts. “I thought it might be easier to do it on the floor and let gravity do some of the work. But I’m not really sure how your . . . uh . . . chest will lay.” The blush was back in his cheeks.

           After painting your collarbone he asked you to hold your hands up, coloring them as well as your forearms. Then you were ready.

           He led you to the edge of the canvas and helped you kneel down. “Think of it like you’re going to do a push up, but it’s when you’re tired and let your body down to rest.”

           “Okay,” you nodded, understanding. The thing was, you were afraid to touch the canvas. You didn’t want to mess it up.

           Hyunjin realized your hesitation. “It doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s alright if it smudges.”

           Nodding again, you let yourself breathe, then fell onto your hands. As instructed, you lowered yourself onto the canvas.

           “I’m going to press on you a little.”

           “Sure.” You stayed perfectly still.

           Starting with your legs, Hyunjin pressed both hands on your right thigh, then left. He then moved his attention to your lower back, mid back, then upper back and shoulders. He also pressed against your arms and hands.

           “Can you lift yourself up?”

           A worry filled your mind. “Will the canvas stick to me?”

           “No. I taped it to the floor.”

           “Ah, right.” Without further hesitation, you pushed yourself up. With Hyunjin’s aid, he helped you to your knees, then to stand.

           Both of you looked at the canvas. There was a tiny triangle where your underwear was, but it wasn’t very noticeable with your thighs and belly taking up space.

           “Don’t worry, I have an idea for that?”

           You looked to him, and he had sheepish grin.

           “The trend of removing pubic hair was only just starting in the 60s, when Yves Klein did his paintings of women, so they still had their hair.” His cheeks turned a new shade of red. “I don’t know your situation, but I figured you wouldn’t want paint there, so.” He lifted a round sponge.

           “Nice.”

           “Thank you.”

           “Before you do that, I have an idea.”

           His eyebrow raised in curiosity. “Oh?”

           “What if I paint you, in a different color, like red, and we press your body into the canvas, too. But your hands could rest at the hips, like you were holding the other figure.”

           Both of his eyebrows were raised as he looked over the art and thought about what you said. “I like it, let’s do it.” He was blushing again. “Do you maybe want to clean up so you can get dressed?”

           “Okay.” It was adorable how shy he was. You’d never have guessed it the way he danced, especially with the routine he danced with you.

           Back on his knees, he used water-tissue to wipe off the paint. You were able to get most the paint off your tummy and chest, but had trouble seeing your collarbone and needed his help.

           As you watched him wipe away the paint at your clavicle, you could see he was holding his breath.

           “What’s wrong?” Your voice was quiet.

           His eyes looked bigger as he stopped cleaning paint from your skin and stared at you. “I was just thinking of what you said earlier.”

           “Oh.” It was your turn to feel shy. You’d done everything to distract him from your words in fear of rejection. But now he could confront them.

           “You feel for me.” He wasn’t asking a question, but you nodded your head to confirm anyway. “But you still feel for Yunho?”

           “Yes.” Here it was, the rejection you knew was coming.

           “That makes you poly.”

           You weren’t expecting that response and straightened your back and shoulders. How did he already understand polyamory when neither you nor Yunho did? Then again, he was friends with Yeji, and she introduced you to it. “I’m not really sure. It’s new. I’m just trying to figure it all out.”

           His head bobbed up and down in understanding, but his eyes kept gazing back and forth from yours, to your lips. “I . . . I’m not sure if I’m poly, but I’m open to anything if it means I could kiss you.”

           A shiver ran down your spine. “You want to kiss me?”

           “Wasn’t it obvious when we got back to campus after the audition?”

           Looking at his lips, your mouth parted. Gods did you want it, too. “What’s stopping you?”

           He didn’t hesitate. One of his hands cradled the back of your head, his fingers grabbing your hair. His other hand cupped your cheek as he closed the distance between you and pressed his clothed body against your naked one.

           You were shaking as you looked him in the eyes, and could feel him quivering, too.

           The time it took for him to press his lips on yours felt like it was happening at the slowest pace possible, and in an instant.

           He was delicate when his lips touched yours; soft, taking his time.

           His scent quickly filled your nose, and your arms wrapped around him, with one hand grasping between his shoulder blades and the other deep in his hair.

           As you pressed him closer against you, his kiss became less delicate and more hungry. His lips felt stronger against yours, and he sucked your bottom lip into his mouth, causing you to moan.

           Hyunjin’s strength as he leaned on you caused you to back up into his work table.

           When you squeaked in surprise, Hyunjin backed off. “Are you alright?”

           Nodding quickly to indicate you didn’t want to stop, you lifted yourself to sit on the table.

           Any shyness you’d seen on Hyunjin was now gone, his eyes full-blown with need. Parting your legs, he stood between them to hold you as close as he could as he kissed you again.

           Your hands went back into position on his back and in his hair. Feeling breathless, you opened your mouth wider, allowing Hyunjin to slide his tongue in. You both groaned as you tasted each other. You could live in his taste. Needing him closer, you hugged him harder to you, teasing him as you pulled away from the kiss, then licked his lips, then tongue, but not wholly giving him a full kiss. He whined when you bit his lip.

           Hearing him in pleasure aided your arousal. Your nipples were hard, and you were very aware of them as they brushed the fabric of his shirt. “You’re wearing too much.”

           “I’ll take it off if you stop playing.”

           Before you could answer, his lips were back on yours, making you whimper in turn. Your hands reached down for the hem of the shirt, then pulled it up until he backed away to lift it off.

           You bit your lip as you took in his muscled torso. He had a bit more definition than Yunho, especially in his arms. You wondered if that was because of pole dancing. Your eyes dropped to his pants. “Those, too.”

           He shook his head as he smirked. “You’re naughty.”

           “Nu uh! I just want you in the same amount of clothing as me!”

           “Uh huh, sure.” But he complied and removed them as well, standing in front of you in black boxer-briefs. Moving back so you were touching chest to chest, he spoke with his mouth only inches from yours. “You’re gonna kiss me now?”

           Gasping, feeling the heat of his chest against yours, you answered by grabbing his hair and pushing his lips to yours. With your mouth already parted, he slid his tongue in, rubbing it against yours, moaning with you to the sensation. As the kiss got more involved and he leaned against you, you felt his hardness press into you.

           Inhaling suddenly, you broke the kiss.

           “I’m sorry,” he backed off.

           “No, no.” You didn’t want him to be sorry. You were lost in his taste, touch, and scent, and you were feeling dizzy and not forming the words you needed. “I don’t want to stop.”

           “No?”

           You shook your head.

           Moving back to where he was, he grabbed at your thigh, opening your legs more, then gyrated so his hardon grinded against you.

           A cry of pleasure left your lips.

           “You want this?”

           “Yes.”

           Hyunjin rolled his hips again, and you could feel him press against you from core to clit, making you cry out louder. With his free hand, he lifted your chin so you’d look at him. “You don’t want me to stop?”

           “I want you to keep going, please.”

           With his music still playing in the studio, Hyunjin moved his hips in rhythm with it, dry humping you to the beat.

           You held onto his shoulders, needing to feel as much of him as you could.

           He looked in your eyes each upward stroke. For the most part he was doing a good job to stay quiet.

           Not you. The friction of the fabric with each push he made, you couldn’t help but let him know how good this made you feel. You needed more. “Please kiss me again.”

           With a sly smile, instead of kissing your lips, he kissed your cheek several times, then his lips found your earlobe. As he continued thrusting, his lips found their way to your neck.

A particularly loud cry escaped you, which made Hyunjin giggle as he kissed down to your shoulder.

           “Who’s playing now?”

           Chuckling, he stopped kissing your shoulder and brought his attention back to your mouth. He teased you the same way you’d done to him, licking your lips, then licking your tongue, before he fully pressed against you for a kiss, stroking his shaft between your legs in time.

           You could feel the white heat of orgasm building, and groaned into his mouth.

           His pace quickened as he humped you, making your legs shake and cries of pleasure sound from both of you. “You gonna cum for me?”

           Clutching his back, you nodded quickly. “Just don’t stop.”

           Pulling your lower back closer to him, he thrusted more forcefully against you, making him grunt and you moan loudly. As your sounds of rapture filled the room, he rolled his hips until you were quaking in ecstasy. His motions slowed as you were coming down from your climax. Finally stopping, he pressed his forehead against yours. “Feel good?”

           Eyes closed, you focused on your breathing as you nodded. You felt the beads of sweat drip from your body. Squeezing his hair in your hand, you could feel it dripping from him, too.

           Hyunjin pecked at your lips a few times.

           Letting your hands fall to his waist, you looked at him. “You didn’t finish.”

           A sheepish grin appeared on his face. “I uh . . . may have taken care of myself earlier. So, I’m not quite as sensitive.”

           “Oh?” you smiled back. “Anyone in mind during that?”

           His grin grew wider. “Not kissing you earlier really did a number on me.” 

           “Well, I don’t mind if you wanna keep going. If you want to do more.”It was your turn for your cheeks to redden.

           “Really? You’re not too tired?”

           “I have experience with the stamina of dancers.”

           He smiled, but still didn’t look convinced. “You want to go all the way with me? Have sex?”

           Just the idea of it sent butterflies to your tummy. “Yes, Hyunjin. I want you. All of you.”

            “Good.” He kissed you, then backed away to look inside his supply cabinets. “Lucky for you, I have condoms in here, somewhere.”

           “Oh, so I’m not the only girl you’ve fooled around with in here, then.”

           “It’s not like that,” he peered inside one cabinet, then moved to the next. “Condoms make very useful art tools.”

           “Sure they do. Likely excuse.”

           “They do!” he whined. Reaching behind supplies, he grabbed a box and lifted it. “Found ‘em!”

           Laughing at how cute he was, you pivoted around on the table to wiggle out of your undergarments while he removed his own and prepared the condom.

           As he walked back towards you, you couldn’t help but stare at his full girth and length and sucked in some air.

           His laugh was shy. “Nervous?”

           Finding confidence, you shook your head. “I’m ready."

           He gestured to your legs as if to move them. “Can I?"

           “Yeah, of course."

           Lifting your leg, Hyunjin placed your left foot on the table and hooked his arm around your thigh. He looked in your eyes. “You’re sure?”

           You rested your hands on his shoulders. “Yes, Hyunjin. I want . . .” you had more to say, but he’d placed his tip at your entrance and guided himself into your heat, and you forgot whatever else there was to say.

           Snaking his other arm around your back, Hyunjin’s face was close to yours as he groaned. “You feel so good.

           “Yeah,” you blinked quickly, mind still in a haze, “You do, too.”

           Pulling away slowly until just his tip was in you, he then pushed in roughly, making you both cry out loudly.

           “Shit, Hyunjin.”

           “Yeah,” he nodded. He was shaking a bit.

           His music changed again, and whatever the song was made him laugh.

           “What is it?”

           He almost pulled out as before and thrusted into you again, causing the room to echo in more moans. “This is a sex song.”

           “A sex song?” you smiled.

           “Well according to Felix.”

           “Oh really? So, you’re thinking of him in this moment?”

           He pumped into you harder, practically making you scream to prove he was only thinking of you. “I’ll show you.”

           The music gradually started to speed up, and so did Hyunjin, matching his hips to the rhythm. It was a wonder either of you could even hear the music with all the commotion coming from your mouths. As you felt yourself on the precipice of another orgasm, the music started slowing down, and so did Hyunjin.

           When the music started to speed up again, you grabbed at Hyunjin’s skin, now slick with sweat. His loud groans fed your arousal, and the position he had you in stimulated your clit with each gyration.

           The friction from the speed had your legs shaking. “Hyunjin,” you whined. Your nails scratched down his back as you came for the second time.

           Not stopping, he continued to move with the music, slowing back down until the song ended.

           “Hyunjin,” you breathed again.

           He paused his ministrations.

           “I want to change positions.”

           “Okay,” he breathed. Sweat was dripping from his hair.

           Scanning the room, you noticed a small, beat-up love seat in the corner. You tilted your head toward it. “How about there?”

           Glancing at it, then back to you, he smiled. “Sure. But,” he looked shy again. “My legs are a little wobbly from this round. I don’t think I can carry you.”

           “That’s okay.”

           His grin became mischievous, and he brought his lips close to yours. “It would be okay, but after your last orgasm, your walls are still pretty tight around me. And now that we’re not moving, pulling out might be uncomfortable for you.”

           Blushing, you hadn’t realized you were squeezing him so much. “S-sorry.”

           Hyunjin quickly pecked your lips. “You don’t have to be sorry. Just relax.” He moved to whisper in your ear. “I’ll be back inside you in no time, making you scream my name.”

           Your eyes fluttered shut as you took in a breath. “This isn’t exactly helping me to relax.”

           He stroked the delicate skin of your left thigh with one hand, and your back with the other. As he slid his tongue against yours, you focused on his taste, thinking of what he said, and allowed yourself to let go.

           Slowly, he pulled out, causing you both to whine from the loss of heat. Breaking the kiss, he leaned his forehead against yours. “I just need a second.”

           “Yeah,” you agreed.

           After a moment of catching your breaths, Hyunjin looked down, and the mischievous grin was back. “I should change the condom before we go again.” He kissed you, then whispered. “You came so much for me.”

           “It’s my plan to cum even more, but I want to make you cum with me.”

           Moaning in your mouth as he kissed you once more, he licked at your lips before looking in your eyes. “Deal.”

           Once Hyunjin helped you off the worktable, you wobbled over towards the couch while he put on a fresh condom. You stood with your back to him, waiting by the arm of the sofa.

           His arms wrapped around your waist and he breathed in your ear. “Why are we standing?” His fingers brushed over the front of your body, making goosebumps appear on your skin as you inhaled.

           You turned your head towards him. “I want to be on top.”

           Chuckling in your ear, he pulled you against him in a hug. “So you want to be in control this time?”

           Moving so you were now facing him, you wound your arms around his neck and smiled sweetly. “No, you’re still in charge. I just want to ride you.”

           His mouth twitched at your words and his eyes darkened. Licking his lips, he nodded then made himself comfortable sitting on the couch. He then extended his hands to help you hover above him. With your legs on either side of him you felt secure. He let go of your hands, opting to have one on your hip, the other on himself.

           He looked to you, and when you nodded you were ready, he placed his tip at your entrance again.

           You then sank down on his length until he was fully immersed in you, both of you gasping to the sensation.

           The new position allowed for deeper penetration, which took the two of you a moment to adjust.

           Trembling a little, you leaned forward so you could tangle a hand in his hair, and grab his chest.

 Hyunjin said your name with concern. “Are you okay?”

           “You just make me so full.” You moaned as you shifted a little. “I love feeling all of you in me.”

           He smirked. “I’m still in charge you say?”

           Biting your lip, you nodded.

           “Ride me.” With both hands on your hips now, he guided you a little until you were in a nice rhythm of pumping against him. As you rolled your hips, you were able to rub your clit against his skin.  You kept your rotation consistent in speed, and Hyunjin groaned with each pass into him. 

           When you yourself were becoming more vocal, Hyunjin lifted your hips up, then slammed you back down against him, making you both cry out.

           “Fuck,” he mumbled. He lifted you again, this time also thrusting as he brought you down. Both of you made echoes from your sounds of pleasure. Hyunjin was becoming much louder this round, and way louder than Yunho usually was.

           He continued to aid in the pleasure by pulling your hips down on him or lifting his up to meet you.

           You could only focus on how thick he felt inside of you, how warm his chest was as you gyrated closer to him, how he cried out your name as you were finally bringing him closer to release.

           Panting, your hand tightened in his hair as he pushed into you, hard. You moaned his name.

           “Say it again.” He thrusted up.

           “Hyunjin.” You rolled your hips.

           “Again,” his voice was louder as he pulled you down.

           “Fuck, Hyunjin.”

           The movements were getting hurried and messy. You didn’t have much control anymore, and Hyunjin didn’t seem to have a firm grasp on it, either. Willing yourself to jerk your hips forwards once more, Hyunjin began shaking under you. Holding you down against him, you felt him cum. He cried out so loudly it brought you to your own orgasm, making you clutch his chest as you rode him out.

           When you stopped rolling your hips, your heart pounding in your chest made your skin vibrate.

           Still coming down from his climax, Hyunjin looked at you, then reached behind your neck to pull you in for a sloppy, but chaste kiss.

           He wasn’t hard anymore, and helped you off him to sit on the couch.

           He laced his hand with yours, bringing it to his lips to kiss. “Holy shit,” he mumbled against your knuckles.

           “Yeah,” you gave him a weak smile, still catching your breath. Everything that just happened was incredible. It was easily one of the best nights of your life. But fear crept into your mind.

           Hyunjin saw it, and reached for your chin so you’d look at him. “Tell me what you’re thinking?”

           You felt embarrassed and tried to look away, but his fingers on your chin were strong.

           “Please tell me.”

           “I might have lost Yunho tonight. And you got your kiss and sex from me. But you’re a senior, about to move onto the dance company of his dreams. So, I feel like I had you, only to lose you, too.”

           Furrowing his eyebrows, he got up from the sofa to lean on his knees in front of you, holding your face to look at him.

           “When are you going to realize, I’m not going to let you fall?”

           Not prepared for his answer, your mouth opened and closed as you tried to find the words, or even the thoughts.

           Stroking your cheek with his thumb, he made sure you were looking in his eyes. “This wasn’t a one night thing for me. You weren’t a prize I was trying to win. I wanted to kiss you after the audition because I have feelings for you, too. I feel for you like you feel for me. I know I didn’t say it earlier, but it’s because I’m scared, too. I know you love Yunho, and I respect that because I respect you and I respect him. But what’s to say you won’t choose him over me?”

           His sudden confession was making you feel emotional, bringing tears to your eyes. “I wouldn’t do that to you.”

           “But that doesn’t stop me from thinking it.” Hyunjin wiped your tears with his thumbs. “I don’t know where things stand with Yunho, but you aren’t losing me. This was more than just sex to me. I was giving more than just my body to you.”

           You weren’t sure of what to say. He was giving you his heart?

           Before you could think too long on his words, his lips pressed softly on yours. They weren’t hungry, but restrained. When he inhaled the kiss deepened and you kissed him back.

           Breaking the kiss, you searched in his eyes. You knew he was being sincere. Whatever this was, he was yours.

           Wrapping your arms around him, you hugged him. He climbed back onto the couch and held you. He kissed the top of your head and hugged you in his arms until you fell asleep.

[the-everlasting-ash]

I love love love the way you paint and pick colors!! Do you do your watercolors digitally? If so, what software do you use?

Hi!

Thank you so much! To answer your question- it’s usually a bit of both! I’d like to start posting some more watercolors and a few showing them how they look more naturally- usually I’ll scan those pieces in and do some color editing/sharpening/ and cleaning up. Other times, I’ll use a watercolor and just go completely astray from how it looks irl. Good example of that is the Kirby I posted earlier.

For my software, I’m pretty much mostly on procreate these days, but sometimes I’ll go back to photoshop for my editing. I do sometimes paint digitally with watercolor brushes using mostly the watercolor pack by Max brushes for procreate.

Even though my PS is older, I kinda miss what I can do with it! With watercolors, I do a lot of curves/color adjustments and blending modes to find what I like most! It’s actually pretty difficult to pick colors especially on digital so don’t feel bad if it’s challenging, it’s because it is and you’re not alone! That’s why I like to adjust colors after the fact and play around and see what I like!

Also, always make copies of the layers you like just in case you need to go back!

Thanks for asking! ❤️

[hikaruchen]

Hello, Hope you have a wonderful day! Let me tell you first that I love your arts and art styles, they're just beautiful <333 and I was wondering what program do you use? the brushes and the technique you do to achieve the effects?

Sorry if it's an overwhelming questions, I just love how you art look

Hello! Most of my works were done in procreate. If not, it’s hand-drawn using watercolor pencils and charcoal :)

I use this brush in all of my recent works, both line art and coloring (I believe it’s called Freycinet in English) Go check it if you have the app.

For techniques… I’m not an art student so I don’t really have much to share, basically what I would do is do drafts, refine it a little bit and start coloring straightforwardly, most of cases I don’t do line art cause I know I’m not good at it, but it’s based on your personal preference :)

Before coloring I choose I’m going to color a piece directly or do the grayscale first, grayscales will help make clear what the lighting and shadow should be like and it fits on realistic drawing more. Different choices get different results, take these as examples:

1) colored directly 2) did the grayscale first

If you’re asking the watercolor-like texture, actually I’m not doing this on purpose, however if I’m going to explain I will say just blend it. Blend and add color layers until you get a smooth result. Also blend the lines which can be seen too clearly, doing this will get you a more stereoscopic looking. Don’t get confined by the concept of what things really have to look like, focus on the aesthetic feeling more!

ps. Actually I don’t use many layers, as an impasto lover 10-15 layers are quite enough and I encourage everyone to do that.

pps. I made a brush just for blending and I find it quite useful so I decided to share it here:

I hope this helps!

[skeletonsloverockcandy]

I really like ur oracle of the moon card, what materials did you use? I haven't figured out yet what media I should use, the cards' matte texture isn't something I typically draw on

It was something I went back and forth on because the cards don’t have the absorbent quality that most drawing paper does, so I knew it would be tricky. I did a light sketch in pencil, and then I thought I would try doing the background at least in alcohol markers to test how well it worked. I was surprised to see that, unable to fully sink into the paper, it kind of defused like watercolor instead of streaking like marker, and gave it a fuzzy, blendable quality I kind of liked. One thing I quickly noticed though was that while the marker was still wet, you could blend colors very well, but if you put another color on top after it it dried, it would pull up the color underneath.

Funnily enough, I used this limitation to my advantage and used it to highlight and blend, and it actually looked great on the sense of depth and space in the beacon. The ironic part is, that I fully intended to use acrylic paint, but at each new step, I experimentally tried marker first to see how it worked, telling myself I could paint over it if I messed up. (Though I will admit I was slightly hesitant to commit to acrylics if it came to that because it would make the card heavier and the texture distinct unless it was very thin paint).

I ended up doing the whole thing in alcohol marker (I used prismacolor and copics) and blocking out the colors and sections as I went, and I was most nervous about the skin tones and the gilded edges of the beacon because those needed to pop right and might’ve been more fit for acrylic—if it weren’t for the fact that the details were so tiny that I might have lost my mind if I had to do that with a brush. After I let the marker fully dry, I used liner pens for the outside, I used a .005 mm if you’re interested, and white gel pen for the stars. I would let the gel pen get a bit dry so some of the dots were far smaller than others, with just a couple fully pressed in dots for a few of the bigger stars.

In general, I’d probably recommend an acrylic based paint pen, like posca, or else a thin acrylic paint if you’ve got a tiny brush and steady hands, because then it won’t risk smudging as much or stripping away the color underneath if you apply a new layer. But it will give you a more opaque look. If you like the kind of blendy-transparent look and feel of watercolors, I would use alcohol marker and then just be careful how much you sweat on the card lol. Do not use actual watercolor on it though, it will warp and ruin your card, and the pigment will not absorb into the paper properly. 

Also thanks! I’m glad you liked my card! Please tag me if you end up making one of your own, I’d love to see it :)

[humbuns]

I love how your art looks so much 😍😍😍 can I ask what kind of brushes or textures you use to make it look so good?

AAAA thank you sm!!! 💖💖💖 This made my day!!

For my general go-to brush, it belongs to this pencil brush set found in csp!!!

I haven't found many pencil brushes that fit the pencil brush I made in paint tool sai but this one is a good alternative and it's really good!!! (The pen pressure for the brush really makes it feel like a pencil so definitely recommend playing around with the settings to make the perfect pencil for you)

I also been using these other brushes on and off so I definitely recommend checking them out!!

Complete Art Supply Set (The concept and oil paint brushes are my faves in this one) (I used it in this drawing!!)

Thiccpaint (started using these for backgrounds!!)

Freehand Style Brush Set (really good textured pens)

Freckle Brush

I don't use a lot of the brushes I have tbh lmao because I go with the ones I'm safe with and just change the settings to make it work

Textures:

Textures kinda vary for me because I already have a bunch downloaded from CSP Assets since I use it a lot when I just wanna cover my mistakes and make everything blend lol

But here are my top two!!

Texture #1 is the one found already installed in CSP and it's a really good noise filter which is perfect for those 90s anime edits or you want to make everything feel like a polaroid

You can even change the color of the noise by overlaying a gradient or any color you want!

Texture #2 is found in this art supply set! There are really good ones there too but this one is my favorite and I often mix both texture #1 and this one together

Other good textures:

Watercolor Paper Textures

Watercolor Texture Large

Tone Brushes

Most brushes also come with a texture install with them so if you want to make your brush more noticeable like the pencil brush, I increase or decrease the texture in the brushes to add even more texture

EDIT: I forgot to say in the photo but you also have to lower the opacity of the texture layers!! That's when you use the Sharpen feature in CSP as it will make the texture more noticeable even at a lower opacity!

Sorry for rambling a bit lmao but I get excited talking about art stuff in general so I might have gotten carried away lol

[luvidzy]

☆ genre: fluff

☆ pairing: hwang yeji x reader

☆ summary: it’s the day of your first art exhibition and yeji isn’t there to hold your hand

☆ word count: 1.8k

Your fork clattered onto your plate, your hand trembling as you took in the news that your girlfriend, Yeji, wouldn’t be able to make it to your art exhibition tomorrow. You had been so excited and proud to share your artwork with her, having spent a long time on the specific piece being displayed. The display that she would never see.

She stared at you with eyes full of sadness, moving to take your hand in hers. You were still frozen, your lips shaking as you tried to stop the oncoming tears that were making their way to the corners of your eyes.

“Y/N, I’m so sorry. I really did everything I could, but we are just so close to our comeback that I can’t miss anything.” Yeji’s voice was soft, almost as if she was afraid you might break if she raised her tone. You squeezed your eyes shut, begging yourself to get a grip on your emotions. You needed to calm down, afterall this really wasn’t that big of a deal.

“No…. No, it’s fine. I promise. Sorry, I guess it’s just been a weird day.” That was a lie. Your day had actually been really good (up until now), but Yeji didn’t need to know that. If lying was what it took for her to feel a little less guilty about the situation, then you would lie until the sun began to rise in the morning.

“Will you take pictures? I still want to see everything, and I want to hear about everything. I promise, the minute I come home, I’m all yours,” Yeji said, giving you the smile that always managed to warm your heart and bring you a little bit of solace. 

“Won’t you be tired from practice?”

“Too tired for my beautifully talented partner? Never.” You giggled weakly at that comment, feeling a small smile make its way onto your face. You were still upset, still cursing the fact that you couldn’t have Yeji there for something so important, but you knew that she meant every word she said about staying up to listen to you recall your experience.

“Okay. I love you.” Yeji lifted your hand and pressed the smallest kiss onto the back of it. You felt your face heat up as she smiled at you, continuing to hold your hand while grabbing her silverware with the other one, determined to give you comfort in her touch, even if it was only the smallest sliver of happiness.

The next morning, after a quick breakfast with Yeji, she headed off to do some outfit fittings while you headed out to do last minute checks on your art before it was taken to the small gallery the event was taking place at. Your teacher was already waiting in the classroom, your canvas sitting on an easel.

You took one last look at the piece in front of you, of the watercolors that splashed together on the canvas to create the perfect image, before you let the black cloth drop over it. Your teacher gave you a smile as she patted you on the back.

“It’s going to look great at the exhibit tonight, Y/N. Just you wait,” she reassured. You gave her a soft smile, though you couldn’t get rid of the pit that sat in your stomach. After all, the one person who you wanted to see the piece most wouldn’t be able to make it.

You knew that it wasn’t Yeji’s fault; that it was the price that you paid for dating an idol. You would simply have to get used to the fact that she wouldn’t be available all the time, and that you would simply have to do certain things alone, even if you wanted nothing more than to hold her hand while doing them.

Upon leaving your classroom, you headed straight to your apartment. As much as you would have loved to sit and mope around til the time came for the exhibit, you knew that getting ready would take much longer than you wanted. Afterall, this wasn’t a simple class gathering, this was a public art exhibition, and you wanted to look your best for the masses.

After showering and spending about half an hour wrapped in a towel looking at your phone, you finally decided to get ready. You sent a quick text to Yeji, wishing her luck on their practice tonight, before throwing your phone gently onto your bed and focusing on getting yourself presentable.

It wasn’t until you were on the way to the exhibit that the nerves began to set in. This was your first time showing art to such a big group of people, and you hoped that they would find it as beautiful as you did. Despite the reassurance from Yeji and your teacher prior to this moment, you still found your finger nervously tapping the steering wheel as you tried to get your heart to stop pounding.

This was right about the time that you would have loved to have Yeji’s hand to hold, to squeeze, to ground you and let you know that everything was okay. But unfortunately, it was just you.

Your anxiety only worsened as you walked into the gallery. It wasn’t your first time here, and you usually loved visiting, but for some reason you couldn’t find it in you to step into the gallery knowing that your art was on the wall, waiting to be seen and critiqued.

You squeezed your eyes and pretended that Yeji was beside you, calming you down. You imagined her hand gently rubbing circles on your back, and it felt so real that you almost got chills as her hands moved from your back down to your hands. You could practically feel the weight of her palm in yours, and you squeezed lightly. You felt your eyes shoot open in surprise as her hand squeezed back, except it was too real to be just in your head.

You turned your head quickly, your breath catching as Yeji smiled from beside you. She looked gorgeous, in a simple skirt and a nice blouse, but she looked so much more magical to you. Your mouth opened in surprise as she smiled giddily at you, pulling you into her embrace. In no time, your hands were wrapped around her petite waist, holding her close as you felt the urge to cry again, this time with happiness. 

“I thought you said that you couldn’t make it,” you said, pulling back to make sure you weren’t dreaming. Her laugh filled your ears and you were certain that, no you weren’t dreaming, you were just dating the most perfect girl to ever exist.

“I managed to talk my way out of practice. I owe our choreographer dinner, but it was more than worth it to be here.”

“But, you shouldn’t miss practice! Your comeback is soon and this is something so small, it really doesn’t matter that much.” Your voice trailed off as Yeji squeezed your hands again. You looked at her, your heart melting at the soft smile that was on her face, along with the look of complete adoration in her eyes.

“But it matters to you. If it matters to you, then it is the most important thing in the world. I know that you were looking forward to showing me your art, and you support me all the time, it’s my job to do the same for you,” she explained, her voice warm and steady. Your arguments died in your throat as you let your joy spread to your face, a smile breaking onto your features. You hugged her again, quicker this time, before pulling her into the exhibit.

You walked around, observing the art and talking about the different artists and techniques used, until finally you came to your piece. Yeji let go of your hand, her eyes wide as she walked closer to it, as if in a trance, while you watched from the sidelines with a smile on your face.

Splashes of neutral colors were painted onto the canvas, the watercolor causing the paint to flow from one color to the other. A large tree stood in the background, the brown standing out against the black and gray night sky. Warm white lights were painting along the branches of the tree, the watercolor allowing them to look as though they were truly glowing steady and bright. In the middle of it all was a beautiful girl, your muse. She looked off into the distance, her sweater pulled up above her palms as she held them to her face for warmth. Her brown hair flowed around her shoulders, perfectly messy in the way that only the girl could pull off.

To anyone else, the painting might have looked simple: a girl by a tree at night. But Yeji instantly recognized the photo. It was one of your favorite photos that you had taken a few months into your relationship with Yeji. You had it as your phone wallpaper, and you always gushed about how the picture captured Yeji’s subtle beauty in the best way; you even said this was the night that you knew you truly and wholeheartedly loved Yeji.

Yeji turned to you, tears in her eyes as she looked back at the portrait, and then back at you. She rushed to you, pressing her lips to yours as she tried to convey all the love that she held for you. You kissed back, your own way of letting her know that you loved her too, and that this picture was just one way of how you showed that.

When she pulled away, she was giggling happily, a single tear streaking down her skin. You brushed it away with your thumb, smiling at her fondly.

“It’s me. You painted me,” Yeji said, her voice trembling as she smiled that smile that made her look just like a little kitten. You kissed her nose, nodding as you pulled back.

“Of course I did. You’re a work of art. I’m glad you think I captured your essence. I was worried you’d think I didn’t do you justice.” Yeji scoffed at your statement, rolling her eyes playfully.

“Didn’t do me justice? Y/N, you’ve painted me like an angel. You’ve done me the most justice than anyone could ever do,” she rambled, which caused you to laugh. She turned back to look it over again, before pulling out her phone to take a picture. Soon, she was typing away furiously, a mischievous smirk on her face. You raised an eyebrow as she tucked her phone back into her purse, a satisfied grin replacing the smirk as she took your hand again.

“What did you do?”

“I sent it to the Itzy groupchat. What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t rub it in their faces that my partner made a masterpiece of me?” You laughed at her statement as she chuckled along with you.

“Now come on, I want to see the other art. Though, I doubt anything is gonna top yours.” You rolled your eyes softly, but couldn’t help but smile as she pulled you along gently, her hand in yours. 

Just the way it was meant to be.

[buttterknifeee]

Can you write about Tim Drake x Reader where Tim is forgetting about important dates he has with the reader because he has lots of work as Ceo of WE and Red Robin. Also the reader is trying not to react in a negative way because she knows how busy Tim is and he realizes that she’s upset so he makes it up to her. (I don’t know he he would make it up to her though)

Tim Drake x Fem!reader

ok so I strayed slightly off from the request but here you go!!!

Notes: cursing, comedy-angst, random pop culture references, reader has a sister, was made late at night so ignore spelling/grammar

Tim Drake is a dick. Or at least that’s what he told himself the day after a very important, and a very un-celebrated anniversary.

He knew there was something going on yesterday. (y/n) kissed him longer than usual, she made him heart shaped pancakes, and she listened to You Belong With Me like 5 times while he got ready for work. He internally punched himself for totally brushing off all of that, especially her watery eyes as she watched him jump off into the night as Red Robin. He thought she had allergies.

It wasn’t until he woke up the next day to a(n) (y/n)-less house when it finally sunk in. He ran to the “cats for every time of the year” calendar they had hung up on their fridge. A heart drawn by (y/n) painted on yesterday’s date, blemished by a big “X” in black sharpie. He checked his phone: a single text from (y/n) at 5 am that said “:(“. He fucked up big time.

-

(y/n) is sad. Not a “aw this blows sad”. No. This is a knives-chau-when-scott-pilgrim-broke-up-with-her sad. She watched as Tim rushed in from work, a grimace on his face. She made a card for their anniversary, watercolor roses and a small poem she thought of herself. She held it in her arms behind her back as she followed Tim around the apartment, waiting for the right time to pop the confetti and celebrate. It only hit her that he had forgotten when he didn’t even kiss her as he left in his vigilante outfit. Tears formed in her eyes as she waved goodbye, dropping the card on the ground as she turned away from the window.

-

Tim sat at the corner of his bed by the window, trying to call (y/n) for the 12th time. All that came up was Hi! This is (y/n)! I’m not here right now, so leave a message!!! He sunk into the bed, before noticing a brightly colored card on the ground. It had the flowers on the front, and was crushed by a shoe that matched up with one of (y/n)’s. He admired the front: she really did have a thing for painting; she even offered to take him to an art exhibit once, but he had a big project during that time so he had to say no. He opened the card

I wake up everyday

Being in love with you, you nerd

So happy anniversary

To my pretty bird.

He needed to fix this.

Tim Drake found himself standing in front of an apartment door on the other side of Gotham. It took him the whole day of finding (y/n)’s friends and relative’s houses and traveling there, only for her to not be at each house. It was nightfall as he stood in front of her sister’s door.

He barely knocked when the door swung open and a girl stepped out. She immediately pulled him inside and slammed the door. She slapped him hard in the face, leaving it stinging.

“Hey! What was that fo-”

“There you are you bird BITCH where the hell have you been???”

“I’ve spent all day looking for (y/n) what do you mean where the hell have I been! Has she been here this whole time???”

“No shit Batman she’s been here since like 3 am this morning and she told me EVERYTHING. How could you not know that today was your anniversary she made you HEART SHAPED PANCAKES FOR GOD SAKE”

Tim opened his mouth but (y/n)’s sister shut it with her hand

“She’s on the balcony. You get your ass out there and you fix things, got it?”

She pushed him to the sliding door and glared at him, arms crossed.

-

(y/n) was sitting on the edge of the balcony, a cigarette in her hand and her eyes towards the moon. Tim should have been thinking about how he was gonna apologize to her, but all he could think about was how beautiful she looked in the moonlight; face caressed with soft light, her eyes a galaxy of a billion stars. He shook his head out of his lovesick trance and walked onto the balcony.

(y/n) knew who came onto the balcony. Maybe it was his familiar cologne, his awkward shuffle, or the fact that she could infact hear her sister yell the phrase “bird bitch” from inside. She sighed as she put out her cigarette on the railing next to her and turned to face Tim.

“Hey”

“Hey”

“I uh, didn’t know you smoked.”

“Yeahh I used to smoke when I was young, but now I only really do it when I’m upset”

“Oh yeah i-”

“I was really sad tim”

“I know.”

“Like that time knives got dumped by scott sad”

“I know. It’s my fault.”

(y/n) almost smiled at Tim’s immediate admittance to his actions. She knows that he loves her and would do anything to fix his mistakes. But that doesn’t excuse the fact that the mistake did happen. She sighed, staring at her knees.

“It’s been months since we got to go on a date, Tim. I didn’t want you to stress out more than you already are, so I tried not to make a big deal out of all of it, but yesterday hurt me more than I thought it would.”

“I never want to hurt you ever again (y/n). An you could never be a stressor to me; I love you too much to be stressed because of you. I never knew how much of a dick I was towards our relationship and I’m sorry for the way I made you feel.”

(y/n) looked at Tim’s eyes. They were sad, but filled with a flame of determination and love towards her. She hopped off the edge of the railing and pulled him into a hug, her head resting on the crook of his neck, and sniffling a little bit.

“I love you Timbo”

Tim returned her hug, holding her tighter than ever before.

“I love you too.”

After a minute of a warm hug amidst the cold Gotham air, Tim gently pulled away, staring face to face with (y/n).

“How would you feel about date night tomorrow?”

[matthewbeilschmidts]

It’s been a long while since I’ve posted but I’m so glad that I am :’)

This is for Day 1: of @prucanweek - Ordinary

Apologies for spelling errors, it’s a little short but I hope you enjoy 😭💞

-

Matthew doesn’t mind that he’s living an ordinary life. Really.

He grows up near the coast, two parents, a fraternal twin brother, and their gangly hairless cat, Tony (picked curtesy of Alfred). Their parents take them everywhere they can during their childhood, the beach, museums, sports game. They focus on their interests, figuring out what the two like and dislike, as they encourage them both to be themselves and do what they love no matter what. Alfred debates between whether he likes wrestling or football more, while Matthew settles into hockey. In between family get togethers, community festivals, and endless sports training, they somehow have time for homework. (The two share answers a lot.)

He and Alfred each have their own rooms when they enter their teen years, a space to decorate and fill with their own mementos and awards. The sports continue, but later their parents find themselves a little bit busier than before. They do though, give them as much time as they can during the school year, never wanting them to go without someone by their side.

Matthew fades into the background a little bit as they get older, while Alfred puts himself front and center. Matthew watches once with a hand over his eyes as Alfred auditions for the school musical, and surprisingly he read and sings the lines well. “It’s always the rowdy ones!” their theater teachers says after he’s finished performing, a mix of anticipation from planning on putting Alfred on stage and dread at the thought of having to manage him.

Matthew silently supports him, after all he has his own things to do.

He’s the co-caption of the hockey team, the coach giving him the position to give him a little more of a voice, and his teammates verbally agree, considering on the ice Matthew has a lot more to show than he does in person. He accepts, albeit hesitantly.

By the time graduation comes by, Matthew can barely believe how the time has passed. His team even wins a championship under his watch. Some of his fellow classmates look so ready to go out and experience the world, and it’s scary to him because weren’t they all going at the same pace?

His parents talk him through picking his college of choice, and he decides to go. He needs to do what everyone does and experience the world.

And if he decides he wants to come home, that’s okay because at least he tries.

-

He’s in his first art class during his third year at university. The time has been going well, he’s got pretty decent grades and has managed to join a few clubs. But he’s not done yet. Extra curriculars, can’t finish without them. He prioritizes his general education first, and even slips himself into a few major classes early on, but humanities is on record now and has to be completed no matter what one’s studying.

He can get through one semester, he hopes.

Next to him, a student is snickering and the professor doesn’t look amused.

“Gilbert.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“If you’re done, I can introduce myself now.”

The professor goes in with complete, in-depth introductory slides with her name and credentials, and a briefing of all they will overcome this semester.

He’s never been an artist, at least not one that picks up a pencil and creates a realistic masterpiece with nothing but that and a pad of paper. Maybe some poetry contests in high school, if that counts. The written word has its own impact, its own set of colors to breathe out for the world to see.

There’s another snicker, interrupting his internal monologue.

He doesn’t say anything, because he doesn’t know the student, and it’s not his place to control others. But, if it starts to hinder the class, maybe he’ll tell him something. He’s paying to be there, too.

The man catches him staring.

“Yes?” he asks Matthew without being spoken to in the first place.

“Oh,” Matthew flushes at being caught, not that he was trying to hide it anyway. “Well, she didn’t say anything funny?”

The guys waves a hand, making a “psssh” noise as he does.

“I’m just laughing because of how formal this all is. She won’t be this dignified later in the semester that’s for sure. She’ll be ripping her hair out.”

Matthew glances back, he doesn’t want to say anyone looks mean but, he would believe it if she was.

“You look scared,” the guy laughs, which is rude because isn’t he the one that just put the thought in Matthew’s mind? “She’s not too mean just a sticker to the rules. Will get real pissy if something doesn’t go right.”

“And you still set her off knowing that?”

The man laughs again, but this time around he’s actually trying to contain it behind the thin art easel. He’s not very hidden.

“She’s my cousin’s wife.”

Ah, that makes sense then? Messing with family is normal, but also he shouldn’t be bothering her at work.

“It’s no wonder you seemed casual.”

“She taught both of the lower division figure drawing classes, too. This is my third semester in her class. She’s the only one teaching this specific class I didn’t have too much of a choice.”

“Art major?”

“Yep! And you?”

“Psychology major. I have to get in some cultural classes.”

“Ever taken art?”

“Actually no, not even in high school. I got through that stuff by working backstage in the theater department.”

“Well not to worry my friend, because you picked the best one.”

“Is it easy to pass?”

“Nope. Well, maybe if she likes your work,” Matthew deflates at the blunt response, “but don’t worry because I’m here to be your guide.”

Matthew perks up, but it takes him a moment. This guy’s gonna help him?

“Are you any good?”

“Am I good?” He looks perplexed Matthew would even ask. Matthew has to cover his own amusement. “I may not look it but charcoal and I go way back. I’ll show you my work later as proof.”

“Deal.”

“Gilbert, since you’re adamant on talking, you can be the first to introduce yourself.”

Even if his name wasn’t said, Matthew feels just as guilty. Caught, for talking on the first day of all things.

“Gilbert Beilshcmidt. Fourth year. I’m an art major and my favorite breakfast food is pancakes.”

Matthew looks surprised that he was paying attention, even to the last addition of their introduction. Matthew’s not sure he would have known considering he was distracted.

-

And so their friendship starts.

-

Gilbert sits next to him again. And again.

Where ever Matthew sits in the art room, Gilbert follows not too long after.

Some days they take the sitting desks, some they stand and lean against the stools.

And despite not even talking much, Gilbert treats him like a friend.

-

“Do you have any plans this afternoon?”

“Nope, this was my last class.”

“Do you want to get some coffee and work on our sketch books.”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

-

Matthew finds himself meeting Gilbert in his downtime. Every Thursday after drawing for three hours becomes the day they meet. At first, all they do is draw, little more.

Gilbert is animated in all moments, but he has short spurts where he focuses exceptionally on his work. Matthew is no art critic, but he thinks Gilbert expresses himself quite well on paper. Graphite, charcoal, and pastels, all the utensils glide easily without a single stroke missing its mark.

Watercolor though, could use some work, which actually happens to be Matthew’s favorite. Even if the intention is to guide the colors with a brush, it’s okay for them to take a life of their own spreading across the thick paper.

They share snacks, art supplies, and their time.

Gilbert proves himself very useful as he promised. Matthew though never planning to be the next Van Gogh, has to pass this class. And it would be nice to pass it with flying colors, but some concepts are harder to grasp than others.

It’s obvious to tell he’s a beginner, while Gilbert excels. Matthew finds out he only now needs the intro class since it’s the first semester it became a requirement.

Gilbert helps him find the shapes he’s comfortable with, explains the processing for hatching and how it relates to shading. And while he’s no expert, he sees a subtle improvement over the next few weeks that makes some pride swell within himself.

-

“Do you want to come with me and my friends to this cool bar for dinner on Friday?” Gilbert asks about a month into the semester.

It’s the first time Gilbert and him will have spent time off campus.

“Yeah, I’d love to.”

-

Gilbert’s friends are just as animated as he, it’s almost hard to keep up. Overwhelming as they are, they’re extremely welcoming. Matthew eases into the atmosphere, joining in when he can but mostly pleased to be out and doing something different.

He’s made friends during his time, but like him they’re a little more reserved and pick quieter places on the town.

It’s fun. And he wants to go out again.

Matthew invites Gilbert and his friends to watch his next hockey game.

After their shock in finding out he plays such a violent sport, they’re all agreeing and planning to find the best seats in the arena.

-

“Are you serious. Are you hiding muscles under that red sweater?”

Gilbert pokes at him, it tickles when he gets closer to his biceps, but he knows he’s only teasing.

“You think I’m playing but I’m serious! You should have been there, well you were there. On the stands, I mean. We all screamed after you sent that player flying against the wall.”

Gilbert recreates the motions, but only slams himself into the wall and whines after he bounces back. He then plays it off like it doesn’t hurt. Gilbert’s not a very good actor.

People tell him it’s so much different watching him on the ice, but it’s still him. He’s always wondered how much different, he feels like himself. He just knows he goes into the zone when he’s in his gear. He just wants to win. And he will.

“It’s like night day,” Gilbert continues. “You were ready to kill a man down there.”

“You’re not the first to say that. I guess maybe, I could be a little more out there in real life, huh?”

Gilbert stops walking.

“Nope.”

“Nope?”

“You’re perfectly fine the way you are. I like the way you are, so don’t go change. I don’t want to be at risk of dying during art class.”

And as silly as it sounds, he’s pleased. He likes Gilbert a whole lot, too. Just the way he is.

-

“Do you want to have dinner with me?” Matthew takes the initiative.

“Dinner?”

“Yeah, just you and me. I want to take you out.”

“Like you did to that guy on the court,” Gilbert laughs nervously.

“On a date. Gilbert, would you like go out with me?”

He says yes.

Later that evening when he’s heading home, Gilbert starts running through the courtyard cheering that “I have a date with the cutest guy I’ve ever met!”

Matthew’s window is open, he’s face is bright red and he slams head first into his pillow. He needs to plan the best first date ever.

-

Three months into dating, he’s finally heading home again for a school break. He wants to take Gilbert with him, who is waiting for the next major holiday to go back home. But isn’t it too soon? They haven’t been dating that long, after all.

But Gilbert surprises him, and jokingly says he wants to go with him because he’ll miss him too much while he’s gone. And then, Matthew asks if he seriously wants to go.

“I do.”

So they ride the 3 hours train down to Matthew’s childhood home. He’s a little bit nervous, because he’s had dates to school dances, and brought friends over, but this is entirely different. This is someone he wants to take a serious step with, even if the time hasn’t been that long. They’ll never get anywhere if they don’t, so they’ll both take the leap and pray it works out.

“Mom, dad, Alfred, this is Gilbert.”

It’s the most timid Matthew’s ever seen him.

“Nice to meet ya, I’m Matthew’s boyfriend.”

After he shakes all their hands, he takes his hand back to link pinkies with Matthew.

There’s not an once of regret in his mind as the long weekend passes.

-

Gilbert graduates the next year, and the year after it’s his turn. They’re going to move in with each other. Gilbert really has no irresistible urge to go back to his home town, satisfied with just visiting a few times a year. And Matthew thinks he would like to go back closer, just to figure out his next move. So, they go together.

It’s only a one bedroom, but is more than enough space for them both. Gilbert finds work as a docent while Matthew works for a second degree in education.

He still plays hockey for a local league, Gilbert becoming their number one fan. They find their own rhythm, a pace that works for them both, where they can settle down or speed up when they agree with each other. Dewey mornings, warm summers, chilly evenings they spend them altogether.

They decide move up North closer to Gilbert’s hometown. Matthew’s more nervous meeting his grandparents than he was introducing Gilbert to his own family, but Gilbert assures him again and again they’re just a stuffy old family who actually really care about each other a lot more than they let off.

Gilbert’s grandfather towers over him, despite being a hair above 6 feet. He’s silent, eyes boring into Matthew as he introduces himself. And to end all of Matthew’s worries, the elder man pulls Matthew into a hug and tells him he’s glad him and Gilbert are home. Gilbert, just as perplexed as he, stares, but he melts into a pleased laugh.

Yeah, this is his and Gilbert’s home now.

-

They stay, for a long while, contemplate moving a few times, but they’re satisfied for now.

Gilbert and him always make time for each other, continue their own respective interests with complete support of the other. They’re never afraid to complain, because they always work through it rather then let it simmer.

Gilbert’s vivacious spirit keep them going, and Matthew’s heart keeps them grounded.

His life at first seem a little bit ordinary, but how can he complain when the pieces of the puzzle fit themselves in and stayed locked in tight.

[lemontwst]

nessun dorma | 00

⟶ 𝑠𝑢𝑚𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑦:  〝 He laughed.   My darling,   you will never be unloved by me. You are too well tangled in my soul. 〞

❥ 𝑝𝑎𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔: harem x m/f!reader - the reader is gender neutral in this prologue. 

❥ 𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑟𝑒: cyoa + smut

"Are we there yet—?"

You huff, your footsteps obnoxiously heavy as you walk through the grass. Crickets and ladybugs move out of the way, annoyed by your ungraceful waddling. A moth rests on your companion's back and you lazily swat it away.

Mira gives you an exasperated look from over his shoulder, his emerald eyes flickering like there's fire inside them, "It hasn't even been ten steps since the last time you asked." he turns his head away, ignoring you when you stick your tongue out at him.

You can't help being tired after trudging behind him barefoot for what feels like hours with absolutely no indication as to where you're going. Your feet hurt, the damp summer heat of the evening is starting to let up but you're still hot and sweaty and, now that you think about it, maybe a little bit peckish too.

"Mira…" 

He turns his head immediately, worried about how feeble you sound, and regards you with a stare most people would find intimidating.

His eyes are so peculiar. Like green gems that are constantly glowing. His pupils are slitted like a snake's and you've seen them shrink with displeasure and enlarge with curiosity and affection.

… His pupils are always large when he looks at you, even now as he patiently waits for your next complaint.

"I'm tired and my feet are starting to hurt… can't you at least tell me where we're going?"

This makes him stop in his tracks so abruptly you bump against his back.

"Oof—"

Before you can bring your hands up to your tender nose, Mira is cradling your face and tilting it up, clawed hands resting on your skin gently, like you're made of glass.

His face is a dispassionate mask as he checks on you, but you know him well enough to recognize the taut apprehension on his features. His thumb brushes against your cheek and your heart gives a little flutter.

"Why didn't you say something sooner?" he sighs, sounding like a parent scolding his reckless child.

He slowly lets go of your face, his fingers lingering for as long as they can like they always do whenever he touches you, as if pulling away is physically painful to him. Then he kneels in front of you like he's about to propose and grabs one of your feet, forcing you to balance on one leg like a flamingo.

He brushes away the green stains of grass from your skin with his thumb, checking for scratches and blisters, looking visibly relieved when he doesn't find any.

"You humans are so fragile."

You scoff at that. Not everyone can be as perfectly impassible as him. Seriously, you've been walking under the sun all evening and Mira still manages to look like he's ready for the royal ball. His raven hair falls perfectly around his boyish features, and his face is the color of marble and completely void of any sign of exhaustion unlike your sweaty, flushed one. 

… Damn his superior fae genes.

"You didn't answer my question! Again!" You pout and grab one of his horns, giving his head a little shake.

Mira chuckles—a low sound in the back of his throat—and swats your hand away, but when he looks up at you, a snarky reply on the tip of his tongue, his eyes widen and he freezes in place, starstruck.

…

"... Don't do that." He slowly stands up, and since he pretty much towers over you, your hand is naturally forced to let go of him. You completely miss the slight shiver that runs through him when your palm brushes hard against the smooth, black bone of his horn.

"What?" You tilt your head and blink as he avoids your eyes. Did you hurt him when you grabbed him? That's new, he usually doesn't mind—

"That face." He mutters, stubbornly keeping his eyes on the underbrush ahead.

…

Oh.

A faint smirk makes your lips quiver, but you swiftly adjust your expression. You cup his face much like he did a few seconds before and force him to look at you, suppressing a laugh at how utterly startled he looks.

"You mean this face?" Your long lashes flutter against your cheeks and your lips curve into a small pout.

Mira blinks once, twice—his features are lax like he's in a daze and that somehow makes him look even more handsome than usual, brow crinkled and lips parted slightly. His slitted pupils trace a slow path from your eyes to your lips. You make a kissy face at him and you think you see him blush, but you can't tell for certain because he hastily pulls your hands off him and turns away.

"You… you're tired, aren't you? I can carry you the rest of the way."

You can't help but chuckle at how awkward he sounds and how stiff his shoulders look, but you decide to have mercy on him and obediently climb onto his back when he leans down to give you easier access. He often carries you like this when you get tired from playing, lifting you like you weigh nothing in a way that makes you swoon. He used to do it princess style, but being carried like that was pretty damn embarrassing so you compromised by going with piggybacks instead.

“My hero.” you smile and nuzzle your cheek against his soft hair—you don’t need to see his face to know that he looks pleased.

…

...

“...So where are we going?”

“Deerlet—” Mira groans, still using his affectionate nickname for you even though you're really testing his patience today; you just laugh and kick your legs in response, profoundly amused by his discomfort. The silvery bells of your delighted voice join the varied sounds of the fairy woods; a small woodpecker flees from tree to tree right above you, startled by your giggles and you glance at it with an apologetic smile on your face.

Deerlet—it's what he called you the first time you met him, 'because you looked like a frightened baby deer'.

You believe him, considering how terrified you were after getting lost in this same forest all those years ago. You must have gone pale as a ghost when you saw him come out from behind a tree, dressed in black from head to toe with horns that looked like a demon's. He often forgets to mention that he looked just as surprised as you—you can't imagine he expected to find a human child so deep in the fairy forest.

Unbeknownst to you, in your panicked stumbling you had almost reached the thick wall of thorny vines that separates your village's side of the forest from the Valley of Thorns, somehow ending up on the opposite side of where you had wanted to go. 

You’d completely filled out your miracle bingo card by not only finding another person in the woods, but a fae who knew how to get you back to your village and who offered to help you without asking for anything in return.

There was no particular reason why he helped you, Mira had once told you as you laid on the grass together and looked at the stars—he just found you pitiful and had an inkling you would have pestered and chased him around until he actually agreed to show you the way home. He was right, of course. Scary fae or not, you would have risked being hurt by a weird-looking stranger rather than being left all alone in the woods any day of the week.

And you were glad you met him, as he became your closest confidant and best friend after that day, always waiting for you to join him at the edge of the forest but never coming out of the treeline. He was very adamant about never visiting your village, no matter how much you begged him to come play at your house. It seemed like he didn't particularly care for humans, with you as the only exception. He didn't wish to meet your parents nor your other friends (he actually got visibly upset if you mentioned being friends with people other than him, so you quickly learned not to bring that up).

Even though Mira makes you feel loved and cared for like no one ever did before, he still hides so many things from you—you don't even know his surname, for one. You think he might come from the Valley of Thorns but he never gives you a straight answer when you ask him about it, and sometimes he just… disappears for weeks without telling you, and you never find out where he went.

You've learned to deal with all his oddities over the years, so you didn't question him today when he told you he wanted to give you an early birthday present before dragging you this deep into the woods.

He warned you he wouldn't be able to celebrate your sixteenth birthday with you tomorrow, so you agreed to spend time with him today to make up for it.

Shaking yourself out of some oddly nostalgic thoughts, you nuzzle the top of his head again and sigh, mentally kicking yourself for thinking about his secrets and making yourself sad. You can't help but smile in his hair when his hands grip the back of your thighs a little harder, a gesture most people would consider too intimate to be just friendly, almost as if he sensed your doubts and wanted to push them away.

Despite everything, you still trust Mira with every fiber of your being. That's why the macabre words he speaks next don't bother you as they would had he been anyone else.

"We're going to a place where no one will ever find you…" He trails off, his voice going back to an arrogant monotone. He might act all cool and aloof but you know he's thinking about making you happy when he picks up the pace, his long legs carrying him much faster now that he doesn't have to worry about you keeping up with him.

"... so that I can kill you without anyone knowing."

You don't care enough about your surroundings to notice how the forest goes eerily quiet. Quiet, like a watercolor painting with the colors suddenly fading to grey. The birds stop singing, the woodpecker whose chirps accompanied your banter stops talking, and the cicadas stop crying.

There's just your soft breathing lingering in the air and the light sound of Mira's footsteps against the grass.

"Yeah okay, Tsunotaro," You stifle a yawn, briefly wondering if you'll be able to take a power nap before you get to wherever Mira is taking you, "You could have told me that before we left. I didn't even get the chance to write my will."

Mira chuckles and suddenly the forest is alive again. The gentle summer wind rustles the leaves above you and caresses your face, flycatchers and wood doves sing happy little tunes and fat bumblebees buzz from flower to flower blissfully. Nature is joyous and alive all around you and it makes you even more eager to find out what Mira has in store for you.

—

You arrive at a clearing in the woods just as the twilight starts giving way to the night. The edge of the sky is a brilliant orange that fades to purple and then to blue, a few diamond-like dots already freckling the sky like someone is skillfully placing them with the tip of a brush.

But you've seen this masterpiece of a sky before, it's what's below that makes your jaw drop as Mira slowly comes to a halt.

A bed of black roses stretches as far as your eyes can see, gently swaying in the breeze, petals and leaves twinkling with sparks of fairy dust. The view looks almost unreal, like a picture from a fairytale book and you strain your eyes trying to take it all in. You think you've been to this place with Mira before, but the roses definitely weren't there last time.

"Mira—!" You sound almost scandalized as you climb down his back as fast as your limbs allow you. "Did you—did you plant all of these?!" You take a few steps towards the flowers, the grass satisfyingly wet under your feet, then turn back to face Mira with eyes the size of plates.

…

You think you're seeing things when Mira smiles. It's a goddamn genuine, happy smile. You can count the times you've seen him grin like this on the fingers of one hand. His smiles are usually just… arrogant quirks of the lips, but this? You could stare at his face forever.

"Well, I don't know if you can technically consider it planting if it's done with magic, but yes, I did." 

Magic. Of course, Mira is stupidly good at magic (and pretty much everything else, you hate to admit), but this—you struggle to make a single flower grow, let alone bloom. You can't imagine that this was an easy task for a fairy as young as him.

"How long did this take you…?"

He actually seems to get a bit shy at that.

"... A couple of weeks. I could have done it faster but finding the time to come here was not… easy."

Two weeks. Your heart soars in your chest. He doesn't always have the time to play with you—he confessed to you he rarely has time for himself at all—and yet… and yet he still did all of this for you, on top of coming to see you as often as he could because he knew you were waiting for him. Two weeks. 

"Oh, Mira…" You close the distance between the two of you and throw your arms around his neck, giggling at how quickly he hugs back, lifting you off the ground with his strong arms around your waist.

"Thank you, I love you!" You place a quick kiss on his cheek, not thinking much about what you're saying because you're so excited. It's not like you don't mean it, but you are a naturally affectionate and bright person, and the words ‘I love you’ fall easily out of your mouth when you're talking to your friends and family. They all accept your feelings graciously, except for Mira who always seems to falter whenever you say it to him.

You hear his breath hitch and suddenly his hold on you is so much tighter—so tight it almost hurts, but being in his arms always makes you feel oddly safe, even when he straight up squeezes you.

"I love you too, I want you to be happy for all eternity." He lowers you so your feet touch the ground but keeps you pressed against him, face buried in your neck. 

"That's impossible, silly… but I am always happy when I'm with you." You run your fingers through his hair, then follow the line of a horn with your fingertips, making him shiver against you. 

"...Then it doesn't have to be impossible." Mira raises his head and you stop breathing. The tips of your noses almost touch, his impossibly green eyes burning into yours with so much determination you almost take a step back, overwhelmed by how much emotion he's showing. 

"Uhm...what?—" He's so close. His eyes suddenly dart to your lips and you think your heart might just collapse. But then he sighs, his warm breath hitting your lips, and pulls away, looking behind you at the vast bed of night-colored flowers.

"Nevermind. Let's go watch the stars."

You think you got whiplash by how fast he changed the subject

"Wait, what? You want to lay down on a bed of roses? Mira, those usually have thorns."

Mira ignores you in favor of stepping into the flowers. He picks one up in a fluid motion that makes you jealous at how graceful he always is, then hands it to you. You get closer to inspect the flower, and your eyebrows raise in a surprised arch when you realize the stem is completely smooth apart from a few leaves.

"I grew them without thorns," Mira suddenly glares at the flower like it's slighted him, "I couldn't have you pricking yourself on my gift. I would have to burn this entire meadow to cinders if that happened."

… You barely keep yourself from rolling your eyes. He’s such a mother hen. He probably worries about your safety more than your own mother!

…

But you have to admit it's also a little bit endearing, in a… 'play croquet with a helmet on and pillows tied to your limbs' kind of overprotective way.

"Right, let's hope I don't give myself a papercut with the leaves then."

Mira looks absolutely horrified.

"Mira no—"

—

Stargazing with him is always so relaxing. His voice is smooth and pleasant and you could listen to him talk about the constellations forever, his knowledge of the night sky as extensive as his magical prowess.

When you turn your head and see him lying there on a bed of roses, eyes to the sky as he gives you a long tirade about some promiscuous god turning his lover into a bear, you find him more beautiful than you've ever seen him.

… He's so clearly not human that it makes your chest tighten with longing.

He looks about the same age as you, but while your body has changed and developed these past few years, Mira hasn't changed a smidge since your first meeting. You know he's much older than you… but he’s never told you his exact age, so you've always quietly wondered. 

He turns to you when he notices you're not listening, and when he catches your forlorn expression the words die in his throat.

He stares at you for a long time, then turns his body towards you and lifts himself up on his elbow, looking down at you with blazing emerald eyes as he rests his head on one hand.

He smells like cherries and roses, it's a familiar smell that makes your chest feel all warm and fuzzy.

"... Can I ask you something?"

Your brow crinkles at that. He's usually too arrogant to ever be afraid to say what he wants to say, but now he looks almost… anxious? Insecure? It's an expression you've never seen on him and you find it hard to describe.

"If you… ceased to be human..." It might be because it's nighttime, but his eyes seem to be glowing like campfires.

"If—hypothetically speaking—you could live for centuries like me… would you..." He pauses, then looks away with a frown. It takes him a few seconds to collect himself, but when he finally speaks again he sounds much softer, almost vulnerable.

"(y/n)..." The way he says your name makes you shiver. You hear it so rarely from his lips since he usually prefers to call you Deerlet that every time he says it you find yourself unable to speak.

He cups your cheek and admires your features, slowly brushing his thumb against your soft skin.

You're so soft compared to him. The emotion in his eyes is something akin to devotion, but more intense.

So beautiful, so fleeting.

"Would you stay with me forever...?" he mutters softly. His bright eyes roam over you, seeming to drink you in, as if to assure himself that you’re actually there with him.

 ...

 You frown at the strange question.

Why does he look so sad…? Did something happen while he was away? Worry pools in your ribcage, your hands compelled to reach out and touch him as if he cast a spell on you.

… But you don't, because he's still waiting for an answer.

 —

❥ Would you choose to live forever if it meant staying with Mira for the rest of your eternity?

⟶ Yes. Of course you would. Mira is the most precious existence in your life. You often fantasize about being young forever with him, to never grow old, to be held gently in his arms until the end of time. Knowing that this will never happen is enough to break your heart in two.

⟶ No. It’s not like you don’t love Mira, but living forever would be too much. How could you stand to watch as everyone you love slowly leaves you behind? How could you survive that kind of cold, lonely life? You can’t depend on just one person alone forever. It’s time to go home now, your parents are waiting for you.

      vote here        |      what is this?

❥ taglist: @mirrorsandpacts @stormweaver13​ @bobaryn @justsomepersons @mokkeguts @maiieus​ @trashmomarcya @dat-bi-bitch @lem-thebeast @mythrule @hfhgjgji @zzz-sleeplessy-soft-xxx @anicious @kae-draws-sometimes @cogitover @sammy6667 @shrimp-heads @twistedmintcandy @gyghii @akelois @maknae-lenna @chiefcashgianthero @carasketch​ @mayorkoopbob @linseyz @gardenondreams @andromeda-gay @equus-meretrix @the-king-of-blue @spacebabesupernova @kagicannotsee @doraconia @hello-starlight @yandere-romanticaa @skyboo @uwu-dreams @kay8675 @meltyans @drawbud @msyaoigodkanna @roseinbloom02 @hoodiedevil @ikemenisruiningme @miiluka @hello-selene94 @moondustinhislungs @nosochek-3o @epher-posts @monoshii-wasu @rosavine @bitch-let-me-die @raychel @pumpkiethepie @hypmicluvbot @theallpowerfulrosami @mmquinno @mayunnaise21 @ruvelise

[bogkeep]

Hey! I'm the one who asked the poorly worded art process question. I'm here to give it another try by being more specific. The problem is . . . that's hard. Because that was about a specific as I can get, since I kind of want to know everything about how your art works.

Big things, like how you come up with ideas, or how you design characters. But small things, too, like what tools you use for drawing, how you balance between traditional and digital art, and how you decide what color to use for your unique and beautiful line art.

I want to be more specific so you can answer, but the question in my head is too vague and broad for me to be specific about it. So . . . here are some subquestions of my question, I guess! Maybe that helps?

Sorry this is so weird, and thank you, your art is amazing

first of all, thank you so much <3

and yes, this is far more answerable! i hope i can satiate some of your hunger for insight without writing a whole book.

HOW DO I COME UP WITH IDEAS?

this is obviously going to be very different for everyone. i very rarely have to dig for ideas or sit down and brainstorm, unless of course i am trying to achieve something very specific, like fulfill art contest criteria or working on a commission. my brain is very visually wired, so a lot of my ideas literally just pop up in my head (i know of several artists with aphantasia - some people don't have any visuals in their head at all and I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT'S LIKE AND I AM IN AWE OF THESE ARTISTS), sometimes i see a character or character design and im like HNNNG i need to draw them, or i just... have a concept i really want to Exist and i'm going to figure out how.

my biggest problem is that often, when i get an idea i want to DRAW IT, NOW NOW NOWNOWNOW, and that's just Not Feasible. sometimes because i'm Literally In Bed, sometimes because i have too many things i need to do or draw first... but i need to clear up space in my head, because my Urge To Draw will be like, beeping and whirring until i satisfy it... so i write it down on my TO DRAW-list! it's a real list that exists on my phone and i have to use it frequently. if i keep scrolling down i start finding weird notes that i have NO idea are supposed to mean anymore, but that's fine. i can't satisfy every Art Urge. sometimes i need to let them pass.

HOW DO I DESIGN CHARACTERS?

this one might vary a bit, but it can often be boiled down to "i sketch around until i figure something that Works." many of my characters, especially my older characters, became characters by accident when i kept drawing them over and over and i was like Ah I Like Drawing You... You Exist Now. that's how sparrow spellcaster happened, at the very least. this could happen because i had school and i would focus in school by doodling/sketching while listening to class. since i no longer go to school, pretty much all of my new characters are far more intentional. Timian and Vinta specifically exist as a result of a "favourite character fusion" challenge, and a lot of iphimery characters started with a Purpose rather than just harnessing the vibe of something i drew multiple times without thinking.

it helps to write down elements or tropes i want to include, like "sturdy-looking" or "VILLAIN OF EVIL SCARY MAGICS but it's a little girl and the dark magic is bright lightning and not shadows" or something. it can vary from a tiny visual detail to their role in the story. whatever i want to Achieve. my Intent. because my brain works so visually, i just really need to sketch somethign repeatedly until i nail it and can be like Yes That's It.

sketchbooks look a little messy but that’s what they’re for.

WHAT TOOLS DO I USE

for digital art, i’m currently using an ipad pro and procreate. i use a lot of the brushes that came installed, like Mercury is my primary lineart brush, and Moorilla is my primary sketching brush, but i also buy a lot of custom brushes on the hunt for More Delicious Textures (DAUB has a lot of good ones, especially if you want some that imitate traditional art). i have also used Huion and XP-pen tablets and generally recommend them, as well as clip studio paint as an art program (i love it very much and if it wasn’t subscription-based on ipad i would still be using it).

for traditional art, mostly just whatever sketchbook i have + my trusty mechanical pencil. i mean i have two: one with softer lead (it comes out darker) and 0,7 mm thickness, and one that’s 0,5 and harder lead for more light sketching, or if i’m going to line it with ink.

i also have a trusty pentel brush pen that i love DEARLY and feel bad for not having used in a while for reasons i will get to.

when i work on calendar pieces traditionally, i like to draw lines with ink - i use a dip pen with exchangeable nibs - and then color with watercolors. i have several sets because they’re all slightly different and i want the Range.

i sometimes travel with a little sketchbook in my bag and an assortment of pens, so that i can sketch Anytime, Anywhere. i think doodling with a pen can be very useful because you gotta become comfortable with the mistakes and imperfections and keep going anyway. if i doodle at work that’s the tools i have -  regular ball pens and a bunch of paper lying around.

HOW DO I BALANCE BETWEEN DIGITAL AND TRADITIONAL ART?

currently, i... don’t, really. it was easier when i had school, and i would just doodle freely and then maybe use some of my sketches as thumbnails or concept ideas. it’s harder now that i need to intentionally sit down with my sketchbook, and tbh... the ipad works very well for sketching. it’s so CONVENIENT and i have WORK all the time and my time to create art has become much more limited than it was. i miss going to my weirdo art high school where we would try out a whole bunch of different tools and methods. sure, yes, i had to paint with Acrylics My Beloathed, but getting to play around in different mediums is VERY valuable.

i genuinely want to be able to make more time and space for non-digital art again, but i just don’t have the ability to right now. it’s also different now that i’ve moved away from my parent’s place - i used to have an enormous desk and my mother has a large collection of art tools and there was a lot more storage space for whatever i created. digital art is very convenient and very accessible. ah well!

HOW DO I DECIDE ON THE COLOR FOR MY LINEART?

i usually line in black or a very dark color, and when i’m done coloring + shading i might play around with the colors and see what works. if you lock the layer you can just throw all the spaghetti at the wall you want. i decide on whatever fits the piece. i tend to be pretty fast and loose about it too, sometimes you can probably spot parts of my lineart that have slightly mismatchy color, but it’s like... done is better than perfect! i don’t have the energy to overlook every single pixel of my piece or else i would drive myself utterly mad.

HOPE THIS ANSWERS ANYTHING AT ALL!! THANKS FOR ASKING!!!

[bride-and-bride]

2021 Tumblr Top 10

Hoooo god hope you like Au-ra titties because there was a THEME this year.

1. 97 notes - Jun 21 2021

If there was anything that was going to have the most notes... I’m glad it was this. I drew the sketch on paper, lined it with microns, then took a picture on my tablet and used watercolor tools in csp to color it!! I’m just. I’m amazingly happy with it--I feel like this is one of my best drawings of Defiant~

2. 61 notes - May 2 2021

I needed a new portrait to fit Def’s current hairstyle and color, and this was a hell of a fun one~ I actually posted it, then edited it the next day and reposted. I think the wrinkles on her shirt are cute~

3. 50 notes - Jan 5 2021

I like the expression and pose for this~ I think the Cow Kigurumi version is cute too.

4. 36 notes - May 8 2021

I tried SO many times to draw the dirndl top, SO many times. This was the best I got!! I think it’s cute squish, and her smile is good!!

5. 32 notes - Jun 27 2021\

Like, I TOLD you, this is a year for tits. You’re allowed to judge me on the free space but not any of the others.

6. 31 notes - Feb 14 2021

This one’s my Discord profile pic!! I don’t wanna change it, I think this is such an adorable piece of art. Everyone come look at it again.

7. 29 notes - Feb 14 2021

You know? This one was cute, too. Valentine’s art is fun!

8. 24 notes - Jan 10 2021

I didn’t post a lot of screenshots... I mean, I didn’t post a lot ANYWAY, but I do hope to post a couple more screens in 2022~

9. 23 notes - Oct 25 2021

I still don’t entirely know how to use the tights brush :(( But I got much closer. When I master it, it’s all over for you bitches.

10. 22 notes - Jan 3 2021: I’ve been thinking a bit… about stretch marks.

The only text post in my top 10, so I’m glad that it was this one. The realization that Defiant’s scars mirror stretch marks is something that feels important to me, and I hope I was able to convey my feelings about it to everyone else~

NEXT YEAR: I will draw more legs.

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