#i'm still not sure how to render it when the light comes from a different angle but i'll practice some more

[mintjeru]

happy arospec awareness week!! hot take: aromantic kanna

open for better quality | no reposts

[sparklykat-hideoutenthusiast]

I've seen people doing an intro post so I suppose I should do the same right? I have no idea how to do this, I'm just winging it :3

INTRO POST TIME WOOO!!

[last updated: sat dec 7th at 7:18 PM 2024]

(I update this often, a reread of it every now and then would be greatly appreciated!)

Maybe every week/month depending on your time scale? ↑

Follow my other blog where I reblog a bunch of stuff and things for the full experience of my personality and interests! @eckos-reblogs :3

@everytime-i-reach-the-postlimit ←Exactly as the name entails

@nature-is-mystical ←is my other random blog that you can follow as well if you want.

that blog is just for reblogging nature stuff and posting nature stuff. (Occasionally rhymes come with it ig)

side blog for fanart!: @sonar-fanart-hall

I'm always working on making reference sheets for OCs ^^

Chill dude side blog: @cool-dudes-official

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I will continue to edit this, probably for the rest of time to get it right since I'm a slight perfectionist lol

Hello! I've been an artist for around 5 to 6 years, and I still kinda suck at it! I do traditional art normally but I've been branching out to digital art as well. I mostly draw animals, anthropomorphic creatures, creatures in general, whatever beautifully ugly faces I can come up with, and sometimes human faces!

I classify as a furry but do not reblog a ton of furry stuff nor do I have a fursuit. I just like drawing and seeing anthropomorphic animals :3

Furries, Therians, anyone of lgbtq+ community (including ace people cuz apparently there's a debate about that), weirdos (but NOT in the gross way), and more are welcome on my blog! :3 ❤️ (you're kinda automatically welcome if you're kind anyway lol but whatevs :3)

Tags and stuff! To help you find stuff in my blog better through search :)

#Ecko draws -exactly as is obvious, it will be for when I make art, digital or traditional.

#Echo Rambles -For posts of mine that include mainly me talking about random stuff

#Echo rants - for when I rant. Similar to #Echo rambles but different..

#Echo answers - For when I answer asks!! :D

#The Clowder seeks - For when you guys ask me stuff!

#Mama Change - For when I mention my mom. (Her name is change..or it's more of a nickname but no one calls her by her actual name except for professional/job people like a dentist or something)

#Echo asks - For when I ask questions :3 lol

#Eckos moots <3 - for interactions with moots, obviously 🙄 (I love y'all sm)

#Ecko irl - me irl

My main Media for traditional art is, pens, pencil, gel pens, paint markers (posca) and normal markers! I hope to soon branch out to ink! (Maybe one day you'll get to see some watercolor stuff from me. It's not that good of watercolor art and I don't enjoy painting too much tbh)

Anatomy You say? Don't know her 😔

If you are interested, I do art requests! It's not guaranteed to be good or to be done quickly but I will try my very best every time. You can even request multiple times if you'd like! Like a ton of times! I really don't mind!

You can also request art of fandoms I'm not in but make sure to give me a good reference or the drawing will look off :3

Art requests open until further notice.

If there's something I don't mention here that you're wondering if I can draw or not, give me an ask in my inbox and I'll let you know! (Pls, I'm friendly I swear)

You can also dm me if you'd like but I'd prefer the askbox instead (⁠´⁠-⁠﹏⁠-⁠`⁠；⁠)

I can't draw/don't want to draw: items, anatomy, bodies (unless you want the equivalent of a boxy stick figure), rendering, lighting, dragons (without a reference), romance/NSFW (no, just no.), hands, human legs (for the life of me 😭), +more

I can draw/like to draw: faces, animals (mostly cat related ones but you can request any animal and I'll at least try to draw it.), different hair styles (only with a reference), eye bags (I think they're pretty lol), dragons (only with a good reference), gore (not the best at it but I'll will try my best to make something nice and bloody for ya!), +more!

My name is Ecko and it's my preferred name but you can refer to me as Melleona (my OC) or by a nickname as well if you'd like! (just please ask me first if you want to use a nickname as I'm bad with setting boundaries.)

My pronouns are She/Her but feel free to refer to me as it/it's! :3

Speaking of which! This is my OC, Melleona:

She is 14 years old, she is introverted and blunt but also shy and insecure. She has anxiety, dealt with a bit of depression, and she's very casual as well as lazy (like me lol)

She's half Cat, she has greyish blue eyes (not visible in the drawing), slightly blueish black hair that's long enough to reach her ankles, she has a mushroom themed party hat, and some wicked whiskers!

If there's anything you'd like to ask me about her or ask her, go ahead and ask away! I love anons and normal asks! ❤️❤️❤️ (There is a slight filter on the drawing. I'll edit this later and put her color palette below ❤️)

I'm a minor! Mind your words, don't send me gross/weird asks or messages. (I've already had a few people message me asking for my age, a picture of me, and my sexuality. No, I will not be sharing my real appearance on here. my age? Minor, that's all you need to know. My sexuality? I don't know and you don't need to know either, respectfully ^^❤️)

IDC if I post something slightly suggestive or that says I know about 18+ themes. I posted it, not someone saying something to me of those themes. Sure, I understand the stuff but It really doesn't matter now does it? It just means I understand enough to know you shouldn't be saying that stuff to me. (Boundaries ✨)

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I do half-curse in posts from time to time. I do censor it a bit tho, like "f7ck" for example. Hope ya don't mind (⁠；⁠^⁠ω⁠^⁠）

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I'd appreciate it if people reblogged my art!

I don't appreciate reposting it however.

Just in case you don't know what the difference between reposting rather than reblogging: it's when you (typically) take a screenshot of the art, and then repost it on either Tumblr or a different app rather than hitting the reblog button!

While this has never happened to me personally, I do feel like it's worth mentioning.

Oh, and, don't under a circumstance feed my art to AI. I can forgive reposting my art. I put out there for people to see not to get fame from it but under no circumstances EVER will I allow feeding my art to AI. It is not human. It does not make art.

AI artists don't exist unless it's used ONLY to assist with a process that is still mostly YOUR OWN SKILLS THAT YOU'VE CULTIVATED OVER TIME. AI is NOT art but it can HELP with art.

ミ⁠●⁠﹏⁠☉⁠ミ-ミ⁠●⁠﹏⁠☉⁠ミ-ミ⁠●⁠﹏⁠☉⁠ミ-ミ⁠●⁠﹏⁠☉⁠ミ-ミ⁠●⁠﹏⁠☉⁠ミ

don't dm asking me to commission from you. like said before, I don't have money bc I'm a minor + I don't like being pestered for me commission you. talk to me like a person, not an ATM.

If I want to commission someone, I will dm them and even then, I'm most likely to commission art from a friend to support them.

I support the lgbtq+ community! And I don't discriminate against race. I really shouldn't have to say this. (˘⁠･⁠_⁠･⁠˘)

I will respond to money asks with "!!" And that's it. I don't have money and even if I did I don't got any money to spare. I'm broke and struggling too. Not to mention, I'm a minor and can't just go out and get the stuff. I hope you understand and I wish you all the best!❤️❤️❤️

Some games and shows and stuff I like:

Shows and stuff: Rick and Morty, adventure time, lost in space, bsd (never watched it but I've seen enough of it on the Internet to know a bit about it. Very interesting :3), Some of the Life Minecraft series, httyd, doctor who, and more!

Games/fandoms: Yonder(Yonder Cloud Catcher Chronicles.), Minecraft, the Stanley parable, tiny bit of South Park, cotl, MLP(childish I know but I don't care. I love them), creepypasta, SCPs, Trevor Henderson's creatures (mostly cartoon cat), plants vs zombies, fran bow, little misfortune, and more!

Stuff and things (hobbies?): Art, apparently I make rhymes now too??, rollerblading, climbing, Hiking (iffy), sleeping, being annoying+lazy, doom scrolling, interacting with people, and more!

(I'm not really in any fandoms really..kinda like on the edge of being in each and every fandom I come across..)

General facts about me! Yippee!

I think eye bags and wrinkles are pretty (odd, I know lol), I live in a bus (not decked out like you see on social media though. We just live in a bus lol), I live with my ma (my dad is my step dad and he and my mom just broke up psooo ye), I blank out a lot and just stare at people for no reason (which freaks them out), I have greyish blue eyes (a long with some, I'm pretty sure permanent eye bags lol), I get energy right before nighttime mostly (and then it disappears as soon as it reaches around 11 pm to 12 am), My favorite color is maroon (and any type of blue along with orange and yellow and forest green..mostly just comfy vibe colors tbh but maroon is a fixed piece), my favorite animal is a cat (although I have a dog. Muffin doesn't count as a dog, she's practically human. Apart of the family.), and more!

(I'll update this as I go)

[I will block as I see fit]

Do not interact with my blog if: You're racist, you only or mostly have sexual themes on your own blog (I apologize but it makes me uncomfortable. Have some other interests and it might make me less uncomfortable ^^), if you in general just enjoy hating on people for no reason (I like to make my area a safe space for people) if you're a Zoophile (No explanation really needed but animals can't consent.) (more will be added later when I think of what to add)

Don't dm me unless you're a moot or you say your intentions within the first 1-3 messages. (moots that I've interacted with can send me a dm unprompted with stated intentions anytime they'd like. Special privileges ✨)

(Added a specific part of that bc a moot felt they were making me uncomfortable by having such themes on their blog. I didn't really realize at first but yes that does make slightly uncomfortable but I don't really care as long as you have other interests. If s3x is your only interest, it weirds me out to have those types of people interact with me. Just know you're all good moot, you're not the type of person I was aiming it at. There are other people that just don't think about anything else but $ex and relationships that creep me out and you are not one of them. ^^❤️)

Things about me, (random stuff): I am cringe from time to time, my fav colors are maroon and any kind of blue, orange is nice too though,

I appreciate any and all constructive criticism. IDC if it sounds rude and might hurt my feelings, TELL ME so I can help better myself and my blog! I'm dum and will most likely not notice I'm doing something weird or anything :P <3

•Send me asks! Wanna to hug one of my OCs, Want to slap the sh1t out of one of em, Want to introduce me to a new (or old) fandom I don't know of but you think I might be interested in, Want to say hi, Want to give a music suggestion, send an ask!

I LOVE interaction and if possible, I want to be busy with asks at all times so send a ton!

•Moots:

@theachskid @voidsweirdthoughts @burningbutter @rafrfr @rateater2000

@footlongdingledong @ender-the-insomniac @thistlebriar @rspoetry @virtualcroissantflapcolor

@jawdoesstuff @storythesilly @yourfavoritecuntist @chamber-of-voices @i-draw-things

@2oo7xddd @catsreblogging @silli-billy15 @totally-not-a-commie @khloethecatsworld

@1nd13gh0st @cur1os1tyk1lledme @nonbinaryriverclan @ilove-fanart-and-lore405 @hermitchild

@my-mom-named-me-duck @hermitchild

@williamsart12345 @lilytheaxoltollover @twobraincellsremaining @nn-the-doodle @emmajasonartz

@bugba-bugbee @railway323 @xho-the-scribble @asqadia-banthen @nasthesilly @ceaselessbackflips

@the-anxious-acrobat @justuravghazbin @callmekiyo24 @maybeyoullfindthissomeday

@sensehumor ♥️

+any future moots/one's I might have forgotten (I hope I wouldn't forget anyone 🥲)

If you don't like being tagged in tag games, let me know and I'll move your name over here cuz I copy paste the ones above for tagging in stuff: (nothing here yet!)

Moot side blogs: @thistlebriar-tags @my-dad-named-me-goose @mysterious-other-being @

Btw, moot/friend privileges: tagging me in whatever the heck you want, sending nonstop and possibly annoying asks, dming me and having a convo at random, +more! I love all y'all and am more than happy to interact ❤️

My art ↑

Yippee!! That's all for now folks! ❤️

I'll update this whole thing as I go, any questions, just send an ask and I'll update this with the answer as well as you know- replying in general lol :3

I seem incredibly childish in this intro post and my general posts but do know, I am over 12 years of age lmao 🤣

I'mma keep some notes here as well... mostly for tone stuffs cuz I can't remember these 😭

/lh = lighthearted

/j = joking

/hj = half joking

[forteafy]

1 with Carlos or 5 with Fernando. Or maybe both if you can find inspiration 🤭

CS55 x 'You say you want to get over me?” “Yes.” “So why haven’t you?” “Because it’s you. Because whatever you do, I’m gonna come back to you, no matter what. And I’m trying so hard not to do that but… It’s you. It’s just you. You’re the reason why I can’t get over you.'

I'm in love with the smooth operator, your honour.

You knew the fifth shot was a bad idea. By the ninth? Your mind could barely correlate the link between your feet and the floor. 

You hadn’t been to Monaco in so, so long. The last time you came was on vacation with your ex boyfriend; it had been a weekend of walks, champagne, slow dancing and secret sex on his teammates boat. Charles would never forgive you for that one, his precious yacht had been christened in more ways than one. 

Charlotte had caught you by storm; a few phone calls and a promise of a night out so incredible, it would render every other evening numb, you’d been on a plane instantly, falling into your close friends arms, surrounded by a gaggle of girls, cooing about how you were glowing after…recent events. 

The night in question had been what Charlotte promised; loud music, screams and cheers whilst dancing in a group, even chatting to the occasional stranger about the busy streets. However, one cocktail had turned into two, two into three…it was always a slippery slope where expensive drinks and shots were involved. 

The brunch you had all booked for the next day seemed well out of question.

Three of the girls had already vanished; presumably heading home with different men, possibly with one another. Charlotte was gossiping with two girls sat on a table. She’d beckoned you over, but instead you’d wandered away; drunken mind mesmerised by lights. 

You would have probably wandered right out into the cool streets of Monaco, if a body hadn’t collided with yours. A light whine emitted from your lips, looking up, ready for a drunken apology to stumble out of your lips. Instead, your mouth hung open, breath caught from seeing those brown eyes. Those you were oh-so-familiar with. 

“Carlos.” You whisper, a slight sway still in your step. You had to be drunk, blackout drunk, to be seeing the figure of your ex-boyfriend stood in front of you. Frozen in your spot, the trance was broken when a figure appeared from behind him, eyes brightened to see you.

“Hey! Charlotte mentioned you were with her!” Charles calls out, grin resting on his face. “I came to get her- Carlos is visiting us for a few days.” 

Your mind couldn’t put the pieces together in that moment. Charlotte, your supposed best friend, had made sure you came to visit whilst Carlos was in Monaco. If you didn’t know her better, you’d say she was playing matchmaker, even after your intense speech of how adamant you were to get over the spaniard. 

“Yeah- she’s-“ You can’t get your words out, too drunk to comprehend any form of communication. Charles nods to his friend, silently hoping despite it all, he’ll stay with you whilst he goes to find his own intoxicated girlfriend. 

Carlos is nothing, if not a gentleman. Gently, he rests a hand on your lower back. The warmth radiates through the sheer silk of your dress. He thinks you look beautiful like this. Hair messy, makeup smudged, the lines on your face from how much you had been laughing alongside your friends.

“Let’s get you outside.” He speaks above the thump of the music deeper inside the club. “You need some air.”

The cold air dances across your skin the moment the two of you step out from behind the heavy doors. Carlos is already tinted a light shade of red from being inside the room for less than five minutes. His eyes scan over you, arm held out as you tentatively cling to it, stumbling like a baby’s first step. 

Carefully, the man leads you away from the direct entrance, giving you some space between the crowds of people. The cold air and movement gives into a sudden wave of nausea. Your body can’t control it, leaning over to the side of the road, trying your hardest not to make a mess. 

A gentle sigh is heard from behind you, soft hands holding your hair back, a warm hand on your shoulder. The comfort, you don’t deserve it. 

You eventually pull yourself back up, turning to thank the man in question. However, before you can say anything, one arm is resting around your waist, keeping you from stumbling, the other is resting on your cheek, his thumb gently stroking over you. 

“Why do you do this to yourself?” He murmurs, eyes soft, seeing the girl he cares so deeply for in this position. “Why?” 

“Trying.” You mumble in response. “Trying to stop thinking about you.” 

Carlos isn’t aware of Charlotte’s plan. When she had mentioned going out with you that evening, he had thought you were in Monaco as a happy accident. He had intended to come and see you, maybe ask if you’d like to go out for a drink. Maybe when he did, he’d change the idea to coffee. Alcohol didn’t seem to be the best idea anymore. 

“You say you want to get over me?” He mumbles, face closer to you, trying to find some emotion in your eye. 

“Yes.”

“So why haven’t you?” 

“Because it’s you. Because whatever you do, I’m gonna come back to you, no matter what. And I’m trying so hard not to do that but… It’s you. It’s just you. You’re the reason why I can’t get over you.”

The sudden explosion of words from your hazarded mind causes a trigger inside you. Tears begin to litter your lower lash line. Carlos has always hated seeing girls cry, especially those he cares about. Without thinking, he pulls you into his chest, quiet hushes, one hand brushing across the back of your head. 

“Don’t get over me.” He pleads, his own voice cracking. “Don’t. Because I could never get over you.”

[simlicious]

Hi hey gurl! I've been trying to understand something... when it comes to performance, is it vertices or polycount that really matters? I’m trying to get a clearer picture of how they affect gameplay. Hope this isn’t too random tho 😂

Hey nonny, thanks for the great question! I'm not sure if you are looking for a non-creator answer or if you maybe have some experience with meshing, but I try to cover some technical aspects that hopefully will make you understand vertices and polygons better! It's a bit of a longer journey, so grab some snacks and settle in!

Disclaimer: This is my opinion and the definitions are how I came to understand them. I believe what I say to be correct, but I am also human and may have misunderstood something, and making mistakes can happen. Thanks for understanding! TL;DR There will be calculations made on every vertex and every face present in a mesh. So the more you have of either, the worse it is for performance, but if the vertex count is much higher than the poly count, the mesh is especially unoptimized and may impact performance more than it would in an optimized state. Vertex and polygons are actually connected, literally. To understand, we need to start with the basics.

Vertices are points in a 3d space that provide the foundations of a grid-like 3d structure, known as a mesh. Connected through lines known as edges, they form a 3d shape. Three edges form a triangle, or tri for short, also known as a face or polygon. These terms can be used interchangeably, but a tri always has three vertices, whereas faces and polygons can have more than three vertices.

A polygon with 4 vertices (known as a quad) is very commonly used in 3D-modelling, because it can be used to create very neat and well-structured meshes (it is easy to make grids using rectangular shapes). A mesh that is made in a grid-like way may have the same overall shape as one made out of triangles, but the flow of the edges is different, and this plays a role during animation. Having these grid-like lines is usually better for moving and animating characters and avoiding shading issues.

Most meshes for games are thus initially made with 4-sided polygons. These quads are usually further broken down into tris if they aren't already, and three is the least amount of vertices needed to form a coplanar surface.

When the quads of the left sphere are turned into triangles, the grid structure will remain intact:

We can further break down the elements of a polygon. Let's take a simple cube. It has 6 sides, or faces, and each face has 4 vertices that make up the corners. But if we count all the vertices, we will notice that each face shares vertices with other faces. So on a simple cube, we have 6 faces and 8 vertices.

Depending on how a mesh is made though, it may have a lot of edges. You can think of those like cuts in the mesh. If we wanted to cut up the cube, we would separate each face from each other. Now we still have the same number of faces (6), but the vertices are suddenly much higher, because now, every face has its own set of 4 vertices, meaning that we have a total of 24 vertices.

In video games, polygons are usually rendered as triangles. So for our cube, that would mean that every face would be diagonally cut in half, giving us a total number of 12 faces/polygons/tris.

If we take it to the next level and separate all of these triangles from each other, the vertex count would be 36! To recount, on a mesh that is not split, it's only 8. Having these cuts (or split edges, as they are commonly called) in strategic places in the mesh where vertices are split can be important for the final look of the mesh in the Sims games.

You may have already encountered some meshes that have dark spots or shading in some parts, often at the hems. That can happen if the mesh is not split correctly in these areas. It has to do with how the normals work (they are important to how light gets reflected off the mesh).

To not go too off-topic, I won't get into detail about that here.

Ideally, a mesh is only split where it needs to be so it will look right. If there are unnecessary cuts, then the vertex count (and with it, the polygon count) goes up when it doesn't really have to be. If a mesh has a lot of these areas where a lot of faces have their own vertices, then the vertex count is much higher than on a mesh with fewer split edges. This can be a sign that a mesh is not well-optimized. So if you see a mesh that has much more vertices than polys, you may want to question it in regards to performance. CC converters will probably know that Sims 4 meshes come with a lot of these cuts that are needed for Sims 4 because of the way the CC is made (for example, pants have such a split edge cut to allow boots to look tucked-in), but those are superfluous for TS3. So I encourage every Sims 3 CC creator to remove those to save on both vertices and polygons when they are converting! The thing is, in the game, the mesh will be processed and there will be calculations made on every vertex and every face present. Each vertex is indexed, and triangles need to be drawn from the information. Other processes will need to also use the vertices for their calculations. There is more going on during rendering than simply drawing the polygons. The shaders have to calculate their effects, the textures need to be rendered and applied accordingly, filtering such as anti-aliasing will be applied, etc. So the more geometry you have in a mesh, the worse it gets in terms of performance. More geometry means that the polygons are smaller and more numerous, which will in turn affect the vertex count too.

As CC creators, we cannot address all the factors that impact performance, as we can only influence a small part, but we can try to adhere to the game's standards to minimize the performance impact as best as we can. If we wish our meshes to be more detailed than what the game's standards are, then we impact the performance more.

Instead of just cranking up detail like crazy, it is good to see if we really need it. And ask questions such as how often will the player view the item closely? If the player is usually far away from the item or it is a very small item, making it super detailed will not really do much, since the item looks the same as a low-poly item from a certain distance. We can also make compromises and maybe make an item 50% more detailed instead of 200% more detailed, providing a more detailed item while minimizing the performance impact.

This is a bit off-topic, but since I'm here already, we may refrain from using a bigger texture for a very plain piece without any notable intricate detail (like a basic T-shirt, for example), since it already looks fine with a smaller texture, but it may pay off for a highly detailed texture which looks visibly better with a bigger texture, warranting the performance impact (like a lace blouse with an intricate pattern, stitching, and small buttons).

On that note, using the texture space efficiently can also do wonders to increase detail. Use all the real estate you have on that UV map (that is a 2d representation of your 3d mesh and used to apply the texture to the mesh). Have you tried upscaling the texture yet? Okay okay, I'll stop now and get...

Back on topic: The number of polygons also matters, not just the vertex count. When a mesh has lots of smaller polygons, a lot of them are necessary to form the entire mesh. Bigger polys will not provide as much fine details, but will have less impact on hardware because fewer calculations to be made. A good mesh uses only as much detail as needed while using as few polygons as possible to still maintain functionality.

Sims clothing meshes need to animate and move well, so they need to be able to flex at the joints, and the shape must also be able to change to accommodate body sizes, thus the mesh needs the minimum amount of geometry to achieve this and still look decent, which is a sweet spot the developers have to find to craft meshes that perform well while looking reasonably good.

A good habit for creators looking to make meshes for the Sims games is to look at similar meshes in the game and study them (so for TS3, check the original TS3 game meshes, for TS4, check the original TS4 game meshes). Check how many polys they use and how good the topology (structure) of the mesh is.

For example, how many rows of edges do they usually have, and what sizes are the polys usually? How many vertices are in one round of edge loops, for example for the arms? How are the different mesh parts connected to each other, where are split edges used? Then imitate that.

The professionals who made these original meshes knew what they were doing, and they optimized them to be gameplay-friendly, so if in doubt, copy what they do.

Game meshes are usually especially optimized and it is very much game-dependent how they are structured, so a mesh from a different game can look totally different. CC Creators looking to optimize performance in their meshes should try to match the original game's mesh in terms of structure and polycounts. This will also ensure they animate well!

If you made it this far: well done, thanks for bearing with me! I hope you feel more knowledgeable and ready to apply what you've learned to your own meshes or when selecting CC for your favorite Sims game.

[lrgoescrazy]

Hi hi um you helped me with one of my drawings on the criticism club, tysmmmmmm for that, I've fixed it a lot but I'm not done colouring so I won't be posting it yet :) your advice was insanely helpful, because I realised the arm wouldn't be there,and a BUNCH of other things

I was just exploring your posts and OMG HOW YOU RENDER SKIN AND HAIR IS SOO PRETTY AND GORGEOUS OMG!!! AND I LOVE THAT ONE DRAWING OF AN EYE U MADE AHH!

Sooo while i was looking at my fav post of yours, I was reading the description and you were talking about the new blend brush in magma! So, I'm assuming you use magma? I've been using it for like, half a year, but im not a pro at digital art so I don't really know what all the layer settings and whatever are. I did watch a video but it was a bit confusing. I know about like opacity and whatnot but I'm still a bit confused on mainly the layer settings. Also, I can't find any tutorials on magma apart from blending :(

I was wondering if U could maybe explain a bit, just the basics like multiply and add and most of the layer settings a begginer would use :) I'm sort of stepping out of my comfort zone because I don't usually bother with colouring and stuff. Any tips U recommend for magma would also help tons! Omg I just realised that this is kind of a stupid request because you probably have to explain a lot... Sorry!

idk how to end this ┐⁠(⁠ ⁠∵⁠ ⁠)⁠┌

ok ok this will be a long post!!

i made this graphic a long time ago for my friend @mythology-lover, this is using all layer blend modes with the colour bright orange, so you can see what each one does. most of them are self explanatory, I hope. there is no "add" in magma, but colour dodge is similar. I'll go over how to use the blend modes below!

not sure if you want to know how to use the blend modes to render stuff but i'll show you anyway lol

this was a drawing i posted, and i actually detailed my step by step process for my friend again, but I use multiply or darken for shading, its the best way to shade and personally I use dark red for shading but this can change based on lighting. obv I also lower the opacity cuz I don't want bright red. my tip for using multiply is to use a colour more saturated/brighter than you think you would use, cuz multiply ends up darkening the colour anyway.

i recommend using blend modes for shading because they have some "transparency" to them, if you put on shading in a block colour with no blend mode it'll just cover up things you already drew like blush or makeup. i also just create more multiply layers to build up darker and darker shadows.

also, when it comes to more dramatic lighting, ill just put a multiply layer over the WHOLE drawing since in real life in a dark scene there will be a shadow over everything including darker shadows for the actual details. after I add the multiply layer (this one is blue because its supposed to be a nighttime scene and the sky is dark blue) I just erase parts where light is hitting the object

(this isnt well done because im making this quickly)

and when it comes to lighting i like to use overlay, it creates this really nice saturated glowy effect. you can use colour dodge too but it creates these weird artifacts of pixels that are a completely different colour, at least for me

with overlay

also maybe you already know this, but the little square icon next to the opacity bar is alpha lock its useful if you don't wanna have to make a whole layer and clip it to the layer underneath

also... my BEST advice for magma has got to be to use filters, they save my life, and I frequently use them when my colours arent looking too good. and I specifically LOVE using the "curves" option when you click filters.

they let you control how bright the drawing is, and specifically the amount of each colour (red, green, and blue) in your drawing

here i reduced blue, increased red, and reduced yellow, plus reduced contrast and increased saturation plus made it a bit brighter. looks a lot better in my opinion, filters can really save a drawing lol

random tips: use lasso selection its basically necessary! if the paint bucket/fill tool isn't working that great, increase tolerance and turn on anti-alias, you can also try using the smart option. although I gotta say generally I don't use fill tool as it only really works if you have very clean, sharp, and connected lines. usually what I'll do instead to save time on colouring is make a layer below the lineart, and then make the target layer "above," and then fill it, then fill in the gaps manually. i also recommend using the full mode layout option, unless you have a small screen then it's most optimal, because then you can see all the tools and options.

i also use this layout thing, idk what its called, and have each one be a different brush with different settings (for me, one will be a soft brush with hardness and density lowered, another a hard round (default) brush, another a textured lineart brush, a brush for stars, freckles, or other scattered dots where I just turn up spacing, scattering and jitter for size variation)

also... make sure you flip your canvas to catch your mistakes, you wont notice them until you see it from a different perspective, and the flip canvas button is up top

its this one

this is for colouring, but periodically go to "view" and click "show in greyscale" so you can see the contrast between your colours. if everything's the same shade or similar shade of grey, you need to make some parts darker or lighter to make them stand out

ngl i think that's it, unless there's something else you need to know. just realised I've been using magma for like 4 years at this point, time really flies by. hope I helped!

[carionto]

Geronimo!

Space suits have come a long way - near 1 to 1 articulation and haptic feedback, intuitive zero-g booster based movement, nano-clamps for spiderman-like grip in low/no gravity, and of course dozens of micro layers of protection against all know space radiation and other hazards. Plus a centimeter thick composite armor against sentient threats, with a "cocoon" mode to fully cover all joints and other normally more exposed parts, that renders the Human inside near impervious to most small arms, and even some heavier impacts.

To fully test the limits of protection you don't actually need to have a person inside, just plenty of sensors and a good understanding Human physiology and anatomy. The military, of course, does things a bit differently, as their suits are even tougher. They do have this half-half mode where you are mostly armor, but can still move, but more like the Terminator. Given it also boasts a powered exoskeleton between the armor and hazardous protection layers, soldiers can wield weapons other militaries typically mount on vehicles, so the metaphor is almost just a straight factual comparison.

Some, however, are still not satisfied, and are always seeking to extend the durability of their suits to beyond the extremes.

____________________________

Hilda Lavre was standing on the edge of the ship in low orbit. One hand gripping an outer handle while engaged in final diagnostics.

"Alright, Hilda, everything looks green on our end, how 'bout you?"

"Same green green. I'm good."

"Whenever you're ready then. There's some clouds in the way of the predicted path, might slow you down a bit. Wanna wait?"

"Nah, nah. I'll wing it."

After a seconds pause, Hilda let go of the handle and gently kicked off the side of the ship. She was now on a direct collision course with the Atlantic Ocean.

.

.

.

(Thermals should start going up soon. I'm gonna turn on the external mic just a tad. There's just something about how the heat sounds scraping against the metal.

Oh, there it goes. Yellow, slowly getting to orange. Good.

Yea, that's a nice screech - burn that paint!

Halfway to red, altitude check. Already this close? Guess it'll be just shy of 80% tolerance.

Hehehehe, that means we can go for a bit faster next time. Cool.

Eh... wind without the heat just doesn't sound right, I'll turn it down to just barely audible. Something to keep me company.

Aaaand three.

Two.

One.)

SPLASH

.

.

.

(It's dark. But I guess it was dark before...

before what though?

Well, that's okay.

This feels like a new kind of dark though.

There's the dark when you're alone in your room at night, all the lights are out.

Another kind is when you decide to get inside your brothers closet to scare him when he comes back from the kitchen. That's a fun kind of dark. (it's getting cold)

There's also the dark of being in an underground bunker during a storm. Then the power gets cut and all the exits are sealed. That's a... lonely kind of dark.

One time I was wandering the woods, and before I knew it, it was the middle of a moonless night, overcast too. Hiding out in an abandoned shed, without even the wind or animal sounds to let you know anything is out there. I didn't like that kind of dark at all. (It's really cold)

This dark though... I dunno. It's like I'm hiding out in my own closet. My shoulder is up against my winter jacket, feet are grazing those old sandals I swore to throw out two summers ago. But also, it's not my room. Or even my house. Why am I in my closet? How did it get here? Where even is here?

I feel sleepy.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

"Hey, hey! Hilda! Wake up!"

*grunting* "Ugh... shut, shut up Barry..."

"Gods, don't freak us out like that. You okay?"

"Depends. How high did it go go?"

*laughter* "Okay, [She's fine everyone] yeah, you're fine. 87 meters, new record."

"Hmm, I was aiming to to break 90."

"Well, those clouds nudged you a little off, you hit it at a 83 degree angle. Still, those other readings are nice. I'm pretty sure we can do a boosted fall next time."

"Yeah, I I think so too. I feel a little little cold, did something break on hit hit?"

"Not break, but the impact did jolt the subsystems a bit. Activated one of the sedative shots. I manually made your suit give you a wake up shot right as I noticed. You should be feeling the effects right about now."

"Mmhhmmm, oh yea. I'm feeling the kick kick now. We need to improve the kinetic tic dampeners. No good if if it puts you to sleep upon any hard enough nough impact."

"Yup. We're suspending any other jumps for the week until we get that fixed and implement some minor tweaks based on your jump once we analyze the telemetry further.

Okay, everyone! Good job today! Let's meet up next weekend and test these bad boys out. Let's aim for a 100 meter splash by the end of the year!"

*cheers and yeahs as Barry opens a mini fridge and everyone cracks open a cold one*

[peachymilkandcream]

My Husband, My Monster|Part 9|William Afton x Wife!Reader

(A/N: We're getting closer and closer to the end of this series, I'm still not sure how many chapters it will end up being but for now we'll keep pressing forward! Hope you enjoy and comment to be added to the taglist!)

WARNINGS: noncon, dubcon, manipulation, domestic abuse, yandere themes, forced marriage, forced pregnancy, stockholm syndrome, violence, mind breaking, misogyny, etc.

============================================

Thankfully the next funeral William had to go to wasn't that of someone he cared for. Now it was Henry's turn to feel the pain and loss he had, poor little Charlie, dumped in the alley, strangled but with no suspects to be found. What a sob story. But when his child died the world didn't care for the innocent life snatched away too soon, no they cared about the chance to drag down his name and his life's work. My how different they were.

Granted it had been William's own fault, his drunk escapades rendered him useless to think. Therefore Henry found the body before he could bury in launch an investigation. So far he couldn't be linked to anything, the cameras outside of the building had always been sketchy at best. And it could have been any old tie that killed her, his was normal enough if they found any fibers it couldn't be linked to him. He was free. Although he couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that Henry suspected it was him. Their relationship was never good, but now it was on a new low. Glares and whispers replaced civil conversation, they were both biding their time.

============================================

Months passed, Charlie's death had been officially branded a tragic random act of violence and the case was closed. Law enforcement after some time give up when it's not an open and shut case. Millions of tax dollars for this kind of justice. William didn't mind, lazy cops meant more fun for him.

His home life had never been better. His beloved wife was developing nicely, and she seemed to have come around to his behavior. She let him control more and more aspects of her life, where she went, how she dressed. The list went on and on. Her showing pregnancy also helped to limit the amount of time outside the house she could spend. And since his true personality of absentee husband did nothing to control her moods his newest role as caring husband who dotes on his pregnant wife seemed to work wonders on her pliable mind.

His son was still a handful, haunted by what he had done to his brother. Michael had gotten into a habit of sneaking out to find distance from the space that once held his younger sibling, it was driving his mother sick with worry. With a child on the way the less stress the better, so William agreed he would talk to the boy and try to ease his guilt. Trips to the now closed diner that killed his brother had it's intended effect. Michael, seeing the dried bloodstains and rotting animatronics plagued his mind with nightmares. Nightmares that they were coming after him now, William could hear him crying in his room with terror, lights left on so they couldn't come to get him. He learned to stay indoors in the dark.

The Afton family was growing and thriving, William had intended for them to forget at least a little of their recent loss, he wanted to be the bearer of their sorrows, so they would love him as much as he loved himself. They were flying high and nothing could bring them down.

==============================================

"Scrapping Spring Bonnie?" The outrage was impossible to conceal in his voice. "That was my character, he's what started this whole business!"

"We already have another Bonnie, so your suit doesn't fit William." Henry didn't even give him the decency of eye contact.

"Then he can be a floor animatronic, you can't just get rid of the original mascot-"

"To tell you the truth William parents are afraid of it, since that suit and Fredbear had the same mechanical system parents are hesitant to bring their kids near so there's not a repeat of the accident."

"My son has a name, Henry. He's not just "the accident"."

Henry holds his hands up calmly and apologetically. "Alright, I'm sorry. What tragically happened to Evan makes parent's warry to trust our animatronics."

"The kids loved it!"

"True but they can't if they're not coming since parents are so concerned."

"So what, I'll just hide away in my office like you from now on?"

Henry scratches the back of his head. "About that-"

"You're joking-"

"Listen William, out on the floor your behavior is...eccentric. And I think it's too much for the kids."

"I'm a partner to this company shouldn't I have a say what I do?"

"Technically William I own most of it. I could buy out your shares in an instant."

"So you get to push me around."

"I hate that you word it like that but yes."

William scoffs. "I can't believe you."

"Believe what you want." He turns around in his chair. "I'll expect that suit to be in parts and repairs by the end of the day."

William storms out, fuming with rage. How dare he? He was just reacting to his dead brat. Children mean so much to him yeah? Well lets see what he'll do next. For weeks that insatiable thirst for blood plagued his every sense. No longer. He'd oblige that craving, indulge that urge. If William couldn't run the restaurant like he wanted, he'd burn it to the ground.

============================================

Choosing the victim wasn't hard. Birthday parties at the Pizzeria always meant a lot of commotion and confusion, the little blonde girl just happened to be all on her own. He recognized her, Henry had given the girl and her family permission to hang up missing dog posters in the door window since he cared so deeply about children's happiness. The stupid girl even gave him bait with which to lure her into the backrooms.

Henry wasn't here today, no one would notice the security cameras being tampered with. They wouldn't see him putting on his favorite suit since the parts and service camera busted months ago. It felt like home, smelled like home. He remembered the first time showing his wife his disguise and how she had laughed at "how adorable he was". Now she was at home caring for their newly born Vanessa, probably hoping he had a good day. Good, he had become very fond of the woman he vowed to spend eternity with. He'd hate to lose her over something like this.

================================================

His approach started subtly, just another mascot approaching a seemingly depressed child to cheer her up. He put on his best cartoon voice and offered her a balloon animal dog.

"Hey there miss, I couldn't help but notice your frown. What's wrong? Parties are no fun if you're sad." It was corny and made him cringe, but it always had a response with the kids.

"My dog, he's missing."

"Aw, well I am so sorry to hear that. But wait, is that your dog in that poster?" He points, a part of him wishing this was over so he could at least talk like an adult.

She nods, making him grin under the mask. "Good news! I think I saw that same dog in the back of the Pizzeria."

The way her eyes light up almost causes him to laugh, so gullible and naïve. Believing everything anyone says, she almost deserves it coming. "Really!?"

"Come with me!" He offers his large hand, having her take it as he slowly and surely leads her into the parts and service room, keeping his grin hidden and excitement in check.

Once there in the dark she looks around curiously, waiting for her dog to jump out of nowhere. When it didn't happen she looked up at him confused. "Mister, where is my dog?"

The knife plunging into her stomach severed all further questions. Her mouth hung agape in shock and horror as he repeated the action again and again. Not stopping until he was satisfied with his work.

When he was finished, a smile carved into her face, a wave of panic washed over him. What now? What about the body? Where wouldn't they look? He couldn't get lucky a second time.

His thoughts raced and raced until he spotted Chica, in for some routine maintenance with her chest cavity wide open. Perfect for a little girl.

With the body carefully hidden, William allowed himself a chance to enjoy his work and to revel in what he'd done. Nothing beat a high like this, he had to keep chasing it. But what could he do in this moment? Another kill would be too hasty.

His thoughts wandered until they finally came to his wife, knowing that she would be willing to feed until this high wasn't enough anymore and he needed his next rush. And then the one after this.

William stared at all of the parts and machines around him, Henry's pride and joy.

"Just think old friend." He said to the silence. "Now your precious machines are as corrupted and foul on the inside as you."

Tags:

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@fandomreader @n3r0-1417 @2pacl0ve

[lycheeleeches]

you're so good at drawing the sides!! any tips for newer artists on your process?

Thank you <3 :D I definitely still consider myself a beginner but I can still go over my basic process

when I start sketching I play around with different poses warp stuff and scoot body parts over until I’m satisfied with it

Then we go into line art considering I’m still doing art for fun I tend to prioritize parts of the art process that I find more enjoyable so since line art in most cases tends to be my least favorite thing to do I’m not stressing over how messy it is (as I continue in my process I will clean up but as for now it isn’t a big priority) when doing line art I'm making sure to do lines one stroke and not have a bunch of little strokes make up a line. Playing around with line weight helps for example having thicker lines to indicate shadows are heaviness. Also it's fun to play around with different brushes until you find one you like

Then when choosing colors I tend to fill the character in a color I want the drawing to have and remove my white background I find that it helps me when choosing colors. I still keep all little colored parts separate in case I want to switch colors or add gradients. At this time I also add some blush to the face cause personally I think it makes them feel more alive.

Time for shading, at the start I have the color I want my shadows to be then hit the multiply layer then lower the opacity with however I see fit. It allows me a basic idea of where I want my shadows to fall (this isn’t the best example but it helps to have a basic idea of where your light source is coming from

Then the 2nd part of my rendering which is me playing around with colors surprisingly there is some method to the madness and that is having a basic idea of what color I want my light source and shadows to be with this drawing I want my light sources to be an orangy color and my shadows a pinkish one - at this stage I’m also painting over mistakes and anything I feel is sort of wonky

And there is times where I add an overlay layer if I want to help my colors to be more cohesive, or lights and shadows to be more dramatic

Lastly I have a layer to add my white highlights and any little effects I want

As I’m drawing if I am stumped with whatever I’m trying to depict I look at references also what helped me continue wanting to draw is drawing stuff I found enjoyable and making sure that I found a way to do art in a way I found fun. As I continued drawing I also try to compare myself to only past drawings that I did cause comparing myself to others only ever made me feel demotivated. I also took a lot of inspiration from other artists and how they colored stuff. Hope this messy explanation of my process helped.

[elizabethminkel]

Hi Elizabeth! Huge fan of The Rec Center, genuinely a delightful thing to get in my inbox and I’m so grateful. One concern, sorry, I wasn’t sure how to go about leaving formatting feedback. With the change from Twitter posts to Bluesky posts being included in the email (which is very cool! I’m down with it!) viewing the email in dark mode on a iPhone just shows a black text box. If that’s just how the formatting works out, no worries, but wanted to mention in case it wasn’t a known issue 🤷‍♀️

Hello! Thanks so much for your kind words about the newsletter. 🥰 Unfortunately this *is* a known issue—another dark-mode user and I went back and forth for a while and I had them screenshot how it looked one week (when I just popped the URL in directly and let it render) vs the next (when I used the full embed code). Neither were good lol, but not as bad as what you're screenshotting!

The only other thing I can think of is screenshotting the posts, but I worry that will diminish accessibility in a different way, since when I've tried that it's made them difficult to read within an email, period. So my next step is to look and see if this is a known issue at Bluesky itself—I'm sure they want their posts to render well in all kinds of emails and this feels like a failing on their end haha.

But also, why I'm publishing this instead of answering privately: if anyone else has any other suggestions, please let me know. We are 100% done with Twitter and short Tumblr posts would also come in via a screenshot method (and are often heavily tagged in a way that makes sense on Tumblr but renders them largely unusable in this context) so figuring out a way all readers can see Bluesky posts would be ideal.

lol ETA: I should have googled before I posted this. It looks like it's known and there's some movement on it, but as recently as yesterday someone was asking why it still wasn't live... (Though unclear to me if this will be responsive to a reader's settings or if the dark v light is something you specify at the start, the latter of which will not solve the problem....)

[xbruised-peachx]

I love your hcs! And I love that you write for Gromsko and Fender!! ❤️❤️❤️

I checked your blog to see if you're accepting requests but I couldn't find anything. 🤔

I wanted to ask how you think those two act around their crush before they confess to them/how they go about asking their crush out?

Please ignore this if your requests are closed 😅

(thank you!!! for a ref, my writing requests are open! pretty much only req i dont do is render request, but my writing requests are always open!)

Tags: fem!reader, not betaread, one shot, slight angst in fenders section

Gromsko w/ a crush

I've gone into this in Sowa Team but he's kinda the type to genuinely not believe you're single and just assume you're taken. I mean... come on, how could you not have a lucky someone? He admires from afar, adoring the way you talk, you walk, your smile. He notes the way you react when he talks to you though, looking away when you catch his gaze, a softly blush barely appearing on your laughing face. He never asks directly, instead hearing from others or from an implication from you that you aren't taken. He takes that and starts to flirt a bit more, starting to call you little pet names but only in Polish, assuming you wouldn't understand and if you do understand... then you'd get his hint. Kochanie, malenka (everyone is small to him), kotku, he'll even tease light-heartedly; "Whatever you say, piękna..." He'll play off your words, making you smile and laugh however he can because he just can't get enough of it. That's how he finally asked you out too, catching him looking at you while eating lunch.

"You're staring at me like you're a cartoon character," you called him out and you were right, head in his hands and slightly tilted. "Only thing missing is the hearts in your eyes."

He chuckled, shaking his head as he broke his gaze. "Yeah... I can't help it I guess." He paused, looking back at you with such soft eyes. "...I could just look at you for hours. I think seeing you smile would be my sunrise in the morning."

You laughed, your cheeks starting to blush. "Gromsko... have you thought of waking up to me?"

His smile dropped slightly, realizing he slipped up, his eyes darting as for once, his confidence fell. "Maybe..."

"Mhmm... and how long have you thought about that? Why were you thinking of that?" You teased him playfully.

He smirked, gaining a bit of self-assurance as he looked back at you. "I think you know why..."

With a sly smile, he let his hand slip over to you, letting that be his answer as he looked at you with adoration again... and you accepted.

Fender w/ a crush

With the way he is, knowing his father's fate... love terrifies him. He's tried to keep it out of his mind and for the most part it had been successful. People would catch the way he'd be struck by you, lingering looks for longer than he has for anyone else... and when called on it it struck him in a different way. He'd notice how his heart skipped a beat when he saw you smile in pure joy. You'd never catch him looking though because he'd look away just as quick, snapping himself out of it. He wanted to keep you smiling, but to him the only way to do that was to keep away from you. He lived a dangerous life... his heart ached just thinking about hurting someone by leaving them. And he could avoid that by simply never coming into your life. But he could only avoid for so long. Once you started talking to him and he got to know you more... he started falling more and more. But he remained in denial, despite how often you insisted on wanting to hang out with him, showing how much you enjoyed his company, he convinced himself you didn't like him like that. But as he got more comfortable around you he also got more comfortable sharing, eventually sharing his fear... even his fear of love and why.

"I... can understand that," you said sympathetically. "I'm sure seeing your mom all your life post... I can't even imagine but I can understand."

"...It's hard still. She always said I looked like him... the way her face dropped in fear when I told her I was joining but... I also remember her pride in telling me to protect my face..." He paused, looking away from you and to the floor, shutting his eyes as he took a deep breath. "...Even if I don't date anyone... the idea of leaving her alone is..."

He couldn't finish his words before a releasing a shuttering breath. You let him have his moment of quiet before scooting close, putting your arm around him to help ground him back to reality before dark thoughts took him. "I know you're scared but... Fender, you don't have to suffer alone with these thoughts... I'm here for you, no matter what."

He slowly looked to you, tears just barely pricking his brown eyes as he hesitantly leaned into your touch, enjoying it but still having anxiety. "...Thank you......" his voice was soft, and his smile showing his absolute gratitude. It took a while for him to gain the trust needed to let you love him... to let himself show love to another. But when he did, he couldn't be happier allowing himself to be vulnerable in a way he never has before.

[lavendergalactic]

Gray & blue for the azk game !! :3

gray: talk about the colors you tend to use in edits! do you like making bright or dark edits? are there colors you dislike editing?

i tend to lean towards making pink edits i think! i love making pink and red edits mostly :D

and i HATE editing yellow or a light green, i don't know why i can just never get it right- except for this yayoi edit i think the yellows in this one are really nice

blue: do you have favorite editors? is there any specific reasoning for your choosing?

@llocket !! 100% locket i really love anything he makes and i am VERY biased but hey i am locket's #1 fan forever >:) she's been improving their graphics so much recently, i love the married in red edits they did today... the improvement is crazy

@saeriji PROUD SAE OG FAN SINCE DAY 1 BRO 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 i love all the gifts she's given me, she's so generous and kind T_T and i'm pretty sure she does all her colouring and editing on ibis paint and literally she is just so good at colouring on ibis paint i strive to be like that

@necroangelz OFC! i've seen hir improve SOO much over the past few months, and idol even hit 1k followers recently which is so incredibly deserved

@hiddencircus i always find myself staring at radio's edits for 5 mins straight like... they're all so incredibly detailed and i just feel so much intention and effort that was poured into the edits

@doveish the way shi colours stuff is so nice on the eyes, and i've got to talk with macalo like two times on discord and shi's such a blast to talk to! shi also got me hooked to the lolitawardrobe account on twitter

@narcbf got me super inspired to make shiny buttons / imvu badges, thanks to their tutorial i can make them too now 🙏 also .co/pixelprism is like an angel sent from the heavens i love going there for any resources or really pretty shiny buttons

@herrscherofmemories (YOU!) the absolute IMPROVEMENT i've seen from amaru is so wild to me like i love to see it fr. im in love with this psd of hers, also i forever associate them with any melusine- i see a melusine in the wild and go "OMGG AMARU!! NO WAY!!" also with s = z typing quirks too, i remember my S key hurt too much to press so i settled with what i called "an amaru typing quirk" it was actually really fun

@spiralssyndrome i love love love her colouring on anything, and their melanin edits she does!!!! im a sucker for genshin melanin edits omg... also they're super helpful when it comes to making renders; it's so sweet how willing she is to help me with rendering an image :D also they helped with colouring on my chappell roan buttons 🙏 my hot to go button would be very different without her help thank u

@ideallyadored SUPER DUPER SMOOPER HELPFUL WHEN IT COMES TO GRAPHIC TIPS!! recently told me i should use sharpen on my stamp gifs, i still have yet to figure it out but i can't stop thinking about that tip it lives rent free in my head, i also love their clean aesthetic approach to things all of it is so nice on my eyes

that was such a yap fest i would have gone more but i'd be here for years guys LMAOFOA

[feyspeaker]

Hii me again. I'm not sure if I sent the ask I'm talking about on anon, so maybe that's why you didn't see it? It partially got answered with a recent ask you got anyway so no worries. I was just wondering if you use 3d in your process and if so, how? I've seen other illustrators use it to varying degrees and it seems like a really helpful tool to push your work.

Oh that's so weird! No I periodically go through my asks in chunks and I didn't see anything like that. I've had a few people in the past few months send me asks that looked like the second half of something else with no context, so maybe it's Tumblr fuckery. Sorry!!

I recommend learning Blender so you can help sculpt shapes and render lighting onto them in order to get the weirder/more complex shadows right. You can also apply colors onto the things you sculpt in order to see how the colors act in different lighting. It's pretty much an invaluable tool to me as it keeps me from having to problem-solve too much. I did a lot of digging around in my house to build references to photograph but it was just impractical to achieve the things I want to a lot of the time. I still do that, and you would not believe how many goofy photos I have of my husband in the poses you've seen me paint Astarion in lmao...

I do think that it needs to be used in moderation if you are a more beginner artist- I think that using 3D is DANGEROUSLY close to becoming a massive crutch for a newer artist and improper usage or over reliance on it can lead to stiffness or artificial looking colors. You need to be able to train your eye to create compelling compositions by bashing things together, and train your hand to replicate/add/subtract as needed from your references with an organic feel.

I will say this as a total committer of this crime myself in the past, it's VERY easy to tell when an artist relies too much on, for example, Clip Studio Paint posed models as bases for pieces without a good enough grasp on their fundamentals. And I also used to prickle when I saw more advanced artists warn of this, so I do think maybe it just has to run its course sometimes, because I know that using 3D for reference seems like an easy-button.

I've taken a lot of in-person classes for live figure drawing and painting, as well as just totally done drills, basically, on sketching and painting from life before relying too much on static imagery/3D/etc.

I often fret over every piece I do looking too stiff even still.

You have to do a LOT of the boring hard stuff the old fashioned way. And I regularly go back to it over and over when needed.

For example, I recently did a stupid amount of rose petal/flower studies deconstructing and painting ugly little paintings/doodles over and over because I know that I've been horribly weak at painting flowers for years (actively avoiding them). And I've been doing a lot of floral stuff lately due to that.

Whenever I start a new piece in new territory, I know it's going to mean several 3AM nighters where I have two other tabs open on Photoshop where I test out different textures or do a couple of studies. I'm working on a piece of my OC right now that has a lot of gore/medical instruments and I've been working on testing out different methods for shiny metal painting and some anatomical studies. I'll come to a snag in a painting and go "here we go" and work through it one piece at a time.

My Halsin piece, "Secret Spot" in the hot spring, was a massive undertaking with a lot of these moments. The Karlach x Dammon piece took 3 times longer than it should have due to me just having to go back and fix things knowing I could do better after doing some studies.

Ultimately I personally find art tutorials to be quite useless overall once you get to a certain point, unless they are teaching the use of a tool/software because you HAVE to figure out what works for you. And even then I use Blender like a monkey with a keyboard, I suspect, because I've just bruteforced through it, so I could probably use a tuneup from a good teacher on that haha. I hope this helps some, and sorry if I overstepped if I sound preachy.

[part-time-zombie]

I started looking back on the kinds of movies/series I rewatch the most and which tropes inspire me to keep coming back even if I've seen the same story a thousand times before, and I noticed a pattern that (in my own opinion at least) reflects/correlates with my tastes in media regarding the expectation of romantic love.

I've found that when I find a show with characters/plot/tropes i enjoy, it's usually got one of two extremes regarding dynamics and character relationships, both of which subtly subvert or defy standard romantic expectations.

The first extreme is where there is very little explicit romance in the story. Sure there might be love still present, but it's usually shown in a broader expression of acceptance, admiration, understanding, respect, and appreciation. It's simply about caring about the people who care about you, and not expecting that warmth and familiarity to become something different just for the sake of being romantic. This love inspires them to be the best of themselves, and to do the best for the other. It is about seeing this other person as home, and feeling safest and the most like themselves in each others presence. This kind of love doesn't need to be romantic/sexual, and in fact to make it that way would often render it unrecognizable from what it once was.

(think good omens... romantic and yet also More)

The second extreme is where the love is far more intense, far more dramatic, than most romantic stories let themselves go. This love is obsessive, all-consuming, and completely and utterly devoted. It is a pledge of one's life sewn to the other, promising to rebuild the world so it will hold them and to destroy it if they cannot be together. It is acceptance of each others darkness, and inspiration of their light. This love is dangerous, addictive, and ultimately life-saving. It completely alters the characters and the story surrounding them. This love is loud and violent and beautiful, a transformation into power and strength that defies fate itself. It is ultimately what romance wants to be and often falls short of.

(think hannibal, romantic and yet also More...)

That's alot of words to simply say that I like when love stories are vague on the type of love it is supposed to be seen as, but clear in its beauty and greatness and how it doesn't really matter How they love, or even If they love in the way you'd expect, but what matters it that their bond is stronger than their world.

I guess I'm just getting tired of seeing countless drawn out will-they-wont-they romance shit for the sake of drama, I want to see them team up against everything else.

[cleolinda]

Varney the Vampire: Chapter 4

Chapter 3: Blood everywhere; a lightswitch rave.

Chapter 4: Originally posted on Livejournal, December 8, 2010. Revised and expanded from the original recap to talk more about literary vampiring.

CHAPTER IV.

THE MORNING. -- THE CONSULTATION. -- THE FEARFUL SUGGESTION.

No, I didn't skip it—there wasn't any "offer of assistance from Sir Francis Varney" in the previous chapter. Not even so much as an apologetic plate of cookies left on the garden wall. Was there any revision involved in writing this, or did James Malcolm Rymer just... put the pen to the paper and wait for the check? Not that I don't feel you, my guy, but "I'm just gonna seat-of-my-pants 667,000 words" is a terrifying prospect (I had thought he'd at least write each chapter once and then revise it to be worse). I'm pretty sure I've put more revision into this blog post, for free. Side note, my man James Malcolm:

What wonderfully different impressions and feelings, with regard to the same circumstances, come across the mind in the broad, clear, and beautiful light of day to what haunt the imagination, and often render the judgment almost incapable of action, when the heavy shadow of night is upon all things. There must be a downright physical reason for this effect -- it is so remarkable and so universal. It seems that the sun's rays so completely alter and modify the constitution of the atmosphere, that it produces, as we inhale it, a wonderfully different effect upon the nerves of the human subject. We can account for this phenomenon in no other way. Perhaps never in his life had he, Henry Bannerworth, felt so strongly this transition of feeling as he now felt it, when the beautiful daylight gradually dawned upon him, as he kept his lonely watch by the bedside of his slumbering sister.

Bram Stoker:

No man knows till he has suffered from the night how sweet and dear to his heart and eye the morning can be. When the sun grew so high this morning that it struck the top of the great gateway opposite my window, the high spot which it touched seemed to me as if the dove from the ark had lighted there. My fear fell from me as if it had been a vaporous garment which dissolved in the warmth.

I'm not pointing this out to say that Stoker did or did not Steal Like An Artist from, perhaps, a collected serial he read in his boyhood, and then wrote it better. Honestly, if he did? Good for him. I'm pointing this out to say, I only have one short life to live, and for some reason, I decided to spend it reading this.

So. In the light of day, Henry finally looks over at the spooky portrait and thinks to himself, you know, that right there is a Spooky Portrait and it gives me a scare:

He tried to keep himself from looking at it, but he found it vain, so he adopted what, perhaps, was certainly the wisest, best plan, namely, to look at it continually.

I don't know why this makes me laugh so much. Sure, that's a plan. And, Henry notes, it's even one of those paintings where the eyes follow you around the room. Maybe we should, you know, take it down. And then he goes, eh. It's a rare work of art, it's painted onto the panel and we'd have to call a contractor out here, we were out all night watching that vampyre fall on his ass, I'm kind of tired, whatevs.

Meanwhile, Flora is still (quite reasonably) traumatized: "My brain is on fire! A million of strange eyes seem to be gazing on me." Like, I'm not actually trying to compare this sentence by sentence (god forbid) to Dracula, but I know it well enough that I remember Jonathan using the same "brain on fire" wording—how common an expression was this? I even went back to check Polidori's "The Vampyre"—"his thoughts were bursting from his brain," an oddly specific throughline of brain-centric disturbance. Just Vampyre Things, I guess.

Despite having chased the vampyre to his own garden wall, Henry is utterly baffled as to why Flora would be so upset—physically weakened, even! She was fine yesterday! What, oh what, could have happened??, he inquires of Mr. Marchdale. Henry is probably saying this while a housekeeper bustles past with a huge bundle of blood-soaked sheets. What do we think was in Flora's room, even though we all saw it gnawing on her throat and we're pretty sure what it was? I mean, we just saw someone making a hideous repast of her, I am completely baffled. But wait! says Marchdale. I've thought of an answer! Now—hold on for this— (I'm holding on—) Because this is gonna blow your mind— (Okay, keep going—) Are you ready for this? (I'm totally ready for this—) I think it was—I can hardly bring myself to say the word aloud and will continue not to say it for another 100 words— (SAY IT GODDAMMIT—) A VAMPYRE!

Well, why do you think this?

"... my pistol bullets hurt him not; and he has left the tokens of his presence on the neck of Flora." "Peace, oh! peace. Do not, I pray you, accumulate reasons why I should receive such a dismal, awful superstition. Oh, do not, Marchdale, as you love me!" "You know my attachment to you," said Marchdale, "is sincere; and yet, Heaven help us!" His voice was broken by grief as he spoke, and he turned aside his head to hide the bursting tears that would, despite all his efforts, show themselves in his eyes.

For shame, Henry, you made your mom's... someone... cry! (Don't get me wrong, I love Weepy Masculinity, and we'll talk about it more another time.) But Henry is shocked, I tell you, shocked! that Marchdale should come to such a conclusion! To believe would drive him mad, I tell you! MAAAAAAAAD!

And then George comes in all like, "Guys, I know this is gonna sound crazy, but—hold on for this—I think it was a—" "VAMPYRE, WE KNOW." And now George the "frail reed" is crying, Henry, see what you've done?

Unfortunately, Henry is pretty much the only person in a hundred-mile radius who is having trouble with this concept; the servants, we are told, immediately ran out and told everyone about the vampyre flumping over the garden wall. Henry rides into town to fetch a doctor and immediately runs into Some Gentleguy on Horseback. "Bro, what's this about your sister getting bit by a vampyre?" "Uh... no. That was... a thief. That was totally a thief." "No? Seriously, the whole town's talking about it. You sure? Like fang marks and everything—" "MAAAAAD, I TELL YOUUUUU!!"

At last Henry gets to the doctor—who starts out as "Mr. Chillingworth" and mysteriously becomes "Dr. Chillingworth" some five hundred pages from now. (In fairness, many doctors, particularly surgeons, were merely "Mister" long into the nineteenth century. Side note: The Scarlet Letter would not be published until 1850, and on a different continent at that. I checked, because I immediately thought the name was an allusion.) So Mr. Dr. Chillingworth listens to Henry's story, and I'm getting all clappy because this has got to be our Van Helsing figure, and I have always loved the Kindly Old Doctor Who Knows All the Legends type, and so Henry finishes and Chillingworth declares—

"I don't care if [the facts] were ten times more glaring, I won't believe it. I would rather believe you were all mad, the whole family of you -- that at the full of the moon you all were a little cracked."

(*record needle scratch*)

Well, Stoker certainly didn't run off with that.

So Henry gets back to Bannerworth Hall and he starts telling Flora that it was totally a thief who was chewing on her throat. Totally. But he'll just keep sitting by her bedside. You know. Just in case more thieving is a-fang.

"Then I shall rest in peace, for I know that the dreadful vampyre cannot come to me when you are by." "The what, Flora?" "The vampyre, Henry. It was a vampyre." "Good God, who told you so?"

She was… there? The holes in her neck? Keep up? Maybe Henry has that Memento thing where he can't remember anything for longer than five minutes, which—well, that would explain a lot about the writing style, actually. Flora replies,

"No one. I have read of them in the book of travels in Norway, which Mr. Marchdale lent us all."

So--a møøse bit his sister?

"They do say, too, that those who in life have been bled by a vampyre, become themselves vampyres, and have the same horrible taste for blood as those before them. Is it not horrible?"

For those of you keeping score, in-story popular belief at this point is that it takes only one bite to turn you into a vampire. This is contradicted later, because of course it is, but it's worth noting; it fits with the idea that the less sexually permissive a society/era is, the more easily you get punished by the contagion. You'd think, then, that this bodes ill for Flora, but as far as I know, either Flora has a Purity Override, or fuck continuity, that's what.

Enter Mr. Dr. Chillingworth, who wants to know about Flora's "dream." "It wasn't a dream, it was a vampyre!" "Is that what you call a dream?" NO, IT'S WHAT I CALL A VAMPYRE. She shows him the bites on her neck, and he's all, pshhhh, those, those are totally insect bites. You know, giant seven-foot insects with scratchy fingernails and hypnotic tin eyes. Bit of Raid's all you need, take care of that in a jiff.

Chillingworth and Henry say nothing in particular for 300 words, at the end of which Chillingworth finally declares that vampyres are "a degrading superstition," and that Flora seems to be "labouring under the effect of some narcotic." You know, those narcotics you staple into people's necks, leaving two (2) holes. Or: blood loss, but that's far less likely, in his medical opinion, so he's just confused now.

"You have, of course, heard something," said Henry to the doctor, as he was pulling on his gloves, "about vampyres."

"I certainly have, and I understand that in some countries, particularly Norway and Sweden, the superstition is a very common one."

And he thinks Let the Right One In was much better than the remake.

WHAT ARE YOU EVEN TALKING ABOUT?

I don't know why I didn't mention this in 2010, but I'm guessing Henry is referring to the Old Norse draugr—like, I know there are Scandinavian vampires, it's just that... I've never seen English-language vampire literature of the 1800s mention them? LeFanu mentions "Upper and Lower Styria, in Moravia, Silesia, in Turkish Serbia, in Poland, even in Russia" in "Carmilla" (1872), and Andrew Lang wasn't talking about draugr until late 1897, "with the idea further pursued by more modern commentators." Polidori's "Ruthven" is a Scottish name, and its bearer goes vampiring in Greece, for that matter. In fact, when Henry chimes in, "And in the Levant," Rymer may be alluding to Polidori. But he just throws "Norwegian vampires" in like, well, obviously. What, haven't you read Grettis saga Ásmundarsonar, published in English, uh, twenty years from now?

However Rymer came by this, whatever travelogue he did read, the draugr doesn't seem to have caught on quite the way Dracula, or even Ruthven, did. Who knows, maybe "Transylvanian vampires" sounded equally random in 1897, but that's the lore that won pop culture.

Mr. Dr. Chillingworth also mentions "the ghouls of the Mahometans." The word "ghoul" comes directly from the Arabic word ghūl, which is "associated with graveyards and the consumption of human flesh," although the concept seems to be pre-Islamic Arabian, not specifically "Mahometan" (i.e., Mohammedan, an archaic or even offensive term; TIL). Rymer would have known the word from the influential 1786 Gothic-Orientalist novel Vathek, and may have even used it here as a specific callback, because it would be a shame to just go on and have a vampyre without blaming it on Those Foreigners. Chillingworth continues,

"All that I have heard of the European vampyre has made it a being which can be killed, but is restored to life again by the rays of a full moon falling on the body."

Here we go. It's worth noting here (no, I swear it is) that the idea of sunlight instantly killing vampires is a complete invention of the German film Nosferatu (1922), an "unauthorized adaptation" of Dracula. I love bringing this up as often as possible, because Dracula being slain by a convenient blast of light (Horror of Dracula, 1958, reporting for duty) is such a deeply ingrained pop-culture thing, and it is 10,000% not in the original novel. Which all you Dracula Daily regulars know, I'm sure. Stoker plays as loose with his Vampire Rules as Rymer does, but Dracula does appear in daylight at least twice that I can remember off the top of my head, although it's said to weaken him. I feel like the functional point of this is to have Any Time At All When The Heroes Have A Shot In Hell At Not Getting Eaten, and so this is why the literary vampire of the 1800s sometimes has to scamper off to its coffin at the stroke of dawn. Carmilla has to do this, but she also strolls back to Laura's house at... one in the afternoon; clearly, sunlight is not terribly crucial to the lore. Rather, it's moonlight that's associated with vampires earlier in the century—as a means of reviving them. It's actually a key plot point in Polidori's "The Vampyre" (back in 1819), and one of the stand-out elements in the popular awareness of vampires at the time.

Oh! By the way, tonight happens to be the night of the full moon. Even Chillingworth says, "If now you had succeeded in killing —. Pshaw, what am I saying."

"To-night," [Henry] repeated, "is the full of the moon. How strange that this dreadful adventure should have taken place just the night before."

Indeed. And the serial really wants us to notice this. You'd think a vampyre might avoid a bright night when they'd be more likely to be seen, but, on the other hand, maybe that's Moon Insurance in case they get capped on someone's garden wall. To confirm, Henry gets Travels in Norway off the bookshelf, and—after a thorough, paid-by-the-word description of how books sometimes open at certain pages, right down to the way the binding gets stretched—

"With regard to these vampyres, it is believed by those who are inclined to give credence to so dreadful a superstition, that they always endeavour to make their feast of blood, for the revival of their bodily powers, on some evening immediately preceding a full moon, because if any accident befall them, such as being shot, or otherwise killed or wounded, they can recover by lying down somewhere where the full moon's rays will fall on them."

There it is. Since we're going chapter by chapter, it's easy to lose sight of the big picture, but what I think the serial is getting at is, Varney probably is "dead" somewhere on the heathy landscape after getting his hapless ass shot. Except—EXCEPT! for the moonlight that just so happens to be in place to revive him. Because, while the FULL MOON. IT'S A FULL MOON might seem kind of randomly gothic to us, everyone reading this in 1847 would have been chortling in anticipation.

(Chapter 5 will go up on Friday, March 24.)

[yatorihell]

In The Darkness Chapter 88 - The Final Stand

Noragami x Harry Potter AU

Summary: The penultimate chapter of the Noragami x Harry Potter AU

Word count: 5,517

Read on AO3

First Chapter | Previous Chapter

Yato was alone. He lay facedown, listening to the silence for a long time, until he opened his eyes. 

He lay in a bright mist, the bright white of a muggle hospital that Hiyori would have known, that burned his eyes. It reflected off the shrouded surfaces around him as if he were muffled in a cloud. Yato sat up. He appeared unscathed. A noise reached him through the mist surrounding him; it was a pitiful whine.

He stood up, looking around. A great domed glass roof glittered high above him in sunlight. All was hushed and still, except for gasping noises coming from somewhere ahead. Yato turned slowly on the spot, and his surroundings seemed to materialise before his eyes. A wide-open space, bright and clean, a hall larger by far than the Great Hall, with that clear, domed glass ceiling. It was quite empty. He was the only person there, except for…

He recoiled. He had spotted the thing that was making the noises. It had the form of a decrepit man curled on the ground, head separated from his body, and he lay shuddering under a seat; forgotten, clinging to life.

"You cannot help.”

Yato spun around. Tenjin was walking toward him, wearing sweeping robes of white and silver.

"Yato," Tenjin spread his arms wide. "You brave, brave boy. Walk with me.”

Stunned, Yato followed as Tenjin strode away from where the body lay whimpering, leading him to a bench that Yato had not previously noticed, set some distance away under that high sparkling ceiling. Tenjin sat down, and Yato fell next to him, staring at his old headmaster's face. Everything was as he had remembered it. And yet…

"You died," said Yato.

"Indeed,' said Tenjin matter-of-factly.

"Then… I'm dead too?" 

"Ah," said Tenjin, smiling still more broadly. "What do you think?”

They looked at each other, the old man still beaming.

"Not?" repeated Yato.

"Not,” Tenjin agreed.

"But,” Yato said slowly. "But I should have died - I didn't defend myself! I let him kill me!"

"And that will have made all the difference," Tenjin replied. Happiness seemed to radiate from him like light, like untamed fire: Yato had never seen the man so utterly content.

"Explain," said Yato.

"But you already know,'" said Tenjin.

"I let him kill me,' Yato clarified hesitantly. "Didn't I?"

"You did,'" said Tenjin. “I expect you now realize that you and the Sorcerer have been connected by something other than fate.”

Yato frowned. "So the part of his soul that was in me… is gone?”

"Oh yes,” said Tenjin. "Yes, he destroyed it. Your soul is whole, and completely your own, Yato.”

"But then...” Yato glanced over his shoulder to where the small, maimed creature trembled under the chair. "What is that, Professor?”

"Something that is beyond help," said Tenjin.

'But if the Sorcerer used the Killing Curse," Yato started again. “How can I be alive?”

"I think you know,' said Tenjin. "Think back. Remember what he did, in his ignorance, in his greed and his cruelty.”

Yato thought. He let his gaze drift over his surroundings. Then the answer rose to his lips easily, without effort. “He bound me to him,” Yato said slowly. His eyes widened. “No… He bound us. Me and Nora.”

“Indeed,” Tenjin replied. 

“But,” Yato faltered. “Then Nora…”

Tenjin looked somber. Father would have to turn his wand on Nora in order to free her from the same curse; but he would never do that, not when he had done so to Yato. She was the remaining Horcrux, one of his last remaining ties to the world.

"I live... while he lives? But I thought… I thought we both had to die? Or is it the same thing?" Yato was distracted by the whimpering of the agonized creature behind them and glanced back at it yet again. "Are you sure we can't do anything?"

"There is no help possible.”

“Then explain,” said Yato, and Tenjin smiled.

"You were a Horcrux, Yato. He had rendered his soul so unstable that it broke apart when he committed those acts of unspeakable evil. And his knowledge was woefully incomplete. That which the Sorcerer does not value, he takes no trouble to comprehend. Tales of love, loyalty, and innocence, the Sorcerer knows and understands nothing. That they all have a power beyond his own, a power beyond the reach of any magic, is a truth he has never grasped.”

Tenjin looked at Yato. 

"He took your soul believing it would strengthen him. He took into his body a tiny part of the enchantment, and so you live, and so does the Sorcerer's one last hope for himself."

Yato stared at him. “And you knew this? You knew all along?” 

Tenjin chuckled dryly. "I guessed. But my guesses have usually been good.”

They sat in silence for what seemed like a long time, interspersed with the creature's whimpers.

"What you must understand, Yato, is that you and the Sorcerer have journeyed together into realms of magic hitherto unknown and untested. Having ensured this two-fold connection, he entwined your destinies together more securely than ever two wizards were joined shared.”

Tenjin turned to Yato. "He was more afraid than you were that night, Yato. You had accepted, even embraced, the possibility of death, something the Sorcerer has never been able to do.”

Yato sat in thought for a long time. “He killed me with your wand.”

"He failed to kill you with my wand,” Tenjin corrected Yato. “I think we can agree that you are not dead.”

“I feel alive," said Yato, looking down at his clean, unblemished hands. "Where are we, exactly?"

"Well, I was going to ask you that," said Tenjin, looking around. "Where would you say that we are?”

Yato did not know until Tenjin had asked. Now, however, he found that he knew exactly where they were. "It looks like King's Cross Station. Except a lot cleaner and empty, and there are no trains.”

Yato and Tenjin sat without talking for the longest time yet. The realisation of what would happen next settled gradually over Yato in the long minutes, like softly falling snow.

Yato looked askance, feeling guilt for the conflicting feelings he had; to stay here in the quiet and calm, or to face what came next. "I've got to go back, haven't I?"

"That is up to you.”

Yato glanced at Tenjin. "I've got a choice?"

"Oh yes.” Tenjin smiled at him. "We are in King's Cross, you say? I think that if you decided not to go back, you would be able to, let's say, board a train.”

"And where would it take me?”

"Foward," said Tenjin simply. Silence again. “I think that if you choose to return, there is a chance that he may be finished for good. I cannot promise it. But I know this, Yato, that you have less to fear from returning here than he does.”

Yato glanced again at the headless body that trembled and choked in the shadow beneath the distant chair.

“And Nora is still alive?”

“Yes.”

Yato swallowed hard. “And I have no way of freeing her? Not in the same way I was?” 

Tenjin looked at Yato sorrowfully. “You know what must be done.”

“But how?” Yato asked - not just for the physical act, but the emotional transgression that would have to happen to defeat the Sorcerer.

Tenjin rose to his feet, and Yato jumped up beside him.  “Help will always be given at Hogwarts, Yato. To those who ask for it.” 

Tenjin turned and faced Yato, hands tucked into the long sleeves of his shiny robes. "Do not pity the dead Yato. Pity the living, and, above all, those who live without love.”

Yato nodded and sighed. Leaving this place would not be nearly as hard as walking into the forest had been. It was warm and light and peaceful here, and he knew that he was heading back to pain and fear and more loss.

"Professor," said Yato, and Tenjin stopped in his tracks. "Is this real? Or has this been happening inside my head?"

Tenjin beamed at him, and his voice sounded loud and strong in Yato's ears even though the bright mist was descending again, obscuring his figure

"Of course it is happening inside your head, Yato, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?”

~

The smell of the forest filled his nostrils.

He could feel the cold hard ground beneath his cheek. Every inch of him ached, and the place where the Killing Curse had hit him felt tender on his chest where his wand nudged into his skin. He remained still, with his left arm bent out at an awkward angle and his eyes closed.

He had expected to hear cheers of celebration at his death, but instead rustling and murmurs filled the air.

"My Lord…” Oshi's voice said softly. Yato did not dare open his eyes. “My Lord-.”

"Enough,” said the Sorcerer's voice.

More footsteps. Several people were backing away from the same spot. Desperate to see what was happening and why, Yato cracked his eyes open by a millimeter. The Sorcerer seemed to be getting to his feet. Deatheaters were hurrying away from him, returning to the crowd lining the clearing. Oshi alone remained behind, kneeling beside her master.

Yato closed his eyes again and considered what he had seen. The Deatheaters had been huddled around the Sorcerer, who seemed to have fallen to the ground. Something had happened when he had hit Yato with the Killing Curse. Had the Sorcerer too collapsed? It seemed like it. And both of them had fallen briefly unconscious and both of them had now returned.

"My Lord, let me-,” Oshi cooed.

“Leave me," said the Sorcerer coldly, and though he could not see it, Yato pictured Oshi withdrawing to herself, rebuffed by his callousness. "My son… Is he dead?"

There was complete silence in the clearing. Nobody approached Yato, but he felt their concentrated gaze; it seemed to press him harder into the ground, and he was terrified a finger or an eyelid

might twitch.

"Daughter," said the Sorcerer. "Tell me he is dead.”

Yato did not know who had been sent to verify. He could only lie there, with his heart thumping traitorously, waiting that the Sorcerer's suspicions that all had not gone to plan were true.

There was a sound of scales against dried leaves and bracken, then hands - softer than he had been expecting - touched Yato's face, crept beneath his shirt, down to his chest, and felt his heart. He could hear the girl's fast breathing, her short hair tickled his face. He knew that she could feel the steady pounding of life against his ribs.

“He is dead!" Nora called to the watchers.

And now they shouted, yelled in triumph and stamped their feet, and through his eyelids, Yato saw bursts of red and silver light shoot into the air in celebration.

“You see?" the Sorcerer declared over the ruckus. "Yaboku is dead by my hand, and no man alive can threaten me now!”

“Now," said the Sorcerer, "we go to the castle and show them what has become of their hero. Who shall drag the body?”

There was a fresh outbreak of laughter, and Yato waited with shallow breaths.

"You carry him," the Sorcerer said. "Pick up your student.”

Yato could feel strong arms trembling as Kuraha cradled Yato in his arms, and Yato did not dare give away his position.

"Move,'" said the Sorcerer, and Kuraha stumbled forward, forcing his way through the close-growing trees, back through the forest.

Branches caught at Yato's hair and tracksuit, but he lay limp, his mouth lolling open, his eyes shut, and in the darkness, while the Deatheaters crowed all around them, nobody looked to see whether a pulse beat in his exposed neck.

The two giants crashed along behind the Deatheaters; Yato could hear trees creaking and falling as they passed. They made so much noise that birds took shrieking into the sky, and even the jeers of the Deatheaters were drowned. The victorious procession marched on toward the open ground, and after a while Yato could tell, by the lightening of the darkness through his closed eyelids, that the trees were beginning to thin. A chill settled over them and Yato heard the rasping breath of the Dementors that patrolled the outer trees. They would not affect him now.

A little later, Yato sensed, by a freshening of the air, that they had reached the edge of the forest.

"Come,' said the Sorcerer, and Yato heard him move ahead, and Kuraha was forced to follow.

Now Yato opened his eyes a fraction and saw the Sorcerer striding in front of them, Nagini slithering by his side. But Yato had no possibility of extracting the wand concealed under his jacket without being noticed by the Deatheaters, who marched on either side of them through the slowly lightening darkness.

Yato shut his eyes tight again. He knew that they were approaching the castle and strained his ears to distinguish, above the gleeful voices of the Deatheaters and their tramping footsteps, signs of life from those within.

"Stop.”

The Deatheaters came to a halt: Yato heard them spreading out into the courtyard at the open front doors of the school. He could see, even through his closed lids, the reddish glow that meant light streamed upon him from the entrance hall.

He waited. Footsteps kicked at the rubble as Hogwarts’ defenders came to meet their fate. Any moment now, the people for whom he had tried to die would see him, lying apparently dead, in Kuraha’s arms.

“Yukine, who is that in Kuraha’s arms?” Yato heard the question from the distance, but no answer came from his friend.

“Yaboku… is dead!” the Sorcerer cried.

“NO!” The scream was the more terrible because he had never expected or dreamed that Hiyori could make such a sound.

He heard another woman laughing nearby, and knew that Oshi gloried in the despair wrought on the faces that amassed from the hall. He squinted again for a single second and saw the open doorway filling with people, as the survivors of the battle came out onto the front steps to face their vanquishers and see the truth of Yato's death for themselves. He saw the Sorcerer standing a little in front of him, stroking Nagini's head with a single finger. He closed his eyes again.

“No! No! Yato! Yato!”

The voices rose, Kazuma's and Bishamon’s among them, and Yato wanted nothing more than to call back. Yet he made himself lie silent, and their cries acted like a trigger; the crowd of survivors took up the cause, screaming and yelling abuse at the Deatheaters, until -

"SILENCE!" cried the Sorcerer, and there was a bang and a flash of bright light, and silence was forced upon them all.

"You see?* said the Sorcerer. Yato heard him striding backward and forward. "Yaboku is dead! Do you understand now? He was nothing but a boy who relied on others to sacrifice themselves for him!"

The Sorcerer paced in front of him, and the serpent hissed.

“Anyone who continues to resist - man, woman, or child - will be slaughtered, as will every member of their family.”

The pacing stopped, and Yato heard Nagini's heavy body push through the debris toward her master.

“Come out of the castle now, kneel before me, and you shall be spared. Come forward and join us, or die.”

There was a long silence, broken only by a smattering of murmurs when slow, uneven steps - someone who was injured, Yato noted - made their way to the front of the crowd.

“And who might you be?” the Sorcerer asked

There was a pause. “Bishamonten.”

Yato cracked his eyes open. Bishamon’s long blonde hair was dirtied and tangled, a long streak of blood running from her temple down to her chin. In her hands she clutched the Sorting Hat, dusty and worse for wear than Yato had ever seen.

“A pureblood. All the better for y-.”

“I have something to say.”

The Sorcerer prickled at the interruption, his robes swishing at his feet as he stalked back and forth. Silence settled over them.

“It doesn't matter that Yato is gone,” Bishamon said. Her voice was an uncharacteristically vulnerable echo as she looked around at her friends. “People die every day. Friends, family... We lost Yato tonight. He's still with us. In here.”

Bishamon brought a hand to her heart, the Sorting Hat still in the other. “All of them. They didn't die in vain… but you will.”

Bishamon turned, renewed fire in her eyes as she sneered at the Sorcerer. Yato's eyes fluttered to the Sorcerer, and he was taken aback to see a wide grin splitting his mouth at Bishamon's stirring speech, a manic laugh building in his throat.

“Because you're wrong! Yato's heart did beat for us. For all of us! It's not over!”

And then many things happened at the same moment.

Bishamon thrust her hand into the Sorting Hat and pulled forth the Sword of Gryffindor. There was a roar from the boundary of the school behind Yato and the ensemble of Deatheaters, who broke rank at the thundering of hooves stampeding towards them. Yato threw himself out of Kuraha’s arms and drew his wand, stumbling to find his footing as the shocked gasps from friend and foe alike filled the air. The Sorcerer whirled on Yato, wand lax in his hand and a look of utter shock on his face. Nagini drew up alongside him with a hiss.

“Confringo!” Yato cried, a bolt of light zipping out of his wand at what he had up until now was the final Horcrux. Some unseen shield protected the serpent, the spell richoeting into the crowd of prone Deatheaters behind who hadn’t the chance to protect themselves.

Yato threw himself through one of the many archways surrounding the castle, avoiding the shattering stone as the Sorcerer screamed curses at him. He could hear the battle pick up behind him as the Deatheaters surged forward, and Hogwarts in turn, renewed by the sight of their champion alive and breathing, fought back.

Yato had to lure the Sorcerer away from Nagini, to leave her unprotected so that Yukine and Hiyori could do what he could not. He threw himself into the main entrance of the castle, all but crashing in Yukine and Hiyori in a reunion he did not think he would see until they were old and grey.

Yato gripped Yukine and Hiyori by the shoulders, out of breath and clutching his wand. “Kill the snake, there's another, it's him - it's not him, it's my father,” Yato rushed.

“What are you talking about-?” Yukine urged, but Yato shook his head in response; there was no time to explain.

“That body is the final shield. There’s one more Horcrux. Lure Nagini in, kill her.”

Yato pushed Yukine and Hiyori further into the bowels of the castle, tripping over broken wood and shattered statues, the corners of walls so obliterated they gave almost no cover to the onslaught of Deatheaters washing their way into the castle. They were separated by the tide of people retreating, Yato taking the stairs whereas Yukine and Hiyori were pushed into the Grand Hall in a flurry of elbows and spells, dragged away from where they needed to be and divided by a wall of dueling witches and wizards.

The Sorcerer had not appeared in the castle. Instead, Oshi led the forefront of the assault, hair whipping around her as if she had brought a storm on her heels. She flung curses at the wizards closest to her, ignorant of her comrades behind her as she slashed her wand wildly at anyone who dared face her.

A bolt of light grazed her cheek, leaving a burning mark and the singed smell of hair.

Oshi spun on the spot, roaring at the sight of her new challenger, and Hiyori’s breath caught in her throat. Kofuku, badly injured and pushing her students behind her and out of the way.

With a swipe of her wand, she began to duel. Hiyori and Yukine watched with terror and elation as Kofuku's wand slashed and twirled, and Oshi smile faltered and became a snarl. Jets of light flew from both wands, the floor around the witches' feet became hot and cracked; both women were fighting to kill.

'No!" Kofuku cried as a few students ran forward, trying to come to her aid. "Get back! Get back! She is mine!"

Hundreds of people now lined the walls, watching the two fight, interspersed with the occasional Deatheater taking a chance to hurl a curse at an unsuspecting innocent who hadn't the time to defend themselves.

"What will happen to your child when I've killed you?" taunted Oshi, mad as her master, as Kofuku’s curses danced around her. “When Daddy will be going the same way as Mummy?"

Oshi laughed, Kofuku screamed, and Yukine knew what was going to happen before it did.

Kofuku’s curse soared beneath Oshi's outstretched arm and hit her squarely in the chest, directly over her heart. Oshi's gloating smile froze, her eyes seemed to bulge.

For the tiniest space of time, she understood what had happened, right before she exploded into a fine ash that was blown away on the wind in a second.

~

Yato took the Grand Staircase two steps at a time, breathing hard and trying not to choke on the thick smog of dust and smoke that wrapped around him. He kept his wand level, eyes searching in the darkness for the slightest movement. A burst of green light erupted from his left, and Yato spun and parried the blow. Another came from in front, then to his right, and then above from an unknown source, until finally the Sorcerer appeared in a wisp of black smoke and a thundering charge of green charged at Yato.

Yato parried the blow, a stream of red meeting the Sorcerer's curse in a shower of sparks that battled for dominance. The Sorcerer forced Yato back, advancing up the stairs swiftly with Nagini on his heels, fangs bared.

Suddenly the Sorcerer disappeared and Yato spun just in time to block the curse aimed at his back. His wand struggled in his defence as Yato was now forced down into the waiting jaws of his once saviour. His eyes flickered up, and in the brief respite between attacks Yato aimed at the ceiling and brought it down between himself and the Sorcerer. Yato struggled to his feet and threw himself over the banister before Nagini could lunge. Yato landed and rolled painfully onto glass and brick, but his reprieve was shortlived as the ground exploded in his path and plunged into nothingness below.

Smoke wrapped around him, black and suffocating, arresting his fall and dragging him upside down and through the air until he didn't know which was up.

Yato was thrown forth into the light, staggering against a shattered parapet high above the viaduct and the main courtyard of the castle. Bodies littered the ground and heaps of rubble marked the barricades that fighters used for protection. The fighting had moved inside, the distant shouts obscuring the horrors which were occurring inside.

Yato clung to the wall, fisting his wand as he fought the vertigo of being thrown around and dropped so suddenly at the edge of a dizzying height as the Sorcerer materialised in front of him. He took Yato’s face roughly in his hand, studying him closely.

“Why do you live?” the Sorcerer asked softly, a hint of mystified sadness in his voice that Yato didn't know how to feel about. This man - this boy - did not possess his father’s face. And yet he knew the truth.

“Because I have something worth living for," Yato said. “Let’s finish this Father, the way we started. Together.”

Yato grabbed the Sorcerer’s shoulders and threw himself over the precipice.

The Sorcerer saved them, warping around Yato in a haze of black that left only his face in his, snarling and snapping as Yato fought for control. They soared over the castle, dislodging tiles and smashing through burnt rafters, narrowly missing the peaks of turrets and careening past the vast walls he called home.

The ground suddenly rushed up to meet Yato, and his body jerked and was thrown like a ragdoll as the Sorcerer freed himself from his grasp and landed across the ruined courtyard in a battered, smoking haze.

Yato coughed and dragged himself up onto his stomach. His wand lay a few feet in front of him, and just beyond that, the Sorcerer was coming to, realising the situation. The last duel.

Yato scrambled forward, dragging himself over stone and blood to wrap his hand around his wand and rise to his feet in the same moment the Sorcerer mirrored his action. The courtyard thundered with the clash of magic, powerful red meeting deadly green in a battle that would decide the fate of the world. Yato staggered against the weight of the magic pushing against him. From the corner of his eye he saw Yukine and Hiyori, defenseless and pushed back against the broken arch of the castle, Nagini’s fangs bared and reared back in a fatal strike.

Yato’s eyes widened. It could not be heard over the roar of the oncoming crowd or the sounds of the clashing and yet it seemed to draw every eye in the battle.

In one swift, fluid motion, Bishamon drew the Sword of Gryffindor in a broad upward stroke and sliced off the great snake's head, which spun high into the air, gleaming in the light flooding from the entrance hall, and the Sorcerer's mouth was open in a scream of fury that nobody could hear, and Nora’s body thudded to the ground at his feet.

The Sorcerer’s magic broke, and Yato’s curse struck him in his heart.

The Sorcerer collapsed to the ground beside Nora’s body. A wave of sickness washed over Yato. He didn't want to believe it - he couldn't fully believe it - until the evidence was lying before him. Nora - his obedient, shadow of a sister - had been forced to be a curse all their lives.

There was movement beside her, in the cooling corpse of a possessed boy who also had no choice in his fate. Yato’s father emerged from the ashes.

His black hair and dark eyes met Yato across the battlefield, wrought with pain and anguish as he looked from his daughter to his son. His lifelines. Destroyed.

A red-gold glow burst suddenly across the enchanted sky above them as an edge of dazzling sun appeared over the sill of the nearest half-shattered window. The light hit both of their faces at the same time so that the Sorcerer's was suddenly cast in the flaming hues of a phoenix.

Yato heard the cry as he too yelled his best hope to the heavens, pointing his wand.

"Avada Kedavra!”

"Expelliarmus!"

The bang was like cannon fire, and the golden flames that erupted between them, at the dead center of the circle they had been treading, marked the point where the spells collided.

The Sorcerer's green jet met his own spell and the Elder wand flew in a high arch akin to the head of his beloved daughter, and landed in its rightful master's hand.

Yato stared into the eyes of his father, seeing the realisation wash over them; he knew the truth now. He knew why the Elder Wand disobeyed him the same way he did. It would never hurt Yato, a fatal flaw in the plan that protected Yato even now.

He hit the flagstones with a mundane finality, his body feeble and limp. The Sorcerer was dead, killed by his rebounding curse, and Yato stood with two wands in his hand, staring down at his father's husk.

One shivering second of silence, the shock of the moment suspended.

And then the tumult broke. The screams and the cheers and the roars of the watchers rent the air. The fierce new sun dazzled the windows as they thundered toward him, and the first to reach him were Yukine and Hiyori, and it was their arms that were wrapped around him, their incomprehensible shouts that deafened him. Then Bishamon, Kazuma, and Kofuku were there, and then Daikoku, and Yato could not hear a word that anyone was shouting, nor tell whose hands were seizing him, pulling him trying to hug some part of him, hundreds of them pressing in.

All to thank the living Horcrux.

~

The sun rose steadily over Hogwarts, and the Great Hall blazed with life and light. Yato was an indispensable part of the mingled outpourings of celebration and grief, pain and joy.

They wanted him there with them, their leader and symbol, their savior and their guide, and that he had not slept, that he craved the company of only a few of them, seemed to occur to no one. He must speak to the bereaved, clasp their hands, witness their tears, receive their thanks, hear the news now creeping in from every quarter as the morning drew on; that the Imperiused up and down the country had come back to themselves, that Deatheaters were fleeing or else

being captured, that the innocent of Azkaban were being released a that very moment, and that Amaterasu had returned as Minster of Magic.

They moved his Father's and Nora's body and laid them in a chamber off the Hall, away from the bodies of the righteous and grieving families. The bodies of Deatheaters still littered the castle, though effort was being made to find them some resting place for the meanwhile.

After a while, exhausted and drained, Yato found himself sitting on a bench beside Kazuma, his glasses miraculously intact. “I'd want some peace and quiet, if it were me," he said.

"I’d love some," Yato replied.

"I’ll distract them all," Kazuma said as Yato pulled the Invisibility Cloak over his head.

Now Yato could move through the Hall without interference. He saw Bishamon, the sword of Gryffindor lying beside her plate as she ate, surrounded by a knot of fervent admirers. Everywhere he looked he saw families reunited or torn apart, and finally, he saw the two whose company he craved most.

"It's me," he muttered, crouching down between them. "Will you come with me?"

They stood up at once, and together he, Yukine, and Hiyori left the Great Hall. Great chunks were missing from the marble staircase, part of the balustrade gone, and rubble and bloodstains

puddled every few steps they took.

Yato shucked off the cloak as they ventured through the courtyard, past the pool of blood that marked the Sorcerer’s final stand.

They remained silent. The pain of losing so many people pierced Yato like a physical wound every few steps. Most of all he felt the most relief, and a longing to sleep forever. But first, he owed an explanation to Yukine and Hiyori.

Painstakingly he recounted what he had seen in the Pensieve - the truth that the Sorcerer was his father - and what had happened in the forest, and they had not even begun to express all their shock and amazement when at last they arrived at the viaduct to which they had been walking, though none of them had mentioned their destination.

"And then there's this.” Yato held up the Elder Wand, and Yukine and Hiyori looked at it with a reverence that, even in his befuddled and sleep-deprived state, Yato did not like to see.

“Why didn't it work for him? The Elder Wand?” Hiyori asked.

“It answers to somebody else,” Yato said. He stepped up onto the broken bridge. “When he killed Kuguha, he thought the wand would become his. But the thing is…” Yato trailed off. “The wand never belongs to Kuguha.”

“It was Nora who disarmed Tenjin that night in the Astronomy tower. From that moment on, the wand answered her. Until, the other night when I disarmed Nora. At our Father's house.”

“So, that means…”

“It's mine!” Yato said incredulously, looking down at the innocuous wand.

“What should we do with it?” Yukine asked.

“We?” Hiyori echoed.

Yukine shrugged. “Just saying, that's the Elder Wand. The most powerful wand in the world. With that, he'll be invincible.”

"I don't want it,' said Yato. Men had killed and died for its power, and now Yato denied it.

“What?” said Yukine loudly. "Are you mad?”

"I know it's powerful," said Yato wearily. “But I was happier with mine. So...”

"Are you sure?" said Yukine. There was the faintest trace of longing in his voice as he looked at the Elder Wand, an echo of past admirers.

"I think Yato's right," said Hiyori quietly.

"That wand's more trouble than it's worth,' said Yato. "And quite honestly…”

Yato looked down at the wand and snapped it in two parts that fell into the chasm below with silent finality.

"I've had enough trouble for a lifetime.”

[canmom]

cameras & 3d

belatedly learning how to actually use a proper camera. it's funny I know a reasonable amount about geometric optics and I could explain mathematically how a camera works, but I hadn't managed to connect that to practical knowledge of 'how aperture priority mode works'.

so no wonder so many shots at the concert turned out blurry, I hadn't twigged that you're supposed to adjust the aperture and ISO until the auto shutter speed becomes reasonable (and the focal depth is appropriate for your intent). I also wasn't really using the different autofocus-area settings to full effect so I'm sure it sometimes focused on the wrong thing.

I had it on auto ISO and f/2.8 the whole time. does explain why it was fairly easy to get the bokeh since that's the lowest f-number available on this lens (apparently very good for a zoom lens). but I should probably have manually cranked up the ISO to better handle the darkness of the room.

still, I have learned what the buttons and dials on the camera do now so hopefully the next lot of photos will be nicer. and hopefully learning a bit more about photography will also help me get better at 3D rendering lol.

in a real camera, the ISO, exposure time and aperture size all affect the brightness of the image, and each comes with drawbacks. increasing aperture size increases the amount of bokeh (equivalently, narrows the focal plane). increasing ISO (sensitivity) increases the amount of grain in low light. increasing exposure time increases the amount of motion blur.

3D graphics is simulating a camera, but it comes with its own parameters and language. in 3D, by default you get pinhole-perfect sharpness. in rasterisation, depth of field is a postprocessing shader which blurs the image based on depth. in pathtracing, it's a setting you can turn on which I believe affects how rays are traced from the camera. in Blender, you can input an f-number, but it's just another slider you can fiddle with so I don't tend to pay much attention to the exact number when I adjust it.

ISO and exposure time is not really a thing in 3D. the brightness of your scene is something you choose when converting from the scene-referred floating point output of the renderer to the final display-referred integer colour (blender offers a handful of presets here). every real camera sensor has a limited dynamic range, but since the rendering is done in floating point, in 3D you have a near-infinite dynamic range at the 'sensor' stage.

motion blur in 3D is completely optional - again it's something you'd do in a post-processing shader which blurs the image along motion vectors, or by adjusting your renderer settings in a path tracer to trace some rays at different simulated times. the graininess of the image in a pathtracing renderer is really more a function of how many samples you trace, which has no connection to the duration of the simulated exposure in the scene.

so while 3D rendering prepares you for photography in some ways, it definitely leaves some gaps! but knowing a bit more about how real cameras work will be useful if I want to render something realistically or fake it in a painting.