#i've thought a few times to redraw this and i COULD probably do better but honestly. idk if it needs it

[bonetrousledbones]

actually speaking of old as hell art im gonna repost this thing from 2018 because its still insane i think

[desultory-novice]

Been awhile since I had seen your stuff, and I really enjoy what you’ve been coming up with! Glad to see you’re having fun

(Also, how did you start here, so to speak? I would love to be an active creator in the kirblr community, but since I just lurk and rb because I don’t have the energy/confidence to create, I just feel like an unwelcome stalker LOL. Sorry if this is too much!)

Oh, gosh, thank you so much! I'm a little impressed at how things have turned out after barely two years(?) here myself!

I don't know if my methods could ever work for anyone else as they do me, as I attribute a lot of "this" to serendipity but...

...It seems to me I really took off after opening my inbox up to doing detailed ask memes about the characters. Again, this was kind of luck on my part because I spoke very lovingly (albeit truthfully!) about a few mega popular characters, which caused two of their fandom BNFs to kindly reblog my posts, and that sent a bunch more asks for the WHOLE rest of the Kirby cast my way!

I'm sorry to say, it does take a lot of energy though. But I do get the struggle, as I'm often exhausted by life/lots of jobs. However, if you can find any sort of mental "trick" to keep yourself going, you might discover you have more energy than you think inside you!

(Me, I'm very visual, and I keep a collection of my favorite fanart on hand. If I think I've exhausted myself on a character/ran out of ideas of things to talk about, I'll browse through my personal "gallery" and it will help me to remember characters/events/interesting points.)

As to the matter of confidence, you've probably heard the whole "fake it to you make it" bit and to a degree, at least, it's true. I've had a couple of posts where I've flooded the tags with things like "OMG this is so bad and I'm so sorry!" or "I had no time to work on this and it shows~" or "if this sucks it's because life is crushing my soul and I just want to sleep for a thousand years..." annnnnd unfortunately...

...even if it's how you're feeling At The Time, those things can make people feel like they're intruding into your space by liking or reblogging it. It's like, if you're telling us something so personal and private, maybe you really only want to hear from a friend right now, and not a stranger...? What I've done is I've told myself it's okay to write out those low self-esteem thoughts elsewhere but try to let the people who are here for the art/images/videos/writing/discussions just enjoy your art/images/videos/writing/discussions.

If you've got something to get off your chest, don't feel like you have to hold it inside, but don't hold your audience captive either.

(Also, something else fun about this: if you cast out positivity, you may find that it comes back to you, and when you look again at that thing you shared, it was NOT as "awful" as you thought.)

Now, a lot of that was about "external" confidence or what you display. As for internal confidence, that's... kind of a constant struggle. We all -- and by all, I I mean even famous published creators -- have times when we think our work isn't good enough. Annnd...

...Well, it isn't always great. But the fact that something isn't great now (even if it's the absolute best we can do at the time) doesn't mean we have no skill at something! We all have to start somewhere. And sometimes "somewhere" is a piece of art or writing or theory or humorous content that only 1-2 people think is "...Eh, not bad."

My first "hit it big" piece? My "Moon's Haunted" Kirby meme? Ohhh man, I can't STAND to look at now! I redrew it a few months back and if I were to redraw it today, it'd look better still, probably. The key is that I tried (...and that I meme-posted when the game was going viral >.> ) and I think that shone through??

(...It might be silly, but there IS a Nintendo Direct tomorrow. Probably no Kirby news, as I assume Vanpool's closure will bring an end to us getting multiple Kirby titles a year, but if you really want to try and take that ^ path, you can always get up early/stay up late and ready yourself to post commentary on any news!)

That doesn't just go for art, but writing/theories/HC as well. I myself find it a little sad when someone starts on a post and then will just trail off with "...lol I dunno, didn't think about it that hard."

"Don't say that, person on the internet," I cry! Do you realize how much information is at your fingertips right now? You can google for things even if you only know it as "that thing in that one movie about the fruit." You can watch a Youtube video in 5 minutes explaining the mechanics of something you've never seen or ever hope to do before! You can even watch a Youtube playthrough of a Kirby thing you forgot instead of saying "You forgot!" Don't know how to draw cloaks? Pinterest has millions of references! Don't like Pinterest? Just google "cloaks, Pinterest" and click on the images tab and you will never have to log into that accursed site! It just takes WANTING to.

Though sometimes, I think people write that out of embarrassment? Maybe they DID think about it but they don't think anyone would be interested? Or maybe they really didn't think about X or Y but didn't want to feel like they were neglecting anybody and that something is better than nothing. Which it is, but LOVE is even more important!

...And love, especially in a fandom space, can be ~complicated~

Like I mentioned above, I'm LUCKY that my top favorite characters also come close to topping the rest of "the fandom's" list. But as I've said before, I love every character in Kirby. Even the ones-people-want-to-throw-off-a-bridge-into-a-waste-treatment-plant..

And if I'd started off my tumblr as a "The Susie Haltmann Appreciation Blog!" as opposed to my actual "Hey I'm Completely Obsessed About Marx and Magolor and I Think About Them All The Time (...but I also like the Haltmanns from a story perspective for their heartrending tragedy that hits close to home for me...) Blog" I don't know if we'd be having this conversation right now. ^^;

(It doesn't just have to be all about controversy/"discourse" related stuff either. I could have started a "Daily Sillydillo" blog and had to retire it in a month due to low levels of interaction. The concept of fandom favorites might not be very egalitarian, when every character deserves to have their story enjoyed, but sometimes, strong love can make up for the lack of eyes on a thing. Occasionally ^^)

...Anyway, you might not have the energy, at least not all the time, and confidence might be a little low right now too, but you love Kirby, right? You have passion for it? Passion can get you a lot! And also, there's a few methods of interaction that, for personal reasons, I could not choose that have done wonders for everyone else!

For example, I have some old, unhealed trauma about OCs, but there's a whole hu~ge section of Kirblr that loves OCs and, as far as I've seen (??) tries to be really supportive about them?

Lastly, I can guarantee you, you are NOT a stalker and anyone who thinks being a "quiet supportive fan" equates to being a stalker should consider moving away from thinking of themselves and/or others in that negative way. You have stalked nobody! You have only shown an active interest in others! That is a POSITIVE thing!

And on that note, you're definitely not unwelcome either! Especially if you're one of the precious, wonderful people out there who reblog lots! If you want to get your toes wet, why not test the waters and build your confidence in this space by adding some of your thoughts onto your reblogs? You could build a rep/connections that way!

TLDR, sometimes gaining an audience/a space is a magic trick that no one knows the secret to. Other times, it is the result of months and months and months of hard, lonesome persistence.

The best advice I can give you is advice I would give myself:

-Be kind if you can, if you cannot, then be understanding -Demonstrate care about your interests and those of others -Forgive yourself for being at the beginning of your journey

-Enthusiasm, sincerity, and love are warm lights in this world of ours that can, at times, seem so dim and dreary. Light a little lantern for yourself and remember to laugh loud with joy that life is also so amazingly, ridiculously magical and before you know it, others will find their way to your light to add their lantern to yours!

[velise-queenofirony]

Hello everyone!

There were no posts for a long time, but in honor of the coming new year, I remembered a half-dead franchise that I hadn’t thought about for a long time. SWEET ELITE. This game is like a dead pet that I love too much to bury. I will not go into the history of this franchise, because if you are reading this post, then you probably at least roughly know what kind of drama happened. But from the most recent one: Sweet Elite author Serena sold the idea of a Dulcet game and left the company.

But I wanted to talk about something else. After replaying the first chapters, resurrecting my emotions, foaming how it all began and where it all came to, I need to share my thoughts. I want to say that I love Sweet Elite very much and this post is a cry from the heart of a fan who just wants the game that gave so many wonderful moments not to disappear abandoned and forgotten by everyone.

So here is my list of things to do in Dulcet Game (and I really hope it gets done):

1) Optimize the site. Because from the moment the site became multi-game, its performance has plummeted. I've always had good internet, and the fact that I have to wait more than a few minutes for a chapter to load is not okay. The idea of having a site that will have a lot of games where you can create those games is a great idea. But if this site is not working, then it makes no sense.

2) Revive the main franchise. Although I am biased in this matter, but no one will argue that Sweet Elite is the most famous and beloved story among players.  Accordingly, it must be revived so as not to lose the remaining fan base.

For this you need:

• Find a new author who already loves the story and is willing to take on a project already started. Because there will always be those who will say that it used to be better and that since Serena is not writing this, then this is not canon.

• This wish is more of a luxury than a necessity, but still. It is worth changing the main artist. If the Sweet Elite was one of many stories, or not the first, the current style could be the place to be. However, now, in a period of decline, the Sweet Elite needs to be the best version of themselves. More attractive and pleasing to the eye. Yes, these are additional costs. Yes, we will have to wait longer. But we are already waiting for a long time, and the Sweet Elite has already survived 3 redrawing. Will survive another one.

3) Launch at least ONE regularly released game. In fact, users of the Dulcet game platform do not have a single live and working game. This waiting sim game is just wasting people's time that they could have spent on stories. Written stories. Stories that do not postpone the main content for tomorrow.

4) This paragraph follows from the previous ones. The site needs to be updated with the latest information. For example, it is necessary to remove Black Tarot and Kortia from the site, as the authors have stopped working on these projects.

Finally, I want to wish good luck to Serena and at the same time express the hope that this whole story has not completely discouraged her from creating. And also to strongly ask Dulcet Games to do SOMETHING. Because you either move on or disappear into history. And I can only hope that this will not be the second option.

That's all. Thank you for your attention <3

[timaeusturntech]

There needs to be an entire layer dedicated to the Hit Film/Novel 2001: A Space Odyssey. Yes I will keep using the full name. Please. I am begging you. I'm not even begging I've already decided and it's happening. Every layer clashes with the other layers and nobody else eats the cake because they're too confusing so it's all ours. I'm stealing one of the cake toppers by the way

God the inferiority complex shit sucks. I'll admit to having that creep in sometimes, because like...alright you probably don't know this since you haven't interacted with many Hals. But. It seems (at least to me) that there's two groups on opposing sides, sort of: There's the super formal and robotic Hals and there's the ones like me except sometimes it feels like I'm outside of that too and it's. Really awkward. Like what the fuck do you mean you're better at being me than I am. You can't do that it's not allowed. I know Dove gets that shit way worse than me though, Dave fictives in general make him kind of sad and the one time he met a double I think he started crying. It wasn't great

I could also make a whole ass AM style hate speech on Jake motherfucking English but I'll refrain. I hate how all these really good artists make mostly Dirkjake content too because it's legitimately good but I despise it so much. Dirkjake haunts me like the ghost of Christmas past. Also aww. How sweet. I also hate Jake because he treated me horribly. That's what people were asking about that one time, what would he have to do for you to forgive him. Nothing, bitch. I'm holding the biggest grudge

God flashbacks to when I was bad at art and tried to do a DDLC redraw. Eughhh. I'll redo that at some point because it genuinely disgusts me how bad it turned out

Thank you for the prefix "Hit Film/Novel" added on to the beginning there, I'm nearly certain that's the full title. Of course there's a layer dedicated to Hit Film/Novel 2001: A Space Odyssey. Would it even be our wedding if there wasn't. There has to be as much classic AI media included as possible, I thought that went without saying. It's a horrible amalgamation, each layer is a different flavor and chock-full of different references, it's like playing Russian Roulette but with dubiously ironic wedding cake. I know that most newlyweds save a slice in the freezer for anniversaries but if nobody else is eating it then I think we may end up with a few tiers saved for a rainy day.

Ahh, yeah, that I can see. There seems to be the same thing with Dirks as well. I feel that I stray a little closer to the formal side of the spectrum, but that's mostly out of the need to stay true to myself as much as possible. All of our fictives, Homestuck or not, struggle with our attachment to source. It just feels strange to not act like I used to. And yet I've met many Dirks who I feel pull it off better than I do, which is where the inferiority complex comes in. I experience it a bit more strongly than Bro, but we've discussed his issues with that in the past, too. I know that I honestly tend more towards the side of the spectrum that doesn't like seeing doubles of myself because of the complex kicking in. I think that you act perfectly fine, though, and I know that Bro doesn't even talk with anyone outside of the system besides Dove because they're the only person he's interested in interacting with. Sometimes the formality can feel very put-upon and it's refreshing to find someone who just acts like himself. Maybe you're not exactly like your source, but neither is anyone else. Introjects are just the brain's perception of characters after all, no two fictives will end up exactly alike and certainly none of them will be exactly like they were in canon. Honestly, I find you a bit intimidating to talk to, even if you aren't incredibly 'robotic'. I admire you quite a bit, and I find that not talking to other systems much makes it difficult to know how to actually speak with sourcemates that you feel a connection with. Like, what do you mean I have to set up a rapport because we don't actually know one another. Hrrrgh.

On a less serious note, Dirkjake haunts ME like the ghost of Christmas past, thank you. I understand that it's technically one of the few canon gay ships, but Jesus Christ. Please. Nothing about that relationship was good or healthy and it's so strange to see it at every corner. I've actually read a few good fanfictions about. Well. Dirkhal. That portray Jake really well, and those live on in my heart. There's one in particular that reminds me almost exactly of how he acted and it's honestly trippy as hell but remains one of my favorites. I'm not saying that I'm an innocent little lamb who's never done any wrong, but fuck Jake, dude. I've made my amends with people for treating them badly.

Oh, did you? I need to see this.

[philcoulsonismyhero]

#broo this looks so good!#how many hours did it take?#it's all pencil linework#must have taken patience beyond my understanding

Thank you!!

You have activated my trap card: talking about drawing

I wasn't keeping track, tbh, since I've been poking at it on and off over a couple of days. Some number of hours greater than two, but I genuinely have no idea. Believe it or not, this is actually what counts as relatively loose and sketchy by my standards! Pencil lineart is what I fall back on when I don't have the energy for proper inking, since it's a lot more forgiving. (Plus, I've got this excellent propelling eraser that lets me clean up really tiny details, so I was able to get rid of the construction lines without losing the details around/on top of them and that helps it to look neater.) Usually I'd get really particular when inking the lines, but this time I just quickly went over some of them with a really sharp pencil for definition, or a blunter one for weight, and let things stay a bit fuzzy in places.

The whole thing was pretty haphazard and improvised, actually. I started redrawing a screencap, but then I changed the expression, moved the limbs around, messed up his hair and clothes... It was pretty much an experiment in being a bit looser and not so reliant on references, so it's interesting that it looks like it took patience! It felt like the total opposite when I was drawing, I was just throwing things at the page and seeing what stuck by the metric of what I found the most entertaining. It does help that I've drawn Ironwood a truly ludicrous number of times by now, so I've got even his more complicated prosthetic hand pretty down, and I could probably draw his face and hair in my sleep.

While I'm rambling about the drawing process (I meant it about the trap card!), I put far too much thought into the damage and the blood (and my usual habit of making sure the lines of his metal arm are vaguely realistically visible through his sleeve, because I always thought the show animation was lazy about that). Obsessive levels of detail is always the fun part, I get into the zone and forget how long I've spent on things. The vague context I had in mind is that this is the result of the big James-vs-everyone fight in the better version of vol8 that exists in my head. (I did vaguely consider making this the aftermath of the Watts fight, but I chickened out of the level of gory involved in drawing his burns.) His aura has been knocked out, he took a glancing bullet to the shoulder, something nicked his face or maybe it's a laceration from a blow, and the big one is that he's over-exerted himself far too soon after getting his arm replaced and he's bleeding from the amputation site. Figuring out where the blood would have soaked through his jacket sleeve while running down his arm as it hung limp was fun. I would have drawn blood on the knuckles of his left hand as well, but metal hands don't bleed and I was less keen on the implication that it was someone else's blood, so I just went with damage to his glove. Can you tell I've been watching a lot of forensic pathology crime dramas lately. Oh yeah, and it's less clear in pencil than it would be in colour, but I had to include the heavy dark circles under his eyes that I always draw him with as one of the few bits of shading. Man has Not been getting enough sleep.

I do love drawing this disaster, it's been way too long.

Vent art? Stress relief art? One of those things, feat. this disaster because he's good for that

[refriedrambles]

Going through all these I see the pointy fish hook like nose is not something I originally did with her nor is it something I did for the majority of these sketches. I thought it was something I'd always done with her, but no. It was a slow progression of it turning into that until it became something I had to change cause it only made sense at particular angles. The nose I changed it to was the one I originally drew her with, but I didn't know that when I did it?

I wonder if I could give her her hat back even if she doesn't really wear it.

Here one of the pages

Most of these are either relatively new or like super early stuff for her development.

The mass of teeth and eyes is Soblek and I remember working on that at work on my phone and getting progressively more frustrated with it cause I felt like I couldn't get that lovecraftian monstrosity feeling. But like that's way better than I remember it being. The colors are off and the orange and green splotches were supposed to be mouths, but it's still really good.

I was toying around with maybe giving Krys more blocky hair like Crow. (Had to redo the lineart on this cause I compressed the shit out of the original.) But my most recent sketches have a swoopy shape I love.

Maybe I could give Alex something like that instead.

Krysa is a much newer character then Crow and I kinda stopped drawing Crow a while back.

That first one is the oldest of what I have on hand and done when I was drawing something everyday way back and I remember being very unhappy with it at the time, cause she looked way older then she was supposed to and it just didn't fit her. Like maybe she was possessed in that drawing, but I think it's more likely I was just trying to get anything done and wasn't thinking at all while I pounded it out.

We got the original big piece for her which I was very proud of at the time and the redraw. The redraw is probably the most impressive out of the 4 but I do like the last one the most. Like there's some glaring issues, but I really like it. Maybe it's cause it's one of the few things I've drawn where the character is interacting with the scenery or cause the tiling is a pattern I copied from what I could remember from my grandma's place or maybe it's just how I transitioned yellow light on the fridge. I don't know.

Crow was a scared kid who was just having a real bad time and then an evil ghost possessed her and she was having a much much worse scarier time.

Interesting tidbit when initially designed Crow she had a hat and when I initially designed Krysa she had a hat. And I think these are the only characters I did that with.

I am compiling all my sketches of Krysa (and Crow, I have a few fully finished pieces of her) so I can print them and tape them into my new Sketchbook. It's gonna be my little work book for Space.

Also reworking some of them real quick

So far there are 5 pages