#if you dont use it like i do to make your art look less stiff

[yelloworangesoda]

i honestly hate when people act like mspaint art is the hardest thing in the world. are you that reliant on stabilization and layers. like not to downplay people who make pretty things in ms paint but its like. regular drawing. if you can use colored pencils you can use mspaint.

[wasyago]

Your art is such a huge inspiration for me , i was wondering if you had any tips on anatomy ? Your way of doing it is so fluid and fun to look at and i struggle a lot with stiffness .

welp, long post incoming, sorry i really didn't want to write all of this on the canvas, so most of it will be in text + pictures

(also please keep in mind that this is not a 100% correct way to do this, but this is how i do it)

first, a little secret you need to know. none of my drawings are actually anatomically correct-- its more about proportions and lines of motion than it is about anatomy (since you said you struggle with stiffnes). now, of course anatomy is important, especially if you're going for something more realistic, but i'd say its not the first thing you should focus on. for me, anatomy is something i learn slowly and gradually as i go and as i need (and forget soon after).

i think proportions are in a way a lot more helpful than anatomy, because you can easily change them according to the character's needs and it'll still look believable. so like.

arms from wrist to elbow and from elbow to shoulder are roughly the same size, same with legs.

character's open palm is the same size as their face from chin to hairline.

the thickness of the neck depends not on the size of the head but the size of shoulders. so, if the shoulders are broad and muscular the neck will be too. if the shoulders are small then the neck will be thinner, etc.

when hands are pressed to the body, elbows are in line with the waist and the palm is roughly below the hips.

length of legs in relation to the body is directly responsible for how tall the character looks. if they're the same size - character looks average, if the legs are shorter than the body the character looks shorter, and if the legs are longer then the character looks taller.

and then for the face.... i literally forgot everything about face proportions uhhhh. well. the ears sit in the middle of the head and are in the same dimensions as the nose. the spaces from hairline to eyebrows to tip of the nose to chin are all the same size. mouth sits on 2/3 between the nose and the chin, leaving more space for the chin. eyes are the same size and the space between them is equal to the size of one eye. (this is much easier to explain in a drawing)

and then to make your character stand out and look unique you change some of the proportions. make their eyes bigger, ears smaller, arms longer or legs shorter. the difference between knowing the proportions and breaking them on purpose vs not following the proportions at all, is that when you know what you're breaking it looks intentional and it has a meaning and it makes sense to the viewer, instead of you breaking all the rules without knowing what they are. just remember to emphasize it enough for your style, because if you overdo or don't do enough it might look out of place. again, its all about balance.

and now for the lines of motion... i dont exactly know how to explain them, because there's not really a correct way to do them? but basically its a line that follows and sets the motion. yeah. its what makes the characters look less stiff. and its not exactly imaginary lines, but they're not simply visible either. its the lines that the silhouette of the character follows, the direction their limbs or elements of clothing create. you're basically creating those patterns that the pose follows, and you know us humans we sure love our patterns, so the brain subconsciously recognizes that there's a pattern and the image then feels more structured, more real in a sense?

i have no damn idea how to put it into words, but. um. diagonal lines are dynamic, straight lines (in relation to the canvas) are stiff. its like a square looks stiff but a rombos looks flowy even if they're basically the same thing. so to make your characters look more dynamic you need to build the pose on diagonals and not straight lines. and if you want the pose to look stable then you need to balance it out with lines of motion that go in an opposite direction. sort of like you put two rocks on the ends of a plank to balance it out instead of putting no rocks at all because the plank will balance on its own. it creates flavor and weight and intention, sort of like "this plank balances because of the rocks" instead of "the plank balances because there's nothing". sorry i get carried away with the metaphors--

you can use the stiff/dynamic thing however you want for whatever purpose you need. for example making the bottom of the character who is standing still be parallel to the canvas, but keeping their body diagonal and dynamic, helps to make the character feel stable and set in the drawing, like they're standing on firm ground. keeping a background or some element of the drawing stiff but making the character dynamic emphasizes the movement and focuses attention on the character. but making both the background and the character dynamic creates a fully dynamic composition and the feeling like everything is in motion. its an interesting balance but the more you draw the more you understand it.

hope this helps :D

[averageludwig]

Hiii sorry i follow you on Twitter and I really just wanted to say that you’re a huge inspiration to my art; your pieces are genuinely breathtaking and they never fail to blow my mind every time… like dude whether it’s a small doodle or a full rendering it’s always stunning,,, I hope to be as skilled when I reach your age dude do u have any tips/advice/tutorials for rendering? Even if not I still emphasize how great your art is!!

This is so so sweet wow what the hell :( thank you so much dont apologize! You will 100% get there with practice but some tips I can give you are, use as much reference as possible. Like alot. I have found studying photographs helps a shit ton later when you get used to it! For example, the more you study references in photoshoots and anatomy, you will find things you can contribute into your art ! Like when rendering a glass cup you can always see light reflection even on its shadow. Anatomy gets easier once you keep in mind that every body part is connect, and each movement affects the other parts, thats important to keep poses not looking stiff. One last thing I have found useful, is reducing everything to simple shapes and silouettes before adding details! It makes the art process less overwhelming:) always look for new brushes and features in your programs too! You doing great and I would love to see your progress <33

[stiffyck]

Hi stiff!! I was writing this as a comment but I think it’s a better ask. It’s very long and I will not be upset if you don’t answer! :3

I think part of peoples aversion to it is that it doesn’t conform to the style people are used to seeing online by popular artists. There’s this sorta phenomenon I’ve noticed where people tend to move their style towards a very cartoon/anime ish style with little variation because it’s pretty and that’s what people/algorithms like. People gravitate moreso if they intend on selling their art though.

So, when someone has a stylistic choice that doesn’t really fit that mould people find it “weird”. Exaggerated features (or in this case and many others like, a feature people just have???) are often seen as ugly or strange. An example of this is the person on TikTok who drew characters with big foreheads and lower eyes and got bullied off the platform for it! Another example could be “the tumblr art style” where commentary channels bullied artists who drew any minority ever or “ugly” features. It really exemplifies to me how online culture (especially on western apps) views western standards of beauty as the only way people can be beautiful. And why, in their mind, would someone create art that isn’t beautiful in that way unless they’re trying to be weird or make a statement? When, in reality, the beauty is in that they’re drawing what they see, what they want to see, and what they think is beautiful. Without diversity in what we consider beauty there is no beauty.

In this case it also feels a bit. Weird. To have the big nose be such a big issue. I don’t see people getting mad at hooked nose scar? How is this any different? There is nothing different about the way you draw scar now and the way you drew him before aside from that. You’ve always drawn him with body hair and fat and with these details that really just. Humanize him. And I think the point I’m trying to make here is that drawing people with big noses or crooked eyes or acne scars isn’t bad or weird and only adds to your art. It only makes you a better artist and I’ve genuinely watched you improve really really fast as you’ve drawn these characters with so much body diversity. Anyway. Big nose scar sweeeeep

honestly yea. sometimes when i see people draw certain characters it almost feels like theyre afraid of making them "unattractive" if you know what i mean? like i dont know how else to describe it but its really weird.

making their nose smaller, giving female characters bigger eyes and fuller lips, drawing only skinny characters, drawing older people with less wrinkles then they actually have or should have etc. and like people can draw whatever they want of course but tbh i see those "unattractive" parts as beautiful.

like i genuinely think wrinkles are pretty. i think big noses, hooked noses, small noses, crooked noses or just any kind of noses are beautiful. i think someones lips dont have to be full to look pretty. i think fat people and skinny people and just all kinds of people are beautiful. acne scars and and skin markings of any kind are beautiful.

idk just all those things and imperfections even make people beautiful to me.

like i find diversity beautiful and its kinda sad that some people dont see it that way? not everyone is skinny and buff, not all women will have the perfect hourglass figure or full lips etc.

those body types are beautiful too of course but sometimes i feel like people should see beauty in other body types and features as well.

anyway thank you for the ask it was very sweet and i do agree with you <3

[camisala01-art]

If you don’t mind me asking, how long have you been drawing digitally? I’m just starting to learn on procreate and if you have any tips on practicing and improving I would love to hear them! Your art style is really lovely, and happy new year!

Hello! Happy New Year to you too🥰

I’ve been drawing digitally since 2016 i think? So it’s been a while. I first used a wacom and paint tool sai, but switched to procreate in 2020 (it took me a while to get used to drawing on an ipad lol).

Anyways, for me the key to improving is to practice a lot, i know everyone says the same thing…but it’s true! I sketch a lot on paper using different reference photos i find interesting. I also use a lot of references for my art in general! It helps me understand better the human body. To practice you can trace them and study them, to understand better how everything works; it doesn’t have to be perfect but just enough for you to get more comfortable drawing! Pinterest is your best friend here lol (i also love using different medias so i dont get tired of drawing digital; like i be sketching with coloured pencils, crayons, watercolours…and sketching people, food, animals….just different things to keep my mind active and creative!!!!)

What I also do is find different artists that i love and take note on how they draw certain things. For example, back when I first started PhantomRin and Taratjah were the first artists i followed and i LOVED how they made everything (of course they have very different artstyles but i took small details and tried adding them to my own style! Same goes to Laia Lopez (itslopez), i love how she draws hair, so i try to draw my hair kind of the way she does. Of course it may or may not look similar, but it’s my own take on that. Idk if any of this make sense. But basically also use other artist as inspiration! (But do not trace their art please!!!)

Also, for sketching I use a bright pink! I think it helps me sketch better than using black or greys hehe but it’s a personal choice! And for line art i use a grainy soft brush instead of a very hard and stiff one. It’s less overwhelming for me.

Now to finish all this, I think for me drawing Shadowhunters art was the thing that inspired me the most. So if you are obsessed with something like me that will help too🤣 draw what inspires you! Sketch a lot! Have fun! Try drawing something or sketching every week (or every day!)

I’m answering this before going to sleep so I really hope any of this make sense lol I’m here to answer any other questions you might have!!! 💞💞💞

[orokay]

Heya! First off i wanna say you are an amazing person inside out truly and so so talanted! You have inspired me to try out digital art after i gave up on traditional art and oil painting (which i used to be a pro at) because i couldn't afford it anymore, im still slowly learning what i like and dont like when it comes to texture and looking at your art helps alot with motivation (i hope its okay to do so ) i personally found i prefer alot of texture and made my own brush for that but im still not confident at all with drawing coloring and shading final lineart etc when it comes to faces so i thought i might ask you for advice? If its okay ofc! How do you keep your faces simple (color and shading wise) yet so expressive! Also i understand the final line art we see in your art is not the initial line art you started with how do you go about having such clean precise defined lines at the end ? Im always so scared to erase any of my line art or change it as im always slightly confused as to what im doing cause its so different to traditional and oil painting! Honestly any advice would be appreciated if you are up for it ofc! Thank you so much for everything you do ❤️

ACK

I'm so sorry, this really slipped through the cracks. To start, thank you so so so so so so much, this is so kind. You don't know how much it means to me to hear that my art's inspired you, what an incredible and flattering thing hear! Genuinely genuinely genuinely thank you so much ♥

For expressions, it sucks to admit but I honestly don't really know. A lot of what I do is more aesthetic than technical so I do things more in an 'add and erase things until it looks right' than a thought out process. Honestly, eyes and mouths go a looooong way and I've found that I use quick, short lines specifically when lining those two things which kind of transitions into your second question.

For line art, I usually use a soft, round brush for sketching to keep things loose, and then a slightly textured, somewhat soft, thick elliptical brush for line art. I have shaky hands so I lean very heavily on stabilizers when doing line art. The only parts I use little to no stabilization is when doing eyes, mouths and sometimes hair when I feel like it's coming out too stiff.

I like making my lines sharper and less smooth by attacking the line art with quick eraser strokes. I tend to make my lines really thick so I can chip away at it until it looks right to me.

I hope that helps and you're still here, sorry it took so long to get back to you!

[gay-trashcan-cat]

how the fuck do you infuse so much personality into your doodles. are you pulling a fnaf and putting human souls in them?? if so, could you tell me how to do it?

ok first off, THANK YOU? got me going teehee blink blink face. Didn't expect to have an art question but I'm very glad, it's my first one so I'll answer to the best I can!

When it comes to personality in drawings (assuming your talking about characters), I often like to think about my characters as friends or someone you know. Often times I'm just saying to myself, "OH! Character would definitely react like this or say this!" (like how you would say your friend would do something unique only to them in a silly situation) Stepping into you characters' shoes or viewing them as a buddy can help you apply and do a bunch!

Though I do understand that you can know a ton about a character but still struggle on what to apply to a drawing with them in it!

There are a few things I tend to do and add when it comes to drawings!

First off is expression, putting some extra thought into expressions can really help add more to your character. Especially pushing expression! (Won't go too deep with expression because that's a whole other can of beans)

My silly goofy cat is a real happy and loud guy, so a simple smile won't always cut it! Really pushing that joy and loudness helps add more to him as a character!

Another thing you may have noticed in the drawing is how I added some (very silly looking) arms to the surface he was near! This moves on to the next thing I often do. Body language! (Which could also be seen as, gesture/posing)

Though relatively the same expression (note the eyes size difference makes the first doodle look more aware/awake, that just shows expression can change even with the slightest difference, this was accidental though), the change of the pose adds story to the character. The first drawing comes off as a more plain hello, while the second drawing adds more excitement and characterization to the goofy guy! As we see how he waves his hand quickly with joy while his left foot taps up with energy, most likely meeting up with a friend! All this movement also makes your characters look less stiff and lifeless.

I also like to add my own stylistic ways of movement or little reaction marks, I'm not too sure what to call them exactly tho (what I mean are the extra colored bits around the character below, they dont always need color though).

This is just a nice way to add more flavor to a drawing! And you can always experiment, or mix and match to see what you like.

Another thing I do is try to imagine scenarios or scenes that would work well with what I have in mind. To get to that point I'm often writing it down or doing thumbnails and lil roughs before I actually make my sketches that I post (insider secrets right here!).

(Here's an example of my drafting process with poses and expressions for this ask I did a while ago, yes it is cursed so read at ur own cost❤ )

Another thing would be textures, you often see me switching colors and brushes, even software's as I draw! that's why every doodle feels a little different, which I feel helps give off different ideas and emotions (or laziness who knows).

Some other factors that play into the "personality" of my drawings is the reactions, with cause and effect. Which has actions that make a new reaction for each character (or even object) that is exaggerated. Like someone making a disgusted face to someone vomiting, even a cat knocking a cup over, or a cat getting scared by a glass breaking (this could also just be a continuation of the last statement). Possibly even the IRS coming for you after evading your taxes and you having to jump out the window.

I mainly use this for comics! But you could do this in a single drawing, I like to have a moment kind of frozen in place either after or in the middle of an action (sorta lets your brain imagine the in-betweens). Though when it comes to exaggerating your reactions or causes, it takes some practice and imagination, so don't be discouraged if it takes some trial and error to get the hand of it! Honestly I'm still practicing too.

Other things that help me put some more life into my drawings is well... life itself! lots of interactions, faces, and poses are based on things I've seen in real life, from watching people (while in the bushes).

Though that isn't the only thing! I also use what I see in media, or photos! even some shows and movies, since there are so many good scenes or frames that can be used as great inspiration!

lastly, yes I do put human souls in my drawings, as well as sacrifice some squirrels here and there to my Elmo shrine, but thats not tooo important right?

[tsukasageorge]

8 10 12 14 16 18 artist ask

nico is carrying my entire inbox

1. what is your favorite color to work with?

pink and purple my beloved. red is cool too

2. who is your favorite character to draw?

(shoves mound of alluka drawings under the table) i do not have a favorite ahaha maybe aubrey because she has long hair 😊😊😊😊😊😊

3. what song(s) do you listen to when you do art?

a lot

4. how often do you draw?

at least every few days. it's pretty rare for me to go more than a week without drawing nowadays but i used to draw much less regularly and improved so much slower

5. digital or traditional?

digital! traditional is nice in small doses. i think im done with normal pencils i prefer either painting or like. charcoal as i recently discovered

6. tag your favorite artists/inspirations!

UH. UH. YOU DO I TAG YOUR ART BLOG OR MAIN. @shitbox-drawn my friend who's not on tumblr but she was my first art mutal ever i love her her names kyoki um. ngl i dont know anyone's name. tiucotheus (i dont wanna tag them i feel like id bother them) & yuumei art. hyperpop type art has been a pretty big inspiration for me recently i love colors

7. do you prefer sketching, outlining, or coloring?

sketching <3 lineart is to me what coloring is to normal people. it's relaxing sometimes but i need 1 million stabilzer. you already know how i feel about coloring

8. show us at least 2-3 drawings from 1-2 years ago.

this is the iconic sibling moment i was talking about. its roughly a year old now, and looks pretty stiff, but it was like. kinda insanely good for my skill at the time. pretty big point in my art history

here's one from 2021, its one of the oldest drawings i have on my computer. gilda was supposed to be there but i couldnt draw her so i gave up

9. what drawing program do you use? (if the artist does digital art)

clip studio paint my beloved

10. are you right or left handed?

right

11. warm or cool colors?

why are we pitting two bad bitches against each other..... personally i like ourple

12. draw one of your favorite characters in 15 seconds.

unlluka

14. what was something that you used to draw a lot that you don’t draw as much anymore?

um. bows i guess? butterfly wings, i really liked drawing those for a bit (i drew like 2 ever)

15. when was the last time you did art?

1 minutes ago if u count unlluka. i did draw earlier today though

16. what kind of tablet do you use? v v 

the wacom one its like. flat. no screen

17. (alternative for traditional art ) ^ ^  do you work with pencils or pens more often?

pencils my beloved

18. how long have you been drawing/ when did you officially “declare” yourself as an artist?

i considered myself an artist when i actually drew something and didn't just shade a picture. i've been drawing for probably like... 4 years now??? that's insane i swear it was 3 yesterday

19. do you like drawing short hair or longer hair more?

LONG HAIR ESPECIALLY THE KIND THAT IS SLIGHTLY WAVY

20. how often do you get art block?

not in my art block era but if i dont have an idea then yeah

21. draw one of your original characters.

not gonna lie i actually dont really like my ocs but anyways this one is nyx they're chaotic silly. remember that royal who randomly disappeared 3 years ago yeah thats them they were hanging out w some dragons this whol time

22. do you use a mac or pc to do (digital) art?

pc

23. draw your fav as a vampire

i will do this as not an ask bc i want to put actual effort into it

24. how many followers do you have? (on your art blog)

like 23 iirc but lets say 24 so it matches with the question number

25. where in your house do you usually do art?

exclusively on my bed but i drew nyx on nicos bed

26. draw urself! (it doesn’t have to be detailed)

same as 23 ive been meaning to make a meet the artist for a while

[spearxwind]

How do you come up with your poses and such? Your art feels so dynamic, I feel like I’m stuck in a place where all my drawings/paintings come out as “character facing left” so I’d love to hear how you do it!

Oh!! Gosh this is A Topic, so I will do my best!!

I won't regurgitate the same advice everyone always does with the "look up references for poses" because, and this is me admitting a fault, I barely ever did. But I will admit that looking up poses and drawing studies of them makes you learn LEAGUES faster

Rather than offer resources (theres many, and im not knowledgeable) I will offer my motivation: characters interacting with each other

I also started out drawing a lot of 'character facing left' (as many people do)!! but over time i just evolved to get better with poses specifically because I wanted my characters to interact with each other, and convey the right emotions while doing so!

Ive been drawing comics (well, mostly short strips) for a very, VERY long time, I used to just settle to have the characters facing each other, and change their expressions, and the position of their arms, but they always felt stiff. It's over the course of years that I started getting into body language and framing of the characters (i feel like the latter especially is very very underappreciated when people talk about this stuff) You could have the most interesting looking pose in the world, and it might look stiff if all of it is visible and presented removed from context (like say, a background); and you could have a generally chill pose but have the right colors, the right cropping and angle, and make it incredibly interesting, EVEN if its another 'character facing left'

Framing is hard to talk about without visual examples, im sorry but I dont have quite the time to pull out images, but if you look up composition tutorials and the rule of thirds, as well as common camera angles used in films, you can probably put two and two together on how to use it for characters (most of the tutorials out there are for backgrounds)

And as far as body language goes, that's also a big one. People (and animals) all have intrinsic body language we perform and understand subconsciously, so if you take that into account for poses it can make them a lot more interesting and meaningful

Hunched shoulders, stiff shoulders, letting your arms drop completely, all three of those poses are very very different. Its like, that thing a lot of tutorials do like "the position of your eyebrows conveys emotion!!!" but with your whole body. Leg position, arm position, the way the spine is set, the character is facing left yes but what if hes also grabbing his own arm in discomfort, and looking AWAY to the right, despite facing the other direction? That tells a whole other story

It really comes down to "okay, ive got this character. how do they interact with whats around them (even if it is not depicted!!!), and how would they be perceived this way?"

I know this probably feels like a lot, but it eventually gets really simple since, for the most part, body language is something more or less universal (even if some individuals are unique!) so its easy to get the hang of when you get the ball rolling!

I hope this helps a little bit!

[exocynraku]

heyyyy!!! i was wondering, do you have any advice on making heavy stylisation look good? I really like your art style and I want to stylise my art in a similar vway (obv not actually copying) but it looks weird. how do you make it good? ( i'm sorry if you don't do asks like this pls feel free to ignore my stupidity )

hmmmm i think i kiiiinda get what ur tryna say but im also not very smart so if i answer this wrong then i am sorry 👍 also this is rlly long sorry again LOL

when it comes to heavy stylization you can be pretty free as long as you make sure the thing u drawing is still recognizable as what u want it to be, so maybe if u struggling with people not being able to tell what ur drawing, ask them/ur friends how to make it look like what ur tryna draw. if that makes sense.

u also gotta keep the MAIN things that represent what ur drawing. like. whats the first thing u think of when u think of it, for example: when i think of cats, i think of long tails, unique faces, and funky poses. so when i draw a cat those are the things i KNOW i NEED to add or else it wont make sense. when i think of a dog, i think of expressive eyes, big mouths & snouts and strong legs. when i think of birds i think of very different beaks and lots of types of feather patterns & colours. that makes sense? i think? if u arent sure what the thing ur drawings main things are, LOOOK AT REFERENCES!!!!!! LOOK AT REFERENCES EVEN IF U KNOW WHAT UR DRAWINGS MAING THINGS ARE ACTUALLY!!!! TRUST ME, IT HELPS!!!!!

when it comes to MY artstyle, specifically when i draw cats, i always like to make the head the most interesting part. the head is the beginning, where i start. the head can either be a circle or a square, with a little chin added to the bottom. then on the cheeks i add the fur. the fur, imo, is one of the things that can either make or break a good design. if you make a soft, kind, motherly, cute character spiky and over detailed, people wont recognize it and it wont make sense to then, so u gotta make the character soft and round. the ears are… the ears. they are simple in shape, but strong in the emotions they convey. to me, ears down means sad, ears back means angry, ears pointed up mean interested/shocked and then a relaxed looking ear means. they are relaxed. i try to over exaggerate this alot because it helps the character show their emotion better

the face of the character is the hardest & most important to me. the size of everything on the face is very important; younger/ “cuter” characters have bigger eyes, and a less detailed muzzle while stronger/menacing characters have small eyes, a bigger muzzle & more detailed facial features. i LOVE to use eyebrows to exaggerate the emotions the character is feeling. thats also why i believe the eyebrows are one of the MOST important parts in ur art, because just changing them slightly can alter the entire way a character looks. the nose is. idk the nose is the nose i dont add anything special to it other than in i want to make a character look bratty/mad i add a little…. uhhhh… line above the nose that looks like snarling ??? i hope that makes sense. the mouth is also pretty important. i like to make the mouth extra big and think about the way a HUMAN mouth expresses emotions, instead of a cats. try not to add too much detail to the inside of the mouth aswell, UNLESS your trying to get that to be the main thing people look at

for the body, you can be pretty free with the body, ESPECIALLY when its a cat. remember this; cats are VERY flexible, so u can have alot of fun with the pose. ive seen alot of artists sketch out their poses with boxes and circles, but imo, it makes the character look stiff (unless its a person). try to sketch your cat with lots of curves, less sharp angles (unless thats what ur going for), DONT draw the fur in your sketch; it wont help and will probs just confuse u. body SHAPE is also rlly importan. similar to what i said earlier, if u draw a cat whos meant to be muscular and menacing and big, drawing them with soft, little legs and a small, round body will confuse the person looking at ur art. cat bodies irl are kinda all the same but thats BORING so u gotta mess with it. make legs and necks tall and skinny, make neck fur way too big and make ur cat look like its a body builder, make it look like a munchkin cat. HAVE FUN WITH THE BODY!! thats all im tryna tell u here. if u limit urself to realism, you’ll never develop your own special artstyle. youve gotta put a bit of creativity into ur art, yknow? make u cats look like theyre from a cartoon! make it look like a kid did it! who cares!!!!!

other important things u gotta watch out for; you MUST. size the body up enough that it looks like it could hold the head. what im saying is try not to make ur cat look like a funko pop (unless thats what ur going for then thats fine). you can still make the head big, but dont make it look like a toy (like i said, unless thats what ur going for). and when it comes to patterns & fur colours, i like to try to make the patterns look semi-realistic but i go CRAZY with the colours. ive found no matter what colours u give ur cat its probably still gonna look like a cat, so have fun!!!!!

i hope this sort of makes seense ?????? if it doesnt then im sorry

[zulivaris]

Art Block tips that helped me

 I’ve recently experienced art block after 3 or so months of overcoming my last one. Thankfully this block only lasted a few days thanks to some things I’ve observed and noted down from the previous time. So I’m sharing these few tips in hopes that it might help someone get unstuck :D!

First and foremost if you’re tired, sad or anxious don’t be surprised that you can’t make art, go and take care of yourself by treating yourself with kindness and patience, the sketchbooks and canvases will wait for you :)

The tips are under here:

Separate art studies from the creative time:  When you do art studies you’re there to focus on specific things, learn and understand how things work so you can apply them later in your art. Studies take a lot of energy and focus and are the opposite of the creative "flow” of making your own pieces. If you combine the two the results are either unfocused studies or stiff drawings. When you sit down at your desk ask yourself “Do I want to learn something new or do I want to create something of my own?”

When you have an idea don’t be afraid of being messy: Let’s say you want to make a picture of several cats kolo dancing in the moonlight. How do you go about doing this? Well since you came up with the idea you already have a vague image in your mind, sketch it out with simple shapes, stick figures, circle and spheres etc Don’t worry about cat anatomy, or the dancer’s moves, sketch out the essence of it. This method removes the need to be perfect or accurate. 

Ok after the messy sketch then what? Well now that you have sketched out the essence of your idea (and hopefully had fun doing so) now you go on to look for references! You put the creative process on pause and you can do a few brief studies if you need to: anatomy, color schemes, values, poses. Pick out a few of your favorites but don't obsess over them, they are a guide, a tool.

You know much more than you think. You’ve probably been drawing for a few years now. You’ve probably done some studies and drawn more than one type of subject. Then you have already internalized some of that information. I used to be obsessed with capturing the minute detail of the subject, and not be able to draw ANYTHING without reference. Instead of a useful tool, references became another obstacle to my creativity. That’s perfectionism my friend, and that’s no good. Here is an exercise a good friend of mine offered: Draw a few characters, animals and objects from imagination. Make sure that the subjects have no personal value to you (no ocs for example) so that if you make a mistake you won’t feel bad about it. Make the process relaxed and comfortable, pour a nice cup of joe, listen to your favorite music ... You will notice that you do indeed know how to draw some things without reference, and it’ll help with your confidence. 

The more you do studies the more you understand This seems evident but the more you understand your subject the freer you can be and the easier it’ll be to draw it from imagination in the future. If you really struggle with something to the point of frustration (as in you can’t get it right even with reference) It means you have to study it. Have a study list, for example: hands, perspective, color theory etc. And one of those days you want to study pick something from the list, and look for videos on youtube or useful sites like line of action etc. Only study one thing at the time. You can go from studying hands to studying arms since they’re more immediately connected, but you can’t study hands and then jump to learning perspective right after. Trust me you can learn perfectly fine with the resources online, and I’m sure you’re clever enough to do it :D

Mistakes don’t mean you “suck”  I’ve noticed that the two most common causes for art block are perfectionism and lack of self-confidence.  The two can often go in tandem which is worse :’D But let me remind you of something, you can fix your piece along the whole process. Use erasers, lasso tools, liquify , select, paint it all over etc If something looks off to you then you also know deep inside how to fix it. Useful ways to see what clunks: flip canvas horizontally (helps with placement, proportions), turn the image to grayscale (helps to check values and where your eye tends to look), look at your image in thumbnail size and ask yourself if it’s clear, see the pose’s silhouette and ask yourself if you can tell what the character is doing etc. Don’t fret, everything can always be fixed :)

Perfectionism, sometimes it stops you before you begin Perfectionism causes you to overwork a piece, it makes you draw less, it makes art stressful, it brings insecurity. Let’s remove it with a simple exercise. It can be combined with the “draw things from imagination” once you’ve drawn something you like: dont do line art, don’t shade it, keep it as simple and crude as possible and then...post it. Yes, post it. You’re not at your best? You’re only human, this will help you embrace that very human side of you. You make mistakes. So what? The more mistakes you make the more you know what you need to study and the better at art you become. Mistakes are there to show us what we need to learn. See them as another tool and not a sign of failure.

Make the process as enjoyable as possible: You like art. You love drawing. Never forget this. Otherwise why are you drawing if you don’t enjoy it? It’s easy to fall prey to the mentality of those relatable memes that “art= suffering” or “I can’t even draw the other eye”. No no no my friends, these messages are fueling your insecurities instead of overcoming them. Let me tell you what, art is fun. It is. Art is fun, because I decided to make it fun again. And you should decide on that too. Personally I adore lineart but my hand-eye coordination is lacking to do it digitally, so....I just skipped it. Yes. I skipped it. I do the sketch, I clean it up a bit and then jump onto color which I adore. It allowed me to draw more and more freely. When I draw I listen to music, make strokes with the rhythm, I take breaks often and I drink my favorite iced teas. If you don’t like coloring do it in grayscale, if you love lineart then do that etc It doesn’t mean you won’t learn your weak points in the future with studies and practice, but you won’t let your weaknesses prevent you from drawing at all. No no, you won’t let them. You draw because you want to, despite of them.

Don’t wait for inspiration, provoke it  Inspiration is not a divine and capricious muse. You make inspiration. It’s easy just collect all the things you like, music, artists, objects, characters, animals, patterns, plants etc Make boards on pinterest or similar sites, combine things you like. You like suits? You like birds? You can draw a bird in a suit, or a bird-inspired suit design, there is frankly a lot of ideas that can spring up from little things like these.

When a project stops being enjoyable either pause it for now or move on to the next thing. Pieces aren’t precious. They’re not “the one time I got x right” they are one of many. This advice goes mainly to hobbyists who can afford the luxury of passing to a new project. I have a WIP of a character who is overly complicated (I enjoy a challenge from time to time) sitting for half a month. I sometimes come back to it and add something... but as soon as it starts to create discomfort and insecurity instead of enjoyment I move onto something else. In the meantime I created 3 or 4 new pieces. If I had waited on finishing that piece I would have been severely creatively and physically exhausted. The art comes from you, not inspiration. The more art you make the better you become.

That’s about it :D I know it’s long but I prefer to be thorough and cover all the possibilities. If you have read of this: Thank you so much I hope this helps you at least a bit, if it helps only 1 other person I’d still be very happy. Have a nice one, and kick art block’s butt!

[iraprince]

i was wondering, where do you find good references for your art? especially for complicated poses like.. almost everything dearly does. i dont know if im just bad at image searching or what, but i can never seem to find what i need online (and i cant really take my own ref photos for poses that require a lot of flexibility ...or more than one person)

for really extreme poses i get specific -- like for those drawings of dearly i searched stuff like “gymnastics poses” and “yoga flexibility poses” (i tried “contortionist poses” too but i found that stuff was less clear/helpful). i don’t think you’re bad at image searching though, it IS really hard to find good reference and sometimes i really am sitting here for ages trying to find the right thing; and a lot of times even what you can find is kind of stiff and awkward bc stock photos and stuff are usually just kind of odd. (i saw on twitter that apparently, hilariously enough, adding “kpop” to the end of searches can get you more natural-looking/appealing refs; bc like, if you search “person eating lollipop” you get a bunch of awkward stock photos of someone making bug eyes at the camera while unhinging their jaw to lick a cartoonishly-sized rainbow candy but if you search “eating lollipop kpop” you get softly lit glamour shots of some music artist looking really cute while eating candy or whatever. i haven’t tried it myself but it genuinely sounds solid lmao.)

a lot of general figure drawing poses are pretty extreme too (i like using the class mode on this site) and i find that the more experience you have drawing really active/unusual poses, the more confidence you can have in kind of fudging it when a reference isn’t exactly perfect or when you can’t find what you need. (this also allows you to push/exaggerate poses or stylize realistic anatomy to better suit your art style, while still having things “look right.”) my personal goal for myself re: reference has always been to work towards a level of technical skill + confidence where the reference works as a flexible tool for me that makes my life easier, instead of me being chained to my computer for an hour looking for the Absolute Perfect Photo before i can even start; transitioning from the latter to the former comes from familiarizing yourself w anatomy and practicing a shitload and storing up enough Body Information in your brain that the way you draw becomes more, like.... modular, if that makes sense? and u can change things or edit things from reference -> drawing without too much stress.

for group/couple poses and also just general ref, especially re: characters holding things or sitting certain ways -- you probably already know about senshistock on deviantart, but i often go there when i’m in a pinch. i find the gallery a little hard to navigate just bc of the sheer size of it, so it might not make it Faster to find anything, but it’s a great resource with a lot of material that was made specifically with artists in mind.

you can also search up videos on youtube and stuff and pause them to try to find interesting frames of what you’re trying to draw! i don’t use this method much bc it’s definitely still not much easier or faster than any other kind of ref hunting, but it’s an option, especially for really niche stuff.

[pinkjeanist]

jordan my love i am in desperate need of cuddling w Shigaraki ;; just some sawt loving™, maybe comfort for a bad day? 💕💕💕💕💕💕💕 either the reader had a bad day or shiggy did, i dont mind 👉👈

“and i’d rather be sad with you, than anywhere away from you.” || t. shigaraki

     -     for anyone goin thru it. or not. either way, you’ll be okay. 1.1k words

“What are you doing.” The light streaming in from the hall didn’t reach your bed but you still flinched at the intrusion. Shigaraki shielded it for the most part but his gaze still left you feeling exposed. 

“Just...laying.” You rolled over and faced the wall. He shut the door behind him, but he was still there, lingering by the door. “I want to go to bed.”

“You always go to bed late. It’s only nine.” He didn’t seem angry like he had when he walked in, but you couldn’t tell what he was feeling or what he was trying to accomplish. You accepted the moment you’d started liking him that he would never so much as remember your birthday, much less ever try to comfort you. Maybe he was trying to get something out of you. You hiked the blankets up to your chin. “Everybody’s waiting for you at the bar.” 

“I know. But I don’t want to hang out tonight. I just want to sleep.”

Shigaraki was never quiet in his silence; his presence wrote novels. You could tell that he was confused. 

He must have stared at your back until you could actually feel yourself starting to drift off, before you heard him rustling behind you. You turned back over to face him only to find him slipping into bed with you. His shoes were at the door and his coat was on the doorknob. 

“What are you doing?” You’d never try to stop him, but it was alarming all the same. He laid his head on your empty pillow and stared up at the ceiling. “Leader?” 

“Shut up,” He said to the darkness, “unless you’re going to tell me why you’re pissed. Lay down.”

It was like him to give orders, but it wasn’t to whisper them. You couldn’t help but look at him for a few long moments before obeying. He was really warm, you thought. You’d never been so close to him. You always thought he’d be one of those people who was constantly freezing, but now you couldn’t help but wonder what his warmth would feel like even closer. 

You swallowed. “I’m not pissed. I’m just...I’m going through it.” 

“What does that mean?” 

“If I knew, I’d tell you. I just- I woke up this morning, and everything sucked. My day hasn’t gotten any better. I even tried making macaroni art with Toga but I’m fucking miserable.” 

“She hung it in the hallway. It looked miserable.” 

“How could you tell? Was it the frowny face?” He snorted, and you smiled. Your hands twisted into the sheets above. You noticed how Shigaraki kept his palms upward. You wondered how long it had been since someone held his hand.

You thought about talking more, but found the silence to be more comforting than you’d thought it’d be, so you closed your eyes and waited for Shigaraki to get bored and leave. But he didn’t, and he asked: “Why didn’t you tell anyone?” 

“I didn’t think it was important.”

“Fuck off, yes you did. You know how much everyone cares about you. Even fucking Dabi asked me where you were.” He was angry, now, but his voice was still soft. He seemed offended, even.

You turned away from him, again facing the wall. “I care about them, too. That’s why I don’t tell them.” 

“Tell them what?” 

“About my bullshit problems. I’m upset for no reason. There’s nothing to talk about and nothing to trouble them over, so I don’t.” 

There was a still, and then there was movement behind you. He slid close enough to feel his warmth through all of the layers between you, and his arm went over you to settle in a tight fist by your chest. He was spooning you. Oh my God. Yes. What the fuck. He was spooning you.

“What…”

“Shut up. Just shut up. You’re so fucking stupid sometimes.” He pressed his nose into your hair from behind. Hesitantly, your arm came to rest atop of his own. There was no way he couldn’t hear your heart, feel your emotions. He was never oblivious. Everything was calculated. But to you, it just made no sense.

It was stiff until your muscles loosened, and you let your body mold back into his. He sighed through his nose and held you tighter. You hoped it meant something and held him back. 

“None of us give a shit about what makes you upset. But we give every shit about making you feel better. Problems can be taken care of but healing takes more time.” That was...very deep, but you doubted he got it from one of his video games. He did a lot of swearing and insulting and whining on a daily basis, but sometimes he said exactly what you needed to hear. 

“Is this healing?” You whispered back. It was really hard not to cry.

He nuzzled into you. “Is it working?” 

“...Yeah…” 

“Then yeah, dumbass.” You gave a dry, genuine laugh, followed directly by a sob, which tore gently through the dam you’d tried so hard to keep from spilling over. Attempts to choke on your cries were met with a sore throat and more tears, but as you tried to pull away, he just held you tighter. “It’s fine. Just cry.” 

So you did, and you did for such a long time that you felt embarrassed before you were even done. But there was no shame in the way he held you, or in the way his pinky had at some point started smoothing the edge of your hand, or in how he softly mumbling incoherent comforts into your neck. Shigaraki stayed with you until you were done, and then stayed after. 

It’d been a long time since you’d had a good cry, and it had probably been a long time since Shigaraki had held someone. He melted into you once you’d quieted, so much that you’d thought he’d fallen asleep, until he mumbled: “I care about you.”

Your breath waivered, and you closed your eyes. “I care about you too. So much.” 

“I care about how you feel. I...I care about you. A lot.” 

You twisted in the bed until you were facing him. The arm that had been wrapped around you was raised, both hands still balled into wary fists, but after a long moment of staring at one another, it fell back on your waist. You were the one to pull him close, this time. 

“I feel a lot better now,” You whispered, giving him an invitation to leave, only for him to reply with: “But you’re not okay. Just go to bed.” 

You almost argued with him. Almost. But pressing your face into his neck and holding him felt better than any self-pity, so you did, and he let you. 

“You’re really warm,” He mumbled, nearly asleep. You smiled.

“I was thinking the same about you.” 

-

taglist: @knifeewifee @keigos-dove @hanniejji @lirinstaalem @bvnnyclouds @katsukis-sad-angel @nourplays @randomstuff7739 @ushissugarcube

[rema-rin]

Do you happen to have a tutorial on hand anatomy, or how to draw hands well? I just watched your hand/claws animation/gif and it’s incredible! I’ve tried to draw hands similar to that, but it never comes out well. :( If not, it’s ok! I hope you have a nice day! Your art is absolutely gorgeous and awe inspiring!

I have an oldie https://www.deviantart.com/remarin/art/How-to-hands-595770955

From... 4 years ago? wow it looks older,, I'd say, 1 part is definitely learning the structure, and actual anatomy ( like how long are fingers usually to the palm, how the knuckles are situated in a curved line and dont make perfectly a straight line, same with the digits, that the first section of the middle finger is the longest compared to the others etcetc, like there are a bunch of reference points i try to keep an eye on, many I do instinctually by now( which is why people so often mention the need for practice) getting a subconcious "feel" for anatomically correct structures is not smth that happens just from observation) and the 2nd part is to visualize with blobs/shapes/silhouettes as a sketch base, instead of going and draw/construct each finger separately- makes for less stiffness, and quicker drawing experience. The actual "posing" of the hand is just as important, if not more important than knowing the anatomy ( a well posed gesture will still look right even with completely wacky proportions) Learning any complex anatomy part isn't so much as finding 1 good tutorial, I wouldnt know how to properly distill everything that goes on when I draw in a single tutorial after all,, but it's about keeping an eye out for the many different ways artists draw/construct hands and trying to find which tricks fit your understanding of hands, collecting small details bit by bit. After all, there are many ways you could construct a hand and still arrive at the same result too. There's no big secret to why my hands look the way they do, I try to draw a realistic/believable looking one from memory and add claws to it - and that's it. There's some stuff that is lost in translation from drawing from memory, and using shapes/lines that feel comfortable for me. But if I were aiming for a stylized/caricature esque depiction, then I'd have to push certain shapes much more, simplify lines, use tricks, which then would need some actual explanations if people wanted to learn how to do the same. "art style guide" basically. So ask yourself, compare and analyze, what are the differences between that claw gif and your own tries? What exactly do you feel is lacking? Where do the differences originate from? - If you have a good understanding of the anatomy but it always looks stiff and unnatural, you might need to change up your sketching style, focus on "gesture", the "whole" hand instead of details // if you are ok with the general shapes/posing of a hand but it always looks off; maybe you need to check up on anatomy, skeleton structure,, check if you haven't misremembered certain placements etc That's the path of self-improvement :'> art can be a struggle, but you can always separate a big problem back into much more manageable, smaller issues and find which fundamentals applies, that might need improving

[sennextheassasinkingoflight]

Firelight

Gerlion Rated T and up for minor swearing and minor nudity.

Also, I'm sorry I'm bad at technology and I've only got mobile and they updated it and I dont know/can't figure out how to put a read more break in.

Geralt and Dandelion reunite after a long time apart. Its fluff, complete fluff. They're so soft with one another.

This lovely piece was inspired by art created by @johix with permission I'll figure out how to link it. But I recommend checking out all the art.

It had been nearly nine months since he last saw his bard. It wasn't unusual for their paths to cross and diverge like the threads of a tapestry twinning around one another; close but never consistantly together. Dandelion was often called away to court, to Oxenfurt, or some festivity or other and he always went where he was wanted. Geralt never stopped him; though he often wanted to reach out, grab a slender and deceivingly muscled arm and say, "stay you're wanted here more than they want you anywhere else." But his lips stayed stubbornly shut as he watched the blond ride away on his muleish stead. He would turn his back and tend to the nearest contracts he could find. At first he'd been glad for the others departures, now they left him aching in a way he feared to define. So he would focus on his work, on the Path and push all thoughts of the Bard away until he was alone with inky night and moonlight for company. Then and only then he would wonder what his friend was doing.

This year he had been eager to get back on the path and left the keep far to early. The others had warned him but he was restless, concerned even. He hadn't heard anything from the bard in the three months leading into winter. It was May now. Summer had yet to grace the continent and snow continued to stick stubbornly to her. He hadn't made it to town, and that was okay. He was freezing but he'd dealt with worse. He stoked the fire up and leaned against the tree behind him. He flexed his fingers in his gloves to keep them from growing stiff.

He knows he should have found a cave or some other shelter but he'd been loath to leave the road. The more time he spent on it the more likely he was to run into Dandelion. Instead he began to meditate and wrinkled his nose at the scent of rain permeating the air. He hoped it would hold off until the morrow. He didn't mind rain when he didn't need to be out in the path. Meaning, he liked the rain if he was cooped up in an inn with Dandelion. He always tried to keep him from getting sick, despite the need to be on the oath. But tonight he wasn't in an inn with Dandelion. He was in forest clearing bustled against a dry spot beneath a tree with snow and ice all around him. The thought of being at a warm inn with his musician made his chest ache desperately. Slowly he managed to meditate. Meditation turned to sleep as soon as he chose to lie down in his bed roll. Roach shifted to his left to keep herself warm but never went far.

 

He woke cold and stiff to blue grey light. If he were a normal human and not so fucking cold he'd have probably rolled over and gone back to sleep. But instead he was a witcher and rain scented heavier on the air. That alone is enough to incline him to get a move on with the day. Carefully he stood rolling his joints, they cracked and popped at the movement sore from the last hunt and the cold. He breathed through his nose and set about feeding Roach. Then he turned to begin gathering his supplies. His heart jumped in his chest at the sound of distant music. There was a troupe, if the noise was anything to go by, traveling up the road. They were a ways off and he couldn't make out individual instruments yet. The music was to far away. Still, he forced himself to slow and methodically work through packing everything up at a more subdued pace. He had no way of knowing if Dandelion was with them, but he hoped he was. It was safer for the trabedour to travel with a group and more to his and the bards liking as well.

Satisfied that the group would catch up if he kept Roach to a walk he rejoined the road. This way he would be far enough ahead not to bother them, and close enough that if Dandelion was with them he'd be able to see him. He kept Roach at a careful pace and she seemed content to meander. His coin purse was currently full at his side, and the season was early. He could dally a little. Still he wondered at the futility. It would have been better to write to Oxenfurt or go himself. They would know where to find the poet. He listened as the music drew closer. There were several lutist. Which he could say wasn't uncommon as it was one of the preferred bardic instruments. He strained his ears none the less, Toruviels lute had a specific sound and he was well aquanited with it. He smiled and forced himself not to turn back towards the musicians. He was a witcher, he'd scare them off. He slowed Roach as much as possible. And then he heard it, the stutter of a chord gone off tune and forgotten. They way it would if he complimented the musician while he was playing. He always made the best faces.

"Geralt." He kept Roach moving, gripping the reigns hard in anticipation. Then he heard the murmurs of surprise as Dandelion ran ahead and called out,

"Geralt of Rivia, you gigantic oaf, I know you can hear me!" The indignant tone of Dandelions voice pulled him over the edge of his little game and he stopped. His heart beating a little faster, a little stronger than it ought, as it always did around the poet. He dismounted his horse and held out one hand to give or receive a hug. Something he was growing accustomed to doing with Dandelion. The bard rushed forward unabashed and wrapped his arms, one hand still holding his lute firmly, around Geralt and squeezing with all his strength. Geralt returned the favor, one armed, the other still outstretched to hold Roaches reigns.

The hug lasted longer than it ought to have, and then some. When they finally came apart Geralt raised an eyebrow and absently reached a hand out to brush shoulder length blond curls. He smiled softly amusement curling in his stomach with something far more dangerous.

"What are these?"

"Curls Geralt. You've seen them before."

Dandelion notes with brightness in his eyes. Geralt is being very tender he thinks as he flicks his eyes to the hand still in his hair.

"I know. But I've never seen them on you before. Nobles. Whores. The like."

Geralt says simply and something like sadness tugs at Dandelions heart. He was prepared with a quip but it slips from his tongue and instead he whispers out a breathy,

"You don't like it."

He looks to the ground, body language changing. Geralt smells the acrid scent of disappointment on him almost instantly. Even if he hadn't he'd have realized his mistake. He brushes his hand down and catches the lutists chin pushing it up and then dropping his hand to his shoulder. They have an audience.

"That's not what I said, nor is it what I meant, Dandelion. Introduce us?"

The poets meets his eyes and blinks. Right. Okay. He smiles,

"There isn't much to be said in introduction. I only met this lovely group last night. I don't even know all their names yet."

A short brunette in bright colors hands him his geldings reigns. They know he won't be continuing with them.

The brunette nods to Geralt and speaks softly,

"It was a pleasure to play music with you master Dandelion."

And with that the group turns down the path to the right. Geralt must have worked hard to time it so he'd be seen before they had a chance to turn down the other path. Though Dandelion would not have gone that way anyways.

Geralt looks him up and down again and and he flushes under the scrutiny and then speaks through a genuine smile.

"What is that on your face?"

He nearly reaches up to brush his hands against the white beard. He refrains barely as Geralt does it himself. He's fairly certain the man had forgotten all about it.

"Left the keep early this year. It's warmer like this."

Then he watches Geralt glare at the sky and take a deep breath.

"You'll want to put that in it's case. Smells like rain."

Dandelion moves quickly to follow his instruction and nearly jumps when thunder claps across the mountain range. He shivers and mounts Pegasus.

"Where to?"

Gerlat hesitates a moment. He shouldn't be caught off gaurde but he is. It's always this easy with Dandelion. Easy in a way it has never been with Yennefer, or with anyone else. It's natural almost to the point of being dangerous. He knows that Dandelions will follow him anywhere. Hen wont ask questions, but will walk beside him loyal and true.It eases something in his heart to see the other man beside him again. He settles something in him the way Yennefer never did. He realizes Dandelion is looking at him with raised eyebrows and a cheeky grin.

"That glad to see me?"

He swallows and clears his throat ignoring the second question.

"There is a village up ahead. If you're mule moves fast enough we may make it before the rain gets bad."

Dandelion laughs and the remnants of tension in him depart. They ride in companionable silence for a while before he asks,

"What are you doing all the way out here? The roads and weather are hardly fit for traveling, even for me."

He glances over and meets pools of bright blue sky. The poet is quiet for some time and it's only broken by the wind picking up around them and whispering through the woods as boughs bend beneath its force. The rain comes next and Dandelion finally speaks. Geralt remains facing forward carefully neutral.

"I hadn't heard anything about you in months. I had no idea if you even made it to Kaer Morhen. So, I thought to myself, Dandelion if you get closer to the keep you might hear something. Now, here I am hoping to find out if you're still alive. Figured being close would increase my chances of running into you too. And I suppose it worked."

He seems almost embarrassed Geralt thinks. Only embarrassment isn't an emotion he's ever seen on the musician. He was shameless and full of mirth. He felt deeply, certainly had had bouts of sorrow at times. But embarrassment… no this had to be something else. He seemed sombre. Almost sad as he fell into a silence that meant his thoughts had hold of him. Geralt shook his head, grateful when Dandelion did not ask him the same. Unfortunately he fell unusually quiet, normally he would grumble or speak his thoughts allowed. The silence upset him and he could sense the poet growing morose and gave him some space until he noted the bards teeth chattering. He looked miserable, lips pushed together to keep his teeth from chattering, curls gone limp with the rain. His fingers were probably just as cold as Geralts own. He slowed Roach.

"Wheres your cloak?"

" Forgot to pull it out of my bag."

He laughs. Gerlat could kick himself for not reminding the bard, but then, he was a grown man. Still the thought of him sick…. Absently he removed his outer cloak and handed it over. It wouldn't do to much now but it was a kind gesture none-the-less.

"Geralt, no sense in both of us being cold."

He simply cast Dandelion a withering glance and the trabedour smiled as he took the cloak. Geralt returned to his normal speed and missed the way Dandelion smiled into the fur and breathed deep. He almost missed the whispered "thank you" as well, but the wind carried it to his ears and he held it close.

By the time they passed through the archway of a sleepy little village he didn't know the name of, Dandelion was shivering from the cold. It had started as a thunderstorm and quickly devolved into a snowstorm. And while he had already been soaked through he was grateful for Gerlat's cloak around him. Though he was sorry too. He knew how cold Geralt often got, likely from having a slower heart rate.

They made their way with practiced ease to the local inn. Dandelion watched in slight awe as Geralt made arrangements with the matron. She had known his name, no one had so much as even batted an eye at the witcher. He shivered and tried to focus on keeping his feet warm.

The matron knew the witchers who passed this way every spring and winter. She'd been quiet young when Geralt had first met her, now she was a mother who had aged kindly.

"I'll have the boys tend to your horses. Jason's getting a fire going for you. He'll bring up some more wood in a bit."

As if on queue, summoned by his name, he came around the corner of the desk and nodded at her before heading out the back door. She smiled and handed Geralt the key. "Go on go get warm before your friend catches a cold "

"Thank you."

He handed the key to Jaskier who moved quickly forgetting his bag in his rush to get himself and his lute dry. Geralt smiled a toothy grin and shook his head shifting his own bags to gather Dandelions.

"Oh dear, I had better ask, will you be going out for supper or shall I bring some up when it's ready?"

" If it wouldn't be any trouble. And maybe a demijohn?"

She winked,

"Vodka?"

"Please."

"No problem, off you go. He's waiting."

He would have blushed if his biology allowed it. There was something about the way she looked between them and spoke that made Geralt feel vulnerable.

He followed damp footprints to their room and stepped in the door left slightly ajar. Dandelion had already hung his cloak up and stripped out of his shirt and boots, and was currently putting his lute on the chair a good distance from the fire to draw out any moisture.

"Finally Geralt! I was half naked before I realized I forgot them. And the fire was so nice I couldn't bare to go back and get them. What kept you?"

He stepped back as the bard reached for his bags and started removing his armor. He shook his head,

"Supper arrangments." He says simply.

"Then were staying in?"

"Yes."

"Excellent!" He watches the musician swap a change of clothes for his night clothes.

Although he was fairly dry beneath his armor and cloak Geralt was freezing. He removed his boots and looked up only to freeze. Breath stilling in his lungs as he swallowed tightly. He followed bare leg, muscled and lean, from floor to hip, over the curve of the poets ass, over the dip of his back and up the curve of his shoulders. He let out a breath and pointedly averted his eyes. His armor needed cleaning, he was sure of it.

He hadn't thought it possible to make Geralt uncomfortable at this point. But what he'd seen out of the corner of his eye told him otherwise. Though he'd only caught him looking away. He could have looked for a moment, or minutes he'd never know. Slowly he dressed in his sleepwear. The fire had been nice against his skin and he hadn't wanted to dress damp. You got sick when you did that. He dried his hair out with a thin towel from his pack. He'd need to replace that. He made his way back over to Geralt as he pulled his shirt on.

"The fire is nice." He says gently as he sits beside him. Geralt looks up at him from his armor and nods. They stare at one another for a moment then Geralt speaks.

"You seemed upset earlier. Was it just the weather?"

Oh. He wants to lie but he would never. Besides, Geralt can read him like a book, never mind the enhanced witcher senses. He'd never stand a chance. Instead he looks away, towards the crackling fire and let's silence reign while he thinks through what he means to say. The truth but not all of it. Just enough. The only noise is the wind rustling the shutters against the walls and the gentle crackling of the fire.

"I wouldn't know." He starts voice gentle and far away. "If you died. I wouldn't know. And if I ever did find out it would be from some rumor in a tavern passed through far to many drunken mouths to hold much truth. There's no one to tell me if you die while I'm not there Geralt. And that… scares me a little. I worry for you and it would pain me to never know or to find out so late. And know that I'll never know the truth of what happened." He looks to the witcher now and meets molten sun with ocean depths.

"But," he continues, "we're both here now. No sense in dwelling on something like that."

Something shifts in Geralts face like he wants to argue. He's already working out some way to change the topic so he doesn't give himself away. He loves the man next to him that's why it scares him. The knock comes loudly from the door and he moves to open it grateful for the matrons timing.

He smiles and opens the door wide.

"Thank you." He says to both the matron and her husband as he drops wood near the hearth and she places supper and a flagon of something on the table.

"No problem. Enjoy, its roast." With that they leave them to their dinner and Dandelion is grateful for the distraction. Geralt joins him at the table but neither speaks.

Geralt presses his lips together. What Dandelion said nearly ruins his appetite. He won't press but it makes his gut twist to think of the pain his friend would be in. The agony of not knowing. Though those same thoughts run through his head when he doesn't keep them in check. He knows if anything happens to his poet there would be hell to pay. He shakes his head and focuses instead on eating. The quiet of the room is unsetteling. They should be talking, reminiscing about their time apart and it's almost grating that he can't move past the last conversation. But then Dandelion uncorks the vodka and pours them both a generous amount. He hands a cup to Geralt and raises his own.

"To reunions." Geralt smiles and clinks their glasses together. Grateful that they're falling into their rhythm.

Dandelion asks how the winter went and Geralt sighs. It's always the same. His brothers are great but he always find himself missing his poets softness and sound. He wont say this of course. He wont say he lays awake wondering what he's doing in Oxenfurt. Who hes with. If hes happy. He won't admit that loneliness creeps in on him when they're apart, that he misses pulling the bard close to his chest when they sleep.

Instead he tells him that they repaired the battlements, the walls, the stables. That Vesimir had made them clean and catalogue the library. The library he knows Dandelion wants to see and would have to be forcably removed from and he knows that the poets only joking when he says "you'll have to show me one day" but that doesn't mean he doesn't want to grab him by the wrist and take him there. He talks of training and running the trail with Lambert and Eskel like they did when they were young.

"And what of you Dandelion? How was your winter?" The musician smiles and takes a drink straight from the bottle.

"Boring Geralt. This bach of students don't care. They have no heart and less inspiration. It's like they're only there to please their parents or something. To mingle. They don't care about learning what the truth behind folk tales are or why they're wrong. The composition courses are a bit better I suppose," another drink, his face flushes pink in the flickering light of the fire," at least they can make things rhyme even if it's meaningless. And it was so lonely Geralt. I missed traveling. I know it's better for my purse, retirement, and the like to work straight in the winter and travel in the summer months but honestly, I regret it this winter. Not that I could have traveled much alone."

He's rambeling now and Geralt loves it. Loves listening to him talk about nothing and everything. The way his face goes soft and his eyes grow bright and he can only be described as whimsical. How his voice dances always lulling and pulling him in. He takes the vodka and drinks a long pull from the bottle, he shouldn't let Dandelion have much more if they want to start out early. Though if the storm keeps up they might be stuck a few days.

He acknowledges the ard with a soft hum as he gets up to stoke the fire and add a few logs. It's gotten late. He makes his way back towards the bed and brushes his hand down the poets shoulder and his arm before passing on. He crawls to the far side of the bed and waits wondering if he'll understand the invitation and join him or take the other bed. He hopes that the Dandelion understood the gesture. The poet stands and looks at him.

Dandelion takes a breath to steady himself. There are two beds and he desperately wants to join Geralt, help him stay warm, bury his face against his chest, breath in leather and earth and musk. He blinks looking at Geralt for any sign of what he's supposed to do and just as its growing uncomfortable long in his slightly tipsy mind Geralt reaches out and hand and he knows he's wanted.

"It's cold."

Geralt offers quietly as he shuffles under the blankets next to him. He needn't have bothered Dandelion doesn't need an excuse. But if it makes him feel more comfortable he'll roll with it even as it feel like lead on his chest. He rolls onto his side and buries his face into the blankets between them. The bed is small for two but they'll make it work, they always do. He watches as Geralt lounges beside him thinking about how beautiful he is with shadows dancing against his skin as hes bathed in firelight alone. Then Geralt sits up so abruptly and swallows so that Dandelion joins him instantly.

"Is everything alright Geralt?"

"Yes. Just. Don't move."

And he laughs gently, breath coming out calmer now. He catches the way Geralts throat bobs as he swallows and the shadows dance across his throat. He both wants to kiss it and compose about it. Instead he shifts a leg underneath himself and leaves the other outstretched. He's not sure what's going on but he will do as told. But then Geralt moves and lays his head in his lap and when he looks down comatose pools of cooling gold meet his own cobalt depths and his breath catches. He stutters in another one and then smiles fondly. Geralts eyes flutter shut and he can't help himself as he places a hand in white hair and runs his fingers through it. He's certain it's been months since he had physical contact that wasn't violent.

He doesn't hum or sing. This moment is precious. It will be locked in his heart, witnessed only by the firefight and remembered in the lonliest of winter nights. But then Geralt looks at him again so he smiles softly and starts to open his mouth but theres a hand in limp gold locks by his face and he stops. Heart rate picking up, but not in fear and distantly he knows Geralt knows the ways he's affecting him. But he makes no move to pull away even as the calloused hand in his hair moves up to cup the back of his head and pull him down. Instead he closes his eyes and smiles. The kiss is everything he imagined it would be and then some.

[sparklingpax]

Y E S id LOVE to see how you draw The Boi!!

I think you’re referring to when I posted about asking if anyone wanted me to put out a tutorial about anything so....ok! :D

Your wish is my command~

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Uhh so for y’all other artists or people who might also see this, disclaimer again that I’m not  a professional so pls pls pls dont come at me if you see mistakes...which there are mistakes...like I’m 99.9% sure some of this isn’t really “symmetrical” or its warped weirdly because I Suck at perspective and I’m still learning! :’) 

The point of this tutorial thing is just to show my general process of how I draw Optimus (a headshot of him, just his head and neck, to be specific; his body is another, longer story o//o’’) and others’ execution of it can definitely vary. I mostly just showed the steps in which I completed the different parts of his helm. 

Which I’d also like to add that I’m an Idiot and forgot to record my screen so instead I took photos of the different compeleted steps after drawing the whole thing O//////o’’ but anyway......I do still hope this maybe sorta helps....^^’’ 

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1.) Sketching; I like to draw a human head actually (same goes for body; I’ll start with a human form as the sketch and then do a second sketch of the armor over it before I start lining; and those dont include other sketches I do over those to clean them up....^^’’)

2.) Cleaner, More Specific sketch; This is the last sketch before lineart where I place things and color the lines so I get an idea of what the final product might look like...if I end up doing it right! I try to place everything that should be in the final, so before this are other sketches....but this is the last one. Ok. Moving on--

3.) Crest; this can move around a lot while lining the rest of the helm as you may find you’ve centered it incorrectly...or at least...that’s what happens to me...but nonetheless, I begin with the crest~

And a note about how I make it: I use the line tool to make the shape, duplicate the shape, make that one smaller, fill it in completely, then take the eraser and turn the canvas so I can erase in the lines. When you finish, it’ll look like a grill of sorts (is that the term??? O///O’’) and it saves the trouble of extra lineart,,,idk call me lazy but it looks good in the end,,,, ^^’’

4.) Top of his helm; When I draw this the first time, I close up the bottoms so I can clean them up later when I draw the other parts of his head, but as I said above, by this point I’d already finished the drawing so that’s why it looks like that, but basically, that blue part of his helmet goes next! :D I also try to do extra lines as I go along so I don’t forget later...^^’’

5.) Add in the audio receptors + Side face-plate things!! Preferably, start with the receptors, then do the side thingies. And for the grill on those, take your line tool and draw in a rectangle that follows the shape at the top but is straight on the bottom and fill it in. Then, erase the same amount of times on each side to create the same look~ Obviously, be neater than me...since this example here is kinda lopsided....but I suppose you probably get the idea.. :’3 

6.) Draw in the blue plating on his face, then the chin on a separate layer below, and on yet another layer, add the tiny blue things at the bottom. Clean up the chin lines that cross into the blue plating spaces, and that should give you this step! If that,,,makes any sense? If my rambles make it confusing, just look at the final result here and compelete the three components on three separate layers so it’s easier for you. Also, when you’re done with that, combine the side blue plating and the chin bits so you have less layers to go through in the end...if you wanna...

7.) As for the antennae things, use the line tool for sure, and erase or change the brush size up so you can play with line-weight...and again call me lazy but you can combine them when you’re done cleaning them up (again, I reccommend putting each one of these on a separate layer first so you can clean them up individually and then combine to one) and duplicate the layer for the other side. For front view, literally just flip it so it’s symmetrical, for 3-quarter, you might need to use your “transform” (hahah lol) tool to fix it a bit. Or just draw the new side in, either way, that completes step 7.

8.) Neck!! Now this wasn’t a more “serious drawing” or anything, so I kinda made a neck shape and drew in random cables and lines so it looks complicated but it’s actually not....tbh when you do draw him, you can kind of do that because ultimately, the shades of black used to color his neck area are dark enough to conceal what exactly was drawn in there so it’s not the most important thing in the world...since you’ll see there’s lining in there but it’s too hard to make out what exactly....basically, from afar, having all this “complication” will give the look that he has a complex neck area, with all these cables and wires and it looks alien! And that’s exactly what you should go for without needing to make it too hard for yourself. I remember someone told me once that in a lot of art, especially art displayed on social media or that kind of thing, you wanna focus on details but not too much; always do a double-take to see what it looks like as a thumbnail so you won’t end up stressing over every tiny miniscule detail. Idk but it seems like good advice~ 

9.) Eyes/mouth; For the eyes the only thing I wanna say is that I make a shape and fill it in. I know he has other little details surrounding his optics, but for the sake of showing you how I do this in my lil style, I like to simplify it by just making the shape and filling it in, then duplicating the layer and “gaussian blurr-ing” it so it has a softer look. The mouth is...the mouth. Do with it what you shall~

10.) Optics! The blue part! The most fun part in my opinion! I actually have a more “complicated” (not really lol) version of his eyes which I use if I’m going to color the piece or do something more “serious,” so this here’s the simplified version. Like I said with his eyes, I like to keep it simple when it comes to his eyes, since idk it just...looks good to me ^^’’ I take the pen tool and draw in two circles, ovals, whatever the shape is supposed to be. I do not use the circle tool because it feels a little.....stiff..? Idk ^^’’ But anyway, then I duplicate the layer, gaussian blur, and combine both. Another thing I like to do is change the first layer (the one that didn’t get the blur) from “normal” to “Add (Glow)” ((as it’s written in Clip Studio settings, that is)) and mess with that a little, THEN combine these layers. The last part is adding your shine bits; just take your white pen and go wild, and if you wanna, do the whole “duplicate, blur, combine” thing with the shine bits as well; it adds to the look~ 

And ofc, take away the sketch layer (but don’t delete it, just in case you need it! ^w^)

I have another process for coloring....but I didn’t include it since it’s fairly simple ^^’’

Unless you wanna see that too....but for now.....I hope you could get something out of this tutorial here! Sorry it was so long!! 

I also just realized I forgot his eyebrows, but you can add those in along with the eyes/mouth step if you don’t forget like I did...idk, for this particular look it seems not to take so much away from the drawing but....I should have remembered ahh--

Anyway! Thanks so much for asking!! And thanks to all of y’all for reading/looking through all this!! <3 

See ya around~

-Kuni :D