#if you remember my original sketch for this you're a real one

[leulahart]

jonsa week day three: fairy tale

inspired by la belle dame sans merci by frank dicksee

[angellayercake]

He is

Vampire Terzo x FReader | NSFW

Art by the wonderful @tasty-ribz

For @ghostchems on her birthday! To be a little bit soppy as much as I love ghost for being ghost it has also brought me some incredible friends. We bonded over loving terzo and love island and now you are my favourite person to scream about awful men with every day. I hope everyone is making you feel a special as Terzo would today because as far as we are concerned yours is the only important birthday happening this month 💜

Now a best selling author thanks to your experience at Crowley Manor you find yourself struggling to muster up inspiration for the sequel. Will returning to the place it all began help you? Or just confirm the none of it was real? A sequel to Cirice Warnings: blood, rough sex, hints of mind control, pinv sex, cunnilingus, lots of dust hehe

With a huff of frustration you scratch out the poor excuse for a sentence and drop your pen. There were more scribbles across the page then there were words and you needed a break or you might end up throwing your note pad across the room. Abandoning your desk you wander over to the window for a distraction from your writer's block. The evening was drawing in, street lights flickering on one by one as people hurried home from their day whether it be work or leisure it was still an unwelcome reminder of your lack of productivity. Turning from the view you scan across the room, your home office, hoping for something to spark your inspiration but your mind remains unhelpfully blank. You ponder just giving up for the day, shutting the door and giving yourself over to your evening but deadlines are approaching and there is still so much to do. With a reluctant determination, you turn to your inspiration board and will it to do its job. 

When you had decided to write a follow up to your best selling debut novel, you had carefully gathered all the things you knew you would need to refer to to build the story. There were your photographs from Crowley Manor, newspaper clippings about the house and the area, quotes and key plot points from the original story,  a couple of photos of bela lugosi, the closest you can find to how you remember him looking - although you have sketched what you recall of the facepaint he wore over the top with a marker - and in the centre, the note; the only thing you have that proves that it was real. Well, that and the two small scars on your neck. You rub your fingers over them absentmindedly as you try to remember anything more but even as the scars faded, so did your memories to the point where you are not entirely sure any of it was real. Reading over the words again. 

 A candle casting a faint glow

You and I see eye to eye

Can you hear the thunder?

How can you hear the thunder that's breaking?

Now there is nothing between us

From now our merge is eternal

Can't you see that you're lost?

Can't you see that you're lost without me?

-iii

You hum the tune to yourself, the melody you had only heard once and yet it plays through your dreams so frequently you have never been able to forget it, always accompanied by a dark shadow and the sense that you are being watched. Your experience at Crowley Manor - whether a true encounter with a dashing vampire or a figment of your imagination - had changed your life. You were a writer now; a successful published writer. Your vampire romance novel had been an instant best seller, ‘the mysterious vampire luring in unsuspecting victims until one stole his heart’ earned a loyal fanbase and quickly. In interview after interview you were asked if you had based him on someone real, probably assuming he was an older man you had a crush on, but you always answered no because how could you explain that he was a man you had most likely conjured up in a dream. 

But that had all brought you to where you were now; attempting to write the much anticipated sequel. The heroine of your story had left the manor in a similar way to you but after having spent much longer with her vampire lover, and as much as you wanted to see them reunited you were struggling to find the narrative. Unlike you she had been offered forever with him and had chosen to return to her normal life, so without a justified reason, why would she return? Your thought process hits a brick wall once again as you rub your tired eyes. There is only one thing left to try before you may be forced to give up. The familiar pull in your gut that you had been resisting since the day you left was finally winning. You had to go back. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The gate is rusted and stiff, so you have to push hard to create enough space for you to slip through and even then you almost trip on the piles of rubbish littering the driveway. You step over the buckled historical society sign with a sigh - even they had given up on the place and for some time by the looks of things. Tall weeds were growing through the now sparse gravel, even more windows had been boarded up and there were layers of faded graffiti covering the front door. It is already ajar but you have to shove it open, pushing it past the built up leaves and dust trying to wedge it closed. Although the state of the outside had saddened you, it is the interior that makes your heart sink -  it was never nice to see a beautiful old house fall into ruin.

The floorboards still gave their familiar creak under your soft footsteps, but that was about the only similarity. The sconces, once filled with dripping candles were now empty and shrouded in cobwebs, and dust motes thick enough to choke you floated in what little beams of light that made it through the windows. Without the soft piano luring you further into the house you took your time to properly look around, cautiously walking through room after room. What little furniture that hadn’t been stolen or vandalised was covered in dust sheets. The shelving sits almost empty in every room; you pass only a few odd books and trinkets still in place but almost unrecognisable underneath all the grime. 

Towards the back of the house you come to what looks like a music room and a feeling of deja vu washes over you. The grand piano still dominates the room, but when you run your fingers across what little keys are left it only lets out reluctant, discordant notes as neglected and decaying as the rest of your surroundings. The fireplace is a yawning chasm on the back wall without the welcoming fire filling it, but you remember laying on the soft rug before it where he had given and taken unimaginable pleasure from you, well at least you thought. Because it was seeming more and more likely you had imagined it. You pull yourself from your thoughts and that is when the portrait catches your eye. How you never noticed it before you don’t understand, but it hangs perfectly above the mantel and crushes the last shreds of hope you were clinging onto. 

It is him. His distinctive face paint, his perfectly styled hair and his intense mismatched eyes. At least now you know what really happened on your last visit to this place. Before you had fallen asleep you must have seen this portrait on your last visit, striking as he was and then your mind had concocted the whole fantasy. You are not sure exactly what you had been expecting returning to Crowley Manor, but you couldn’t avoid the cutting disappointment that was slicing through you. All that was here was an empty old house and a painting of a man. With one last longing look you take your leave as you fight the knot of feelings solidifying in your chest. There was nothing else for you here. You reach the foyer where the light of dusk shines around the edges of the open door, illuminating your exit from this house and your return to reality, when you hear it… 

We're standing here by the abyss��

That voice. The words were different and even the tune was different, but that voice. There was nothing else it could be but him. The alluring sound drifts down from the upper floor to where you stand and you don’t even try to resist his siren call as your feet carry you towards the grand staircase.

And the world is in flames…

Your footprints disturb the thick layers of dust covering the once grand carpet that leads the way up, but you continue unconcerned by the trail you are leaving in your wake, your only thought finding your way to the source of that beautiful sound. 

Two star-crossed lovers reaching out…

It gets clearer as you reach the upper level, but you still haven't quite found him yet. Along the landing are multiple doors that you consider as you walk, but once your eyes land on the ornate double doors at the furthest end you know inherently; that is your destination.

To the beast with many names…

The floorboards creak as you get closer and closer even as you attempt to keep your steps measured and even, but if that didn’t give you away then you are sure your laboured breathing and thundering heartbeat would. 

He is. He's the shining and the light without whom I cannot see…

The singing stops when you reach the doors and with barely a brush of your fingertips,they swing open revealing only a dark room within. Your eyes struggle to adjust to the gloom, but even that doesn’t make you hesitate to enter. It is as abandoned as the rest of this cursed house. All the anticipation you had felt soured inside you and tears pricked at your eyes as you circled in the centre of the room taking in the dusty bed and empty fireplace. Your back is turned when a sudden bang startles you, the doors slamming shut. You cry out in fear, turning in an instant and rushing towards them. Pushing and pulling is futile and they will not budge. The knowledge that you are trapped fills you with a shiver as a chill falls over the room.   

“My little lamb returns,” he growls in your ear, appearing as if from nowhere. His arms box you in against the door, his white gloves the only part of him you can see. You try to turn, to see him but his body presses close, cold and unyielding as stone behind you. You should do something, anything but fear and lust paralyse you as they tear through you in equal measure.

“You are real,” you barely whisper before his fangs sink into your neck, the sharp shock of pain stealing your consciousness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

When your eyes flutter open you find it hard to believe you are even in the same room. You are lying in the centre of a four poster bed, propped up against a mountain of airy pillows and as you shift the sheets feel unbelievably soft against your fingers. The heavy drapes are tied to the frame on one side giving you a clear view of the fireplace and the figure silhouetted against it. His back is to you, seemingly unaware that you are now awake so you take your time admiring him.

It is undoubtedly him. His hair is slicked back, familiar in both your memory and in his portrait you had not long discovered. This time he wears a white suit with gold trim that glimmers in the firelight and it is certainly one you have never seen before. He turns in your direction giving you a glimpse of his striking profile still covered in his unusual skull-like face paint. He clears his throat glancing at you and you realise he is also holding a book up to the fire light. Not just any book. That is your book. The one you had written about him. You sit bolt upright but a wave of dizziness stops you from acting any further. 

“His touch feels like nothing you’ve ever experienced before. It scares you how much you crave it; how much you want him to keep touching you and to never stop. Your heart feels like it’s beating out of your chest, despite the overwhelming feeling of comfort that has fallen over you.” He smirks as he reads your words back to you with an arrogance that can only come from knowing it was written about him. 

“How did you get that?” you hiss at him, the mortification you are experiencing seems to break some of the spell he has over you. He chuckles darkly in response, snapping the book shut and placing it on the nightstand so you can see the very suggestive illustration you had commissioned for the cover clearly.

“You have a way with words, agnellino.” He leans against the bedpost, running his eyes over you and watching how you react just to his presence. “Do you still crave my touch as much as you wrote?” His elongated teeth peek out of his mouth with how wide his smile is, clearly enjoying having this additional power over you. You almost miss not so long ago when you believed he had been a figment of your imagination. 

“It’s called creative licence,” you snap back breathlessly, trying your damnedest to keep your composure but you make the mistake of meeting his mismatched eyes and you are pulled under all over again. It’s like he can worm his way into your very soul and convince you of anything he desires.

“Why did you come back?” He looms over you at the end of the bed as he waits for you to answer him. As subtly as you can, you try to sit yourself up to make yourself feel less vulnerable but your limbs are weak and uncooperative.

“I’m writing again,” you start. It is the truth - or at least part of the truth - but you can tell he doesn't believe you, fixing you with his intense stare, waiting for you to be more forthcoming. “Last time I was here it was very… inspiring.”

“I see, I see.” He starts to pace next to the bed, giving you a reprieve and a chance to breathe but you sense it is by no means the end of your interrogation.  “Just ‘professional interest’ then?”

“Yes, that is all. I should go.” You try again to sit up and ease yourself off the bed but before your feet can touch the ground he kneels in front of you, blocking you from moving any further.

“Ah ah ah,” he scolds, wagging his finger at you like he was disciplining a wayward child. “You come into my home uninvited - again, I might add.” He leans close enough you can feel the cold radiating from him, his teeth bared threateningly. “I need the truth.” Fear makes you tense but somehow you know he would never really hurt you - at least not in a way you wouldn't enjoy. You start to think his irritation is more directed at your refusal to admit how much you want him rather than the fact you broke into his house. Again. 

“You lured me up here! You could have just let me leave.” That thought boosts your confidence just enough to push back. Just a little. He didn't have to reveal himself to you everytime you were here, and yet he did.

“No I couldn't, little lamb,” he whispers, a softness falling over his face. “I could never resist a chance to taste you again.” His attention drops to your feet, helping you out of your shoes before he stands again before you. “Tell me why you are really here.”  He had given you your chance to tell him of your own volition, but now you could feel his will influencing you and bringing forth the truth. He eases his jacket from his shoulders, leaving it on the floor where it falls. He makes quick work of his bow tie adding it to the pile of clothes at his feet. 

His cuff links go next, freeing him to turn up his sleeves and then his collar sliding one button free at a time until it hangs open. His toned chest is covered in thick dark hair and it's all you can do not to reach out and bury your fingers in it. Even without his vampiric lure, you would struggle to resist him. He crawls over you, forcing you to scoot back onto the bed to make room for him and you find yourself unable to speak as you get lost in his eyes.

“Tell me…” He is intoxicating and you find you no longer have the willpower to resist him. You had forgotten how powerful he was, his presence alone narrowing your mind until all you can think of is him. The words are on the tip of your tongue, but somehow they still won't come. 

“Why are you here agnellino, eh?” He holds himself over you, the only thing touching you are the open tails of his shirt, denying you any more until you obey him. “Did you miss me?”

“I wasn’t sure if you were real any more,” you admit reluctantly and his eyes alight at your delayed admission.

“Shall I remind you how real I am?” There is a voice in your mind somewhere telling you to say no, but with every other part of you screaming a resounding yes it is easy to tune out - though you still can’t quite bring yourself to say it. So you nod and he wastes no more time. His dexterous fingers make quick work of your trousers and your underwear, pulling them off you in one swift motion and then he is on you. His strong hand grasps your ankle, pulling you even closer so he can press his lips to your bare skin. 

He starts at the sole of your foot, lavishing you with open mouthed kisses and grazes of his dangerous teeth. He seeks out parts of your body you had never even known were sensitive before, whether it was his plush mouth sucking at them or tracing them with his tongue. The curve of your calf, the dip behind your knee and the crease of your inner thigh. His cool breath raises goosebumps across your skin and he chases them with his mouth, only pausing to suck on the beads of blood that bloom where he allows his fangs to nick your skin. The contrasts make you needy for more of his touch, the warm and the cold, the pleasure and the pain. When he eventually reaches your core he ceases all his teasing and devours you, his groans of pleasure vibrating through you as he laps at your entrance and sucks on your clit. 

“Every part of you tastes exquisite,” he moans again at your skin as he pulls at the hem of your shirt, allowing himself access to even more of your skin. Your bra is pulled roughly aside so he can latch onto your nipples one after the other. Losing himself in his lust, he pinches them roughly as his teeth make deliberate shallow slices in your cleavage. He suckles at them harshly, milking all the blood he can from such a surface cut. 

Eventually he reaches your neck pressing a deceptively gentle kiss to your scar from your last encounter before seeking out the fresher puncture wounds from earlier in the evening. He probes them harshly with his tongue disturbing the newly formed clots enabling him to drink freely from you until he is positively drunk on you. 

“You are so warm agnellino,” he moans, reluctantly pulling away from you only to tear off his loose shirt and rip off his trousers. He fits himself back on top of you, desperate to be as close as possible and ruts his aching length against your hip, his mouth latching back onto your neck. He rears back giving you the opportunity to see him for the hunger ridden monster he is, but it only makes you want him more. His face paint is smudged across his face, the once precise lines blurring and blending with what remains of your blood and your juices, and his eyes sparkle with something dangerous that you can't resist. With a snarl he forces your legs wide so he can see all of you, his fingers digging a bruising grip into your soft thighs.

“After tonight you will never again doubt my existence,” he growls as he fucks into you in one long, hard stroke. There is no waiting for you to grow accustomed to him filling you; he just takes you hard, pushing the air from your lungs every time he fills you. He is rough and demanding and you crave every part of this more animalistic side to him. Your blood loss and his body worship have pushed you outside your own body, the pleasure and the pain meeting and blending and pushing you into a euphoria you had never experienced before. 

Even as his control was slipping even further away, his cock aimed perfectly, fucking into you in exactly the right place over and over while the drag of him inside your tight heat forced sobs and gasps from both of you. In the state he had you, you knew you would do anything and everything he wanted and if you hadn’t been so light headed, you might have realised that that was exactly what he wanted. He grunts as he pulls you closer, angling your hips just so that he can fuck into you even deeper, your moans of satisfaction harmonising as somehow your pleasure grows stronger than you ever thought possible. 

“Has anyone fucked you like this since me, little lamb?” He is panting, hardly able to get his words out, somehow seeming more human even in the midst of his monstrous lust. 

“No,” you whine. There is no use denying it, because who could possibly compare to him?

“Bene,” he snarls, a possessive sneer crossing his face. “No one will ever, ever fuck you like me.’ You sob in agreement as the burn in your core grows, bringing you so close. Babbled nonsense falls from your lips. You can only hope he understands how little you need to push you over the edge. 

Thankfully something you said must have made sense, because in the next moment his thumb is stroking your clit in time with his ever more frantic thrusts and the wave of your climax begins to crash, sweeping you along in its powerful tide. Your vision greys at the edges and vaguely, somewhere amidst the buzz, you feel him reach his peak just behind you as his thrusts stutter before stilling as he fills you.

Inelegantly he pulls away, landing beside you on the bed. He pulls you to him stroking your hair and dotting your forehead with sweet kisses. Contentment surges through you as you rest against his chest, his lack of heartbeat barely registering. 

“You are so very sleepy, little lamb,” he breathes into your hair, and you can only spare a thought to agree as you succumb to the overwhelming pull of sleep. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The cold and stale morning air lures you from your sleep this time, a much less pleasant awakening than your last. Your whole body aches as you shift and try to take in your surroundings. You are alone. The dawn light spilling through the drapes allows you to see, and the bedroom appears dusty and abandoned, not the cosy boudoir you had experienced last night. 

The dusty sheets cling to your clothes as you try to stand but every movement reveals a new bite mark or bruise until you are on your feet. The worst pain though, is the ache in your heart. This should have been expected and yet the fact that he isn't here hurts. Rather than satisfying you, this second encounter only made you yearn more for this terrible, mysterious man. Your only consolation was that now at least, you will have plenty more to write about. 

You don't try to call out to him, already knowing how futile that would be, so you look once more around the room, trying hard to commit it all to memory when the night stand catches your attention. A single white rose sits atop a folded piece of paper. You pick them both up, carefully making sure to avoid the sharp thorns and unfold the paper to see that unmistakable handwriting. 

We’re standing here by the abyss

And the world is in flames

Two star-crossed lovers reaching out

To the beast with many names 

He is

He’s the shining and the light without whom I cannot see

-iii

His words were cryptic as ever but you let it fill you with uncertain hope. Maybe you were the star-crossed lovers? Or maybe not. All you knew for now at least, was that you felt you were still at the very beginning of this story…

…and you couldn't wait to see where it would take you. 

[blueskittlesart]

hi :] this isnt really a reqest cuz it'll prob be a longer answer but im rlly curious abt ur comic process

i love all ur comics and somehow they always manage to gutpunch me- and ur composition and the way they read is always so beautiful and adds so much to the message youre trying to get across

yeah lol let's get into it! Ive spent maybe 5 or so years refining this process to the point it's at now so it's pretty much my standard procedure now. I'm going to use Now that you're gone as my primary example here since i still have most of the planning stages associated with it (my laptop does not have a whole lot of storage left so i usually delete my planning once the comic is finished lol) but i'll try to throw in some other examples too!

I almost always start with a written script. (the exception for this is longform oc comics which i find easier to write in the moment, but for my shorter character studies I almost always write first.) I use discord to write because it's convenient, but before i had a dedicated discord server for my stuff i was using txt files on my laptop which i do NOT recommend. anyway, this is what the written script for ntyg looked like:

note that some small elements changed in production, like the amount of time that had passed since link's death. the lines "I look at her and i am only afraid. i remember all the ways in which i hurt you. She's almost as old now as you were then. I cannot stand the thought of outliving her, too" were also added during the rough stage because i felt like there wasn't quite enough emphasis on aryll in the initial script, and since this was a major change that necessitated a whole extra page in the comic I went back and edited those lines into the script so I wouldn't forget them. (both these changes were made during the rough stage. i'll almost never make major script adjustments after the roughs are finished.)

more examples of my scripts; specifically the original script for totk: failure and two versions of oot: adulthood (one before some major refining and one after.) with comics like these, where i have a very clear idea in my head of the imagery i want to go along with the words, i'll sometimes include it interspersed in the script, either spolier-marked or denoted with brackets.

with ntyg and some of my other more. canon divergent? i guess? comics, there's sort of a mini phase in between scripting and roughs where I do some minor character studies to get designs nailed down in the early stages. with ntyg I already had a clear image in my mind for aryll, but the central character was link's dad, whose design wasn't quite so solid in my head. I really wanted to make sure that his design was well thought-out and consistent throughout everything, so i did a few mini sketches and studies to ensure I had his design memorized and could execute it consistently:

these are sans hair and accessories because nailing down consistent facial features was my main focus with them, and both these sketches ended up getting used as references for certain panels later on. This isn't a step I ALWAYS take with my comics, but if there's a central character that i'm not super used to drawing i find it helpful to get some practice in before jumping into the real thing!

after the scripting and design phases i move on to roughs, which I consider to be the most important stage in my process. roughs are very very quick approximations of what I want the final pages to look like. they usually don't take me more than a few minutes per page to create, and their sole purpose is to help me visualize the flow of the page and the placement of major elements like panels, characters, and dialog. this is what the 1st page rough for ntyg looked like compared to the final page:

as you can see, all i have laid out is the major text and visual elements, but it really helps me to visualize how the finished comic is going to flow. i do the roughs for every page before i start on the finals so that i have an idea of what the entire comic is going to look like before I really start finalizing it. it's important that these roughs are FAST--i almost never draw fully-fledged characters unless the pose or expression is particularly important to the scene, and that's because the goal is to allow everything to flow quickly and easily from panel to panel and page to page, and getting too caught up on one panel or element often breaks that flow. Nowadays, i have a pretty good idea of how much room my writing takes up so i don't write out the entire script in my roughs, but back when i was a little less experienced i took the time to write everything out in this stage to ensure that my dialog would fit into the space it was given without getting cramped or cutting off other important elements. doing that really helped me build awareness of how much dialog and panel placement matters and how i could use it, so this rough stage is non-negotiable for me even now!

after the roughs i go straight into finalization. I never enjoyed lineart back when i was learning to draw digitally so i basically built my art style to be understandable and visually appealing after one sketch phase, meaning there's legitimately no in-between stage between that rough and that final page, i just sort of. go for it. this is what works for me, but i think most normal people would probably find a second sketch phase helpful LMAO i'm just crazy and i need everything done as fast as possible. the finalization stage usually doesn't contain any major adjustments of script, composition, etc; i make it a general rule to keep most of the major adjustments confined to the earlier stages, for my own sanity. One thing that DOES occasionally change in this stage is my plans for color--ntyg in particular was originally planned to be completely black-and-white with no grays added, but when looking at my completed pages i found them sort of empty and unengaging without the gray, so i added it. usually if my color plans DO change it's something small like that--I'll almost never switch between full-color and grayscale on a whim because the way that i sketch for those two versions differs significantly so it isn't an easy switch to make.

anyways i hope this is what you were looking for! I'm very passionate about making comics and this process is a result of years of experimentation & finding what works for me, but i hope it's of some use to you as well!

[nekoannie-chan]

Last sacrifice

Last sacrifice

Title: Last sacrifice.

Fandom: Marvel, Captain America.

Ship: Steve Rogers X Reader.

Word count: 732 words.

Rating: Teen.

Summary: Steve and you go to Vormir.

Major Tags: Angst, sacrifice, death of a character.

Links: Wattpad, Ao3, Spanish version.

@saiyanprincessswanie

My native language is Spanish so I wanna improve my writing skills in English if you notice any mistakes, please let me know and I will correct them.

I don’t give any permission for my fics to be posted on other platforms or languages (I translate my work myself) or the use of my graphics (my dividers are included in this), I did them exclusively for my fics, please respect my work and don't steal it. There are some people here who make dividers that anyone can use, mine is not this type, please look for the other people. The only exception is the ones I gifted 'cuz now belong to someone else. Please let me know if you find any of my works on a different platform and are not one of my accounts. Reblogs and comments are always welcome.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Marvel's characters (unfortunately), except for the original characters and the story.

Add yourself to my taglist here.

My other media where I publish:  Ao3, Wattpad, ffnet, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter. 

If you like it, please vote, comment, and give me feedback to improve my skills and reblog.

Tags: @sinceimetyou @unnuevosoltransformalarealidad @navybrat817 @angrythingstarlight @shield-agent78 @charmed-asylum @pandaxnienke @real-fbi @Smokeandnailz @white-wolf1940 @tenaciousperfectionunknown @xoxonotme @bluemusickid @leyannrae @Harrysthiccthighss @Marvelatthisone @caplanbuckybarnes @sapphire-rogers @lizzieolseniskinda @notyourtypicalrose @hallecarey1 @nana1000night @talia-rumlow @writingshae @alexxavicry @azulatodoryuga @daemonslittlebitch @chaoticcollectivenightmare @endlesstwanted @chemtrails-club  @marigoldreamer @whiskeytangofoxtrot555 @Here4thefanfics @theestorm @patzammit @kmc1989 @somegirlfromasgard @rogersbarber

The ship was hurtling through space in an eerie silence, as you and Steve, sitting side by side, watched the space, neither of you had dared to utter a word since you had boarded the ship that would take you to Vormir. You had been fortunate, neither you, Steve, nor his little daughter Sarah had disappeared with the Snap.

Steve turned his head to look at you, reached out a hand and rested it on yours, which rested in your lap.

“I know this is all...too much,” he said although his voice sounded a little shaky.

“I know, Steve. But we're in this together. We have been from the beginning.”

Steve closed his eyes briefly, remembering all the moments they had shared. From the first time they met to the day Sarah was born.

“I remember when I first held Sarah,” he murmured, sketching a wistful smile. “She was so tiny, so perfect. And now...I can't imagine life without her, or you.”

“I can't imagine it either,” you said, your voice cracking slightly. “But we know we must do this. For her, for everyone.”

The ship began to descend as they reached Vormir. You walked beside Steve, both of you silently, but holding hands.

When you finally reached the top, the guardian of the stone appeared.

“To possess the Soul Stone, you must offer a sacrifice. One soul for another. One person you love.”

Steve looked up at you, his eyes filled with horror and pain as he understood what it meant.

 “No,” he said immediately, shaking his head. “There must be another way. I can't lose you.”

“Steve, we knew this wouldn't be easy. And now, we've always known there's a price for everything.”

“No. I can't let you do this,” he insisted, his hands gripping your shoulders.

“Listen to me,” you asked softly, lifting a hand to cup her face. “You have to go back to Sarah. She needs you. She needs her daddy.”

“What if she needs you?” he asked desperately, trying to control a sob.

“I'll always be in her heart. But you're her hero.”

“I can't do this, I can't lose you!”, Steve yelled.

“Steve, look around you,” you said, pointing to the cliff. “There's no other choice. And if one of us has to do it, I want you to be the one to go home. I want you to take care of Sarah, to tell her every day how much I love her. I want you to be the father she needs, to make her feel safe and loved.”

Tears began to slide down your face. Steve knelt before you, his hands wrapped around you.

“I can't live without you,” he sobbed. “I need you.”

You broke free and knelt in front of him, taking his face in your hands and forcing him to look into your eyes.

“And I need you, more than you can imagine. But Sarah needs you more. Promise me you'll take care of her, that you'll be strong for her, for us.”

You leaned your forehead against hers, Steve shook his head.

“I love you, Steve Rogers,” you whispered. “I will always love you. Tell Sarah I love her, and I'll always take care of her.”

You knew Steve wouldn't take it the easy way so you used your powers to force him to stay still, you knew it wouldn't last long, so you had to hurry. You took one last deep breath, then stood up, looking at the precipice that stretched out before you. You ran toward the edge, not looking back, but as you reached it, you stopped at the edge, turning one last time to look at it. “Goodbye, my love,” you said, before letting yourself fall.

Steve cried out your name, his voice wracked with pain and despair, but it was too late. He watched you disappear into that abyss, and dropped to his knees.

Then everything went dark, he opened his eyes in what looked like a lake, he slowly stood up, his body trembling, and he squeezed the stone hard.

“I love you, with all my being. I promise,” she said in a broken voice. “I promise I will take care of her, that I will love her with all my heart.”

He walked back to the ship, each step heavier than the last and the walk endless, tears kept falling down his cheeks.

[izzydaninja]

When you spend hours of your day, working on a piece that you really want to make, and you're actually decently happy with the result, but end up overwriting the original document with a rough sketch of another WIP...

This shot was a picture I made for Sonic X Shadow Generations: One Step Forward, and Falling Back.

I was pretty happy with how it turned out, since it's one of the few pictures I've done with real improvement since my first time really drawing Sonic or Shadow, which was... over a year--to two years ago? Don't remember how long it's been, but anyway, I was happy with this.

Then, opening Photoshop to sketch some more, I noticed the document for it, wasn't listed in my 'Recents,' and was confused, until I saw the title for it, was listed, but with a different WIP sketch, instead. So, I ended up overwriting the previous save of the document of this finished shot of Shadow and Maria, without knowing it. So that document doesn't exist anymore, and I'm so mad about it!

It literally drained whatever motivation I had to draw... Like- COME ON!!! All that work!

[daydream-the-demon]

since you animate, what device do u use??? Also what application,,,, ALSO DO U HAVE TIPS

anyway your rabbit hole animation is still stuck in my head lol :3

Oh, sure!

I prefer drawing tablets with a screen inbuilt with them as it better replicated the feeling of being able to see what you are drawing on paper, and mine runs on Windows 11.

I don't recommend getting the exact device I use, because it is HELLA expensive and professional-grade with the best specs and all. Though if you're curious, it's the Surface Pro 9. It was like... $3500.

I use Adobe Fresco! It's a free program for art and also animation. I am trying to find a better program, but this is the best one I have so far. There is also Krita as an option which I tried using (but it uses a weird file format and also it crashes a lot so I don't recommend it), and there is also OpenToonz but personally I found it hard to use. So far I have Adobe Fresco as the best option, as it is user-friendly (in my experience), easy to keep track of the frames, and the only complain I have is not being able to sync audio with it, but that's managable.

For the tips (I'm still a beginner animator so take it with a grain of salt):

I first recommend learning the principles of animation.

Action matters more than accuracy - What I mean, is that the general idea of movement and how things are going to go should be more valued (at least in the first steps) than the actual details. It's easy to get stuck focusing on details rather than what is needed for a good animation: movement.

Break things up into simple shapes. Like just a circle for the head, and just a triangle for the hand. Because it'll help you stay consistent with the sizes and movements of the shape, and what to actually do with the details. Similar to what I was talking about with the last point.

BASES! I recommend doing bases, especially for characters and complex movements. Make sure you know how to draw them from every angle! Pre-making or practicing different poses and views (such as bird's eye view or side view) is important to make the character feel consistent and so in the middle of animating you don't go "Oh boy I do not know how to draw this character from this angle!" and "I don't know what to do!"s.

Make sure you know perspective and generally other bases of art. Animation is the next step to art, make sure you know the first step first.

Make sure to remember to storyboard. Know what you want to do with that scene. It's like a base-sketch you would do for art. It's just to get the idea down of what characters doing what. Here's one example I made.

First define the definite scenes, and then put scenes in between them, and then connect them. So if you were to say, animate a person walking. First you have the first frame of the person taking the first step. Then you draw what you want the end frame to be of that scene, in this case, finishing the step. And then you would draw the frames in between that. You would draw the middle frame of the person in the middle of taking the step. And then you go between the frames to make more fluid movement. It keeps the start and end action more consistent.

And then, for original animations, I'd say to have scripts down. Make sure you know what you're doing. Like "Character A takes a hesitant step forward", just in case so you won't forget.

Also, I recommend that for character movements, that not just the thing that needs to be moved is moving. Like for example you're making a character move their arm, make them move not only their arm, but maybe some of their hips and head. Maybe with a twirl of a wrist, make their arm move even a slight bit. Because rarely a person is 100% still except that one action being preformed. People are not machines and are pretty jittery and can be pulled and stretched even if not the direct point being affected. It makes it seem more real. This is my person opinion and advice though.

And lastly, I recommend basing the animations on audio rather than the other way around. Then you can easily know what mouth movements to draw and how to time the action correctly. First make the audio, then do the animation.

Anyway, this is all I have! I hope I was helpful. I also have an animation blog where I sometimes post stuff there! @daydream-it-up

[celerydays]

What program do you use to make your fanart? Is it on just an average ipad or is there special ones just for art? Your work looks so good! I’m wanting to try digital art but unsure where to start :)

I use the Procreate app for all of my digital art! ✨

It should be available on any iPad 💗 I personally invested for my birthday this past year and I have the 12.9" M2 iPad Pro, but I'll even occasionally use my fiancé's iPad Mini and the Procreate app on there in a pinch since it's so small and portable~

The only real difference is that performance might suffer a bit, the larger an art piece is or how many layers your work has, depending on the iPad. But if you're just starting out, I probably wouldn't find that to be much of an issue!

(More rambling about digital art origins under cut ✨)

There's definitely a learning curve, especially if you're more used to drawing traditionally! It can help to still sketch traditionally (if that's what you're used to) and then upload a photo of your drawing to your tablet to work over digitally (this is personally how I started out and I used to just make little digital doodles by tracing and coloring over my traditional sketches.)

A small doodle from my sketchbook that I traced and colored digitally, from around 2011-2012, I think? Uh, happy Doctor Who day today!

My very first digital art set up was actually a tiny Wacom Bamboo tablet where the drawing space probably wasn't even bigger than my hand, and a super old bootleg version of Photoshop CS2 which was already a version that was 7 years too old for the time (CS5/CS6 was the most updated version by the time I had started on digital art).

Everyone else in my class had the bigger/fancier/professional-grade Wacom Intuos and I remember my professor taking one look at my baby tablet and just going like "how tf are you drawing on that" lmao.

But still! Experimenting and doing little exercises can get you a long way – I would say to approach it with similar exercises you would do as if you were learning to draw traditionally for the first time.

Shade in circles/nail down basic lighting. Gesture drawings. Random scribbles. Just things that help you get used to the feel of digital art!

Test out different textures you can achieve with one brush, then expand it to see how other different types of brushes can behave and add to the experience.

For proof that even just one brush and not the best/most updated tools can work: these are two of my first more "serious" digital art projects I did in college (with my tiny tablet and mega outdated version of Photoshop) and 99% of the rendering was just done with the "soft airbrush" brush.

But even then, we were taught to create our base sketches traditionally and upload them to the program to work over.

Then one day I decided I wanted to just be able to also do all my sketches digitally and just worked on getting used to sketching straight on my digital program. It was then that besides the all-powerful undo-redo buttons, I started to really make use of the transform/canvas flip/liquify features which I don't think I can live without now lol. (Caveat: I'm now a little too dependent on those features so I keep a traditional sketchbook to do silly doodles in occasionally to exercise my hand because sketching traditionally without the buffer of those digital tools is pretty difficult for me now lol.)

That was a little long-winded, I'm so sorry hahaha. I hope something in this rambling could be taken as somewhat helpful for starting out on digital art!! 💗

[myloveforhergoeson]

Hiya! 😊 You're now a writer for the show. What three episode storylines are you gonna write? (In other words, what are you gonna make the boys do?)

ohm y god i literally have so many episode ideas but i'll try not to repeat any of the ones i've made posts about (except my first bullet bc im so passionate about it) so i'll give you my big list. most if not all will likely be something i DO end up writing about in my own story because ehehe i love making them do things

ones i think i've mentioned before:

a returning to minnesota chapter!! not for anything but nostalgia, getting to see the guy's favorite places, seeing their friends and families, bringing them back to realize how far they'd come. not so shy spon for my fic but i wrote a chapter like this last month and it's probably one of my favorite things i've written to date. it let me explore some of the boys' past, family dynamics, a little bit about Katie and agh i can't believe btr didn't capitalize on that at least once. ik its expensive to fund sets and hire new actors but idk i imagine it like an hour special where they could afford to shell out a bit more. idc when it happens, could be after they sign their record contract or the last episode or whatever :)

sketch comedy episode, something akin to saturday night live or so random

graduation! like you and i talked about lol i think it would be sweet

get me in the writers room stat:

originally i'd planned a "home alone lost in new york" like chapter for my story around thanksgiving where the boys are going to perform at the parade in town but they end up having their own adventure around the city beforehand. boyish antics, screaming gustavo, beautiful scenes, the works. i was just in too much of a slump to actually put it to paper :)

more tour-focused chapters (again, spon for my own fic lol) the episode in Canada was cute and the one on the bus was fun but idk there's just so many elements toward touring that i think they could've capitalized on; homesickness (for CA or MN), hardship of a go go go schedule, or fun things like being able to travel with your best friends and not ending up on the world's most wanted list lol. i know they tried really hard with this one so i don't blame them too much but my vision is just different and that's okay!

crossovers! while i'm so very happy dan schnider didn't have either of his disgusting hands in big time rush, i do remember watching the icarly/victorious crossover for the first time and wishing big time rush were there. it takes place in LA! the victorious kids are singers! carly, sam, and Freddie are pop culture experts! it would've worked really well :) so i'm writing that as a chapter for my fic LMAO

generally either an episode focusing in on or more scenes including james and lucy since the writers wanted them to be together so bad. inherently there's nothing wrong with them being together, but i do not think the relationship was given enough time to develop. give me lucy discovering her feelings for him, give me james not being creepy and obsessive about her; something more needed to be done on both of their parts to make me believe in it

additionally on that note more with jo/kendall and logan/camille; i love them both but they also had little development, just more than james/lucy. maybe they give carlos a gf (not alexa IMO, sorry. that got into weird territory for me idk why they made him be with a "real" person when he isn't other than they were already together irl) earlier and they can all have like conversations about their gfs and how much they love being together idk

and another generally, there were many songs btr put out that i love so much and feel like deserved their own episodes for hehe. i know not all of them have storylines easily transposed but i think they used confetti falling like four different times in the last season when any other love song from their third album could have been placed instead

and also another generally, and i know the early 2000s would've never allowed this for children's television but they should have and i'm the writer now!!!, but more representation all around. maybe some episodes about cultural heritage that didn't make stereotypes the main focus, canon LGBTQIA+ characters, holidays that aren't christmas, aspects like that where all kids can see themselves represented... LA is such a huge melting pot, it's not all white kids trying to make their dreams come true!

good god that was long SORRY AKJBSKJGBAB i have a lot to say and there's a lot im trying to incorporate into my story to add in what i think enhances the already present storyline. that's what's so beautiful about fandom, i love that we can have conversations like this :)

but what about you? anything you'd like to add in? i'd love to know <3 thank you for the question!

ask me a question! save my life!

[greypetrel]

WIP Wednesday

Tagged by @melisusthewee, thank you so much! :3

I like Looking hot Ending wars they cannot 🎶 (It's @ndostairlyrium's fault -also hi Ali you're tagged) (it's a cit, if you know the musical let me kiss you on the forehead)

Going on with DadWolf. I like flashbacks, sue me.

Aisling getting kidnapped by all kinds of Hawkes, this time it's Raina. I tried to colour an old sketch. Still not convinced, but they're having fun.

Art nouveau thing that's kind of a secret for now.

Some writing from Monster Fic under the cut, I'm slowly progressing with all the fics.

Tagging: Ali as above, @shivunin @rowanisawriter @zenstrike @salsedinepicta (if you have something!) @scribbledquillz @layalu @daggerbean @rosella-writes (of course ignore the tag if you mind it!)

Dear Aisling, I’m sorry about the Herald. I think no one understood, here, how much it really upset you. I had no idea it was so bad, for once. I will stop it, forgive me if I didn’t really listen. I’m not upset because you’re down there and just working through mails and reports. I am not, really, nor is Leliana, nor is Cullen (even if he’s grumpier than usual). The workload is higher without your physical presence, yes… But I get that the Temple is important. And we did ask a lot of you. I’m not telling you you’re stupid, you’re not. But it would be a little difficult to replace you, particularly because Corypheus is looking for you… I don’t know what to say, Aisling. It’s… It’s late to step back, I think. Just that. I am sorry. I understand the need to throw everything in the gutter, but it is really not a good moment. But you’re not Yvette and I know you don’t need me scolding you. Forgive me. How are you, for real? Beside the dress -it would be nice to know, but please don’t take it as it’s my main goal in writing you! Life here it’s chaotic, but nice. I’m still not really used to the forest and its rhythm, and I do hate how many insects there are. I saw a moth the other day which was… The colour was pretty, but it was the hugest moth I’ve seen. I don’t wish to see another one ever again. But! It’s nice to fall asleep cradled by the sounds of the crickets and the parrots. It reminds me of when I was a child, in our family’s country house. My room had the lightest white curtains who would float in the wind, and I thought they looked like clouds. I miss those times. And swimming in the sea. Have you ever swam in the sea? I don’t remember if I ever asked you. Maybe when this is all over we could all go by the sea and relax. That’s a cute drawing! Is it a pheasant? A hug back, Josephine

(in the intention of the original artist, it was one of the parrots in the Arbor Wilds)

[sivon-acidwyrm-collections]

[[Introduction and Tag List]]

(Updated in 2024 October 11th)

Helloooooo fellow Tumblr users and lurkers!! My name is Sivon/Tivon/De, which are names I chose for myself because I want to keep my real name protected.

I have no proper preference for pronouns, so you're free to refer to me in any way as long as you're referring specifically to me! It's mostly from how I see gender, regarding the fact that I do have one! It's just difficult to define it (I'm nonbinary.)

I am an artist, a writer and a gamer! Though drawing takes a lot more time for me to do because it's easy for me to get distracted, as well as the fact that it takes some time for me to finish sketching, linearting and shading, since I'm a bit of a perfectionist... But it's quicker for me to write! Which might result in less than perfect grammar, forgotten words, incorrect use of words and spelling. I'm no English major!!!

Since I can play both mobile, browser and laptop games, I am somewhat good with shoot em up games, just not that great at PVP... I keep dying LMFAO

(Deimos spotted up here. Yes it's him I see similar to myself.)

My interests are, from my biggest to miscellaneous fixations: Madness Combat, Murder Drones, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Sonic the Hedgehog, snakes, Speculative Evolution/Biology, robots, aliens, eldritch abominations, godlike critters and finally... OCs and AUs.

You see, my brain is obsessed with different iterations of existing medias, ranging from absurd and ridiculous ideas to the most bafflingly different concept that it makes people raise their brows or be exasperated from the idea. Though I do it for my own interest and impulses!!! I think so much I got to write them down!!

+ Creations +:

I spend quite some time fleshing out my original characters, species and even my AUs, though it may be scattered information because my thoughts move by so quickly I can't keep track of them!

Here are the lists of species I've made, with enough fleshed out information to be included: Pyerns, Gyrdats, Yrphes, Dryadronts, Hynuas

I am definitely not going to add my character list here, because I just have too many of them... Both fandom AND original wise, so I'll just add my AUs here:

The Zilogyte Trio, Serpent Madness (Pyern AU of Madness Combat), Pyern AUs in general

(I only listed these three AUs because they're the only ones that are the most consistent in my mind and what I remember the most, in general)

# Tags #:

Finally! The moment that I have been waiting for! The perfect way to organize my tags just so I can remember what they're for!

Creation-related Tags

#AlteredsArt

#AlteredsWriting

#AlteredsReferences

#FanartForSivon

#AlteredsCharacter_ or #AlteredsOCs_

#Altered.Madness

#Altered.Drones

#Altered.Teetles

#Altered.Hogs

Minor Tags

#Sivon rambles

#Sivon nonsense

#Sivon gaming

#Miscellaneous Sivon Thangs

#The Zilogyte Trio

#Serpent Madness

#Pyern AU

[clarktooncrossing]

DUDELZ of the Damned | Punishment, Pt. 1

HEY THERE PEOPLE OF TODAY AND ROBOTS OF TOMORROW! IT'S ME, CLARK!

A chill is in the air. You can feel it can't you? Perhaps you even recognize it. That same chill arrives every year right on the dot. With it comes a frightful howl in the moonlight, the only other sound to be heard. Otherwise there is a strange calmness settling around you, like the point of ease before the storm. By now the howling has stopped. It has been replaced by a different sound. Footsteps. Big, heavy, dragging, as if the figure didn't quite know how to use their legs. Perhaps it's a random passerby. Perhaps it's a rotting, frightful feature freshly risen from the grave. Perhaps it's some other, unspeakable horror waiting to pounce! Whatever it is, you're not waiting around to find out! Yet no matter how far you run, it can't be escaped. The chill in the air, the howling of the wind, the heavy footsteps, it all leads back to one thing: October is here! And with it comes the return of the DUDELZ of the Damned!

Yes weirdos, like last year, my approximation of Sketchtober has returned. I call it an proxy because there was no list of prompts. Nah, that'd be too limiting. This is yet another case where I compiled my own list of ideas, sketched them out, then used one color per picture. With all that said, let's see what spoopy scribblings await us today!

Fighting evil by moonlight! Winning love by daylight! Never running from a real fight! She is the one called Sailor Moon! Meanwhile, I'm the guy who got tricked into wearing this stupid freak'n costume. Again. It never fails. Every year at least one of my friends manages to manipulate events so I end up dressed in a girly costume. This year it's for a character I'm not even a fan of. Well, like heck am I doing it alone this year! Not when @burningthrucelluloid looks so good in a skirt. >:3

Okay, this one's gonna require some context. Back in 2017 I had reached 300 Watchers on my deviantART page. As a celebration of this achievement, folks could suggest stuff for me to review, one peep picking a Sailor Moon mobile game. These were the original Giraffe's Eye Views, and this one in particular sported me wearing the iconic Sailor Scout uniform for a gag. Now you'd think that'd be the end of it. After all, hardly anybody read the review in the first place. So how could this possibly come back to bite me? Quite easily, as it turns out. See, I have malicious friends. One of them saw this review and decided to draw me in this outfit once more. They then drew me as Harley Quinn from Arkham Knight. From there Alec would keep the gag going by paying multiple artists absurd amounts of money to draw me as various other female characters, usually with boobies so large they have their own gravitational pull. I've been drawn as Mayday Parker's Spider-Girl, Carol Danvers's Miss Marvel, Pinkie Pie from Equestria Girls, it never seemed to end! Now far be it from me to foil a good running gag, but this really got annoying after a while. For crying out loud, it started to feel like my friends were forgetting I was a dude. So after a talk we all agreed the joke would be saved for special occasions. Turns out Halloween is one of those special occasions. Especially when it follows a year of my friend putting me through the wringer in Dungeons and Dragons. Remember this when you start up your next campaign, buddy! Besides, I've had that 'in the name of the moon, the bear, and the big blue house' gag rattling around in my head for a while now and Sailor Bumper demanded to be drawn. Here's hoping you all enjoy this more than Alec does. And remember: wear leggings under your battle skirt! The October breeze is not forgiving, even to magical anime chicks.

Also, since it seems I didn't post last year's DUDELZ on tumblr, here's how I embarrassed Alec back in 2023:

Here is my friend dressed as Abigale Brand from Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, a show I convinced him to check out and a character he deemed 'sexy'. All this paired with a quote he said. Remember folks; giraffes can be devious! >:3

BONUS QUESTION: Which Sailor Scout is your favorite?

MAY THE GLASSES BE WITH YOU!

[thatgothsamurai]

I'm not sure if I already asked you this, but which pen do you use for sketching digital art? And with device do use to draw or recommend for beginners? And, would you consider to post more time lapse videos? Principally of the process you have for new fanarts based on real ppl? Still amazes me how similar they look with the original person/actor but still have your art style!!

Hi hi!! I know this ask's been there for a long time let me apologize first it took this long to answer😭😶‍🌫️

If you're asking for brushes I use, you can see it on my previous ask here

And if you're asking about device, from the very first time I start digital art until now, I only use an old wacom intuos pen tablet. As for beginners actually I don't really know since I've been only using this one device up until now😂 I choose that pen tablet at first only because I think that time it's the cheapest one😂😂 but I heard ipad is beginner friendly? Since it seems handy and you can draw directly on surface like on paper?? (i really want to try it too tbh..)

Right, for the timelapse, I'm sorry I couldn't make it before but since you ask again I tried to make one this time (sorry it took long I'm super lame at this sksksksk) Please welcome Khun Vegas from Kinnporsche The Series as the fabulous model

please note that there's no tips or anything it's just how I draw using reference.. and also please don't see it as some kind of guide bc I'm afraid it could be misleading😂

My way of drawing stylized character based on real people is to remember: use references!!!, proportion matters, unique features (what makes them not like others?), and character’s usual expressions😉

Also sorry it's just a little sketch, I was afraid my laptop couldn't make it if I record whole painting (it could take a whole day)😅 Or does anyone here have app/software recommendations for making timelapse vids??

Hope that helps!!💕

[blueskittlesart]

hi, correct me if i'm wrong but i seem to remember you saying that you're majoring in illustration! i'm currently in the process of applying to colleges and i plan on majoring in illustration as well, so i was wondering if you had any advice for portfolios. I could really use some tips on the presentation aspect specifically, bc I'm a little lost when it comes to stuff like the arrangement/organization of pieces, how I should crop my pictures, etc. any advice you can give me is greatly appreciated!!

hi yes i can totally help you out with this! i like to think my college portfolio was pretty good bc i got accepted to every school i sent it to lol :) the main pieces of advice that i was given when building it were this:

studies and pieces that show off your technical skill are great, but limit them to around a third of your portfolio at most. art schools DO want to see that you're technically skilled and can like, draw a charcoal still life or a self-portrait, because those ARE important skills to have, but ESPECIALLY if you're applying to a school that's more known for contemporary fields like animation or illustration, it's much more likely that they want to see your creative mind at work. the single best thing you can put in your portfolio is a BODY OF WORK, and specifically a body of work that shows off your own ideas and your own take on whatever you're producing. this means 3+ pieces that are interconnected or related to the same central theme. my portfoilo, for example, consisted of 2 or 3ish traditional, technical pieces which showed that I had a certain level of technical skill, and the ENTIRE rest of it was devoted to a series of original interconnected narrative comics I'd written and drawn. Every reviewer I met with told me that this was what made my portfolio stand out to them--it showed that I was not only technically skilled, but that i had something i wanted to DO with that skill, that I had direction and drive with my art and was able to produce work that reflected that. If you're maybe (definitely) not quite as ambitious as me, something like a series of 3-5 interconnected illustrations or a short comic if you're into that might do the same thing.

as a side note, if you DO have a body of work as the central focus of your portfolio, a lot of colleges will be interested in your process as well! for example with my comic portfolio, i used one slot to demonstrate my process, because I penciled every page traditionally before digitalizing it and i had extensive character and worldbuilding sketches. I wouldn't devote more than one slot to it, but if you have a body of work where the process is important to you it could be worth throwing in!

arrangement is tricky, but the advice I generally heard was "put your best stuff first." whatever you're most excited about, whatever is going to grab someone's attention the fastest, that's what you want to have in your first slot. (I actually don't think I followed this advice on my applications LOL but it's what i was TOLD to do and i think it's solid advice.)

in terms of editing, assuming we're talking about traditional pieces being photographed, you want to make sure your pieces are 1. well-lit, (DO NOT TAKE YOUR PHOTOS WITH OVERHEAD LIGHTING. wait for an overcast day and take them outside trust me) 2. legible, (no weird shadows obscuring parts of the piece, high-quality enough that no details are lost due to digital pixelation, etc) and 3. as color-accurate to real life as you can make them. most of this is just about getting a decent-quality camera (a newer iphone should be fine) and a good location. (outside and overcast, as previously mentioned) you may want to throw your pics into photoshop and play with the balance slightly, but I wouldn't do anything too drastic, try to get the most accurate photo possible without any editing. (if your pieces are small and flat, scanning them in may work better. most public and school libraries have scanners you can use for free.)

finally, cropping. the general rule that I was taught is to crop the piece, not the photograph. if you've got a piece on paper and you're not sure you like how the actual drawing is oriented on the paper, crop the PAPER down to size, and THEN photograph it. your photos should aim to show the ENTIRE piece from edge to edge (unless it's a detail shot obv) and I even like to include a little bit of extra "breathing room" around the piece so that it's clear exactly where the dimensions of it end. here's a piece I used for my college portfolios for reference:

i lowkey do not like this piece now but that's not the point. this is what i mean by breathing room--a few extra inches of space around the actual canvas so it's clear that this isn't a closeup and you can see where the canvas actually ends. the same is true for digital pieces. if it's a full bleed illustration (something with full color all the way to the edges of the canvas) just make sure you like the composition cropped the way it is and submit the full piece as-is. if it's a floating spot or something similar without hard edges, leave a bit of white or transparent breathing room around the edge of your image.

hope this helps! if you have any more specific questions lmk :)

[givemethepage]

Layers of Fear 2023 Initial Playthrough Impressions, Part 1.

[SUPER LONG POST AHEAD, LIKELY FULL OF SPOILY BITS] (All my posts in this blog probably will be.)

Obviously I love it and my obsession with this world has been reignited, burning twice as hot as it did the first time around. So far I've played through Painter's Story 3 times, Daughter's Story twice, and I'm about to start the Musician's Story. Meanwhile in story mode, the Writer is about to sit down and begin writing the Actor's Story after a harrowing return to the lighthouse during which she's made an attempt to reject her earlier pact with the Rat Queen. I know. I tend to do things in weird sequences. I just want to see everything there is to see before I finish.

I love love love the additions and changes to the first game and its DLC, insofar far as I can remember the details of the original. The completionist in me is sad I can't find the Dust Mice sketch or whatever is meant to be behind the pipe on the secretary near the front door, and there may perhaps could possibly might be another whisper object that goes on the upstairs table.

But THAT'S not important. What's important is the story and the creation of the story! This new ending seems like it's missing a cutscene, but I really like that before you walk out the door, you're still surrounded by messages of failure. The intrusive thoughts don't disappear just because you've opened a path to healing. I'm not sure if I liked seeing what was beyond the front door, or maybe I just wasn't pleased with what they chose to put there, especially given what I did after I turned the game off.

For the first time in however many playthroughs since the original game came out, I stopped to examine the origins of the house's design. I came across Steep Park House/Potter's Manor. So many urban explorers have documented and photographed this mansion. Must remind myself to make a full post about it! This place seems to be just one of the inspirations for the couple's house, but an important one, given not just how close the architecture of the house's common areas are mirrored (literally) by the Painter's mansion, but also how many of the basic narrative details of LoF are shared with the former owners of Steep Park House, i.e. the painter who abandoned his home after the death of his wife, leaving behind many portraits of her, himself, unknown subjects, still life, etc., along with countless notebooks, letters, publications, and other possessions that provide clues to the lives they led. Seriously that's all actual circumstance from the real life house. I really want to ask the designers about it since all I can find right now is Reddit speculation about whether it's even the right house. But even green tinge of the wife's diary pages and the font on some of the mail can be found in the photographs of Steep Park. It HAS to have been instrumental in dreaming up the very concept of Layers of Fear. At least I choose to believe it is.

Gonna save the full spread for a Steep Park/Potter's Manor post.

Back to the game, though, the growth of the Rat Queen's role for the 2023 version doesn't sully the universality of the game's allegory like I was worried it might based on some Steam reviews. She remains a symbol of the despair that accompanies memories of trauma, and explicitly making a pact with her seems to me to be a commitment to using that despair as a wellspring for creativity, at the expense of any ability to see truth. The despair will only further twist your memories and warp your perspective. We see all 3 members of the family fall prey to the subjectivity of their memory, even moreso in this version with the addition of voiceovers and I think a few more notes(?). And choice still carries just as much weight in the new game, even with a supernatural force pulling strings from behind the curtain. One heartbreaking thing the Rat Queen has said this time around was that the Daughter was "mine from the moment of her birth." Wow. I went straight for the True Ending, so that statement did turn out to be true for me, but what of the Forgiveness and Resentment endings? Do those also necessarily reflect a Daughter trapped in the Rat Queen's grasp? Are these messages from the Rat Queen, (which I presume are spoken to the Writer,) set in stone? Are they reliable? Are they true? So many implications. One of which is:

What will happen to the Writer??

Will she have multiple endings like the others? Will she be able to break her pact with the Rat Queen? And will that depend upon the outcomes of the other stories along with which collectibles I found during her scenes in the lighthouse? That might be a problem because I am just scooping up everything and devouring every bit of lore my cursor passes across.

Other questions:

Have any works of art been added to/subtracted from the family's portion of the game? I want to do a symbolic analysis of all the real works within the context of the timing of each painting's appearance during gameplay. I know that's a huge task with what, 38 works? But that's a future post and it's why I made a whole separate blog for this in the first place. To be honest I'm shocked that I haven't found anything like this online in the 7 years since the original Layers of Fear when there are a million channels dedicated just to deconstructing the lore of one Zelda game, (which I also love.)

Are there any easter eggs in the family's stories? It's been fun to read real critiques of the first game planted all over the lighthouse, but I wonder if anything like the lemons or the ouija board event are going to pop up in this.

Is the Musician more culpable than I thought? I also went back and did the Dad ending in Inheritance and I don't remember Mom being quite as paranoid or short tempered. It made me see her writings in a new light, and it makes me excited to go through her new story a few times. I must see everythinnnnnnnnngggggggggg.

What does the writer mean by "bring him back" in Chapter 3? Did her son die? Did they have a falling out? Does she believe the Rat Queen or her agency has the power to fix this? Do they?

And then ultimately, is the Rat Queen an invention of the writer? Is her fascination with these stories and the mysteries behind them only leading to flawed adaptations tainted with themes of insanity because she has projected the insecurities of her own fragile mind into the events she's depicting in her books? (Nah)

I dunno I dunno I dunno I dunno I dunno

[osakafromazumangadaioh]

(This is a post I made on my cohost a lil while ago, I lightly edited it for clarity)

You've seen this post about Hidamari Sketch right? It's kind of famous, at least it is to me. If you can't click through to see the link text here it is.

Remember how Hidamari Sketch aired during the DTV transition, and SHAFT knew exactly what to do with the new real estate for the widescreen version?

This was a fact that bounces around in my brain like a DVD screensaver. Hidamari Sketch aired in Japan between January and March 2007 during the DTV transition and they prepared two versions for broadcast, one that was HD 16:9 and one that was SD 4:3. I've heard of things going wrong during this transition like the shot of Mugi getting cropped out in the 4:3 broadcast version of K-On but this time period isn't super well researched in the admittedly small digging I did.

So it makes sense that a studio during this time would make these changes right? Your show is going to appear in two very different formats, you're going to want to make sure it looks fine in both. Anyway I was reading the replies of this post one morning and I read one that gave me pause.

This started me researching the analog to digital transition in Japan which I won't get into here but long story short, yes it did air during the analog to digital transition. There was an analog digital simulcast of both signals in Japan that started in about 2003 and ended in 2012 when all analog transmissions were shut down. So there was a period where broadcasters were putting out both HD 16:9 and SD 4:3 to serve people/areas who had not made the jump to the digital signal.

But it got me thinking, some people in the replies were talking about not being able to find proof that it aired in 4:3. Chances are they just didn't know where to look. Anyway I just looked on nyaa and lo and behold.

So I had the original broadcast versions of season 1 and 2 in 4:3. (i was unsure what the second torrent would be, it didn't have any information in the description and "TV broadcast" could have been the 16:9 broadcast bc there was a simulcast but it was the 4:3 version).

Anyway I was curious if there were any other changes, I kind of doubted that there were since it's already a lot of effort to produce two different versions of scenes but maybe there was something that the person that put together the original comparison missed.

If you, like me, believed the truth of that original post I'm about to tell you Santa Claus is not real. I compared these with the BD and found 2 of the frames from the original post. (the other I presume is from the first episode of season one also). And, they're,,, cropped from the 16:9 version.

In hindsight this makes perfect sense, I know sometimes they will redraw or reanimate certain scenes for the blurays because production is sometimes very fucked and they don't have the time to make things to their usual standards but if you're working for TV schedules why would you give yourself more work to do?

I'm sorry im sure this is interesting only to me but "Shaft redrew the wide character shots for HD during the DTV transition" is something that had the same veracity in my brain as, water is wet and i thought about it about as often. Two things make this very funny.

The image is cropped from what I assume is the original which makes it more obvious that it was a joke.*

the person that made that edit (presumably on 2ch or a/ on 4ch) didn't like, make the entire image 4:3 they popped the background out so it wouldn't appear squished. Which is such an insane effort post that you still see people go, oh yeah no it has to be real no one would go to the effort to do that. (read this post, people go to insane lengths for zero reward all the time)

I cooked up a very quick comparison in photopea to show what I mean. At this point it's trivial to remake the background, it's just a repeating pattern anyway.

*I would love to tell which is older but google recently changed how reverse image search works and it doesn't show you pages with the list of dates of when that page was last crawled so it's a little hard to figure out and I don't want to spend a bunch of time figuring out an alternative. So whoever cropped out the obvious joke part is one of histories greatest pranksters in the relatively small pond of people that give a shit about slice of life anime. tl/dr two people, the person that made the original image and the person that cropped off the obvious joke part have combined their efforts to fully prank me 10 years later and I don't think anyone else I've told about this has felt owned or surprised to the same extent as me so I feel like histories greatest fool here

[gaiakoraidon]

I decided to Sonic style characters again, and yep, I decided to Sonic style the Straw Hat pirates from One Piece. My OP obsession is still coming in at full force and I had the idea to Sonic style the main cast after doing a sketch of Chopper in this style. I kind of happen to enjoy Sonic styling characters I like you know? It's fun to draw in the Sonic style. Here's all ten:

Luffy is a hedgehog for obvious reasons so no explanation needed. I also decided to convert Luffy's Fifth Gear from the Wano Country arc into a Super form for my Sonic styled version of the Straw Hat captain. Gears Second, Third, and Fourth would alter his body while Fifth is his Super form. I always get Hyper Sonic vibes from Gear Five Luffy in general and yet I tend to call it Luffy's Super form lol.

I'm not the best at drawing blades, so that's why I didn't draw them on my Sonic design for Zoro. Just letting you all know as a heads up. Roronoa Zoro was easy to choose a species for: a wolf. It just suits his fighting spirit and rough around the edge personality.

Like Luffy, Nami is also a hedgehog. She was interesting to design since I don't exactly put inappropriate content onto my page. I gave her justice though, and that's all that matters!

Originally I was gonna do something else for the sniper god himself, but after watching Water 7 and see the man go through an Infinite phase before rejoining his friends as his altered ego Sogeking to help rescue Nico Robin from Enies Lobby, I knew that Usopp(aka my second favorite character with Chopper being my first)had to be a jackal. He was fun to design, but was just as complex as Franky.

The last of the East Blue crew is Sanji, and he was the most fun to design out of all of them. He happens to be my favorite that I've done, and I'm too proud of his design! If you're wondering, he's a bat.

I did two designs for my Sonic version of Chopper, my favorite One Piece character. The left one is my first sketch, and the right is one I did of him in one of his iconic Rumble Ball poses. It would of been a crime if I didn't do him in a Rumble Ball pose of some kind; he works really well in the Sonic style in my opinion!

A bit more on the simple side, but I couldn't get the thought of Nico Robin being a cat out of my mind. Here she is in advance! Of course I had to pull off her iconic pose as well.

I'm gonna be real. Franky was the hardest to design. I couldn't at first think of an animal that best suited him, but I chose a fox to be his species due to his intelligence as a shipwright. I was gonna do him in his iconic pose, but oh well. I'll try again next time.

I don't know why but Brook is always so hard for me to come up with because of him being the skeletal musician of the Straw Hats. I ended up choosing an owl for this guy because I figured a nocturnal animal of some kind would best suit him. He actually turned out to be easy to design, so that's less pressure on me.

The final Straw Hat member Sonic styled is Jinbei! I know he's not like Arlong and his men, but you have to remember that Jinbei is also a fishman and that any kind of sea predator would suit him. A shark especially. That's what I designed him as. This also is my first attempt at designing a Sonic shark as well.

That's about everything I have to share, but I'll be Sonic styling some Chopper forms next!

The One Piece anime belongs to Toei Animation; the Sonic style designs for the Straw Hat pirates belongs to me(Thunderheart)