#it was a GREAT final piece too i'm still super proud of it. but like goddamn i really. i really did that huh

[mars-ipan]

every now and again i wonder why izuru assigned me hajime kin so damn hard it came true like how did this motherfucker know everything like that. and then i remember the section of my pinned post asking that people please not use the word "talent" if they want to compliment me bc i have a rough history with the idea of inherent talent. and how that is a genuine fact about me and something that has deeply influenced who i am as a person. and that that has been in my pinned post for longer than i've been a danganronpa fan. and i understand

[wisecrackingeric-2]

My 2024 Art Summary and Top Ten posts under the cut!! :DD

Honourable mention at No. 11 is this Watership Down-inspired piece with 275 notes!! I was working through a lot while I drew it so it holds a very special place in my heart <3

No. 10 is This Piece I made for Chreon Week with 342 notes!! I need to draw Chreon more oouughhh,,,

No. 9 is my Cowboy Serennedy Doodle with 360 notes!! I'm STILL not immune to them HGBDJBJDSJH

No. 8 is my 'I Saw The TV Glow' Redraw with 369 notes hehe nice

No. 7 is This Drawing with 420 (nice) notes!! I still really really like how it looks I really need to do another photobashing piece like this again

No. 6 Is my RE4R One Year Anniversary piece with 424 notes!! I've definitely improved a TON with my rendering since then

No. 5 is my Serennedy Pride Week Finale animation with 430 notes!! For an animation I did completely by myself outside of work/classes I'm really really proud of it!! :DD (and also I made a lot of people cry HGFFGFFDS)

No. 4 is ANOTHER animation that I'm ALSO super duper proud of with 651 notes!! I'm glad I wasn't alone in wanting to hold Luis' face gently and give him a lil kiss BCBDGHFSST

No. 3 is my Don Quixote Redraw with 834 notes!! Still to this day my absolute FAVOURITE painting I have EVER done I'm still so so beyond proud of it and I learnt so much while making it too <<3

No. 2 is this really silly doodle I did of the RE4R cast as horses that SOMEHOW got 963 notes??? How?? I have no idea!! My best guess is cuz Weskers there GDFHDJSDSSDB

AAAND FINALLYYYY AT NO. 1 IS This Cowboy Luis Piece with 1,295 notes!!!! STILL to this day my second most popular post ever, only second to This Piece from last year with 1,609 notes!! Horses stay winning I guess!!

I'll try and keep this brief cuz I don't want this post to be sad, but MAN this year has been rough!!! Between dealing with homelessness and the worst mental health I've ever experienced I'm SO glad this years over and done with, and I'm hoping 2025 will be a REALLY great year for not just me but everyone else too!! <<33

[varlaisvea]

2024 Art Retrospective Thing!

I’m only going to talk about one thing.

I’m a writer, but in 2024, many decades into my life, I got to feel what it’s like when your art tools can adjust to compensate for your disabilities.

In September, I finished the best piece of visual art I’ve ever made (warning: spicy). It didn’t get a ton of notes—maybe it’s not awesome to others, but I still can’t believe *I* made it. I’m still in love with it and so proud of it.

The thing is, I write all the time. Writing is the currency of my brain; I’d be doing it whether I had anything to say or not. Writing comes naturally to me. Drawing does not! I’ve always liked drawing, especially figures and faces, but I was never great at it— I have had chronically shaky/numb/painful hands my whole life, so visual art was always frustrating to me.

THEN i discovered the tools Procreate has to stabilize and correct for shaky hands! Suddenly lines went where I meant for them to go and curves and angles took on the form I intended as I drew them. I thought it was my lack of talent that meant I couldn’t draw lines the way I wanted, but the art that emerged once those I turned those settings on was miraculous to me. I discovered I actually COULD control visual art the way I always thought I couldn’t.

I only kinda used a reference for the pose. Otherwise the whole thing came out of my brain. I still can’t believe it.

I’m making you look at it again. Please go look at the whole thing, but here’s a cropped closeup:

(I made a post about the symbolism behind all the jewelry in this crop, too. It’s also a pretty good summary of the story so far.)

But!!! I need to talk about what Procreate allowed me to do here.

Tumblr thinks the pr0n screenshot i used as a reference is explicit (it's not), and I'm pissed bc i wanted to show you how little of it made it into the final. At any rate, I started with a reference image of two people in a similar pose to this, and all that remains of it is the bottom character's shoulder and the top character's leg. Everything else--the folds and drape of the fabric, the light of the fire, the substantial changes to the pose—was math I did in my brain. I quite literally rotated my blorbos in my mind and then drew it. I had absolutely no idea I could do that.

I mean, maybe it looks like something that would be easy for an amateur to make, idk! But to me? It’s amazing! This was a stupidly difficult pose I chose for myself, and I did it. It has a lot of strange shit in it and you can still tell what’s happening!!! The weird twist of her head and braid, the strange way his arm is angled, the way fabric covers every joint on the body you would otherwise use to orient yourself to what you’re seeing… I did all of that math in my mind, and I still pulled it off.

It took me 250 hours in Procreate. I later discovered character posing tools online that might have made this a whole lot easier, and I’ve started using those for subsequent art.

Idk why people didn’t really like this. Maybe it’s bc ESO is not super popular on tumblr, maybe it’s bc of the ostensibly heterosexual/cisgender pairing (both false!!!! btw!), maybe it’s bc of the conventionally attractive bodies? idk! but honestly, I still love it. this is my achievement of 2024 no matter how many notes it has, bc it represents an immense gift I received in 2024: I learned that after all these years, I actually did kinda know how to draw. :) Thank you Procreate!

[anti-psycomics]

I can't believe I missed it! Yesterday marked 1 full year since I really started dedicating myself to digital art, after I drew this image because I wanted to play bomb rush cyberfunk. Pretty sure I started drawing it because I saw Twistcmyk made her own custom decals for that game and I wanted to make something like that too. So uh. Thanks for that Twist. Still haven't played bomb rush cyberfunk tho

not a bad starting place I'd say. Although maybe that's because it's not really the starting place and I've been drawing off and on again pretty much since I was born

I think this drawing really helped get my feet off the ground when it came to finding a style that works for me, and learning how to make other styles out of it. See, I've always had shaky hands so I've tended to gravitate towards a more scratchy style since smooth lines are often a challenge for me. And in a lot of cases I'd just leave a drawing as a sketch because finalizing it was very difficult.

being able to draw fast and loose like this is really a boon to get the creative juices flowing. It's the easiest way to draw for me, and I still like to leave it at that if I have a day where I want to draw but I don't want to dedicate more than one night to it

But nowadays I'm usually making art that's a lot smoother and takes a few more nights to finish. But that's still using the rough style. Usually I'll get a vague idea in my head and throw it on the screen with minimal care, and I'll zero in on how it's supposed to look draft by draft. Sometimes it takes 3 drafts, sometimes it takes, like 10

shown here a swordsmachine drawing I made a month or so ago, I still have the krita file on hand (because it's not technically finished yet, needs a final draft with color) so here's the drafts leading up to it

This process often involves a lot of cutting and pasting, resizing and the perspective tool to get a thing exactly where it needs to be. As for making lines as smooth as possible, I just have to take it really slow and sometimes go back, erase, draw it back, erase again. I won't lie it can still be a really tedious process

Like that swordsmachine, I've been making a lot of character portraits lately. Which has been a great exercise in posing, perspective and shading. Shading especially was something I've been needing practice with. I used to draw only with pencil of paper so using color in drawings is still somewhat a new thing for me. Having to figure out the lighting for each shot and which surfaces are whatever is very difficult but doing shading right can make a drawing look that much better

This is the thing I've been working on most recently, I think the shading looks pretty good, especially on the scarf. But I'm not really too sure about it.

Ok I've lost the pacing for this longpost. I wish I had a special drawing for the one year but I forgot until today. Maybe I'll make Anti in a birthday hat sometime later. For now here's some of my favorites over the past year

THING IN THE CLOSET

was a pretty early drawing, but I still really like it because of the unique perspective of peeking into a closet. Also the first time I drew Anti with a body!

ENDNE, GOD OF ENTROPY

I remember when I drew this design in my sketchbook and I knew I had a banger design right away, she barely changed from paper to digital. Unlike Solos, who had quite a few changes, and honestly I might still want to change a few things. Still pretty astounded that I managed to render it so well. Might be my overall favorite of the past year

PSYCHADOLIA

I still think it would make a great album name and cover. Hire me psychedelic music artists

MALAZIROT, GOD OF ROT

This one was made because I told my friends I'd make myself a fursona if a poll about me being a furry reached 15 votes. Love stealing valor. This might be the highest layer count piece to date, I think it clocked in at over 60 with so many small details that you have to super zoom in to see. Regardless, I'm really proud with how I got the rotting flesh to look in this one

MASH ME UP

Also a massive undertaking and probably the only one that can rival the layers on malazirot. Idk if I have much to say on it other than, I think it looka pretty neat

SELF-PORTAIT

A real recent one, Probably my most grotesque one to date too. I really think I nailed how disgusting the skin on it is, my only regret is I didn't make any hair follicles poking out of the skin. Oh well, missed opportunities

here's to the next year of art!

[greensparty]

This Month In History - September

What a month for landmark anniversaries! Here's some I'm raising a glass to:

Sept. 12, 1989: Pump released

In Sept. 1989 Aerosmith' 10th album was released. Here is my piece I wrote in 2014. Happy 35th Pump!

Sept. 12, 2014: The Skeleton Twins opens

In Sept. 2014, one of the best dysfunctional comedies of the 2010s opened. I was lucky enough to see it early on when it screened at the 2014 Independent Film Festival Boston, where my doc Life on the V: The Story of V66 was premiering. I was very proud to be in the same company as this film. It balanced sadness and humor delicately and both stars Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig swung it out of the park! Happy 10 TST!

Sept. 14, 2004: Funeral released

In Sept. 2004, the debut album from Arcade Fire was released. Here is my piece I wrote in 2019. Happy 20th Funeral!

Sept. 16, 1984: Miami Vice premieres

In Sept. 1984, possibly the greatest cop show of the 80s premiered on NBC. Here is my piece I wrote in 2019. Happy 40th Miami Vice!

Sept. 19, 1984: Amadeus opens

In Sept. 1984, Milos Forman's biopic masterpiece was released. Here is my piece I wrote in 2019. Happy 40th Amadeus!

Sept. 21, 2004: American Idiot released

In Sept. 2004, Green Day's best concept album was releasd. Here is my piece I wrote in 2014. Happy 20th AI!

Sept. 24, 2004: Shaun of the Dead opens

In Sept. 2004, the zombie comedy to end all zombie comedies was released. Director Edgar Wright's genius has always been in not trying to make a straight up spoof of genres he loves, but actually making a great movie in that genre that's also funny. As a zombie apocalypse takes over London, a slacker tries to survive it with his friends and girlfriend. It is a movie people still talk about and quote today. Got my copy on DVD! Happy 20th SOTD!

Sept. 25, 1984: Three's a Crowd premieres

In Sept. 1984, the spin-off that followed Three's Company premiered. Here is my piece I wrote in 2019. Happy 40th TAC!

Sept. 25, 2009: Paranormal Activity opens

In Sept. 2009, one of the best found footage horror movies was released. Here is my piece I wrote in 2014. Happy 15 PA!

Sept. 26, 1964: Gilligan's Island premieres

In Sept. 1964, one of the great 60s sitcoms premiered on CBS. A group of differing castaways all find themselves trapped on a desert island together. I used to love it as a kid, watching syndicated reruns. They never got off the island, but that was part of the fun. Happy 60th GI!

Sept. 26, 1969: Abbey Road released and The Brady Bunch premieres

On the same exact day in Sept. 1969, two historical pop culture moments occurred!

First up, The Beatles' 11th studio album was released. There's always been a argument among Beatles fans about the final Beatles album: Abbey Road, the last one recorded, vs. Let It Be, the last one released. It is one of my personal favorites and I grew up with the vinyl. Here is my album review of the 2019 Super Deluxe Edition. Happy 55 Abbey Road!

Next up, the family sitcom The Brady Bunch premiered on ABC-TV. The story of a blended family with six kids became the standard for TV families. The series was on from 1969-1974, but I got into it in syndicated reruns (much like Gilligan's Island). No matter what age you were you could relate to at least one of the Brady kids, i.e. Bobby when I was younger, then Peter, and later on Greg. When I was in college, actor Barry Williams spoke and signed copies of his book there too. Happy 55th Brady Bunch!

Sept. 26, 1984: It's Your Move premieres

In Sept. 1984, one of the best short-lived sitcoms of the 80s premiered. Here is my piece I wrote in 2019. Happy 40th IYM!

Sept. 27, 1994: Monster released

In Sept. 1994, R.E.M.'s 9th album as released. Here is my piece I wrote in 2019. Happy 30th Monster!

Sept. 30, 1994: Ed Wood opens

In Sept. 1994, one of the best Hollywood biopics was released. Here is my piece I wrote in 2019. Happy 30th EW!

[manasurge]

My Characters

Thought I might as well do this since I like how a few of my in-game characters turned out, so here's my roster so far (subtracting a few that are in limbo). Tried to put it in order to most to least used. I'm not one to make my in-game characters as OCs, but I still like to give them a name/aesthetic/theme that matches together (and colour-coordinated) so it sort of seems like they could (also for fashion wars reasons. Name above their respective images below). Also I like giving them singular names. (oh gosh I really hope this automatically shrinks the length of the post bc it's not giving me the "Read More" option >_>') My Main: Vespaura (Mesmer/Mirage). Crystal Bloom/Branded themed. Still waiting for proper crystal aesthetic looks lol (none available in game atm are what I'm looking for). I'm pretty much on her almost all of the time since I'm a ho for Open world and I love GS lasers, clones, portals, and evasion hax (I'm squishy so I need the survivability and sustain, and I tag almost everything, so it works well when doing metas and stuff).

Mourynn (Necromancer/Scourge) - This is the one I took my OC's name from lol, so it's funny seeing her in game bc I forget sometimes lsjflksf. I Tried to make her look like an infected/toxic/poisonous Awakened Nightmare Courtier Duchess, and the squiggly tentacles are meant to portray turning into the necrotic glider below. I really wanna get her a bunch of Mordy and Zhaitan leggies (one day~)

Ferahla (Revenant/Renegade) - I actually updated her back piece and colours a bit since this new back piece was released bc it fit her look much more. I tried to make her look gnarly (also this outfit makes her look a bit nakey, but I'm kind of okay with that tbh alsjflskdjf), and I'm trying to match her to the Chuka leggy for whenever I get around to finishing it. Renegade is also one of my favourite specs cuz I like being at ranged and having the support of Kalla and her Lesbian Warband.

Faihan (Ranger/Soulbeast) - I still adore her look and her name is one of my favourites too. I was sort of going for a pheonix/firebird Hunter (bloodborne) kinda vibe. I couldn't decide between capes so she has one for Power and one for Condi. Also it's tricky to dress for leather armour, so I like how this turned out.

Vaipaura (Mesmer/Virtuoso) - All my mesmers have similar names bc I think it's funny to headcanon they're just different AUs of each other (not gonna show Chrono here bc she's in Limbo. Her name is Vastaura). I wanted to give Vaipaura a Regal Canthan Noble Madam kinda vibe (also I just love the combo of this outfit and backpiece). She also has Exordium cuz it also matches this look too. However I still heavily prefer playing Mirage bc despite this one being great for DPS and very neat. It's just super squishy with not a lot of survivability/sustain and no clones to distract, and it feels so slow, but regardless it is still fun to play as well (I just miss spamming dodge all the time :( I also miss my clones)

Mortesque (Necromancer/Reaper) - I'm not 100% sure if this will be the final look for her or not, but I was mostly just trying to match her to Zhaitan's Bite when I finally unlocked it a little while back. As you can tell I really like greatswords (the only 3 leggies I have are GS lol)

Shroudryss (Thief/Specter) - My newest sapling. I'm stll not 100% sure about the outfit, but it'll do for now. Specter is really fun!! I really like fancy magical mobile classes. I need to play thief way more tbh since it's more of less up my alley (this one will be my first to go to)

Jadesta (Engineer/Mechanist) - Her name and look are very on the nose. HOWEVER I am proud of the name I gave to her mech: Caladborg (also I really like the Aetherblade look here and at least it's easy/fun to give her stuff for fashion wars)

Prismysta (Revenant/Herald) - I wanted to make her fit the pretty pearlescent look of Glint's facets, and I did want one light-themed cute character. Also there was just so many pretty pieces that wouldn't work with Vespaura that I thought it'd work well for her!

Hexirax (Thief/Daredevil) - I still super need to change her name bc it for sure as hell does not suit her at all lmao!! But since I still needed a pink Sylvari, I thought it would be funny to make it my Daredevil (also the weapon worked well for this so I made her Sakura themed. Her outfit is still subject to change if I find something better)

Vallotash (Guardian/Dragonhunter) - Still not sure what to do with her yet (might switch her elite spec, idk yet), but I'm still super proud of her name and I forgot I made this look on her. I like the colour combo, and I still might keep it (subject for change tho, but I don't hate it)

[catgirl-pawbs]

ROSIE HOBBYING UPDATE

though,,, I've said it a few times in a few places but I'm super enamoured with the concept of having different names for different contexts though I've been bad at actually doing it and the name I'd like to use in online spaces / for people I don't know irl is Ryuuka (I know I had another online alias/name before that i streamed under for 2yrs but due to Events I now hate being called that so all 3 of u that know it that name is dead to me now please forget) so I suppose instead I should write

✨🎀RYUUKA HOBBYING UPDATE🎀✨

LONG POST INCOMING sorry if I take up ur whole dash

so I tried to search my blog for the "hobbying" tag to see what I have and have not posted recently but lo and behold,

tumblr is truly the functional of webbedsites, I KNOW ITS THERE I PUT IT THERE now please show me !

except it won't if course because it sucks.

so anyway I'm gonna start typing about things and hope I get everything I haven't posted and nothing I have.

something like three weeks ago, I finally got to play a match of Warhammer 40k with my older brother! this had been in the making in a way since 2014(-ish I don't remember), when this same brother introduced myself and my other brother to the concept of Warhammer and all three of us bought models. sadly both brothers quickly discovered the "building and painting" portion of the hobby and promptly dropped out, one of them giving his T'au models to me because I LOVED THIS SHIT.

anyway I think I posted about all this before and that Match In Question wherein I took 500pts of Grey Knights (Brother-Captain, Terminator Squad, Strike Squad) against my brother's 500pts Imperial Guard (Commissar, Guardsmen regiment, 3x Mortar Crew models, Sentinel, Leman Russ)or something like that I didn't read his list. Unfortunately this battle ended with my noble Grey Knights getting summarily decimated and right tabled by the mighty power of the autocannon-equipped Leman Russ if that bastard Russ wasn't already dead I'd kill him myself

again I'm fairly sure I've posted about this before so I'll stop there and not add images.

also before I continue (to explain why points counts might seem weird to other 40kplayers) I should note that I have been and will continue to be playing Fifth Edition Warhammer 40k, because those are the books that I have. New books are hellishly expensive and I cannot for the life of me figure out how to reasonably use wahapedia so anyone who is going to tell me to play a more recent edition please kindly do one of the following;

1.) shush.

2.) buy me the books urself since you can afford it

3.) go get intimate with a cactus.

Now! about a week ago, a little less, I got to play ANOTHER match of 40k! a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one. this time with a friend who has an adjacent interest in similar sort of games and who helped me build the felt-and-aquariumplant terrain pieces Im certain I posted pictures of before though I can't go check >:|

This match was again 500pts and featured both my lovely new terrain and the following armies;

TYRANIDS. >Tyranid Prime (boneswords, devourer) >3xRaveners (rending claws) >5x Ymgarl Genestealers >10xHormagaunts (adrenaline glands) >10xTermagaunts (devourers)

GREY KNIGHTS. >Brother-Captain (mastercrafted storm bolter, mastercrafted nemesis force sword) >5xTerminator (mastercrafted storm bolter [justicar], mastercrafted nemesis force sword [justicar]) >5xStrike Squad (nemesis force halberds [all], mastercrafted storm bolter [justicar])

it was great! took about 4 hours because I hadn't memorized everything yet and my friend/opponent was new to 5th but we had a good time despite getting real exhausted by the end of it there are too damn many numbers to remember

I'm still super happy with how the new terrain looks!! sure it's very Amateur Hour and doesn't look ~realistic~ but I love it and am very proud of it!

Unfortunately in this match, the Grey Knights not played by me this time again tasted bitter defeat. I begin to think that list I made just sucks. or that the army needs a larger point total to make a functional list. further experimentation needed.

First blood was taken by the Knights shooting down a few(2) Hormagaunts, which was repeated in the next turn gunning down another 5 of them. the remaining gaunts took shelter for their lives behind a small copse of trees, though the Knights' Terminators quickly closed to finish their prey.

the Nids took revenge in the Genestealers flanking and stealing the jeans off the Strike Squad, without a single loss.

Finally came the crushing melee of the Raveners charging the Terminators and Captain from the cover of the ruins, slowly inflicting death (with great difficulty and losing one of their number due to those incredible 2+saves), eventually being joined by the Tyranid Prime and Genestealers in finishing off the stragglers.

the Termagants... yeah. those guys were there. they mostly just hung around. fired off 40?-ish shots and inflicted a total of 1 wound. good job guys. worth every point, truly.

Unfortunately because I failed to teach the game and remember the rules properly, this match was unbalanced, as the Terminators were not making 2 melee attacks per turn as they should've and I'd forgot to roll for the Nids instinctive behaviour rules (though the only difference that would've really made was the already useless gants running for cover if they failed)

It was a good learning experience and we had fun though!! surely we'll have a better and more heated match next time! ฅ⁠^⁠•⁠ﻌ⁠•⁠^⁠ฅ

that kaomoji looks kinda haunted,,

In other news! yesterday I finally took the time to get my printer in Operational Condition again! this means that, after being more than a month with only one arm, my Knight Armiger Warglaive proxy (model courtesy of u/johnbearross on reddit) is finally fully operational! catgirl very extremely excited about this one

additionally, though I do need to print another warglaive and two helverins still, I've started on printing the bigger boy, a Questoris Knight Paladin proxy (model credits the same), something I've been excited to do for forever and the next step towards the biggest finalest goal; the Imperator Titan

base and left leg printed (6h each), right leg in production (another 6h) (also I know the quality is bad because of the flash but my kitchen's lighting is awful and I promise without it looks worse) (don't mind the bag of rice in the bg, girl's gotta eat)

FINALLY, the most recent development in Ryuuka's Hobbying;

MY BOYS??!??! MY BEAUTIFUL LOVELY SPECTACULAR BOYS????? THEY ARRIVED TODAY!!

bit of a story on this one, but first; I know that I told one of my dear friends like 6months ago that the next time I bought gunpla of get one for u too and we sat down and picked one out for u and everything and I didn't forget I swear but I shouldn't've even bought these boys since I have a lot of debt going on, the only reason I did is that on god man I need a distraction project or the depression is gonna Get To Me (not that it doesn't already but,) so like. When I actually have spare money instead of spending money I don't have I WILL get u that gunpla and we will build them together I didn't and am not gonna forget.

Okay so the deal with these boys is that I was talking to a friend recently about how I really like the appearance of Mass Production Mobile Suits over the special Gundam suits (unpopular opinion but I hate gundam suits' horns/crests, I think they look so so silly), in particular I love the look of the DaggerL and the Rgm-79 GM, but I really don't like the GM's helmet, I feel that it dramatically detracts from my man's vibes since the GM is made of angular and square segments and then the helmet is ROUND and also the visor is really large and open, giving it something of a 'friendly' (anthropromorphizing, I know) look that really doesn't suit the rest of it's design. In the same moment I was lamenting this design contradiction, a guncannon came on screen, which has a helmet with a narrower visor, and a- well I guess it's called a visor too but the shade thing some helmets have like a built-in imitation ballcap thing and anyway the Guncannon's head design gives it a much more 'serious' look that I feel would fit great on the GM, and the GM's more open and round design would fit right in with the Guncannon's rounded limbs and fuckoff huge shoulder-mounted cannon barrels.

So immediately in that conversation I had something of an epiphany of this and decided that I HAVE TO make a headswap of those guys and NOW IM DOING IT except what I need right now is a project so we're taking it a couple steps further

I'm gonna trim these guys all out of the runners, file the nubs, label all the parts with masking tape and little baggies, swap the head parts, then going one colour/runner at a time, prime them black, paint them, panel line them, sticker them, top coat them, and ONLY THEN will I finally start assembling them

I've never painted a gunpla before but the best way to start is a headfirst dive into conkcrete babey let's get it

also I want to try weathering on my GM, nevermind that I've never tried it before and have no idea how, and each kit will be getting a different topcoat; glossy for the Guncannon because I want my boy to look like fun lil candy apple lad, and matte for my GM because I want it to be a semi-realistic Setpiece build.

also been thinking about utilizing the power of masking tape mid-painting process to add stripes of red to GM's arm&leg armour, but currently unsure if I want to follow through with the idea.

kay I think that's everything that's a lotta words I've been typing for forever it's 3am im not checking for typos I'm gonna sleep now goodnight gamers, nyan~

[turoce]

Seana's 2023 art highlights

(surprisingly, not a reupload this time!)

January: i drew nothing! we're off to a great start.

February: i drew something! i love Champ even if i haven't drawn anything tf2 related since April. i think it was this piece where i decided to give Champ RED coloring. [link]

also, this is the month i made my second Moldy plush.... i wasn't very happy with this one, though. [link]

March: uhhhh. more of my tf2 ocs but i think those aren't that interesting. just go to my tf2 oc blog @brokenbrainstormbulb if you wanna see them honestly, i have an image limit to keep ffs. that said, this was around the time i got into TC2, so i drew a lot of that kind of stuff... i'm never drawing stuff for it ever again, sorry. [link]

April: look at the cool thing i drew for a fellow tf2 robot fan! now, this is the point in time where i start drawing more because of a certain interest, so look forward to all the art that'll come up here.....

May: wow, this really was my first public piece of Papa Louie art, huh. i was so proud of it when i showed it off on tumblr the first time... i don't like it as much anymore. for one, the office wall color is wrong.... i still can't believe Papa Louie was what got me out of art block, but god, i'm glad it did. i don't think i've drawn this much before, and even though the community's tiny, i'm glad to give back as much as i can. anyways, i said something like "it's so funny that people think they're either super married or divorced as hell" on the same post. i still think that, and it's defos funny as hell, but i've grown a kind of appreciation towards the ship as well. like yeah, you go girls, we love that extra slow burn with so many road bumps on the way! [link]

June: how the hell did i pump this out. this was also like a few days before i had to leave for the airport too... i don't know myself sometimes. i swear i still love Boigashipping! i just... i'm just busy with other ships okkkk [link]

July: i didn't draw anything...? i was in Bali. and i was busy selling adopt designs to draw anything substantial, oopsie! actually, i DID draw the first part of WDB... it's uh, still the only part. i'm sorry!!!! i'm sorry!!!! i swear i have the whole thing outlined!!! can you just give me anons about the story instead so you won't have to wonder what comes next!! [link]

August: TOSI fixation. it had not gone past it's conceptual stage, i must note. i do wish i would do something about it though. [link]

September: the art trade i did with my friend! actually, i was a few weeks late with my part, so it was supposed to be finished by August. oops. i like the textures tbh. my Chuseok drawings.... i need to draw more characters in hanbok, hee hee. [link]

October: (breaths in) ...this is the month i finally gave into the JoGotcha wantings. LOOK. ever since someone put the idea into my brain i couldn't get enough of it, and like,, nobody draws the ship anymore so i had to take matters into my own hands. this is the first ship i'm this obsessed with. i usually leave ship stuff to other people but this time that wasn't enough and i... i had to do SOMETHING, y'know? [link]

Cringetober? who's that? haha;; i stopped feeling like doing the whole list after less than a week. impressive.

November: oh look, Plushy Power League. Quinn didn't win, but i do like the thing i drew as propaganda, so whateves. the first Papa Louie character i ever drew (minus Chuck and Taylor)... did i change how i draw her? uhh. maybe? i'm not too sure. [link]

also look! the keychain drawing... i need to talk about my Gods and Monsters au again at some point. actually, since i last uploaded the image of my keychain, i revised it tons... it's kinda different now, and i defos think it looks better. this is actually the time i finally fixed the stupid display setting thing that was really messing up my coloring! [link 1] [link 2]

December: ...oops! tablet broke. and i got my 3ds back so i just didn't draw that much even after exams were over. didn't stop me from drawing though, and in fact i think i made something pretty neat with my christmas art.... even if it did come one day late. [link]

wow. that's a whole year of stuff... and that's defos a lot! i think i'm really happy with what i drew this year.... i don't know what was in my water the last few years but my art highlights felt really.... miserable? for some reason. i mean, yeah, i didn't do a lot of what i had planned (GOE ANIMATIC IM SORRY) but i can see that i've done just as much with my hands anyways, so like, who cares? plus, i always have next year... that's coming in 3 hours, oh god- so, maybe i won't be too hard on myself for not fulfilling my goals... like, i kinda glossed over it, but i did sell my designs for money, and that's like, really impressive! so many people around me buy and sell their art stuff already, so i guess i didn't really register it as something to be proud of... but doing that shit (making, and marketing) is hard!! so like, it's a wow moment for me!

anyways, i'm tired, i only came back home a few hours ago, and i need to get up again for church in a few hours.... mrphgdjd. lets stop being sentimental, and i'll see you people next year. that's a long way off! hope you don't miss me.

[therhythmafterthesummer]

hai hai haiii it's been sosoos long :((

life has been..... intense heh but i'm okay now!! i remember that the last thing you posted was that cute oneshot of our wr!binnie and the bestest autumn and the stress about their wedding!! and i loved it so much!! i keep coming to re read wereroomies all the time because i truly enjoy how you created their little world, and also because it's a great inspiration!! the last instalement i read was the one about hyunlix and moss because i really really miss them :(

but it's okay. i'm really curious about the boys you haven't posted about in that universe, and also about second and even third parts to some of the fics (even if they're standalones i'm super invested and it feels like the kind of series where every episode has its own story but somehow when you put them all together you see the development and... i just need more kajhkajshaks)

i won't ask for spoilers of your top secret wr!projects on docs (👀) buuut i'll sit here and wait for the next update. i was thinking about coming off anon too akjshkajsd (could you guess who am i??) but for the mean time, are there any of your fav works you would recommend rn? no context, just fun. the ones you have a great memory of, or you're really proud about

have a super super nice day rhythm, - ❤️‍🩹 anon

hi hi hi!!

i'm glad you're okay now! and i hope it continues being that way💜

makes my heart warm to think that you come and reread wereroomies often. it's still shocking to me that people do that sdkjnskjdnfsd

i think that's actually a good way to describe the structure of wereroomies... "a series where every episode has its own story but somehow when you put them all together you see the development", i like that~

i can't wait for the day i get to show you all all the stuff that's partially cooked in my docs jkdfnskjdfn i always wonder how y'all would feel with the storylines and personalities i've given to the other boys... but since i've been struggling to write these days, i'm just taking my time, so i won't be able to share anything any time soon i think ):

as for coming off anon... do what's most comfortable for you!

it's hard for me to figure out who's an anon unless they make it really really obvious, so i've got no idea honestly skdjfhnsjfdn

and finally, recommendations... i think Safe Haven is one of the pieces i'm most proud of. i poured a lot of love and work into it. it's something that still makes me smile when i think about anything related to it (be it the characters or the lore or the story itself...). i'm glad i got to rework it last year so i could make it an even better version of itself. i think it's a fun read for anyone that enjoys long stories that involve fantasy and that bit of sci-fi.

also, Five-Point Star is another one i'm proud of. especially the second part. i just loved coming up with it sdkjsdf

[bmodiwrites]

Is Throwback Thursday still a thing? Either way, I think I'm going to partake today. There are a couple of fics I wrote a while back that I loved to write and still appreciate reading. They didn't do as great as I would have liked with you guys, so maybe a little refresher will help!

Check out a couple of MY favorites below!

I Could've Sworn I Saw Fireworks

There is no altercation with the demogorgon, so Steve's life isn't turned so far upside down. Instead, he takes Nancy's brief influence in his life seriously - he gets better grades and keeps his nose down. Steve is so desperate to get out of Hawkins that he takes a basketball scholarship to play at Purdue. He's lucky to be going, except -

His life feels like it's in limbo until his little brother Dustin gets to West Lafayette to suffer Purdue's curriculum, too. Between brotherly love and a bit of meddling, Steve is thrust into many situations with a certain curly haired dungeon master he's been crushing on for months. Find out what happens when Dustin plays matchmaker and Steve & Eddie go along with it!

Or, the one where Dustin actually is Steve's little brother and their lives are all the better for it...

*I love this one a lot because Eddie finds it in himself to get into something that Steve's interested in. I'm also an old college athlete, so it hits home.

Everything, It Happens For A Reason

At the tender age of ten, Eddie's freezing his ass off on the playground, only to be saved by a black and red vest owned by none other than Steve Harrington. That simple gesture sets off a course of events that lead to Eddie realizing that everything that happens, happens for a reason.

Or - an Eddie centric angst piece.

*This one was one of my very first drafts for this fandom. That still makes me super proud & happy to have written this piece. Besides, who can really pass up little kid!Eddie?

(For You) I'd Break These Walls

What if Steve was there the night Jason found Eddie in Rick's boat shed? Steve makes a late night food run out to Eddie only to see that Jason has finally closed in. He's there to see Patrick die, taking a cold dip in the lake, too. He's there that night at Skull Rock and in the morning when Max finds them spooning - but that's not the first time Max's caught Steve with Eddie.

Find out what happens when Max opens Steve's eyes to something he never considered before. Sometimes, the best shit happens when it's least expected.

Or - a sorry excuse to write Max & Steve interactions!

*I just really love the Max & Steve interactions in this one. I don't really know why it didn't hit the way I wanted to but it's one of my absolute favorites. The story is so wholesome!

[qrowscant]

oh man i am in love with all the art and concepts for IS!! i'd love to know more about him and his story if you'd be willing to share. also i'm super curious about your process when it comes to making some of the pieces with that great dithering effect! do you just draw them in black and white and add the effect after or is it more complex? your compositions are amazing as well as you eye for detail! you utterly nail the flesh/tech analogue horror vibe

thank you! IS-OT is part of a slowly developing project that i've had bouncing around my brain for awhile now but have only actually started doodling. there's some weird fucky dimensional stuff happening in antarctica, and in an attempt to understand it, IS is made. he's not a fan.

im still not sure what form his story will take, but i do know i'm too much of an experimental dweeb to settle for one medium. i have some scripts written already for audio portions, and the bare-bones of a website + browser game concept so! we'll just have to wait and see :) thank you so much for the interest, and for the ko-fi!! im very excited to keep making stuff for him. he sucks (affectionate).

for dithering, it entirely depends. usually i just draw things myself using a crunchy pixel brush and some elbow grease (i'm particularly proud of the final piece on my ash poem!), other times i'll nab stock images, textbook diagrams, or ikea assembly instructions and run it through this site, then heavily edit the results until they're to my liking. i highly encourage just fucking around for awhile!

ALSO IF YOU OUTLINE THE CRUNCHY LINES WITH COLOR IT GIVES THE WHOLE PIECE A LITTLE MORE DEPTH. VERY SEXY VERY GOOD.

[studying-with-adult-adhd]

I’m 25 and I was diagnosed recently… Even If now I’m medicated and I have a therapist I still struggling with concentration -but not as much as before-, and now that my finals exams are almost there I'm eaten up with anxiety.

So am asking for some tips to deal with this final exams period… Sorry if someone ask you before… And how to face courses more theoretical because I have like hundred pages to study and I don’t know where to begin.

Thanks and your blog is always an inspiration 🤗

Hello nonny! Thank you for your question!

I just finished my last final. I'm an Ancient and Medieval History Major, so I understand the whole hundreds of pages to study thing.

I want to remind you that medication and therapy isnt going to get rid of the ADHD. Struggling is completely normal and you're not alone.

So, when it comes to final exam season, one of my favourite pieces of advice I give is this: if you can, try to take two days for yourself. The first day, you do anything that makes you happy. Spend time on a hobby, spend time with people you love, order food if you can, sleep all day, whatever works. The Second day, you do what needs to get done. You clean your study space, you grocery shop, you plan meals, you do your laundry, and then you make a list.

I know, lists can suck. So you get a giant pad of paper (packing paper is great for this, or a big paper table cloth), and you write down what you want to study. You think about about the areas you needed the most clarification on, you think about the things you didn't quite understand, and then you think about the things that you aren't super familar with. Think back to the start of your courses, do you remember things from that?

Honestly, taking notes and revising notes has never been something I can do well, so I don't have many tips there. Write things down in your own words (explaining history to a high school classroom sounds fun). I write a lot of side notes, like "Caligula was a complete dick", and such.

Also, your courses should have outlines stating what your expected learning outcomes are, go through that and see if you can answer them. For example: I had to know how the Etrsucans influenced the Roman Republic. So I wrote down what I knew.

Oh, also, if you can, eat your favourite snack or chew some gum while studying. Then do it again when you take the final. Smell and taste are two of our biggest memory triggers.

For me, I crash after classes, so my study time is drastically reduced. I can do latin, but not a bunch of reading.

I know some of my other followers have had great advice in the past, so I'm leaving this open for them too.

Remember that you've got this. Your memory will surprise you. I'm proud of you! You're almost there.

[h0rr0rsaxo]

So I found this image on pinterest--->XXX

I immediately got an idea. So Anni decides to take Tony up on his offer to finish up her tattoo at his house and she goes over and Tony was surprised because he didn't think that she was actually going to come. So he gets started on the tattoo, still being a bit flustered at her completely bare top but he gets focused and there's just some light music playing in the back and Anni is peering around his studio looking at all the designs and the cool artistic stuff he's done and then she ends up dozing off again, this time Tony knows she isn't passed out so he kinda smiles to himself and admires her a bit while finishing up the piece and when he's done, he wakes her up and she is super impressed and happy with how the tattoo turned out, its stunning and perfectly done and Tony kinda sits there and smiles slightly. Tony tries to get this chance to hang out with her a bit more and offers her drinks, to which she obviously doesn't refuse and they both end up talking and Tony himself becomes more talkative. In the end Anni ends up passing out, its late and she's drunk so she is hard to wake up. Tony ends up carrying her to his couch and hes about to go to sleep himself in his bed but she yanks him down and its just like the picture. Tony is shocked. Anni even starts muttering about how cool his tattoos are and how amazing and talented he is and he is about to combust.

(Anyways feel free to end it how you'd like and change anything as well! Tysm and i'm super excited to see what you'll do with this!)

[ tattoo artist. || simp party. ]

Warnings: None.

Tags: @insane-horror-movie-addict

A/N: I completely blacked out while writing this...I have no idea what I wrote so forgive me..

Word count: 1,305

At first, Anni was hesitant about going to Tony's house. She didn't know him very well and was worried about the potential risks of going to his house— but then again, that was jut her paranoid proxy instincts talking. But she really wanted to finish her tattoo, and the convenience of having it done at Tony's house was too good to pass up. After some careful consideration, Anni decided to take Tony up on his offer. She messaged him and set up a time to come over and finish the tattoo. When she arrived, Tony was surprised to see her. He didn't think that she was actually going to come, but he was happy to see her nonetheless.

They made small talk for a few minutes before Tony got started on the tattoo. Anni was nervous at first, but Tony's calm demeanor and professionalism quickly put her at ease. She laid down on the couch as Tony began to work on her tattoo. As he worked, Tony couldn't help but notice that Anni was completely bare on top. He was a bit flustered at first, but he quickly got focused on the task at hand. There was just some light music playing in the background as Tony worked on the tattoo. Anni, meanwhile, was peering around Tony's studio, admiring all the designs and cool artistic stuff that he had on display. She was impressed by his talent and his passion for his work. She began to relax and enjoy the experience.

As the tattoo progressed, Anni and Tony continued to chat about various topics. They talked about their favorite music, movies, and TV shows. They discussed their dreams and aspirations, and they even shared a few personal stories. Before they knew it, the tattoo was finished. Anni was thrilled with the final result, and Tony was proud of his work. They said their goodbyes and Anni left, feeling happy and satisfied with her experience. In the end, Anni was glad that she took Tony up on his offer. She had a great time, and she was able to finish her tattoo without the hassle of going back and forth to the tattoo parlor. She even made a new friend in the process.

As Tony put the finishing touches on Anni's tattoo, he couldn't help but notice that she had dozed off again. This time, however, he knew that she wasn't passed out, but was simply resting peacefully. He smiled to himself as he admired her for a moment. Anni was a beautiful woman, and the tattoo that he had just finished only accentuated her natural beauty. He felt proud of his work and happy that he had been able to make her happy. With the final stroke of his needle, Tony finished the tattoo. He carefully wiped away the excess ink and cleaned up the area. Then he turned to Anni and gently shook her shoulder to wake her up.

Anni stirred awake and slowly sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Tony handed her a mirror so that she could see the finished piece. Her eyes widened in amazement as she admired the tattoo. "It's stunning," she exclaimed, "you did an amazing job, Tony!"

Tony smiled slightly, feeling a sense of pride in his work. He had put a lot of effort and creativity into the design, and it was gratifying to see Anni's reaction. They chatted for a few more minutes as Anni got dressed and gathered her things. She thanked Tony for his hospitality and for the beautiful tattoo. Tony, in turn, thanked her for letting him work on her and for trusting him to complete the piece. As Anni left, Tony sat back in his chair and smiled to himself. He had enjoyed the time that they had spent together and felt grateful for the opportunity to do what he loved. He looked forward to the next time that they would meet, whether it be for another tattoo or just to catch up and chat.

After finishing up Anni's tattoo, Tony felt a strong desire to get to know her better. He found her to be an intriguing and interesting person, and he wanted to spend more time with her. So, he decided to take a chance and invite her to have a drink with him. "Hey, Anni," he said, "you want to hang out for a bit and have a drink? I've got some beer and wine if you're interested."

Anni smiled and agreed. She was feeling good after getting her tattoo done, and she liked Tony's company. They sat down on the couch and began to chat over drinks. Tony found himself becoming more talkative as they talked about their lives, interests, and hobbies. As the night wore on, they continued to drink and talk. Anni was feeling more relaxed and comfortable around Tony, and she found herself opening up to him. Tony, in turn, found himself drawn to Anni's intelligence and wit.

However, as the night progressed, Anni began to feel the effects of the alcohol. She started to get sleepy and eventually passed out on the couch. Tony tried to wake her up, but she was too drunk to respond. Tony realized that it was late and that Anni needed to rest, so he decided to let her sleep on the couch. "Hey, Anni. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little d—drunk…" Anni attempted to blink away the tiredness visible in her eyes— but she was obviously unsuccessful.

"Do you need any help getting home?"

"No, I'm g–good. I'll just stay here for a bit…" Tony blushed lightly at the thought, but he shook himself out of the thought. He covered her with a blanket and turned off the lights, making sure that she was comfortable and safe.

"Okay, let me help you get comfortable." He approached her once again and gently shook her shoulder, trying to wake her again up. Anni stirred, but was still clearly out of it. Tony knew he had to act fast, so he carefully lifted her up and carried her over to his couch. He laid her down and covered her with a blanket, making sure she was comfortable before turning to leave.

As he was walking towards his bedroom, Anni suddenly reached out and grabbed him by the arm, yanking him down onto the couch next to her. Tony was startled, but he didn't want to wake her up or upset her, so he just sat there quietly.

Anni started muttering, her words slurred and difficult to understand,

"Wow, you're really strong. And your tattoos are amazing..." She kept talking about his tattoos, how cool they were and how talented he must be to have such intricate designs on his skin. Tony was taken aback by her sudden interest in him, but he couldn't deny that her words made him feel good.

"Wow— you really think so? T–hanks, Anni. I actually designed them myself." Tony felt a bit flattered by her compliments, but he also knew that Anni was drunk and not necessarily thinking clearly. He rubbed the back of his neck as nervous chuckles escaped from his mouth.

As Anni continued to ramble on, Tony felt a strange sensation in his chest. He couldn't tell if it was excitement or infatuation, but he knew he needed to get away. He gently extricated himself from her grasp and stood up, making his way towards the bedroom once again. As he lay in bed, Tony couldn't stop thinking about the strange encounter with Anni. He didn't know what to make of it, but he knew that he was definitely feeling something. He drifted off to sleep, his mind racing with thoughts of Anni and her unexpected and sudden interest in him. Before, she always friendzoned him. What changed?

[reachingmygoalsss]

July 10th, 2024

The last month I got laid off, got covid, THEN GOT THE JOB OF MY DREAMS!!!🥂🎊🎉

It's a cute payroll position where after 5 years I will become a co-owner in the company. It's the type of cute office work I wanna be doing with my degree, it has AMAZING benefits, 3 month paid maternity leave, is a energy sustainable company, is hybrid, and has fantastic compensation packages! I'm super happy.

My goals for my next job were to get something that would allow me to relax and be somewhere long-term, and I GOT IT. I can finally settle down and focus on me and my health, spiritual business and clinical work, and hobbies!

I also have finally gotten past the 230lb threshold I have been stuck at for a while. I am teetering back and forth with water but the fact I saw it go down to 227lbs when I was dehydrated was a HUGE deal for me because it means I'm loosing the weight and balancing and moving my life into a better place! Hormones have also been balancing more.

Parent situation is still a no go. Everyone is officially cut off and I'm looking towards the future! It's been a hard road emotion wise but I'm getting over the heartbreak piece by piece.

My relationship is growing. Me and my boy were fighting a lot the last year and a half due to his work and lack of money. He quit his main job that was causing a lot of pressure and unhappiness today. Last year, I would have been upset because I didn't think he had the confidence, plan, or the want to get another job.

This time, though, is different. He called me with a plan and upped his hours to full-time at his part-time fun job he does that doesn't pay a ton, but he really likes. And is looking for new jobs in his field where he can relax and be himself. I'm really proud of him. From where he has come from a year and a half ago when we moved in to now, he has made strides.

For the first time since moving in together, I feel like I can trust him to support himself, grow, and manage his stuff. It's a lot of weight off and I really feel like we have a family coming together. Most of all, I can forgive and let go of the negative feelings I felt last year without compromising my self worth. Or feeling like I have to leave in order to be financially and energetically ok due to stress and pressure. I love him a lot and he has become a really great person who I love in every respect (not that he wasn't before) and now I can say the one area that was lacking is being fixed and addressed with communication and planning.

My life has taken a massive turn for the better overall, and I am incredibly thankful to get what I asked for!

My future goals when I am a bit more well rested and adjusted to my new job is to start livestreaming my quantum healing and helping people through my sessions and gaining a name for myself while building my business. I'm going to do this by updating my account to who I am now and making it more user-friendly to find my things. As well as starting up healing sessions! I'm going to set up a sign up sheet for those who want sessions with me and charging during those times!

Another few goals that I have is to clean up my diet a bit. Less processed sugar and more meat and veggies. I have also started some new vitamins. Vitamin D, Magnesium, and Myo-Inosital. Im also starting to ferment kombucha! My new job is very progressive and a lot of people there are super healthy and the environment really supports it as well. Hoping any new scoobies I have can help me make some new friends. My boy has also been wanting to eat a bit cleaner too naturally! Since I used to have an ED I am adamant on not putting my food stuff on others, so I try not to comment on other peoples food choices a lot. But it is nice for me that this shift for him is coming naturally. So everything has been kinda starting to support this change already! The only thing I have been struggling with is a bit of low blood pressure due to fatigue and diet change. Which I have been counteracting with salt and hydration.

My next steps are to add in some strength training when I get some rest and adjusted and comfortable. I don't think my energy levels can support it now due to all these changes at once, but I do see myself doing this in a month or so.

The other goals I have is to walk my dogs more when the weather gets cooler. We are in a heat wave right now but when the weather gets better I really want to start making a walk a major part of their routine. As well as a part of my health routine. I also would like to start making their rice mixture again. They have been getting mainly the prescription grade kibble due to me having Covid and being overall burnt out. Hoping to change and update their diet starting this weekend.

Their bathroom situation has been on the porch since one of them had surgery. I actually really like that setup but it has been on a tarp and I am going to be adjusting it to their old crate tray with kitty litter. The goal is to make it less smelly and easier to clean. When they get used to going on that. I'm going to make them a large litter box out of storage containers.

Something I'm really proud of this month is cleaning the house up and clearing out a ton of boxes and trash that have been there for months. I also got bed frames! And now we have two beds so when I get overstimulated I can go in the other room and decompress in my own bed. It has really improved our relationship and made this place feel more like home. We also both are getting more decorations that feel like us individually in separate rooms so the asthetics are not mixed together. It's really really nice and has substantially made our relationship better and less pressurized. It has also helped me relax a lot more and heal because I have a hard time doing that with anyone around. I love my new room! My boyfriend I think is indifferent to it but happy at how it has improved our relationship. More cuddles, more intimate time, we both are getting better sleep, and there is way less tension and frustration overall.

OVERALL A GREAT FREAKING CHANGE UPDATE!!!

[felicityhicklingviscomlvl6]

sp – term reflection.

I'm proud of what I've achieved this term, with firstly getting it done because I felt I was pretty behind a couple weeks ago, but I managed to pull through and create something I'm happy with. Secondly, the outcome is really rewarding with an editorial piece as you get to finally flick through it physically, rather than digitally. Actually having it in your hands makes it feel worth it. Which is why I love doing editorials so much, I definitely think this is my specialist practice, and I hope I get to work on in my career.

Choosing ISTD wasn't a hard decision as I knew I immediately wanted to jump back into an editorial, but picking the brief was quite difficult as they all had so much creative freedom that I felt a little taunting at first. I chose The Line because at the time it was the one I was most confident to pick and there was so many paths I could've gone down. I didn't struggle too much with my initial idea, because I wanted to keep an open mind in the beginning. So looking into multiple ideas and then choose once I'd explored a little more than just a mind map confirmed that only one of the three ideas I was drawn to. Doing this was definitely a good idea as I remember last year I tried to define my idea too quickly without thinking of the important things that go into it.

My idea went through quite a few changes, from attachment, to family heirlooms, to family lineage. My original idea of my interpretation of the red string of fate can still be found within my underlying meaning for my outcome as I related the theory to more than just a romantic relationship, a family relationship/lineage. And, of course, family lineage or a timeline is visualised as a line, so I knew it still worked with the brief too.

I'd say what I struggled the most with was my narrative, I went through a lot of ideas for my narrative that I never felt worked so I never ended up taking it anywhere. So for my initial design it was a rough photo book because the only thing I knew I had was the timeline from my great great grandma to me. Having that last tutorial really helped me, and made me realise that my exploration of my lineage needs to be the narrative.

So the book starts with my discovery of my great great grandmas writings she had in the 1920s that she would recite to women's groups. This then lead me to want to learn more about her, then leading me to find out about the lace factory that her husband was running because he was from a lace manufacturing family. Then what pieced it together was the fact some of the lace that's been passed down has appeared in the wedding dresses of my great grandma, my grandma and my mum. Creating 'The Lace That Threads Us Together' as my title.

What I would do differently is instead of putting the writings in the main book, I would create a separate smaller book for inside the main book to create the idea that it's a notebook like my great great grandma's. This would've then added more dimension to the piece and it would've been a fun way to bring some colour into it. I'd have placed it between where I introduce the writings in the main book. Then just the timeline of my female lineage would've been in the main book. I think next term, before possibly submitting to ISTD, I may actually do this, so I'd re-print and bind the whole thing to have this instead.

Finally, I'm still super glad with how it came out, it became something so fulfilling since it was personal to me and will be a special thing to my mum and grandma. Overall, this term was a challenge, as it almost always is, but I finished with an outcome I’m extremely proud of which makes up for a lot of the struggles I dealt with this term.

[namizaela]

ep 8 review!!

i felt like the arlong fight was a little short, but still great! usopp stood out to me this episode because of his fight, i remember arlong park in the anime being the first time where we got to see usopp's fighting style, and it was def just as satisfying here! also, zoro and sanji's banter while they were fighting was great, very funny and it was fun seeing them fight over luffy lol.

luffy's fight with arlong was interesting...i think he should have focused on destroying the map room because it represented nami's imprisonment, not necessarily because it was something arlong had built. like he doesn't really care about arlong, he cares about nami. however i enjoyed the fight in general, it was pretty short but intense! and i'm not going to lie, the scene where luffy emerged from the rubble and made everyone laugh with joy made me cry. i think just knowing stuff about gear 5 and the symbolism of laughter made that moment all the more special, to see how luffy ultimately brings joy to the people he meets. it was really touching!!

luffy and garp's fight was a good conclusion to their storyline, it's something that i knew would happen but it was satisfying to see garp admit that he couldn't control luffy. and of course, when luffy laughed like roger, that was great, and i think it marked a moment of character growth for garp while also painting luffy in more of a mystical light if that makes sense.

the wanted poster reveal was great!! koby and luffy's goodbye was super emotional, i'm really happy with how netflix handled their friendship and koby in general. the sheer joy on everyone's faces when they saw the wanted poster was great...another example of how luffy is influencing everyone in his life. the shanks + mihawk scene was fun, glad it was included!

the barrel scene was really, really special. i don't remember how it happened in the anime, but combining it with the flag reveal was genius. i felt so proud of everyone and of the crew, and it was amazing seeing the giant jolly roger. and of course, the actual we are theme song playing was a great move, it made me cry...again....! even though the barrel scene was essentially the same as the anime, it was still really good! more than anything else, i felt the spirit of one piece in that scene.

one thing i'm a little surprised by is that they hinted at reverse mountain but didn't actually show it? maybe they want to start the next season off with that? to be fair, it sounds really expensive to make lol, so i don't blame them. also the smoker reveal was great!

anyway...overall thoughts in the next (and final) reblog since this is getting way too long!

opla watch thread

putting my reactions here! every reblog with my additions will be tagged with #opla and #opla spoilers.

starting ep 1 now :)