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waayoutofline · 29 days ago

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Murder On The Dance Floor (part 5)

Pairing: Natasha Romanoff x F!Reader

Prompt: Vigilante!Reader x Agent!Natasha

Summary: Natasha isn’t having the best of luck in trying to bring one of the ex Hydras general down. You however may be able to assist her. Will you two be able to cooperate? Or is it your fate to always stand on opposite teams?

Warnings: More angst (i'm sorry)

WORD COUNT: 2978

A / N: Me posting without a two-week gap?? Whaaaat?? I'm fine, don't worry. I was hit by the divinity of inspiration and got ahead of my messy schedule. So here's ep5! I must say, I'm proud of this one. I'm still trying to figure out their whole dynamic complexity, but I think this is a right step on their journey! Anyway, I've already started on the last episode, which I'll probably publish this Sunday tops. Yes, last one, I swear!

Also..! Natasha in this universe, like in the comics, has (a variant) super soldier serum.

Thanks for reading and have a great day <3

If anyone knew Natasha’s fighting skill, it was definitely you. After years of being on opposing sides of heroism—her leaning more toward the ethical path, while you were focused on taking down bad people without the pesky limitations of the law—the two of you had shared your fair share of nasty, brutal fights.

You were all too familiar with her enhanced strength and reflexes, the evidence of her unforgiving grip often leaving lasting marks and ugly bruises. It reminded you of the arachnid symbols she always carried. Her movements were swift and relentless, trapping you like an unknowing prey with complicated manoeuvres that left you immobilized long enough for her to inflict serious damage.

Her toned arms and legs weren’t just for show; they were clearly the result of delivering powerful strikes and breathless chokeholds. She had the intelligence, strength, and agility to take anyone down—of that, you were always certain.

But right now, watching her take down guard after guard, there’s a new aspect that leaves your eyes widening. She wasn’t just dangerous; she was brutal.

Her technique was clearly superior, and she applied it with unforgiving force. You even felt a pang of pity for them. It was like witnessing an entirely new side of her as the sounds of bodies hitting the ground with resounding thuds, grunts, and yelps filled the dark, empty alley—a twisted symphony of chaos.

Something stirred inside you. You recognized her moves, but not this… aggressiveness. For as much as the two of you had fought, she had never been this violent in her style. She moved like a machine programmed for maximum efficiency, eliminating her targets with practically clinical precision.

It was then that you realized. Your fights felt almost like child’s play compared to this.

That stirring in your chest quickly transformed into boiling anger. Has she been holding back during your fights? The mere sight of seeing her like this was now making your blood simmer. To even consider the possibility that she had always been holding back like this was infuriating. You had always believed the two of you were evenly matched, but now that belief was being shattered—just like the jaws of Horvat’s men.

You had always given her your best. But was she not giving you hers? Had she been playing with you all this time? Did she see you so…so weak that you weren’t even worth her full effort? The thought alone was enough to ignite your fury.

It was humiliating.

If you were asked about it later, you might admit that your next course of action could be perceived as… well, nothing short of pity. But the indignation was so overwhelming that you couldn’t even think straight. It was too much—so raw that it prickled at your eyes, manifesting as a wave of ashamed embarrassment.

As Natasha effortlessly dealt with the guards on her own, you slipped into the shadows. Perhaps the darkness could help soothe the ugly resentment crawling up your throat.

You had been a team player all evening, but now, under the light of the moon, you were back to your solitary game. And in this game, Horvat was the one you were going to hunt. Untethering yourself from the limitations imposed by the heroes, you swiftly made your way to the emergency lift on the side of the flat building next to you.

Rising through the levels, you were granted a panoramic view of the district, your eyes scanning intently for Horvat’s getaway car. Retrieving the tech-enhanced glasses from your trousers pocket, you adjusted them and searched for the dark blue sedan. It didn’t take long to spot it.

Sighing, you focused your magic. With a wave of your arm, you conjured ice, forming a crystalline path strong enough to carry you. You modified the soles of your shoes to adapt, gaining incredible speed as you skied across the continuously growing trail of ice. The path allowed you to glide effortlessly over buildings and bypass entire streets, cutting directly toward Horvat’s moving vehicle.

It may have looked effortless, but each time you created a new solid ice structure, a sharp headache pierced your skull. Your chest heaved as you struggled to maintain the pace, each breath growing more laboured.

These…abilities weren’t exactly something you had mastered. In fact, you hadn’t used them enough to build a solid foundation of control. Years of torture and clinical experimentation designed to force you to have and use them had left their mark. The trauma lingered, resurfacing every time you dared wield them.

They were additionally deeply tied to your emotions, making them volatile at best. And on a night like this, after everything that had happened with Natasha, they felt even more unstable.

You were also aware of SHIELD’s persistent interest in capturing you because of them, likely to place you under custody. After all, SHIELD didn’t take kindly to superhuman abilities existing outside their jurisdiction. That thought alone fuelled your defiance. You hadn’t escaped one controlling organization just to fall under the grip of another. No, this time, you were playing solo—defying every group that claimed to do “good” while operating under their own brand of morality.

And right now, as you practically flew across the New York night, the feeling of freedom was exhilarating. Besides, the end of the chase would be that much sweeter. Your mind was reeling with the thought of finally catching the bastard, of making him talk.

After weaving through a few more blocks, you finally found yourself right behind the car. The driver was clearly aware of your presence, speeding up through traffic in a desperate attempt to escape. But you weren’t going to let him get away. Propelling yourself forward with icy air, you surged after them. You were so focused—so consumed with the goal of getting your hands on that car—that you didn’t hear the familiar hum of an airy engine trailing behind you.

Leaping into the air, you were about to launch yourself forward again when something barrelled into you from the side, slamming you off course and throwing you away from the street. Using the last of your strength, you managed to create a messy aspheric ice barrier around you, stopping yourself from crashing directly into the display window of a shop.

Your lungs burned as you lay there, the harsh motion having knocked the air clean out of you. Your limbs ached from the rough landing, muscles that you didn’t even know you had burning.

Trying to shake off the terrible disorientation that slamming through a window could cause, you didn’t feel the sharp glass shards or the solid concrete beneath you. No, you were pressed against something warm and soft, the faint scent of sand wool and forest causing your eyebrows to furrow. And since when did the ground breathe… wait… breathe?

Startled, you pulled yourself slightly upright, only to be greeted by red hair and half opened green eyes. Of course, you were sure she would be one of the few people in the world daring enough to tackle you in mid-air.

However, your confusion quickly turned into something else when you saw the predicament of your position. She had clearly shielded your head from making contact with the ground, turning both of your bodies so that hers was between you and the floor. Her arms remained firmly around your waist, clearly having adjusted her grip from the initial takedown to ensure you both survived the impact.

“Well,” she muttered, her voice dry but strained, “that went well.”

The protective nature of the action turned your confusion into fury. “Let go of me,” you managed to mutter through gritted teeth. Natasha, still recovering, scrunched her face in confusion but didn’t move. “Let go of me,” you repeated, harsher and more impatient. Her touch, her smell, her mere presence felt suffocating.

“Wh-what… hold on, wait—” She started muttering, trying to make sense of your sudden struggle to get away. She seemed to come to her senses when you began to push harder against her chest, trying to create some distance between you. Ugh, stupid super soldier serum.

She must have thought your desperation was to get back to chasing Horvat. But at that moment, the ex-Hydra general was the last thing on your mind.

You two started wrestling in a way that felt more like a pathetic high school fight. The humiliation you had felt before doubled as you struggled to break free.

“Get off!” You almost screeched in desperation, making the agent startle as she managed to pin you down. She had never seen you like this—desperate and so… out of control. You were worlds away from the mischievous vigilante who always got under her skin.

“Okay! Okay, just… stop! Stop, stay down.” With those words, your fight seemed to disappear all at once, your body going limp. This only made Natasha worry even more as she slowly loosened her grip and moved off of you.

She remained tense, half-expecting you to bolt. But you stayed there, trying to catch your breath. She would be lying if she said that didn’t worry her even more. The worst part? You went quiet. No remarks, no snark—just silence, alongside the sounds of gunshots, alarms, and the street’s chaotic noise.

She opened her mouth to ask if you were okay, but closed it. Right now, this wasn’t the time for that. “What were you thinking?” she demanded, finally standing up. “We’re on a mission; you can’t just take off like that—”

“Well, you didn’t seem like you needed my help,” you scoffed, grunting at the pain of your abdomen when you incorporated slowly.

“So you decided to go off the grid?” Frustration built up in her voice, her tone condescending. As if you two were partners.

That was far from the truth, and she seemed to have forgotten it. “See, this attitude of yours is what pisses me off. Doing whatever you want, whenever you want—consequences be damned, as long as you get your way!”

Standing up as fast as you could, you faced her defensively. “I’m not one of your incompetent low ranked subordinates that you boss around. And yes, while you were putting Horvat’s men to an early grave, I decided to chase after Horvat, who, by the way…” You laughed in fake amusement. “Is getting away as we chat. You just couldn’t stand that it was me who was about to finally catch him, could you?”

Natasha’s eyes widened at the accusation. “What are you even talking about? Do you see this as some kind of sick competition? Have you looked outside?”

Confusion crossed your face. Shaking off the remaining crystals and dust, Natasha started walking away from the now-destroyed shop, gesturing for you to follow her. Reluctantly, you swallowed your anger and fell in behind her. When getting out, your eyes widened. Traces of ice were covering the street, no doubt being left behind your trace. Some of them took the shape of sharp shards that were encrusted on the pavement, alongside swerved cars with frozen bumpers.

You didn’t even notice.

An ugly feeling made you swallow as you saw a family getting out of a partly smashed car, the tires completely covered in ice. “I… I didn’t—”

You stared helplessly, afraid of what could have happened because of your fault. “It was an accident… it-it wasn’t— fuck.” You turned around, closing your eyes while trying to regain some sense of control.

You did that. You lost control. And someone got hurt because of it. Again.

“…I guess I get it now. Why are you holding yourself back.” Letting out a single cackle, your eyes trailed down to your hands as if they weren’t your own. They are still terrible cold.

“I’m not following,” the agent confessed. There it was again, that ugly sense of incompetence hitting you square on your ego. You turned around aggressively; the least she could do was say it to your face.

“Please. This just been an annoying game for you? Hasn’t it?” You finally exclaimed, hoping your eyes weren’t betraying the humiliation you felt. “We’re supposed to be enemies, Natalia. We fight, we… I thought you at least respected that.”

Her eyes widened ever so slightly. “But all this time, you haven’t given me your true potential. In each encounter we’ve had, I’ve had the decency to at least outdo you. Am I so god-damn weak to you that you have to pull back in such a way?”

Finally, she seemed to understand what you were trying to say, and her reaction was anything but subdued. She took a few angry steps closer, her presence suffocating and electrifying all at once. “Are you telling me this tantrum has been all because I didn’t treat you like some Horvat soldier?”

You remained quiet, giving her an answer she clearly didn’t like. “If it weren’t for me, you’d probably be in the RAFT by now. Is that what you want?”

Your jaw dropped at her audacity, as if, all of a sudden, she could have caught you from the very first day you opposed her. “So what? Are you telling me I should thank you for that? Please.” You laughed, “You haven’t even come close. If you could have caught me all this time, then why haven’t you?” You snapped.

Clenching her jaw, she stopped until she was face-to-face with you. You could feel her usual controlled storm turning into a wild hurricane. You didn’t back down. “If I haven’t brought out all of SHIELD’s operatives and the rest of the Avengers to take you down, it’s because of this.”

You didn’t even have time to react as her hand reached for your face, slightly flinching as she deliberately took her time, her movements measured and slow. Your eyes widened just a little as her soft fingertips brushed away the betraying tears sliding down your cheeks, catching one and wiping it away.

“Because despite all this ‘I don’t give a damn’ attitude of yours, you do. I can feel your pain, your regret over hurting the innocents you’re trying to protect… your self-hatred,” she said, her voice steady, but it carried a weight that almost made it seem like those feelings were affecting her too.

She paused, trying to choose her next words carefully. “Even if your methods are over-the-line insane, underneath it all, there’s someone who genuinely wants to do good. Even if the only way you know how is by going to a dark place that consumes you every single time.”

Her hand trailed down until she gently pushed your chest with a single finger. “The only reason I haven’t caught you by now—besides the fact that you’re frighteningly cunning and intelligent, and somehow manage to get under my skin or read me like a book…” She trailed off, her voice lowering, her eyes dropping. The slight praise made your heart flutter. You almost immediately hated it.

You didn’t dare to breathe as she tried to find her words.

“It’s because I believe you can be so much more,” she finished quietly.

When her gaze meets yours again, this time is softer, as if returning from somewhere. “I was like you once. Someone was supposed to stop me for good, too. But they made a different call.” The resolve in her voice is unmistakable. “Now, I’m the one making that call.”

For a moment that seemed to stretch on in the distance, neither of you dared to move. Her words seem to echo though the air, manifesting again and again in your head. You wanted to say something, anything. But what were you supposed to answer?

She was clearly giving you a white flag, a truce. But accepting would change everything. And you didn’t know if you were ready for that. Clenching your hands against your sides, you couldn’t stand the shimmering hope reflecting on the dark pools of sea foam.

“I am not meant to be a hero, Nat.” You answered delicately, feeling like you owned her at least.

Natasha didn’t flinch. Instead, she stood there, her silence louder than anything she could have said. You braced yourself, praying that she didn't make this more difficult than it was supposed to be.

But before she could speak, static crackled from her comms.

“We got him,” Yelena’s voice cut through the tension. “Horvat is in custody, Natasha. It’s done.”

Natasha’s shoulders went down, just slightly. You could see the shift in her expression—relief, professionalism. Her hand moved up to press her earpiece, her sharp green eyes still locked onto you.

“…Understood,” she replied, her tone steady but clipped. For a moment, it was as she answered both of you. You didn't say anything as she finally stepped back, the silence defining. You furrowed your eyebrows in confusion. “When I was chasing you I installed a tracker on his car, my unit did the rest.”

You wanted to laugh because, of course, despite everything that happened her multitasking was unmatched. She started to walk away but paused when you didn’t immediately follow. You just stood there, watching, wondering how she always managed to build a wall between her emotions and professionalism. As if she hadn’t just disrupted your entire chemical balance mere seconds ago.

“Are you coming?” she asked, her tone casual, as though the weight of her earlier words hadn’t just cracked something open inside you.

Your reluctance was answer enough.

“The truce will stand, even in SHIELD’s jurisdiction, I promise,” she added, her voice firm but not unkind. “Besides, we’re processing him to a secondary location first.”

Normally, you’d call bullshit. You knew how much SHIELD hated your vigilante methods—how relentless they were in their attempts to bring you in. And yet, despite all of that, you found yourself taking a step forward, then another, until you were following Natasha.

#natasha romanoff x reader #natasha romanoff x fem!reader #natasha romanoff x you #natasha romanoff fanfic #black widow x reader #natasha x reader #natasha romanov x reader #natasha romanoff #mcu #avengers #mcu fanfic #natasha romanova #black widow

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fictionstudent · 5 months ago

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Why even "show, not tell"?

You must have heard the famous advice “show, not tell” around a hundred times by now. It’s one of the most used writing tools today, I’d argue. Recently in a blog post, I’d even talked about what it actually means and how you could execute it.

But now you must be thinking why it’s even such a thing, you know. Why do we follow this advice? What’s so advantageous about it? Why do even people care? Or do people care?

After much brainstorming, I have the answers to these questions. I hope it can spark some discussions on the issue.

***

#01 - Why yes

So, why you should “show, not tell”? Classic authors didn’t use this technique often. Most of the literature at the time was written in third-person omniscient narration technique, and that means the authors had no means to actually describe how the characters felt or what they thought.

There were a lot of classics that used first-person narration, but maybe those were the only times we could notice the advice actually in use historically. Third-person limited was non-existent, perhaps. Personally, I’ve never read a classic novel that’s in third-person limited narration.

Anyway, time began passing, and people noticed that somehow, this “show, not tell” thingey kinda works. It can convey emotions and information in a lot more efficient way. So editors began searching for stuff like that.

So, one reason can be that it’s simply a superior way to convey emotions. Taking from the example I used in my last blog,

I was angry at Sara. But she didn’t care.

It’s a lot worse than,

She couldn’t believe this. Was this for real? Was this… really happening? Really?

Her fists clenched hard. Her arms were trembling. And her eyes… They tried hard to fight back those tears. But the dam could break any moment now.

How could someone do something like this? And… And to her? What had she done to be betrayed like this?

The latter one actually makes you feel what Sara is feeling—you feel like you are Sara. You can understand her feelings on a much deeper level—you do not just know that she’s frustrated, you know how frustrated she is at the whole ordeal.

Another reason—it’s immersive. Reading in detail how the character is feeling is really a lot more interesting than just reading what they feel and understanding it on an intellectual level. This way, you can relate to the character on an emotional level.

And because it’s immersive, the readers would love the novel. And if they love it, they’d buy more of the author and publisher—and that’s more profits for both of them. So why not?

A third reason—the world is changing. And so are our forms of entertainment.

Today, most of our entertainment is in the form of visual media. When we read novels, we do not always imagine them as someone speaking to us—as readers a century or two ago used to. But rather, we try to create mental images based on the information we’ve gathered. Why?

Because most of our entertainment now is visual. Comics, social media, films—all these widely consumed media are visual. So subconsciously, we all agree that story means visuals. And visuals—along with monologues—are a part of “show, not tell”.

Readers today have a set of expectations that the stories they consume in novels would be visuals, based on happenings. Yeah, there are monologues and narrations, but they sit on top of the foundation that the visuals create. Most commercial fiction does not stand on monologues alone—they need visuals.

Now, I’m not saying that all novels are like this, or all readers are like that. No, far from the truth. I’ve read Murakami’s short-stories that are certainly based only on monologues, with little to no visuals. Or even dialogues, for that matter. And believe me—these stories are just as immersive.

So we can argue that not all fiction needs visuals, but most do. And it’s the same for monologues—read McCarthy.

***

#02 - When to “tell”

Yeah, you heard it right. There’s time you absolutely need to ignore this advice. Writing is subjective, after all—every rule and advice has instances where it needs to be ignored. Exceptions form a big part of learning the application of any sort of rule or advice.

Firstly, time-skip. If you’re writing a scene where you need to have a time-skip, but you also need the reader to kinda know what happened in that time, you can just tell instead of showing.

For example,

And we crossed the seas. The journey wasn’t long, but those days we had nothing to do. We were bored the heck out of our brains. Those days felt like an eternity. Until today, when we finally found what we were looking for—a piece of land in the middle of the Pacific. The Hirohoto Islands.

It's completely fine to write stuff like that if whatever happened in that time phase has little to no relevance to the story whatsoever. If you want to, you could have expanded a chapter or two out of this little paragraph, or even a whole full-length book (lol, really). But if you feel that expanding it would provide no extra meaning to the plot, and you can just skip to the better part, writing like this is extremely fine. In fact, adventure novels are filled with this sort of telling narrations.

Secondly, you can’t show the monologues of the other characters that your narrator is interacting with. Yeah, you can still make use of the visuals, but not the monologues, which is half of the “show, not tell” advice. So you’re heavily dependent on the visuals in terms of showing. But in such cases, remember that you can tell—it’d be the narrator’s interpretation of the emotions of the other characters. It’d be better than head-hopping, I mean. Not recommended, but definitely correct if executed well.

Thirdly, action scenes. You may tell during action scenes because remember that action scenes are supposed to be quick-paced and punchy. This doesn’t really leave you enough space to show the narrator’s emotions and monologues—or the scene would turn up to be slow. And you don’t want an action scene to be slow.

An action scene relies heavily on visuals, though. But if, by any chance, you need to describe anything other than the actual action, you can just tell at that moment to make sure you don’t break the flow and pace of the scene.

Fourthly, you can use tell literally anytime, anywhere. You can use it without restraints. Remember, there’re no hard rules about where you can show and where you can tell. There are gonna be instances where you feel you can apply any one of them—so do apply any one of them. It’s your novel, write it the way you want.

But don’t just keep on telling. It’d be boring. But sometimes, it’s necessary. And sometimes, it’s just a shorter, better thing to do. Use “show, not tell” as many times as you can, but don’t overuse it.

***

Conclusion

I’d said in a recent post that I wanted to talk more about “show, not tell”. And now that it’s over, I guess I’d be doing something else with my life lol.

Anyway, explore the blog if you want more helpful content about writing like this one. Love you guys.

#writers and poets #writers on tumblr #writerscommunity #writeblr #writing tips #writing advice #writing #creative writing #writing help #how to write #writing guide #writing resources

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untoldsoup · 1 year ago

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Wanted to see a visual of my art progression for the comic so made a comparison of each characters first appearance to their more current ones. I guess this is my "year in review". Idea came from a friend on discord.

A lot of the changes I'm happy with. Drawing almost every day since March has really paid off. I had small projects I worked on in-between this comic that also helped too.

Some things I noticed now looking at this in hind-site: Luigi had the biggest changes. In the beginning I was so unsure of how to draw him in my style vs canon and its clear I was trying to find a compromise with it.

Human Bowser didn't have to many style changes, but his line work was refined over time. Peach suffered from generic anime girl in the beginning until I started drawing everyone under the same style umbrella. Koopa Bowser went through a lot of changes. Bowser is *hard* to draw, and I think he changed in almost every damn page lol.

Overall I'm really happy with the progression of things. I finally found a uniform way I want to draw everything, I learned a ton of skills and techniques along the way, and since I draw almost everyday I've gotten faster and more efficient at getting pages out.

I think the biggest challenges moving forward will be the action scenes in the sequel. They will be my weakest point and I'm hoping I can do them justice. I will be drawing Bowser jr. more in the sequel too so I'm going to keep working on making the koopa designs more cohesive.

#myart #year in review i guess #bowuigi #change comic

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ghost-bxrd · 8 months ago

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So I've seen you post a lot about Dick and Calvin recently, and I wanted to know how you thought Calvin would react, in this Calvin gets adopted by Bruce kind of au, to:

1). Jason's death, in the assumption Calvin can't prevent it (And subsequently what he would do to Joker for it.)

2) Damian's early childhood.

3) Tim's Tim-ness.

4) How Calvin would react to the Batman Robin situation, when he finally learns about it.

I haven't gotten the opportunity to learn much about Calvin, but you have me interested, I'm a sucker for overly traumatized characters, and I am looking for the comics with him!

We can never have enough Calvin Rose content, that boy is so underrated 🥺💚

1. Pfpfpfpf you know for ONCE I wanted to go with “Jason doesn’t die in this Au” but you asked and I shall deliver hehehe.

Look, Calvin adores children. And it’s no different with Jason, whom he basically helped Bruce raise from the moment he came to the manor. (Bruce is a good dad here but emotions are not his forte. Calvin picks up the slack.)

So we’ve got a former Talon basically raising Jason, sharing a lot of his interests, teaching him fun escape techniques and pranking the others…

Only for Jason to die in Ethiopia. Beaten within an inch of his life and then blown up.

Because his birth mother sold him to the Joker.

Look, there’s very few things that make Calvin snap. Canonically it only happens when his loved ones are in danger/threatened, or children are being hurt.

And this one ticks off both boxes.

Calvin doesn’t kill if he can help it. Hasn’t done so since that one time with the Court, and that instance still haunts him in his sleep. But this?

Yeah. He’s not losing any sleep over killing Joker. He’d hunt the clown and put him down like a rabid animal. Cold, clean, and efficient. No drawing it out.

2. As mentioned before, Calvin adores kids. I don’t think they’d meet before Damian comes to the manor though, so no early early childhood shenanigans. But when Damian arrives, all entitled and clearly having been conditioned from a very young age, he gives Bruce a very deadpan “You do know you don’t get a discount for the amount of traumatized kids you take in, right?”

Damian is a stabby little shit that tries to kill Calvin at every turn. Dick thinks it’s hilarious. Damian becomes progressively more angry because Calvin doesn’t break a sweat side stepping each and every attempt. (Talon training pays off)

Calvin just lets Damian “burn off his excess energy” (“You do know he’s a kid and not a puppy, right?”) and uses the time the boy isn’t actively trying to murder him to child proof the manor again. Just to piss Damian off.

Having the kid try to poison him at dinner that day is so worth it.

Damian reluctantly warms up to Calvin over the next few weeks when the former Talon proves annoyingly helpful at setting up his room and helping him with training. (Although Damian turns his nose up every time Calvin obviously handles him with kiddie gloves. But the man point blank refuses to do anything else.)

3. Calvin spends a week around Tim and all his alarm bells for “neglected child” are going off like autotune in his brain.

Considering it’s still very close to Jason’s death tho it would take him some time to truly warm up to Tim.

Tim wishes Calvin remained as distant as he was the first year or so (no he doesn’t) because now Calvin has strictly limited his daily caffeine intake, is forcing him to eat at least three healthy meals a day, and actually set a bed time for him.

Tim is outraged (flustered) about being treated like a kid (like the kid he is).

4. Depending on who’s Robin when he finds out the reactions would vary greatly, but he still wouldn’t be happy that Bruce is taking kids out onto the streets at night to fight criminals either way. It remind him too much of the Court for comfort, grooming children into the percent assassin.

After a while though he’d realize that Bruce would love nothing more than for his Robin(s) to hang up the mantle and just live their lives to the fullest, and that they’re simply too stubborn and determined to fight crime with Batman to stay at home. With our without permission.

It helps that Bruce is clearly distressed and close to benching Robin whenever Dick/Jason comes back from patrol with a bruise. Never mind an actual injury.

#hello yes all the parental figures for Jason #this time Calvin is it #mom Calvin Rose #sorry I don’t make the rules he’s Jay’s mom now #Calvin Rose #jason todd #batfamily #dick grayson #batfam #bruce wayne #tim drake #robin #batdad #Damian wayne #talon #court of owls #this one got long again lol

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yamujiburo · 2 years ago

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i really love your account, especially your comics. you manage to keep all the characters so unique and pretty expressive while nailing anatomy and angles ighhhhhits so good man. how did you learn to draw? how did you learn anatomy and then how did you learn comics and shit? do you have major inspirations you look to or accounts or exercises? i hope these questions are ok i’m very curious, i’ve started drawing again after stopping because of uni and while it’s slowly coming back i’m struggling with consistency and getting expressiveness

Ahh thank you so much!!

I started drawing really young by just copying cartoons I liked and then graduated to “how to draw manga” books. I was fairly self taught in that way until I got into art college~

I feel like everything I learned has been almost completely through observation. There’s a lot to be learned from just looking at something and breaking it down to it’s core elements whether it’s anatomy, the cinematography of a movie or a comic book spread. Really analyzing why someone makes the choices they do and applying it to your own work.

College is where I learned the technical terminology for things in storyboarding and I could finally put words to the things I was observing in the movies and tv shows I was watching, which in turn, allowed me to use those techniques more effectively. After that’s it’s just finding your style and breaking the rules in a way that makes sense to you~

Being a storyboard artist/director at disney has also helped me shape my writing style as well as the way I like to stage shots for my comics (which are more of a storyboard style than comic style imo). I’ve learned a lot of efficiencies and tricks on how to make things nice and clear when drawing stuff.

So yeah! Just observe!! Look at real life, look at things that inspire you, look at other artists and really break down and analyze how they do things!

#ask yam

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coyotejone-s · 2 months ago

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i'm insane. rubber rats and such. here's my thoughts on who the reds and blues would main in tf2 vs whose place they would take in a potential au. spoiler: they ARE different. and also i'm not making the au, but if you wanna do it feel free to use this as a guideline.

disclaimer: i'm a walking tf2 encyclopedia... for the lore and comics. i HAVE played it of course, but i'm by no means an expert on strategy and such, so contesting my knowledge on that end is more than welcome.

RED TEAM

Grif

Main: jumps around a bit, but always comes back to heavy because he's got high health and decent damage rates. mostly follows simmons around because no one wants to fuck with the battle medic. that being said, he CAN hold his own (he's actually REALLY good at the game) and watches simmons' back like a hawk. and his other teammates' too i guess (silly).

Place: heavy. big dude, cares for his family, wouldn't be doing this in an ideal world. also he deserves a big gun. RIP the grifshot.

Simmons

Main: as mentioned, he'd be a battle medic, and a fucking TERRIFYING one at that. definitely puts a lot of time into it, and it absolutely pays off. has one of the best k/d ratios purely because he's just fucking going for it. it looks like luck but every second is strategized to an embarrassing degree. this makes him feel powerful. god forbid someone kill grif, because he'll hunt them down for the rest of the match.

Place: medic. he deserves to be unhinged. we've all seen how he is on the warthog turret.

Sarge

Main: soldier. he's got rocket jumping down to a perfect science. he is defying gravity. he has discovered some sort of secret technique to perfectly optimize speed and distance while minimizing damage. he will never tell anyone what it is and he will show it off at any chance for the rest of time. thus, he never fucking plays any other class.

Place: soldier. there is nothing to be said that hasn't been said already.

Donut

Main: this one's tough actually. i think he'd flip between pyro, demo, scout, and soldier. he likes the fast-paced gameplay, and is pretty decent at all of them.

Place: scout! he's got a hell of a throwing arm! i'd be willing to bet he was in little league as a kid. i could have better reasoning but i had to switch him when i switched tucker.

Lopez

Main: engineer. it's familiar, trying to keep things fixed and running while a bunch of idiots run around and fuck things up. can often be seen rancho relaxing next to at least 2 fully-upgraded sentries like 30 seconds into the match.

Place: engineer. same reasons, same play style.

BLUE TEAM

Church

Main: good god, he tries to main sniper, but he's so fucking bad at it. gets backstabbed all the fucking time. he's too stubborn to stop. to his credit, though, he's pretty damn good with the melee and smg.

Place: sniper. again, he's not GOOD at sniping, but he's good enough with the subweapons that he qualifies.

Tucker

Main: probably scout. he likes being fast and annoying. it's not really that deep LMAO. i think he plays like me: running directly into the line of fire and just trying to hit as many people as possible before dying. a tried and true strategy. unfortunately, as such, his k/d ratio is impressively terrible.

Place: demoman. initially i wanted to place him as scout, but then i thought about eyelander and the energy sword and it won me over because i love eyelander. i think he'd try to demoknight and be really bad at it GHSJASKHGSA.

Caboose

Main: listen to me. you can put him in any class and he'll kick fucking ass. he has every perfect strategy mapped to muscle memory or something. he's a fucking enigma. no one can beat him. if caboose is on your team, you are almost guaranteed a win.

Place: pyro. it's the whimsy.

Kai

Main: i think she'd main spy purely so she can cloak and watch everyone else run around like idiots. occasionally she gets a kill in, but that's mostly when they stumble close enough to her. she can be very efficient when she wants to be, but mostly she's here for the drama. she has a screenshot folder of grif and simmons doing gay shit. it's... massive.

Place: spy. she gets to serve cunt, be bisexual, and kill people. what more could a girl want???

MISC

Disclaimer: Locus and Felix do not have a place to take due to a lack of main-enough characters. Sorry!

Wash

Main: look at me. i think wash is exceptionally bad at most of the classes. he does his best, but they just escape him. he's pretty good with pyro, but he sees pyro as overly easy with little challenge (no offense to caboose). against all odds, i think he's best at engineer, and surprisingly good at it! usually he follows lopez around (because lopez knows what he's doing), but about half the time he'll be on his own and tentatively killing it.

Place: ms pauling. in season 10, he mostly follows carolina around, dragging the reds and blues with him and following the majority of her orders. remind you of someone?

Carolina

Main: also tends to jump around, but prefers support classes. she'll join whichever team she thinks needs the most support at the time. half the time she'll be on the sidelines, cloaked and watching her idiots fuck around.

Place: the administrator! she's the most properly take-charge of all of them. i'd imagine she inherited the position from the director.

Doc

Main: medic, what did you expect? he's surprisingly good at offense, but prefers to stick to healing. in the event of an o'malley switch, he battle medics. he's not good at it.

Place: merasmus. he deserves wizard powers.

Locus

Main: spy. suits his style PERFECTLY. will occasionally play sniper if needed. absolutely cracked at both even though he says he doesn't play video games (this is a lie).

Felix

Main: he doesn't play tf2 because he thinks the people who play it are annoying nerds. this being said: probably either scout or sniper. scout when he feels like being an asshole, sniper when he feels like actually being efficient. either way he gets to show off.

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phoenix-king-ozai · 1 year ago

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Underestimating Ozai's prowess is foolish!

Ozai was fooled by Azula regarding Zuko's "killing" of Avatar Aang because Ozai deeply values and trusts Azula as his capable enforcer and imperialist commander daughter. Azula probably subconsciously missed Zuko along with having him back taking some pressure from her as heiress. Zuko's killing and hunting of the Avatar was more about proofing his worth and value as a ruthless, capable, efficient, and effective Prince of the Fire Nation more than anything.

Of course, Ozai nearly got one-shoted or heavily damaged by lightning redirection by Zuko and Aang. The first time by Zuko was completely unexpected and was a new technique that Iroh personally developed, and Ozai never heard and learned about. Ozai also probably never expected Aang to learn lightning redirection in the short time since Zuko's rebellion. Ozai obviously, can't learn lightning redirection because the movement is based on waterbending forms that Ozai wouldn't learn because of his Fire Supremacism views.

Ozai isn't harmless or useless without his firebending skillset. However, he can't be Fire Lord and rule the Fire Nation without his firebending prowess and abilities. I heavily doubt there was ever a non-firebending Fire Lord in ATLA history besides possibly later on with Izumi when Zuko affected and changed the Fire Nation's social culture. Even with his firebending, he is still completely harmless to Avatar State Aang. Ozai and Azula would be foolish to challenge the full-realized Avatar State Aang.

The true form of firebending has less to do with actual power and more about the righteous and moral path regarding firebending. According to the creators, "Ozai is the most powerful and dangerous firebender of his era. Period!" However, "true" firebending is about using fire to create, protect, and provide warmth whereas imperialistic firebenders such as Sozin, Azulon, Ozai, and Azula view firebending as a weapon of war, destruction, conquest, and carnage. Zuko didn't gain a power boost by meeting and training with the dragons but a skill boost by following a philosophy of firebending that suits his personal morals. Zuko became more controlled and focused outside of his rage-based firebending in comparison to Azula due to her mental breakdown and the opposite of Ozai who is always controlled and focused with his rage and fury-based firebending.

Of course, Ozai's legacy is overshadowed by Sozin and Azulon. First of all, Ozai's reign was cut short by Avatar Aang awakening the Avatar State; the reign was only 5 years old compared to Sozin and Azulon's many decades of reigning. Sozin began the Air Nomad genocide, Azulon began the Southern Raiders, and near complete domination of the Earth Kingdom. The only thing regarding Iroh's legacy is that he "killed" the last dragons became the Dragon of the West and led the Seige of Ba Sing Se which was a horrific failure. Iroh's "legacy" isn't all that impressive beside the near conquest of Ba Sing Se which is a military and strategic achievement. Ozai has dueling Agni Kai achievements. Basically, fighting as a group vs one-on-one comparison. Prime Ozai vs Prime Iroh is probably an extremely difficult toss-up match. It is possible that Iroh is a superior commander and tactician whereas Ozai is a superior fighter and duelist. They are both probably excellent in each other expertise nonetheless, however; just they have their preferences. For all we know, Ozai could have led a blockade around the Earth Kingdom port cities during the Seige of Ba Sing Se with a massive Fire Nation navy fleet considering that a six-hundred-day seige needed supplies and manpower across the oceans without Earth Kingdom interference.

Azula is more of an annoyance and nuisance during the ATLA comics considering there is no way she or any of her supporters can defeat Avatar Aang in his Avatar State in order to overthrow Zuko's reign. The best they can do is kill or assassinate Zuko and Aang with poison. Also, the only side character that can possibly threaten Ozai in an actual fight bearing lightning redirection surprise is post-prison training buff Iroh. Azula and Zuko are getting stomped which is why Azula deeply fears dueling her father when he is enraged during the Phoenix King Coronation and why Zuko fled during the Black Sun Invasion. Aang, Toph, Katara, Suki, Sokka, Mai, and Ty Lee are getting curb-stomped by a full-power Ozai. Ozai and Iroh are grown-ass men and trained royal princes who are war criminals...these children would get shit-diffed by a blood-lusted adult fire-hazard duo. This is why Ozai wasn't chasing down Aang during Books 1 to 3 because the Gaang would have been killed brutally, viciously, and violently. Especially, until the very end Aang didn't know lightning redirection.

I can't wait for the live-action version of Ozai, Azula, Iroh, and Zuko to hit the television screens! I just know it going to be amazing and epic!

#atla #avatar #avatar the last airbender #sozin #azulon #iroh #ozai #zuko #azula #fire nation royal family #fire family #fire fam #fire hazard siblings #fire nation

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bugbart · 5 months ago

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I'm going to be asking a lot of artists I follow this question, but how did you develop your style? It SEEMS like most people find their style and stick with it forever, just making improvements and iterations. I tend to work in a lot of different styles because I enjoy doing that, though I know there are things I gravitate towards as well. But I wonder what your journey was and how you got feedback and improved while staying true to what you enjoyed?

hmm. I think the first thing i always come back to is that "style" is more or less just a code word for shorthand, especially if you're looking at a simplified, "toon-y" style. An art style is just an artists toolbox of learned techniques and shortcuts.

stylized anatomy, stylized backgrounds, etc. for a lot of artists is just how they're visually translating or abbreviating the thing they're trying to draw. If i find something works as both an efficient and satisfying visual shorthand for me, It'll find it's way into my art style.

for example, drawing faces in this style does not take very long at all, which makes the style choice good for a comic where this character is present in nearly every single panel. It's simple, its cute and fun to draw, and also to most people will effectively "read" as a face.

My style comes from taking inspiration from things I like to look at, I don't know how else to better describe it. There's a lot of influence from western comic books as well as anime/manga in my art style, (also a lot of techniques that i picked up when I was learning how to draw characters come from how to draw manga/anime books, that i still use to this day). A lot of it just comes from experimenting with what tools I have at hand (and when you work digitally you have a Lot of tools). Occasionally if there's an artist who I really like the work of I'll spend some time in a sketchbook trying to emulate their style and I'll learn something neat I can then add to the proverbial Toolbox. Either that or I learn that just because I like to look at something, doesn't mean I enjoy making art that way.

As for feedback and improving, going to college was where most of that happened for me. College was a really mixed bag, but I was and am super lucky to have had a handful of professors who really Got what I was doing and gave me genuine mentorship as well as honest, sometimes harsh critique when I needed it. Taking a figure drawing class also helped me improve soooooo much

Granted I also had at least one professor who made me want to quit doing art entirely for a couple terms, and I kind of got better/started making art that was more What I Wanted To Be Making out of total spite.

I hope any of that is coherent or helpful, and honestly if having a range of styles you like to work in is fun for you theres no reason not to make it- theres no need to narrow yourself into one distinct style if you dont feel like it.

#not art #redgryphon

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art-for-my-sake · 2 years ago

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Dancers are essentially ambidextrous. So is the Winter Soldier.

There’s an expression: Never give a sword to a man who cannot dance. I think the Winter Soldier’s lethal coordination originates from Bucky Barnes�� dance prowess. While Bucky Barnes is a right-dominant person in his everyday actions – reaching for a wrench or using chopsticks – he is ambidextrous in his Fighting Mode.

When “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” came out in 2021, episode 5 established that Bucky is right-handed. Online, there were many people who cried out that ‘Hydra had brainwashed the Winter Soldier to be left-handed’ and included the supporting screenshots of him wielding various weapons.

Hydra did NOT brainwash Bucky to be left-handed, they trained him to be efficient. Efficiency is about removing unnecessary elements; what’s more efficient, having to move one gun from side to side or having a gun in either hand? But having a gun in a non-dominant hand requires more training to be a good shot. Hydra had to train him to be able to kill with either hand.

(Now, the knife-flipping in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” is highly inefficient but it’s so. damn. COOL. It’s some of my favorite choreography. I don’t care that it’s ‘unrealistic’ I will die on this hill.)

I argue that Bucky was a prime candidate to become an efficient assassin, in part because of his dance background. Canonically, Bucky is a dancer (in both the MCU and the comics, but for this essay I’ll be looking at the movies). Dance requires a balance of the body’s abilities. Performance dancers must drill every technique evenly on the right and left sides, so they are prepared for any choreography given to them. But even social dancers must engage their whole bodies with surprising amounts of coordination.

Bucky would have learned to dance in the 1930’s and 40’s and many popular dances of the time could be adapted for three dancers. In “Captain America: The First Avenger,” Steve skips out of a double date, leaving Bucky to take both women out dancing. It is conceivable that Bucky would have been able to dance with them at the same time. This further indicates ambidextrous conditioning.

Another element of dances from the 30’s and 40’s is an ability to improvise. Yes, there are specific movements and sequences that are learned, but to lace these steps together while moving in a space with other couples (or trios) requires quick-thinking and a keen awareness of the environment, skills the Winter Soldier demonstrates consistently.

Even though Bucky is never shown dancing, we can assume that his skills are at the very least proficient, if not outright exceptional. Again, in the first Captain America movie, he asks Peggy Carter out dancing when she looks stunning and he looks like he’s just survived a POW camp. This is not the action of a man who cannot dance. This is someone who is sure of his ability to provide a pleasurable experience on the dance floor no matter who his partner may be.

To circle back around to my original topic: brainwashing someone to be a lefty is stupid. But, speaking from experience, training someone to be so adaptable as to be ambidextrous makes a lot of sense.

-l'art pour l'amour de moi

#dance #bucky barnes #the winter soldier #falcon and the winter soldier #fatws #captain america #ambidextrous #winter soldier

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skwpr · 1 year ago

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How to Have Fun while you Study

Here are 20 ways that you can use to have fun while you study.

Reward yourself

One of the best ways to have fun while you study is to reward yourself. This makes your studying take some sort of game effect. Studies show that people enjoy things better when they feel rewarded. Set an intention to reward yourself when you finish studying.

Have snacks

Eating snacks while studying can make everything so much fun. You can also reward yourself with snacks. Be sure to eat non-greasy foods so you don’t get your books messy.

Use colors

What better way to have fun while studying than to use all the colors out there? Use colors to have fun while studying. Colors have a way of brightening everything up. they inspire fun and joy.

Listen to study music

You can make everything a lot more fun by listening to music. I’d recommend piano, or the famous lo-fi beats that are popular everywhere now. Be sure to choose music with no words for the most efficient study session.

Watch youtube videos

Studying doesn’t have to be boring. You can learn things better than your teachers taught you on youtube! Youtube is one of the best ways to learn new things online. if you miss any class, you can go on youtube and for sure you will learn what you missed.

Take breaks

Hard work is only as fun as taking breaks. Taking breaks is very essential to have fun while studying. if you don’t take regular breaks, you stand the chance of frying up your energy and crashing. I have prior experience with not taking breaks. A study break can be as simple as standing up and stretching.

Wear comfortable clothes

When I was a kid, I had this awesome dress that I imagined was a doctor’s lab coat. I’d wear it to feel like I was doing some important doctor work! If you want to have fun while studying, be sure to wear clothes that make you feel inspired and motivated to change the world!

Create to-do lists

Studying gets boring if all you do is stare at your books. Be sure to start creating and using to-do lists. This is simply a list of what you expect to accomplish within that day. I divide my to-do lists into two parts. These are: the least productive things I can do, and the most productive things I can do.

Do what makes you happier

Make sure to make yourself happy every single day. Find out what boosts your happy hormones and do a little of that every day. For me, that would be painting, reading a good book, or listening to great music. Do what makes you happy so you can boost your mood and enjoy studying that day.

Draw mind maps

Mind maps are a great way to have fun while you study. A mind map is something you draw to connect all your ideas together using lines. I love to use mind maps to connect my facts together. Draw mind maps with markers and colored pens for a little extra fun.

Use different study techniques

Reading all day can get boring. I have a few study techniques that you can try in order to have more fun. These are:

Writing down important points

Summarizing all your notes into tiny bite-sized chunks of information

Recording your notes on your phone

Making up questions

Studying old exam questions

Using online study tools

Drawings

If you have any degree of artistic talent, it’s time for you to shine! Drawings are great to make studying a lot more fun. Make funny drawings based on information in your notes. Even a simple doodle will do. If you’re feeling crazy, make some comics.

Use cool fonts

Using cool fonts is a great way to be more artistic. Go on websites that let you download fonts and study them. I like to use creative market to get inspiration for my titles. They have some awesome fonts that you can re-create for your study sessions.

Use flash cards

Flash cards are a life saver. If you aren’t using them, then you are missing out. A flash card is a piece of paper where you write down important points. It sounds pretty basic but it promotes visual learning, and boosts your memory. Be sure to create loads of flash cards and shuffle them, all the while reviewing your notes.

Make a study video

What better way to have fun while studying than to pretend to be a youtuber! Test your videography skills by creating a time lapse of your studying. remember to use markers and colors of all sorts to make your video awesome!

Make up songs

Making up songs sounds silly, but it’s the perfect way to make studying fun. In fact, making up a song about your history notes can help you when you need it the most during exams!

Create infographics

If you fancy yourself a graphic designer, create some awesome infographics using graphic design software. Infographics can be as easy as just typing out your notes in awesome fonts. Canva is a great app to use. You can print all your infographics and use them for reviewing at a later date. Remember that by making these infographics, you are helping your brain create more connections to remember faster.

Duolingo for languages!

Everyone knows of Duolingo. If you don’t, then let me enlighten you: It is an awesome app to help you learn a new language. I’m currently using Duolingo to learn Japanese. よろしくお願いします。

Use quizlet.com

Quizlet is an online study tool to help you create flash cards. It’s a great site, and rumor has it that teachers use it to make tests! That means you can go on quizlet an find your next text, or at least related questions.

Go on memrise.com

Memrise is another online study tool that helps you to study and have fun while you’re at it. It’s a memorizing platform, and let’s add all sorts of images and audio. You can literally learn anything on there. You can also create your own course and use it to study.

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bbyboybucket · 10 months ago

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So just thought of this bc I saw a TikTok that mentioned the real life CIA experiments in the 1950s on mind control and behavioral engineering, I think all of us have heard about project MK Ultra (esp since stranger things is rumored to be based on the conspiracies of it). Anyways, as I always do, I’m thinking about Bucky now. His capture was in 1945 (?) and it probably took a few years to efficiently break him down and successfully mind control him. Obvi there’s no canon info on this, but I’d estimate Hydra succeeded with full mind control and behavioral engineering in ~1948. And even though the Russians were in possession of Bucky, we know that they were still closely tied to the American branches of Hydra which had easily already infiltrated the U.S. gov, and Zola, the mastermind behind the winter soldier, was actively working for them. This is all happening around the same time as MK Ultra. Going further, the real life project MK Ultra started because of: (1) the kgb doing similar mind control experiments on prisoners of war and (2) project bluebird/artichoke, which essentially was a U.S. gov experiment to see if a person could be mindcontrolled to commit involuntary political assassinations. So my question here is: Was Bucky the mcu’s project bluebird/artichoke & did Bucky being the first successful mind control experiment lead to project MK Ultra in the marvel universe? Because I think it did. I think that Zola passed on all the information and techniques to whoever his CIA connections were (hydra affiliated or not) and gave them everything they needed to recreate the experiments and start a mass project on it. Also, thinking about all this poses the question of how much did the writers (both movie and comics) base the winter soldier program off of the real life government mind control experiments?

#just me rambling #bucky barnes #the winter soldier #project mk ultra

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chryslerbuildingfeathers · 1 month ago

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Buried Energy

Tony stood, mouth agape, and stared in awed silence at the whirlwind ripping through his lab.

Machinery everywhere had come to life, fabricating, mixing, and processing. Blueprints were scattered across the floor. DUM-E hid in the corner. Were those.. Fresh drones? Flying through the air?

The chaos was boggling, and bouncing eclectically through it all was none other than the tiny unassuming kid he'd picked up from Queens: Peter B. Parker.

"...Peter?" Tony called, when his voice finally came back to him.

The kid froze for a moment, then pulled out an earbud and turned.

"...Yes, Mr. Stark?"

"What're ya up to, kid?"

The boy's eyes widened comically, and he tilted his head sideways as he looked up toward the billionaire. Briefly resembling a dog who'd caught the word 'walk.'

"You really want to hear about it Mr. Stark? You won't be annoyed?"

"I- Of course. That's why I asked ya' Peter."

Peter's eyes grew even wider, and a rush of happiness washed over his entire face. Tony's curiosity grew.

He'd known the kid for a few months now, mentoring him on all the ins-and-outs of the hero business. Basic first aid, de-escalation techniques, how to console victims and avoid collateral damage - All the important stuff people don't consider when they picture crimefighting. Peter took to it like glue.

After all that hard work, Tony thought the kid could use a day to relax a bit. He knew Peter liked science, so he thought he'd show him around his personal lab. Maybe let him play around with it some.

Unfortunately, after giving his brief tour, he got called away to a buisness meeting. So he'd turned to the kid, told him "Go crazy," and left. Which brings us to now.

And the biggest smile Tony Stark has ever seen directed toward him:

"IwascheckingouttheHolodesignerandInoticedacoupleblueprintsyou'dstartedbuthadn'thadtimetoworkonandIrealizedthereweresomegreatwaystorefinethemsoIdidand-"

"Kid, I'm listening, but I do need you to breath-"

The kid startled, paused, then took a deep breath.

"S-So, anyway, I did the blueprints and then they reminded me of this idea I had for a web bomb. See, I wanted something with more concussive force to break up larger groups, like one of your repulsor blast settings can do- and then I realized it could be way more effective if I used webs! But the fluid formula would need changed so-"

"So it can be properly distributed by the blast and not immediately solidify into one connected chunk." Tony interrupted, nodding along with the boy who was now jumping in place.

"OH MY GOD, YES, EXACTLY!!"

"That's really cool, Peter. Do you mind if I look over your work on the blueprints while you continue your web bomb project?"

"Of course not!!! Does that mean I can get back to it now, Mr. Stark??"

"Go for it."

Tony smiled and chuckled lightly at Peter's enthusiasm as he glanced over all the notes and design changes. These.. Weren't new ideas he'd had.

These were projects he'd worked on for months. Only, better. Scribbled all over with improvements he wanted to kick himself for not coming up with before. On top of that, the coding had been completely reworked and made more efficient than ever.

Tony barely even recognized or understood the chemical formulas Peter had fixed for medicine that'd work on Steve's super-metabolism; but Fri's simulations deemed them successful.

Was Tony's brain.. Broken? How had he never realized this before??

Somehow, it came completely out of left field. He'd seen the kid solve puzzles before, and heard him mention his love of tech and chemistry. How he'd come up with the web formula himself, how he'd gotten into a stem school on an educational scholarship. Casual background information like that. This though?

He needed to call May, he needed to call the kid's school, he needed to tell Pepper about this.

The words found their way out his mouth before he could even process them:

"Kid, I knew you were smart, but you never told me you were a genius!"

The room went strangely, completely silent.

Tony glanced up from the holotable, confused, and saw Peter had frozen. His face was completely flushed, and his eyes were.. Watery?

"I- I've gotta go, Mr. Stark, sir. I-I'm late for- Late for- yeah. Bye!" The kid stuttered, and then promptly turned on his spidersuit, and jumped out the window.

That.. Was weird. Even for a kid who's half spider.

Tony sat awkwardly in place as he watched the kid swing away. "Did that just happen?" He asked his now empty lab. The lab did not respond.

Tony's never been the best at social interactions, but he could've sworn everything was going well. The kid was excitedly talking up a storm, jumping all over the place, and then he just. Left? Was he bashful? Embarrassed?

"Hey Friday, 'genius' is still a good thing, right?"

"It appears so, sir."

"..Hm. Do me a favor and call Pepper, will you?"

"Right away, boss."

"So he's a genius?"

"I mean, I haven't exactly had him tested, but yeah. It looks like it."

"And he.. Reacted badly to this?"

"He literally jumped out a window when I told him." Tony laughed, half painfully.

"Well that's not good. I can't exactly say Iʻm surprised at the news, but-"

"Pepper, I think he's smarter than me. And he didn't even *say anything* about it. Why wouldnʻt he say anything about it, Pepper? We talk about being nerds all the time, but never- Did I do something wrong?"

Pepper paused, thoughtfully.

"I don't think so Tony, but maybe- He might be.. I think you should ask May about it."

"May, huh? Alright, thanks Pep."

Friday ends the call, and Tony is about to make a new one to Pete's Aunt, when he pauses. Out of the corner of his eye, he notices a large red schoolbag. Peter's schoolbag. Maybe this conversation would be better in person?

The next morning, after a brief text to May, Tony drags Happy away from his office and nervously begins the ride to Queens. Something about yesterday just won't stop nagging at him. It really shouldn't be a big deal, it was just one awkward conversation. Maybe Peter just panicked? Or got too excited and needed to swing out the excess energy? He had been hopping around and speaking a million words per second, after all. But actually, it wasn't just yesterday, was it? The more Tony thought about, the more he realized this wasn't just a one time thing. Strange pieces of otherwise inane conversations shifted uncomfortably in his head.

Peter suddenly freezing when Tony entered a room. Peter flinching when Tony turned up his radio. Peter stifling himself when Tony was *sure* the kid knew more than he was letting on.. They were all part of a bigger picture. One Tony couldn't put together just yet, but could feel pressing just beneath the surface.

Itʻs a bright and sunny Sunday, and traffic is impressively calm for New York. Happy sends pointed glances at him through the rearview mirror. Tony ignores him.

After a long, weird silence, the bodyguard's will finally breaks.

"Something wrong with the kid?"

Tony sighs.

"Happy, did you ever notice how smart Peter is?"

"Well yeah Tony, he does go to a fancy STEM school."

"No, I mean.. What do you think of him? How would you describe him, to someone that doesn't know him?"

"Well, I don't know, Boss. He's a weird, kinda nerdy kid who's always got way too much going on."

"Weird how, though, Happy?"

"...What is this about, Tony?"

Tony's really not sure. Their conversation is cut short as they finally pull up to the Parker's rundown apartment building.

Tony shuffles awkwardly in place after knocking on the Parker's apartment door. He'd come here with a forgotten backpack and a plan, but now that he's here.. He's not completely sure how to go about this. He knows he comes off as overly-blunt and rude even after years of Pepper's coaching, so maybe this isn't such a great idea after all. What if he ends up making things worse?

Regardless, May answers, and he can't exactly back out at this point:

"Hey, Tony, come on in. You can just set Peter's bag on the couch by you. Coffee?"

"No thank you, May. Actually, I wanted to ask you about something-"

"I kinda figured you weren't here just to drop off a bag."

Tony chuckled nervously.

"Yeah, um, actually I had a question? About Peter?"

"Yes?" May sat down on the chair across from him, expectantly.

"Did you know.. Er, that is to say. Is he-" Stark has been making public announcements and addressing important business partners since he was sixteen. Puzzling together a simple question should not be as hard as it is proving to be for him right now.

"Tony?"

"Why is Peter hiding that he's a genius?" He rushes out at last.

She looks at him blankly for a minute.

"Peter's hiding what..?"

"He's a genius. Come on, surely you've noticed."

"Now I know Peter's smart and all, but really-"

"Peter Benjamin Parker is a complete and certifiable genius in every sense of the word. He doesn't even have to *process* most things, May, he just intuitively *understands!* I haven't met anyone like him since, well. Since *me.*"

There is an awkward and unexpected silence over the room. Peter's guardian is looking at Tony like she's just seen a ghost. Then, finally, she lowers her gaze toward the ground.

"...I was afraid of that." She quietly replies.

"Afraid?"

"I always knew there was something he was holding back. He'll start talking sometimes, and his eyes will spark so bright! And he'll slip into vocab words I don't even recognize while getting excited about chemistry, or physics. And then, suddenly, he'll just stop. He'll blink, frown, and withdraw for some reason. I always thought it was grief, keeping himself from getting too happy."

"So he's even been hiding it from you."

"Have you talked to him about it?"

"I noticed, and when I tried to tell him how smart he was, he completely rushed out on me. Jumped out a window, even."

"I'll never get used to that." May said with a laugh.

"So what do we do?"

Originally, their plan had been simple: Tony would spend more time with him for the next few weeks, casually introducing more complex concepts into his conversations with the kid. May would quietly investigate Peter's teachers and grades to make sure everything's okay for him there. Perhaps subtly question Ned and MJ on it as well. Don't mention the situation until Peter does.

Simple, solid, and as it turns out: Completely unnecessary.

Because on day two of putting it into action, while Tony was alone in his lab, Friday received an emergency signal from Peter's rudimentary suit A.I. Who, as it turns out, Peter had secretly turned into a full-blown A.I. named Karen.

"Mr. Stark, I have deemed it necessary to inform you Spider-Man has been cornered with blackout protocol in place. Please come as quickly as possible."

That didn't sound good. Not the least of which because Tony had no idea what this custom protocol was, or why this situation warranted an emergency. Maybe a stealth mission gone wrong? Regardless, Tony rushed out in his Ironman suit with barely a second thought. It was a dark, noisy night in the city, and Peter's tracker was staying firmly in place on the map.

As Tony approached, the noises only grew louder. Sirens. Lots of sirens.

If it were possible for him to start flying even faster, he would be.

At last, he's got Peter in his sights. Or at least, he thinks he has. On top of an apartment building's roof, three gunmen were surrounding and shooting at one giant ball of webbing. Webbing exactly where the emergency signal traced. Tony landed in-between the thugs and the ball with a loud thunk.

"I've heard of people having bad reactions to spiders before, but this is ridiculous."

The gunmen around him startled, before quickly turning their fire toward him.

"You know, those guns really should've come with a safety course. Don't you realize shooting metal causes-"

One of the thugs fell to the ground and screamed, clutching his leg.

"-bullet ricochets?"

The remaining two quickly lowered their guns and looked to each other nervously. Tony didn't waste any time before repulser blasting them unconscious.

Then, he slowly approached the web.

"Spider-Man? Hey Spidey, you in there? Friday, please alert Karen that I've taken out the surrounding gunmen and that it's safe for the kid to come out now."

There was empty silence for a while, before, finally, a slight shifting in Peter's nest. A few more minutes of quiet rustling, and then the young spiderling's head cautiously popped out.

"Hey kid? You okay?"

Tony couldn't see much with the mask in the way, but Peter appeared pretty spooked.

"Spidey?"

Peter slowly, carefully stepped out of his web. Only to completely leap onto Tony at the sound of a loud clang nearby.

"...Alright kid, let's get you out of here." Tony awkwardly shifted Peter so he'd be safely positioned for the ride, then flew him gently back to the tower.

---

When they got back to the tower, after a quick once-over to make sure he really hadn't been hurt, Peter locked himself in his room. The kid still wasn't talking, and looked.. Frustrated. Angry. Wether at Tony, Karen, the thugs, or himself, was unclear.

Friday had already notified and updated May on the roof situation, and about the kid's mysterious silence. Unfortunately May was in the middle of a long night shift, so she wouldn't be able to come check on him herself until morning.

Tony was worried.

When he asked Karen what blackout mode was, all she was allowed to tell him was that it's a safety protocol Peter had made. She wouldn't say anything about Peter's silence, how the roof situation had come about, or why Peter had turned her into a full A.I. in the first place. He was almost tempted to try hacking into her file system, but decided to save it as a last resort. The last thing he wanted was for Peter to shutdown on him even more.

So, with no other choice left, he waited.

And waited.

Four hours later, restless and about to check if Peter had actually just gone to sleep, Tony heard the quiet creak of a door opening. The kid crept out into the hall slowly, wincing at his own steps. Until finally, he reached the living room- where Tony had been watching from the couch- and waved shyly.

"H-Hi, Mister Stark." His voice was hoarse and croaky.

"Hello, Spider-child. Wanna tell me what happened out there?"

Peter crossed his arms in front of his chest nervously, and stuttered. "S-some guys got the- the drop on me. That's a-all."

Tony raised a skeptical eyebrow at him.

"They got the drop. On you. With your super senses? Come on kid, I know that's not the full story. What's really going on?"

"I-" Peter glared at the floor and huffed in frustration. "You weren't supposed to find out."

"Find out what? Is this about that whole secret genius thing, Peter? 'Cause I promise, there's nothing wrong with-"

"No!" Peter cut him off. "No, it's not about being smart. It's-" Tears streaked their way down his face as his mouth searched for words.

"I..I'm broken. I'm broken and I don't think I can ever be fixed."

Tony sat frozen, stunned. What does this mean? What's been going on behind the scenes for so long that it'd led his kid to this point? A million possibilities flicker through his brain, but the pieces all feel too jagged and warped.

"Kid. Peter, come here. Please, come sit down on the couch." Tony requests softly.

Stiff and anxiously, the kid obeys.

"I'm gonna go make us some hot cocoa, and then we can talk about this more. Unless you want to wait until your aunt can be here?"

"No." Peter responded with the most exhausted whisper Tony had ever heard.

"Alright, that's okay. Wait here, I'll be just a minute."

Tony Stark you sunnova bitch.

You just had to go and get yourself a little protégé, didn't you? Less than three years ago, you were partying it up, having a grand ol' time, enjoying all the irresponsibility in the world. Now? Now you care about silly things like Feelings and Not Being An Alcoholic and Taking Care Of Your Pseudo-Son. Ugh.

And the worst part? You can only blame yourself.

And wouldn't trade this for anything.

###

Tony rubs slow hands over his tired eyes with a long, breathy sigh as he waits for the kettle to reach a boil. May and Pepper have long impressed upon him the importance of having comfort beverages for serious conversations, and this one's shaping up to be a heavy one.

He doesn't even have to look to know that Peter's still fidgeting anxiously, staring at the floor in the other room. After carefully pouring two steaming mugs of hot cocoa topped high with whipped cream, Tony sends a quick text to Pepper ("Serious talk with kid. Emotional backup appreciated. Please standby.") and heads back to the living room to sit on the couch next to Peter.

"So, kid. Who do I need to have murdered?"

Peter chokes on his drink and splutters.

"Nobody! You shouldn't k-kill anyone Mr. Stark!" He bursts between coughs.

"Ah, right, right. Death is too easy, they need to suffer." Tony nods sagely as he pats Peter’s back.

"Mr. Stark!" Peter cries out, exasperated.

Tony takes a long sip from his mug. His customly monogrammed "Iron Dad" mug. His customly monogrammed "Iron Dad" mug that was jokingly gifted to him by Rhodey for Father's Day. 'Jokingly'. His paternal instincts have never been stronger; and Pepper would be very amused.

"Talk to me, Peter. What's blackout mode, why the secret genius thing, and where did this idea of you being 'broken' come from?"

The kid's eyes return to the floor.

"I'm. Um. I'm not.. Normal?" Peter half mumbles.

"Well, you are a genius half-spider after all." Tony agrees.

"That's not. Well.. I was like this before the bite."

"Go on?"

Peter takes a slow, deep breath, then lets his whole body deflate with it.

"Everything is. Loud. All of the time. The noises are loud, the lights are loud, the feelings are loud." He turns to Tony. "Too loud."

"And now, I've got super senses, and it's a thousand times worse! I can hear Pepper’s heart beat upstairs, Mr. Stark. I can hear the flow of blood pumping through your veins. I can feel each individual molecule of moisture in the air rubbing against me right now. If I focus, I can smell the family two blocks down having pizza."

"Oh kid-"

Tony has always known about Peter’s enhanced senses, that they help him find crimes to stop and follow evidence trails no one else can. But he's never stopped to consider what that would actually mean on a whole-life scale. The full implications of what kind of hell that would be. God, how does Peter make it through a school day?

"But that's not even the biggest problem." Peter's voice cracks with stress. "No, I can usually ignore the worst of that if I try hard enough. The biggest problem… is that I can't control myself."

"Control yourself?" Tony asks.

Peter abruptly stands.

If just getting him to open up about the loudness was hard, this seems like it’s gonna be moving up to Peter Parker grad school. The kid shifts, rocks, paces around the room, finishes his cocoa, makes more cocoa, and generally does anything he can do to dodge further addressing the situation until Tony breaks the silence again.

"Listen Peter, I'm not gonna be mad, or judge you, or anything like that. And you're definitely not broken. But I need to know what's going on, okay? You're my kid, and I care about you. And I want to be able to help you when you need it."

Peter's movement comes to a sudden halt as he turns back toward Tony. "I'm your.. You really mean that?"

"I- Well, yeah. Pete." He continues nervously. "You're already on the will and everything."

“Oh wow.” Peter mumbles under his breath as his face turns an embarrassed red. Tony does his best to keep down his own emotional awkwardness and panic.

Peter slowly, cautiously brings himself back down onto the couch.

"...Okay." Peter says weakly.

"Okay...?" Tony asks.

"Yeah." Peter sniffles. "It's just. Feelings, right?"

Tony nods for him to go on.

"When I have.. feelings. They're loud too. They're so loud, it's like they're trapped inside me and trying to explode! I can't make myself sit still, or think through everything that's happening, and. Sometimes, when everything is too loud, I can't speak at all."

"So you made the blackout mode to help quiet things down?" Tony guesses.

"Y-yeah."

“Alright. And the hiding how smart you are?"

"It's- My brain. My brain gets stuck on stuff when I get excited about it. I get stuck on stuff, and can't stop talking about it or thinking about it, no matter how hard I try. Like physics and chemistry. It's frustrating and annoying and it makes people hate me."

Tony gives that thought a moment to settle, and Peter a chance to catch his breath, before finally responding:

"I don't think anyone worthwhile could ever hate you, kid."

"Well of course you're saying that now, but-"

Tony cuts him off by waving a hand in his face.

"Nu-uh. I'm saying it forever, kid, and I'm gonna buy you a new super-expensive lego set every time you try to argue otherwise."

“But-!”

“Ah-uh, one new Lego Star Destroyer coming right up. In fact, maybe I should throw in another set for you believing that junk in the first place-”

Peter groans.

"So," Tony begins again, "Why haven't you told your Aunt May about this?"

"How did you know I-? Ugh." Pete turns away again.

"Peter-"

"It's just." He sighs and mumbles. "Ididntwantobedoubleorphaned."

"What was that?"

Peter groans again even louder. "I didn't want to be double orphaned, okay!? I knew there was something wrong with me, and I was already such a big burden on aunt may, so I didn't want to cause any more trouble!"

"Oh, Peter."

Tony can't help himself. Personally, he blames the mug. Tears fill his eyes as he leans over, wraps his arms around the kid, and pulls him into the greatest bear hug the world has ever known. Peter yelps with surprise. But slowly, carefully relaxes into Tony’s hold.

###

Later, when Pepper quietly peaks in to check on them, she finds the two asleep on the couch- Still held in each other's arms.

#fanfic #mcu fanfiction #spider-man #iron dad #spider man fanfic #autistic peter parker

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thetapestrymspfa · 1 year ago

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oh my god i'm just finding out about your tumblr i LOVE the tapestry so much :) few questions, feel free to answer only one or all of them [or none, really. up to you] 1. is there a technique you use to draw ALL of that detail in the backgrounds? 2. what do you use to draw/make music? 3. how did you come up with the tapestry? you said on one of your previous asks that you make a lot of things up as you go along, but how much of it all is planned, as well as how you build up to it, do you just create plots on the spot that get to the planned out bits? 4. [feel free to ignore this one if its too spoiler-y] since this is a different kind of sburb/polln'ator session, will classpects still be a thing? or will there be something entirely different?

btw i love sosav :)

Thank you so much, glad you're liking the comic! I'd be glad to answer your questions! :) 1. For the most part my technique is just to spend the time to draw all that detail, but over the years I've gotten the process more efficient by working more improvisationally and trying to find quick and easy ways to convey specific material textures with just a few lines. 2. For drawing I pretty much exclusively use Photoshop, I make almost all my music in LMMS but for the latest album I added a few elements to some tracks using Logic Pro. Also, I use Blender for 3D modeling. 3. The concept of The Tapestry started out as a Sburbventure adaptation of a story I made in Spore: Galactic Adventures, and only a few elements from that version of the story made it into the final comic. Most of those elements are still spoilers, with the exception of the "entire galaxy being brought into the medium" plot beat that was revealed in [S] Superimpose. At this point I've got the entire backstory of the comic plotted out, as well as the rough outline of the ending. The Act 3 plan right now is comprised of a loose sequence of events that need to happen before the act finale, and as the comic goes along I'll be splicing things in or switching the order of things around as the pacing demands. There are also sections of the comic I intentionally leave open for more improvisational storytelling. 4. While there hasn't been any sign of anything equivalent to homestuck classes, several characters have been hinted (or in a few cases outright stated) to have associated aspects. I'll leave it to you to find them ;o)

#the tapestry mspfa

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lizziempress · 10 months ago

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Bulletproof Yourself from Feast or Famine

A career in Illustration is often portrayed as a risky journey rife with highs and lows. There is a path that will help you revel in feasts rather than endure a life of famine. Become a chameleon.

Chameleons get work. As an illustrator for entertainment advertising, I am required to switch styles on a dime (often multiple times in one day). This ability keeps me busy even when client needs vary widely. Being able to work efficiently in a variety of styles and mediums may come at the price of being an all-star in one particular method. But, your drawing muscles will be well developed, your mind will be sharp, you’ll discover new ways of problem-solving (which increases speed), and you’ll be working. Developing mastery of one style has its own merits, and you’ll always be stronger in one or two naturally. If you’ve targeted a particular industry, medium, or even company as your holy grail, then by all means go for broke. If your primary goal is to develop into the strongest, fastest, most employed illustrator you can, read on.

Collect Books & Stay Inspired

Great artists have come before us, and our contemporaries are generating impressive content at an incredible pace. Bring their work home with you. Stay abreast of what is out there both traditionally and currently. Keep a Pinterest collection of your favorite illustration work, and several folders of reference. Learn from observation. Why do you love this work? Is this digital color laid over pencil sketches? How many heads tall are the characters in this children’s book? What would you have done differently as the artist?

Every so often, stop by a second-hand bookstore to load up an arm full of illustrated material that you find inspirational. Maintain a personal library of cherished books. At any moment, you may walk the shelf and be re-engaged by a comic, concept art, or a picture book that you haven’t glanced at in a year. Flip through, and it will tell you old tells in a new way. Your mind will absorb a portion of the technique without picking up a pencil (or stylus).

Study Anatomy & Build an Écorché

If you are serious about working as an illustrator full-time, a solid understanding of the human form is a must. Human faces and anthropomorphic characters grace nearly every advertisement, film, and animated feature. Constructing an écorché model from clay over a wire base (or drawing the bones, muscles, then surface detail of the human form) will significantly improve your understanding of human anatomy. When you are assigned to draw several figures at various angles with little reference in a hurry, the task won’t be as staggering. You will better understand how muscle connects to the bone, where to plot boney protrusions, the angle of the wrist. If a leg is hidden in the reference but you must draw it for the assignment, you will have the mental power to invent the mystery leg.

Attend Figure Drawing Sessions

Photographs will only get you so far when it comes to learning how a real person moves, breaths, and exists in natural light. Nothing beats a live figure drawing session. Zoom figure drawing is valuable too. Whenever possible, attend drawing sessions that feature models of every gender, height, weight, ethnicity, and age that you can. Humans are diverse, and that is a beautiful thing. Immortalize all types of people on the page. You’ll be rewarded with artwork that is relatable, believable, and stronger. The more figure drawings you produce, the larger your mental library will become, and the more accurate and graceful your strokes will be.

Practice Drawing in Several Styles

Now that you’ve assembled a treasure trove of beloved style samples, and built your mental library of human (and maybe even animal) anatomy, it is time to experiment. Try everything from realism to extremely stylized animated characters. Flexible artists get work. One week you may be sketching black and white storyboard panels for a vehicle AD spot, the next you will be painting a vintage pin-up style character for a wine label, then the following week you’ll be asked to design a cute Twitter emoji of an animated sloth, and so on. Yes, there are artists who maintain one signature style that lands them tons of lucrative projects. But, when you are starting out and building your reputation as an illustrator who shows up and produces great work on time, you may not yet enjoy the luxuries of being a sought-out all-star yet. By having the ability to switch gears multiple times a week, even multiple times a day, you’ll not only work — you’ll discover what you really love to draw, and what styles you excel at. Think of it like a style buffet (with a paycheck)!

Now that I’ve mentioned money, never work for free. Let me repeat that, never work for free! Developing art muscles that can spring effortlessly from one style to the next, is a valuable skill. Your time, and the years you spent learning leading up to this gig, are precious. Get paid. Get paid fairly, and if you aren’t sure what to charge, ask another artist. Check out a guide book, forums, do your research. The health of our industry relies on it. Future you, will be oh so glad that you did! Now that you’re networking regarding rates…

Stay Connected

Other illustrators are your most valuable resource. Seek out mentors and friends within the industry for guidance and support. Your first gigs will likely come from a more experienced artist who has an overflow of work, or who knows of a project (or company) that you’d be a great fit for. Join groups and collectives such as Girls Drawin’ Girls, The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, or Freelancers Union. Take small boutique classes with industry professionals, in which you’ll get to actively speak with the teacher.

Most importantly, make actual friends. Some of your best memories will likely come from figure drawing with other artists, attending museums and shows, collaborating on projects, or even surviving intense deadlines together. Share your knowledge freely with others, and listen when your fellow illustrators have advice for you. Cutthroat competitiveness isn’t a good look, it isn’t pleasant, and it won’t get you far anyway. Skip it. Build a community. You chose drawing as a career path because it is fun. Enjoy being an illustrator!

#illustration #art career #figure drawing #freelancing

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