#it's pen on paper digitally colored (very efficient and fun!) (i did this on my phone!)

[artstantpansies]

wowzers! a ref for my little avatar/sona!! smth vaguely reminiscent of myself and full of silly goofy doodle swag

(i made this in like 15 minutes as a ref for the comic portion at the end of chapter nine of The Fic)

[beepboopiloveyou]

Art is not a carriage, it's not a vehicle. Its purpose is not to be efficient, to do a practical job with as little effort as possible.

Oh okay, here we go into the ableist diatribe of "effort" and "blood sweat and tears" to justify art's "value" in our labor-centric capitalist society.

Art is wonderful, from a baby's first drawing, inexperienced and unskilled, to the paintings adorning the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

I thought you just said art shouldn't be as little effort as possible? Do you think a baby scrawling with a crayon has any effort or intention behind it? (besides the obvious "this stick is cool and I like making cool lines on surfaces with it")

If you consider yourself an AI artist, I ask you: are you proud of yourself when the computer has completed another image that you will claim as yours? Do you look at it and feel the joy of having created something?

As an artist and designer that uses a stable diffusion tool, yes: after two hours of developing words that trigger the right understanding in the model set, weighting words so it properly picks up on certain details, configuring how far it can venture outside of the prompt, creating negative prompts to put up some guard rails, maybe utilizing a Lora for more style and subject focusing, making tweaks after every set of 4 come out, and then curating a final pack of images, yes, I look at it and feel joy that I created things.

Does the generative process teach you how to see the world better?

It teaches me how to envision and describe it better, yes. It helps me translate my mental images into art direction in a very fun way, like a thought puzzle.

With every image created, do you evolve?

I do! I get better at utilizing the GUI and I get faster at boiling down to what I want. I get familiar with different models and how they excel in different types of imagery (more painterly vs photorealistic, for example).

Do you understand the planes of the face better now than 1000 images ago?

Do photographers? Do poets? Do lighting designers? Do generative coders? Do cartoonists? The answer is yes, but in very different ways, so why does that matter?

Do you know what rim light is, and where to put it?

I just googled it, so thanks for the tip! Yeah I know where it goes now.

Do you understand light sources?

Here's a prompt for that:

"a polished ((glass)) pyramid sculpture (((refracting))) warm hazy (light) into a cozy bedroom during golden hour"

Tones?

Can you tell me an rgb hex value by looking at it? (this whole part is so gatekeepy btw)

Could you take a piece of paper and shade a portrait by yourself?

Yeah I did that a bunch for my BFA.

A digital artist uses a pen to put colors on screen, chooses where to put each brush stroke, when to smudge or use the liquify tool. A 3D sculptor manipulates basic shapes into characters just like a traditional artist molds clay. An AI "artist" doesn't make any of the thousands of choices that lead to the creation of a real piece of art.

Ahh, this is where you truly don't know what you're talking about. Inpainting, outpainting, using images as sources, training custom models, and literally any hardcore stable diffusion tweaking make these statements woefully ignorant.

"But art is hard, and I'm not good enough."

Art isn't hard, art is actually very easy. Like a baby that's drawing! "I'm not good enough" is toxic as fuck. "Good" is so so subjective. For most people what they're really trying to say is "there is a gap between what I'm imagining and what I'm rendering." "Good" shouldn't fall into that. "Good" is a trap. "Personally satisfying" should be what people aim for with their art. Fuck "good."

I've been drawing since I was a baby, and I still have a long way to go. And that is also fine, because art is a lifelong pursuit, growing, changing, just as I am.

I'll take this on the side of good faith because it honestly could sound more gatekeepy than not ("well I've spent my whole life doing art, how dare you dabble in it"). That's genuinely really awesome that you have that passion, man. This AI thing is one point in a lifetime's worth of human innovations that give ideas to artists for new work. 35 years ago, people were scanning themselves into Macintoshes and printing themselves out life size on dot matrix paper reels. 50 years ago, a woman led a performance piece involving scissors that changed the world. 60 years ago, people were photographing dirt trails that they formed themselves in the middle of nature. 100 years ago, a guy put a urinal sideways on a pedestal in a gallery and it's still talked about today. Art isn't just about illustration. And sometimes laborious effort is barely required to make good art.

You could draw a crooked circle on xerox paper and it will look better than all the AI art in the world. Because you made it. Have some faith in yourself. Your vision has more artistic value than what that computer generated.

The people who want to draw will still keep drawing. The people who want to casually prompt things will casually prompt things. The people who will utilize AI as a professional tool will continue doing so (it's now becoming a trend in concert visuals because of how naturally trippy it is). People make computers generate all kinds of beautiful things and there's no reason they should stop just because you prefer a pencil.

I'm trying. Are you?

"My art has effort. My art has provenance. I'm working hard at it. Hard work means value. Mine has more value. So you think yours is as valuable as mine? I've worked my whole life to make my art valuable. Since I was a baby. If it's not valuable, than what did I work so hard for??"

I dunno tbh. I don't think anyone can answer that except yourself. Art at it's most revered should be valuable to you. Anyone else is just a bonus. This isn't a competition. Or is it? Is everyone's art beautiful because they expressed themselves in a way, or are we going to shun the quadriplegic who has been more elated in the past year using midjourney than they ever were trying to paint with their mouth? Are we going to shun the pre-teen generating anime costumes who will develop an interest in fashion design? Fuck all that. Art is for everyone. Tools are for everyone. There will always be levels of bespoke craft and talent. There will also always be levels of thought, theory and ideation. Let people make their art. Let people be happy with their art. Just because AI reaches levels of talent that you worked hard on doesn't mean it's the same value. Value is meaningless. Focus on your art. Let others make theirs. I promise that whatever issues you're having with your art is a you problem, not an AI problem.

EDIT: and thanks for taking this off your reblogs 🤣

"Why are artists so butthurt about AI art? Horse carriage drivers didn't complain when they invented the car, they were just grateful that the technology evolved and made it easier to get around."

Art is not a carriage, it's not a vehicle. Its purpose is not to be efficient, to do a practical job with as little effort as possible. Art is not something that can be automated, because its artistry lies in the humanity of its creator. Art is wonderful, from a baby's first drawing, inexperienced and unskilled, to the paintings adorning the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

If you consider yourself an AI artist, I ask you: are you proud of yourself when the computer has completed another image that you will claim as yours? Do you look at it and feel the joy of having created something?

Does the generative process teach you how to see the world better? With every image created, do you evolve? Do you understand the planes of the face better now than 1000 images ago? Do you know what rim light is, and where to put it? Do you understand light sources? Tones? Could you take a piece of paper and shade a portrait by yourself?

"AI software is just like Photoshop or Blender, the next step in artistic technology".

It's not though, is it? A digital artist uses a pen to put colors on screen, chooses where to put each brush stroke, when to smudge or use the liquify tool. A 3D sculptor manipulates basic shapes into characters just like a traditional artist molds clay. An AI "artist" doesn't make any of the thousands of choices that lead to the creation of a real piece of art.

"But art is hard, and I'm not good enough."

Neither am I! Man, I'm not the worst artist in the world, but I'm not great, still not at the level I would like to be. Sometimes I draw something and I look at it and realize that it sucks ass! Sometimes I post a drawing online and realize that I drew a character out of proportion, that the light source is not consistent, that I've shaded outside the lines! And you know what's great? That I get to have an understanding of what I did wrong! I get to evolve! I redraw something from 5 years ago and realize that my composition is much better, my shading more believable. And I know that in 5 more years, I might redraw it again and pride myself in how much I've evolved.

I've been drawing since I was a baby, and I still have a long way to go. And that is also fine, because art is a lifelong pursuit, growing, changing, just as I am.

It's okay to not be good. Hell, it's okay if you don't even try to get better. By drawing, you WILL. It's inevitable that, by practicing, you'll learn.

You know what will not make you a better artist? Software that will generate your "art" for you. The result might look more complex than what your skill level allows you to create right now. But it doesn't look better. You could draw a crooked circle on xerox paper and it will look better than all the AI art in the world. Because you made it. Have some faith in yourself. Your vision has more artistic value than what that computer generated.

"If you're afraid that AI will steal your job, learn to draw better!"

I'm trying. Are you?

[eldritchsurveys]

671.

Do you use wide ruled or college ruled notebooks? >> I always preferred college-ruled, like it was a hard rule for me when I was young. I refused to use wide-ruled paper. It was anathema. I still don’t care for it, but I don’t use paper much anymore, period, so it doesn’t matter.

On a pair of jeans, which pocket do you most use? >> The back right one, I guess, because I usually have my phone in there so I go in and out of it a lot.

Do you have a class ring? >> No.

What about a letterman jacket? >> No.

Do you still have a piggy bank? >> I don’t recall ever having one, tbh.

Is it actually shaped like a pig? >> ---

What is the name of the hospital you were born in? >> It was called Elizabeth General Medical Center when I was born, but now it’s been folded into a citywide system of hospitals all using the name “Trinitas”.

What is the legal drinking age of the country you live in? >> 21.

What type of internet browser are you using? >> Firefox.

What's your favorite search engine? >> Unfortunately, it’s Google. All the shit I hate about Google is the same exact shit that makes it so good as a search engine.

Are you a "Master Googler"? >> I don’t really know what that means. Honestly, it doesn’t take much cleverness to get what you want out of Google -- other search engines, on the other hand...

Do people often buy you photo albums when they don't know what else to buy? >> No. No one even uses photo albums these days.

Have you ever literally lent someone a shoulder to cry on? >> No.

How long do your showers typically last? >> Between five and ten minutes, usually skewing to the shorter end. I really just don’t like being in there, so I got real efficient at it.

What is the most annoying accent you've ever heard? >> ---

Have you ever seen a mariachi music video? >> No.

Have you ever watched a movie with the commentary? What about the subtitles? >> I’ve never watched a movie with the commentary on, but one day I might like to try that with a movie I’m already well familiar with, just to see if it’s interesting. I always watch things with the subtitles on, if I can help it.

What are your thoughts on re-constructive surgery? What about plastic surgery? >> I mean... they’re good things for people who want/need them? I don’t know what kind of opinion I’m supposed to have.

Or should people learn to love their flaws? >> Oh, that’s what you mean. No, I don’t think “people should learn to love their flaws” is an appropriate attitude for me to take. Especially since it’s not like I’m a paragon at unconditional self-acceptance or anything.

Do you style your hair regularly? >> I don’t style my hair at all.

What does your laundry basket/hamper look like? >> It’s round and purple.

Do you have a favorite word? What is it? >> There are words I like more than others, but I don’t think I have a favourite one or anything.

McDonald's sweet tea: Yes or No? >> No.

When was the last time you had a papercut? >> I don’t remember. I almost gave myself one earlier today, putting some papers into my tote bag.

What was the worst Halloween costume you ever had? >> ---

Is violence ever really the answer? >> Sure.

Do you have a favorite brand of pen? >> I don’t think so.

Do you enjoy the smell of sharpies? What about gasoline? Or even chlorine? >> I enjoy the smell of the first two, in moderation. Not chlorine, though.

Have you ever sung in a choir? If so, what section were you in? Bass, Tenor, Alto, Soprano? >> I was a soprano as a child, shifted into alto as a preteen, and I think now I’d be most comfortable as a tenor.

Did you ever pronounce bologna how it's spelled? >> Yeah, to be silly.

Are either of your parents in the medical field? >> No.

What about educational field? >> No.

Can you cry on cue? Do you wish you could? >> No, I can’t, and I don’t really care to.

Do you prefer gold or silver jewelry? >> Gold.

Have you ever shaved your arms? What about your stomach? >> No to arms, yes to stomach.

Facebook or Myspace? Which is your favorite? Or is there another one? >> I mean, only facebook is even relevant now. I don’t like it, though. I prefer to socialise here or on Discord.

Have you ever made a friendship bracelet? >> I don’t think so.

Have you ever been sledding on a real wooden sled with metal runners? >> No. I’ve never been sledding, period.

Are you allergic to any particular animals? What about foods? And medicines? Or are you one of the lucky ones who don't have any allergies? >> I am one of the lucky ones, yeah.

Did you or anyone you knew get swine flu? >> No.

Do you think that people caused global warming? Or is it more of a natural earth cycle thing? >> I think it’s a little of column B and a lot of column A.

Do you watch Curling during the Olympics? >> I don’t watch the Olympics.

Is bright red lipstick classy or trashy? >> It’s just lipstick.

Do the potential lovers you pursue typically have tattoos and piercings? >> ---

Do you like your teeth? Have you had any work done on them? >> I mean, they’re fine. They serve their purpose. No, I haven’t had work done on them.

Do you know what a lobotomy is? >> Sure.

Have you ever put ranch dressing on pizza? >> No.

Do you remember the purple and green colored ketchup from the 1990s? >> Ha, I do.

Have you ever taken a dance class? >> When I was a child. I wouldn’t mind taking one now, but I can’t afford stuff like that.

Do you ever actually buy CDs anymore or do you just download music? >> I just use Spotify. I’ve chosen the path of least resistance.

Who is prettier? Jennifer Love Hewitt or Megan Fox? What about Ellen Degeneres or Mariah Carrey? >> None of these people even cross my radar when it comes to aesthetically pleasing faces.

Have you ever been to failblog.org? >> No.

Do you own a guitar? >> No.

Do you pop your knuckles? >> Sometimes.

Do all of your photos in yearbooks usually turn out looking terrible? >> All of them did until senior year, weirdly enough.

Did you have uniforms at your high school? >> No.

How often do you dust your room? >> I don’t. I probably should, but it just never occurs to me.

Do you ever use Febreez? >> No.

Have you ever been to Japan? What about Germany? Or Mexico? >> No.

Does your family ever take fun vacations? >> ---

Where was the last place you went on vacation? >> New Orleans.

Have you ever seen a castle in real life? If you said no, please note that the castles at Disney parks count. =D >> There’s an apartment complex near me called the Grand Castle and it’s just the most plastic-toy-castle looking thing I’ve ever seen. Hold on, here’s what it looks like...

It looks fake, or like one of those photos that plays with perspective and scale, where it’s actually a Lego castle or something. But nope, it’s an apartment complex. smh. Anyway, no, I’ve never seen a legitimate castle in real life.

Do you remember the first book you read by yourself? >> No.

Did you ever read R. L. Stine's Goosebumps books? >> Yep, I read a lot of those as a kid.

What about Lemony Snicket's "A Series of Unfortunate Events" books? >> I didn’t even hear of those until I was grown.

Have you ever seen a nun in public? >> Sure. One time back in the day, Sigma and I ran into a couple of nuns on Eighth Avenue and Sigma talked to them for a solid hour. They were... very accommodating.

Have you ever heard of a musician named Priscilla Renea? >> No.

Have you seen the Austin Power's movies? >> I think I saw the first one. This was a long time ago, though. I couldn’t sit through five minutes of one now.

Do you, or did you ever, have a Gameboy? >> No, I’ve never had one.

Are you sitting in a rolley chair? >> Nope.

Were you a Nancy Drew reader when you were younger? >> I wasn’t.

Do you think Twilight is losing lots of original fans because of the movie? >> It didn’t appear that way to me, but I also wasn’t in the fandom so I wouldn’t really know for sure.

Do you think Zombieland was like an American version of Shaun of the Dead? >> I mean, in the sense that it is a comedy film about zombies, sure, why not. But really, they’re just in the same subgenre of movie, is all. They’re their own things.

Have you ever ice skated? What about roller skated? >> I’ve done the latter but never the former.

Do you have a video camera? What about a digital camera? Webcam? >> There’s a camera on my phone, and there’s one in both my computers but I never use those.

What is your preferred instant messaging service? >> Discord.

Do you enjoy being in photos? Or do you prefer taking the photos? >> I prefer taking them.

Know anyone named Gus? >> Sparrow’s former cat was named Gus.

Do you know anyone who seems to break EVERYTHING they touch? >> Nope.

Are giraffe's weird animals? >> They are and I dig it.

[cervamater]

A good deal. {ShibiYosh}

Thief AU meets Gang AU. A smol gift for @aburamechan /@tenefix because I love the dorklord and the tiny tyrant. Hope you enjoy! 💓

Air was soft and crispy on his face as he watched outside his office, nature was still frozen but close to blossoming, he was toying with one of the few pens within grasp in the meanwhile. His back was turned on a student of his: an efficient boy gifted with a clever mind and an incredible talent; a great addition to his group, he was proud. “Should I put this over here, Shibi-san?” he was referring to a pile of papers containing his newest work, a market survey the leader had asked for some time prior. Not a thing pertaining to the Head Professor of Sciences, for sure, but that was perfectly convenient to his second nature. “That would be lovely, Muta-kun, thank you. Please, make sure to close the door when you leave.” The older man saw the bow Muta offered to him reflected on the window glass, then the younger man went out of his office and left him alone. A peace that was unlikely to last, just like weather during such a fleeting season. “You should definitely find some other things to do” she stated, he didn’t need to look at her to tell she was standing arms-crossed on his threshold, one foot further forward than the other. Obviously, Muta didn’t even notice her sneaking in… her ability to blend in with shadows was upsetting. However, it was not like someone like her would ever go unnoticed in a sunny day. “Staring moodily outside doesn’t make you any attractive.” “It is not supposed to enrapture poor hearts” he corrected her with a sigh, resigned to go though her visit. “It’s only purpose is relaxation for a busy mind. But I guess you already know plenty of double lives, don’t you?” She smiled down at him as he sat into his expensive swivel chair, his arms were placed on rests by his side. “What do you want, Yoshino?” She puckered her lips out in a pretend of offense. “So rude and straightforward. Couldn’t I be here to visit an old friend of mine?” He glared at her from beneath his shades, unimpressed. “No, not you.” That reply pulled a smirk out of her, one finger tapping against her cheek while the rest of them wrapped around her chin loosely. A malicious attitude about her and the way those plump, red-coated lips were curved up: troubles were incoming. And he was already neck-deep into them.

“Fair enough” the woman clicked her tongue with a soft sound, “are you up for some business talking, mr. Big Shot?” Shibi shifted a little to adjust on his seat, then crossed his long legs, head held high so that he could hear her better. “I am always up for business talking.” Yoshino seemed enticed by his sharp answer because the wavy hem of her scandalously short miniskirt bounced twice as she reached the large, rotating blackboard. “You know what Keitaro rubies are, right?” Of course he did. One of Japan’s greatest treasures, Keitaro rubies were, formally, a Crown’s belonging: a handful of tiny, round, perfect gemstones with a beautiful roseate tint. Truth be honest, they weren’t exactly rubies, but pink sapphires; a deceptive mistake made by their discoverer, Sasaki Keitaro, that history never healed over. Still, that wasn’t the point. “Yes, I do.” “Well then” she started with shrill and bright voice, “in a few days, the famous Keitaro rubies will be moved from the underground vault they are currently locked into to a new display case in Kanto,  at Tokyo National Museum. Something like this has never happened once in four decades. It’s needless to say not even such an amazing artist of deceit as me could rob a super-protected building like that one.” She had the most adorable sparkle in her hazel orbs as she talked about robbing one of the most prized Japanese collection. “And what’s your solution?” he questioned her, his digits intertwined on the lucid, cherry wooden desk. “Stealing them right before they get locked away the second time” she explained with a gleaming beam, “I’ve studied all the blueprints I could get my hands on and even made some by myself when I visited the structure, and then I made sure to reveal all the possible routes for armoured vans to travel from and to TNM. Security would be impossible to breach during the transfer and once the rubies will be positioned under that glass shield I will have 0 chances to bring them with me. The only way I have to snatch those astonishing rosy stones out of their filthy hands is in the brief span between delivery and custody.” By the time she was done talking her cheeks were crimson in color, she was so flushed that her eyes looked like two honey-brown topaz fragments. So unbelievably cute. He sprawled into his chair, plastic squeaking as the backrest was stretched backward. The man pondered her with a smug-ish expression on his face, he loved keeping her on the edge like that, that puppy look she gave him while she was silently pleading for a little appreciation. “But you do need my help, nonetheless” he reminded her with an amused chuckle. That elicited a gasp out of Yoshino, the woman realizing all of a sudden she still had to actually get him to accept any deal. “Yes” the thief replied with decision. She walked on her black, velvety, high-heeled court shoes up to his luxury desk and leaned against it. “A particular kind of help, truth to be told: a loan.” Shibi was puzzled. It was unlikely of that fierce woman to ask for something so venal: one thing was alluring him for jewels, a different one was requesting money.  Of course, that was no problem for him, he had plenty of financial means but still he didn’t like seeing them wasted into incautious projects. “And what amount shall I be up to lend you?”  he played along, turning a chip to the left. He was wearing a smirk, but she didn’t let that intimidate her. “Ten thousand-ish” she shrugged, trying to make it sound like a trifle. It wasn’t exactly so and both were aware of it. “Cash, I suppose.” “Most definitely, yes.” The Aburame shook his head in an incredulous gesture. “That’s folly and you know it. I will never do this.” “Oh, you would never?” she played with some bangs on her face, now it was her turn to be playful and jest with him, “not even if I told you this little investment of yours would get you to make five times as much?” “I’m all ears.” “Oh, now you are all ears, aren’t ya?” she teased him as she lifted her weight on lean arms to sit on his desk. “What a money-grabber you are, big boss.” “Without money I couldn’t buy you those lovely jewelry pieces you are exhibiting in this very moment” he retorted with no rush, dragging his chair closer to the desk. He could feel the warmth her body was radiating although their skins were so distant from one another. That made him smile for a single instant, before he would suffocate it mercilessly. “That’s true, mr. Big Shot. Money buys jewels, but jewels definitely can buy money.” “Speaking of which” Shibi urged her back to business affairs, “you were about to tell me how could my… investment… return me such a great amount.” “It’s easy” Yoshino didn’t sound very interested in sharing details, “I need that loan to get more advanced equipment for the heist. Now, if I really get to rob the rubies, there’s no way I can keep them for myself, unfortunately. I already contacted a potential purchaser who is going to pay me a hella big load for those lovely gems. I get you a thirty percent.” “But what if you didn’t manage to steal Keitaro rubies, mh?” the professor wondered, lacing both his hands together before his mouth. “I lose my ten thousand and you will probably end up in shackles. Those lovely wrists… I can’t imagine how terribly damaged they would become.” “You worry about my wrists, big boss?” the woman taunted him with a sly grin, stretching her arms up to show more of her ridiculous body. That dried his mouth, so he swallowed quietly to wet his tongue. “You should be more  worried about the information I’ve got my hands on. I mean… your little organization would not be pleased if one of its most valued collaborator got banged up, mh?” “Are you threatening me, miss?” he motioned a ‘no’ with his head, “not nice. Behave, mistress, that is not the way a lady is supposed to talk.” She smiled mischievously like a cat would for a share more of food, a second later she was straddling him, sitting on his lap, white arms encircling his neck as she bit down her lower lip, too close to his face. The man held his breath: he was not expecting such a move, but he had to admit it was typical of his company. “Then stop being a jinx and just tell me yes already, big boss” she was almost speaking on his lips, she was that close, “I don’t have all day for you, you know.” “I am no bird of ill omen” he replied with a sharp attitude, forcing himself not to get his fingers driven on her hips as his instinct was suggesting him. “I am rather being pragmatic. Very pragmatic.” “Yeah, I know” she whispered back with a foxy grimace, burying her face into his neck. “But I know you are tempted as well. Making this much of money without moving a single finger must be so winsome for a man who has always been lusting after power.” “I do not lust after power nor money, you know it better than most” the other responded firmly, his eyes shutting as he felt the lightest kiss pressed against his crazily pulsing jugular. She was not playing fair, not at all. “I do what I must for the sake of my clan.” “Isn’t this favorable enough for you, big boss?” and now she was nibbling at his earlobe. Damn it, how could she be so cruel in making fun of his male nature? “I get to do all the dirty work and you just have to sit in your chair, minding your business and waiting for me to come back with a suitcase full of bills. Everyone wins.” “It’s risky” his voice had become incredibly low and hoarse, but he still succeeded in keeping his self-control. A quality to appreciate in a man. “Do not tell me you can’t see it.” “Nothing ventured, nothing gained” she moved from one ear to the other while gently murmuring her most beloved saying, a mantra for her life, “don’t you agree, big boss?” Shibi sighed, exasperated. “Fine, fine, you win. But I want something in return.” The woman straightened her back to listen to him, her arms came loose as she moved them down his thorax. She had to like the fresh feeling of his cotton shirt, because she erupted into an enticed laugh --- or maybe she was just joyful because she had won. Again. “A pledge from you” he clarified, “pawn something to me. This loan is not going to be free, you know: I demand interests on it.” “What interests?” Yoshino didn’t seem to like the new arrangement. Good. “Come on, big shot, it’s already pretty flattering for you, I can’t give you anything more. It’s business, you taught me.” “I don’t have economical aims, if that’s what you were suggesting” he said, “I know for personal experience once you have acquired what you want, you disappear, and I can’t find you for my life. I want you to stay a little more with me.” “Oh, that’s so sentimental” she pretended to be sulky, but he could feel the way she was tugging at the ends of his jacket to pull him closer. “You are definitely losing your mind on me, big boss. It’s praising.” “Perhaps that’s true” he ran his digits along the magnificent curve of her dove-like neck, grazing it with his smooth fingertips. She moaned with her lips clenched as she tried to arch away from his touch, but eventually she was still there, still with him. She could not escape. She would not escape. “Perhaps I’m getting sentimental over you tiny, wicked, little woman. This only means I have one more unwanted desire to satisfy.” The thief raised her hands to his mouth, pressing her fingers against it to steal a kiss. He watched closely the way she squirmed as he kept brushing her neck up and down, his lips disclosing a little for the attention she was drawing from him. She was lost in bliss, her cheeks were getting pink again as well as all her skin: it was time to make his move. A single movement of his nails against the clip of her necklace and it fell off her chest. It took him an instant to pocket it discreetly. When Yoshino realized he had stopped massaging her, she fluttered her eyes open, confused: “w-wha…?” She had to be feeling way lighter without her golden lace because she immediately reached for her throat and pulled an angry face as soon as she got aware her small diamond was missing. “You’re such a bastard, Shibi” he spat at him, she tried to sound menacing but her voice was still trembling, as much as her hands, “that’s not fair. Give it back.” “I’ve just played your very same game” he retorted with a smirk, “do you think you are the only one who knows how to seduce masterfully? You sure are a good tease, but I am as well. Haven’t I showed you enough?” She gritted her teeth, frustrated for both having been outsmarted and having not been satisfied, more than likely. Seconds after she grabbed his jaw and kissed him with force, her tongue working its way inside his warm, dampened entrance. She seized his shoulders in a frenzy, soughing in the moment he clung to her hips and pulled her closer. Her knees pressed against his sides as she stood on them, she took advantage of her momentarily taller posture to get a better position. He emitted a rough sound from the back of his throat when she captured his lips into a small bite, his hands slowly slid down her body into a sensual stroke, she giggled in excitement as she felt his touch under her miniskirt squeezing handful of her body, then gliding down her thighs. One last smooch and she was back away from him, an enthusiastic grin triumphed on her porcelain visage. No genius needed to tell she was way less frustrated right then… at least, Shibi could tell. She was still teasing him, enticing him, beguiling him with her lovecraft and he was a fiend for that talent of hers. He could pretend not to be a man with whoever he wanted to, but not with her. Her smell, the texture of her skin, the sensation of her smooth, silky hair pressed against his chest when she slept hugging him… a constant reminder he had fallen for the one who loved the shadows, and was loved by them in return. “Next Tuesday, 8 o’clock, that French restaurant in Ginza” he offered to her with little to no voice, “I will return you your necklace.” “Next Tuesday?” Yoshino’s voice was just as husky, “on Valentine’s day? Oh my, you’re so lame, big boss.” An insistent knock on his door. He has completely forgotten he was still at work, there still was a world around them and he still had a long list of meeting from that moment to that night. “Yes or no?” he pressured her, holding her tighter, “I demand an answer.” “Meet me there” she laughed obnoxiously, robbing another kiss, “I want my necklace back. And another one.” “Do not be worried about that” he smirked as he let her go, “I will make sure to surprise you. It’s my nature.” “I’m coming in, Shibs!” Kumoko’s voice. Ah, that little pest! But at least she had helped him to rip a date off the thief’s secured lips. He owed her plenty that time. “Shoo” he chased her away with a rare, full smile… Yoshino pecked him again. She couldn’t resist him when he smiled like that. “Go, go” he whispered inaudibly, he was so irritated but he knew she could not be caught there in that moment, “we’ll have time for this. Plethora of time.” Her hazel eyes looked dithering as she moved her gaze back and forth between him and the door, but eventually she just unlatched herself from him. “Plethora?” “Plethora” he confirmed, kissing one of her knuckles like a real gentleman. That made her smile. “Ready or not, here I come!” Kumoko burst out, slamming the door open. She seemed deluded: the only thing she could see was that nerd professor sitting in his pricey, bossy chair reading some paperwork with his shirt creased. She was sure she had heard a woman’s voice! “Kumoko. I’m sorry, I haven’t heard you calling, I was focused on other task. Did you want anything from me?” “Oh, damn it all, Shibs!” the bulky girl crossed her arms into a vexed pose, “were is she hiding?” “She?” Shibi sounded confused. “I regret to tell you this, but you are misleading me.” “She, she!” Kumoko exploded with rage, “there was a woman here, I can smell her perfume on you and… fuck, you have lipstick on that stupid face of yours! Tell me where she is, I want to know her!” “Regrettably enough, I am still disoriented about what you are insinuating” the man commented. He stood up and observed his own reflex on the window: Kumoko was right, his clothes were a mess and Yoshino’s red lipstick was on his neck, on his mouth, everywhere eyes could scope. He killed a smirk springing on his face. “If there really was a woman here, do you think she could just… vanish like this? None can blend in with shadows.” Kumoko munched the inside of her cheek. She hated it when he was right. “Yeah, that’s true.” ‘None but the Shadow Mistress’ that thought made him laugh. He had signed a life-long sentence which would send him straight to Hell. Nonetheless, Hell was so damn good.

[filipadamskiddakawaiiproject]

Kawaii Project Evaluation

Introduction: 

Kawaii is the term for cute, childish cute and kid friendly characters and animation first created in Japan in the 70s that refer to humans and non humans, certain examples include handwriting, manga and Hello Kitty, Kawaii became so popular that it became a aspect of japanese culture in animation, food, clothes and music.

This is a evaluation about the kawaii project that has been done, and it will have information about the Research, Idea Generation, Production, Reflection, and how did went.

Research:

Secondary Research: I have researched the general term of kawaii at first, what kawaii means and where it originated, I have researched where could it appear, for example different artist, models and fashion, drawings and illustration, how many variations of kawaii there could be, I have then research my artists, example; Takashi Murakami, and other artworks of various artists, this was done in order so that I could have some refrence or influence and inspiration of how I would like to create my own little kawaii characters, this has made me think about the colors that I would like to use or think about the tone.

Secondary Research; Involved me actually taking photographs of the fruits and vegetables that I actually wanted to create them in adobe illustrator, I have also taken photo of my kitchen that I had at mine home, primary research has also included my ideas and group work and consideration of what would have looked well with what. As well as creating many pages of different character sketches and faces and kitchen objects so that would have more knowledge of how to base things of and experience with things, that you might not necessarily experience with whilst actually doing the work on adobe illustrator.

Ideas: 

The idea was that I would create my own brainstorming with what ideas go into my mind if I think about the term kawaii, after that we have done some research and look at the artists artworks, so that we can take more thought process, drawing our own characters and kitchen on a piece of paper so that we can have some more ideas of what we could make, to make things look much better.

Production: 

First I have took a sketchbook and have created over five pages of different vegetables and fruits as my kawaii characters, and some kitchen items, such as a fridge and a oven, and I have experienced how it could look like if I would do a different fruit or vegetable. This was done so that I can have more Ideas and thought process of how things could look and to get more ideas than it was planned. I have drawn of a A5 sketchbook with a ink pen and a HB pencil.

Then I would start to work on my characters in Adobe illustrator, tools I have used was the layers tool, this was done in order for me to be able to navigate through out the things that was important the most, in Illustrator I have also used the straight line tool, this was done to create my character outline and be able to have the body drawn at its first place, I have then used the paint brush tool, so that I could have my basic colors made in my characters, lastly I have also used the curve tool  to create my arms and legs. The faces with the eyes was made separately using shapes such as a circle and straight lines including curve lines to make out the face, then this was copied over to another illustrator files, so it could be placed on my character.

When the Illustrator has been done, I have tried to open Adobe effects. I have created a new composition, I have imported my illustrator files into my after effects, after that was done, I have start to playing around with the program so that I know some basics to use the program, when I figured some things out  my first character that I have animated was the cucumber, I had no idea how thing worked so at first I have made him shake around, I have done this by selecting all the layers in the file, and rotating it gently, each time I had to move the blue cursors on the render distance, each time it moved to and and rotated a bit it would create a animated movement in that specific area. Then I have a eggplants but a few of them did not work well as I have planned so I was forced to create on a single eggplant, this was more efficient and easier to work with it around, this time I have played with the scale, rotation, and position, so that I could have my character move around and to jump a bit, obviously if something is jumping the object is rotating a bit, therefore I also made him rotate a bit. I have then made my apple character, this was my second character and one of the easiest, I have only played around with the position, this was done like this because, I wanted him to fall down and then bounce around a bit, from the impact he experienced.

I have played around with the composition in illustrator, this was made so that I would have a better knowledge of navigation to decide what would look better and to see that how simple could look better at times, the tools used to play around with the composition was squares and circles, this was done specifically to make me think what I could do with the limited amount of items to make them look interesting. Whilst i was doing that I was experiencing with my own poster of the kawaii characters and I end up creating multiple pages of different posters, I have used text and transformation to resize the text and the characters, I have copied over my characters from another illustrator files, later to create different posters I have used more tools such as circle and some squares, re sizing the text, but then I have made posters without the text itself and make it simpler but still creative so I then have used squares only, and played around with colors to find out how they would look.

I have then worked in a group to create our poster, I have worked on Adobe illustrator, each group member had a specific task to do, for example one would do the kitchen furniture, one would do the tiles and the others would do other things, I was creating kitchen objects, and after we have done that, we would share our stuff and decide on the how would the final piece look like, combine them into one kitchen, with all of our characters and designs, to find out what colors we would like to use, we used adobe colors cc to create our color pallet and then decide as a group what colors we all agree on upon to use. The was that I have made my kitchen cupboards was by regular shapes such as squares, cubes. And then we would look at each-others work to see how it all turned out to be.

Lastly I have started to create my final animation in Adobe after effects, I have imported my image of the kitchen we made in the group, and then i have dragged down my three characters into after effects, I have placed my characters where I would like them to be, but I did have to resize them in order to fit in, all that had to be done was the placement of the characters, when that was done I have added a new layer from the layer menu, and I have added adjustment layer, in that adjustment layer I have played around with the noise level, this would add a sort of grain/practicles in the animation itself, then I have added a vignette this would add a layer of shadows in the corners, the intention behind this was so that it would not look too cartoonish with simple colors but more of a film with a classic style feel to it. I just had to adjust my apple because it was going out of the animating area so a little positioning tweaks had to be made so that it falls and bounces properly on the cupboards. After that has been done, I send the animation to be exported as AVI file, so I could place it into my tumblr blog.

What went well and what didn’t:

what went really well  was the creation of the characters in illustrator, it was very enjoyable and fun to work with, same as playing around with the composition and creating a poster.

Things that went awful was the after effects, it would just not work on my profile, and at time if it would work on other account it would just lag a lot, which this has made made me not work as fast as I intend/planned. I missed out 3 days worth of working in after effects because of the computer failure, I have overcome this issue by switching to another account.

What I’ve learnt and what to improve on:

 I have learnt how to expand objects in illustrator and I have learnt some basics of animation, but also I have learnt how I could layout my poster designs and the composition to make them look more interesting.

improvement;

Illustrator- I would like to have some more help laying out my composition and designs.

after effects- I need to learn more how use the program, as it was my first time ever, I would need help navigating and further help with export options.

illustrator- I would like to improve my typography and navigation through out the work-space area.

What I would do differently: 

I would decide on different colors, because Color is important to tone and shading also where the light would come in the color would be much lighter, as well as make my work look more realistic by adding the tones, color, and drawing out the details, this would show more details which could help me experience and build up my skills in digital technologies, this asset would help me in the future process of works.