#its fun to experiment with a simpler style

[copepods]

messing around with shapes a little

[centrally-unplanned]

👀 are you interested in fire emblem and would you tell us your opinions of the franchise, I’d be very interested

I do like Fire Emblem! I have played FE6-8, smatterings of 9-10 (never owned them, played with friends), and all the games past Awakening/13. I did also play a bit of FE1, no shade on the limitations of the time of course but it sucks, not worth playing. So I am not a grand FE master but I have a lot of exposure to it.

I admire Fire Emblem for its simplicity of design & stakes - the combat system is "hit enemy, deal damage based on attack power - defense" kind of stuff, how everything works is super clear. All the complexity emerges on top of that. Your army is all individual people, permadeath means you need to pursue strategies with a lot of care such that difficulty doesn't get trivialized even if it is still easy (there is a big gap between "my odds of losing are 5% - exciting, I'm doing well!" and "my odds of losing are 0% - boring, why can't I skip this"). When it is doing its best you have a squad of guys with clear stakes and challenges that are overcome via smart kiting and tanking, it is rarely "did you equip the White Hooded Cat Ears to a unit with the Lapis Pendant to double proc a high initiative archer with Glacial Rain for opening gambit AOE freeze spam to prevent Featherknight Magic Guard from activating?" Which to be clear can also be a ton of fun, each game should just be its own thing - FE is just often best-in-class at its niche.

Fire Emblem also has great aesthetics, it aims for that "classy" style of fantasy typically and everyone authentically buys into all that nobility medieval stuff, which for a video game story can be fun vibes. I love their character designs, normally it is a game series with the right level of fanservice (Camilia -_-), and as someone who enjoys romance sideplots in video games FE typically gives you fun sidequests along those lines that sometimes has gameplay implications to boot - I loved the "eugenics simulator" of FE Awakening, as the fans affectionately called its system of child units inheriting traits from parent units. Tharja you are gonna torture Gaius for eternity via marriage because your faildaughter Noire needs Galeforce, I don't wanna hear any god damn objections okay?

As a series it is far from perfect, as anything running this long must be. The plots are normally "meh", in particular the series just doesn't care about logic that much? People do dumb shit alllll the time; FE7's plot is an absolute mess, Three House's story is hung together by macguffins and asspulls, and so on. It is better when it is simpler - in FE6, our boy Roy has gotta beat a bad guy, he conquering the world with dragons, oh no - great, no notes. More modern games need more involved plots due to market demand, but FE has not yet mastered it imo.

More modern games have also stacked complexity on the combat system - skills that proc, squads that attach to units, most recently "Engage rings" that buff and give spells. These can be good! The thing is the simplicity of say FE6 gets boring over so many hours, what works for a 10 hour game gets stale over 40, you need to grow. Sometimes they do that well - I thought Three Houses generally was smart on this front, the skills are more passive, the squads and gambits were (generally, they fucked up on movement buffs) flexible and didn't break things while giving you toys to play with. But Engage, while a good game, did get too complicated by half with many of its systems, and Awakening literally broke itself with pair-up & stacked skill procs, you can easily trivialize the whole game. And meanwhile to spike difficulty they would give every random enemy fighter different lethal skill procs that you would have to triple check every turn, a problems-beget-problems moment. But! I like that they are experimenting. Would have been real easy to capitalize on the success of Three Houses and just repeat it with Engage, but they didn't.

Also while permadeath is conceptually good, restarting a whole map because of a cheese crit is fucking awful, and I am glad modern games have time reset systems to obviate that. I do not play the older games without an emulator that can save state.

Tier listing the games I have played, lets see:

S Tier: Sacred Stones, Shadows of Valentia

A Tier: Three Houses, Blazing Sword

B Tier: Awakening, Engage, Binding Blade

C Tier: Fates

Edelgard best girl, and I think that covers it!

[novlr]

Hey! I'm a non native English speaker and i find it very hard to use wide variety of vocabulary in my writing. Any tips??

Just as a painter needs a rich palette of colours to make their art, writers need a diverse vocabulary to craft deep and engaging story worlds.

Your vocabulary as a writer is much like a paint box, with each word adding depth, contrast, and colour to your creation. So what techniques can you use to improve your vocabulary and give yourself more linguistic colours to choose from?

Read a lot

Reading is the best way to improve your vocabulary. It’s immersive, enjoyable, and will introduce you to more varied words. Make it a habit to read often, and try to read widely. Don’t limit yourself to one genre, age range, or style. Whether fiction, non-fiction, articles, or instruction manuals, reading as widely as you can opens your mind to words and styles you might never encounter naturally in your day-to-day life.

Write a lot

Write as often as you can. The more you write, the more often you’ll find yourself reaching for varying words and phrases to accurately convey your thoughts. Every written piece is an opportunity to experiment with new words. As with anything, practice is crucial—regular writing will naturally enhance your vocabulary and make your word usage more instinctive and fluid.

Use a thesaurus

A thesaurus introduces you to a variety of synonyms for the words you’re using and can help you express your thoughts with a bit more flair. However, using a thesaurus does come with a caveat: avoid using complex words just for the sake of appearing more sophisticated. Always choose words that best fit the context and effectively convey what you’re trying to say.

Join a writing group

Beyond being a place to talk about words, writing groups let you test your understanding of words in real time. Writing groups provide valuable insight into whether your word choices effectively convey your intended meaning. Seeing how other writers use their own vocabularies to share their own meanings is a great way to see how word choice can make your writing richer and more nuanced

Play word games

Playing word games is not only fun but is also an effective way to expand your vocabulary. For instance, games like Scrabble challenge you to form varying words from a set of letters, crossword puzzles can improve your understanding and recall of words, and games like Boggle can stimulate quick thinking around word formation.

Keep a word journal

Every time you encounter a new and intriguing word, whether through reading, conversation, or even during a TV show, jot it down in your word journal. Follow it up by researching its meaning, synonyms, and usage in sentences. Revisit these entries frequently, and try to incorporate these words into your writing somehow, even if it’s only during practice sessions. Over time, you’ll notice these new words naturally creeping into your vocabulary.

Sometimes simple is best

While having a broad vocabulary is an asset for any writer, it’s also important to remember that effective communication is what it’s all about, and sometimes, simpler words serve this purpose best. Not every situation calls for intricate or sophisticated language; in fact, often, using simpler, more direct language can make your message clearer and more accessible to a wider audience. More important than a wide vocabulary is an understanding of your readers and the message you want to convey in your text.

[helido24]

Well... i finished both snootgame and volcano high, i needed to talk a bit about them

First of all: I LOVE THESE CHARACTERS SOO MUCH, FANG I LOVE YOU I HOPE TO YOUR HAPINNESS

2:. . .jeez, it's so difficult talk about both games without making parallels or comparing them

SG is a very simpler visual novel with a... very questionable reason to exist to begin with, but even with that it surprises you with a very beutiful story of self development and young love in the modern times. The multiples endings all of them are EMOTIONAL DESTROYERS, even the obvious joke-shouting-super edgy ending 1, but just 'cause all the care and love you have for the characters, you feel it in a more deeply way and you suffer watching them like this, giving you strenght to do the best ending possible and. . .oof, that destroys you too, but in a different way

I love Fang an Anon soo much, i wish them nothing but hapinnes

And talking about the elephant in the room? Well... i don't think snoot game is anti-LGBT propaganda

"B-but it's about fang doing destransicion"

That's the take talking about SG in GVH wiki and i'm not with that

Yes, anon is openly an ashole about lgbt themes and always talked shit about it

And the game treat the whole fang(they/them) with humor. . .both of those things happens between the first hour and the bad ending

As the game progress and anon makes the RIGHT choises you can see him at least try to comprenhend the pronouns thing, and perhaps he makes mistakes about it,but he get that is something important to fang

And yes, there's an ending where fang simply leaves behind all that identity and becomes a generic femenine wife? That's not the true ending

The true ending actually respect that side of fang, with her still liking that style,style being like that, still being fang, the only thing she doesn't keep is the pronouns

To me at least, fang's story isn't just about being no-binary. But being a young person trying multipples sides of their persona and life to try and found itself, with the help of the ones who cares about them to grow as a person

Fang could be a She,a he or them, and i would be perfectly fine with any of those

But if at the end she found herself more happy in this new version. What's the problem? If precisely that's the goal with this theme right?

BUT.... snootgame have a very heavy sin to carry and is. . .it's a 4chan game, and is a parody made to make fun about an openly pro-LGBT+ game

Even with how good the story is, with how NG never attacks directly the community and the movement, it's very hard to believe there's no bit of bath fait in the people behind

We still have all this early shit-talking about this theme after all

But having all in mind. . .i just can't hate snootgame, with it short experience it turned those characters in a very big part of my life (at least for this month lol), and the story touched me in various levels 'cause personal reasons (let's just say i had a "trish" in my life)

And well. . .thank you cavemanon for this very beutiful experience, i'm hoping your next project can shine your talent even more without so much controversy around it

And talking about conteoversy....

*sigh*

Goodbye volcano high. . .with you i have less things to say but still they're important i think

First of all: its FUCKING UNFAIR what happened to this game. An openly pro-LGBT+ visual novel with "tumblr aesthetic" being the first fucking thing they show about the fucking ps5??

What the fuck

It was throwed to one of the most savage and closed-minded fandoms in all the internet: """hardcore gamers"""

And just when they're waiting to some assasins creed, GOW or any other super big HD IP with muscles in the muscles of the characters

I can't think about this choise as nothing but an homicide, forgive for the comparation but. . .this shit was taking your 8yo cousin of color to a place you KNOW is full of neo-nazis with guns and criminal precedents. You know what you're doing or you are extremely stupid

And then internet folks started all this controversy and harassement and hate to the game and the studio by a lot of sides and themes and. . .i feel so sorry for the studio and the people working in volcano high, as a snootgame fan i'm truly sorry for what you passed trought, im hope with all my heart this doesn't make you to give up this style of game, and i'll be waiting to see your next project with heart ^^

And now talking about the game. . .fuck

Fuck fuck fuck

I'm sorry,i know what i said but. . .volcano high is broken by so much sides

I really wanted to enjoy it, i really wanted to love this version of the characters and the story but. . .fuck, i can't

Almost all the characters are soo flat (personality i mean)

All and everyone of them talk about ona (1) thing that they like and never shut up about it, you can be talking about anything else and- OH here's comes trish to talk about her worm. . .again, or sage and their cooking, or fang and their band. . .i get it, they're character traits and you need to use them but... i don't know these people, i don't know at all these characters at all.

In the first hald of the game you need to at least try to tell me something about them, their relationships, their past and problems, give me a reason to give 2 and a half shit about them... and they try, but everytime they talk and seems to be about to give some context they start to just talk about that one and only thing they like, leaving me with nothing to work with

And that's the problem of volcano high in general to me. Is obvious there's a story, there's a background to these characters and there's real context to almost every conversation they have. . .but we don't know it, we can't see it, we don't KNOW these people and is frustrating. After the 2 hours i just shuted down my brain and every time this happend i just go "oh yeah,some cute experience we don't know about them)

The two musical montages (there's 2 right?) With photos of the group living their lives and interacting with each other. . .they're very cute and seems to be fun, but we don't live any of this. Fuck sake i WANTED TO BE SAD in the ending, i wanted to feel the characters and their lives sliping away at the end

See al these beutiful and impactful moments? Well. . .i'd love to see them, to live them with them

But we don't. They're just a bunch of PNGs passing by at the end as the music continues. And that upset me a lot...

And what upset's me the most. . .you know why i care so much about the characters? Why i need to know their lives and feel something in this story?

BECAUSE OF FUCKING SNOOT GAME

They made me to care about fang and the gang, abour nazer, about naomi, about stella and rosa, i cared about this characters soo much that. . .i feel attatched to the GVH ones too. Even if volcano high do close to nothing to make me care for them at this level

It's to sad and so unfair, volcano high obviously was made with a lot of heart and they OBVIOUSLY cares about the characters a lot more than almost anyone in both fandoms, just the "memories" from above show it. But with the game story and characters as they are right now. . .i don't want to compare them so much, but honestly without NG being so important i wouldn't finished volcano high

And about the story itself? Well... is very rushed to say at least

As i said earlier they spent too much time trying to made us meet the characters (but without letting us know them)

To sudenly introduce the meteorite plot and. . .it feels zero important. Yeah it drives the characters to the harsh decisions they're making and how they interact with each other, but for half the game the meteorite is just there in the background and just mentioned over here and there as a reminder. Just to sudenly be the most important thing in the world at the last hour and half of the game.

Before that all the plot is about fang,the band and the battle of the bands (wich i hardly care about at this point)

But. . .fang and the band? Here they made it a very good work

Yeah, fang talk almost exclusively about the band as is their (1) personality trait, but still they manage to make me feel and understand how important is this to them, and. . .wow, i really felt how fang was feeling reed and specially trish leaving them behind and not taking the band seriously (and still having fang at the edge with promises of being a team but without helping them AT ALL)

I mean, there's no problem with reed and trish don't seeing the band as something more than some fun friends time after school and wanting to make something else for their life. The problem is they seeing fang talking 24/7 aboud the band their future together and openly taking life decisions about it and never saying "hey pal, i think you should focus more in a solos career, we don't want to live with the music but we're still friends" or something like that. . .and they do

Trish says this to fang. . .in the battle night, just in the most important night in fang's life, just to say that she's leaving the band in this very important moment and taking choises she never discussed with fang (as fang did talk with trish about theirs)

And the story insist on pointing out fang as the bad person here, who makes all the bad choises and burn all the bridges with everyone. . .but they doesn't

Even at the end with everyone crying and yelling each other, is fang who talk to everyone and says they're a horrible person and you can blame everything on fang because. . .reasons? Idk because with all the choises and talking options we taked at this point, we clearly made fang a very patient and caring person, but still there's one and only way the story was made and was with fang being constantly a bitch with everyone, so it doesn't matter if you take the bad or good options to talk about 6 hours, the dialogues are all about the bad ones almost constantly. And that's fucked and unfair for my dude fang the pterodolphin, i love them so much

But. . .not everything is bad with volcano high

The background arts are beautiful and very colorful, a lot of cute dettails and i love them

The characters? Well. . .it's weird, i love them a lot and they're very unique, in the special images and animations they look soo good

But in the normal gameplay...

They look kinda derpy all the time, and the few animations they constantly use for everything get repetitive after a short while (take a shot everytime trish does the eyebrow rise grin animation, tell me how you died)

((Btw perrito tacita epic cameo))

The art style in general of the game is very cute and i love it, but for the in-game animations they needed some more time to make them. . .feel alive and les akward

And the music?

Hell yeah this is good shit, i love fang's voice and definitely i'm gonna check more of their music soon

In conclusion...

I can see where all of this came from, if that leaked script is real it just makes soo much sence about how the final product ended,i can see every original plot being planted as seeds in the final game but never having the chance to grow or even blossom, just a little sapling in the dirt, and that make me so sad. . .

Even with all of that,they managed to launch the game,and leaving out all the controversy i think the game got very descent sales and everything was kinda worth, i really hope they don't give up again with this type of story

But Ko_On and cavemanon are full of talented people and they deserve a chance to grow and shine by themselves

Both without being a perhaps-bad-faith parody, or without so massive backlash from the wrong people who's not are even interested in the quality but the politics in the games

I don't make this kinde or post so often,but i had to speak my mind about something so important to me

Thank you very much if you readed it 'til here and sorry for the mess,i was typing things as they apeared in my mind lmao

Check it out my art, i just recently made this piece of fang and i really loved the result ^^

[lovetogether]

here i will send an ask to inquire because perhaps you would like to share a bit about them on your blog .... what oc's have you been workshopping!!! i would like to know the secrets. what has tumblr user lovetogether been cooking

Hello hello our dear friend allister! Rubs hands together… eheheh, since T:MLs (last big oc story we did) we’ve been mostly working on tiny oc “drabbles”? I guess you could call them. We have bursts of scenes and whatnot but that’s about it. They mostly exist to . Have fun . We’re a writer at heart though so they do have a bit of narrative set up - anyhow! Come with us down here into this wine cellar,

First one is this ^

This is “Humanity”, a man made passion project of sorts. It’s mostly based off glados, portal two in general, and our own alienation from people and tendency for “escape” but not in a manner close to usual “fandomites” (Is that a word..? I just made it up…) Humanity’s deal is it was maybe a “human” (used loosely as you know we draw most people as kemono) at one point but was then wiped and given many mechanical enhancements. Its essentially and a i trained off only human made media like films and tv shows, it’s connected to tons of TVs in its main sorta “lab” (shown in the tiny drawing) nd these screens will reflect snippets of movies and tv shows which coincide with whatever emotion Humanity is mimicking at the moment. Despite the heavy media training though Humanity remains mostly emotionless, only mimicking what it’s been fed. It’s never actually been given field training. And it never will. The lab in a portal two type situation was abandoned for one reason or another, the place only inhabits machines now, including Humanity. The place is overgrown and lonely. We have this idea that a girl ends up there, maybe Chell style (can you tell we like portal lolol) but she’s like, a child. This child is Humanity’s first like experience with a real person and it’s confused by her lack of - what was on the screen. It learns from here, we think at first it rejects the truth of humans, opting to believe what it was trained on, but it eventually learns.

Next is Persimmon :-) !! Or Persi (per-see) for short ! He’s a young chipper business man who died and ended up in the afterlife, he’s kinda comparable to a zombie? His premise is sorta dark humor-ish, apologies to viewers out there-! He was a very upbeat businessman and then one day a slight inconvenience happened at work and so he went home and offed himself in the tub. He resides in the afterlife now and is pretty chill with this. He often greets new comers and whatnot, his excited energy towards everything is sorta welcoming..? He’s extremely open about the fact he ended his life and is very chill about this, when questioned about his life and he goes on to say it was fine which then spawns the question “why’d you do it?” He sorta just smiles and shrugs. Admittedly a very dark humor type concept but we just wanted to make something which made harder topics like that a bit easier to stomach as those kinds of things have always left us numb rather than offended. We’d want people to feel okay with themselves, nd in a weird way his optimism is sorta a..? “It could happen to anyone” type thing, through the dark humor we create something earnest. As always.

Finally here’s Donut! She’s a coworker alongside our other workshopped oc Delilah “Dell” Coordinates . They’re “fbi agents” cause well they’re based off twin peaks characters. We don’t really care about fbi type junk though so they’ll just be defunct detectives or something funny like that. Donut is chill for the most part, bringing the sorta straight man edge to a case but with a kind demeanor. She waves off supernatural but in no way undermines believers. But don’t let her lax attitude fool you! She’s extremely skilled. She doesn’t linger but she also doesn’t rush yknow? She’s maybe a lowkey daydreamer but a realistic one, she enjoys the simpler things…

Oh my god we forgot to say, Persi is a stoat and Donut is a white tailed mongoose. Yus 👍 oh and, Persi + Humanity are sorta “us-based” ocs which means we don’t reeally? Have set pronouns? They’re agender. Yuuup. You can use he or she for them . We defaulted to it for Humanity cause it felt right. And he for Persi cause of the businessman title. But really we don’t care. Thank youu ~!

[mcromwell]

A ‘Primitive Wiggle’ Art Style Retrospective

In 2020, I intentionally developed a simplified art style to avoid burnout and explore new techniques: The Primitive Wiggles! Let's have a Wiggles Retrospective!

This was the first painting attempting a simpler style, “Coyote Joy”. From its success, I developed the style further to be a utility that fit my personal art-making habits and desires. 

And here is the first sketchbook page of experiments! Initially, the Wiggles had much smaller ears, a more blunt muzzle, outlined shoulders. They had eyebrows, too! You can see on these pages I’m attempting to get muzzle, paw, and eye shapes down. 

A few more attempts and we are getting somewhere with the consistency. I was just drawing them over and over thinking about 1) ease of execution and 2) versatility of shapes/poses. 

And finally we have more of a solidified paw shape: muppet hands. (It was the right choice.) 

At the time, I drew this and went "YES, THIS is what I'm going for" and I still like her even now! Some small things are different, like the Wiggles almost never get 2 sets of whiskers anymore, but she still holds up. Note how bushy their tails started out-- nowadays they’re way longer, skinnier, like a coyote and not a fox. 

Some other things that changed: notice how not every one of them has eyelashes. The eyelashes became something I'm weirdly insistent on-- they're just cuter that way!! (Pieces from 2020) 

The style used to be defined by one particular technique. But now, I let the Wiggles exist in many forms! Being flexible is part of their point-- make art no matter what, no matter when, with any materials available. (Pieces from 2022) 

Just look at the difference in snoot length alone. (Top: 2020, bottom: 2022) I consciously made their snoots longer and their ears bigger because I want them to lean more COYOTE. 

I would say some inspirations for the Wiggles would have to be Keith Haring (simplicity, fun, bold lines) and Rick Bartow (how he handles texture/negative space and the blurring of lines between abstracted and representational). The style was also sort of inspired by cave art, for philosophical reasons. 

Basically, I was burnt out with my work. I wanted to make art, but every time I tried, I hated it. Adding another style to my repertoire was liberating. The constraints and considerations that held me back with my main style were no longer there. And now that I have the Wiggles, my other styles don’t bum me out as much, I just get to make art however it suits me best at the time. (I have mental health struggles that put me at highs and lows quite rapidly, so this was sort of a necessity if I was to make art my full-time gig, which I did in summer 2020. The Wiggles were born in December 2020.) 

I made the Wiggles by myself and FOR myself. (I am quite attached to them. ♥) They gave me permission to have fun, made me overthink less, and break out of self-imposed restrictions that hindered my creativity. They've come a hell of a long way since 2020, and I have, too! 

I hope you enjoyed this Wiggles Retrospective. May they inspire you to play, experiment, and step out of comfort zones!  Take a leap of faith-- be WILD! Be NONSENSICAL! AND MAKE SOME WEIRD ART!! 

[agentnico]

Late Night with the Devil (2024) review

Nothing beats retro 70’s demonic haunting. It was a simpler time…

Plot: Johnny Carson rival Jack Delroy hosts a syndicated talk show ‘Night Owls’ that has long been a trusted companion to insomniacs around the country. However, ratings for the show have plummeted since the tragic death of Jack's beloved wife. Desperate to turn his fortunes around, on October 31st, 1977, Jack plans a Halloween special like no other- unaware he is about to unleash evil into the living rooms of America.

Ladies and gentlemen, please do not adjust your television sets, for there is a new found-footage horror film in town from the indy circuit, and it might just breath the right amount of fresh air into an oversaturated genre. Personally I’ve never been a major fan of found-footage. I hear folks raving about the original Blair Witch Project yet all I watched was a bunch of guys running around the woods screaming endlessly for no reason. Additionally the shaky-cam element can be so dizzying and sickly that I truly end up questioning the entertainment value of it all. There are exceptions to the rule of course. 2008’s science fiction invasion popcorn flick Cloverfield was tons of fun, as it provided a genuine experience of what it would be like if you were thrown right into the middle of monster attack in the millennial age. There are also some genuine scares and the found footage format worked really well with the film’s themes. I too enjoyed the 2020 black comedy Spree, where Joe Keery’s driver goes on a murder spree whilst constantly filming himself in hopes of becoming a viral sensation. It may not be a five-star ride, but it earns its tip for being a well crafted and inspired effort. To be fair, The Visit from M. Night Shyamalamadingdong was enjoyable piece of horror involving creepy grandparents. Okay, maybe I do enjoy found-footage flicks, but as long as they are decently made and that format style supports the narrative in a cohesive and advantageous way.

With Late Night with the Devil, ideologies of faith and the paranormal are challenged through the lens of the late-night TV format. Think how the 1976 Network analysed the corruption of the television industry, and how the camera can influence the politics and beliefs of those watching, Late Night with the Devil does the same but with the supernatural. Presented as a rediscovered master tape of a notorious Halloween late night special, it feels like we’re watching an actual talk show in real time, and the 70’s inspiration is in full display here from the grainy monitor display to the costumers to the special effects. It truly feels like we’re looking into a time capsule of the past, and that this all really happened. Again, found-footage as a filmmaking style works when it serves the purpose of the narrative, which in this case it does. It is a shame then that the movie in its finale loses the found-footage element and instead opts for the shock value by showcasing a dream-like vision of one of the characters. Granted at the time of watching the ending it did give me a “what the fuck” reaction that the movie was going for, but looking back this sequence did hinder what otherwise was a fantastic piece of creepy unique horror.

Performances across the entire cast were great and really dedicated. Wonderful to see David Dastmalchian finally get a leading role, as he’s always been a stand-out supporting performer, whether he was polka-dotting in The Suicide Squad, or stealing the comedic limelight from Paul Rudd in the Ant-Man movies, or being a haunting presence in every Denis Villeneuve epic. Dastmalchian is a true scene stealer, and at age 48 it is shocking that only now he finally gets a lead role. Regardless he is fantastic as Jack Delroy, as he balances the charming charisma of a late-night talk show host whilst also showcases the inner demons of this character, still mourning the recent death of his wife, as well as his eagerness to become relevant again after consistently losing ratings. From the quivers in his voice to the fear in his eyes, this is a really juicy showcasing role for Dastmalchian and one that is sure to be a memorable one when looking back on the actor’s rich filmography. Ingrid Torelli as Lilly the possessed survivor of a Satanic cult was truly creepy and unnerving. From her voice changes to her awkward movements, she truly felt unnatural, or dare I say supernatural, and her strangeness was at times even comical, but also really uncomfortable. Ian Bliss as Carmichael Hunt, a paranormal sceptic, too gave a powerhouse performance, delivering lines with prowess and was a truly commanding presence. Rhys Auteri rounds up the cast as Gus the announcer of Jack’s late night show, acting very befit of, say, a Higgins for Jimmy Fallon or a Guillermo for Jimmy Kimmel. He very much embraced the role as Dastmalchian’s side-kick and provided some solid light-hearted comedy to the proceedings.

Late Night with the Devil is a true delight for horror enthusiasts, with some great use of old-school practical effects evidently inspired by 1982’s The Thing, solid sound design that harkened back to that era of television, and enough unsettling moments of suspense to entertain and shock. Minus a couple of cheap electrical sparks there isn’t any CGI used which is refreshing, and overall visually the retro element was truly delightful. Again, the ending does scratch some heads, but overall this is a refreshing piece of campy horror, with a showcasing performance from Dastmalchian. In this you can truly put your faith on.

Overall score: 7/10

[mauesartetc]

hello maue! ive seen you talking about helluva boss and hazbins character design and the like, so i was wondering if you could critique the character designs from the game doll eye? specifically the main three characters: alfred, mystery and kao. i have my own opinions about the subject matter, but im curious to see what yours are.

Interesting!

So right off the bat, I'd like to highlight a major issue all three designs have. Fun game for those at home: Without looking it up, guess the species of each of these characters.

(Answers below the cut)

Left to right: Alfred- Shiba Inu. Dr. Mystery- Oriental Longhair cat. Kao- Ram.

If you answered all three correctly, congrats! That's three more than I did. Alfred much more closely resembles a fox or coyote than a Shiba Inu (and his nose is so tiny I actually thought he was human at first glance). Dr. Mystery looks... somewhat feline, but the thick, striped tail reminded me more of a raccoon. And my gut reaction to Kao was "mouse", judging by what I thought were his gray cheeks, pink nose, and whiskers. And that's the thing: A character's species should be so clear that your gut reaction will be correct. If viewers can't see the resemblance, the design isn't communicating the information it should.

Another thing is that their poses are a bit boring since they're too symmetrical; like tell me you used symmetry mode without telling me you used symmetry mode. A symmetrical pose for a character is fine for orthographic/turnaround sheets so you know how they look from a perfect front view, but for a main pose it's kinda stiff and doesn't show much personality. It gels okay with the art style, which appears to be very flat and graphic. But there's no harm in giving even heavily-abstracted characters a little dimension.

Lastly, these designs are extremely bottom-heavy, with the feet taking up a disproportionate amount of space. Because of this huge disparity of visual "weight" between the feet and faces, our eyes keep moving to the feet, which isn't ideal. Generally (not always, but the vast majority of the time), you'll want to direct the most attention to the character's face, as the face expresses the most emotion. "The eyes are the windows to the soul" and all that. What are feet the window to? Blisters?

Anyway, here are my notes on how the designs are working on an individual level.

See, the thing about making a symmetrical drawing is, you better make sure one side doesn't have any awkward tangents, or they'll reflect on the other side as well.

And now, here's how I would redesign Alfred:

I mainly just made the face and ears look more Shiba-like, made the tail more prominent in the silhouette, and shrunk down his legs and feet a tad so the proportion gap between them and the face isn't so huge. I experimented with keeping the shaggy hair on the sides of the face, but it made him look more like a wolf or a Husky, and Shibas have pretty short fur. Also, I realized his shoes looked a lot like work boots, which wouldn't make much sense for a teacher to wear in a school setting. So I replaced them with dress shoes, which would be more appropriate for the environment.

Now let's look at Kao:

Not much of a change on this one. I lengthened his face, enlarged his horns so they're more visible, puffed up his collar to make room for his pointy chin and mouth, and did away with the ear. At first I thought just making it smaller would suffice, as its huge size was part of why I thought this guy was a mouse at first. But there's a lot going on up there already, so in the end I figured it would make things simpler if his ears weren't visible. I also incorporated eyelids that imply where his pupil-less eyes are looking.

Finally, Dr. Mystery.

The first order of business was determining the facial structure. Oriental Longhair cats have long faces and defined cheekbones, so I wanted that to come through in the drawing. The ears and bangs are now simplified, and the layering of the lab coat, pants, and tail makes much more sense. I also added a streamlined version of the tail fringe I drew in the initial redline, and separated the boots from the pants. The Meowth whiskers are gone; while they did provide a strong hint that Mystery is a cat, the face already has enough going on with the eyelashes, the bangs crossing over it, and the mouth jutting out at the side. I do think this version reads as "cat" without whiskers, but if they prove necessary, a simple line for each should do the trick.

In all three I tried to stay faithful to the angular, abstracted art style while making their species more clear and making certain features more logical and/or readable. This was a fun challenge! Thanks for asking!

[starryeyedstray]

thoughts on inktober/drawtober as someone who just finished it without missing a single day

it's fucking exhausting.

okay but for real here are my complete thoughts:

overview of my experience:

firstly, the way i approached this drawtober challenge was a bit chaotic bc i was trying to do a dbh drawtober here while also maintaining an inktober challenge on my other art blog. keep in mind, this was my first time trying a month-long daily art challenge type thing. so very ambitious (and a little stupid) to try to do two at the same time. for awhile, i was able to maintain it. i hadn't missed a day for dbh drawtober while for my inktober i had only missed 3 days by day 20. but i was starting to really feel the exhaustion at that point and dropped the inktober prompt after day 20 completely. i just focused on dbh for the last 11 days.

i did not prep anything in advance. though the first couple days i kinda started brainstorming ideas for the rest of the month. some days i would work on future prompts if i had extra time. some prompts fit for unfinished wips from september. but largely i was producing new art the day the prompt was due.

i haven't drawn this much in literal years. so my art was rapidly changing as i was figuring out my style and my brain was just raring to come up with ideas. which presented a problem later in the month when i had all these complex ideas i wanted to execute. instead of keeping the drawings simple and achievable to finish in a couple hours, i wanted to create pieces that would take days for a prompt due the next day. it was impossible. my desire to execute complex pieces conflicted with the strict daily turnaround.

by the end of the month i was sleep-deprived trying to finish works. a couple times i had to stop working on the piece because i realized i wouldn't finish in time. and then i would have to start a new one with a simpler idea and post a messy sketch with some color thrown on. towards the end i posted some of them late.

overall, it was a tiring experience.

what i liked about it:

i really liked coming up with ideas based off the prompts. it was fun having a guide for my art. it helped me think creatively and think of aus and concepts i normally would not have. i felt encouraged to draw characters i normally don't and just really stimulated my creative juices.

what i hated about it:

it's exhausting!!!! especially if you are doing fully illustrated pieces and starting a new one every single day!!!! i felt like i couldn't take my time on anything. as soon as it was done i had to post it. a bunch of the stuff i look back and i'm like oh i wish i had time to fix those proportions. or i wish i could have rendered it out more. or that is not to the quality of standard i have for a piece but i had to post it cause deadline!!!! i was sleep deprived for most of the month trying to finish things!!!!

granted, if i just stuck with simple line drawings i probably could have been fine. but what's the point of purposely making quick and mediocre art????? i'm supposed to be inspired to create nice pieces so why would i purposely lower my standard just to finish a piece on time??????

the daily turnaround was a terrible grind and left me posting art i wasn't really super satisfied with or scrapping wips i wouldn't finish in time in favor of simpler pieces.

would i do it again?

hell no.

don't get me wrong. love the prompts! love that it encourages me to think differently and try different things. but i don't need to be pumping out art every day to get that benefit. i think a weekly challenge may be more up my alley. or something where i'm not drawing new pieces and immediately posting them every single fucking day. idk. anything but the daily grind for 31 consecutive days jfc.

final thoughts:

i understand there's a reason the original inktober was specifically for traditional artists working in ink. its easier to not get lost in the details and coloring when just using ink compared to digital art where things don't feel finished unless you render it out or clean it up.

i understand the original inktober was really meant for people feeling blocked and unmotivated. if you already are drawing everyday, this challenge can feel like a chore bc you won't be able to work on the wips you actually want to bc you're too busy working on your drawtober pieces. i have like 15 wips that i wasn't able to touch because of drawtober.

i think this challenge has a place for certain artists, but it's just not for me. at least not at this stage in my life.

anyway, if you read all that thanks and may blessings fall upon ye. lmk if you have any thoughts about my thoughts.

[sillythoughtsaboutstupidthings]

I want shorter games with less stuff by people who are paid more to work less and I'm not kidding

After recently re-playing through Ace Combat 4 and 5 I've come to the realization that I prefer more concise and focused games.

Although Ace Combat 5 is largely an improvement over AC4 in just about every way I still find myself having more fun in AC4. The main difference between the two is a larger focus on story and storytelling through gameplay in AC5 with things like having your allies on the ground (or sea) actually being vulnerable to enemy fire and losing all of them being the failure state of multiple missions. Also having your squad mates participating in the battle and actually helping out, generally having a story that is more complex, more varied objectives and even some superficially branching paths (you can pick version A or B for two different missions). Despite all this the simplicity of AC4 appeals more to me. Every objective is just some variety of destroy enough stuff or a set of specific things within the time limit. Even so the simple arcade-style fun of just trying to destroy stuff with the greatest possible efficiency beats out the greater immersion and story engagement.

The games are also quite different in length, AC4 took me 9 hours to beat, while AC5 took 14. I really feel like AC4 nails its length, it takes just as long as it needs to and has a very linear sense of progression throughout with the same being true for the difficulty curve (aside from the spike in the second to last mission).

There are of course other things that could've influenced my enjoyment. Maybe it's a case of escort missions being bad, maybe it's the frustration of failing a couple of mission towards the end repeatedly that soured the experience.

Either way the difference is that AC4 left me wanting more, AC5 left me feeling relieved it was over. That's not to say I didn't enjoy AC5, it was still a great game, just not as fun.

To return to my overarching point I've found the same thing to be true with many sequels to games I like. DOOM (2016) -> Doom Eternal SUPERHOT -> SUPERHOT MIND CONTROL DELETE Sly 2 -> Sly 3 Jak 2 -> Jak 3 Infamous -> Infamous 2 Fire Emblem The Blazing Blade -> Fire Emblem The Sacred Stones Portal -> Portal 2 That's not to say that the sequels are necessarily bad games, I just didn't enjoy them as much as what came before. Games that were simpler, had less mechanics and stuff in them and in some cases also were significantly shorter.

[pageseo2022]

Back 4 Blood's Minimal Story and Basic Plot

Back 4 Blood is like the spiritual successor to the classic zombie shooter Left 4 Dead, and it’s made by the same devs. If you're a fan of the original and want to buy Xbox games that deliver a similar thrill, Back 4 Blood is definitely worth checking out. We’ve been waiting ages for a third Left 4 Dead, and even though Turtle Rock’s new game has a different name and some fresh features, it totally lives up to the hype, making it one of the top co-op games of 2021. The game’s story is pretty minimal—a crew of quirky “Cleaners” who are immune to infection team up to take on the Ridden. After a break, the zombie hordes are back in full force. The characters don’t grow much beyond tossing out cheeky lines, and the plot is pretty basic and unoriginal.

Unique Moments Set Back 4 Blood Apart: Innovation in Co-op Shooters

Back 4 Blood’s level design is top-notch, creating unique experiences in every run so the game never feels repetitive. If you’re looking to buy PS5 games with standout design and replayability, this one should definitely be on your radar. Unlike many co-op games where you’re just fighting tougher enemies while moving from point A to point B—like in Outriders, which can get old after a while—Back 4 Blood keeps things fresh. The game mixes up its core formula to keep you on your toes. One level might have you defending a diner from a zombie swarm, while the next has you manning an anti-aircraft gun to take out a mine. Even the simpler A-to-B levels present challenges that are anything but straightforward. Take, for example, a level where you need to cross a river on a wooden ferry to reach a safe room. I ended up crossing solo and got taken out halfway, forcing me to watch as my teammates fought their way across the lake to revive me. These kinds of moments, which you don’t see often in other games like this, are common in Back 4 Blood and are a big part of what makes it stand out. The game proves that the co-op shooter genre can still be innovative and doesn’t have to just copy Borderlands or Destiny.

Swarm Mode Falls Short: Zombie Control Lacks Excitement

Even though Back 4 Blood feels familiar to Left 4 Dead fans, it’s packed with unique features. The game mixes in a roguelite twist with its multi-level runs, where you only get one continue, adding a fresh challenge. To boost replayability and teamwork, Back 4 Blood includes a card system. You earn cards through levels and Supply Points, which you collect by completing stages. You then use these points at Fort Hope to unlock cards from Supply Lines, which you build into decks for your runs. Some cards are straightforward, like giving your character an extra 5 health for the run, while others are more complex, like healing you when an ally goes down. You can create various RPG-style builds with these cards—whether you prefer going all-out with melee and ammo-focused setups or want to focus on healing and support. Each character has unique abilities, so it’s crucial to strategize and pick characters that complement each other. The game’s AI throws Corruption Cards into the mix, adding tougher enemies, timed challenges, and extra bosses to keep things intense even on lower difficulties.

Intense Gameplay and Memorable Characters: A Perfect Fit for Xbox Game Pass

Back 4 Blood’s competitive multiplayer mode, where you control the Ridden, falls short. The levels feel like recycled versions of campaign stages, lacking much creativity. Plus, the wait times between rounds are painfully long, with zombies stuck upgrading and waiting while players pick their characters and scavenge. A proper invasion mode like in the original Left 4 Dead games would’ve been a better fit. Back 4 Blood delivers all the essentials for a great zombie game: intense gameplay, smart level design, variety in runs, and memorable characters in a fun story. It’s a perfect match for Xbox Game Pass, so if you’re craving something to scratch that Left 4 Dead itch, definitely give it a go.

[priyadharshinigamer]

Fascinating Facts About the Ludo Game

Ludo is not just a game; it's a cultural phenomenon that spans generations and continents. This board game, beloved by both children and adults alike, offers a delightful mix of luck and strategy. As we explore Ludo’s historical roots, its evolution, and its current global significance, we will uncover the unique mechanics and rules that define the game. Further, we'll delve into the psychological and social benefits it imparts and how it has transitioned seamlessly into the digital age. Finally, we’ll share some fun trivia and lesser-known facts about Ludo, celebrating its rich history and widespread appeal.

Historical Origins

Originating from the ancient Indian game Pachisi, Ludo was transformed into the game we know today by the British in the late 19th century. The original Pachisi was a complex game involving cloth boards, cowrie shells, and intricate rules, played by Indian royalty. This game was adapted to the simpler, dice-based Ludo, patented in England in 1896, which aimed to be accessible to a broader audience. Through this transformation, Ludo retained the core concept of moving pieces based on dice rolls but introduced a simplified board layout and rules that appealed to families, especially in the Western world.

Global Appeal

Ludo has become a household staple across the globe, thanks to its straightforward gameplay that requires minimal setup and can be understood by players of all ages. Different countries and cultures have adapted Ludo, incorporating local elements and rules to create regional variations. For example, in some Caribbean nations, Ludo boards are beautifully hand-painted with vibrant colors, reflecting local artistic styles. These variations not only demonstrate Ludo’s adaptability but also its ability to integrate into and celebrate diverse cultures.

Game Mechanics and Rules

Ludo is played on a square board divided into a grid, with a distinct path leading from each player’s base to the center home triangle. Ludo Players take turns rolling a single die, moving their four pawns out of their home base and around the board to the finish line, while also attempting to capture and send back opponents' pawns. The requirement to roll a six to start, combined with the strategic decisions involved in capturing others and safeguarding one’s own pawns, adds depth to what seems like a simple race. This balance of luck and strategy makes Ludo endlessly replayable and engaging.

Psychological and Social Benefits

Ludo is more than entertainment; it's a tool for cognitive development and social interaction. The game requires players to think ahead, predict opponents' moves, and strategically plan their journey across the board, sharpening decision-making and problem-solving skills. Socially, Ludo encourages family bonding and friendship over competitive yet friendly gameplay. It fosters communication and team-building skills, as players often team up in pairs for a more collaborative experience.

Digital Transformation of Ludo

The rise of the internet and mobile gaming platforms has given traditional board games like Ludo a new lease on life. Online platforms allow players from different geographical locations to compete against each other, bringing the community closer together. Digital versions of Ludo, such as those offered by platforms like Zupee, maintain the essence of traditional Ludo while introducing new elements like online leaderboards, multiplayer options, and virtual Ludo tournaments. These platforms provide a space where Ludo enthusiasts can compete at a higher level and engage with a global community.

Fun Trivia and Lesser-Known Facts

Ludo has been part of some intriguing historical anecdotes. For instance, during World War I, British soldiers played Ludo to pass the time in the trenches, modifying the board to be foldable and pocket-sized. Additionally, despite its reputation as a children's game, Ludo has seen competitive play among adults with organized tournaments that showcase the game's strategic depth.

Conclusion

Ludo's enduring appeal lies in its simplicity and the deep connection it fosters among players. From its royal Indian roots to its modern digital form, Ludo has evolved while still retaining its core characteristics that appeal to human psychology and social interaction. Whether played on a physical board with family or through an online platform with strangers, Ludo continues to be a source of joy, learning, and connection. This timeless game is a testament to the simple pleasures that can bring people together, encouraging more individuals to explore and enjoy the myriad benefits that Ludo has to offer.

[midnightraine131]

Hello hello Raine!

2 in Hiding in Plain Sight (yes, I'm eager to know!), 4 (also HiPS), 7 (HiPS and Love Letters), 9 (Love Letters), 16, 22, 24

Hi Anna! It's been so long!

Thanks for the ask. 🥰

2. What are the endgames for everyone?

[Hiding in Plain Sight] I have three major pairings in this fic. I will try my best to answer this question without spoiling too much. 🤐

Jeanpiku - they will soon find the right time to grow. Someone needs to learn to let go.

Eremika - Everything Eren does has a reason, and most of it is to protect his besties. He's planning a getaway, but he can only save one.

Aruani - being forcefully separated with all the disappointments, heartaches, miscommunications, trust issues, and being done with his overwhelming fame. Someday, somehow, in the cold asphalt of Manhattan where they first found each other, one will kneel down with a diamond ring on hand.

4. What is the hardest to write in Hiding in Plain Sight?

Definitely courtroom scenes. Although I have a handful of mock trial scripts, I still spend two or three rounds revising them to make them sound natural. So yes, I'm still writing HiPS, but now at a slower pace because things are getting serious after Chapter 10.

7. Which chapter was the most fun to write/which chapter has been the most fun so far to write?

[Hiding in Plain Sight] I think the part in chapter 9 where Armin serenaded Annie. I was really imagining Armin playing a tiny ukulele with Louis Tomlinson's voice, lol. I was dancing and smiling the whole time I wrote that part, so it's kind of a mess.

I also enjoy writing Annie and Adelaine's interactions. Although Annie keeps telling herself that she's unlikeable, deep inside, she wants to be friends with Adelaine. She's like me. I'm always awkward around kids, so...

[Love Letters] I have used a different writing style in 'Love Letters.' It's simpler and has a teenage vibe to it. So it was easy to write, as if I'm working on a teen romance series for Netflix. I've had fun writing chapters 1 to 4 so far.

9. How did you get inspired to write this?

[Love Letters] I've always wanted to write about teenage Aruani and first loves, but I couldn't seem to come up with something different. So one sleepless night, I recalled an awful experience I had a year ago at the church we used to attend and decided to draft it. Then I came up with an idea to make it a fic, deciding that Armin's character will be based on a true story about one of my friends and how the church people burnt their group leaders out. It was cruel, so I will make Armin cry here. Disclaimer: I have nothing against any churches, but its people, and I'm married to a Christian.

16. Least favourite ship to write for?

I think it's eremika. I love both Eren and Mikasa, but I feel like I've neglected them in 'Hiding in Plain Sight.' I will make up for it. I promise.

22. Something you wished you included afterwards?

[Hiding in Plain Sight] During the dinner at Annie's house, I had originally planned for Eren to interrogate Armin about his thing with Annie to the point of pinning him against the bathroom wall. I found it funny but unnecessary, so I removed the entire scene. I think it's already obvious to everyone that Armin and Annie's relationship is more than just business.

24.Do you prefer multichapter fic or oneshots?

I'll go for a multichapter fic because I've always wanted to have something to look forward to writing about, and I play the scenes in my head like a movie.

If I do oneshots, that will probably porn without plot. 🫢

[sojrner-fishsticcc]

new hyperfixation girls!!!

okokok this is a lil weird but its like midight rn and i am HYPED AS FUCK!!!!! a while back i got really into fursuit stuff, like i was absolutely obsessed with it n i really wanted to make one. i finally went and bought a few of the materials - a big roll of foam, hot glue, sewing stuff, n then i like totally stressed myself out about it and dropped it entirely :\ that sucked, and it made me pretty sad for a while, but a few months have passed and its back! so im back at it, but this time im trying to be smarter abt it. i went into fursuit stuff with absolutely NO experience with sewing, modeling stuff irl, basically anything that would be important, and id be messing with expensive materials so uh. it was a bad idea. and i tried to do everything at once which fucked with me cos it was just too much work.

but this time i think i have a better idea! i really want to start simple, i plan on eventually making a mini partial, so head paws n maybe a tail. and im starting out as small as i can with just making a cardboard box head. like what cuptoast made to cover their face irl! just a box, stuff added onto it, im going specifically for just cardboard with sharpie and beige masking tape accents (going for both style AND funcionality!) so its going to be a lot simpler. its going to be a fun little experience to just practice making... things, in real life. what i plan on doing is kinda using this as a testbed. i love this project, its cool n i love it, but i want it to still be simple so if i fuck something up i can make it again and replace the parts. and slowly i want to ship-of-theseus her into a full head! im starting with just flat cardboard bits, so a box with flat ears and some floof n stuff, but i slowly want to modify her and swap out parts as individual projects. like at some point, i want to swap the basic drawn-on eyes for full on fursuit follow-mes, and add some foam padding to bits to slowly shape her out. its gonna be fun to build on her over the course of weeks or months, i even made a lil project name and badge for this! because of course i did :3. im calling it project rock salt because its gonna be of my oc salt, but i made a tweaked version of her design im calling "rock salt" because its more adapted to fursuit stuff. so floofier, no clothing items, not as complicated. and i thought of a really cute lil slogan of "foam, fur and faith" for it because i rlly like it. its nice, its going to be fun to learn all these craft skills.

ill try to update this (just kinda for myself, i really like just documenting this) as i add parts and upgrade her. hopefully the base box will be done this weekend! whichll just be the base parts, markers and tape. not doing eyeholes for seeing or padding for making her fit my head, just going to go as simple as i can, those bits can come later. also most of the money from my comms and models will go to her for buying materials for upgrades! because. i have a decent source of income from those now. so i can do stuff like this. so uh. thank you strange internet people :3 i promise ill pick back up on comms soon but i have finals next week so stuff is a lil hectic irl, and i dont want to commit to any stuff dealing with real money cos im anxious abt that. ill probably work on the box for the next while because its a super cool little project im happy to have picked up.

so ya! thats it for tonight! gonna post boxhead progress as i make stuff, but rn its just some basic sketching on cardboard, so there isnt much to show. ill share my scratchy stuff as it comes out but for now goodnight weird internet people! love you all!

[paintingbynumberskits]

Take Advantage of the Amazing World of Paint by Numbers to Find Your Inner Artist

In a world filled with hustle and bustle, finding moments of calm and creative expression in an environment of rapid change has become increasingly crucial. Paint by Numbers has emerged as a popular art form, providing folks with an excellent opportunity to relax, express their creativity, and create stunning artwork. In this post, we’ll look at the world of Paint by Numbers, including its history, benefits, and artistic possibilities.

Dragon Paint by Number kits cater to a wide range of artistic preferences and skill levels. Whether you prefer majestic fire-breathing dragons or mystical water-dwelling creatures, there are kits available to suit your taste. Some kits offer intricate designs with finer details, perfect for experienced painters seeking a challenge. Others provide simpler designs, making them ideal for beginners or those who want a more relaxed painting experience. With the availability of different sizes and styles, artists can choose the kit that best matches their interests and skill level. It can also be a social activity, providing an opportunity for family and friends to bond over a shared hobby. It can also be a great way to introduce children to art and ignite their imagination. Working on a dragon painting together allows for collaboration, conversation, and the celebration of creativity. Furthermore, these kits can serve as educational tools, teaching about colors, shapes, and artistic techniques while inspiring an appreciation for the world of art.

Engaging in Paint by Numbers Dog projects provides numerous benefits beyond the joy of creating art. Firstly, these kits serve as a stress-relieving activity, allowing individuals to immerse themselves in the painting process and experience a sense of calm and mindfulness. The repetitive and soothing brushstrokes, combined with the focus required to match colors to the numbered areas, can help alleviate anxiety and promote relaxation. Paint by Numbers Dog Kits also provide an uncommon chance to create unique gifts for other dog fans. You can make an affectionate and memorable gift by painting a beloved pet or a friend’s favorite dog. The time and care that go into hand-painted artwork make it a truly wonderful and appreciated present that will be loved for years to come.

Paint by Numbers flowers kits bring the beauty of nature to life on canvas, offering art enthusiasts a delightful and relaxing way to create stunning floral masterpieces. With these kits, individuals can immerse themselves in the world of flowers, channeling their creativity as they follow the numbered patterns and fill in each section with the corresponding colors. From delicate roses to vibrant sunflowers and serene lilies, the intricate designs capture the intricacies of petals, leaves, and blooms. Paint by Numbers flower kits provide a therapeutic escape, allowing artists to enjoy the calming effects of painting while celebrating the vibrant colors and timeless elegance of nature’s botanical wonders.

To sum up, painting by numbers is not only a fun hobby, but it is also a form of artistic expression and relaxation. These kits offer a systematic and supervised procedure for both novice and seasoned artists to develop their creativity. Artists can focus on color choices, brush techniques, and shading by following the numbered patterns, progressively improving their painting skills. The repetitive action of the brush and the attention required for each stroke can be therapeutic, providing a soothing getaway from the stresses of everyday life.

[amvenvs3000w23]

Make Learning Fun!

As a nature interpreter, your role is to educate people about the natural world and its conservation. This is a skill not many people have, as it takes a while to develop. At the core of interpretation is communication. It is essential to communicate your knowledge and enthusiasm for the natural world, in a way that is accessible to everyone, despite their education level. For a general rule of thumb, writing and speaking at an 8th grade level is a good way to ensure that the information being presented is understood by the widest audience possible, regardless of their background or education.

Using clear and concise writing styles helps to simplify ideas, and makes it easier for people to grasp the concepts that you are presenting. Have you ever been to a lecture and all the material flew past your head? This is what many people experience when they listen to a presentation. Instead of a fun afternoon learning about the “Carolinian” for example, they get caught up trying to process all the technical information, which leaves the visitors exhausted. For people who want a relaxing afternoon this will make them not want to come back, and most importantly limits their ability to learn. When interpreting, ideas and jargon should be simplified so then visitors can easily listen and follow along without having to think too much about it.

Furthermore, using a more accessible language style can help to create a more inclusive environment for people who many have not had the opportunity to learn about nature in a formal setting. A huge barrier towards nature interpretation, is that many people feel left out or “not smart enough” for a nature program. For example, remember your first day of university. You may have felt as it you weren’t “smart enough” to be there as your surrounded by academics doing all sorts of interesting research. This same feeling is what some people feel when attending a nature presentation. They feel like they don’t deserve to be there, and it discourages them for attending programs in the future. If the information is presented in a simpler format, then these people will be able to understand the content and feel included in the discussions you may have. 

This doesn’t just apply to adults, many kids who attend programs have limited knowledge or vocabulary about the natural world, and simplifying your content will help them as well. It is important however to ensure that you aren’t “dumbing down” your program as this can make people feel discouraged about their knowledge, or reading levels. When creating a program, we need to simplify concepts and vocabulary, while maintaining professionalism, and focus. People like to be treated their age, a 40-year-old who had difficulty understanding concepts is still a 40 year and should be treated as one. Always maintain professionalism and never use sarcasm or act higher than the people you are presenting to.

The 8th grade level of communication is a good rule of thumb as it accompanies the majority of individuals in our population. For younger audiences, we can further adjust, and for audiences from universities or institutions we can heighten our content to better meet their needs. It is important as interpreters to always try our best to accommodate to everyone while making them feel comfortable and excited to learn. Your visitors shouldn’t feel like they are studying but rather having fun and enjoying themselves.

My "Find the Fishes" nature program where visitors and I seine netted for fish species so we could see the biodiversity in the bay. During the program I adjusted my vocabularly for the kids, adults and university students who attended.