#just because i am trying to study how to draw hands doesn't mean i'm good at it yet rip....

[aplusod]

one more old oc redesign

[wombywoo]

Ok! I've finally decided to put together a (somewhat) comprehensive tutorial on my latest art~

Please enjoy this little step-by-step 💁‍♀️

First things first--references!

Now I'm not saying you have to go overboard, but I always find that this is a crucial starting point in any art piece I intend on making. Especially if you're a detail freak like me and want to make it as realistic as possible 🙃

As such, your web browser should look like this at any given point:

Since this is a historical piece, it means hours upon hours of meaningless research just to see what color the socks are, but...again. that isn't, strictly, necessary 😅

Once I've compiled all my lovely ref pics, I usually dump them into a big-ass collage ⬇️

(I will end up not using half of these, alas :'D)

Another reference search for background material, and getting to showcase our models of choice for this occasion~

When picking a reference for an actor or model, the main thing I keep in mind (besides prettiness 🤭) is lighting and orientation. Because I already kinda know what pose I'm gonna go with for this piece, I can look for specific angles that might fit the criteria. I should mention that I am a reference hound, and my current COD actor ref folder looks like this:

Also keep in mind, if you're using a ref that you need to flip, make sure you adjust accordingly. This especially applies to clothing, as certain things like pants zippers and belt buckles can be quite specific ☝️

Now that we've spent countless hours googling, it's time to start with a rough sketch:

It doesn't have to be pretty, folks, just a basic guideline of where you want the figures to be.

The next step is to define it more, and I know this looks like that 'how to draw an owl' meme, but I promise--getting from the loose sketch above to below is not that difficult.

Things to keep in mind are--don't go too in-depth with the details, because things are still subject to change at this point. In terms of making a suitable anatomically-correct sketch, I would suggest lots of studying. This doesn't even have to be things like figure drawing, I genuinely look at people around me for inspiration all the time. Familiarize yourself with the human form, and things like weight, proportions, posing will seem a little more feasible.

It's also important at this stage to consider your composition. Remember to flip the canvas frequently to make sure you're not leaning to one side too often. I'm sure something can be said for the spiral fibonacci stuff, which I don't really try to do on purpose, but I think keeping things like symmetry and balance in mind is a good start ✌️

Next step is just blocking in the figures. Standard. No fuss 👍

Now onto the background!

It's frankly hilarious how many people thought I was *hand-drawing* these maps and stuff 😂😂 I cannot even begin to comprehend how insanely difficult that would be. So yeah, we're just taking the lazy copy and paste way out 🤙

I almost always prepare my backgrounds first, and this is mostly to get a general color scheme off the bat. For collage work, it's really just a matter of trial and error, sticking this here, slapping this there, etc. I like to futz around with different overlay options until I've found a nice arrangement. Advice for this is just--go nuts 🤷‍♀️

Next, I add a few color adjustments. I tend to make at least 2 colors pop in an art piece, and low and behold, they usually tend to be red and blue ❤️💙There's something about warm/cool vibes, idk man..

Now we move on to coloring the figures. This is just a basic block and fill, not really defining any of the details yet.

Next, we add some cursory values. Sloppy airbrush works fine, it'll look better soon I promise 🙏

And now--rendering!

I know a lot of beginner artists are intimidated by rendering, and I can totally understand why. It's just one of those things you have to commit to 💪

I've decided to show a brief process of rendering our dear Johnny's face here:

Starting off, I usually rely on the trusty airbrush just to get some color values going. Note--I've kept my sketch layer on top, but feel free to turn it on and off as you work, so as to not be too bound to the sketch. For now, it's just a guideline.

This next stage may look like a huge jump, but it's really just adding more to the foundation. I try to think of it like putting on make-up in a way~ Adding contours, accentuating highlights. This is also where I start adding in more saturation, especially around areas such as ears, nose and lips. Still a bit fuzzy at this point, but that's why we keep adding to it 💪

A boy has appeared! See--now I've removed most of the line layer, and it holds up on its own. I'll admit that in order to achieve this realistic style, you'll need lots and lots of practice and skill, which shouldn't be discouraging! Just motivate yourself with the prospect of getting to look at pretty men for countless hours 🙆‍♀️

I'll probably do a more in-depth explanation about rendering at some point, but let's keep this rolling~

Moving forward is just a process of adding to the figures bit by bit. I do lean towards filling in each section from top to bottom, but you can feel free to pop around to certain parts that appeal to you more. I almost always do the faces first though, because if they end up sucking, I feel less guilty about scrapping it 😂 But no--I think he's pretty enough to proceed 😚

They're coming together now 🙆‍♀️ Another helpful tip--make sure you reuse color. By that, I mean--try to incorporate various colors throughout your piece, using the eyedropper tool to keep a consistent palette. I try to put in bits of red and blue where I can

Here they are fully rendered! Notice I've made a few subtle changes from the sketch, like adjusting the belt buckles because I made a mistake 😬 Hence why you shouldn't put too much stock in your initial sketch~

The next step is more of a stylistic choice, but I usually go over everything with an outline, typically in a bright color like green. Occasionally, I can just use my initial line layer, but for this, I've made a brand new, cleaner line 👍

And the final step is adjusting the color and adding some text:

Tada!! It's done!

All in all, this took me the better part of a week, but I have a lot of free time, so yeah ✌️

I hope you appreciated that little walkthrough~ I know people have been asking me how I do my art, but the truth is--I usually have no clue how to explain myself 😅 So have this half-assed tutorial~

As a bonus, here is a cute (cursed) image of Johnny without his mustache:

A baby, a literal infant child !!! who put this wee bairn on the front lines ??! 😭

Anyway! peace out ✌️

[izzy-the-chaotic-gremlin]

Hello I have some fellers for y'all to meet

MEET SMG 8 AND SMG 2, cus cuz why not let's add on to this little bandwagon of eights we got :]

This is SMG 8 ⤴️

And this is SMG 2 ⤴️

Rants about them under cut!

Let's do 8 first!

She is extremely short, like 3 ft and a half kinda short

She is extremely energetic and kind of chaotic

She is the meme guardian of animation memes! And yes I'm talking about the kind that we all went through a phase constantly watching when we were seven

Using the ink pen that she has across her back she can draw anything, and those drawings can come to life aka anything she draws becomes reality

She has a pet Smurgle, here I put an image below so you all know what I'm talking about

She is on par with Mario's level of power but she doesn't use said power because she doesn't want to hurt anybody, she she does use her power is to cause chaos with her friends though >:]

She's a regular at SMG3's restaurant

She is extremely creative plus she has ADHD, and combining that she can practically make anything as long as her mind is up to it

She's good friends with Tori and Boopkins

She is surprisingly dirty minded, she's also the one to always initiate the kiss or the one to push her partner up against the wall and kiss them >:] she's also the one to suggest the dirty times in bed *wink wink*

She is a DemiGirl and lesbian

She is biologicaly male, and no she has not had bottom surgery cus she wants to have babies at some point in her life, also because, and I quote this from 8 themself "its makes me more cunty"

Her pod looks like this

oh dear God what am I doing

Hears some extra details

Her hat design ⤴️

The design of her eyes ⤴️

My head cannon relationships that she has with the other 8's

@bear-boi-5 Smg8 : honest to God she views him as an older brother figure / Uncle figure, also I headcanon that she will sit there and stand in front of him jumping on her heels and grabbing at the air a above her saying "up up!" Over and over until he finally snaps and picks her up, oftentimes she'll climb on his shoulders and just kind of ride around

@strange0-0storm Smg8 : honest to God she imprinted upon him like a baby duck, she will literally just follow him around everywhere he goes, what I'm trying to say is she really looks up to him and she just really really likes him in general, he's also a older brother / Uncle figure for her PS he's the funcle aka fun unkle :]

@mrfellsans Smg8 : she just observes him from afar like he's a creature that must be studied for science and research, she does like him though shes just not too sure about him

Ok let's do 2 now!

She's also pretty short like around like 4 ft tall

She is extremely protective of 8, like if you dare lay a finger on it she will make you say nighty night for a couple of days lafmo

Do you surprisingly strong physically, like the girl has flipping abs and everything

She has a black belt in karate

She has multiple tattoos that are unseen the eye, the only ones that you can see are the ones that go up her arm around the back of her shoulders and down to the other arm (aka the snake one)

Her tail works like an extra hand

She usually keeps her eyes closed like Falin for Dungeon Meshie, she does open them though when she is feeling a strong emotion or just surprised angry aor scared

Have yall ever seen The owl House? If you haven't or if you have two's magic works exactly like how that characters in TOH's works! She does the whole circle in the air thing as well (reference photos so you get the idea of it) also pls go watch The Owl House if you haven't seen it, its really good :]

She's the mean guardian of really old and timeless means, like the whole IS THAT THE BIET OF 87? and BUT THATS JUST A THEORY, A GAME THEORY! She also deals with TV show and movie meams like Cursed cat Alastor and this random ass screenshot for movies that get made into memes

She has a heavy Russian accent

She knows fluent Russian, German, and Japanese

She is female and lesbian

She calls 8 親愛なる and 私の愛 (親愛なる translates to my dear and 私の愛 translates to my love)

She has a pet cursed cat Alastor aka this thing

(oh Lord)

She is a year older than SMG 3 and SMG 4

She's also regular at SMG 3's Cafe

She has a crush on SMG 8 :]

She is super sleep deprived due to her staying up and making theories on games and movies, or just staying up all night watching Mat Pat lafmo

Her pod looks like this

Extra details on her (I'll add the rest later in a diff post)

Her eye design ⤴️

My head cannon relationships that she has with the other 8's

@bear-boi-5 Smg8 : she doesn't trust him at all, the only reason that he's allowed around SMG 8 is because 8 likes him too much for 2 to safely take them out, but if 8 dare lay even a finger on SMG 8 SMG 2 will imady make him say nighty night for a couple days

@strange0-0storm Smg8 : eh shes alright with him, I mean she doesn't fully trust him but it's not to the level of Bear-Boi's 8

@mrfellsans Smg8 : she likes him and considers him a good acquaintance :]

[ur-friendly-nbhd-cardassian]

For the ask game:

Tav/Halsin and number 33 (forcefully).

Might be a bit mean with the king of consent but I'm curious how you would do it.

If it's too difficult, you can pick any other you like :)

Have fun!

Thank you bestie <3

Hmmm.... *rubs chin* I can't see Halsin being forceful, unless it's like, in the heat of the moment when he's totally blitzed out of his brain with lust... but no one says it must be Halsin >.>

"—all this stupid CRAP, I never thought I'd hate a place more than I hate the Hells, but here I am, in the stupid Shadowlands and it SUCKS—"

Tav stomps the ground like an angry toddler, trying to shake the off the itch crawling up her legs from stepping into some shadow-cursed equivalent of tall grass.

"Tav, please, we shouldn't make so much noise. Shadows will find us."

Halsin watches her struggle with a sort of helpless compassion, unable to assist, but feeling her pain.

Somehow, it just makes it worse.

"Ohh, you'd just love that, wouldn't you, having me behave like a good girl and help you fix all this shit with a smile on my face," she seethes. "Well, I'm not you, Halsin. I have limits to how much of my comfort and feelings I'm able to ignore and push down before they blow up in my face!"

"Tav..."

Halsin sighs and tilts his head, broad shoulders drooping. It seems like her words hurt him, but she's past caring.

"No," she hisses. "I've had enough. I can't watch that selfless face of yours anymore. It's killing me, okay?"

"I'm sorry," Halsin snaps, tone finally coloring with anger. Tav didn't think she would live to see the day, but hearing that roughness in his voice feels satisfying. "You're right. I did sacrifice a lot to get here. Some might say I sacrificed almost everything. And it's still not enough. No guarantee that it was worth it. Do you understand how that feels, Tav? If not, why are you here?"

"Oh, you know, Halsin, you're so wise and based and zen—but sometimes you're being plain dumb!" Tav raises her arms to the black sky as if invoking ancient gods to witness her anguish. "Do you really not know why I do this?"

"Why don't you enlighten me?" Halsin sighs. Beside some mocking ringing in his words, his temper seems to be cooling again.

Tav stares at him, half fuming, half desperate. Does he really not see? She thought she was so obvious it hurt.

But no. Not to this man. A man who never assumes things about others because he's so damn respectful all the time.

It enrages her. And fuels her desire at the same time. She's almost sure he feels the same draw, the same irresistible pull. His eyes often travel across her body. His sight seeks her out across the campfire. She keeps catching his wistful glances every time she looks his way. But he doesn't act.

Alright. Okay. Then maybe it's time to act for him.

Tav stumps off the last of the poisonous bits of dried grass and takes a deep breath. She will only get one chance. And Hells know which way this goes... It might be the end of her every hope. But at least it will free up her chest for some other feelings than hopeless pining.

Halsin isn't looking at her: in his annoyance he's studying the surrounding area, as if the very sight of her was upsetting at the moment. He doesn't see it coming.

In the next second Tav's arms wrap around his neck as she resolutely pulls him low and close. She can only see the surprise on his face for a tiny moment before she presses her lips to his. She doesn't hold back. Knowing she's violating Halsin's own admirable code of consent, the urge to be persuasive is strong.

She can feel him resist, his lips locked tight, arms rigid—but he doesn't pull away, he doesn't push her. He's probably in shock, Tav thinks. If she lets go now, there will be no second kiss.

So she puts everything into it. Opens her mouth and glides the tip of her tongue across his lips. Her hands tangle in his hair and massage his scalp. Her torso presses to his chest, her breasts flush with his.

"Tav," he manages to breathe out a weak protest, but that just means his mouth is open, too. She doesn't hesitate to claim it—and he lets her.

His arms slowly snake around her body and pull her closer. She can hear little moans resonate in his throat. His body, hot on the coldest of days, seems to nearly burn now.

It takes every ounce of self-control for her to let go of him, but she manages. They're both breathless. Halsin's face is a mix of wild emotions—she's sure she recognizes regret among them.

"I'm sorry," she exhales, wiping her mouth. "I just needed you to know what you're doing to me."

He covers his face with a broad palm.

"I... I had no idea, Tav. I didn't mean to make you suffer. But the Shadow Curse—"

"I know," she sighs, but her irritation is only mild now. "I know. I respect your wishes, Halsin, I just... It's been a long few weeks and I've spent most of them thinking about you."

His arms drops and he's looking at her like a lost puppy.

"Me too," he whispers.

Tav smiles half-heartedly. "Good to know. That should keep me going until the Curse is lifted. Then... I hope we can pick up where we left off...?"

He chuckles and even in the dim, sickly light she can see the blush spreading across his weathered cheeks.

"That's a promise."

Okay, this was WILD xD I thank you very much for the prompt again, because I had fun coming up with this. Naturally it turned out muuuuch longer than I planned, but that's me, lol.

Hope you like it ;)

[nickeverdeen]

Heyy, can I ask for match up and sorting at the same request? I think it would be super annoying for you to read me talk about myself twice, so🙈 so, firat about the hcs sortings. The ones I'm gonna choose is Avatar The Last Airbender = sorting what bender you’d be and The Last of Us 1 + 2 = sorting which (human) group you’d be part of.

For the match ups: The last of us (Part 1 and 2) and MCU. I don't really care if it's female or male, I don't have preference.

So, for my description:

I'm a teenager and my pronouns are she/her. I'm a hufflepuff and my zodiac sign is aquarius. I love art in any way possible, but drawing is basically my roman empire. I'm always with a sketchbook and sometimes I look at random places and people and I try to imagine how would I draw them. I usually draw and paint listening to classical music and orchestras (I even used to play Erick Satie pieces on a kalimba!!!), but I also love Rock and Metalcore. I'm that type of person who has a headphone on her head 24/7. I'm very introvert and usually have difficulty communicating with other people, simply because I'm bad at continue conversations. My mom says it's because I spend so much time at the little world in my head that I forget how to get out of it, and as much as she doesn't mean in a harm way, I know this can bother people around me (I mean, somebody called me autistic in a perjorative way once. I'm don't even have autism, it's just my personality). Even tho I'm introvert, I can be very chatty around people I like and trust. I also don't like fighting, I hate fighting, and because of traumatic experiences involving bullying and problems at home, I start feeling anxious when I hear arguments. So I'm usually a very chill person and try to keep things smooth till I can, but I can also get exaggeratedly agressive when people step on thin ice with me, and that caused me problems before. I also love animals (at this point, I don't even have to explain that I prefer them to people, right?), I would totally be a vet if I wasn't so afraid of seeing injuries, and I could also study astronomy if I didn't hated physics/math. I'm not very patient, but I also change my mind easily, so I'm the type of person who tries something new and says "I won't ever do this again" and it goes wrong, but is trying again next day. I looove eating, and even tho I have some pet peeves with food, food bribery can work a lot with me lol. My favorite types of films are drama and science fiction (cry for a good story and think hard are my two favorite things). I'm a very perceptive person and I am very vulnerable to see through people, I know there's something wrong in the air usually before everyone else, and can see how people may be feeling even if they don't tell me right away, that's what makes me a good friend to the few people I'm friends with, because my intuition is good. I'm also very criative, and even though my imagination can get a little morbid and sad, it also gives me good ideas and experiences. On the other hand, one of my flaws is not doing things I'm supposed to do like fufill tasks, and I get over disappointed when things don't go exactly the way I plan. I'm also not that good at talking about my feelings, but I like hearing others. I don't like hot weathers and my favorite season is fall. My favorite holiday is christmas, and I usually spend the whole year deciding what to wear for halloween. I don't really get happy about my birthday, but I like the cheap excuse to eat cake.

Your ATLA bending is…

Waterbending

Waterbenders often have a calm, reflective nature that aligns with your introverted and artistic personality

Your love for art, particularly drawing and painting, reflects the fluid and expressive qualities of water

Your ability to perceive others’ emotions and your strong intuition are traits often associated with waterbenders, who are known for their empathetic and perceptive natures

Waterbenders can adapt and flow like water, much like how you easily change your mind and try new things

Your creativity and ability to imagine different perspectives also reflect the versatility of water

Waterbenders often prefer harmony and peace over conflict, similar to your aversion to fighting and arguments

Your efforts to keep things smooth and your anxiety around conflict align with the waterbender’s desire for balance

Your love for animals and preference for them over people is reminiscent of the water tribe’s close connection to nature and its creatures

Your preference for cooler weather and fall also aligns with the water element, often associated with cooler climates

—————

In The Last of Us you’d be part of…

Jackson Community

The Jackson community values safety, cooperation, and a sense of family, which aligns with your desire for a peaceful and stable environment

Your perceptiveness and ability to understand people’s emotions would make you a valuable member of this close-knit community

In Jackson, you would have the opportunity to contribute through your artistic skills, bringing beauty and creativity to the community

Whether it’s through painting murals, teaching art, or simply creating, your talents would be highly valued

Jackson provides a relatively safe and conflict-free environment compared to other groups

This setting would suit your aversion to fighting and arguments, allowing you to live more comfortably and without constant anxiety

Jackson is a place where your love for animals can thrive

There are opportunities to care for livestock and pets, fitting your preference for being around animals rather than people

The supportive and cooperative nature of Jackson would help you feel secure and understood

Your friends in the community would appreciate your perceptiveness and emotional intelligence, and you’d find a place where you could be chatty and open with those you trust

—————

Your The Last of Us 1 match is…

Ellie Williams

Ellie shares your love for drawing and would be fascinated by your art

You’d spend hours sketching together, sharing tips and admiring each other’s work

Ellie’s interest in music aligns with your love for classical music and rock

You’d bond over listening to and playing music, maybe even teaching her a few pieces on the kalimba

Ellie understands your introverted nature and wouldn’t pressure you to be social

She’d enjoy the quiet moments with you, appreciating the peace and creativity you bring

Ellie would be sensitive to your aversion to conflict, making an effort to create a calm and safe environment for you

She’d step in to defuse situations if they arose

Ellie’s love for animals would resonate with you, and you’d often talk about your favorite animals or even take care of pets together

(Let’s ignore the fact that she killed that precious rabbit)

Ellie would value your perceptiveness, knowing you can sense when something is off

This would make you a strong support system for each other

Ellie’s adventurous spirit would inspire you to try new things, while your creativity would bring a new dimension to her experiences

Ellie would enjoy your love for food, often bringing you treats or sharing meals to cheer you up

Food bribery would definitely work on her too

Ellie’s experiences have given her a darker outlook, which would complement your occasionally morbid imagination

You’d understand each other’s perspectives deeply

Ellie would be someone you could eventually open up to about your feelings, creating a mutual space for trust and support

—————

Your The Last of Us 2 match is…

Dina

Dina would be impressed by your artistic skills and love for drawing

She’d often sit with you while you sketch, maybe even asking you to draw something special for her

Dina loves music and would appreciate your eclectic taste

You’d share playlists, and she might even join you in playing music, appreciating your classical choices and rock favorites

Dina respects your introversion and would ensure you feel comfortable

She’d be patient with your social awkwardness, making you feel understood

Dina would be protective of you in conflict situations, stepping in to help keep things calm and support your need for a peaceful environment

Dina’s love for animals would match yours, and you’d bond over caring for any animals you come across, sharing stories about your favorite creatures

Dina would trust your intuitive nature, often seeking your advice or perspective on situations because she knows you can read the room well

Dina’s adventurous side would inspire you to step out of your comfort zone, but she’d always respect your limits and ensure you’re comfortable

Dina would love your enthusiasm for food and would enjoy trying new things with you, often bringing you snacks or cooking together

Dina’s experiences have given her a nuanced view of the world, which aligns with your occasional morbid imagination

You’d find solace in understanding each other’s darker thoughts

Dina would be a great listener, helping you navigate your emotions and encouraging you to express your feelings more openly

—————

Your MCU match is…

Peter Parker 1

Peter would admire your artistic talent, often asking to see your sketches and paintings

He’d be your biggest fan, encouraging you to keep creating

Peter loves music and would appreciate your taste in classical music and rock

You’d share playlists and enjoy listening to music together while you draw or study

Peter is empathetic and would understand your introverted nature, never pressuring you to be social and appreciating your company in quiet moments

Peter, being a peacekeeper, would respect your aversion to conflict

He’d step in to resolve any arguments, ensuring you feel safe and comfortable

He may not look like it, but Peter’s affinity for animals would resonate with you

You’d bond over your shared love for them, often talking about your favorite animals and maybe even caring for a pet together

Peter would value your perceptiveness, often seeking your insights on situations and trusting your intuitive understanding of people

Peter’s adventurous side would kidna want you to step out of your comfort zone, but he’s very careful with you

Peter would love your love for food and would enjoy trying new dishes with you, often bringing you snacks or taking you out to eat

He’d joke if you love him more than food or not

Peter’s experiences as Spider-Man have given him a complex outlook, which would align with your occasionally morbid imagination

He doesn’t like it, but he also has one

Peter is an awesome listener, always there for you and he lets you to even spar with him to let some anger out while he’d hold back, but not too much so you’d notice

He cares both about your mental and physical health

He’d appreciate your support in return, knowing he can rely on you

[khayalli]

How do you art. My ability has left me and a block has taken its place

(This is my second time trying to do this, tumblr I will blow you up PERSONALLY)

First off I am giving the biggest hugs!!! Art blocks suck and I'm sorry to hear that it's bringing you down :(

I think the best thing to do is figure out what's causing your artblock. Everything I'm about to ramble about is personal experience so if it doesn't apply throw me another ask or DM! I'm always happy to talk to people!

In my experience, artblock usually comes from a very mental place. Creative have a bad habit of equating their worth to what they create/the quality of what they create.

You are more than content!!! Your art is a wonderful thing about you, but it's not your entire worth as a person. So if you fail, or you suck, that doesn't mean that you as a person fail/suck. So if that's in your noggin, start niggling that little bitch out. Yeet it into the sun!!!!! She's useless and adds nothing to the conversation!!!!!!!!

Don't be afraid to create bad art, either. I can't express to you how many aborted files I have in my folder because I thought "it's not good enough. Scrap it"

But my biggest leaps of progress come from me being like "this sucks, but I'm going to finish it anyway" you learn WAY more with bad art than you will with good. Analyse and deconstruct after you've finished creating, not during. Have fun while you're doing it. Fuck around and find out. Get manic with it. Cackle into the abyss. Create with the joy of a 5 year old that has no idea what notes/reblogs are and just loves this silly purple guy.

Ability fluctuates as your eyes get better at spotting what's good/bad. Your art probably isn't bad. Your eyes are just much keener now at picking these things up! Your hands just haven't gotten the memo yet.

SO! Here are some actionable ways you can break art block, or at least create a little bit:

Make art that sucks and learn to be uncomfortable with it. Find joy in shitty art. I'm a lot happier now that I do this!

Finish it or post it anyway!

Speak to your creative friends, or fandom friends! A lot of my inspo comes from them because they inspire me all the time. Bouncing ideas off eachother helps a lot with idea generation, and staying excited about it.

Prompt generators and those expression memes! They take the thinking part out and you can concentrate on just drawing

Art trades, or even collaborations! Having someone else there always adds more motivation

Pose studies, a lot of my stuff is just pose studies that I warped into hot turtle men. It's another one where I don't have to think, just create.

Writing down those ideas you get at 3am so that when you're stuck you can go look at a list

I hope this helps a little. This sort of thing is hard to deal with, and I understand how frustrating it is when you want to draw but you just can't seem to (I went a year without picking up a pen, shudders). I promise that with gentle effort and genuine kindness to yourself, it can get better! I'm rooting for you!!!

(Sorry for how much I rambled on, this is something I'm very passionate about and in the trenches with also)

[neon-candies]

This is a question for NeonJelly. First of all, so happy I came across your page. Your art is beautiful. What do you use to draw? I don't think it's Ibis, is it? Do you have any suggestions for people like me that want to try and improve "art skills." I am looking for tips on how to draw people(or rather different angles of bodies.

This is a question for NeonJelly about Annabelle. Her arms coming off often and her not feeling pain (and her being a doll in general) makes me think of Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas.... was that her inspiration or was there a different inspiration that inspired her creation.

Thank you very much for the compliment! And I draw on a Picasso tablet! The program I use for it is Clip Studio Paint, as it's what I'm most familiar with. And the best tips I can give are studying people, photos, and anatomy! When trying to emulate the style from Hazbin, having a somewhat vague understanding of anatomy can go along way. Because if you know how the body squishes and bends, you're able to play loosey goosey a lot easier! It especially helps to have a goal you want to work towards. Like it can be something simple such as "I want to get better at eyes" or "I want to work on drawing hands". For me I wanted to learn to draw muscles better, hence why I studied a lot about anatomy. Of course I still have plenty to learn, but taking the first step and setting a goal is always a good start!

As for your second question, Annie was mostly inspired by Wednesday Addams! (Specifically the Wednesday portrayed by Cristina Ricci) Though mainly just Wednesday's way of speaking and her inflection. Though her being a doll given life was because I wanted to do something unique while also keeping Alastor's orientation in mind. In my au I view him more as a gray-aroace as it is still part of the aromantic/asexual spectrum, just a different category. That and as far as we know, sinners are unable to have kids. Though I still don't know if this has been retconned. Either way with Annie being a doll, I went the logical route about her still remaining a doll internally. Hence her being filled with stuffing. Then from there it of course led down the route of "if she's filled with stuffing, that means she does not have muscle tissue. Which means no nervous system" And so on and so forth. Granted she could possibly give herself a false nervous system through her magic, but she wouldn't see the necessity for it.

But yeah, mainly when it came to Annie and her being a doll internally, it was mostly me going a route of logic and such! That's why she's got no genitals, is completely flat chested (because she doesn't need mammary glands), and has no internal organs. Because despite appearing like she's a normal demon, she is still just a doll.

[lostfracturess]

JEJJSHSSHSHSHSJSHDHDHDHD FINALLY PUT MY HANDS ON THE LAST GAMES AND MATCHES CHAPTER, the fucking work 🥲🥲🥲 ANYWAYS, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ANOTHER COMPLETED STORY, THAT WAS FUCKING GOOD I SWEAR I AM TRYING TO PUT MY MIND INTO SOMETHING COHERENT BUT I FAIL AS USUAL firstlyyy, i AM FUCKING IN LOVE WITH THIS SATORU, AND ALL SATORUS OF YOU AT THAT POINT. i absolutely adore his humour and demeanor, and of course the way he's so pathetically in love with the reader, makes my toes curl and giggling. absolutely like the way you describe it ❤️❤️❤️ secondly, their chemistry with the reader, though it was only three chapters (😥😥😥) the tension, unreleased and fully released, their banters, their casual tasks are described so good! they feel so real, that's the thing i absolutely adore in your stories. the realness of their struggles, rawness of their emotions make all of your stories so precious to me (maybe i hyperanalyze a little at that point, but 😭😭😭). thirdly, though it was a short story, i could clearly seen the fun you were having while writing! believe me, we enjoyed it as well ❤️ fourthly, the smut??? i really don't know what to say at this point, it was so fucking good and delicious, tears rolled down my thigh © (as you said "received the stamp of it" 😅). dirty talk was absolutely heavenly and the way satoru was in charge (for almost all of the times ofc) yet was so gentle towards the reader made my heart swell ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ (daddy issues were present as you said in the description) fifthly, i am so fucking happy they got their happy ending (well, they weren't even suffering like a certain someone cough cough thanks to nici's mercy).

literally, thank you so much for this story, i was enjoying it endlessly ❤️

p.s. I've just thought how we all here are in the parasocial relationships with satoru and enjoying it 😅

i was writing my thoughts as i was reading as well, and i swear i want to make my comment as a whole more coherent but I don't know how to 😭😭😭 so I'm so sorry for this mess ❤️❤️❤️

"You went through the motions of college life, attending classes and studying late into the night, all the while your thoughts wander back to the man that changed your whole world in mere days" oh my god oh my god OH MY GOD I FEEL THAT. THE FEELINGS™

"There was something about his voice that always managed to put you at ease, no matter how stressed you were feeling. It was like a soothing balm, washing over you and melting away all your worries" 😩😩😩😩 girl you're so fucking down bad to him, totally understandable

“Yeah, I figured as much. My jaw still hurts like hell. Can't say I blame him though. If I had a daughter, I'd probably want to throttle any man who looked at her twice, too." noooo his handsome face suffered 🫡🫡🫡 totally understandable tho

"But somehow you genuinely wanted to know, wanted to know what's happening in his life" GIRLS PLEASE YOU'RE (WE'RE) COMPLETELY SMITTEN

I don't it's just the way the reader imagine him by her side??? she's doing it subconsciously and doesn't even realize that she needs him not just for fuck, i can't-

“You miss fucking me,” you say eventually, needing to break the intensity with a quip, a tease. "That's what this is really about. You're hard up and looking for a steamy bedtime story." denial is the river in egypt-

"When I say I miss you... I mean you. Your mind, your heart, your ridiculous snort-laugh that makes you sound like a drunken piglet." awwww the man of my dreams, calling us a drunken piglet, so cute ❤️

she imagines him AGAIN. reader girlie, wake up already!

"His words echoed in your mind, 'you love me', and suddenly it felt like the air had been sucked out of the room. Your throat went tight, your chest constricting as the weight of those words sank in" uhmmm it's more like she denies her feelings because she can't believe in his true feelings for her, to not get attached i guess? because she was the one constantly drawing the line between them

"I'm already so wet just thinking about you." aren't we all here?

OKAY phone sex, dirty talk, talking through it and older satoru??? AM IN HEAVEN??? WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE SUCH A BLESSING

no, but seriously, I can't help but notice her constantly imagining satoru beside her, like she's a constant need of her presence, and i wonder if you did that on purpose or is that just me hyperanalyzing 😭😭😭

"This, whatever this was between you, it had an expiration date" NO IT'S NOT, I REFUSE. WE NEED HIM. IN ALL SENSES

omg i absolutely adore their playful banters

"Let the whole damn world know who you belong to. How fucking gone I am for you." oh my goodness i am so fucking bad for this you can't even imagine, he just krjejeejieekwiwi i need him like air, so hot and pathetic in his total smitteness

"Not even a little bit, love. You can do anything you set your mind to. And I'll be right there in the front row, cheering you on every step of the way." what if i actually cry? he's so nice to the reader 🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲 really so good and reassuring :(((( squeezing him gently, but for real, anyone needs such a partner in their lives

"You did win, of course" let's pretend he didn't lose on purpose (tho i know the reader totally crashed him) just to put his grabby hands on the reader (and something else)

"He hummed, setting the trophy back in its place with care. "I remember. I was stuck in a conference room, listening to some blowhard drone on about market fluctuations, but all I could think about was you. Must've refreshed the score update page a hundred times, nearly wore out my phone battery." 😩😩😩😩😩😩😩 HE'S SOOOOO

"You're everything to me, you know that?" Satoru murmured softly" what's the thing with your gojos confessing in the middle of sex 😅😅😅 but don't stop, im in awe

"It's one of the things I lo—" He caught himself, clearing his throat roughly. "One of the things I admire most about you. GOJO FUCKING SATORU STAY HERE AND SAY EVERYTHING ALOUD, EVERY WORD, I MEAN IT, YOU'RE IN LOVE.

"As if your dismissal of this thing between you had struck a physical blow, knocking the air from his lungs and the hope from his heart" NOOOOOOOO PLEASEEEE NOOOO SHE'S JUST CONFUSED AND IN DENIAL, SHE LOVES YOU GOJO PLEASE 😭😭😭 CAN'T BELIEVE I AM GONNA CRY

"Because falling for him, letting yourself want more than stolen moments and secret meetings — it was a distraction. A beautiful, tempting, utterly destructive distraction" it literally pains me when she says he's a distraction to her, no, when she makes herself think he's a distraction. because she doesn't believe it and tries not to let this fling or whatever she calls it ahead of her dreams, but babyyyyy you two can be together 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 because you clearly want it both

oh my god 🥲🥲🥲🥲 sad sex🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲 yes im totally okay- NO IM NOT THE WAY YOU DESCRIBE IT JUST SO AGONIZINGLY BEAUTIFUL IT MAKES ME BIT MY PILLOW, THEM POURING ALL THEIR EMOTIONS IN IT, LETTING THEIR BODIES SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES, CHASING THAT DREAM OF LOVE AND LIFE TOGETHER 😭😭😭

actually i think taylor swift's maroon kinda fits this scene 🧐 or maybe i am delulu, anyways, if you like to, you might check out!

"So what right did you have to feel betrayed, to feel abandoned, when he was just following your lead?" actually i think at that moment she finally realised she needed him more than tennis indeed, but still kept denying it. that's so complicated yet truthful at that same time? i just can understand both of them, really love when you create moral dilemmas like this

"For the way he made you feel seen, known. Understood, in a way no one else ever had. Like he could look into your eyes and see straight to your soul, to the heart of you. Like he knew you, inside and out" YES THAT'S THE FUCKING THING, IT'S NOT CASUAL, IT'S NOT JUST SEXXXX

"So with a deep breath and a racing heart, you made your decision" YESSS YOU GO GIRLLLLLLL FINALLLYYY YEEHAWWWWW

but it's totally understandable for me tho. when your heart isn't the right place, your head won't be as well.

“You know, family dinners are going to be really awkward from now on." AGAINNNNN WHY'S HE SO STUPID

also love the contrast you described with when she was practicing, thinking about tennis (head, constant doubting) and when she finally talked to satoru (heart, happiness and calmness, FELLING LIKE HOME)

"Satoru's hand found your ass one last time to give you a playful, proprietary slap as you walked away. You didn't see it, but you were sure your dad gave him a death glare for that" poor suguru, his old dad's heart 🥲

"I know it's unconventional. I know it's not what you would have chosen for her. But I swear to you, I love that girl with everything I have. I'd do anything for her, be anything she needs me to be. She's it for me. The one." okay that's it, i fucking cried. he's really perfect for her 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️

"Seriously though," your dad continued. "She's happy. Happier than I've ever seen her. And that's all that matters to me." really respect suguru on that, he put his daughter's happiness over his own doubts and anger. truly a supportive father

Satoru watched you for a moment, then turned to Suguru once more. "By the way, should I've asked you for permission or something? You know, since you're her dad and all." ANOTHER PATHETICALLY IN LOVE AND COMPLETELY SMITTEN GOJO OF YOURS ASKING FOR A PERMISSION TO MARRY A READER. THAT'S MY JAMMM

"Okay, okay, fine," Satoru relented, holding up his hands in surrender. "I'll stop. But just so you know, I expect you to give a heartfelt speech at the wedding. Something about how you always knew I was the one for your little girl, even when we were kids." SHUT UP SATORU I PHYSICALLY CRINGED 😭😭😭 he's stupid 🥲

thank you so so much for your kind words ahhh, love you forever for this !! so so happy to read that this funny little story feels reel even tho we all know what it was heavily related to lol. didn't even plan really to make it angsty at the end too, but you know a girl must do what a girl must do sometimes.

anyway, i always try to include some kind of real struggle or issue into my writing that i feel is very human? idk, maybe it's just my brain and y'all think im crazy but anywayyyy again, so so so glad that landed well for you <3

but don't worry you're not hyperanalyzing, it was definitely meant to have some kind of deeper meaning underneath all that smut haha.

and yes the tears rolled down my thigh © thank you so much !! it's like a quality sign at this point :'))

well, they weren't even suffering like a certain someone cough cough thanks to nici's mercy

i feel attacked (lovingly)

denial is the river in egypt-

laughing out loud bc i love this meme pleasseeeee

"You're everything to me, you know that?" Satoru murmured softly" what's the thing with your gojos confessing in the middle of sex 😅😅😅 but don't stop, im in awe

now let me explain !!!!! *stares into the void* i'm a simple girl, i wanna have my men lay their love to my feet while he has something other very deep in me i'm sorry i cannot stop AND I WILL NOT STOP !!!

didn't even realize but i think i did it in every story ahaha. there is just something about gojo being pussy drunk and then can't stop himself from saying all those stupid and inappropriate things <3

actually i think taylor swift's maroon kinda fits this scene 🧐 or maybe i am delulu, anyways, if you like to, you might check out!

i love every song of her

actually i think at that moment she finally realised she needed him more than tennis indeed, but still kept denying it. that's so complicated yet truthful at that same time? i just can understand both of them, really love when you create moral dilemmas like this

yes !! very much the turning point !! and omg i love writing dilemmas and complicated emotions ahhh

also love the contrast you described with when she was practicing, thinking about tennis (head, constant doubting) and when she finally talked to satoru (heart, happiness and calmness, FELLING LIKE HOME)

so glad you noticed that hehe

ANOTHER PATHETICALLY IN LOVE AND COMPLETELY SMITTEN GOJO OF YOURS ASKING FOR A PERMISSION TO MARRY A READER. THAT'S MY JAMMM

NAH WAIITTTT. okay i have a problem with gojo confessing during smut and asking for permission to marry i see ahaha. upsiii.

& yes gojo is so stupid at the end ahah, making it more weird with everything he said and i love it ahahah.

thank you so so much again for your words and letting me be part of your thoughts while reading, hope your week is filled with rainbows, unicorns, and maybe even a winning lottery ticket (or at least a crisp $20 bill on the sidewalk). sending you all the virtual hugs <3

[magpie-trinkets]

I hate what AI art has done to my enjoyment of art. I also hate AI art for multiple other reasons, but that is one of them.

Now instead of enjoying a piece for composition or colour or plain just "this looks pretty" I am instantly suspicious. Sus, one might say. I go through the piece with a fine toothed comb. Is there an inconsistent detail? A mistake a human wouldn't make so far in the process? A weird hand?

Most of AI art trying to pass as art (that I've seen) is heavily rendered, meaning a real artist should've spent hours or days on that thing, chipping away, seeing the piece, which means more opportunities to correct mistakes made in sketch or any other part of the process; it also implies that the artist has some experience and skill, and knowledge of their medium. Art tools, references, etc. Whether you like or dislike their style, their designs or concepts is another matter entirely. This is pure art analysis.

Let's expand:

- Inconsistent details: This is not "this comic artist forgot to copy a detail from panel to panel". This is forgetting bilateral symmetry. This is having fish from the same species have different fin placement. This is weird windows in a normal building, this is breaking a pattern up for no discernible reason. This is a line not connecting with another. This is a detail that shouldn't be there, be there. The AI is good at replicating how something looks, but is bad at paying attention to concepts in the foundation, and it shows with these little details. Concepts that are easily understood by humans by just looking at references and doing sketches.

- A mistake/uncanny wrongness: when you look at a piece for so long, at the same time your back suffers from the unhealthy posture you torture it with, you start seeing mistakes, or things you want to change, or improve, or remove. Like "that pose could be better" or "I forgot this in the background", or "this colour doesn't look good", or "this pattern is too concentrated, I'd better space this element out". An AI doesn't have observational skills or these thought processes. It's also hilariously bad at replicating text. If something feels uncanny, I have to think "did a human make this decision?" or "is the anatomy even correct? the perspective? the colours? the fucking text? it's the fucking text isn't it."

I would offer more specific examples of these, but I try to avoid AI art the second I feel the uncanny wrongness, I have the tag filtered. Once a detail is wrong in a wrong way (I'm not talking an artist accidentally drawing two right hands, I'm talking fingers coming out of fingers) I start to see other mistakes or uncanny decisions. It boils down to the little details.

AI is "trained" (stealing, copying) on multiple other pieces of art. But it copies without understanding. When an artist copies they're trying to understand, they are studying what they copy, and usually they are appreciating what they study. That's why they're called "studies", and they're often properly credited. When they borrow another's style (like Rembrandt) people often say "drawn in a Rembrandt style". AI doesn't do studies, doesn't understand, doesn't credit the thousands of artworks they've stolen from. Because it's thousands, millions. If you tell an AI to generate a painting in a Rembrandt style, you bet your ass the AI is using Rembrandt AND thousand other pieces from different people. But the person posting the AI art says "piece from X AI software in a Rembrandt style!", and that's even if they disclose that it's AI. They don't know which pieces and which artists have been stolen from for that piece. Hey, maybe the AI didn't even copy real Rembrandt pieces. Maybe it's not even Rembrandt style.

I am no longer able to enjoy heavily-rendered, semi-realistic pieces. And the moment AI art encroaches on other styles, we're fucked. Suspicion is such a killjoy, a party shitter and pooper. I hate feeling suspicion every time I see a piece, and I hate feeling right even more.

There's no soul behind AI art. There's no effort or skill. There's no "hours and hours of practicing hand poses". There's no observation. There's no appreciation. There's no intention. There's no love. There's only greed.

[coral-melon]

Hello! Are you taking matchup requests? If yes, I'd like to send one in for Obey Me

I'll go by ⭐. My pronouns are she/her and I'm demisexual

Appearance: I am South Asian with long wavy black hair. Usually tie my hair in a half ponytail at the back because I like how it looks and I don't really like the feeling of hair on my shoulders. I am 165 cm tall and reasonably fit

Personality: I'm calm, collected and hardworking. I can be a bit aloof and arrogant sometimes, but I make sure it doesn't get out of hand. I am curious and perfectionistic, and I'm also pretty academically smart (though I sometimes struggle with impostor syndrome). The gifted kid burnout syndrome is catching up, though. People say I do have a bit of a cold facade, but once they get to know me, I'm much warmer and gentler than they initially thought. I care deeply for my friends and my family, so I'll do whatever I can for them. I do face a lot of pressures too from having to be the perfect oldest daughter, the therapist friend (despite psychology not being my major, more of a special interest) and from having to do well in school (engineering is kicking my ass low-key). I often bake my closest friends and family a cake on their birthday with a silly message written on it. I also has a soft spot (special interest) for outer space and love to stargaze wherever the skies are clear

Likes: Books, herbal tea, art, lofi hip-hop, video games, anime, drawing, spicy food, affogato, outer space

Dislikes: Incompetence, unnecessary conflicts, bullies, fake friends dishonesty, cruelty, dog-eared book pages, anyone who dares threaten my family, loud noises, itchy fabrics, bright lights

Hello! Thank you for introducing yourself and It’s a pleasure to meet you, -⭐️!

I match you with…~

★ You two are seen as a married old couple. Both of you understand each other wholeheartedly but this does mean that you often clash with one another. One moment you’ll be arguing and the next you’ll be sitting in a tranquil silence as the two of sip on a cup of tea while listening to one of his cursed records.

☆ Stubborn to the core, you two always try to one up each other. It astonishes him just how far you’ll go to achieve what you want; he won’t say it out loud though. But in the end, what you truly do is just help each other out.

★ Although he doesn’t say it out loud, he’s extremely proud of everything you do. The way you’re just so hardworking can put almost every single demon to shame. But he can sense how little you feel about yourself at times.

☆ So he encourages you to keep doing better than your previous accomplishment, so that you can finally stand tall and proud of all your achievements. But it’ll sometimes slip his mind that you are only human; when he thinks you’re slacking off, it’s actually you feeling burned out from everything. The pressure of having to keep up with his standards can be too much at times.

★ There have been many occasions where you get frustrated at Mammon because of how hard it is to work with him. His hopeless when it comes to his studies! Lucifer can’t help but chuckle under his breath whenever you come ranting about the failed study sessions.

☆ He’s not fond of sweets, if you baked something for him, he’ll eat it mostly to indulge you. But he likes how it’s never overly sweet, its a mild flavor that he has come to appreciate. You got him to try and Affogato that was actually quite good in his opinion.

★ He also enjoys the silly messages you leave, it motivates him to get through his work. He often find himself thinking about them and gets sudden cravings for your homemade stuff.

☆ He appreciates everything you do to help him out, his brothers are always a handful and a pain in the ass neck at times. He also can’t help but feel soft whenever you come by his office to hand him a cup of tea that’s especially to aid in sleep.

★ I imagine there was a time where you gave him this tea without him knowing it helped make you drowsy. And he just immediately passes out; best believe he wasn’t too pleased in the morning. After that lil incident, He’ll refuse the tea and will ask to be given coffee instead. But that doesn’t mean he won’t drink other teas you give him; just don’t make him pass out.

☆ You’re an endearing person, and in a way, it feels comforting for him to know that the two of you aren’t so different. An unspoken understanding of one another pulls you closer together.

★ Even in the little things, like the fact that the loud noises or unnecessary bickering between the brothers is something the both of you keep a close eye on and work on preventing too much chaos.

☆ Yet still being so caring to his brothers leaves a warm sensation in his chest. You even try to stop being from giving cruel punishments to his brothers. He sees this a both a good, but also sees is as you defying him at times.

★ You being the eldest daughter in your family has given you the experience, and patience, to deal with their shenanigans. You’re always giving him a helping hand when he’s already too busy with his work.

☆ There are also the times where you do your own little thing in his office, perhaps drawing or playing your games during your free time, while he does the his paper work when it’s not as hectic.

★ One day he gives a gift, he gives you a magical star projector as a small token of his gratitude. You can take this hc however you please -⭐️

End

((This might be slightly off topic, but the two of you remind me of this soundtrack ^^⸝⸝))

Ty for writing this to me and I hope you enjoyed this! You sound like a very extraordinary person, remember to take care of yourself and that everything you’ve done so far is amazing⭐️

[rosekasa]

Has this ever happened to you? People saying that you’re just a discount “insert popular artist you’re trying to study”? Recently I’ve been told that I am stealing art from these popular artists and I’m somehow lesser than them?? I don’t know what I’m trying to say but it really dampened my excitement to show others my art 😭😭😭

ANON WHO SAID THIS TO YOU?? DIRECT ME TO THEM, I'LL FIGHT THEM

that is such a discouraging thing to say to someone!! i'm really sorry you're going through that!!

on one hand, i do believe it's important to develop your own style so you're creating art through your own voice. but also, it's my opinion that very little of an 'art style' is created through conscious choice and rather giving yourself space to experiment and explore with all the OTHER styles that you enjoy. this sometimes means that your art will look similar to another artist's style as you're growing and developing your artistic vocabulary! and that's okay! that doesn't make you a 'discount' ANYTHING.

my art from like, 2021-22ish, with that logic, looks like discount sui ishida. like a really bad discount. because i was so obsessed with his art and literally just wanted to ABSORB it. i was studying his works all the time, with every piece i would do i would have some of his art nearby so i could look at it and see what parts of his art i liked and where those were missing in my piece. and because his art is obviously much better than mine, a lot of the new theory that i had to learn to achieve a style that made me feel excited to draw was being replicated in my pieces in the way that he did it, because i still wasn't sure what all the rules were yet. i still am not! but the point is, as you grow more as an artist, you learn those rules, you learn how to spot those rules being used in more than just the artist that you like, and how to interpret them in your own way.

studying other artists is one of the BEST things you can do with art, imo. to me it really encapsulates what the experience of art should be -- exploring art that makes you Feel Something, learning from it, trying to see how you can make art that makes you Feel Something, too. in the same way we follow recipes online to make food that tastes good until we can figure out what exactly makes them taste so good so we can make dishes to our own exact taste, studying others' styles to learn why exactly they make you so excited to consume their work is so important to develop an authentic style that YOU LOVE !!!! to be your own favourite artists you need to look at your favourite artists!

IM SORRY THIS IS SUCH A LONG RESPONSE I JUST GRRR GOT SO MAD KNOWING YOU'RE BEING MADE TO FEEL BAD ABOUT THIS. you are fine bb, keep persevering!!!

[nickywhoisi]

It's midnight mods are asleep post chefs

That's right, we're veering off course from my usual project again as I have officially gone full batshit and dove head first into the Pizza Tower fandom. No regrets baby. I mean have you seen the shit poppin off over here rn? Buck wild. And all the cool kids make ocs, so

The dude in purple is my oc Adlin Bäkermann, he/him/ they-them sometimes, probably mid 30's, and they run a bakery just down the block from Peppino's pizzeria. It's the best in town because all of it is homemade by him. Peppino gets the pizza dough from Adlin, if he doesn't make it himself. Adlin sometimes comes by for a snack break. Sometimes Peppino comes over for a well-needed coffee break. Local businesses supporting other local businesses <3

Adlin is a very quiet guy. He rarely speaks in more than affirmative sounds or disapproving grunts, but on occasion he will use his words. And he is one cool cucumber, so instead of frantically worrying about what his friend's went through, he will just ask calmly, practically like a therapist, "What happened?" He's an honourable soul and cannot stand seeing injustice. Things like that, and other stressors (like work) can bring up his inner rage meter though, because he is not impervious to anger management issues. And he's German, so he can be scary about it. It really isn't a smart move to piss off a lad who will throw massive gauntlet hands that can crush you like a bug, or make him use his steely eyes to bore into your very being. And, strangely, he can be a tad absent-minded. If he screws up something, you will hear a quiet, ashamed, "...Sorry." There's more times than he'd care to admit that he was kneading dough while fuming, and before they realized it, the work table was fuckin shrapnel. Oops. Lil' bit of a klutz. Better watch those mitts of yours, boy! Ooo hoo hoo hoo

Now with that blurbo finished for my blorbo, I wamna discuss the pic. Specifically, I love how the colouring and effects used turned out. So close to what I was looking for! Huzzah! I'm happy with the mach speed lines and Adlin's beeg bright rocket blasts. I was also on the fence about colouring in Adlin's pants, was thinking of keeping them white, but...actually it was a really good idea. It matches the other guys, and when I designed Adlin, I really wanted to make it a point that he had things that could make him a playable character. Just like one of the cast. His hands fire little dough blasts, but because of the hole of fire he launches them out of...they come out as little cooked brioche buns. Gdsffddsggssgff This is basically a proof of concept for my jump 'n shoot baker boi. I love my child so much. My sweet bebeh. In canon, he's got that androgynous pretty swag, which makes him all the more intimidating to approach. Oh and before I forget...there isn't any shipping. Naughty children ;) I know what you're after you wanna know if my boy smooches the italian like a lot of the other ocs. Nah. These guys are literally only friends, but good friends. Which might not be so obvious with how I introduced them, but that happens in universe too. You'd think there's rivalry going on, and there is occasionaly some weird indescribable tension between them, but nope. I'm just so happy that I drew Adlin just like how I wanted and then suddenly he looks like the metal to Peppi's sonic. It just happened outta nowhere, and that's frankly amazing. Pizza Tower is the gift that keeps on giving and I am alive

And yeah this was my first try at drawing The Noise, can ya tell? He has details that aren't so correct, but I'm kinda diggin the caramel top I put on his hat. To make him look closer to a cream puff. And I wasn't sure how many teeth he was supposed to have. But there ya go I think I still captured his noisy noidy e s s e n c e . AND THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE HIS BUTT NOT A BIG KOO- OKAY JUST SO WE'RE CLEAR THAnks. And the same applies to Brick, I didn't think to study his design and then draw so it was off memory. Still looks super cute though ngl

What are they racing towards? Who's gonna win? Idk I just like the stardust speedway vibes goin on look at these funky little dudes go

[iwtvdramacd18]

do you have any tips for someone wanting to learn how to draw?

are you self taught or went to art school?

do you have resource suggestions for

someone that wants to self teach?

I've been drawing literally all my life so I'm mostly self-taught if only out of habit, and learning how to draw came naturally out of just growing up drawing all the time. I did not go to an art school though I've taken a handful of classes through school like the usual kindergarten/ elementary stuff then some electives in high school and maybe 2 classes in college. I did not feel like I got much of anything out of my highschool and college classes.

That being said for tips I would say studies are KEY. This doesn't mean directly referencing the classical masters all the time but it does mean taking something you do want to draw and trying to figure out how you would go about doing it in the style you're studying. Take this with a grain of salt because I am someone whose regular style skews more towards semi-realism but anatomy studies are also a must have. Whether or not you are going more realism or more stylized; you should know how things fit together and move so that you can use that to direct how you will go about portraying them. I also think its good just in general to take inspo from a wide range of styles. The classical masters are good and all and I've studied them myself but also it's more important to find your own masters. Long dead white Europeans are not the standard end all be all lmao do not let anyone convince you of that.

I would caution against directly referencing from other artists especially if they say they don't feel comfortable doing that but I found its really helpful to see others who are doing the type of stuff you wanna do and see how they go about doing it! There are also ofc a lot of people who do post tutorials and process vids and also livestreams that are very helpful seeing how they break things down.

I record my processes sometimes just for the hell of it and also my friends like to watch them sometimes; this is an older portrait of Lesta I did early in the season

[andiv3r]

Clip Studio and ibisPaint. I used to use ibis a lot, but everything I would make started to feel stiff and lifeless, so now I use Autodesk Sketchbook and HiPaint more often.

Left, 100%. Don't know why, it just. Clicks better.

Basically, I draw cats a lot. I was a warrior cats kid.

I agree with the previous statement, if anybody or anything it's definitely Aziraphale.

99% of the art I make gets posted. The other 1% are studies that I feel I fucked up so badly they don't deserve to be associated with my name.

My years of warrior cats YouTube. You can see the style, even in my non-feline drawings.

Fucking watercolors. I love them so much but I am so shit at them.

I once started a comic about an aroace lioness named Asta. Made about 6-8 pages, probably 20 panels, and then just. Stopped.

Don't actually know what this means, sorry.

TURTLENECKS, BABEYYYY!!! Almost every Crowley drawing I make is her in a turtleneck.

Depends on what I'm drawing. If it's Good Omens, I have two playlists for that, and if not, I have dozens of playlists I could be listening to. But almost always yes.

Eyes, man. Sooo fuckin easy like nooo it's not just because I spent an entire year studying eyes and only eyes in fifth grade I sweeear-

No, not really. I admire a lot of artists but I like to think that I enjoy all art types. Except splatter paint. I do not enjoy that art type, nor do I admire any people who make it, because I don't like it, but if you do, then cool. Great. Definitely not for me.

Urgh, uhhh, not sure, really.

Anywhere. My preference is on my porch swing or laying in the grass, but I can draw while walking, riding in a car, laying in bed, sitting in the bath, wherever.

Coloring. It's my least favorite part of any drawing. I know, I get it, it's necessary, and my artworks always wind up looking much better after color is added, but I just don't enjoy it.

Yes. Water or orange fanta and sunflower seeds.

Honestly, shockingly few. A couple copic markers, a few graphite pencils, but that's mostly it. I try my best to take care of my things, and I think I do pretty well considering I have a 9-year-old brother who doesn't understand personal space or property.

I... do not like drawing inanimate objects, honestly. The only ones I don't hate at this point are probably trees and lanterns.

I'd have to say either hands or ears. Hands take me a while, but they're actually pretty fun. And ears, I just understand the general shape of really well.

Any that are lineless. How the fuck?? How? I do not understand. I could never. Lines are my safe place and home. Incredible though. Love what you've done with it, but how?

None.

I don't actually know what this means, but if you're referring to the blend modes then yes. If anything else, I have no clue.

No.

Donald Fucking Trump 💀 I was devastated and appaled.

...i could go with "same as above" because I drew Aziraphale (/Michael Sheen) and someone told me it looked like Donald Trump and I almost fucking cried. But also I drew the ineffable husbands with Azi leaning on Crowley's shoulder, and my dad told me it looked like Aziraphale was biting Crowley??? And like wtf, no?

Occasionally I'll do a couple sketches before I do a full drawing, but rarely.

None.

Dead End: Paranormal Park. Fucking love it, not my style though.

I'm... not sure. Honestly I dunno if any of my stuff is actually "underrated", I'm not really all that good, but if I had to go with something, I'd say this one. It's probably the best of my recent works.

Not gonna tag anyone, just feel free to join if you see this! :D

Weirdly Specific Artist Ask Game

Didn't see a lot of artist ask games, wanted to make a silly one.

(I wrote this while sick out of my mind last year and it's been collecting dust in my drafts, I might as well let it run free) 1. Art programs you have but don't use

2. Is it easier to draw someone facing left or right (or forward even)

3. What ideas come from when you were little

4. Fav character/subject that's a bitch to draw

5. Estimate of how much of your art you post online vs. the art you keep for yourself

6. Anything that might inspire you subconsciously (i.e. this horse wasn't supposed to look like the Last Unicorn but I see it)

7. A medium of art you don't work in but appreciate

8. What's an old project idea that you've lost interest in

9. What are your file name conventions

10. Favorite piece of clothing to draw

11. Do you listen to anything while drawing? If so, what

12. Easiest part of body to draw

13. A creator who you admire but whose work isn't your thing

14. Any favorite motifs

15. *Where* do you draw (don't drop your ip address this just means do you doodle at a park or smth)

16. Something you are good at but don't really have fun doing

17. Do you eat/drink when drawing? if so, what

18. An estimate of how much art supplies you've broken

19. Favorite inanimate objects to draw (food, nature, etc.)

20. Something everyone else finds hard to draw but you enjoy

21. Art styles nothing like your own but you like anyways

22. What physical exercises do you do before drawing, if any

23. Do you use different layer modes

24. Do your references include stock images

25. Something your art has been compared to that you were NOT inspired by

26. What's a piece that got a wildly different interpretation from what you intended

27. Do you warm up before getting to the good stuff? If so, what is it you draw to warm up with

28. Any art events you have participated in the past (like zines)

29. Media you love, but doesn't inspire you artistically

30. What piece of yours do you think is underrated

[lgctaeha]

「 ❀ 」  ━━ ˗ˏˋ SIMPLE AS THAT !

SATURDAY VOLUNTEERING.

Another week has gone and went and Taeha finds herself pushing past the youth center's doors and greeting staff with a bright grin. She's come to enjoy her hours volunteering with the children - though, her preference for certain groups had been all too clear. She would much rather have a morning of play with the younger children, than a morning spent tutoring ( even if she'd never voice it aloud ).

At the very least her sessions have gone much smoother as of late. She's remembered a bit about each child she's been assigned, from their learning style to the teacher that annoyed them the most. Even some of the questions seemed a lot simpler after the first week - ...and a bit of reviewing on her own ( if someone would've told her she'd be spending Friday nights pre-studying for a study session of things she should've mastered years ago, she'd laugh herself into tears! ). For some students, she found herself in awe at their drive and confidence, reaching towards big goals in their ideal futures one worksheet at a time. And for others... those visions only seemed to grow cloudier by the day.

Yoon Eunkyung is quieter than the rest, shuffling into the study room without so much as a hello to the aide that hovers over the students as they work. The two have only been paired twice since Taeha's begun to volunteer, and she can probably count the number of words she's said on one hand... "Let's try it a different way!" Taeha nods, sliding her laptop closer to the student at her side. The worksheet between them is relatively empty, save for a few doodles and a poorly erased attempt to answer a formula question. "Sometimes reading through an example isn't as helpful as watching someone explain it step by step! I think you'll like this tutor, she always -"

Eunkyung shakes her head. 'It's too hard.'

"I know some things seem hard at first, but if we break the problem down into - " Another shake of her head until its nestled into her arms on the table. 'It's too hard. I'm just stupid!' Taeha glances over her shoulder, shooting the teacher's aide a pleading look, but she's far too busy assisting with the school supply closet.

She sighs, folding her arms onto the table and resting her chin on them as well. The scene is all too familiar... "Eunkyung is not stupid! She is very smart and you should be nicer to her." The girl peeks at her from behind the cover of her fingers. 'You're a liar.'

"What?! I am not!" Taeha pouts. "You are smart! I would know!"

'How?' she fires back, sitting up a bit. 'Just because you're a grown up doesn't mean you know everything. You didn't even know how to do it last time...'

Taeha blinks for a moment. Am I st - ?! She waves off the thought. "No! Not because I'm a grown up! I just do! ...Some people are different kinds of smart." She points to the doodle in the far corner. "You drew this? This bird? It almost looks like its about to fly off of the page! You must be... art smart. And math smart. You got stuck on this question, but last time you answered all the geometry questions in no time. It is okay to not be good at everything at first... But that is why, we try, and try again!"

Eunkyung crosses her arms over her chest, still a bit stubborn in her resolve. 'What kind of smart are you then?'

"Ah... Well - Dance smart. Singing smart -" she adds in a sing-song voice. "And... silly smart!" She leans in a bit, crossing her eyes as she does so.

'That's not a type of smart!'

"It is! You're silly smart too and you just don't know it yet!" And in that moment, though Taeha isn't quite too sure, she thinks she spies the smallest of smiles flash across Eunkyung's features.

"There are many types of smart... But I already know you are math smart. So... Let's watch the video and try again. What do you say? Then after... Maybe we can draw for a bit? Like a reward!"

Though Eunkyung only nods in response, she inches a tad bit closer, adjusting her glasses as she watches the tutor on screen scribble on the board. She finally reaches for her pencil again and Taeha raises both fists. "Eunkyung, Fighting!"

'...Be more quiet smart, please.'

"A-ah, okay! Sorry!"

[becausegoodheroesdeservekidneys]

Hi, I think this maybe constitutes a Wales Question! So, I'm English originally, currently in my third year at Aber university, and its reputation for "that place you go to study and then never ever leave" is looking like it's holding true. I've been living with two very good friends of mine who are extremely Welsh for nearly 2 years now, and in that time I've been slowly picking up bits of Welsh culture and language (it started with me not wanting to mess up trying to pronounce the biology building name and looking like an idiot, but I got very interested from there, and plan on taking a class after I graduate).

I'm serious about wanting to live here, I've fallen in love with the town and the country ever since my knowledge of it evolved from "dragons and sheep and funny long names on road signs" that I thought as a kid, and I've genuinely enjoyed being brought into the fold and joining in stuff with my friends, But. my friends are very adamant that this means I can Be Welsh, and I'm not sure how to take it. On one hand, of course I would like to be, but I'm not sure how much I can claim that confidently- I didn't grow up here, have barely lived here for that long, and there's still a lot I don't get so I'm worried about making it weird. On the other, I think adamantly declaring myself English instead and turning them down is very very easy to take the wrong way!

As the most vocally Welsh person I am aware of on tumblr, I am humbly requesting your take on this... would it be considered unreasonable for foreigners to claim Welshness, with enough effort put in to learning ofc? It would be very nice and appreciated to get a second opinion :)

Diolch yn fawr iawn!

Okay so obviously I am slapping on a HUGE caveat here that I am No One, I am just another stranger at the shouting match who sometimes has some thoughts about things I see and the ability to amusingly compare things to other things. What follows are the lukewarm takes of Just Some Person, and not to be taken as gospel in any way.

But also lol you did ask and I love giving opinions, I do, so let's gooooo

So first up, I do think you're slipping into the fallacy here of playing the Boxes Game with something that doesn't fit neatly into boxes, as indeed nothing about humans and people and humans being people actually does. The thing about national/cultural identity is that they aren't precise, immutable data points. 'Culture' is already quite a loose and ethereal beast - you're basically drawing a circle around a bunch of things and going "Everything in here is X Culture!", and you'll be largely right doing that; but, the edge of the circle isn't, in reality, a hard border. It's a gradient. The circle will overlap with other circles, too. And sometimes even the things in the centre of the circle turn out to be absent half the time, and it's all a bit messy. Really, it's a bell curve, and you're just looking to see what turns up most frequently, with the understanding that you only get the big picture from all the data points together.

Nationality is even fuzzier, tbh. It's a highly personal thing. I'm very Welsh - my Welshness, though, looks different even from other Welsh people in Swansea, and certainly from a Welsh person living in Caernarfon. There are definitely unifying elements; but ultimately, it's something you kind of carve out for yourself, both consciously and unconsciously.

And I bring that up because part of your question is, "At what point do I cross the line into the circle? How long do I have to wait and how much do I have to do before Welshness happens? When do I get to claim the label?"

And there's no answer to that. Not for anyone. This is an identity issue, not a hard scientific concept. Kind of reminds me of a lot of questioning folks in the queer community, in fact. Humans like boxes and labels because they're comforting, but ultimately, we fit in them about as well as angry cats.

With that said, though, it's certainly true that there is a profound and observable difference between a naturalised citizen and a long-term tourist, which I think is the root of your fears here. A Brit who likes holidaying to Spain and decides to go and live there but doesn't learn Spanish, doesn't integrate with the local community, doesn't respectfully partake of any local customs (especially if they condescendingly view the local customs as quirky or quaint, or worse, look down on them), who learns nothing of the history of the area or wider country... that Brit could live there for 40 years, could even go the whole hog and get Spanish citizenship. But they are nothing more than a long-term tourist. Part of claiming culture and nationality is that it's not a spectator sport.

But by contrast, if that Brit were to learn Spanish and use it in everyday life (even if they sometimes fell back on English, or used a funky mix like Spanglish sometimes); if they learned all the history, INCLUDING and MOST ESPECIALLY all the pressure points that mean a Brit in particular cannot do X thing or make X joke; if they integrate with the local community, helping neighbours and coming to community events; if they respectfully take part in local customs, and only add elements of their own culture after learning about the customs properly so they know which bits are important and which can be amended...

Well, that's a totally different matter, isn't it?

It sounds like you're in the latter camp. It's particularly encouraging that your Welsh friends are already adopting you, in the broody chicken fashion of Welsh Mams Everywhere, because it suggests that while you may be English, you aren't English TM (you know the type). So, that's a good start, and it certainly puts you on the path to Naturalised Citizen.

So at that point, I suppose it becomes a matter of personal comfort. You're certainly right that it's still, relatively speaking, quite a new facet of your identity that you've only just started exploring and developing. Learning Welsh, when you get round to it (check with the university by the way, Aber is very keen on helping students learn and can get you cheaper/free courses), will push you several miles down that road, because that's a big effort expenditure AND it will put you in touch with the second of Wales' two dominant cultures.

But ultimately, the label you use has to be down to what you feel fits best, and what you're comfortable with. If you aren't comfortable with 'Welsh' yet, then that's completely fine - it's not for you at the minute. Put it on a back burner. Maybe use 'British' for now? In place of 'English', which is more specific. Maybe you can say you're "from England originally", or that you were born there but live here now; both of those are accurate, but also give the statement of intent. They make it clear that, as an adult, Wales is 'home'. This is where you're choosing.

In any case... croeso i'r clwb! And a thousand thanks for learning the language, and even just for the effort you've put in so far. Even just learning the pronunciation puts you miles above most English people, in spite of it being such a basic thing to do. It's more appreciated than you can know.

Also sorry this got long lol