#just using it as a test for watercolor

[minatobaqua]

idk what to think of this

so i tried drawing slightly realistically for the first time since i was like 9.. there's also a picture of my usual artstyle so that you can understand how hard this is for me lol

[maulfucker]

collector of cosmic glimpses

[mantisgodsart]

Wonky gynandromorph guys in YOUR local area!

[bittervalentine]

god looking at her creations

[bmpmp3]

11 fish

[sntoot]

i think i maybe put their earring on the wrong ear..........

anyways vague azem lore (medusa -> hestia -> azem)

[avesmx]

i haven't had a ton of time for art lately with all my schoolwork, but i wanted to take a quick break and decided to do a side-by-side comparison of student-grade watercolor paper and 100% cotton watercolor paper. both are the fluid brand, 140lb cold press, and i used daniel smith watercolor paints. i didn't do a perfect scientific method here - i should have activated these with a mister (didn't bring one with me to where i'm staying right now, that was my bad) and i don't have great control of the flow in my water brush so some of these had more water than others.

that being said! i think the cotton paper definitely absorbs the paint more evenly - you still get the "outline" that tends to happen with watercolor, but the paint inside the outline looks more even when that happens (quin red, quin burnt orange). non-granulating pigments sometimes look granulated on the student grade paper (quin magenta), and granulating pigments sometimes look More Granulated (bloodstone genuine). the 100% cotton paper also has a much finer texture than the student-grade paper, despite them both being cold presses from the same brand, which i found interesting. also for these brands the cotton paper is a warmer off-white color than the student-grade paper, though there are extra-white cotton papers on the market if you don't want that warmer tone.

personally, i don't think i'm super fussed about the fiber content of my paper, but i understand why some folks are - plus, 100% cotton paper is acid-free, which is important if you're painting something you want to last a long time. i am planning to do a second test with some lower-grade angora watercolors and some ecoline watercolor brush pens, just to do a more thorough comparison of the two papers.

also of note, a lot of the primatek, iridescent, and duochrome paints are much harder to activate on the dot cards (and, presumably, in half-pans). i would recommend using those colors straight from the tube, or activating them with a mister if you're using them off a dot card or a dried palette (which you should really do anyway, but especially for these colors).

[thebibliosphere]

I apologize if you’ve been asked this question before and I missed it in the craziness that is Tumblr, but can I ask what type of foundation you use? I don’t have MCAS, just rosacea-slash-really sensitive skin, which I used to have a fairly good handle on. Unfortunately, going through menopause dialed everything up to eleven somehow. So now I’m having to reevaluate every single skin care product that I’ve ever used.

Ooft, solidarity, the struggle is real.

So, the foundations I use are the pressed mineral powder from Gabrielle Cosmetics/Zuzu Luxe* (same parent company), which can be applied either dry or wet. I've also got their oil-free liquid foundation, which I think gives a bit better coverage during the winter.

I will say they are not overly good at covering up rosacea or red skin (I have the "MCAS flush" on the sides of my face and high on my cheeks and sometimes on my nose that I can't hide, so I make it look like aggressive blusher, lol. Assigned e-girl by my immune shit)

I'm actually about to patch-test a red-correction liquid foundation from Daniel Sandler*, which I've heard from a few other MCAS people has been helpful at covering up the MCAS flush and not caused too many reactions for those of us who have extra sensitive skin. I use their liquid watercolor blush without issue as well, so here's hoping. I can post an update if anyone is interested when I've done testing it.

I was also recently recommended a Korean skincare brand called Dr. Jart+* by someone else with rosacea, which looks interesting, but unfortunately, they've all got some level of sunscreen in them, and the last time I had serious anaphylaxis was from an absorbent sunscreen so I'm not supposed to use them. RIP to my skin, I guess.

Anyway, that's what I use. Good luck in your skincare journey.

*not sponsored or affiliated, just sharing what I use/have been recommended by other folks with super sensitive skin.

[hellenhighwater]

What are the pigments that you're using for the liquid in Narcissus' bowl? Also, are you adding them to water, or is the base something else?

The base liquid is mineral or baby oil--doesn't evaporate as quickly, suspends particles better, and is just a touch more viscous than water, in a way that is a little bit subtle but does register if you're paying attention. The colorants are mica and marbling powders--the mica powders sink and diffuse, and the marbling powders mostly stay on the surface.

I did tests with motor oil, canola oil, olive oil, water, and a couple other liquids, as well as oil, watercolor, and acrylic paint, powdered pigment, activated charcoal, ink, and food dyes. I eventually settled on the mica and marbling powders as the most interesting effect, but honestly none of it is quite the iridescent, oil-slick surface I would prefer if I could get it.

I also considered ferrofluid, but that's kind of expensive.

[yuoimia]

DAY 3: IT’S JUST THE TWO OF US ❅⋆⍋

summary: a cozy vacation spent in another nation

characters: neuvillette, xiao, baizhu, wanderer, ayato, kaeya, childe, lyney, albedo, zhongli, wriothesley, venti, diluc, alhaitham, kazuha.

notes: locations handpicked by me!! these are general days in another nation, you’re not really doing anything too exhilarating, total wc: 1.8k.

⋆⁺₊❅⋆ dreamy december event masterlist

mondstadt, starfell lake - neuvillette, xiao, baizhu

Breezy and wide plains on the tops of jagged mountains, carrying a sweet breeze of berries and dandelions. Mondstadt, the nation of freedom, stole the hearts of numerous travelers, with its homely and cozy atmosphere, frolicking the winds all around Teyvat and coaxing the interest of many.

It was Mondstadt’s virtue that first drew him in. Freedom, peace, and comfort, the only things he has ever hoped, wished, yearned with every fibre of his being. Mondstadt sounded like a long-awaited exhalation of air, to finally breathe in a new breath of fresh opportunities and beginnings.

The earliest beams of sunshine crept through the sheer curtains.

If it were any other day, you’d let out a vexed groan before rolling to the other side. But today, today was another day in Mondstadt, and you’d be stupid to let any of the time go to waste.

Shoving the curtains aside, you observe in awe as Starfell Lakes glimmers like a pool of sapphire diamonds or like a flutter of fairies, their pixiedust sprinkling a bit of happiness into your day.

“It really is so beautiful here.”

The abrupt voice startles you for a split second. “Don’t creep up on me like that,” faux disappointment lacing your voice. He mutters a quiet apology before letting out a faint smile, interchangeably switching his gaze from you to the lake.

“Should we go outside?”

You nod in agreement, the excitement rejuvenating you even further. “If it’s this spectacular from afar, can you imagine how majestic it must be up close?”

“Very majestic,” he repeats, leading you both out the door.

liyue, jueyun karst - wanderer, ayato, kaeya

Dizzying peaks and swirling mists convey an atmosphere of grandeur and mystique, alluring visitors and their fascination towards the beauty of Jueyun Karst, rumoured to be the abode of the adepti, typically unreachable by mortals. Yet, there was always an abundance of people willing to test their luck and willpower, returning to tell dramatic tales of exaggerated perils and glory. Even so, there were still facts that none could deny about the quiet abode, namely, the distinctive tranquility fusing within its clouds.

It’s truly hard to believe that you weren’t a figure in a watercolor painting. Soft brushes of orange, yellow, and green leaves dance in the chilly breeze. The sound of approaching footsteps quickly snaps you out of your afternoon reverie as you turn your head towards a familiar face.

He greets you with an unsually innocent, lighthearted wave, accompanied with an intriguing wrapped basket. It doesn’t take much to piece together the pieces and present an overall message, not that he tried very hard to conceal it. Perhaps this vacation has muddled up parts of his cognitive functions.

“How are you feeling?” he inquires, the question evoking some sort of suspicion within you. “Hungry? Bored?” he continues, appearing oblivious to your raised eyebrows.

“…both?” you reply, a little confused and hesitant. “I won’t say no to some lunch.”

“Perfect, I found just the place.”

inazuma, chinju forest & grand narukami shrine - childe, lyney, albedo

Luminous flowers hidden deep in the forests, fragrant cherry blossoms lining the streets of Inazuma—the diverse variation of natural features that Inazuma beholds captivates the interest of those seeking something different, a thirst for something that simply cannot be found anywhere else.

Chinju forest, a secluded area of glowing streams and blooms, far enough from the attention of the city, and close enough to the allure of the grand shrines, a more than ideal option.

In the space of Chinju Forest, day was like night, and night was like day. There was really no hourglass here, where time ambled, the grains of sand dripping one at a time. It unlocked a rare sense of bliss, where no-one was obliged to be anything or do anything.

Despite the strong desire to explore the all-imposing Grand Narukami Shrine, the sheer amount of the flight of stairs that you needed to overcome was already giving you second thoughts.

“…Please don’t tell me…there’s more,” he groans, almost succumbing to his knees and screaming up at the sky. “How many stairs do you think we’ve walked up so far? I’ll say at least two hundred, maybe even two fifty.”

No words leave your mouth; there’s none in your head either; all you feel is a growing agonising pain in your calves and thighs. Short, tired pants take turns exiting your body, and you glance up at the new set of stairs—hopefully the last.

“Yeah, me too,” he replies, nodding understandingly as he recovers and hands you a bottle of chilled water. “Take your time, this is going to be a long one.”

After about ten minutes, you both set off again. To your utter confusion, he seems so energised, sprouting encouraging comments in the midst of silence. You’re thankful for the cheers of reassurance, but all that’s needed is a good night's rest under those glowing flowers and twinkling fireflies.

You don’t even realise for a good minute that you’ve reached the top. The sweat pooling along your clothes is an indicator of your mood—exhausted and sore all over.

Your name rings over the few other people gathered at the shrine as he eagerly hands you a fortune slip.

“Read it out loud; apparently it’s quite accurate.”

Modest Fortune: Clouds cover half the moon and the fog is thick.

Above you is the mood shrouded by cloud. Ahead of you, everything is engulfed by fog.

Though the way ahead seems unclear at the moment, all will become clear when the time comes.

Take this opportunity to improve yourself while waiting for the clouds to clear.

You’re not sure how to feel.

sumeru, port ormos - zhongli, wriothesley, venti

Port Ormos holds everything.

Marketing secrets, priceless treasures, and an aromatic scent of homemade dishes crafted with exotic spices and herbs, carrying through the refreshing winds of nearby seawater. It’s enticing—everything from the cultural architecture to the species of trees. Despite its prominence throughout Teyvat, it’s not as overcrowded as you originally thought it to be. Of course, it’s still busy, but everyone mostly keeps to themselves as they go on with their usual lives. At every new turn, you find yourself enamoured by the great variety of stores, keen to explore every inch of them, no matter how unrealistic that goal may appear.

Someone who’s probably more excited about being in the Port Ormos was probably the person trailing by your side. Out of the blue, he’d point and mutter an interesting fact, or occasionally go up to the store owner with a handful of questions, as you stood awkwardly behind him. It’s quite fine by you, though; the several friendships he’s established with owners have brought in handy discounts and bonuses.

“We should try out that new waterside restaurant,” he says one evening as you walk hand-in-hand by the docks, admiring the warm tones of a summer sunset blending together over the borders of clouds. “One of the vendors told me they have a special on Sundays.”

“Ah, a special,” you hum, amused. “Is that what caught your eye?”

“Special things always catch my eye,” he replies, a mischievous smile spreading on his face. “Would you like an example before we enter?”

You arrive at the entrance of the restaurant, and like mentioned, it boasts a stunning view of the clear and pristine waters, lapping at the edge.

There are floral garlands with small lights slithering across the corners of the ceilings, lit with blazing lamps, soft crackles of the flame add to the intimate atmosphere.

“If you insist, then sure,” you answer to his previous question. Your attention is more focused on searching the restaurant for a waiter to call.

“I think they might be standing right beside me.”

fontaine, elynas - diluc, alhaitham, kazuha

The cosmos present themselves in the elegant fashion of being subtle yet imperial, with millions of sparkling stars sprinkling all across Fontaine’s heavens, effortlessly illuminating the world underneath.

The pale streaks of moonlight gleam down onto the cascading waters and the array of flowers and shrubs, casting a magical afterglow that creates a bewitching sense of enchantment, like you were an illustration in an ancient storybook lost as the ages gone by.

Have you ever tried to paint at night? To become a midnight muse?

Cutting through the stillness were the delicate strokes of brushes on a canvas. It’s a smooth and soft sound, as the colours glide and complement each other.

You’re sitting opposite each other, one the muse of another.

With an air of finality, he looks up at you with a satisfied expression on his face as he begins to pack away the paintbrushes and palettes. Whether he’s content with his product is unknown. Nothing about his face or mannerisms convey an emotion, unless if you count the usual peaceful visage.

“Are you close to finishing?” he asks politely as he packs away the last of his equipment. “It’s alright if you haven't; those mountains aren’t exactly easy to get in the right shape.”

He’s right; the intricacies of Fontaine’s environment are undeniably striking and tedious to replicate, from the very details of the petals to the shade of grass.

You add the last few finishing touches before giving it one last, fleeting look.

“I’m finished.”

As you mutter those two words, something stirs in the air. The world suddenly feels so vastly beautiful, and this particular point in time feels so perfectly sacred that it couldn’t have been a mere coincidence, and you know it’s not.

You know that this very moment, this very vacation, this very night—you know that he must’ve planned this all along.

It was so sweet.

“Show me yours,” you suggest, crossing one leg over the other. Everything feels a thousand times more divine; everything feels so much more meaningful that it's imbedded into your head, in your guts; there's a doubt on whether it will ever leave.

“What’s got you so happy all of a sudden?” he asks lightheartedly. “Don’t raise your expectations too high; I can’t be an exception for everything.”

You’re just smiling, beaming up at the glittering stars, forever grateful for all the light they’ve bestowed upon you, because it’s been a while since you’ve last told them thank you.

Their splendour radiates down to your face; iridescent shimmers twinkle in the tears unknowingly sliding down your face.

[palaeosinensis]

So this project has been coming together nicely. See below the cut to see how the whole printmaking process went and hear me yak about it!

What started as a sketchbook idea was traced over, refined, flipped, transferred to some easy cut lino, carved, and then today we did some test printing! The first two are the proofs that came out first on dry paper. The second pair of proofs are on dipped paper. The third pair are on misted paper. I used some Bristol smooth because it's what I had lying around. I've also got some sheet watercolor (Either Arches or Winsor+Newton) but I haven't tried it yet. I used Speedball fabric oil-based ink. I feel like I need to go pick a printmaker's brain because it's been a decade since I did this and I don't remember what papers we used among other things. I now also need to figure out if my blotchiness is technique, if it's paper, and whether or not I would benefit from a small lever press. These were burnished with a combination of spoon and thunder egg brayer. Yes I said thunder egg I am just that unintentionally metal. It's like a sliced open geode except it's smooth agate instead of crystals so it's shaped very perfectly for what I needed today.

[themousefromfantasyland]

I really enjoyed Wish's animation style, but I think they made a fundamental mistake with it.

When Jennifer Lee says that they were trying to mimic the watercolor style, they are speaking about taking inspiration of Gustaf Tenggren's art for Snow White and Pinocchio.

They tried to give this texture to the movie.

If you look at the films stills, you can see that it does have the same "watercolor on paper" texture as this concept art, although subdue.

They even had visual tests by making Asha's 3d model walk across Pinocchio's background.

However when it comes to the backgrounds they took inspiration from Sleeping Beauty, which was the biggest mistake they could ever have made, because Sleeping Beauty is the complete opposite of the watercolor effect they were trying to achieve.

Sleeping Beauty uses gouache, has bold colors, and is inspired by gothic, medieval tapestries.

The watercolor effect they were going for came from Snow White and Pinocchio, that are inspired by 19th century Storybook illustrations, with subdue color, rustic and earthly backgrounds, and a juxtaposition between light and shadows.

Here are also some illustrations from the same Gustaf Tenggren

Muted colors, juxtaposition of light and shadows, rustic, earthly, sketchy backgrounds.

This would dever fit in with the highly detailed and colorful Sleeping Beauty backgrounds

Basically Wish's biggest problem is that its two biggest stylistic sources just don't go together.

They should either went with the Snow White/Pinocchio's rustic and charming storybook visual, or the Sleeping Beauty's elegant medieval tapestry look.

[aphroditeinthesea]

I’ll combust if we don’t get a part 2 for that Percy fic 💔💔

“ i don’t like a gold rush ” (the sequel)

percy jackson x daughter of aphrodite!reader 🌊 | pt.1

a/n a lot of rambling idk what i was even saying

tw makeout insinuation, travis stoll x reader, hurt/mild comfort, not proofread

𓆝 𓆟 ౨ৎ 𓆝 𓆟

Getting over the youngest son of Poseidon was a task easier said than done. Especially seeing him with the spirit that was Annabeth Chase. The two had been attached at the hip since they were twelve.

Alas, y/n decided to turn her attention to another pretty boy. The elder of the Stoll brothers. You could say she had a type. He was in a strange sense, similar to Percy.

The dark wavy hair, light eyes. He was cute enough.

Unfortunately when your mother is the goddess of love, you don’t really get to be normal about your crushes. Especially when you have your sister breathing down your neck about “Aphrodite’s Rite of Passage.” No matter what Y/N knew that was something she could never complete. She was a hopeless romantic not a maneater like many believed Aphrodite’s children to be.

When she gathered herself and decided it was time to talk to the son of Hermes, she found herself strolling to cabin 3. She knocked on the door. She heard swearing and things falling before the door opened.

“Hey, y/n,” he sighed. The boy’s hair was messed and he was without a shirt.

“Is this a bad time?”

“Kinda.”

She peered over his shoulder seeing the blonde on his bed, awkwardly playing with the hem of the oversized shirt she was wearing, “I get it.”

“Sorry,” he breathed, “did you need something?”

“I was just gonna ask you something,” she shrugged, “talk to you later though.”

“Bye,” he sheepishly spoke as he closed the door.

She embarrassedly made her way back to her cabin. All while ignoring the pit in her stomach as she told herself she didn't care. She didn't care. She had bigger fish to fry.

Bad analogy.

As slow hours passed she laid in her bed staring at the ceiling. Sure, she had things to do. Training, cleaning, chores. But for now, the ceiling was where her mind wanted to stay. The ceiling was the blank canvas she had spent so much of her painting with visions of Percy Jackson. She imagined if they’d dated what they would do together. The romantic dates, the sneaking into his cabin the way Annabeth does. Her head ached when she tried to picture the new acrylic, when she was so used to watercolor.

She imagined kissing the boy. Test one. She wasn't cringing the way she would have expected to, but as the image of muscular arms that belonged to the wrong came into her mind, she sat up. She finally stretched her legs, trying to clear her mind of all things Poseidon. When she heard the cabin door creak open, she failed her challenge as the boy walked in.

“Y/N,” he grinned as he caught her eyes.

“Hi, hey, hi,” she smiled in return, “what’s up?”

“I was gonna ask you the same thing,” he retorted, tilting his head, which reminded her of a puppy in a way. Which trailed her thoughts into picturing him as a husky with bright blue-green eyes. And then she realized that was kinda a weird thought?

She looked down, picking at her cuticles, “sorry, yeah, right, uhm,” she looked back up at him. She tried to focus as she looked into his eyes that were framed by his thick eyelashes that made him almost look like he was wearing mascara. “Remember how I helped you with Annabeth?”

“Yeah,” he lovesickenly smiled as his brain thought of the girl. If Y/N weren't a daughter of love itself, she would be hurling.

She shook her head, “anyway, I was kinda hoping you could repay the favor?”

He raised an eyebrow as he sat on one of her sister’s beds, being the only two people in the cabin. “Me? why?”

“You owe me,” she said, “remember?”

He leaned back, “yeah,” he recollected the memory, not expecting it to be held up, “just, what do I know about love?”

“I see you with,” she took a deep breath, “her. You're a romantic, whether you know it or not.” She sat across from him on another bed, “plus, you know boys.”

“I know boys?”

“You are one, aren't you?”

He laughed, “I think so.” He shifted closer to her, he lowered his voice, “what boy are we talking about?”

“Travis Stoll.”

He cringed, “Travis? Really?”

“What?” she softly mentioned, “he’s cute.”

Before he could speak, the door opened, the pair turned to look at it. A girl with an orange shirt and pink shorts stood with her arms crossed, “what is the fish boy doing on my bed?”

ྀིྀིྀིྀིྀིྀིྀིྀི

“He’s not the smartest guy, y/n,” Percy said as he stood beside y/n, borderline stalking Travis alongside his brother from afar. The sons of Hermes built something possibly illegal in 48 states as they sat together.

She looked at him for a second, “and you are?”

“I’m no Stoll,” he smiled, turning to the girl, “you're gonna have to be straight forward. He wont pick up on any hints.”

She held up her hand, sticking up her thumb and pinky to imitate a phone, “hey, kettle, you're black.”

“Huh?”

She smirked, “you just proved my point, thank you very much.”

He rolled his eyes, “you wanted someone who knows guys, who got one.”

She nudged his shoulder, “thanks, Perce.”

“I owe you.”

“You do.”

Silence fell over the two until a loud “hey!” was called from the direction of the brothers.

“We’ve blown our cover,” she muttered before grabbing Percy’s arm tightly. They ran away with laughter overhead as the other two chased after them. They both came to a stop, clutching their stomachs to catch their breaths.

“What were you guys doing?” Travis stood tall.

She bit her lip, “sorry, we were just,” she looked at Percy for a quick glance, “we weren't doing anything.”

“Yeah, we were just on a walk, you guys are the suspicious ones,” Percy added.

The daughter of Aphrodite moved some hair that had gotten stuck on her lip gloss, “Travis, actually, I kinda wanted to talk to you.”

He raised an eyebrow, “why?”

“Come on,” she grinned, beckoning him to follow her to a secluded area. When they stopped, she finally just took a deep breath and spilled her guts to the boy. As she realized just how easy it was, she wondered why she couldn't have just done all this before? It sure would have saved her the pain she had put herself through, time and time again.

“You like me?” He repeated back to her.

She looked a away, “thats pretty much the gist of things, yep.”

“Oh,” he responded.

“I needed to tell you, that’s all.”

“Hey, wait, I,” he sighed, “I like you, too.”

She smiled, “really?”

“Totally.”

So, that night, as she sat by the campfire hand in hand with Travis Stoll, she watched Percy and Annabeth connected at the hip nearby. She looked back at the boy next to her, letting a smile come across her face. But she wondered why she still felt that stabbing pain in her heart.

[amphiptere-art]

Welcome to Fall fest!

↓Happy rambling about this art piece↓

Now first of all I don't think this is finished. Lots of lighting and making is an actual poster to happen. I just know it's going to take me some time to get the motivation again, So I'm sharing it now.

But other than the fact this isn't really finished. I'm starting to really love this watercolor brush. I don't think I've really dedicated myself to a close-up drawing like this in a long time. Although I will point out that it's hilarious that the only times I can think of that I have. Are all of Jack. Man do I love this guy. Anyways. Close-ups are usually reverted to sketches. It's not exactly a normal thing that I color them. Takes too much time in my opinion.

But I was able to do this in one day. Sure there's a lot of extra pieces. Most importantly the lighting and a more proper background. But I was able to complete this sketch and color it in relatively easily. Sure I already had the sketch planned. But it's kind of interesting to see how far I've gotten with quickness.

But anyways. I am starting to get so engaged with this watercolor brush. I started using it in backgrounds. I enjoyed the texture and the way how stuff naturally blended without me having to go through a whole bunch of other loops. It was just a nice brush and it made for some nice out of focus backgrounds. But I hadn't used it as my main still because.. well. It blended too good. Colors are often lost. There's technically some colors lost here too. A lot of things got darker. But it's not as much as before.

I finally decided to mess with the brushes settings. I usually don't mess with them unless it's the scatter option. Which I use for easy stardust. But I finally decided to test some of the brushes. Most importantly the watercolor since I was enjoying it so much. I only really had one problem. I just had to figure out how to make it not blend as well. Turns out it was an easy solution. Just one little setting dragged to be a little lesser. And all my previous problems were practically fixed. Sure I still have to paint over a couple times and make sure the blend is seamless. But it is so much easier now.

I'm going to hopefully use this piece to test some lighting. Again with that watercolor brush. But I also have unique ways of doing my lightings. Mostly in the fact that I shade with pencil and light with color. So I guess we will see. But I really enjoy this piece. The pose is simple enough. Just Jack leaning slightly forward holding a pumpkin. Boy did I struggle with those hands. But it's technically built to be an animated poster at some point. His hands are supposed to float away from the pumpkin. Along with maybe a head tilt and ray retraction. But that's something definitely going to happen later. Otherwise it's a pretty great still poster. Even if I still got to put up the poster label.

[torchflies]

Hi TG Fandom! 

(I’m currently trapped in the hellscape of trying to finish a year of personal development hours in a week, while studying for four cert tests). 

But!!! Do we remember this quote?

“I've never lost a wingman.”

“You're lucky. Fly long enough, it'll happen. There will be others.”

What if we got to have a Rooster who did? One who has lost a wingman? What if we got a Rooster who became a Maverick to another wingman and another little boy?

Picture this, okay?

Rooster, young, angry and defiant, is at Top Gun and avoiding the piano at the Hard Deck like it has cooties — until one day, the day before he's meant to be assigned a new WSO, he decides to go for it, to play again after everything. 

Instead, he finds a random guy at the piano, one with light blond hair and a rolling laugh, who is messing around with the keys and singing an odd kind of song without any words. The song comes from his chest and throat like a howl, but with more bones than he's ever heard from anything else. So, Bradley asks about it. The guy tells him it’s not a song per se: he's joiking.

He presents a joik of the sky, of the green grass or snow in the winter. It isn't about something, it is something. It’s like creating a watercolor likeness of a person or thing through sound, using his voice. 

“I'm Máhtte Kvitfjell.” He says and at the look on Bradley’s face, he laughs and adds, “They call me Iceland — my callsign?”

“You’re from Iceland?” 

“Nope, Boston — but Norway before that.”

It isn't a surprise to either of them that Iceland is his new WSO. They become inseparable, Landy (because he could never call him Ice) learns everything there is to know about Bradley Bradshaw and he doesn't go running for the hills. He listens and loves and slowly, Bradley begins to heal. He gets to experience bits of Norwegian culture through Landy, but mainly Sami culture. Landy is South Sami, and so are his wife and little boy Loekte. They raise reindeer back home, just like Landy did when he was a little boy. But, dreams of flight led him to joining his grandparents in America when he got older, and eventually becoming Bradley’s wizzo. 

They fly together for years and in the same mission where a hotshot pilot named Hangman, Bradley’s ex, gets his first air-to-air kill — he throws them into an unrecoverable flat spin and Landy doesn't survive his ejection. 

“Hangman, the only place you’ll lead anyone is an early grave.” Much? 

So, Bradley is left to mourn his best-friend, his brother, and when Loekte’s mother dies — he's left to raise a ten-year-old alone. 

By the time the uranium plant mission rolls around, Bradley is a grown man with a metric ton of baggage and Hangman gets a brand new wizzo by the name of Loetke “Songbird” Kvitfjell. 

Give me an AU where Maverick gets to meet a Bradley who has felt the same pain as him, and get an adopted grandson too.

One where Loekte is wondering what the hell happened to his calm and level-headed dad — he's having a tantrum, what is up with that? He's forty? 

Just, a patchwork family brought together from loss. 

I need Bradley and Maverick to realize how similar they are and how they both fucked up so terribly. I need no one to be innocent in this situation (except a very normal and well-adjusted Loekte who is trying his hardest to figure out everything his dad won’t say and Iceman Kazansky, who always lives babeyyy). 

🤣 

[mantisgodsart]

[...isolation of the transformation appears to worsen the standard disorientation of a new body. I believe that the familiarity of the upper body may be offsetting the psychological impact of the lower body - as not everything has changed, the subject still "expects", on some level, that their body will work similarly, despite radical changes to organ systems and locomotion and the near-total overhaul of the centre of gravity.]

[The subject appears to be leaning on hexapodal motion as a type of "crutch", despite the size of the lower body making most of these sorts of motions awkward at best - the tournament venue doesn't currently have many internal spaces sufficient to test this one's mobility, but outdoors venues seem more promising for testing, anyways. This confirms something that I've previously suspected, as well - subjects find it more difficult to adjust to addition of new limbs than they do subtraction of limbs.]

[Subject appears to exhibit difficulty with coordination in the lower limbs, and has adopted an extremely "cautious" form of motion, taking steps with one limb at a time. The difference between upper and lower limbs means that this mode of movement is extremely... clumsy, to say the least. I intend to keep them under observation for a few more days before release and see if this resolves within the initial settling period or not. After that, just some periodic check-ins should be...]

Hello, and welcome to: watercolor paintings for Round 2 of @bug-oc transmutations! Mirach by @ghost-of-hallownest. Some extra details under cut because this is a long post and we don't want to make it longer.

This one is based pretty heavily on Dragon!Falin from Dungeon Meshi, but we're bringing through some lizard-y aspects from last year, and very much having fun with the tabby-cat patterns on the back - though technically speaking, Mirach's blue is limited to her wings, adding some markings to the body helps us break up that big plane of sandy yellows and add some interest to the design. We think it turned out well!

If we could fit it in, we'd add a third bit of Marigold notes related to the actual transmutation method, since it's been living in our brain for a while, and we think our Potion Drawing might be a bit... abstract, otherwise?

More or less, the weave - the active transmutation medium - is woven to the inside of the lasso's... lasso, and upon encircling something with it, the weave is transferred to the target, thus making the lasso fall apart entirely as a major component of its structure abruptly ceases to be part of the object.

This transfer-and-break is the same general method through which most of Marigold's "one-use" charms work - as the effect is now tied to the target's body, rather than an object, it simply remains in effect until the weave "wears in" to the body entirely, shifting it from an effect active on the subject to a part of the subject's body.

This means that, before the effect is fully integrated into the body, it can be broken, though as with all charmcraft some effects may still linger. This also makes it so, technically, the charmcraft only casts an effect on the caster - the same effect through which pretty much all Medals work - rather than being a direct interface a la wiring it directly into the bug's body, which is illegal and what Marigold spends a lot of time tiptoing around to produce major effects on a bug's body without the single most useful method for bodily alteration Charmcraft has to offer.

...that was longer than we really expected it to be. We are working on the other contestants, both of this round and the last, though it's going very slowly seeing as the afternoon sun is currently hot enough to melt our brain into a fine sludge. We've got a solid idea of all three other Round 2 designs, and we've finally got a sketch for Mal - though Pola is being delayed, still, due to our poor comics-making decisions. We're working on it! Slowly!

If we could figure out how in the hell to represent it visually, we'd be working on making a loser's bracket, too, but as is... listen, we're not a graphics designer for a reason. If you are a graphics designer and we can outsource designing a loser's bracket to you then please contact us. We have a budget of approximately ten dollars. We can do PayPal but if your payment processor of choice is US-exclusive we cannot help you.