#like smudge paper you use to protect your drawing from the oils on your hand when sketching

[mithclearwell]

Just out of curiouse, do you have any tips for beginner artists? I would really appreciate one

Of course! ^-^ I'm more than happy to help!

Let's see...without the ability to have a conversation, I'm not sure where exactly you are in skill level, so I guess I'll start with some basic quality-of-life tips.

General:

You don't have to go to college to get good at art. I didn't go to art school!

Watch youtube videos from good artists, or those you admire!

What kind of art do you ultimately want to produce? This isn't an instance of "I can only pick one thing", it's more like...each type of art requires different skills, and if you know ahead of time what you want to do FIRST, you can narrow down what you have to learn.

learn proper sketching and use of circles and other shapes to build the figure, don't just jump in making the final lines right away! It's not a "cheat", it's proper technique. It's "caring about your work".

Same for references. Google up some images of what you want to draw and look at them while you draw your own picture. It's not only okay, it's what professionals do. You need to train your EYE as well as your hand.

It's okay to mimic styles you like! But be aware that each artist may stretch or squish or exaggerate proportions to fit what they personally like to see. This is why it's IMPERATIVE that you learn realism alongside any manga style you want to try. Once you learn where the eyes sit on the face, the different facial planes and what bones they relate to, and different sizes and builds for the face, you can then manga them up to any style you want!

For real paper:

Use a protector sheet, or wear a glove on your drawing hand. You want to make sure you don't get graphite or colored pencil on the side of your hand, and then smear it on your drawing. Placing a piece of paper under your hand will protect your work!

Don't touch your art with your fingertips. Fingertips have oil and gunk on them, and will smudge your drawing. (If you're working with charcoal, this could work to your advantage! But you're probably not using charcoal. It's messy and usually limited to college art students.)

Get the right tools! You can buy a small eraser set in the art section of Wal-Mart for like $3 -- it has a polymer eraser, a smaller white eraser, and the all-important KNEADED ERASER. This thing can be squished and torn apart and it'll pick up graphite like a champ! Do not bother with hard pink erasers, they're trash.

You don't need special paper to learn. I used to draw on the backs of my dad's extra math photocopy papers. Copy paper is smooth and not too fussy and I like it. "Sketch pads" usually have a rougher grain, and I hate the way the paper feels. Also there's a lot of ugly white spots when you try to shade or use colored pencils. Only use that if you're keeping a cute little book or using pastel crayons or something (or it's all you have). Don't fuss over it too much while you're learning. It won't make much difference until you're ready to specialize!

Blending stumps are cool and even pros use them.

Get a small electric pencil sharpener. They're less than $10 at places like Dollar General, and those stores are literally everywhere.

If you get a manual sharpener in an "art set", that's fine, too, but it hurts my hand to do it manually. I like the ones that have little covers.

It DOES matter what kind of ink pen you use. Gel pens will smear. Most markers are washable, and you better believe they will run at the first hint of moisture. India Ink also smears and runs with water. I recommend Sakura Micron pens, Zig Mangaka pens, or my favorite --- the Kuretaki Bimoji felt tip brush pen. You can get all that on Amazon, and it's like $6. I got the superfine tip.

LET YOUR INK DRY BEFORE YOU PUT MARKERS OR WATERCOLOR OR ANYTHING AT ALL OVER IT. It takes maybe 20 minutes.

If you don't plan to color it, you CAN draw with a ball point pen and it'll look just fine.

Do a tiny little water streak test with any markers you plan to use with watercolor. Just brush a tiny bit of water over the mark after it's dry to see if it bleeds. I use that bleed to my advantage sometimes, but you just gotta be aware of what's what.

Digital:

You can buy a small, cheap tablet from HUION for less than $40. MAKE THE INVESTMENT. IT'S WORTH IT.

Clip Studio Paint is EXCELLENT. Well worth the $50-$60 price tag. I think you can try it before you buy it, too. It gives you access to the Asset Store -- which is the single greatest artistic sharing tool I have EVER seen, and I've used SAI for ...probably a decade... I've used dozens of custom brushes and even made my own, and I just can't even believe what is available with CSP. Do yourself a favor and get it.

"But I can't use a tablet! I can't look at a screen while I draw!" Yes you can. YES you can. Yes you can, if you'll just try it. "but I tried once and it didn't work" Well YEAH, if you only tried a handful of times, OF COURSE it didn't work. Do you know what practice is? HUION screen tablets are over $300!!!!! Do you have that kind of disposable income lyin around? (plz donate some to me if you do lololjk =u=; )

Start saving a folder full of refs.

Ask people to tell you what to draw. Let them request something for free. This makes you draw things you wouldn't normally draw, and there is INCREDIBLE value in stepping outside of your comfort zone. You will level up in no time.

Whew...that covers most of the basics, I think. If you have something specific you want me to go into more detail on, please let me know! I love helping ;w;

[tundralter]

Blessing for Blue Calcite

Hello there! Welcome to my first ever spell 💙💙💙 A few months ago I attended a witchcraft festival and bought some tumbled crystals and gemstones that have helped me a lot in the past. I purchased two Blue Calcite with the description, “Facilitates loving communication, brings peace to chaotic situations, amplifies and cleanses energy in the body or location. Used for reducing stress, increasing serenity, and lowering blood pressure.” With that description I thought it’d be a wonderful idea to give one to my boyfriend and keep one, putting our crystals under our respective pillows. I’m about to move off to college so I’m preforming a spell soon to cleanse the crystals and bless them with love and communication as well as keeping the stress of college to a minimum. With that said, here’s the spell! 🌿 What You’ll Need 🌿 - Salt for cleansing (Any type, preferably pink Himalayan) - Lavender for peace and calm (Oil preferred, dried plant acceptable as well) - Black candle for protection and Silver candle for communication (Alternative/additional; grey for removing negativity, light blue for peacefulness, pink for love, white for purity of mind and all purpose use, yellow for creative vivid dreams) - Waning Moon blessed water for cleansing the space and person (Alternatively, new moon charged water for general cleansing or full moon charged water for strengthening the body and mind) - Something meaningful to both people (Or just you if you’re blessing one Blue Calcite) - A piece of blank paper - A lighter (Practice fire safety! Keep water nearby and all flammable objects away) - A Sharpie or other permanent marker (Preferably black, grey, or blue) - A container of some kind (Must have a lid or opening that can close to seal it temporarily) - A flameproof bowl Optional Herbs: Ash (Prevents nightmares), clary sage (Vivid dreams, strange dreams), cedar (Prevents nightmares, protection while sleeping), chamomile (induces calm sleep, protection while sleeping), garlic (Prevents nightmares, protection while sleeping, induces sleep), Lemon balm (induces sleep, refreshing sleep, prevents nightmares), sage (peaceful and calm dreams, healing dreams, prevents nightmares), rose (Induces dreams of love) Additional Crystals: Agate (Prevents nightmares), Amethyst (Prevents insomnia and nightmares, vivid dreams), Black Tourmaline (Induces sleep), Blue Apatite (Dreams that solve problems, induces happy dreams), Clear Quartz (Induces dreams, dream recall, vivid dreams), Fluorite (Protection during sleep, prevents nightmares, promotes deep sleep), Jet (Protection in sleep), Malachite (Prevents nightmares, halts repeated nightmares, induce sleep, recall), Moonstone (Brings dreams, peaceful sleep, prevents insomnia), Opal (Brings happy dreams), Rose quartz (Pleasant dreams, prevents insomnia), Smoky quartz (induces dreams, prevents nightmares) Incense/smells: Cedarwood (Vivid dreams), clary sage (Induces sleep), eucalyptus (Vivid dreams), jasmine (Induces dreams), Lavender (Induces dreams, lucid dreaming), Palo santo (Induces sleep), Rose (Induces sleep, lucid dreaming, dreams relating to love)

🔮Instructions🔮

Gather your materials first, lay them so your herbs are together, crystals together, etc. 

Clean and cleanse your place, cast your circle, and any other pre-spell activities you preform (Meditate, call upon spirits, etc.)

Place your Blue Calcite(s) in your container. Focus hard on the person you’re giving it to (or draw from a person you love, if you’re just blessing it for yourself. calling on them for their blessing) and say;  ‘Crystal bright and blue, Break through dark and shine through Bless my sleep,  And give me sweet dreams to keep. Connect me to my love so far, I will feel them no matter where they are.’

Take a pinch of salt, one for each crystal, and rain it over the crystal itself. Then make a small layer of salt at the bottom of the container around the crystal(s). If you don’t have enough salt to do so or the container is too large simply make a small ring around the crystal, making sure the edges touch the crystal itself and only go out an inch or so. Call on the spirits of the Earth.

Gather your lavender and any other herbs you’re using. If in oil form drip two drops of lavender and one drop of anything else directly on the crystal, if in dried plant form grind into dust or burn in a safe place and use the ashes, sprinkle over the crystals. 

At this point if you are utilizing additional crystals, place them in a crystal grid around the container to charge it

Place your candles around the container, outside the crystal grid if you’ve made one, and light them clockwise. Call upon the spirits of the Flame

Hold your meaningful object in your non dominant hand and blow breath across it so the air lands on the crystals, call upon the spirits of the Wind. At this point if you’re blessing more than one crystal call on the person you’ll gift the crystal to and wish for their blessing. 

Take your blessed water and pour a small amount in your non dominant palm, dip your dominant fingers into it, and sprinkle the water into the container evenly around and on the crystals. Call on the spirits of Water.

Close the container after one last blessing to the crystals (wording of your choice, preferably personalized). Drip two to three drops of the black and silver candles onto the lid, then take your blank paper, write the names of anyone to be in ownership of the crystals, including yourself, and place it over one of the candle flames, placing it in a flame safe bowl until it is only ash. Take the ash and smudge it onto the lid of the container. 

Close your circle and place the container near your bed (Under if possible, or at the head of the bed) for at least one night of sleep.

After a full night of sleep take the crystals out of the box and they are ready for use! Depose of the container they were in how you’d like, but cleanse it before using for any other spells or even storing normal items. 

Good luck with your spellwork!

[bubmyg]

in a rose garden of geraniums - myg

genre: flower shop!au; soulmate!au

summary:  Yoongi really wishes his soulmate would stop etching dicks all over his hands when he’s supposed to be marketing delicate flowers to potential brides, apologetic husbands, and broke college students who, for some reason, want an arrangement that passive aggressively says fuck you.

parts: one: geraniums, two: asters, three: roses

note: ahh my first full length fic!! enjoy ❤️🌸

geraniums: expected or unexpected meeting; foolishness

Yoongi hated ballpoint pins. Specifically the shitty ones from the shitty Staples store down the street that always sold him shitty paper clips and shitty folders and shitty excuses for pens. It was the cheap ones, the ones he could buy in a bulk pack of thirty-six for eight dollars that would last the store at least a couple of weeks before he was flipping the closed sign on the glass door for fifteen minutes and wandering down to retrieve more shitty pens.

He could probably afford better quality pens, maybe the assortment pack of twenty-four that included blue and red ink for just four dollars more than his current predicament. Those had the fancy hooks he could clip into his belt and whip out to scrawl on the tiny notepad tucked into his back pocket rather than scurrying back to the front desk and snatching a shitty one with a lost cap that was probably all dried out, half scratching the notes from the customer that he’d half to redo later anyway.

Maybe Yoongi resented those shitty pens because he’d mistaken the word anemone for amaryllis and made an entire wedding party boutonnieres of the lush red flowers only to be cursed out by an angry mother-in-law wielding a lavender bouquet and a lavender slash of fabric from the bridesmaid dresses that most certainly did not match his creations they paid for.

“Do you have any idea what the pictures are going to look like?” She’d screeched, wide rimmed glasses held in place by a delicate chain hooked over her ear nearly toppling to the glass covered register.

“No, ma'am,” Yoongi had answered earnestly, “Do you?”

He mostly hated the idea of big business mass producing an item in shitty quality simply because consumers would buy and buy and buy no matter if the pen lasted long enough for them to streak a single letter to the back of their hands. In a world where soulmates were connected by writing into skin, the words and characters and drawings and messages transmitted past pores and across land, boundaries, oceans. Even the unemployed beggar, after a quick stint for shoplifting, taking residence outside the nearest McDonald’s could afford to snatch up one of the very things he’d try to steal to use for an afternoon (and an evening, if he was lucky and shook the plastic body hard enough).

Supply and demand, free market economy, capitalism.

The tiniest part of Yoongi, the one swelling and taking up the most space in the throbbing frontal lobe of his conscious, hated those shitty pens because they were either the only things his soulmate seemed to have access to, or they had fallen directly into the trap he hated.

Okay, or maybe he hated those pens because you kept drawing dicks on his palms. If his soulmate was going to act like a twelve year old middle schooler who just discovered porn, the least they could do is make them good quality. Fill in the lines, add some details, or, most preferred, just stop drawing fucking dicks on his hands.

Yoongi convinced himself that his soulmate was some sort of manic masochist that enjoyed parading around with male genitalia inked into their skin. He was an idiot to assume that you would tell others that was your own doing. It angered him further than a handful of people in the world probably thought he was this raging hormonal asshole that simply wanted to coerce sexual favors in the eventual meeting of his soulmate.

In a way, it was some kind of reverse plagiarism that people thought the intricate casts of flowers vining around the knuckles and up the forearms of his soulmate were their own doing.

He considered himself a gentleman among a world of cheap, eight dollar a package, pen consumers. Yoongi used markers. Stashed in the bottom drawer of the register, protected by a reinforced plastic tub complete with clicking handles and the manual receipt book that he hadn’t touched other than to move it back and forth to access his rich ceruleans and lush greens and love stained reds.

There was something romantic about the tiny smudges of ink left over on the pads of Yoongi’s index finger and thumb that would surely bleed through to his soulmate. They were like tiny petals off the flowers he etched from memory, smudged around the edges and blurred unless you squinted, marking him to you wherever you may be, just as a fluttering droplet of velvet in a soft summer breeze still belonged to the circumference of pollen lain pistil that waved sadly from it’s rooted position in a garden box on an apartment window in the city in mourning of it’s long lost petal.

Shitty pens couldn’t do that.

But Yoongi wasn’t in mourning for you. There was a dull ache in his heart that could only be filled by you, that’s just how it was, but he wasn’t actively seeking you out. He wasn’t hiring a detective from the special task force rooted in center city like his love sick fool university roommate Seokjin had, he wasn’t quitting his job to wander aimlessly around the world with money he did not have with a lesser percentage of finding you than just staying put in his shabby little flower shop he’d purchased with his tax return check, and he certainly wasn’t going to just etch out a map of directions on the meat of his thigh for you to follow.

If the universe’s selection of soulmates was natural then so should the meeting. And in the meantime, Yoongi was going to draw you as many of the pretty flowers as he could in the span of time between a frantic looking husband and a tittering group of women screeching wedding party! through the drag of his painstaking shifts.

No one understood their soulmate markings at a young age. He assumed the blotches of crayon oil and red ink had been his own doing, something he’d accidentally swiped over his coloring page in primary school or blotched onto his thumb by accident in admiring the high marks on his spelling test. You’d had yours explained to you sooner, ten year old you starting out with squiggly Hi’s that faded into the void of existence before Yoongi could probably squint at the twinge in the middle of his forearm. His mother explained it to him because of you, finding the remnants of a cartoon flower on the back of his hand one evening when he was assisting her with the washing up.

She’d shown him the grocery list scrawled to her palm, a mix of drawings that ranged from detailed to child’s play, a way to coax his father into doing the shopping himself if he wanted those pen marks off his skin.

Straight words, greetings, attempts at addresses, even the slightest snippet of an alphabet, faded within minutes. Tattoos were the same on each person, permanent.

Drawings stayed until the original creator washed them off.

You couldn’t quite grasp that at first, trying to communicate with him in the only ways an elementary child knew how. Hi, my name is ___. How are you today? What’s your favorite color?

Yoongi’s first, and only, piece of information he knew about you came when you’d discovered a way to ask him his favorite color without articulating the sentence. You’d drawn a series of circles on his hands, all filled in with various fades of color you’d pressed crayons into. On his wrist, you’d scrawled a green check with a question mark.

What’s your favorite color?

The blue circle just under the ridge of his third knuckle contained your own tiny green checkmark.

Hoseok never knew why Yoongi kicked his shin to retrieve his green, gel pen, one that he had promptly used to scrawl a check next to the prominent red drowned in a faded opacity from the transfer of drawings across the map of your skins.

It was like you’d become bored with the prospect of having a soulmate after than day in year four. Nothing prominent came from you for years after that, nothing but smudges of ink and pencil lead on the underside of his left hand telling him that you were, at the very least, still alive.

So he knew one more piece of information about you. You were left handed.

Yoongi never tried to push the issue by reaching out to you through his own skin. He washed his hands religiously, not wanting to bother you with the smudges of ink off his books filled with music or the streaks of red pen from incessant lyric writing. He graduated, he went away to college, and he almost thought he began to get over the prospect of finding you as he lay awake staring at the tiny ceiling of his tiny dorm room one evening. With no marks to show on either of you, surely the opportunity of finding you had long since passed.

And then the dicks started appearing, somewhere in the middle of his junior year of music school when he was supposed to be evaluated by his private piano professor. He nearly died of embarrassment on his bench, failing the exam from the angry twitch of his joints as they desperately tried to cup away to hide the marks rather than properly execute the sheet music laid out before him.

But he graduated again and the dicks kept appearing. In the beginning, it was every day, the ink fresh and renewed and rippling across the lines of Yoongi’s expansive palms. The week he was to go to the bank to acquire the deed for the tiny run down shop pressed between a bakery and a clothing store became the first and only time he tried to wash away soulmate marks even if he knew they wouldn’t come off.

His hands were raw by the time he escaped from his bathroom two hours later, angry and red and smelling of the entire bottle of lavender hand soap he’d went through.

The frequency died away in the next couple of months, becoming an every other day thing until eventually it was once a week, the lines fading until Sunday’s when they were renewed again in staggered streaks of what was clearly the work of those shitty pens.

Yoongi tried fingerless gloves after a horrified elderly woman had informed him she would be reporting his perverted antics to her long list of friends on Facebook. He’d lost the business of headstone arrangements for a few months and had to apply for another loan, a meeting he was to attend the same day a tiny penis appeared on the curved edge of his thumb. Full gloves weren’t an option during the busy season of Valentine’s day and full coverage foundation became the remedy until he was shaking the hand of a disgruntled boyfriend who’d bought the first bouquet in the display case near the front door and smeared the grimy makeup all over the horrified O of the man’s face who had immediately assumed the substance was anything but foundation.

It was his second year of owning the shop when Yoongi decided to combat your antics after being dubbed the penis florist on a comedy column of his alumnus university’s monthly journal. He bought the good markers from Staples, a step above Crayola, the ones without the guarantee that they would wash off in the bath, the ink like concrete in that it would certainly be one thing.

Permanent.

He had half the mind to photocopy something gruesome onto his skin, like those flimsy tattoos handed out in elementary school on Halloween, depicted their favorite superhero or Disney cartoon of the decade. Instead his would be a graphic depiction of a broken arm, maybe a cockroach gnawing on someone’s ear in their sleep, a crying dog.

It was the same voice that had pricked tears into the back of his eyes that one evening in his dorm room at the prospect of never meeting you that stopped him midway to the printer in the backroom of the flower shop. There was still a chance, a small chance, but odds to bet on, nonetheless, that he would meet you someday.

And when that day came, he didn’t want you to hate him. He didn’t hold a grudge for the dicks, but he couldn’t even begin to fathom your tolerance for bullshit.

Okay, Yoongi didn’t hold a big grudge.

He drew the first thing that came to his mind, the thing he was surrounded in, the thing that reminded him and propelled his prospective career in music forward. He began to draw flowers, intricate vines up the canvas of his appendages. It started first as a tiny picture on the back of his hand that eventually grew up the expanse of his forearm to die away into the crook of his elbow. He overdid it with the curved edges of tulips, the expanding ends of roses, the sweet circles of daisies. He drew you an entire garden, one that professed and promised his eventual love if you were ever to find him.

He wasn’t a complete cynist.

It became a game, the more prominence of the childish drawing on his palm, the more flowers he added around his arm. It was good business too, advertisement for the shop, a way to distract from the male body parts coating his open palms when he gestured for cash or check or credit cards in exchange for one of his creations that likely mirrored a piece on his arms.

Yoongi began to add what he created, placing in the mistaken boutineers for the wedding just on the underside of his wrist, matching the prom bouquet he’d made for a starry eyed teenager and his tight lipped mother in April just under his elbow, stretching the lines of an anniversary gift he’d made complete with a pastel pink bow to waiver just on the freckled skin of his bicep. They were beautiful, they were art, and they were a connection to you. That was enough for him to continue his drawings.

A bouquet of roses was awaiting pickup, a voice Yoongi had guessed was either an expensive businessman in coattails in need to apologize to his secretary who might also be his mistress, or maybe just a concerned father retrieving a last minute mother’s day gift for his daughter to give to his ex-wife.

Quite frankly, no, there was no inbetween.

Yoongi twirled his red marker in his fingers, eyeing the outline of thick black. He hadn’t drawn the roses as a bouquet but rather a beautiful flowing vine, casting up the edges of his wrists. It wasn’t a day he needed to add to his drawings, in fact, the drawings that were the bane of his existence had faded considerably in the last two weeks. But he wanted to as the creation of flush roses under his nose he’d just received in a shipment were so exquisite that he almost didn’t want to pass them off to a cheating husband or a wistful ex husband.

He hummed, following the tune of the delicate crescendo of a piano filtering from his laptop tucked behind a display of “Freshly Picked!” daisies. Stark red stained against his skin as he lazily began to color, almost as if a sleepy toddler back in the days of primary school. He smacked his lips together, pursed  in the concentration of his furled eyebrows over his newest creation on his arm.

An angry red mark appeared across Yoongi’s skin as he startled, yet he barely had time to curse himself or the entering customer for slamming his door against a stand of metal yard caterpillars waving to the streets outside as said customer was suddenly in front of him.

A wad of crumbled bills was thrown in front of him, one of the largest catching on a stem of the rose bouquet. His pouted mouthed rimmed into a large circle, eyes connected the dots of the scattered currency before lifting to find an extremely beautiful and an extremely angry girl looming over him.

Yoongi watched as she sifted stray strands of sweaty hair behind her ears, allowing him full access to gaze dumbly into the beaded fury rolling off the entirety of her aura.

“Hi,” He stuttered, startled again when clammy palms caused his red mark to slip from his grasp and clatter against the glass. “How can I help-”

“Hello,” She seethed coolly, cutting him off with a bored flick of her wrist. Her elbows knocked into the counter, face in her palms as she leaned forward, a wickedly evil smile stretching joylessly over cracked lips. “How does one, for the sake of the conversation, say fuck you with flowers?”

[mysticsparklewings]

Faber Castell Polychromos First Impressions

I've been threatening it, and nowhere it is at last--a test piece for the Faber Castell Polychromos colored pencils!  (And also probably my last piece of art for 2018...) Some of my watchers may remember that I've been stalking the internet for months and waiting with very bated breath to get my hands on these famous pencils. Finally, the holiday season came and after cross-referencing no less than three different websites (at least), we ended up paying about $140 for the 120 set off of Cheap Joe's Art Stuff. Which is still more than I wanted to cough up, considering my 150 set of Prismacolors was purchased off Amazon for around $80. But after months and months of waiting and searching and checking, it seemed to me that was about as good as I was going to get if I wanted the full set. (Which because I suffer from what Coloring Bliss on YouTube has dubbed "Full Set Syndrome," of course I wanted the full set). And to be fair, $140 is still way better than the almost $300 price tag some websites place on these, or if you buy them in the special wooden box--which some places can top out at over $500. So let's talk about how they perform first, and then I'll go back to the more superficial things like appearance, packaging, etc. Since the most important thing is performance. But a disclaimer--this is the first piece I've done with these, and they've intrigued me, so I want to work with them more and maybe do an update/follow-up to see if my opinions change or anything interest comes up. (Hence why I'm calling this a First Impressions and not a Review.) Do I think these pencils are super magical and the best-colored pencils I've ever used? No. They are pretty good, but Prismacolor remains my favorite. These are probably my second favorite of the pencils I've tried, but Prisma is the clear winner for me. My main issue is that they're just not as soft as the Prismas, but I did kind of expect that going in because I've watched and seen a few different reviews for both and comparisons, and it comes partly because the Polychromos are oil based and the Prismacolors are wax based. The oil base just makes them a harder pencil. The reason this ended up bothering me personally to the extent it did has to do specifically with the white pencil. My poor white Prismacolor pencil that is so small I had to put it in a pencil extender to be able to continue to use it will tell you first hand that I'm pretty abusive to that color of pencil. I like to use it for blending, as a base on my toned tan and toned gray papers, and for highlights. Now, from what I've already heard about the Polychromos, I knew the white was going to be second fiddle to the Prismacolor--And I have yet to see anyone anywhere make a compelling case for any white colored pencil other than Prismacolor as "the best." To be fair, if you want a white for blending, I actually think this one is better because as I was working and trying to do highlights over other colors, I noticed it liked to blend. But if you're like me and you want the strong white highlights, you're better off to get the Prismacolor white. In fact, I would say if that's what you want and you're going to invest in the Polychromos, I would recommend also purchasing just the white Prismacolor to go with them. And I don't think this is unreasonable since some would also recommend buying separate blender pencils like those by Prismacolor or Derwent (which for the record I say Derwent; that one seems to work better for me). Now that I'm aware of the issue, I should be able to work around it accordingly, but going in blindly I ended up putting an uncomfortable amount of pressure behind the white to get the results I wanted, and even then I had to supplement more than I expected to with my white gel pen. Other than that, I did discover one other issue that isn't that big of a deal, but I thought was interesting to note because this is one thing I haven't really seen anyone specifically test or talk about: The back of the tin specifically says that these pencils are "Smudgeproof." This could be useful if you're like me tend to drag your hand over your work as you go or you really want your colors to hold still. However, I specifically tested this with some swatches. Maybe I don't know what "smudge" actually means, but with a bit of pressure, I did get the pigment to move outside of the swatch by dragging my finger over it. I do think that's probably more pressure than you'd naturally apply while drawing, and this could also be useful in different blending techniques or to get different effects. So while they may be "smudge resistant," they do not appear to be "smudge-proof" as far as I'm concerned. Not that big of a deal, but definitely interesting. Other than that, I really can't complain about performance. They blended and layered quite well. Usually, I see people raving about layering specifically with these, and even I have to admit I feel like I was able to add more layers that actually made a difference with these than I normally could with Prismacolor. At first, I was a little skeptical about blending, but they ended up pleasantly surprising me. Ultimately, I can see why these seem to be competing with Prismacolor in terms of "Most Popular Artist Quality Pencils." But for me, the key difference is just the softness, and that leads me to believe that these might work better if you tend to be heavy-handed and might have issues with just how soft Prismacolors are (like you might have issues with those breaking or coming out too dark/saturated, so the harder nature of the Polychromos would help you not have those issues). I mean, this doesn't really look any different from my other colored pencil drawings, but that's partly because I know what I'm doing and have a few tricks up my sleeve if pencils aren't behaving the way I want them to. However, this time around I wanted to really push these to see what they could do and I did my best not to give them any help. My procedure was pretty normal; White base to neutralize the tan paper, then I cut straight to coloring, lightest areas first, then touching the darkest, and then marrying the two together. The most difficult area was the mountain at the bottom, but that was partly because of my issues with the white and the fact that I don't have much experience with drawing realistic rocks/mountains. But my white gel pen made up for most of that, I think. (Seriously, never underestimate the potential of a good white gel pen). On to the more superficial things: I will give these one major point over Prismacolor; the packaging for the largest set is much better. This 120 set comes in a tin only slightly wider than a 13" laptop. In the tin, there are three layers of plastic trays filled with pencils. These trays feel a lot sturdier than most because they have built-in little elastic handles on either side to pick them up, and that is strictly necessary because the trays are sized pretty close to the tin. I'm not really a fan of the hinged lid just because you can't set it underneath like you might with a shoebox and the hinge makes setting the top tray of pencils back in the box a little fiddly, but it's not the end of the world. For Prismacolor, the 150 set comes in a thick paper/cardboard box with a total of six trays--three stacked on each side--that's almost twice the width of this tin. That's fine if you've got plenty of room to open the box and carefully move the trays around to get what you need and not spill the pencils, but I myself ended up investing a zipper case specifically for my Prismas because that whole set up is more work than I usually want to deal with. The Polychromos tin, at the very least, I can carefully balance in my lap and I'm less concerned about spilling or dropping them because of the way the tin and trays have been designed. I may end up investing in another case just for the Polychromos if I continue to find the one for my Prismas so much to my liking, but it's not a worrying issue like getting one for the Prismas was. Still, I'd much rather have good pencils and have to go find a better case than have a great case and pencils that suck, you know? On that note, the other area where the Polychromos have a leg over the Prismacolors really comes down to the presentation. If you want to feel fancy, the Polychromos are where it's at, from the packaging--that goes so far as to include a little pamphlet about the pencils and company in the tin--to the pencils themselves that have little gold accents and closed-cap ends, and even a lightfast rating on each pencil. (Though at this point in my life that's more of a fun bonus that a selling point for me). And I personally find most of the color names to seem on the fancier side too. I do think I should note also that the Polychromos pencils are a little bit bigger around than the Prismas, but this doesn't really amount to much. The core size is the same--3.8 mm, which is a pretty decent size--and they fit in a standard sharpener seemingly just fine, no issues. (Which the Polychromos do sharpen really beautifully and hold a point well, but I don't feel like that's groundbreaking information.) I think from a technical standpoint it might give the pencils more strength and protection to hold up to breaking, but on the surface, it doesn't make that much of a difference. I didn't feel a noticeable difference while I was working with them. As I stated at the beginning, the Polychromos have intrigued me and I want to work with them more to see if anything changes or comes up, but for now, my final thoughts are that Prismacolor is still my favorite, even though these are really nice. Do I think they're worth $140? That's more difficult to answer. I don't doubt that at least that much money went into making them based on the presentation alone, but my issue comes in with comparing them to the price of Prismacolor and other brands that aren't that far behind in terms of performance. Right now on Amazon, the 150 set of Prismas is $76.02. Almost half of the 120 Polychromos price and you get 30 more pencils. The highest I've seen it get to there is around $100. If you really want oil based pencils, I will vouch for the Schpierrer Farben pencils, which I've tested before and are officially back in stock!, their 72 set is currently $29.78 on Amazon. Half the price of the Polychromos 60 set. The highest I've seen for those is around $40, which is about what I paid when I got mine. (Though I got mine second-hand when it was uncertain if they'd ever be coming back). For comparison, the 120 set of Polychromos is currently sitting at $145 on Amazon. Yikes! That is honestly the only thing holding me back from really recommending these, much like my love/hate relationship with Photoshop. Beautiful tools, ugly, ugly price tags. Maybe my opinion will shift a bit as I work with these more, but as it stands now I'd still recommend Prismacolor as the best value for the price in terms of the pencils I've tried. With that, excuse if the picture quality isn't that great here; I really wanted to include the pencils instead of just scanning it, since the pencils are so gorgeously designed. And now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to close out 2018 with my favorite tradition of watching the Twilight Zone marathon on SyFy and maybe try to squeeze in one last drawing before the year's over. (Or start off 2019 with a brand new piece of art if I'm too slow ) ____ Artwork © me, MysticSparkleWings ____ Where to find me & my artwork: My Website | Commission Info + Prices | Ko-Fi | dA Print Shop | RedBubble |   Twitter | Tumblr | Instagram

[durzerdpencilweb]

What are the types of colored pencils? Which one is better?

Abstract: Colored pencils refer to a kind of drawing pencils made of colored pigments. The pigments and clay binders need to be mixed during production. The colors are various and the drawing effect is relatively light, but it can create special effects. Colored pencils on the market can be divided into three types: oil-based color pencil, water color pencil, and pastel color pencil. These three types have their own characteristics. Consumers can choose according to actual needs. Next, let me learn about the following colors together with Which kind of pencil is good?

  What are the types of colored pencils

 Oily color pencil

Oil-based color pencil is the brightest and thickest color of all color lead. The pencil core has a certain waxy texture and can show a special texture effect. It is suitable for drawing large-area pictures and also suitable for depicting details. But oil-based colored lead is not suitable for multi-layered colors, and it is not easy to modify with an eraser, and it is easy to be smeared. Therefore, when painting, it is best to put a piece of tracing paper under your hand to protect the painted part.

 Water color pencil

The refill of the water-soluble color pencil can be dissolved in water, and the color will be smudged when touched with water, which can achieve a watercolor-like transparent effect. When not used for water-soluble, the effect is similar to that of oil-based color lead, but the color is more natural and not too bright. After coloring with water, it is difficult to form a smooth color layer due to the water-soluble color lead, and it is easy to form stains. Similar to watercolor painting, it is more suitable for painting buildings and sketching.

 Pastel color pencil

Pastel color pencil has strong coverage, is insoluble in water, and the refill is powdery with a special grain texture. Compared with oil-based colored pencils, it is cheaper and has more color types. many. But the color pastel pencil it easy to shed powder, stain the picture, and the pen core is easier to break.

 Which color pencil is better?

 There are many types of colored pencils. When choosing a colored pencil, it is not necessary to choose which kind of colored pencil, but to choose a suitable colored pencil according to actual needs. Generally, the main factors to be considered when choosing a colored pencil are:

 Choose according to the painting situation. For example, if you basically paint light colors, you can't pick soft-colored lead. The softer the pencil core, the brighter the color and the color overlap is even, but the noise on the paper is also greater, and the drawing of a small picture will basically not look good. The harder the refill of the colored lead, the smaller the noise on the paper, which is suitable for fine painting, but the color is relatively not very bright, and the color overlap is not good. In addition, the quality of the color pencil is still related to the degree of hardness. The better the quality, the softer the refill, the brighter the color, and it will not break the core.

 Choose according to color matching. At present, there are 24 colors pencil, 36 colors pencils, 48 colors pencils, 60 colors pencil, and 72 colors pencil that are more common in the market. Generally, 48 colored pencils are sufficient for beginners. Each brand has its own set of color mixing recipes, even if the number is 120 colors, even if the color name is exactly the same, the colors drawn will be different due to the difference in the pigment composition. Therefore, when consumers choose, the number of colors is not the first factor. We also can choose the Jumbo color pencil for Kids, or Mini color pencil for the small drawing, choose the groove color pencil for the beginners. What is important is which colors are available and whether the choice of colors is practical.

 Note: This is republished from https://www.durzerdpencil.com/ about the pencil types. See the original post and comment thread form our company website above.

[hulksmashin-bannerpackin]

Work Of Art

Pairing: Bruce Banner X Reader

Request Prompt:
 Bruce request where the reader is an avenger but also an art student. One day, the university she's in holds an event where their art students can showcase their works. The reader keep it a secret to the team because her works are all paintings/drawings of Hulk and Bruce Banner. And she doesn't want the team and Bruce to discover her love interest. But Tony discovers and decides to surprise her on the day of the event thinking that she's just shy, so he brought the team. Fluffy fluff please

Requested by: @halegalaxy00

Sorry that it took so long! This is one of my oldest requests so I hope the length makes up for it! ^^

Y/N sat in her room, tapes draped across the ground to protect her carpet all smeared in various paint stains as she laid on the floor, charcoal in hand and staring at the large sheet of paper in front of her. She stared at her work in frustration.

It had to be juuust perfect.

Maybe she needed a break? She frowned at the portrait, it wasn't right yet. She's probably just been staring at it for too long... Y/N stood and stretched feeling her back crack and her muscles ache. This called for a lunch back. Come back to her artwork with fresh eyes. Yes indeed that sounded like a good plan.

Y/N picked up her paint rag and wiped her face, which mostly only succeeded to smear the charcoal on her face around but it did also free her of the thin layer of sweat she had accumulated on her brow. She made her way to the kitchen and found Bruce waiting by the kettle to make some tea.

"Hi Bruce!" Y/N chimed happily causing Bruce to notice her and give her a soft smile.

"Hey Y/N." His eyes went up and down her figure taking in the mess she was in. "How has your artwork been going?"

Y/N shrugged with a small grin. “Okaay so far. I don’t know it’s not quite done yet. Something is missing.” She pulled a second mug out of the cupboard and onto the counter. Bruce pulled another teabag out from his shelf seeing her place her mug on the counter.

“Maybe I could see it? Give you an opinion.”

Y/N’s eyes went considerably wide as she quickly shook her head and stuttered out a response.

“No-no-no you don’t want to see it! It’s not even that good!”

Bruce let out a breath of laughter at her nervous reaction. “I’ve seen your work Y/N. I happen to think it’s very good.” And that was true, Bruce still kept the painting she did for him on the wall in his office, it created a tranquil atmosphere for him.

Y/N grinned deviously. “Oh well such a nice compliment deserves a hug.” She held up her arms wide.

Bruce’s face screwed up and tried to step back, away from her charcoal covered attack. “Y/N! No!”

She giggled as she wrapped her arms around him tightly and nuzzled her face against his clean button up shirt. Bruce laughed along with her, delicately returning the hug despite the black stains he would surely receive.

Y/N let herself relax and breath in this moment, Bruce had always made her feel so safe and happy but she treasured their friendship too much to let it be ruined by her silly feelings.

They jumped apart when they heard fake gagging noises and looked to see Tony starring at them with disgust. “Why don’t you two get a room? There’s so many to choose from instead of shacking up in my kitchen.”

Bruce shuffled away awkwardly to finish making the tea and Y/N frowned and stuck her tongue out at Tony. “You’re just jealous.”

“Yeah right kid, real jealous of green bean and the living smudge.” Tony quipped back. “Hurry up and get together.”

A large blush sprawled across Y/N’s face and Bruce spluttered as they both stammered out reasons why that was ridiculous and for Tony to get real, only to leave him giving them a signature smirk and walking away.

“I, uh, I better get back to the lab.” Bruce mumbled into his cup of tea and politely excused himself.

“Have fun.” Y/N said with a smile as she waved and sighed when he was out of view. That was exactly why they would never get together. When they were alone it was so easy and it felt so natural in eachothers company but the second someone addressed their actions towards another they would both vehemently deny any affection for the other.

She opened the fridge and began pulling out ingredients to make a sandwich.

Oh well.

Y/N guessed she’d just be happy with the relationship they had now.

———————

Once again Y/N was spread out surrounded by a mess of oils and tape and coloured charcoal. She was staring at paused security footage she ‘borrowed’ from the lab. She needed reference pictures! Okay? Perfectly normal. Not creepy. Nope.

“Hey Jarvis?” She called up to the roof.

“Yes Miss L/N?” He answered politely.

“It’s not stalkerish that I took these photos is it?”

“Well ma’am it is in the very definition of stalker to take photos of one, without their knowledge or permission.”

“..... What do you know anyway.” She growled childishly at Jarvis, secretly though she was grateful Jarvis agreed to not tell Tony or Bruce that she had taken these stills.

The theme was Avengers and she was originally planning on drawing the whole team or even her own secret identity so it wouldn’t be weird and so no one would be jealous but after overhearing her classmates swoon and coo over Tony and Steve and hearing how no one would want to draw the Hulk unless it was a destruction piece she got... Offended to say the least... And she accidentally found herself announcing boldly how she would do Banner. (Implications of that phrasing that made her blush aside) she found herself too embarrassed to tell the team of her work and kept it secret.

She had finally finished. It was perfect. Perfect enough to go into the galley show. All students were allowed up to three entries but because her entry was so big she was only allowed one. That was of course fine with her. Y/N was so proud of her work. She stood back and looked at it. Sprawled across the large canvas was Bruce Banner and the Hulk.

The large portrait had Hulk stretched across the back with Bruce placed in the centre. She used mostly black charcoal but for the Hulk she added streaks of dark and light green to emphasise his muscles, hair and eyes. She did the same with Bruce, using brown and purple to emphasise his hair, eyes and clothes. She worked on carefully covering her work with fixative spray and left it to dry so she could cover it. No way was she showing anyone. She just told them it was for an assignment that coveted most of her grade.

————————

It was finally the night of the galley. Y/N had dresses herself simply, not one for really filling herself up. She wore a modest dark blue dress and light make up. Everything was going well, the students were happy and mingling with the guests and the Avengers were here.

... ...... ..........

The Avengers were here?!?!

What?!

Y/N gaped in horror. WHY were the Avengers here!?

Tony spotted her and grinned, waving her over. Y/N marched up to him with her best scowl.

“What are YOU doing here!?” Y/N huffed, placing her hands on her hips as the other Avengers started scattering around the galley.

“I hacked your schedule.” Tony grinned raising his hands in his defence.

“Tony!”

“What? I did you a favour, you don’t really want your work hidden from us because you’re shy.” Tony waved her off. “Where’s your work? You drew me right? Obviously I’m the most photogenic.” Tony walked away without waiting for her answer, already thriving in the attention he was receiving and leaving Y/N to stand there frozen in horror.

Tony you idiot...

I’m not shy...

Y/N felt nauseous. She felt sick. Bruce was going to, to see...

She squeezed her eyes shut, she couldn’t believe this was going to happen. She was so embarrassed. She, she needed to leave. Y/N quickly and quietly slipped out and away from the event. She couldn’t face him.

————————

Y/N sat on the balcony, bundled inside a thin blanket to protect her from the cool air of the night. She didn’t know how long she had been sitting there, watching the life of the city from above but she didn’t have any plans to return inside any time soon.

The glass door softly clicked open and Y/N set herself to stare forward, adamant on ignoring whoever pulled up the chair beside her.

“Y/N?”

Damn...

Of course it had to be Bruce. They had often sat out here together enjoying the peaceful scenery.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded slightly, acknowledging his presence.

“You know.” Bruce continued to talk despite her silence. “l had never really considered myself handsome before.” This caused Y/N to look at him. “I really liked your piece.”

Bruce smiled sincerely and Y/N blushed with a shy smile, her eyes down cast to the ground.

“Would you like to go out for dinner sometime?” Bruce asked, his voice was soft and seemed to warm her over the chill of the air.

“... I’d love too...”

Permanent Taglist: @insanityismysanity12345 @greenangrysnowflake @kitchensink-to-me @zadyalyss @becaamm @theweirdlunatic @itsjackothy @bluebird-burning-gold @surfin-the-sun @ncville @My-crazy-hectic-life @daft-not-punk @fangirlbitch02 @gabriels-trix @ivy-16-18

[tipsycad147]

Beauty Altar

You would like an altar to consistently work on your beauty goals, but you aren’t quite sure how to go about it. While I need to stress that there is NO set or correct way to set up an altar, here are some suggestions based on the two most popular magical traditions:

A traditional Pagan altar displays magical working tools, including an athame, boline, sword, wand, pentacle, chalice and censer.

A Hoodoo Altar displays candles, candle-holders, saucers, mirrors (for reversing spells), incense burners, altar-cloths, and whatever statues or iconic imagery representing your faith or magical goals. Hoodoo beauty work for physical enhancement are not common.

Personally, I enjoy a fusion between both styles of altars. Here is how I would set up and maintain a beauty altar:

Choose the position in your home that is north facing. Some people will cast spells of a positive, or drawing-in, nature on the right side of the altar; and spells of a negative, or moving-away, nature on the left side of the altar.

Use any surface for your altar. It need not be a purchased altar, however if you have the means, you may like one of our altars.

You should consecrate the table (and all the tools) is a way that aligns with your tradition. If you don’t have a tradition as yet, use incense to cleanse and clear negative energies from all objects.

The altar will be dressed to honour your deity (spirit) and the elements – Air, Fire, Earth, and Water. The goal, in general, is to have something on the altar that represents each element. The position of where these items sit in your altar depends on your tradition, if you are from the northern or southern hemisphere, and what you are doing on your altar at the time! But don’t feel like you have to “get it right” to use your altar. Set your beauty altar up in a way that makes YOU happy and connected energetically.

Here are my ideas and links to some products to get you started. Note, you may have some of these items around your home too! Just cleanse them for the purpose and so be it!

Altar cloth – use a white cloth or one that makes you smile and feel good. This altar is all about beauty, and you should feel great just looking at your altar space!

Spirit Element – Statue – Place a statue of your deity (or an image of your deity in a frame) at the back, in the centre. This will be the focus of your prayers and petitions.

Fire Element – Altar Candles- You will need candles and candle holders for lighting and fo spellcasting purposes. At minimum, place two candles in the back corners of your altar table.

Water Element – Chalice. Water of wine can be used as either an offering to your deity, or to refresh the spiritual work being done by working candles.

Air Element – Incense. Creating an environment pleasing to you and to welcome your deity to listen to your petitions and prayers is essential. You can choose incense sticks or cones for this purpose, and herbs and oils are discussed on this page. If you enjoy using a cauldron with a charcoal disc

Earth Element – an offering bowl for offering food, or other earth products. Sometimes, you can also have a fireproof burning bowl used for burning petitions, releasing the request to the spiritual world!

Additionally, condition oils, incenses, and powders can sit on the altar for quick access if you are spellcasting on this altar as well.

Goddess Altar Cloth

Three Pentagram Altar Cloth

Hathor Statue

Aphrodite

– Jar candles provide a safe altar candle for back lighting.

Figure candles can be used to present you in working beauty spells

Taper Candles

Pink 7-day Jar Candle

White 7-day Jar Candle

Blue 7-day Jar Candle

Pink Face To Face Lover

Pink Female Candle

Pink Taper Candle

Pink Chime Candle 20pk

Triple Goddess Chalice

Pentagram Chalice

Three Kings 40mm Charcoal (10 Tablets)

Pink Cast Iron Cauldron

Develop your practice

Friday is a great day to honour Beauty Deity and perform beauty spells. Schedule in your diary, a weekly 5 to 15 minutes to give praise, prayers, or offerings to the spirits of beauty. Of course, you are welcome to attend to your beauty altar daily.

If you had beauty goals, write your goals on petition paper and place under a candle, or in a mojo bag. You could also place the petition under a large lodestone, and dress the lodestone weekly with magnetic sand to attract beauty (perhaps beautiful conditions) to your life.

Bats Blood Writing Kit- contains petition paper, feather, & ink for petition writing

Natural Lodestone & Gold Magnetic Sand (lodestone Food) 1oz

Pink Cotton Bag

Herbs:

Avocado:

One of the most commonly known natural health and beauty products as both a skin-care product and as a food.

To obtain the benefits of this super-fruit, eat it, or spread it on your skin as a rejuvenating mask. Dry the skin for easy use in magickal spell work, including making your own incenses for beauty or love-related rituals or in ritual baths.

Avocados are frequently used as the base of skin-rejuvenating masks, but they can also be used to hydrate hair. If your concern about beauty is related to dry skin or hair, this would be an ideal herb to use, magickally and practically.

Powers: Love, Lust, Beauty

Magical Uses:

Magical wands made of avocado wood are potent all purpose instruments. Carry the pit to promote beauty.

.25oz Weight Loss Solid Perfume

Catnip

Powers: Cat Magic, Love, Beauty, Happiness

Magical Uses:

Catnip is used in spells designed to enhance beauty and happiness.

Catnip is also used in love sachets, usually in conjunction with rose petals. If you hold catnip in your hand until it is warm, then hold anyone else’s hand; they will forever be your friend, as long as you keep the catnip you used for the spell in some safe place.

Buy Catnip:

Catnip Cut 2oz (nepeta Cataria)

Catnip Cut 1oz (nepeta Cataria)

Jojoba Oil

Jojoba oil is derived from the seeds of the wild jojoba shrub, a small, woody desert plant native to Arizona, California, and northwestern Mexico. Historically, Native Americans used jojoba oil to help wounds heal. Jojoba oil contains unique fatty acids and fatty alcohol esters that are similar, but superior, to those found in sperm whales.

Unlike other essential oils, jojoba oil is not a volatile oil, but still offers plenty of benefits, primarily to the skin. With respect to wound healing, researchers found that jojoba oil accelerates the closure of wounds at a cellular level. To improve skin appearance and reduce acne, incorporate jojoba oil into your skincare routine. Evidence indicates that clay-jojoba oil facial masks might be an effective remedy for mild acne.

Other Effective Herbs & Oils for Beauty

Ginseng – The root is carried to attract love, as well as to guard one’s health, to draw money, and to ensure sexual potency Ginseng will also bring beauty to all who carry it.

Lemon – “My own Grandma rubbed a lemon on her face each night to keep her skin soft and white” – BWS. Add lemon juice or oils to anti-ageing based rituals and spells.

Maidenhair – Immerse some maidenhair in water, then remove. If worn on the person or kept in the bedroom after this process it will grant you grace, beauty, and love.

Evening Primrose (YELLOW EVENING) – Add a few drops of oil to a beauty ritual bath or decorate an altar, or use the dried flower or powdered form for other spellwork.

Strawberries contain salicylic acid, so you might choose to add some to a face mask or another body scrub. Along with that it contains ellagic acid for ultra-violet ray protection, and when consumed reduces blood pressure as well. For undereye puffiness, sit with thin slices of strawberry under your lids for 10-12 minutes.

Yerba santa is carried to improve or to attain beauty, and the infusion is added to baths for the same reason

Yerba Santa 2oz

Yerba Santa Sage Smudge With Shell

https://blackmagicwitch.com/magical-intention/magick-to-increase-beauty-and-attractiveness/

[choisgirls]

Hello!! RFAs reaction to MC who casts spells? Like lights candles and casts spells like a little witch. MC started because she found spells online and tried them out, but they actually seemed to work! Whether or not they really do is up to you haha

A/N: guys idk if youknow this but i’m actually really into witchcraft- like magick, crystals,spirituality, spells, sO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS and i just im soRRY IM SOEXCITED FOR THIS REQUEST but i toned it down a little to spare y'all ~Admin 404

*YOOSUNG:

           -He was the one to bring the idea upin the first place, actually!

           -“MC!!! I can’t rememberanything! I’ve studied this same page for the past hour or so and I can’tremember ANY of it. Uhg, why can’t there be any kind of magic to help me withthis? You know, kind of like Harry Potter? Or the magic spells in LOLOL!!”

           -Now you weren’t witch-savvy but youwere determined to find something that could help him!! Or at least make himfeel as if he’s being helped! He needed to pass this upcoming test and seeinghim suffer made you feel terrible!

           -So, thanks to the internet, youfound a sort of “Study star” spell for him! You explain it to him andhe is so!!! ready!!! to try!!

           -You light up an orange candle, ashe focuses on the light. You had him draw a seven point star, had him dab a smudgeof sage oil in the center of the star and on his forehead between his eyes. Youalso had him repeat the chant a few times.

           -You had him keep the paper in hishand the whole time he studied, and when he was done, he blew out the candle

           -Neither of you knew if it didanything but he did have to admit that he was excited to try it anyway!!

           -He came home the next day from histest extremely hyper, loud, and just all around excited puppy yoosung

           -“MC! MC! I PASSED! I PASSED ITWITH FLYING COLOURS! IT WORKED, THE SPELL-THINGY WORKED! OH MY GOD WE HAVE TODO IT EVERY SINGLE TIME”

           -He was yelling in excitement,jumping on the other half of the couch as you bounced up and down on the otherhalf due to him. You agreed to do it every time he need to study, so he couldget and keep his grades up!

*ZEN:

           -He was disappointed about notgetting the part he wanted in a play

           -And the moment he walked into yourguy’s home, you were practically hit in the face with his negative aura

           -“Oh no, nonono, step backoutside”

           -You pushed him out of the frontdoor and he stood there completely confused. Too confused to even ask what wasgoing on, or attempt to re-enter the home

           -He watched as you mixed salt andgarlic and sprinkled it along the doorsteps, the windowsills, any entry pointto the house

           -“MC what in the world are youdoing can I please come inside now?? What are your sprinklingeverywhere??”

           -You explained that you protectedthe house from negative influences, and that now he was able to enter the house

           -“I don’t want your negativeenergy up in here Zen, so I’m protecting our home. Now, come on inside and tellme what’s wrong, love”

           -HE DIDN’T KNOW YOU WERE INTO THISKIND OF STUFF???? MC can you give me more protection things? Self-care? BeauTYSPELLS????

           -You just sigh every time he asksbut you do secretly draw him an herbal protection bath at least once a monthand he just thinks you buy the MOST amazing bath salts because they smell andmake him feel a m a z i n g

*JAEHEE:

           -You’ve noticed her stress lately,it’s not like she hides it well

           -And you wanted to help!! But youjust COULDN’T think of a spell to help

           -You thought of maybe combining twoof them, but suddenly you had an idea!

           -You ran up to her with a bag fullof different colour yarn, and told her the meaning of each colour. She wasthrown off and wasn’t sure why you were telling her, but she played along

           -“You have to pick oneaccording to how you feel, as in what kind of problems you’re having! Did youpick one? Oh good! Okay, the next thing you need to do is hold it taut. Gotit?”

           -She followed your directionssilently. She knew you believed in things like spells and magic and she wantedto respect you although she didn’t believe in it herself. Besides, she knowsyou’re just trying to help, and she can’t complain about that!

           -“Okay now, concentrate on allof your problems you’re having. Really visualize them as you tie knots intoyarn. Yes, just like that! You’re tying up the problems and they can’t getaway!”

           -She held it out to you when she wasdone visualizing, “Alright now what? Do we do something about visualizingthe same problems and untie the knots, as if we’re letting go of- MC where areyou going?”

           -You snatched the yarn from herwhile she talked, holding it far out in front of you as if it was evil, and youran outside. She watched as you tried to quickly dig a hole in the dirt andthrow the yarn in it, figuratively burying her problems

           -She shook her head and couldn’thelp but smile. She didn’t feel any problems go away, but she did get happierknowing you wanted to help her bad enough that you’d run outside and try to diga hole with one hand

*JUMIN:

           -He came home one day to find yourubbing some sort of liquid across your wrist, heart, and forehead. And onlythose places. He was thoroughly confused. You weren’t new to spell casting buthe’s never SEEN you do it

           -It smelt like a mix of lemon juice,mint, basil, and a few more that he couldn’t place off the top of his head

           -He asked what you were doing andyou just smiled at him, shrugging before you answered

           -“I made a spell! I boiledbasil, bay leaves, coriander, lemon juice,-” He watched you list several thingsoff but just tilted his head to the side out of confusion

           -“You…casted… a spell? Likeas in magic? And witches?”

           -“Yeah! I casted itbecause…well.. I just wanted to strengthen our relationship and make sure ourlove is there and strong at all times…”

           -You looked down at your feet,pouting a little bit, hoping you didn’t freak him out, but he kissed yourforehead instead

           -“Oh, MC, you didn’t need aspell for that. The love I have for you is immense, there’s no need toworry”

           -Which wOW you couldn’t tell if thatwas just him being honest with you or if your spell DID work. You’d have to tryanother one to see if it worked.

           -“But um, MC? What can I usedto wash this mixture off because I really dislike the taste. I probably shouldhave kissed your cheek instead.”

*SAEYOUNG:

           -Can’t tell me nerd boy hasn’t triedto recreate spells from Harry Potter or the show Charmed

           - i also believe that he’s trieda few protection spells for saeran growing up

           -But lately you’ve noticed he’s hada string of nightmares and you felt terrible! Watching him wake up completelyfreaked out broke your heart

           -You weren’t sure how to reallybring up the idea of performing a spell, so you just blurted it out

           -He just nodded and smiled towardsyou before saying, “Yeah I was thinking the same thing. Last time they gotreally bad I tired one and it seemed to help. Maybe with you doing it with me,it’ll work even better!!!!”

           - im sorry last time you whAT

           -You threw your shock out of thewindow when he pulled out the items you needed- salt, rosemary, rose petals,glass bowl, valerian, and polish moonstone

           -WheRE DID HE HAVE THESE THINGS ANDWHY DIDN’T YOU KNOW ABOUT IT

           -Helped him find a place by the bedto put the bowl where he wouldn’t accidently knock it over

           -Overall you had no real part inthis?? He did it all himself??? You weren’t NEW to witchcraft or anythingbut??? You’re just disappointed that you had nO IDEA HE WAS INTO IT

*V:

           -He travels often for hisphotography

           -But this most recent trip, therewas a little hiccup and made the trip a little dangerous

           -And you DID. NOT. LIKE. IT.

           -So you were determined to make surehe was safe every time he left the house

           -You were new to the whole magickaspect, and decided to find something on the internet and see if it would helpat all

           -(Or at least help ease your mindabout him leaving)

           -You decided to make a “SafeTravel” charm for him!!!

           -Crying a little on the inside asyou tore a bit of your red flannel shirt (MC it’s not like it fits anymore,it’ll be okay), placed some dirt, large pieces of rock salt, and one of yourfavourite silver rings into it. The moment you were done sewing it into alittle bag, you rushed to give it to him

           -He was surprised at the gift, buthis heart immediately MELTED when you told him what it was, what it’s made of,and why you made it. HONESTLY DIDN’T WANT TO LEAVE ON TRIPS AFTER THAT, howcould he worry his MC that much??

           -He swore to be 500% careful when heleft the house, and NEVER do anything to make you worry. Neither of you knew ifthe charm actually worked the way it was supposed to, but it did remind himthat he needed to take your feelings into account when he takes trips

*SAERAN:

           -He’s seen you participate in spellsand rituals before

           -He’s even read up about the magick!Mainly because he was interested in the black magick aspect before meeting you

           -Now that he’s met you, and youparticipate in the white magick, he figures what could it hurt.

           -He’s been pretty down lately, andyou felt horrible about it! The both of you knew nothing really caused it, but youstill wanted to try to help

           -He was walking into the room to askyou a question about this new movie he saw, but noticed you were sitting at thealtar you set up

           -You were sitting in front of 3yellow candles, he could smell cedar, and he watched you sprinkle some herbsaround the candles

           -He kept hearing you mutter to yourself,and he decided not to disturb you. But once you were done, he definitelyquestioned just what you were doing

           -“You were testing a happinessspell? What for? Are you not happy, MC? Is everything alright?” Heactually got REALLY worried like oh nO MY MC IS SAD???

           -“No, no! I wanted to see if itworked because… I mean, if it does work I was gonna suggest you try it.You’ve been down lately and I just want to help but I guess I should have justasked if you wanted help and I’m sor-”

           -He cut you off before you couldapologize by hugging you. He muttered a thank you before he kissed the side ofyour head. He agreed to try the spell with you, as well! that was easy,thought i’d have to fight more

[phynxrizng]

TEN MAGICKAL HERBS TO HAVE ON HAND

Humanities › Religion & Spirituality

Ten Magical Herbs to Have on Hand

Source, THOUGHT CO.com by Patti Wigington Updated April 30, 2016

If you're a practitioner of a modern magical tradition, chances are good that you're in the habit of using herbs. Here's a list of ten herbs that everyone should have on hand for magical purposes. Think of it as a basic witch's arsenal of helpful herbs - keep these in your cabinet or magical supply cabinet, just in case the need arises.

01 of 10 Apple Blossom For the ancients, the apple was considered a symbol of immortality. Interestingly, it's also seen as a food for the dead, which is why Samhain is sometimes referred to as the Feast of Apples. In Celtic myth, an apple branch bearing grown fruit, flowers, and unopened bud was a magical key to the land of the Underworld. The apple is often found as a component in love magic, and the blossoms may be added to incenses and brews. Learn more about Apple Blossoms.

02 of 10 Basil

Basil is known far and wide as a culinary herb, but it also contains some interesting magical properties. In Mediterranean countries, it is strewn on floors to purify a home. It also can bring luck to people moving into a new residence - a gift of a potted basil plant guarantees good fortune. Magically, basil can be used in love magic and in love divination. Basil can also be used to guarantee fidelity -- or detect the lack of it. Learn more about Basil.

03 of 10 Chamomile

Chamomile is known as an herb of purification and protection, and can be used in incenses for sleep and meditation. Sprinkle it around your home to ward against psychic or magical attack. If you're a gambler, wash your hands in chamomile tea to ensure good luck at the gaming tables. In a number of folk magic traditions, particularly those of the American south, chamomile is known as a lucky flower -- make a garland to wear around your hair to attract a lover, or carry some in your pocket for general good fortune. Learn more about Chamomile.

04 of 10

Lavender

Lavender is associated with dreams, tranquility, and a sense of calm. Image by Brian Lawrence/Photodisc/Getty Images The use of Lavender has been documented for thousands of years. Magically speaking, lavender is often associated with love spells, as well as for workings to bring calmness and peace. To bring love your way, carry lavender flowers in a sachet on your person, or hang stalks of it in your home. To get a good night's sleep, with calming dreams, stuff a pillow with sprigs of lavender. It can also be used in a purifying bath or smudging ritual. Learn more about Lavender. 05 of 10

Mugwort

Use magical mugwort in spells related to healing, divination and dreaming. Mugwort is an herb that is found fairly regularly in many modern Pagan magical practices. From its use as an incense, for smudging, or in spellwork, mugwort is a highly versatile - and easy to grow - herb. In some magical traditions, mugwort is associated with divination and dreaming. To bring about prophecy and divinatory success, make an incense of mugwort to burn at your workspace, or use it in smudge sticks around the area in which you are performing divination rituals. Learn more about Mugwort. Note: Mugwort can be harmful to pregnant women. 06 of 10

Patchouli

Patchouli is found in many different incense blends, and both the leaves, stems, and essential oils may be used.

Patchouli is a popular herb found in many modern Pagan rituals. Its exotic scent brings to mind far-off, magical places, and it’s often used in incense blends, potpourri, and ritual workings. Associated with love, wealth, and sexual power, patchouli can be used in a variety of magical workings.

Place patchouli leaves in a sachet, and carry it in your pocket or wear around your neck. In some traditions of hoodoo and folk magic, a dollar sign is inscribed on a piece of paper using patchouli oil. The paper is then carried in your wallet, and this should draw money your way. There are some traditions of modern magic in which patchouli is valued for its repelling power. Learn more about Patchouli. 07 of 10

Pennyroyal

Pennyroyal is well known as a magical herb. In some traditions it's associated with money, while in others Pennyroyal is connected to strength and protection. In Hoodoo and some forms of American folk magic, Pennyroyal is carried to ward off the "evil eye." For some protection magic, make a sachet stuffed with Pennyroyal and tuck it in your purse. In a few traditions, Pennyroyal is associated with money magic. If you own a business, place a sprig over the door to draw in customers and prosperity. Try making a bar of Money Soap to wash your hands with, or use Pennyroyal to brew up some Prosperity Oil. Learn more about Pennyroyal. Note: Pennyroyal can be harmful to pregnant women. 08 of 10

Rosemary

Rosemary was well known to ancient practitioners. It was an herb known for strengthening the memory and helping the brain, and was often cultivated in kitchen gardens. Roman priests used rosemary as incense in religious ceremonies, and many cultures considered it a herb to use as protection from evil spirits and witches. In England, it was burned in the homes of those who had died from illness, and placed on coffins before the grave was filled with dirt. For magical use, burn rosemary to rid a home of negative energy, or as an incense while you meditate. Hang bundles on your front door to keep harmful people, like burglars, from entering. Learn more about Rosemary

09 of 10

Sage

Sage has long been burned to purify and cleanse a space. The ancients burned dried sprigs of sage in temples and during religious rituals. The Greeks and Romans wrote that the smoke imparted wisdom and mental acuity. In magic, carry sage leaves in your wallet or purse to promote financial gain. Burn leaves to increase wisdom or gain guidance from your spirit guide (be warned - burning sage does smell similar to marijuana, so keep that in mind if you think the neighbors might be inquisitive). Make a wish and write it on a sage leaf, and then hide it beneath your pillow -- if you dream about your wish over the next three nights, your wish will come true. Learn more about Sage. 10 of 10

Yarrow

Yarrow was often called Woundwort or Knight's Milfoil, thanks to its use in treatment of battle injuries. Scotland's Highlanders use it to make a healing ointment, and in the Orkney Islands, yarrow is used to make a tea that "dispels melancholia." Yarrow can be used in magical workings related to healing, love, and courage. Wear it on your person to boost your self-esteem and courage, or carry a bunch of dried yarrow in your hand to stop fear. A sprig hanging over the marriage bed guarantees at least seven years of passion and love. Taking a ritual bath with yarrow can help increase your psychic abilities. It can also be used to exorcise negative energies from a place or person. Learn more about Yarrow.

Reposted by, PHYNXRIZNG

[longislandweekly-blog]

Create works of art on the XP-Pen Artist 12.

What was once considered out-of-reach, advanced technology for digital artists—from hobbyists to professionals—has become more and more accessible in recent years. The XP-Pen Artist 12 is a top-of-the-line drawing tablet for a fraction of the cost of others on the market, featuring a pressure sensitivity in the pen seen only at much higher price points. With the introduction of the Artist 12, more people than ever can become digital artists.

Unboxing the tablet was a gift in itself. XP-Pen takes care to package up the tablet, wires, accessories and user guide for maximum safety in shipping and with aesthetics in mind.

The first step is to use the USB to connect to your computer and plug the tablet into a power source if your computer alone is not sufficient. I was especially grateful that an HDMI to Mac adapter was included and I didn’t have to purchase one separately. In an increasingly wireless world, the assortment of wires at first glance seemed confusing, but once I plugged everything in, it was quite straightforward and became second nature. Installing the drivers was a breeze.

You have complete control over the thickness of your lines because the stylus has 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity.

Having utilized other tablets with no screen, the experience of using the Artist 12 to sketch, design and, my favorite, edit photos in Photoshop is a game-changer for me. The stylus becomes the mouse and editing tool. Plus, being able to look at the screen while I draw creates a vastly more realistic experience.

The battery-free P06 passive stylus comes with a sleek holder and a generous number (eight) of replacement nibs. I appreciate when a company anticipates the consumer’s needs and doesn’t make shelling out for replacement pieces an unspoken additional cost. The holder protects the sensitive nib when on the go. I found it useful and a fun discovery to turn the cap over and use it as a stylus stand on my desk.

  The stylus is ergonomically designed with a hexagonal shape. It fits your hand with the comfort of your favorite pencil. A button on the side acts as a right mouse click.

8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity in the pen allows for fine detail work and smooth lines. I can’t even contemplate how having that many levels is possible, technologically speaking. All I know is that I am impressed and sketching with the stylus on the screen feels completely natural, like using a real pencil. It mirrors the mechanics of a real pencil on a real piece of paper—the matte screen helps with that. It’s amazing how quickly I adapted to it. I instinctively flipped the stylus around in my hand to erase and the other end works just like you’d expect an eraser to. 

The tablet is compatible with any software on your Mac or Windows computer, including popular programs Adobe Illustrator, Paint Tool SAI, CorelDraw, Autodesk and ZBrush, but my preference is Adobe Photoshop. It syncs up perfectly and I can use all of the same tools I’m used to with more control than ever.

The screen has a compact 11.6-inch display area, with 1920×1080 HD resolution, 72 percent NTSC Color Gamut and 178° viewing angle, which presents vibrant imagery of your work. Shortcut buttons beside the screen can be programmed to access your most-used tools. The touch bar can be programmed to zoom in and out of the canvas, scroll up and down, adjust brightness and more. It’s all about efficiency and having these shortcuts programmed saves time. 

Picture this under the Christmas tree of your favorite digital artist.

The tablet comes packaged neatly with the accessories.

The XP-Pen Artist 12 can mirror your computer screen or act as a second screen.

The drawing glove is a nice addition to the package

The stylus is enjoyable to use and feels like holding a pencil.

All of these features work simply and intuitively. That really says it all about the excellent design. Intuitiveness is one of the most important aspects I look for in a tablet or any piece of technology. Some functions can be learned, but when everything just works right out of the box, that’s when you know you’ve got a well-designed device.

My favorite part of whole package might be the drawing glove. The purpose is to keep the natural oils in your fingers from smudging the glass, but, well, it makes you feel super cool in the process.

The Artist 12 is ideal for drawing, photography, animation, fashion, architecture design, 3D sculpting and whatever your imagination wants to create. I’d also recommended for kids to foster innate creativity and a love of drawing and design. It’s not a wireless device. If you’re looking for wireless, expect to pay much more.

Specs:

– Dimension: 14.34 x 8.62 in (364.11 x 218.87 mm) – Display area: 10 x 5.67 in (256 x 144 mm) – Resolution: 5080 LPI – Pixel pitch: 0.1335(H) x 0.1335(V) RGB – Color displays: 16.7 million colors – Contrast ratio: 700:1 – Response time: 14 ms – Current consumption: <70mA – Power consumption: 0.35W – Technology: Electromagnetic – Report rate: Max 266 RPS – Accuracy: ±0.5 mm (middle area) and ±2 mm (distance from the edge within 5 mm) – Reading height: 7-12 mm – Supply voltage: DC 5V – USB cable length: 59 in (150 cm) – Certification: CE / FCC / RoHs / BIS / PSE / RCM – Package contents: P06 passive pen, pen holder, USB cable, HDMI to Mac adapter cable, USB extension cable, 8 replacement nibs, cleaning cloth, drawing glove, quick guide, 4 USB power adapters (types A, C, G, and I)

Bottom line: The XP-Pen Artist 12 is an excellent value for the price. Though thin in profile and compact in size, portability could be improved, but every other aspect of the Artist 12 facilitates a fantastic drawing experience.

Learn more about the XP-Pen Artist 12 and purchase it at www.xp-pen.com or Amazon

Become a master digital artist with the XP-Pen Artist 12. The affordable tablet features a screen, a highly sensitive battery-free stylus and compatibility with your favorite software and makes a wonderful gift for the artist in your holiday list. What was once considered out-of-reach, advanced technology for digital artists—from hobbyists to professionals—has become more and more accessible in recent years.