#linear contour

[syneilesis]

[fic] if only for a moment

if only for a moment

Love and Deepspace | Rafayel (Qi Yu) x Main-Character!Reader | T | 3.6k words | ao3 link (with correct formatting)

Rafayel waits. And waits. And waits.

A/N: Another LaD fic!! This time it's Rafayel. Several elements of this fic are inspired by and loosely based on his story anecdotes and bond story, plus that Deep Sea card line backdrop. So more spoilers in this one, I'm afraid. I think you need to be aware of them in order to follow the flow of the fic. But if not, here's what you need to know: basically Rafayel accepts a visiting professorship at the University of Linkon to reunite with the MC/you. And the prose poetry interspersed are loosely situated in the Deep Sea card lineup setting (you can search in YouTube for the scenes. This one is a brief glimpse of the scene). That princess/knight(??) dynamic is yum yum.

If possible, please read the version on AO3. I formatted the prose poems there as if they're really prose poetry, so I'd appreciate it if you check that out. (Though there isn't too much difference between the formatting here and there, I did make the effort of coding a little 🥺)

Anyhoo, hope you enjoy, and I am sO STOKED FOR THE OFFICIAL RELEASE. rip my wallet 💸😭

JUST LOOK AT THIS MAN AND BELIEVE

There’s a type of berry in a distant land that produces a rare shade of ink that matches the color of your eyes. It takes a hundred of them to create the right hue and volume for the art that he wants to make. It comes to him in a dream: endless desert, then fireworks of verdant sparks that coalesce into stem, leaf, and, finally, fruit. Rafayel remembers that land, so much different from the iridescent blue of ocean underwater, and the acrid gold of the barren desert. His mouth filled with the succulent sweetness of the dream, the lingering sandpaper roughness of the berries on his fingers. He already knows the name of the artwork even before he’s begun—Waiting, Missing. The ache in his bones gaining form, an intangible thing taking flesh.

+

Under the ocean surface, time is muted, a deafening thickness that surrounds you with its ambiguity. On land, however, it is linear, and fast, and in a matter of blinks, Rafayel’s visiting professorship nearly wraps up.

He’s only glimpsed you once or twice. Thrice at most. The university is big, but not big enough to warrant a dearth of fateful encounters. The first time he saw you it was at a coffee shop: walking along with your friends outside, your voice mellifluous and festive wafting through the trellis of the café entrance. You were talking about him—well, about Lemuria to be specific, but these days any talk of Lemuria inevitably draws in his name.

He’s committed your schedule to memory, and yet it just seems impossible to capture a moment with you. Even just a brush of shoulders, or of sleeves—an asymptote of contact. Just navigating around your orbit, but never truly meeting.

What would it be like—finally talking to you? You in front of him, face to face? Rafayel imagines the ache of waiting fading into the background until it’s completely gone. He yearns for that feeling, the release of it. A conclusion—or maybe even a beginning.

+

i. take my hand, he told you under the glow of the lustrous moon, the only source of light that contoured the secretive valleys of his face. i want to show your highness something. there was a country, he said, beyond the undulating monochrome of the desert, blanketed by lush trees and shrubberies and flowers that buildings were made in betwixt and around them—a nation of trailing and winding architecture, a marriage of the natural and the manmade. you wanted to ask why he’d planned on taking you there, and the only answer you got was a curt turn of his head and the profile of a masked man layered by shadows and distance. it would have been nice, you thought, if the moon poured light upon his hooded gaze.

+

Eventually he begins to frequent the café. Twice a week at first—he doesn’t want to come off strong right away, of course—and then making his way up until he’s hanging out there more than his own studio. He schedules his visits around your classes, always during the ones when the probability of you dropping by the café is high and he can ‘coincidentally’ be around the same area. It’s gotten to a point that Thomas calls him out on it, and nags at him to focus more on his painting. The next exhibit is immediately after his visiting professorship after all.

“From where I’m standing,” Thomas says, “you’re not painting at all.”

Rafayel ignores him.

Five minutes later, he says, “Not painting is part of the painting process.”

Thomas rolls his eyes, but he leaves him to it.

At the café, Rafayel attracts curious looks. A few attempt to approach him, but he pretends not to see them. They linger around the periphery, like moths to flame.

And then something happens: the entrance door chimes, and you swan into the coffee shop, earphones and denim overall skirt, the kind of rosy-cheeked image Rafayel finds on teen magazines, wide-eyed and earnest. You fall in line and order when it’s your turn, and your eyes sweep across the packed café searching for a vacant seat until they finally land on him.

Rafayel’s heart stumbles.

Up close, the baby fat on your cheeks still gives you the appearance of being younger than you actually look. You turn a polite smile his way, and his heart stutters again—but this time it is taken as a warning.

“Hi,” you say, tentative. Any hint of recognition absent. “Do you mind if I sit here?”

+

ii. you're counting the steps of your inevitable parting. you're at the edge of the desert, far away from your home and its familiar scents, oriented towards a direction that promised a future sad memory, the gentle warmth of his hand, the downward denial of his gaze. this longing that grew out of your bones, aching during cold, aching during heat, aching when he looked at you with such tenderness he had to hide it through the sharp tug of your joined hands, the long strides that opened up a lonely distance. intimacy was dangerous, knowing was dangerous, the bowels of his heart like a solitary flower on a high peak. what would you do to such loneliness?

+

Memory isn't always an infallible thing. The human brain cannot hang on to every moment of your life, though Rafayel wishes it were so. But still—to think that you would forget him, and it hasn’t even been a century. You were like a phantom thief stealing his heart in the night—no recourse, no resolution.

To wait is to be in agony, the burn of yearning locked within the heart. Rafayel has been waiting for a long time, and the only memory scorched in his heart is fire, the blaze and its blinding, all-consuming want.

What would you do to such want?

+

You have a blurry childhood, Rafayel discovers. After the first Wanderer descended on Earth, the incident strummed your memories like a stringed instrument that tired of the same chord, over and over. It had bothered you at first—not being in control of your own memories—but eventually you had learned to live with it.

“Grandma and Caleb—my childhood friend—helped me through the process,” you tell him, stirring your iced mocha with its straw. “I owe them a lot.”

Eyes cast down, but still the melancholy shadows remain in your expression. Rafayel folds his arms on the table, and leans closer.

Around them only a few people occupy the coffee shop at this time. How fortunate for Rafayel to catch you during your break while every other student is trapped in class lectures.

“There’s no use in dwelling upon what's already happened. Even sharks have to give up when their prey escapes. When you remember, it will be all the more joyous, no?”

The smile you give him is crooked, disbelieving.

“If I remember.”

“You’ll remember.” Because there’s no other choice, for you and for him. Rafayel cannot bear being shelved in the history of your smile and happiness. Waiting can only be endurable if there’s an endpoint.

+

In his studio, Rafayel begins his next painting.

+

iii. the berries tasted sweet, with an edge of sourness that clung to the bottom of the tongue. it had the exact shade of your eyes, a detail that rafayel brought up the moment he plucked it from the shrub. raising it to align with your eyes, comparing them with his artist's meticulous gaze. maybe when this is all over, i'll go back here again to extract ink from these berries, and paint a portrait of your highness using these to color your eyes. he never showed you any of his paintings, merely mentioned them in passing, and you constructed a dream of him from the throwaway words that left his covered lips. i'm not used to sitting for so long, you reminded him, and he glanced at you, then at the berry between his fingers. my memory is enough, then handed you the fruit.

+

In the few weeks of meeting with you Rafayel forgets that his visiting professorship is ending soon and he has to give out his last lecture. Thomas had asked him what his topic would be. At that point Rafayel had no answer. But now he has.

“I’ve been hearing you talk about Lemuria every now and then with your friends.” He props his cheek on his hand, tilting his head slightly and giving you a charming smile. “Interested?”

You blink. “How did you know?”

“Oh, I’ve seen you a couple of times here, and I happened to hear your friends chat about my lecture. Your points were almost accurate, I’m in awe.”

“The visiting professor—that’s you?!”

Rafayel pauses, the slosh of his drink nearly spilling on his frozen hand.

“You didn’t know?”

Sheepish, you say, “Honestly, I didn’t make the connection. Is that why plenty of people have been glaring at me as of late?”

He releases a frustrated sigh, eyes rolling heavenward.

“In any case, my final lecture is on Friday next week. It’s titled “Memory and Meaning in Lemurian Art”. Why don’t you drop by and listen, and you can tell me what you think afterwards.”

You retrieve your bullet journal to check your schedule. It’s colorful, filled with stickers and doodles that Rafayel finds endearing. Then the excited moue on your face drops into a frown, and Rafayel can foresee the next words that will come out of your downturned lips.

“I’m sorry,” you say guiltily, “but I have a major test that day, and I need to get a high score in order to pass the course.”

Rafayel exhales, long and weary, but ultimately shrugs off the apology. “What a shame, but I forgive you. Just don’t fail your exam or else my magnanimity would be all for nothing.”

+

He calls Thomas that night.

“I’ll disappear for a while once the professorship is over.”

“Hey, wait, what do you me—”

“You’ll be happy to know that this is for my next painting.”

A beat. “Okay … but for how long?”

“That’s the question, isn’t it?”

Then he hangs up.

+

He’s trying, he really does. The lecture ends to a resounding applause, and it’s mechanical how he answers the questions posed by the audience. But he’s trying, he’s trying. There’s no specter of you in the sea of faces in the auditorium. You’re at the other end of the university compound, sweating your way through your exam. He genuinely hopes you’d pass, for your sake.

Thomas had booked his flight to another country, where he’ll traverse to a land that he’d visited many times in his dreams and had woken up with a filmy, sweet-sour tang at the roof of his mouth. He’ll leave the morning after the closing dinner party the faculty has prepared for him. There isn’t time to pack much, and no time to tell you goodbye.

Rafayel guesses that it’s only fair: how would you feel waiting for him at that café, the chair across you empty, only the sunlight pooling from the window as your companion?

+

iv. parting, somebody once said, is such a sweet sorrow. much like those berries in that ever-green nation, a lingering sourness remained underneath, the sting of it reminding you every now and then. he was already mourned for even before he left. tell me what it's like—the ocean. he was elusive, untouchable in his grief. you'd heard through whispers, the story of his migration, the drowning before the drying, the unwanted journey. grief brought him to you and grief would steal him away from you, you knew, down to the cells of your body and the hopelessness in your blood. —and yet. and yet you wanted to have a taste of it, anyway.

+

The ever-green land is no longer green, or lush, or alive. Time corroded it into memory, sepia-faded, wizened. Past. The berries he’s searching for don’t grow here anymore. Everything here is empty, barren, helplessly so.

Rafayel hasn’t accounted for such development, but he should have known. Disappointment stings at his chest, and bitterly he turns away and stays at the next town over. At a family-run restaurant situated near the outskirts, he looks over the wide windows, across the highway road, beyond the jagged horizon. The painting won’t be finished, then. Another tragedy, pressed flat next to the forgetting, to the waiting, and his home.

The chef personally serves him his order and, after a shuffle of hesitation, brings up a question.

“Young man, you came from the direction of the old country, yeah?”

Rafayel meets his inquisitive gaze. “Yes, why?”

“It’s been a while since we had someone visiting that place. There’s nothing in there anymore, it’s been that way for years. Why did you go there?”

Rafayel is reluctant to say, but at the guileless set of the older man’s face, he concedes.

“I was looking for berries. The ones native there. They produce a shade that I need for my painting.”

At the mention of the fruit, the chef’s expression lights up. “Oh! I see, I see. You’re in luck, son. We grow them here at the farm. Plenty of those for everyone. How about I give you some? It’s rare meeting someone who still remembers the old country, it’s almost fate. How many did you say you need?”

Fate. Just like the time of your first meeting, as if the universe had gifted you to him. Just like the time of your parting, of your forgetting, of his waiting. Fate as a connection from you to him, red and burning brightly.

He doesn’t want to seem eager, but he knows he’s failed from the way the chef toothily grins at him.

“A hundred or so.”

The chef falters at that, jerking slightly back. But he accepts it with a nod, an avuncular smile making its way across his kind, powdery features.

“That sure is a huge number, but I think we can work something out.”

+

His painting takes a month to complete, inclusive of the time spent making the ink from the acquired berries. Sometimes, Thomas watches him paint, quiet in the background. His stays usually don’t last—a quick flash that Rafayel nearly misses, or deliberately ignores. But during the final stages of the painting process, Thomas hands him the exhibit details.

“I’m just thankful you’re on time for this one.” He sighs, relieved, then leaves.

Alone, Rafayel creates. Brushstroke after careful brushstroke, each varying by pressure and angle. He lets each layer of paint dry before moving onto the next. The berry ink—the color of your eyes—the solely different element of this painting. Center, central. The focal point. The beating heart. The years and years of waiting and longing. The form and the flesh. Alive.

This, too, is an endpoint.

+

v. can i see your face, just this once? your hands grazed his mask like a ghost wanting to touch. rafayel stayed still beneath your desirous fingers, observing, waiting, his own fingers twitching towards his dagger. even in the parting he could not let go of this distance. hopeless, hopeless. your highness would get nothing out of seeing my face. he's wrong, his eyes never left your face, and he's wrong. he didn't stop you from your grasping of his mask, and him—finally—bare and beautiful yet a little sad. you're wrong, you said, tracing his slightly parted lips with a trembling finger, you're wrong. it is everything to me.

+

The gallery is packed. No surprise there. It’s almost boring, in a way. Waiting, Missing hangs at the farthest hall in the floor, special and intimate as it should be. Thomas knows him well; otherwise, Rafayel would have whined at him to hell and back just so he could be granted this demand that is in reality a mandate.

He’s hiding from the throngs of journalists and art critics alike and sequesters himself in a corner that has a clear view of the painting. Loosening his collar and tie, Rafayel breathes and closes his eyes, leans tiredly against the wall. A few more minutes, and he’ll slink out of the building, reputation be damned.

He melts into the shadows whenever somebody passes by. He has neither time nor energy interacting with people today. Watching them through half-mast eyes, Rafayel stays in his secret place and studies with weightless detachment the people looking at the painting.

He’s made a bet with himself about the opinions of his followers and admirers. Who thinks what and why. It makes for great entertainment. The last time, a fresh-faced critic praised Rafayel’s technique as “innovative and a soul-rending reflection of the prodigy’s character.” He had laughed and laughed for hours until he couldn’t breathe any longer.

Another walks by, and before Rafayel retreats further into the corner, he glimpses a familiar gait and a familiar face.

His heartbeat races. He’s never told you that he’s holding an exhibit today. After the professorship Rafayel failed to maintain communication with you, convincing himself that it’s for the best that he protect you from afar that day onwards. It didn’t help that he had to leave as well. At the same time, you never made an effort of reaching out, and Rafayel thought that it was back to square one again, that waiting, that yearning.

But here you are right now, elegantly dressed, like someone gliding out of a dream. Rafayel swallows, his hands shake. You do not have someone else with you, and your eyes are brightly focused on Waiting, Missing, and for a fleeting moment your expression flickers into longing, strange and old and battered and sad, that it compels Rafayel to take a step forward—to you.

“Hey.”

The curious look vanishes; left no traces in your delighted face, as if it wasn’t there in the first place. “Rafayel!” you exclaim. “Long time no see! Congratulations on the exhibit; these are all beautiful.”

Outwardly he smirks, belying the torrential emotions he’s currently going through. He cants his head a little, works his charm on you. “Impressed? No need to hold back your compliments.”

Laughter, prismatic and crystalline. “Yes, yes. Especially this one—Waiting, Missing. What an interesting title. At the center, what paint did you use?”

Ah. Rafayel inhales before answering. “It’s actually ink. I had to make it from a hundred berries. It was a tedious process, but I wouldn’t use anything else. It has to be this, you see.”

“Whoa, no wonder you’d been radio silent all this time. You were creating this masterpiece.”

He hums, afraid that, if he speaks, he’d reveal too much.

“Well …” You throw a playful glance at him. “Shouldn’t we celebrate your success?”

His breath catches. “I—”

Before he manages to finish the sentence, a journalist calls out to him and that summons plenty more, swarming him with no chance of escape. It pushes you out of his peripheral vision, and Rafayel wants to shout your name, but you smile and gesture at him to entertain them first. You mouth, I’ll be back, and wander around other paintings some more.

When he finally succeeds in shaking the journalists off, he seeks you out and stumbles upon you near the exit, where there’s fewer people to pile on him.

“Excellent,” he says, sidling up beside you. You turn to him and smile, and there’s that lightning-flash of something again. For one unbelievably surreal instant, Rafayel thinks that despite your hazy memories, maybe you’d been waiting for him all this time, too.

And that thought emboldens him, moving closer and closer until your bodies almost touch. An asymptote of contact. But this time, he has mustered the courage to close that unbridgeable gap.

Rafayel offers you his hand. “Let’s get out of here?”

You stare at his hand then at his face, his eyes, and a meaningful moment stretches between you and him. But even before the idea of retracting enters his mind, you grab his hand joyfully, grinning ear to ear. His heart warms, full with everything.

You squeeze his hand, ready to go. “Lead the way, then!”

+

vi. a kiss is a greeting and a goodbye, and rafayel tasted of ferocious tides even if you'd seen them only in dreams. his eyes closed, as though savoring his last moments with you, guarded till the bitter end. would that i could ask you to stay—with me. but he shook his head—a final rejection. maybe in another life. there was nobody to watch you cry, in the after.

+

Rafayel is working on a new painting—a portrait this time. The model squirms on his couch, obvious about the discomfort of posing for too long. He huffs a laugh to himself, hidden by the canvas strategically placed between them.

“I heard that,” you grumble.

“Shush, you’re breaking my concentration.”

“If that already breaks your focus then I pity the rest of the art community.” A beat, then: “Is it done?”

“Patience, my dear muse. You need endure it a little more.”

“Hmph, fine. But after this you’re treating me to an all-you-can-eat buffet.”

“All right, all right.” He shakes his head, fond. “My muse, so demanding.”

Something sweet touches the edge of his tongue, succulent with a hint of tartness. Like longing. Except now, it’s layered with something new and exciting. Something like a new beginning.

In the far distance, the sea murmurs, lit fire by the setting sun.

[wheelie-sick]

Things to research before getting your first custom manual wheelchair

one of the biggest things I can recommend to anyone getting a new custom chair (but especially a first custom chair) is to understand all of the parts of a wheelchair and what they do. I decided to make a guide with wheelchair parts to research and places to look for information to make this process a little bit easier. additional link suggestions are welcome.

General resources:

Permobil - The Wheelchair Handbook

Motion Composites - Preparing for Your Wheelchair Evaluation: Before the Evaluation (Part 1)

Motion Composites - Preparing for Your Wheelchair Evaluation (Part 2)

1. Frame

Motion Composites - Folding vs Rigid Wheelchair Frames: How to Choose

Permobil - Manual wheelchairs: rigid and folding frames. How do you choose?

GTK - Oh what’s in a frame? Comparing Multiple Materials

Motion Composites - Wheelchairs: Carbon Fiber Versus Aluminum

2. Front frame angle

Motion Composites - Understanding the Impact of Rigid Wheelchair Front Frame Angle

Sunrise Medical - Rigid Frame Wheelchairs – Frame Angle and Inset

4. Seat dump

Permobil - Ergonomic Seating and Manual Wheelchairs

Spinlife - Wheelchair Back & Seat Angle

5. Caster size, style, and position

Motion Composites - Front Casters for Manual Wheelchairs Practical Guide

Sunrise Medical - Front Caster Position in Manual Wheelchairs

6. Caster forks

New Mobility - Caster Wheels and Forks

Sunrise Medical - Maneuverability in Manual Wheelchairs - What Fork to use?

New Mobility - Innovations: Emerging Trends in the Wheelchair Market (information about single sided forks)

7. Footplate

Motion Composites - Footrest Options to Support Function and Mobility

When Tania Talks - Active User Wheelchair Footplate Options

8. Calf strap

Spex Seating - Lower Leg Support Considerations in Wheelchair Seating

9. Seat pan

Permobil - Solid Seat Insert for Wheelchair: Taking a Closer Look at Cushion Components

10. Seat cushion

Permobil - What to Look for in Seating & Positioning Products

Permobil - How to Choose a Cushion in Long Term Care

Permobil - Cushion Geometry: Linear and Contoured

Freedom Mobility Center - Wheelchair Seat Cushions: 5 Tips for Choosing the Right One for You

Mobility Basics - Seat Cushion Rigidizer

Motion Composites - Selecting the Right Cushion for Your Wheelchair a Clinicians Guide

Motion Composites - Covering the Basics of Wheelchair and Back Support Covers

11. Seat belts

12. Clothing guards

Sherman Oaks Medical Equipment - Wheelchair Clothes Guards / Side Guards Guide

13. Arm rests

United Spinal Association - Wheelchair Armrests What Do They Really Do?

Spinlife - Wheelchair Arm Rest Choices

Motion Composites - Armrests: Getting the Support you Need

14. Back supports

Motion Composites - Solid vs Upholstery Backs

Mobility Management - How to Choose the Right Back Height for your Client

Freedom Mobility Center - Why a Solid Back is Preferred Over a Sling Back

Mobility Basics - Back Supports

Sunrise Medical - Tips for Selecting Prefabricated Wheelchair Backs

Motion Composites - Covering the Basics of Wheelchair and Back Support Covers

15. Head supports

16. Push handles

Motion Composites - Push Handles: Pushing Around

17. Wheels

Motion Composites - Rolling Along: The Importance of Rear Wheel Selection

Sunrise Medical - Comparing Wheelchair Wheel Spoke Options

Mobility Basics - Manual Wheelchair Wheels

18. Tires

New Mobility - Everything You Need to Know About Selecting the Right Wheelchair Tires

GTK - Solid versus Pneumatic Tyres

Mobility Basics - Manual Wheelchair Wheels

Motion Composites - Tire Selection: Balancing Performance and Maintenance

19. Brakes

Motion Composites - Wheel Locks: Unlocking Safety and Function

20. Push rims/Hand rims

Motion Composites - Getting a Grasp: Understanding the Impact of Hand Rims

DME Hub - Wheelchair Hand Rom Options and Factors to Consider

21. Anti-tip wheels

22. Camber

Motion Composites - Camber - Degrees of Performance

23. Center of Gravity

Motion Composites - Rear Wheel Position 101

[rainbow-banana-slug]

[id: anime-like style black/white linear drawing of person with long straight hair & unicorn/narwhal horn, wear long dress, stand in manual standing wheelchair. manual standing wheelchair is big wheels n visibly attach to person via corset-like thing. end id]

saw cool (pediatric?) manual standing wheelchair thing n try take that concept for draw. that irl chair have big (front-rest?) thing in front of body that support person n allow them stay standing with straps n other positioning supports. idea of this drawn chair is have similar thing under dress support lower body, and visually corset-like thing (but actually more cushiony n similar to highly supportive contoured wheelchair backrests) that attach to chair that support waist part. prob too complicated to work irl but it whatever - wanted add some style n aesthetics n elegance to it because those important too!

standing important for wheelchair users especially those who not get to stand by themself otherwise (full time, nonambulatory, etc) - it help stretch leg muscles n stop them lock in one position n muscle fiber shorten, help blood pressure, pressure relieve, reduce pain n soreness, even help bowel & bladder function, n bone density/prevent/slow bone density loss in legs from not use them. on top of help them reach taller things n be at eye level with other people which also help confidence :)

[whencyclopedia]

Jade in Ancient China

Jade (nephrite) was regarded as the most precious stone in ancient China, and it symbolised purity and moral integrity. Prized for its durability and magical qualities, the stone was laboriously carved and polished into all manner of objects from jewellery to desk ornaments. Jade was especially used for ritual objects such as the bi disc and zong (cong) tubes, both of which are of unknown function.

Mining & Working

Jade, in the case of China, refers to the mineral nephrite, the hardest and rarest hard stone. There is another mineral with that name, jadeite, but this was unknown to the Chinese prior to the 18th century CE when it was imported from Burma. Nephrite comes in various shades of green and other colours depending on the percentage of iron content in the stone and other trace elements. The principal source was in the Xinjiang region but it is likely others sources, once exhausted, have disappeared from the historical record. The Khotan region of Central Asia is another known source of the stone in antiquity. Jade was first used from c. 6000 BCE and green long remained the preferred colour, but during the 5th and 4th century BCE there was a fashion for white jade with a brown tinge and again in the 1st century BCE when a pure white jade became available from central Asia following expansion under the Han Dynasty (206 BCE - 220 CE).

Excavated from mountains and picked up in riverbeds - and so known as 'the essence of heaven and earth', the stones could not be cut by a metal knife, and so they were shaped using a cord and sand acting as an abrasive before being more precisely carved using a drill and then polished. Jade is a hard stone and working it with primitive tools would have required a great deal of time and effort, which, of course, only added to its value. Early pieces have engraved linear designs, but over the centuries a more sophisticated appearance was achieved by carving the jade so that the object had many contours, niches, and points which were highly polished.

Continue reading...

[dizzyisdizzy]

Hello i need tips for getting better at art and well your art is great...soo uhm...please :'>

i hope you understand that this is a really broad question, but I'll write a few general concepts that I think about. If you have something more specific you wanna know I can give more helpful answers.

Words are pretty important in learning. One part is knowing color theory/proportions/whatnot. The other is actively applying that in the art you create and see. If can describe the particulars of your enjoyment ("I like the sharp and simple shapes", "I like the bold lines and how often the line weight shifts to show off the contours") it's sooo much easier to give yourself some direction and make meaningful progress.

Don't get attached to your process . Too often I'd never touch the mannequin or lineart once I got to the next 'step'. I isolated those parts from each other so I can be organized and clean. But to make something 'fun' and 'spontaneous' you gotta let those parts weave in and out of each other and avoid linearity. Nowadays I'm still adjusting proportions and shapes in the later stages. My layers are a mess, but the vibes are much better. It's also very much why I love thick lineart.....

If you want something to prioritize, gesture drawings are always a good bet. You learn a lot on how to capture the energy of a pose or character (using line of action, shapes, etc) which is very appealing and can overcome faults in proportions, anatomy, etc.

And have your own blorbo you want only the best for ofc ofc.

[earthling-wolf]

Ni Translocality

Ni is a function that expands the registration of an object to include its temporal totality (Pi), which is the larger episode or theme to which it belongs. It then associates this episode to all historical instances of episodes that are isomorphic to it (N), transforming the definition of the object into a thematic story that is disconnected from any particular place or time. The object is then understood as something transcending the present, as something translocal, and not following a linear, chronological path from the past while still being temporal.

Metaphors & Visual Aphorisms

The Ni function compels the individual to live a slowly paced, hands-off life of observation and reflection on the information structures of the world. First, they are data synthesizers that formulate image-encoded schemas from unconsciously woven patterns in reality. The Ni user will be very graphic in their consciousness, thinking in visuals and representing the world through visual metaphors. These dynamic but geometric relationships are registered as essential to reality's functioning and are eventually superimposed onto other life domains in a proverbial form. "A tree's branches can only grow as far up as its roots go down," "flowing water never goes stale," or "every light casts a shadow" are examples of the graphical aphorisms that may develop from this information synthesizing process. For the Ni user, the world is not comprehended through words or axioms; it is through these visual relationships that words help convey to others. Due to the abundance of symmetry observed in life, these relations are often symmetrical --as embodied in concepts like the Taoist yin-yang symbol. An elaborate worldview is inescapably developed predicated on these abstracted relationships, aimed to give life predictability and continuity of narrative. The Ni user never sees the world straightforwardly, as reality is formed from representative structures --not rational absolutes. To the Ni user, knowledge is the net awareness gained by superimposing layers of these representations on reality and mapping its landscape as far and wide as possible.

The Mind & Panpsychism

Moreover, because they view reality as representation, the Ni user will constantly experience life as a perceptual sphere built from the interactions of mind and material. The world appears as a tapestry woven together by higher forces that underpin every object and substance – causing the objects to feel like the outer shells or totems of fundamental forces. Moreover, a sense will often exist – as explored in phenomenology – that consciousness is the essential thing. In some form or another, the Ni user will come to embody the philosophy that the psyche has a degree of priority over the material. One way to imagine this is to say the world constellates itself to the Ni user as being built equally of "psyche" and of matter. Still, every Ni user will synthesize this felt sense in slightly different ways, with some believing that consciousness is the prime constituent of reality and others feeling we are co-creators of reality by our active participation in how it appears to us and how we ascribe meaning to the contents within it, which can lead magnetically to a type of panpsychism, where the Ni user views the contents of the mind seriously as entities, forces, energies and contours as perceivable as literal objects are to other people. These psychological images and forces will not only be present but will also be persistent. To them, the psyche has a steady yet fluid shape, an image, and a terrain to be explored through vision and internal perception. Moreover, while other types may arrive at similar philosophies through rationality, for the Ni user, this sensation is not something deduced but simply uncovered, as it represents the default state of their experience. This proclivity naturally leads to an interest in meditation, eastern thought, and spirituality, which emphasizes these same psychic aspects and presents a philosophy of consciousness more natively aligned to their phenomenological experience.

Narrowness & Convergence

However, for all their openness towards surreal ideas about consciousness, the Ni user is not random or unstructured in their views. They are scarcely persuaded of most things and are instead highly cautious of ideas. The Ni user will have a keen eye for identifying the improbability of things and will not be prone to jump on board with things unless their inner imagery already maps out an inescapable trajectory in that direction. The Ni user is not an inciter or generator of novel things, nor is their specialty a spontaneous creativity. Instead, it is the holistic assimilation of trends over time and a convergence of perspectives along the most reinforced trendlines. They generally see only one or a few trajectories stemming from a given situation and are magnetically drawn to the likeliest interpretations. Thus, the ideas the Ni user arrives at are not things they create but things they discover to be already "the case," often sourcing from an inside-out evaluation of being but just as well from a panoramic evaluation of society. In this way, the Ni user is a sort of investigator or excavator of the primordial imagery in themselves and society. More than any other type, the Ni user receives a linear and direct feed of the imagery of the unconscious, and because of this convergence of focus, many Ni users across time continue to re-discover and re-articulate the same things as they unearth the same territory. As Ni users from all ages inquire into questions of being, their convergent intuition guides them to parallel answers and to convey those understandings in imagery --since image is the primary means by which that information is discovered and encoded. A canonical historical archive, therefore, has developed over time in the form of symbology, the encrypted patterns and representative structures that underpin reality, as collectively uncovered over time.

Symbology

In this sense, the Ni user may often find camaraderie in the symbology laid down by previous pioneers for its capacity to articulate that felt inner content. Strange as it may seem to others to believe or seriously consider such archaic and outdated emblems, the Ni user is drawn to these old images like the Si user is drawn to information encoded in the old earth. The Ni user may not wish to be a mystic and, when not fully individuated, may shrink away from this imagery for fear of academic reprimand. Still, they may feel that their awareness style drafts them inescapably into these ideas. They emerge out of themselves when any intense investigation is done or even when no investigation is done. The realm of alchemical symbolism, the Tarot, ayurvedic medicine, and Astrology may be studied intently for their capacity to superimpose a representation of life. Shapes also contain a powerful influence over them, and they may be drawn to sacred geometry and mandalas. Numerology may also be investigated. Over time, by studying these emblems to discover their true meanings, they are slowly transformed into the likeness of those who built them. As they unearth the contents of this domain, they often become affiliated with the taxonomies used by their predecessors to try to express this underworld. However, their dabbling in these ideas may earn them a reputation as a mystic and confuse family and friends who may not understand the significance of such concepts.

Archetypes & Stereotypes

These observations form a vast archive of typicalities as the Ni user matures into their worldview. Each pattern of life is epitomized in the psyche as a general rule or process, which leads quite inescapably to the formation of stereotypes at the local level and archetypes at the universal level --both of which are used to map reality by providing a sense of predictability. In the positive sense, this stereotyping tendency makes life an iconic series of interactions between previously indexed forces and entities. The Ni user will overlay their schema onto the world and see iterations of the same substances everywhere. From this vantage point, certain social or political interactions will appear to them as clockwork, a series of eventualities stemming from two or more colliding forces. The interactions in a neighborhood may be seen through the same light, as categories are applied to each class of person, and their collisions cause transformations through a sort of necessary chemistry. However, as often captured by the negative sense of the word stereotype, this can lead to errors in perception where a pattern or schema is superimposed over a situation too prematurely. A person is anticipated to be a given way due to the symbol they represent while turning out to be quite different. Moreover, at the archetypal level, the same simplification may occur where the Ni user reduces the global situation as something emergent from a conflict between the light and dark, the masculine and feminine, an interaction of four or five elements or some other schema which neglects certain subtleties and details, which may be infuriating to those who live with the Ni user as they may feel the Ni user is oversimplifying them, or worse that they are pigeonholing people into their categories --whether of culture, class, race or gender. Many may scoff at the Ni user for depending on what they feel are outdated prejudices and not seeing things at the individual level. However, the Ni user cannot ignore what larger pattern someone or something generally belongs to and will tend to incidentally synthesize life from that lens without any actual investment or commitment to any dogma or belief system.

Synchronicity & Parapsychology

Another effect often emerging from the Ni function is a belief in synchronicity. Because of how Ni registers life through a delicate tracking of "significance" --not by the rigidity of causal chains-- the Ni user will instinctively see the value in data associations that converge in theme and motif, even when the cause is unknown. As is often the case for both intuitive processes, the pattern is recognized first without needing to have the sensory points explicitly traced, and neither does the absence of a sequential explanation make the information alignments vanish. Moreover, when Ni is especially strong, seemingly disconnected layers of existence are woven together through an entangled point, compelling many Ni users to contend with the possible existence of the acausal. Certain events or datasets may be felt as crossing different planes of reality and inexorably related even when a surface examination would see no trace between them. They may be struck by compelling evidence for the existence of extra-sensory perception or remote viewing, which allows us to see through the eyes of others or predict their thoughts. For some, relationships may be intuited to exist between oneself and previous lives. Areas of the body may be associated with certain psychic energies through emotional tapping, chakras, iridology, or palmistry. Certain recurring numbers may be felt as omens of blessings or catastrophes. If these intimations persist, they can become highly suspicious and feel that certain events will shortly happen when a given number, detail, or sign suggests a strong karmic force is at play.

-Behaviors Under Stress

Conspiracy Theories

When the Ni user falls out of mental health, their suspicions degrade further into superstitions, death omens, and a persistent state of anxiety. Life becomes chaotic and unpredictable. The world will feel utterly uncertain to them, and they will be unable to see the cause of their suffering or that of society. As they struggle to intuit their situation through perceptual projection, the misfortunes they experience are not interpreted as localized occurrences but are instead epitomized as emerging from some extra-personal force looming over all things. They will start to perceive a woven network of intentions behind everything, pulling the strings of society at large. Here, we see the Ni user fabricate conspiracy theories: extraterrestrial hypotheses, occult government sects, the imminent rise of a new world order, and the like. A sense exists that something unseen is making all this happen, and for once, the Ni user loses their non-committal nature and becomes utterly fixated on certain interpretations of life, which will cause them great difficulty in their daily lives as the Ni user may be quickly ostracized from society for their bizarre premonitions. More than a few distressed Ni users throughout history have been branded as local lunatics, eventually growing morose and resentful for what they feel is the lack of foresight and idiocy of the common person.

Apocalyptic Visions

A different effect we often see in a distressed Ni user is a series of apocalyptic visions. They may experience nightmares, either when asleep or awake, vividly depicting scenes of war, destroyed buildings, massacres, and the end of civilization. Moreover, the Ni user may experience these sudden flashes with the same level of physicality with which they experience their waking life --making it difficult to discredit them as illusions. Here, we see an unconscious projection and intrusion of their polar sensory function into their mind, causing literal sensations to trigger their nervous system without an actual cause. The relationship between intuition and sensation is a two-way street, where one can seep into the other unbidden when excessive repression is at its breaking point --allowing their intuitions to unconsciously fabricate sensory experiences that are patterned after their thematic convergence. These unsettling images may cause them to feel that their visions are pending actualities. A memento mori will settle over them. Society is on the brink of collapse; everything is headed in the worst direction, and anything short of immediate correction will lead to an irreparable catastrophe.

[baravaggio]

During the period when the Dying Slave must have been done, and during the ensuing decade or so, Michelangelo frequently drew the human figure almost or even entirely without contours, resorting only to shading in leadpoint to indicate the beautiful swelling and subsidence of this ocean of turbulent physical life. Here, throughout the back and left arm, in the belly and the brilliantly rendered flank, this kind of pulsation reaches a completely new peak of plastic intensity.

The Dying Slave is, of course, not dying but simply overpowered by the bonds against which he plucks idly. It is as if he were drowsy, overcome by the stupefying effects of a potion. His tall figure seems ready to collapse, or rather to sink slowly downward [...] The knees move together much like those of the Santo Spirito Crucifix; the head falls over like the Christ of the Rome Pietà; the soft abdomen, buttocks, and thighs recall the Bacchus; the left arm is lifted like that of one of the last nudes on the Sistine Ceiling. But at the very least the surfaces, as we see them finished everywhere save for portions of the back and the hair, show all the fluidity of Michelangelo’s mature style. Nowhere do the lines cut into the mass as they do in all the finished early sculpture. Line and mass have fused. And if here and there, as the detail of the right hand and the treatment of the nipple, some vestiges of the earlier linear manner persist, they are swept in the flood-tide of moving surfaces through the arms and legs.

— Michelangelo: The Complete Sculpture by Frederick Hartt (p.152-54)

[louda-theory]

2. The Heart Of Harmony (Melody)

When listening to a music, one of the most prominent elements for many people is the melody and before you turn around and tell me the vocals stand out to you the most, listen more closely to your favorite track and you just might realize that the vocals can also act as a melody.

But what is melody?

Melody is usually a linear sequence of notes the listener hears as a single entity. The melody of a song is the foreground to the backing elements and is a combination of pitch and rhythm. Sequences of notes that comprise melody are musically satisfying and are often the most memorable part of a song. Amazing melodies when broken down feature eight key characteristics:

Pitch: Pitch refers to the perceived frequency of a sound, determining how high or low a note sounds and melodies consist of a series of pitches arranged in a specific order.

Rhythm: The timing and duration of notes within the melody. Rhythm influences how a melody flows and its overall feel.

Interval: The distance between two pitches. Intervals can create tension, resolution, or emotional nuance within the melody.

Contour: The overall shape of the melody as it moves up and down in pitch. Contour helps define the character and direction of the melodic line.

Phrasing: Melodies are often organized into phrases, similar to sentences in written language. Each phrase expresses a complete musical thought.

Repetition and Variation: Melodies often use repetition to create familiarity, while variation introduces new elements to keep the music engaging.

Range: The span of pitches used in a melody, from the lowest to the highest note. A wide range can add excitement, while a narrow range may create a more subdued feel.

Dynamics: The volume of notes and changes in intensity throughout the melody. Dynamics contribute to the emotional expression and drama of the music.

Melodies can be produced in a number of different ways including the human voice, marimbas, flutes, synthesizers, guitars and any other instrument that produces a pitch and whatever your chosen medium is to create your melodies if it features most or all of the above characteristics it will sound great.

Here is an example of a track with a prominent melody:

Happy writing!

[moonlitmistyforest]

Childe Hassam - Promenade, New York, 1895 oil on canvas, 25.4 x 35.6 cm Private collection

In the picture we can see an elegant lady walking on a gray and noisy winter day. All contours are softened, the details are minimized, the more linear, short brushstrokes evoke the atmosphere of snowy and icy winter weather. The figures and buildings in the background appear to be mere silhouettes under the hazy, atmospheric sky. The cool blue-black tones and muted purple form a dynamic contrast with the white pigments of the snow-covered sidewalks depicted with bright brush strokes. The expressive use of paint further helps to express the feeling of active movement, which is an important element of almost all of Hassam's works depicting urban life.

[bwhitex]

The Compassionate Approach to Confronting Anguish: Through Lived Experiences

In the vast expanse of human emotions, anguish can often feel like an insurmountable peak, casting long shadows over our inner landscape. Brené Brown, in her profound work "Atlas of the heart," charts these territories of the heart with an understanding hand, reminding us that in the depth of our vulnerability lies a connection to a universal human experience (Brown, 2021). By adopting a compassionate and methodical approach, one can not only withstand the heavy winds of anguish but also navigate through them, reaching towards a place of balance and inner peace.

The following discourse is a heartfelt synthesis of personal struggle interwoven with the fabric of collective psychological wisdom. It is a guide, a series of steps shaped by the understanding that the journey through anguish is not a path walked alone, but a shared voyage towards the light of healing and self-discovery.

As we begin, imagine a heart heavy with sorrow, yet in the act of recognizing this pain, there's a subtle lift. He knew that to identify the ache was to commence his journey towards healing. There was strength in his silent admission, a seed of self-awareness taking root. Embracing his emotional truth, he was not confessing defeat, but rather declaring his resolve to seek joy once again.

Giving voice to his emotions, he found solace. Words, once captive, now flowed freely, lightening his burden. His stories, shared with others, became a beacon of hope, a shared language of tears and laughter. Through the arts, he painted his journey, each stroke a testament to his resilience, a palette of pain and healing mingled on canvas.

Reaching out for support, he was met with outstretched hands and hearts. The courage to seek help was the courage to grow; it was an affirmation of his worth. In the company of others, each with their own story of struggle, he found a tapestry of shared human resilience. A therapist's guidance became his map through the terrain of self-doubt, each session a step towards understanding.

He practiced self-care as if tending to a sacred garden. The daily rituals of nurturing his body and spirit became the roots from which his strength could flourish. Exercise became his silent mantra, each step a beat in the rhythm of recovery. His home, a sanctuary, reflected the tranquility he yearned to reclaim within himself.

Facing his problems, he realized they were but puzzles to be solved. Each small victory was a piece placed, a picture of progress taking form. His energy was precious, so he invested it wisely, focusing on challenges that yielded growth. Each obstacle was a lesson, a question posed by life, and in seeking answers, he found wisdom.

Boundaries became his shields, lovingly crafted and fiercely defended. They were the expressions of his self-worth, the contours of his healing space. Through clear communication, he taught others how to respect his needs, nurturing relationships that respected his journey. Time and energy, once so freely given, were now treasured resources, dedicated to his well-being.

Lastly, he gave himself the gift of time. Understanding that healing was not to be rushed, he embraced patience as his companion. On harder days, he reminded himself that growth is not linear, that each moment of sorrow was intertwined with the potential for joy. Time was not an enemy but an ally, the canvas upon which his story of healing would unfold.

In the end, each of these steps formed a mosaic of self-compassion and resilience. Through acknowledgment, expression, support, self-care, problem-solving, boundary setting, and patience, he crafted a vessel sturdy enough to sail the turbulent seas of anguish, bound for the shores of peace and self-renewal. This journey, unique to each yet universal in its essence, stands as a testament to the indomitable human spirit, ever capable of navigating the storm and finding its way back home.

Brown, B. (2021). Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience. Random House.

[bubbloquacious]

3, 20 from math asks?

From the End of year math asks.

3; What math concept did you struggle the hardest with this year?

Linear optimization 😭😭 I can't seem to get the simplex method to stick, and I need to in order to turn in some exercises haha. If anyone wants to explain it to me at length I would be all ears, this is a cry for help.

20; Have you discovered any cool LaTeX tricks this year?

I figured out how to get a nice よ into TeX as a symbol for the Yoneda embedding! :)

\font\maljapanese=dmjhira at 2.5ex \newcommand{\yo}{{\textrm{\maljapanese\char"0H}}}

Also on this StackExhange post I found a way to make underlined text be interrupted by descenders.

\usepackage[outline]{contour} \usepackage{ulem} \normalem % use classical emph

\newcommand \myul[4]{% \begingroup% \renewcommand \ULdepth {#1}% \renewcommand \ULthickness {#2}% \contourlength{#3}% \uline{\phantom{#4}}\llap{\contour{white}{#4}}% \endgroup% }

\newcommand{\iul}[1]{\myul{1.75pt}{0.5pt}{1pt}{#1}}

Now all I have to do is figure out how to put a monospace font in a Tumblr post lol

[whencyclopedia]

Mycenaean Pottery

The pottery of the Mycenaean civilization (1550-1050 BCE), although heavily influenced by the earlier Minoans based on Crete, nevertheless, added new pottery shapes to the existing range and achieved its own distinctive decorative style which was strikingly homogenous across Mycenaean Greece. Mycenaean wares typically display stylized representations of marine and plant life and show a fondness for minimalistic linear designs, a trend which would go on to influence the early pottery of Archaic and Classical Greece from the 9th century BCE.

Minoan Origins

Early wheel-made Mycenaean pottery (1550-1450 BCE) from mainland Greece has been described as 'provincial Cretan' which does convey the fact that although shapes and decorative styles were of Cretan origin, the final decoration was not quite as finely executed as in Minoan centres such as Knossos and Phaistos. However, despite this difference in quality, it is likely that Cretan potters did actually relocate to the mainland. In terms of raw material though, Mycenaean pottery is in fact often superior in quality to Minoan as the majority was made from old Yellow Minyan Clay and fired at higher temperatures than on Crete. The designs themselves were painted using a red to black, lustrous, iron-based clay slip (or 'paint') which had a tendency to become mottled depending on the firing process.

The Minoan love of flowing shapes and vibrant representations of animal, sea and plant life as expressed in their Marine and Floral styles was continued by the Mycenaeans with octopuses and nautiluses remaining particularly popular. Designs also continued to fill all of the decorative surface and follow the contours of the vessel. Gradually though, representations became more stylistic and more symmetrical with not all of the decorative space filled, leaving significant blanks, something rarely seen in Minoan pottery. Depictions of plants such as lilies, palms and ivy became more monumental, evolving into commonly employed motifs that were reserved principally for large jars.

From 1450 BCE the Mycenaean expansion overseas resulted in the taking over of the Cretan palaces and Mycenaean pottery began to dominate production across Greece and the Aegean islands. Indeed, pottery is the most important indicator we have of the political domination of the Mycenaeans across the Aegean. Decoration may be divided into two broad groups: the Pictorial style and the Pattern style. The former was influenced by contemporary fresco design and sought to represent scenes of daily life and the latter employed decorative scales, chevrons, and sea-life. Designs steadily became even bolder and more stylized, often with only a single motif design on each side of the vessel and an increase in the space left blank. Perhaps the most celebrated example of this minimalist style is the Ephyrean goblet, a stemmed, two-handled cup from Mycenae which is decorated with a single large rosette on each face. Plain, bold horizontal lines and whorls continue to be very popular forms of decoration and are usually well-chosen to complement the shape of the vessel.

Continue reading...

[nichromepackaging]

From Dairy to Beverages: Versatility in Liquid Packaging Machines

One leaking milk bag can create a reverse domino effect of complaints, starting from the consumer to the retailer and to the liquid packaging machine manufacturer. Liquid packaging often comes with multiple challenges, such as leakage, contamination, distribution, etc. This is why a reliable liquid packaging machine supplier matters the most in order to overcome these challenges.

To your relief, Nichrome’s solutions cater to the various packaging demands of multiple free-flowing liquid products. This Pioneer Milk pouch packing machine manufacturer has evolved over the years to bring you the best and most innovative packaging solutions which are well suited to the changing market needs. 

Industries Benefiting from Nichrome's Liquid Packaging Machines

Dairy Industry:

Dairy products are highly susceptible to contamination, so hygiene and precision are crucial in Dairy Product Packaging. This calls for a reliable supplier of Dairy Packaging Machines. Nichrome fills in as the one.

When it comes to liquid packaging, along with milk packaging, Nichrome offers various Dairy Product Packaging Machines for the products like lassi, buttermilk, curd, and flavoured dairy drinks. With advanced packaging technology, these ensure zero leaks, accurate filling, and extended freshness.

Beverage Industry:

The beverage industry demands dynamism. Speed, versatility and eye-catching designs play the field. Whether it's juice drinks, non-carbonated beverages, or mineral water, Nichrome's liquid packaging machines are equipped with advanced technology and offer a flexible and wide range of solutions. These machines ensure consistency in leak-proof seals and appealing packaging that stands out on shelves. With their ability to maintain freshness and prevent contamination, these machines are an essential asset for beverage manufacturers.  

Nichrome's Versatile Range of Liquid Packaging Machines

Free-flowing liquids are of various kinds and require specific packaging to avoid tampering. To meet this requirement, Nichrome provides a versatile range of machines. These are divided into 2 series - Filpack Series and HFFS Series.

Filpack Series: 

This series includes the vertical packaging machines (VFFS).  Equipped with advanced servo technology and continuous mechanical filler, it caters to various free-flowing liquid packaging that requires vertical form fill seals. It also avails flexibility of pouches. This series includes the following machines, each catering to a variety of liquids -

HFFS Machines Series: 

Nichrome’s HFFS packaging machines incorporate cutting-edge linear technology from Europe, setting a new benchmark in packaging innovation. These versatile machines are designed to handle a diverse range of liquids using various fillers. Built on advanced PLC technology with an intuitive touchscreen interface, these compact and adaptable machines offer flexibility to produce both single pouches and perforated chains of pouches. Also, for enhanced productivity, well-designed duplex modules are available to achieve higher output rates. This new-gen series includes the following products -

What Makes Nichrome the Best Choice for Liquid Packaging

: Nichrome's versatile machines range are suitable for a variety of liquids, which is also reflected in the pouch options for liquid packaging. CSPP, 3-side/4-side seal with v notch, contour pack, spout, stand up with zipper/handle/euro slot and much more. You ask for it and you'll get it!

: Experience minimal system downtime with our dependable solutions. Designed for effortless cleaning and maintenance, our automatic liquid packaging machines ensure superior hygiene. Along with that, these machines deliver energy efficiency that significantly reduces operational costs.  

Conclusion

For industries ranging from Dairy to Beverages, having efficient, reliable and versatile Liquid Packaging Solutions that ensure leak-free and tamper-proof packaging is essential. Nichrome meets these essentials in the form of innovative tech solutions. The versatility of Nichrome is evidently reflected in its wide range of machines as well as multiple pouch options. It addresses all the packaging demands of multiple liquids and erases all the challenges ensuring consistent quality, hygiene, and sustainability.

So the next time you are to make a choice of Liquid Packaging Machine, make sure you explore the versatile solutions by Nichrome.

[semiconductorsandelectronics]

Dimensional Measurement Market by Instrument Type (Hand Tools, Pneumatic Gauging, Coordinate Measuring Machines, Optical Systems, Light-Based Systems, Vision-Based Measuring Systems), Measurement Type (Linear Measurement, Angular Measurement, Surface and Contour Measurement, Volume and Capacity Measurement), Region (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, RoW) - Global Forecast to 2030

[bitchytyphoontimemachine]

Understanding Liposuction Scars and How to Minimize Them

Introduction

Liposuction has become a popular body contouring procedure for people seeking to eliminate stubborn fat deposits resistant to diet and exercise. While the allure of a slimmer silhouette is enticing, many potential candidates are concerned about the scars left behind after surgery. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the nature of liposuction scars, their formation, and effective strategies to minimize them. By understanding liposuction scars and how to minimize them, individuals can make informed decisions about their body transformation journey.

Understanding Liposuction Scars and How to Minimize Them

Liposuction is a surgical procedure that removes excess fat from specific areas of the body through suction. The incisions made during the procedure are necessary for inserting a cannula (a thin tube) that vacuums fat out of targeted areas. As with any surgery, these incisions can result in scarring. The extent and visibility of liposuction scars depend on several factors, including:

The surgeon's technique: A skilled surgeon will make smaller incisions in less visible areas. Skin type and healing ability: Individual genetics play a significant role in scar formation. Post-operative care: How well patients follow aftercare instructions can greatly influence scar appearance. What Are Liposuction Scars?

Liposuction scars typically take the form of small, linear marks where incisions were made. These scars can vary in color from pink to dark brown and may appear raised or flat depending on individual healing processes.

Types of Liposuction Techniques

The technique employed during liposuction also affects scarring:

Tumescent Liposuction: This method involves injecting a saline solution into the target area before fat removal, which helps reduce blood loss and bruising. Laser Liposuction: This less invasive method uses laser energy to melt fat before suctioning it out, resulting in smaller incisions. Ultrasound-Assisted Liposuction (UAL): This technique utilizes sound waves for fat removal; it often leads to less trauma around tissues. Common Areas for Liposuction Scars

Liposuction can be performed https://cesarhsqa233.weebly.com/blog/vaginal-cosmetic-surgery-what-women-should-know on various body parts, leading to different locations for scarring:

Abdomen Thighs Arms Back Chin

Each area has unique implications regarding scar visibility.

How Much Does Liposuction Cost?

When considering liposuction, one must weigh not only the benefits but also the costs involved.

Factors Influencing Liposuction Cost Geographical location: Costs vary widely based on region; urban centers typically charge more. Surgeon’s expertise: Highly experienced surgeons may charge premium rates due to their skill level. Technique used: Advanced methods like laser or ultrasound-assisted liposuction often command higher fees. Anesthesia type: General anesthesia is costlier than local anesthesia.

[nichromepackagingmachine]

Packaging Gels Well with Nichrome

Complications can be considered commonplace in the pharmaceutical packaging industry. Pharmaceutical compounds are gen    erally immensely sensitive to temperature changes and exposure to the elements like light or air. Without safe and effective packaging, medicines can be rendered completely useless or even toxic. In the case of medicinal products, another vital element of the packaging is the provision of important medicinal information to consumers.

According to several market reports, the pharmaceutical packaging industry is projected to grow at a Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 7.4% between 2022 and 2031 – reaching an estimated size of $178.8 billion by 2031.

Factors that are spurring the growth of the pharmaceutical packaging market include an increasing preference for single-dose packaging, an increase in drug development across the board, and the growth of pharmaceutical e-commerce platforms.

Some of the major challenges for the pharmaceutical packaging industry are:

●    Handling and transportation

●    Preservation of medicinal properties

●    Providing statutory information on the packaging

●    Adhering to international standards

●    Preventing counterfeit products

Important considerations for Gel Packaging

Gel packaging includes the packaging of viscous products such as toothpaste, facial creams, skin creams, ointment, silica gel, and lotions.

The most crucial aspect of gel packaging is the containment and protection of the gel from all possible contamination. Gel packaging needs to be leakage-proof and resistant to tears, snags, and piercings.

Gel packaging is generally lined with a film to ensure that the gel is contained in addition to ensuring packaging integrity by the creation of a barrier between the packaging material and the product. Foodstuffs and similar consumable gels need to be packed with care to ensure the anti-microbial properties of the packaging materials.

Flexible packaging in formats like sachets, tubes, and pouches is generally used for gels and related viscous products – with added protection from rough handling provided by the use of outer packaging like boxes. Flexible packaging for gels is preferred because of its ‘squeezability’ – the gels can be easily dispensed from the packet by squeezing, thereby maximizing the amount of usable product, offering great value for money for consumers, and leading to less wastage of the product.

Gels come under viscous products and are hence suitable for the full range of packaging types. Whether they are packed using a shampoo filling machine, ointment tube filling machine, ointment filling machines, toothpaste tube filling machine, or plastic tube filling machine – and packed in bottles, tubes, sachets, or pouches – gels need to be well-protected and easily dispensable by consumers.

Nichrome’s Gel Packaging solutions

Nichrome possesses a plethora of gel packaging solutions – including a range of HFFS packaging machines with cutting-edge, linear technology from Europe. Nichrome’s HFFS series is versatile and is designed for the packaging of a wide range of powders, grains, snacks, liquids and viscous products like gels with the use of different fillers. This series also brings with it a variety of pouch formats with more attractive pouch aesthetics.

Nichrome’s HFFS machines are PLC based and have touch screen interfaces. Their compact and versatile design allows for both single and perforated single and perforated chains of pouches while keeping the changeovers quick and easy. Duplex models configured for higher outputs are also available.

Nichrome’s HFFS Gel Packaging Machines

1.   T-110: This is a versatile machine that can be used for a number of packaging applications such as powders, granular products, viscous products or gels and free-flowing liquids.

The wide range of pouch formats that this machine can pack includes 3 side seal, 4 side seal, 4 side seal with V notch, Contour pack, Stand-up pack, Stand-up with zipper, Twin, Spout, Euro slot, and Handle formats.

Specifications:

Volume: Simplex: 1 – 60 cc

              Duplex: 1 – 20 cc

Rated output: Simplex: 110 packs/min

                        Duplex: 220 packs/min

Pack Size range:

Simplex:

Min pack size (WxL) mm: (30×30) x 1 mm

Max pack size (WxL) mm: (110×130) x 1 mm

Duplex:

Min pack size (WxL) mm: (30×30) x 2 mm

Max pack size (WxL) mm: (65×130) x 2 mm

2.   T-140: This is another versatile machine in Nichrome’s range of HFFS machines that can pack a variety of products including powders, granular products, viscous products or gels and free-flowing liquids.

This machine can pack in a broad range of pouch formats such as the 3 side seal, 4 side seal, 4 side seal with V notch, Contour pack, Stand-up pack, Stand-up with zipper, Twin, Spout, Euro slot and Handle formats.

Specifications:

Volume: Simplex: 5 – 250 cc

              Duplex: 5 – 90 cc

Rated output: Simplex: 100 packs/min

                       Duplex: 200 packs/min

Pack Size range:

Simplex:

Min pack size (WxL) mm: (70×100) x 1 mm

Max pack size (WxL) mm: (140×200) x 1 mm

Duplex:

Min pack size (WxL) mm: (50×100) x 2 mm

Max pack size (WxL) mm: (70×200) x 2 mm

3.   T-170: The last but not the least machine in Nichrome’s T Series of HFFS machines is the T-170. Like the other machines in the series, this machine can pack a diverse variety of products that include powders, granular products, viscous products or gels and free-flowing liquids.

It can pack in an array of packaging formats including 3 side seal, 4 side seal, 4 side seal with V notch, Contour pack, Stand-up pack, Stand-up with zipper, Twin, Spout, Euro slot and Handle formats.

Specifications:

Volume: Simplex: 90 – 1000 cc

Rated output: Simplex: 45 packs/min

Pack Size range:

Simplex:

Min pack size (WxL) mm: (80×130) x 1 mm

Max pack size (WxL) mm: (170×270) x 1 mm

Tailored Packaging Solutions for Specific Gel Filling Machines in Bangladesh

Shampoo

Key Challenges:

Maintaining the viscosity of the shampoo during packaging

Preventing contamination and leakage

Providing user-friendly dispensing solutions

Nichrome Solution:

Nichrome’s HFFS packaging machines ensure airtight sealing to maintain the shampoo’s quality and provide a variety of pouch formats for consumer convenience.

Lotion

Key Challenges:

Preserving the lotion’s texture and properties

Offering aesthetic and travel-friendly packaging

Nichrome Solution:

Nichrome’s versatile machines deliver customized formats like stand-up pouches with zippers, ensuring secure and attractive packaging.

Hair Gel

Key Challenges:

Preventing product drying and leakage

Offering precision in portioning

Nichrome Solution:

Nichrome’s gel filling machines in Bangladesh provide sachets or spout pouches for controlled dispensing and airtight packaging to prevent contamination.

Ointment

Key Challenges:

Maintaining sterility and avoiding contamination

Ensuring precise portion control for medical use

Nichrome Solution:

Nichrome’s advanced ointment filling machine called the HFFS machines delivers sterile, tamper-proof packaging solutions in various formats like tubes or small sachets.

Liquid Soap

Key Challenges:

Preventing spillage during transport

Offering sustainable and refill-friendly packaging

Nichrome Solution:

Nichrome’s packaging machines produce stand-up spout pouches, which are ideal for liquid soaps, ensuring easy usage and minimal wastage.

Toothpaste

Key Challenges:

Retaining the product’s consistency

Providing durable packaging for long-term storage

Nichrome Solution:

Nichrome’s machines create laminated, leakage-proof tubes or pouches to maintain toothpaste quality over time.

Hair Wax

Key Challenges:

Preventing product melting or deformation

Providing compact and durable packaging

Nichrome Solution:

Nichrome’s flexible solutions ensure compact and robust packaging for hair wax in various formats like small jars or sachets.

Conclusion

Get connected with Nichrome for your requirements in ointment filling machine – particularly if you’re on the lookout for a reliable packaging machine supplier in Bangladesh. Nichrome has a legacy of supplying more than 200 packaging machines to producers in Bangladesh and brings a track record of over four decades as a leading packaging machine supplier in Bangladesh. Nichrome has invested in strong collaborations with global players in the pharmaceutical packaging machines industry for the provision of the latest-gen technology to Bangladeshi pharmaceutical companies. Nichrome’s offerings in the pharmaceutical packaging industry come with features like low contamination rates, tamper-proof designs, sterile processing and the promise of hygiene and safety.

Whether you are considering a filling and packaging machine, silica gel packing machine, ointment tube filling machine, shampoo filling machine, or a liquid filling machine in Bangladesh – Nichrome has the right offering for your specific application. Among non-food packaging, As a top packaging machine supplier in Bangladesh, Nichrome also offers solutions like blister packaging machines, liquid filling sealing machines, pharma liquid filling machines, and pouch packing machines for a wide range of industries. Visit bangladesh.nichrome.com for further information!