#needed to sketch them out but only had my physical sketchbook with me at work so traditional pencil drawings be upon ye

[morninkim]

Lois and her boysss

[psychedelic-ink]

This is the artwork that I commissioned from the talented @mjpens🧡

Stay In Bed has truly been one of my favorite things to write, I am genuinely so emotional over this series and my own relationship with it. I'm still surprised by the feedback and the love, so I would also want to thank everyone for their undying support and enthusiasm for it 🧡🧡🧡

This is from one of the scenes I wrote for chapter 6 and I can't stop staring at it. Thank you Maia for making this come to life, this made me beyond happy 🥺🧡

(I would also like to emphasize that in the story reader does not have a physical description whatsoever. I went the self-indulgent route and asked for it to be a self-insert <3)

the written scene is below the cut for those who are curious 🤭

“How do you like your coffee?” 

“With milk,” you answer. “A lot of it, preferably.” 

“So milk with a dash of coffee,” he grins, amused. “Got it.” 

It’s been a couple of days since you moved in with Joel and Sarah. It was much easier to live with the father-daughter due than you initially had thought. Tommy came over in the mornings, dropping you off to work and Sarah to school, and the brothers went to do their own thing after that. 

With Joel’s back turned to you, you look down at your sketchbook and add another line to what is supposed to be his unruly hair. He really needs a haircut. 

Surprisingly living with him isn’t weird at all. He made you feel welcome. No awkward glances, no awkward touching. Just neighbors helping each other out. He places the steaming mug next to you and leans on his elbows. He looks at what you’re drawing and raises an eyebrow. 

Joel brings the mug to his lips. 

“You’re paintin’ me?” 

“I’m sketching you,” you answer. “You’re a lovely specimen.” 

“Is that so.” 

The scent of coffee fills your lungs. Lifting your gaze, you observe his facial structures. You see the imperfections, take in the sight of his eyes, his bushy eyebrows, and the bald patches in his beard. You want to touch the small beauty park right in the corner of his eye that’s impossible to see unless you’re an inch further away. 

 If he knew how you saw him—if he knew how big he was in your mind— Joel would be terrified. 

“Do you like art?” you ask, taking him by surprise. He takes a sip of his coffee and your gaze drops back to your sketch.  

He hums, fingers thrumming the kitchen counter. “I like your art.” 

“I should take you guys to an art gallery or something,” you say, smiling. “If you like mine, you’re going to go nuts over the things that are out there.” 

Joel pouts and you roll your eyes. “What are you looking at me like that for?” you ask.

“I like your drawings. They’re—They feel close. I don’t know how else to describe it.” 

It’s because it’s you who I think of when I create them. 

“Do you know Salvador Dali?” you ask, then quickly add. “Or Dorothea Tanning?” 

“Sweetheart, the only artist I know is Da Vinci and I’m not even a hundred percent sure he is one.” 

“He is,” you affirm him excitedly, looking back up. “I love surrealism. It’s when everything gets really weird basically. So—wait let me show you. I think I have a couple of pictures between the pages.” 

You miss the way Joel’s lips slowly curl up, adoration and fondness adorning his face, softening the edges. He comes closer. Your pulse quickens as your fingers rush to find the images, and when they do you basically rip them out from between the pages 

“Look.” 

All of them are images from Dali’s artwork. Mainly butterflies. Joel observes them carefully, touching them as if fearing he might stain them. You urge him to take a closer look by placing one between his thick fingers. It’s The Butterfly Rose. 

“Never thought you would do homework for a hobby.” 

“It’s not—” You let out an exasperated sigh, cutting yourself off mid-sentence. “Do you think I want to work at the coffee house forever? It’s not just a hobby. And of course, as an artist, I look at other art to be inspired. They make me feel things.” Seeing the startled expression on his face, you add, “Don’t you get like…shivers or something when you see a very nice wooden table?”

Oh, you made him uncomfortable. You sense that in an instant. His fingers trace the image of the painting, looking down, you notice the crease between his brows deepening with concentration. Was he concentrating on the image? In your words? You have no idea—the only thing you know is that this man concentrating on art is making your insides clench with a need. 

“Sorry,” he grumbles. “I didn’t mean it like that. I do think you’re a serious artist. It’s just…fuck that came out wrong. I just didn’t think you would put in this much effort to somethin’ I said,” he shakes his head. “Shit, I’m bad at this.” 

That undeniable need to touch him comes rushing back. You bite the inside of your bottom lip instead. “ I think I might’ve overreacted after hearing the same thing from my brother all the time. It’s all good. You might be the only one that takes me seriously so it was unfair for me to jump to conclusions like that.” 

“He don’t support you?” 

“He does…” you trail off. “In his own way, I guess.” 

“That doesn’t sound like support,” he answers, clicking his tongue. “And just FYI I like your butterflies better, sweet tea.” 

“Sweet tea?” you ask, lips curling with amusement and eyes widening with shock. 

He shrugs. “You said you liked Dorothea…somethin’---” 

“Tanning.” you quickly say. “So Sweet Tea as in…the last syllable of her name?” 

“Would you rather I call you Tea?” he asks, raising an eyebrow. 

“Nope!” you grin, your heart elevated. “Sweet Tea is perfect.” 

With a soft smile, Joel places the picture in front of you and gently taps on it. 

“Well then, Sweet Tea,” he says. “Tell me more about this surrealism thing.” 

[dramatisperscnae]

hal has heard it from john that kyle has the habit of expressing affection through exchanging music. during his time as the last lantern the architect had been a close friend and companion, so he is as reliable as a source as possible. of course, that gave the older man an idea and though maybe it may come across as old fashioned, he latches onto it as fast as it comes to him.

he finds a co-worker at his current temporary job willing to burn the cd for him, though they eye him like he is a bizarre relic of lost times, bothering with physical cds, but they don't ask questions. by night, during one of their casual meetings at warriors, hal manages to pull kyle aside just for long enough to slip him his gift, inconspicuous enough.

"heard from john you like music, right? so i figured i could be nosey and give you this, kid." they are an item already and he needs no pretense to gift him, but there's a certain charm to these little stolen moments, so he keeps to them. "listen when you're alone. i'll drop by after i'm done with work," which would probably take a week or less, this whole freelance pilot business, "so you can tell me what you thought of it."

Quite honestly, Kyle adores the little stolen moments Hal manages to find for them. They're absolutely not necessary, sure - he and Hal have been together for a while now, even if neither one of them has really put a label on what they are - but the brief moments of affection or intimacy in an otherwise public setting appeal to the romantic in his soul.

Today is no different, Kyle unable to hide his fond smile as Hal pulls him aside to slip a CD, of all things, into his hand. It's blank, just the words For Kyle scribbled on it in Hal's by-now-familiar handwriting. "Sure…" A mix CD? Has to be; if it was all one band, Hal would've just bought the album someplace and given that to him. "Thanks."

It takes him a while to dig out his old Discman - and oh but doesn't that just bring back some nostalgia - and a while longer to find batteries for the thing, but soon enough he's settled in, sketchbook in hand, with the CD playing. The opening chords of the first song are almost immediately recognizable, Kyle unable to help the fond grin as his pencil starts skating over the paper. Bruce Springsteen might not be his usual jam, but it's impossible not to at least be familiar with the man's songs if you like music.

The second song has his pencil pausing for a moment as he glances down at the Discman. It could be a coincidence, having two songs with such a similar theme back to back, but then again…

Once is chance. Two is coincidence. Three is a pattern.

As soon as the third song's lyrics register Kyle just lets his head fall back against the couch, a probably dopey smile on his face. "Hal, you didn't…"

But he did. Kyle knows he did. If the third song hadn't clinched it the fourth one does, and even has tears starting in his eyes as soon as he hears Elvis's voice croon softly through his headphones. He can remember his mother singing along to this song when he was younger, and he can't resist silently singing along himself now. Take my hand, take my whole life too; for I can't help falling in love with you.

That refrain is all it takes to send a sudden spark of inspiration straight to his brain. Kyle's suddenly sitting back up, CD still playing, some part of his mind still listening as his pencil flows across the paper to sketch out the basic shape of the idea he just had. Is it sappy and stupidly romantic? Sure it is. Is it something that will ever happen? God, who knows; he doesn't know how Hal would feel about the idea, but he knows that he'd feel more than a little uncertain himself.

The only dancing Kyle knows how to do isn't exactly the slow kind, after all.

Kyle only pauses twice in his work once he has a clear vision in mind: once to ensure that his Discman is set to keep the CD playing on loop, and once to move into his studio to more fully bring that vision to life. A base sketch is all well and good, but this needs to be a fully realized piece.

Time and the outside world cease to exist as he works, the music flowing through his earphones keeping him focused and perfectly in the zone. Pencil to set the general outline, then pastel pencils to build on that base. Background, foreground, base colors, shadows, highlights…gradually the scene takes shape on the paper in front of him.

A large hall in an Art Deco style with richly paneled white and deep malachite-green walls lit by silver sconces and an elegant chandelier, with a polished wooden floor. On a stage in the background, a band - piano, upright bass, drummer, guitar, violin, trombone, singer - all in black tie. Hints of a crowd in the midground, including some mutual acquaintances - Guy's red hair stands out in one corner, laughing about something with John, while on the opposite side a pair that look suspiciously like Oliver Queen and Dinah Lance study what might be a buffet table.

But all of that pales against the couple in the foreground. Two men share a dance, the only ones on the dance floor; they seem almost to glow in the light from the chandelier above them. The taller is clearly leading, his warm brown hair brushed neatly back, Cambridge gray suit perfectly tailored to his broad shoulders and athletic form; the shorter has his black hair artfully mussed, a black shirt and slacks beneath an emerald waistcoat accenting his leaner build. It's clear to any onlooker the feelings they hold for each other, their eyes locked in a gaze full of love and adoration; each believes the other hung the very stars in the sky.

By the time Kyle surfaces from his focus it's almost dawn, the windows of his apartment beginning to brighten as light returns to the world. He stretches, surprised to hear his back pop like bubble wrap getting stepped on, and studies his handiwork with a small smile. Maybe he'll get this one framed before Hal gets back…he'll have to think about that. For now, there's a coffee maker in the kitchen that's calling his name.

The Discman, still playing its lone CD without interruption, gets carried right along for the trip.

[j4m3s-b4k3r]

10 years a LEFTY

After my stroke at the end of 2012, my focus for most of 2013 was on learning how to walk & talk again, and navigating the bureaucracy of disability benefits. By September, I was still very much a mess, but finally wrestled with an issue that had weighed heavily on me the entire time - whether I’d ever draw again. 

Sketching in Golden Gate Park.

Janine Dawson had sent me a sketchbook while I was still in hospital, complete with pre-dated pages. I could not keep to her schedule though. Partly because I had so much physical therapy and became exhausted easily. Also, I was deeply afraid. My clumsy attempts to draw with either hand caused despair. So I focussed instead on the many other things I needed to do. There’d been hope that sensation & motor coordination might return to my right drawing hand eventually, but 9 months later it was still asleep (and in most respects, still is). I finally accepted that my trusty right hand was kaput, and wouldn't draw again. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but only after that acceptance could I train the understudy to go on stage - My LEFT HAND. 

A self-caricature in my wheelchair, 2013.

I drew for its own sake, with absolutely no expectation of ever drawing professionally again. That filled me with sadness, but the idea that I might not draw at all was worse. Drawing was always part of my self-identity. So, Julia & I often drew together. I was painfully slow, but started to enjoy the random quality of my drawings done with my non-dominant hand. Never exactly sure what my LEFT hand would do, I drew in a spirit of exploration, like when I was a child. (I now believe that this open lack of expectations actually set me free). My mobility was even worse than it is now and we often drew paused images from TV, but went location sketching too, starting at the college campus near our apartment.

Sketches of SF State campus, 2013.

Julia had bought me two beautiful leather bound sketchbooks for Christmas 2012 (and I had a stroke the very next day). 2014 was when my drawing had progressed enough to start filling one of them with sketches. I went out sketching with her, or sketchmaster Matt Jones. Unsure of how to earn a living, I often considered what other job I might do.. Be a writer? A teacher? Kevin Richardson helped me explore script writing. Steve Purcell & Derek Thompson called me for a few weeks of story brainstorming. It is hard to overstate how much those first short gigs meant to me. I began to feel useful again. In the first year of my stroke many friends (from many studios) had arranged fundraisers to help with my medical bills, but I was too frail to attend. In 2014, Ben Walker arranged “Bizarro Sketch Night”, where artist friends bid on each other's art, drawn with their non-dominant hands. A fun event that I was able to participate in myself. I'll never forget all these encouragements from my community.

"Bizarro Sketch Night", 2014.

John Hoffman gave me a sketchbook, and in 2015 it was where I began to sketch out a graphic novel. The plan is to incorporate old pages done with my RIGHT hand and new pages done with my LEFT, and for them to be compatible (this art-therapy project continues to this day). Julia encouraged me to start colouring my blog stories digitally (and for Christmas that year, she bought me a new cintiq!) Using Photoshop with one hand was tricky, but the workarounds I learned came in handy when I got my first ever LEFT-handed paid drawing assignment, a cover for Carol Hughes’ book!

2015 projects.

2016 had so many work opportunities that I was taken off disability. My financial safety net was gone, but it was exciting to take the plunge into freelancing as a LEFT handed artist. Again, friends gave me encouragement & chances. Steve Lee got me a brief teaching assignment (at the Academy Of Art). Then Jim Capobianco asked me to storyboard on "MARY POPPINS RETURNS". This was very exciting development for me. It was a long gig, subletting a room in one of the satellite buildings of PIXAR's Emeryville campus, where old colleagues were watching my progress..

"Mary Poppins Returns", 2016.

In 2017, I did LEFTY storyboards for Brad Rau at GHOSTBOT. Soon after,Jonas Rivera suggested I try out storyboarding on a PIXAR project, which became Pete Docter’s "SOUL", and after a few months, that became a staff position. It was wonderful to be working again with my old roomie Rej Bourdages, who’d always supported me in my darkest hours. Keeping up with all the other inspiring drawing geniuses in Emeryville is intimidating for a one-armed old duffer, but is a great way to improve. In 2018 & 2019 my drawing dexterity & speed increased (and with this steady job, I finally paid off my mountain of medical debt). The 2020-2022 pandemic years were ironically a boon. Working from home gave me extra hours (previously sucked-up by my commute) to do more spare time personal projects, where I pushed my LEFTY drawing skills even further.

"SOUL"

"the INVENTOR"

"ELiO"

Animated films worked on since 2017.

It’s been a decade since I began drawing with my non-dominant hand. Every day is still a struggle, but I'm so grateful to be where I am now. On this day in 2013, I had absolutely no hope that I'd ever become a full-time professional cartoonist again. That I actually got here is due to many colleagues, friends & loved ones not only encouraging me to draw, but giving me real professional opportunities to do so.

All throughout this topsy turvy journey, at every low & highpoint, Julia has never lost faith in me. Even though I became a feeble old man overnight, she stayed with me. She understands how important drawing is to me (as it is to her too) and she has always offered encouragement. She has gone out drawing with me. Challenged me, and pushed me to new levels. Her artistry is a constant inspiration. I'm extremely lucky to have her by my side.

I'm profoundly grateful to all of you, who've supported me in so many ways over the past 10 years. You've given me great joy.

Thank you!

[elena-oc-blog]

Hey remember when I drew the hydra brothers back in august and mentioned in the description that i would have their parents out soon too? Yeah sorry, they got stuck in art limbo as i was distracted with other things but now I have the hydra dads for you to see! I actually finished this like 2 days ago and I was going to wait with posting them until i finished the hydra mom piece too but I'm going through another *im tired all the time* period so thats not happening any time soon so here is hydra dad by himself or themselves i should say. I only drew their heads because I have mercy for myself and am not subjecting myself on drawing an anthro hydra with 5 heads. I do have bust sketches of them in my sketchbook but I still need to figure out how to fit their 5 necks and heads on one body properly so maybe thats a thing for the far future Anyway lore on these guys uh, Im a lil tired so let me just copy paste some miscelaneous lore I posted in my discord server and ill try to elaborate when i feel less shitty. I'll put it under a readmore so this post wont clog up your feed.

The Lièrna family gang is made up of Greek monsters: centaurs, satyrs, chimeras, minotaurs, griffins, some undercover hellhounds, etc.

Don't have a proper ref for this gang yet as I still need to fill their ranks

They originally lived in and operated from Athens in Greece but had to leave almost everything behind when the police started to catch on to them. They fled to the carribean island of Isla Dracon and settled in Auron City, soon recovering their wealth and businesses and becoming one the top dog gangs there and close to being in control of the city. That is until Thorn showed up a few years after..

The Lièrna family front is a luxury car business (building, selling, repairing) while their criminal business is car towing with a lot of extortion of the poorer part of the city's population where they basically steal cars and any personal belongings left in them from the poor population because they can't pay the fees. They then proceed to either resell these cars in one of their used car dealerships or destroy the cars to use for parts and scrap metal. They also loan out money under preditory rates and own some real estate that they rent out for high prices with bad service. So really their whole business is exploiting people, especially those less fortunate. They revel in this, thinking the poor deserve it for not working hard enough.

As for their relationship with Thorn, they hate Thorn but they act like good friends of his whenever they meet with him or are talking about him with people they don't know/people who like him. They don't want to stir trouble until they have a solid plan on how to overthrown him. Thorn as of now has no idea the hydras hate his guts and are plotting against him in secret together with Morrison and whatever other allies they gain.

Im not sure how old they are. I need to figure out my timeline better for that first. And maybe change how dragons age compared to other species idk But I would say they are between their late 40s and mid 50s

Also pecking order of the brothers from top to bottom is: Don, Alekos, Roland and Boris and at the very bottom is Kashew. Kashew is mute and also rather friendly which makes his brothers and especially Don regard him as a useless nobody. Kashew gets a lot of verbal abuse and sometimes also physical abuse from his brothers :( The only reason they don't physically abuse him as much as they mentally abuse him is because having a beaten up head would be bad for their business and image with the civilians of the city. They also cant get rid of him as that would comprimise their health and ability to fuse back together. Hydras can split up into individual smaller and less powerful dragons but unless all individuals are present, they can't fuse back together. And eventhough hydras in their fused natural state can regenerate their heads effortlessly and have an increased durability for injuries, in their seperate state they will die if decapitated and are also much more defenseless in general. While a fused hydra could take a vicious stabbing/beating and live, a split hydra individual is much more fragile and will easily bleed out and if they die, their siblings are doomed as well. Thus hydras tend to only split up when in the comfort of their home or when they take on a human disguise. It can also occur when there is an extreme disagreement between siblings and one or multiple forcibly split off through sheer willpower, causing them to fall apart into seperate entities. This is not preferable though. Anyway i think thats all the lore i have at the moment, i hope you enjoy the boys. Feel free to ask questions about them

[sabrinatvband]

Fat Evil Women devlog 1

I'm working on a new comic and I thought it would be good to share some notes on its production. I think this will be the only devlog I share publically for this comic; I'll probably include a start-to-finish log with all of the concept art and layout roughs as a tier bonus when I sell this on itch.io later. But, here's a very generous taste.

This comic is eventually going to be sold as a CBR file on itch, but I'm also doing to try printing it on A3 paper [which will be folded] and making a small batch of physical copies to give away. It will probably be 32 pages long. It's going to be an anthology [with one particularly long story]. In other words, it's going to be a complete comic, like one you might buy in a comic shop, rather than something more "informal" in shape. In the future, I plan on making enough of these to collect them in trade paperback form, perhaps as a print on demand book?

So far I've done a couple of layouts and compiled a ton of notes. Work on this project began with a simple two-page layout for a bimbo sequence.

I did all the pencilling, inking, and coloring in between two and four hours I think. The first panel on the second page uses an old drawing of the bimbo character I'd drawn several months ago.

I then made a sequence using a Goblin Queen character I'd created around a year ago. Here's the sequence and the original illustration I'd done. The second incomplete panel is from an old drawing I started but never finished.

Yes, the Goblin Queen who looks nothing like a goblin is meant to be a reference of sorts to the Goblin King from Labyrinth, if you were wondering. Except my Goblin Queen mostly hangs out with dark elves.

These sequences are only meant to be rough guides for the final drawings, but I put way more efforts into my layouts than I actually need to. After making these two page sequences, I decided to do something a little more ambitious.

I illustrated a woman wearing a shiny black dress, and she reminded me of an old indie porno producer character I'd created a while ago named Demonia [please ignore how terrible the old three part sequence looks; I didn't know how to draw fat women yet].

When I started plotting this sequence out in my notebook, it was only four pages long. But I added a bunch of extra panels in later and brought it up to six pages [The numbers are original panels, and the letters are ones I added in after making the first complete rough layout.]

I made some concept art for characters I'd mentioned in the script that didn't have designs yet, as well as a few locations. I then compiled all of that into a CBR file I can refer to while working on the final art [the blacked out bits in the thumbnails are photo references].

I then started work on another sequence that quickly grew beyond the six pages I was initially planning on doing.

A few years ago, when I first started using my Wacom, I illustrated an androgynous spider creature. Much more recently, I started moving overseas and started designing new characters in my sketchbook that I was planning on making digital pieces with later, and I revisited my spider concept. If you overlay the rough spider drawing from the sketchbook page with the digital WIP below, you'll notice I did a whole bunch of warping and stuff to the individual limbs to make it look better.

This WIP will appear in finished form in the spider comic somewhere; look out for it.

Anyways, I decided this spider would be perfect for a weight gain sequence, and so I started making concept art.

This is just a fraction of the concept art I created. I've done at least 15 pages of work for this comic, and a lot of it is exploratory work. In the beginning, I had basically no idea what the plot of the sequence would be, and designing new characters and illustrating scenarios gave shape to the story.

After making maybe three or four pages of sketches, and writing a list of elements I wanted to be in the story in my notebook, I made this rough synopsis of the plot. I then started working on a CBR file for the spider sequence that includes photo references, sketches, old designs I want to repurpose, scans of my notebook, etc.

Work was slowing down in my notebook, and so eventually I made a text document and started writing down panel-by-panel bullet points. Of course this all needs to be adapted into rough visuals, but I covered a lot of ground with this after building my foundation.

You might be wondering what the point of all this pre-production work is. The problem with comics as a medium is that it's extremely time intensive, and so you have to get all of the iterative stuff done long before you put pencil to bristol board for the first time [assuming you only use bristol board during the very last stage of your process].

[Old comic artists were sometimes drawing upwards of 40 pages a month, and they didn't have time to think things out so thoroughly. But for people who aren't drawing multiple books a month, it's been common to do multiple waves of layouts for decades, and this pre-production stuff has only gotten more common. Which is good; quality > quantity. The video on layouts below is a great overview.]

While I was doing layouts in my notebook for this spider sequence, I started working out a page that ended up not hitting all of the notes it needed to. If I'd been drawing by the seat of my pants, it would've been a big problem, but when you're doing layouts with illustrations only two or three steps above stick figure drawings, re-doing a page is not a hassle.

You might be wondering what my actual workflow is for producing finished art. Once I got very used to the feeling of using an Intuos Wacom, I told myself I was going to draw comics entirely digitally. It made a lot of sense; I could use layers, perspective work is a lot easier digitally, and I can fix mistakes and/or warp things a lot more easily.

Over time, I realized I hated doing everything digitally. There are many things that are better digital, like coloring. I prefer drawing pin-ups digitally. But I really don't like drawing an entire page digitally, and I realized my previous serious comic attempts had all petered out when it was time to start doing the final work in the computer, after the layouts and stuff had already been completed.

Of course, I'd tried making professional quality work without computers before. But it's nearly impossible to do that inside of a sketchbook [although I'd drawn many joke comics in highschool using a sketchbook], and using only bristol board I had problems with things like perspective; I have a lot of respect for older artists who couldn't use any digital tools.

So, I've resolved to buy a scanner and printer. I'm going to make final layouts in my art programs that have skeletons laid out where I want them, perspective grids, panel layouts, etc, and then I'll print them onto bristol board using light blue ink [which doesn't get picked up by a scanner]. I'll then do the final pencilling and inking on bristol board, scan those pages, and do any touch-ups and coloring in the computer.

I forgot to mention that none of these comics have words. Perhaps future issues of Fat Evil Women will have dialogue and stuff, but as a conceptual thing this first issue is basically completely silent. When I was making panel grids digitally to start working on some final layouts, I noticed that, when you don't have any speech bubbles, a traditional six panel grid looks way too square and vertical. So, I've decided to make my spider sequence on a four-tier grid, which shouldn't be a massive change. The entire story uses uniform rows, and so it just means moving stuff back. There are no dramatic page-turn moments that will be compromised by this change.

I might have to alter the Demonia sequence as well, but probably not. Since the height of the panels in the two page sequences are variable, I think I'll leave them exactly as they are.

I was planning on including a giantess sequence in this first issue as well, but if I reach 32 pages without it then I'll have to push it to a later issue. But since I'm moving to four-tier layouts, I might end up with a lot fewer pages than expected.

[k00287690]

Temporary project- politics and war through childhood- collateral damage

•through my project i want to express the collateral damage done on war children survivors and the aftermath of the unfair, irresponsible actions of the adults that were put in charge to protect their people in the name of these kids and through my own personal experience as well.

•the civil war in syria which started in March 2011, has left 6 million children in need of assistance. Almost half of them live far from home, displaced in camps or in the communities where they now reside, across the neighboring countries.

•as someone who suffers ptsd from the war i was fixated on how the brain works on processing problems and life leading to different beliefs in which personally i show through believing everything is temporary including happy moments, friends, family, a career and having a home, mental health and so on which goes back to the lack of feeling secure and safe due to many traumatic events.

•i am not the only one that has experienced this and i’m sure many out there feel the same way ever since they were forced to leave the life they’ve always had behind them due to the war. statics show that 79 percent of children had experienced a death in the family; 60 percent had seen someone get kicked, shot at, or physically hurt; and 30 percent had themselves been kicked, shot at, or physically hurt. almost more than half of these children showed symptoms of ptsd which is ten times the prevalence among children around the world.

•for me being on survival mode all the time meant holding onto nothing in life because i have experienced how a person can lose everything so suddenly. even in the aftermath and me fleeing home i have met and experienced many things that proved to me everything is temporary. meeting new people meant having the thought of them leaving my life any minute in the back of mind which lead me to never form any type of attachment for anyone. only until recently as i went into adulthood where i became aware of all those things which in return helped me deal with things and with relations in a more secure, rational and a healthy way.

my project is 50% primary sources since i’m working off memory and personal experience. along the line of developing my project i have used secondary sources such as pictures of the president of Syria and Russia however in my sketchbook i’ve done few sketches of people i appreciate spending happy moments with. every minute is spend with them is very precious and the next is never granted. i have learnt to appreciate the present time, healing from the past and accepting the future as it comes. it’s always good to plan your future ahead however having the worst in mind is a key survival factor for me.

when i look back at pictures from the war and hear stories that circle around the feelings of anger, and hatred which i had thought were temporary come back to mind. for many innocent souls to suffer for no reason whatsoever i find it really unfair that the people responsible still go around unpunished living a normal life…

[worldofgoo]

yayayay yippee (≧◡≦) i love how vibrant & lively your art is, i think my fav pieces are Horse Surgery & hanyuu (even tho i have no idea who that is) but that one wip with the rainbow is also v ery special 2me because it reminds me of my fav kind of weather ^_^ generic Which Program Do You Use question & also which programs have you tried so far? which one would you recommend for someone whose only experience so far wiht digital art has been scribbling in ms paint -_-? on topic, what do you draw with (mouse, phone, drawing tablet, ??) & was it easy for you to get used to digital art? i always get overwhelmed by the amound of different functions available so im not sure where to even start, any advice? which physical art forms do you like / would you like to learn (anything at all, i personally have been getting into air dry clay... well actually ive been using my sisters playdoh but maybe ill purchase smthn fancier :3) & final question how do you come up with poses to draw? your characters (+creatures) seem very animated and i really like that :)

HI okay i guess ill answer these in a list. actually will put it under the cut since i ended up saying a lot (and dw i enjoy being able to talk a lot so thank you!)

-THANK YOU im glad some of my more recent works (in my more current style) are appealing 2 people! like i wanna draw my own way even though i think it gets less notes... the higurashi fanarts (hanyuu and shion) r very memorable pieces to me because its when i started doing the loose sketches with the thin lines and block colors and thats the direction i reallyreally wanted to take my style in. also the rainbow is rian my friend rian

-i draw in paint tool sai! the only program i used before that was sketchbook pro, which i didnt like because the brushes were kind of... blurry/smudgy? sai allows you to zoom in and draw pixel by pixel which is something i like, and i like the way it does its blending. its also just easier for me to understand. i didnt pay for it i think i found some deviantart page that had the link, id have to find it again

-i draw with a wacom intuos tablet! its lasted me... almost 10 years now. ive heard newer ones are poorer quality in terms of at least the nibs needing to be replaced constantly, so idk what the most recommended tablet these days is. ive drawn with my mouse and tbh it caused awful hand pain so i would not recommend this. i draw on my phone with my finger sometimes but i find doing it on my laptop easier, however it is doable once you get used to it

-the way i got into digital art... well. i still have an archive of my earliest art if you wanna see! i was 14 n just drew random shit, often lining over doodles i did on paper and coloring them in. i think esp if youre overwhelmed start with making like throwaway experimental pieces, scribble around, doodle stupid things and color them in with different brushes and see what you enjoy. and then you can just keep the files to yourself if they dont look too good or maybe itll look interesting, it depends i guess haha. the other thing that ive always found helped me was telling myself id draw every day even if it was a little scribble or the tiniest amount of work on a wip bc getting a habit going helped my art a Lot beause it helped me spend more time thinking n focusing on it

more specific advice for sai that i found useful- using clipping groups & the preserve opacity functions are both lifesavers in terms of not spending so much time trying to color in the lines. if you color in a base layer you can just put everything above it as a clipping group and just not worry about it anymore. i also really like using the filters (like multiply) to mess around with the colors a drawing has, though sometimes its more effective to just select a layer/individual color and fuck with the hue/saturation/etc until it looks good. when i color, esp when its not turning out how i wanted to, i rely on shifting colors A LOT. n also mixing colors together using a blending brush and then colorpicking the intermediate color. very useful

-for the most part i stick to uncolored pencil doodles on like, notebook paper (even though i have some fancy supplies X[ one day) but i LOVE making things with clay, wish it was more accessible to do at home. i have a handful of clay animal statues and stuff that i made in my ceramics class in high school. would looove to do more

-because my poses tend to be very pushed/cartoony using references of real people isnt always useful (though obv knowing the basics of anatomy always helps) so in those cases ill use other cartoony art i like as inspiration, i try to see what i like about their poses nd emulate that with my own. sometimes when im struggling ill just do a bunch of studies where i copy art i like to try to get a feel for what im missing. mostly ive realized i like when the pose conveys some level of like, volume and taking up a 3D space (which im still definitely not a master of but bullshitting it can be fun). and i also like to have a balance of curved and angular shapes. sometimes i try to just do a pose that conveys a specific emotion or i just make shit up lol

alsooooo i cant reccomend aimless doodling enough! just random shapes, turning the random shapes into creatures, trying and trying and trying different ways to draw something until you like it, i feel like the things my hand makes when i shut my brain off and just scribble can inspire me as well, and i try to emulate whatever i made by chance while doodling. and if your doodles turn out better in traditional i tend to consider using a photo of a drawing as a way to skip the "preliminary sketch" phase nd drawing a rough sketch over that which i then use for my drawing (or just directly color since i draw very fast/lazy...)

[justgallifreyanthings]

Hi I love your designs. Do you have any tips for beginners, workflows or tutorials you'd recommend?

I have the alphabet down and have been trying to move to PS but it is a nightmare. I've been trying with doing each word on a layer but I end up with a million vectors.

Thank you!

Hi, thank you so much!

Nailing down a digital workflow definitely takes a bit of trial and error. It took me a good 2 years to figure out how to work in Photoshop, especially since I was learning from scratch, and another year or so to figure out a workflow when I moved to a tablet.

In terms of tools, I use Photoshop Elements 2011, Illustrator (though I've used Inkscape before), and Autodesk Sketchbook on my tablet. Other Gallifreyan writers use GIMP and AutoCAD (yeah idk how that last one works either). In general, I think the same tips work across platforms, both raster and vector, though of course YMMV.

Ultimately, the massive number of layers is somewhat unavoidable. This piece had 31 layers in Photoshop; this simple one had 10 layers in Illustrator. But here are some tips for getting from hundreds down to less than 50! I'm gonna move the rest of this under a readmore to avoid clogging dashboards.

First, you probably don't need to put each word on its own layer. I tend to group structural elements together. So for each sentence, I'll do the sentence circles on one layer, all word circles on 1-2 layers, and then consonants, vowels, line decorators, dot decorators, and punctuation all on individual layers. With both raster and vector software, you can move individual elements within a layer - with vectors you just pick up the whole path, and with raster you can use the lasso or magic wand to select all pixels within a certain area on a layer. With raster, the main thing you need to watch out for is overlapped shapes - so when I work in Photoshop, I'll have 2-3 layers for word circles and for consonants, so I can switch between the various layers when things overlap.

Second, clipping masks and groups are your friend!! Clipping masks help you get clean, sharp edges without having to zoom in to erase individual pixels. Grouping helps consolidate the various elements of a word or sentence; especially when you're happy with how something looks, group all the individual parts of it so you're only working with one object instead of 15.

Third, I find it really helpful to sketch out my designs physically before making them digitally - sometimes I do this in my sketchbook, sometimes I draw things on my tablet. But sketching the design out helps me get a sense of how all the pieces are fitting together, which in turn gives me a sense of how to tackle them. For example, when working in Photoshop, I draw word circles for words without divots before drawing word circles that have divots, so that I can use the nondivot-circles to inform divot positioning. But in order to do this, I have to know upfront which words are going to have divots and how everything is fitting together.

Finally, you may want to take a look at Sirkles' youtube explanations. She makes these to explain how to read her translations, but on occasion, she'll go into her GIMP file to fix something, and that might help explain the behind-the-scenes process. Annnd you can check out these 2 Twitch VODs of mine from back when I had pipe dreams of a Patreon where I offered Twitch VODs as a patron benefit: VOD 1 || VOD 2. Both are for pieces I did in Photoshop. I apologize in advance for the garbage sound quality.

I hope you're able to find something useful in this wall of text. Unfortunately I think it really does just take practice, and a lot of trial and error, so I wish you the best of lucky and a speedy learning curve!

[propheteka]

Sketchbook and You

If you’ve been following me for a bit (or you take a read through the descriptions over on my Art Blog), you’ve probably noticed the name of a few non-standard art programs. This is about one of them!

Things I want to get out of the way before the break:

No, I’m not here to sell you on the program. I’ll simply tell you what I like/dislike from my years of using it.

Yes, I’ll help you with some stuff that might come in handy if you decide to take the plunge.

And now… Here's a long-time user’s perspective on Sketchbook.

So! Sketchbook… it's been around for a while. I bought my 1st copy way back in the day for my (at the time) brand new 2nd Gen iPod Touch! It was great for doing quick sketches on the go. The thing I liked about it over the other popular paint program – Colors! - was the Pencil brush. Not surprising that a guy who primarily draws on paper would go for the brush most like the main tool he uses but hey? I’m basic like that.

For me, a solid feeling pencil was the difference between me drawing on my iPod or sticking to my physical notepad.

Back then, it was still owned by AutoDesk and went by SketchBook Express, SketchBook Mobile Express and SketchBook Pro. Each had their own quirks with the Express series being their “Free" versions. Over on the desktop side, they had things like the Copic Edition – a free program that allowed you to try use the official Copic marker colors in your pics. That would get walked over to SketchBook Pro later on and remain 'till the Sketchbook crew split off from AutoDesk in June of 2021.

Alrighty… With all of that history out of the way, To the Point!

Yes, I enjoy using Sketchbook. It’s the way I draw on my devices when I'm not using a mouse in Illustrator or doing basic stuff in Fireworks. It's super simple and good for what I need. No triple deep menus of things it can do that you need proper classes to learn to take full advantage of. Since it’s always had a mobile version (maybe that was it’s original platform), the menus are simple and easy to hide. You can import, export and build your own brushes from scratch. In the version that released closest to this writing (the October 2022 release), they even added something close to what was lost during their split from AutoDesk – a really neat color feature. Although it (currently) lacks the Copics from before, it makes up for that in both the ability to select colors and import, export and build whole color books.

Does this mean I’m recommending it? Not really.

I dig it, sure… but those used to neat things like the ability to save out timelapse videos from your desktop files or native 3D models or even just being able to add text will find it lacking. The formats it uses – TIFFs and PSDs - are fine for some. I personally like to work in PNG so I have to be careful to save out my layers individually or the whole thing will be flattened. Same goes with saving things in general. Like with any program, you need to be sure you’re saving things in the right file. I’ve noticed my copies of SB tend to remember the last file name used, auto filling the field. If I’m going too fast, I face a real risk saving over an older project.

The only thing I can recommend is to try before you buy.

How does one do that when the program is a one-time-fee dealie? Well… before the split, AutoDesk made the last version of SBPro free for everyone. I don’t normally do this ‘cause it’s a bit of a dick move and links will change as time goes one but I’ll drop a link to it and the archived page for the Much older Copic Edition in the next bit. Just understand that, for as good as Sketchbook is and for as long as it has been around, it’s kind of starting from scratch again with their newfound independence.

That’s about all I have to say about the subject. All in all, I enjoy using Sketchbook and have found it worth the price over the years. If You want to give the program the best shot it can, here’s some links that might help you along the way:

Sketchbook – The main site. Gets you the latest versions and a little more.

Extras Page – Like the name suggests, this has extras. Stuff like downloadable brush sets and some color books.

SketchBook Pro Free Brush Mega Set – Thanks to the hard work of a redditor, this is the best way to get damn near every free brush set that was offered by AutoDesk over the years.

AutoDesk SketchBook ver 8.7.1 – A link to the last edition they released before the split. It is free and comes with access to all the stuff the old Pro version did (Copics, perspective grids, other non-standard stuff I can’t remember). You can still import/export/build brushes with this.

SketchBook Copic Edition – What it says on the tin. This old version allows you the (at the time) new feature of the official Copic color book… and not much else if I remember right. It predates a lot of improvements. I don’t even remember if you could import brushes. It’s the least sketchy way to try out the basics of Sketchbook before you decide on jumping in completely.

If this helped you make a decision, I’m both shocked and amazed. Personally, I’d give one of the older copies a shot if they’ll run on your gear (That Copic one is OLD). Between the simple interface that knows when to get out of the way to the newer features they Just introduced, I think it’s worth it if only to try it.

[quickdeaths]

Yi-Chun gave a quiet laugh as she adjusted her glasses and started thumbing through the pages of her sketchbook. "Heyyy, I wasn't trying to bribe you." Since she'd started carrying a bag in the first place, she'd always tried to keep all kinds of useful things in there - pads, snacks, spare clothes, vitamins, headache medicine, and that was just some of it. It was something she'd just picked up, hanging out with the neighbor kids as a de facto babysitter while everyone's parents were working.

"I just remember being hungry all the time when I was about your age." She'd shot up maybe nineteen or twenty centimeters in what felt like no time at all, and who knew? Maybe Mizuki could be in for a similar growth spurt. "If you let me know what your favorites are, I'll make sure to stock up for you for next time." Sure, there were vending machines not ten meters away, and yeah, Mizuki owned this whole building anyway, but it was nicer to be given things by someone looking out for you than have to get them yourself. That's what she figured, anyway.

Having found the pages she needed to get to, Yi-Chun angled the book in such a way that Mizuki would see. They were mostly figure sketches done in pencil, detailed but small, showing the key silhouettes of poses and dance moves, with helpful arrows connecting them in order. Helpful tips were written out in slightly-shaky Japanese, while notes to herself were scribbled in small, tight Mandarin in the corners. Early drafts of lyrics and rhymes were further written out where she could find extra space, as if Yi-Chun had needed to write her ideas down immediately or else she'd lose them.

"I'm not sure how interesting you'll think it is," she admitted, though the idea of her work being boring didn't seem to bother her very much. "But these are some of the things I've got going on today." She pointed at one set of drawings, paired with some lyrics. "This is some stuff I was working on for Dark Zone Kalimas, but they sent it back for revisions ehehe..." Part of the difficulty of writing and choreographing for other people was finding out their styles and limitations. From such an athletic background, Yi-Chun had a habit of pushing herself to the physical limit with high-energy performances, but not everyone wanted, or was capable of, such athleticism.

"I'm still feeling out what kinds of songs everyone wants to sing and dance to, and what kind of moves fit everyone's vibes." With another gentle laugh, Yi-Chun rubbed at the back of her neck. Sometimes simplicity was the best method, even if that wasn't entirely her vibe. "Well, whatever. I'm sure it'll work out one way or another," she added with a breezy shrug. "Everyone here's got skills for days, so it's just about making the right matches!" Always an optimist.

"So, no worries." Taking off her jacket and standing up, Yi-Chun took a couple steps away from the sofa, over to the open space of the office. "It was supposed to look something like this," she said, counting herself in before launching into her choreography. She preferred eschewing the traditional "idol step" in favor of more complicated step sequences, jumps, and spins. It was only when she finished a pivot that came after a quick one-handed handstand transition that she maybe realized some of the issue. "Kind of something like that," came her laugh as Yi-Chun started back towards the sofas after finishing. "But, I think I need to tone it down a little in my revisions."

There's been one change of note since Mizuki took the 'helm' of the Lemniscate company. At least, one change she's been able to make- and that was that the Christmas decorations would stay up for an extra few weeks. Because she liked them. They were cool. And it was perhaps the biggest flex she could make for a few years that everyone would see. Would she do more? Oh absolutely.

It's not that she disliked the company that her father built. Sure, there was some measure of unsavoriness to it. She knew of course that part of the reason her daddy wasn't around to spend time with her was the polished lobby and the various media rooms it lead into. But. He'd left it to her. And when she was older if she wanted to she could make something of it too. Or do something else.

Mizuki doesn't know yet. She's 12 years old. Still figuring out what to make of herself and what to do besides look after Date back at home. You'd think she was the parent between the two of them. It's sad. She knows. She hates it. Among other things.

But she doesn't hate the people at Lemniscate. From Ritsuko, the receptionist to Juzo the janitor that she saw once in awhile. Can't forget the talents either! From the arrangement of idols to the ones that were there just to make music or put together videos. Speaking of which-

"Yi-Chun? Oh hey! Well- we're still off from school until next week so I'm just hanging out burning time. The cafe is closed so I thought I'd come here." Mizuki sits up from her relaxed position, relieving herself of the portable game console she was playing on. It disappears into the vast void of her backpack, and with hands free she's able to help herself to some snacks.

"Thanks. Didn't need to bribe me though. You're cool to stay here. You weren't really interrupting anything." Playing the game was just a distraction. What was Mizuki waiting for to happen? Probably this, without realizing it. Someone to talk to. "Appreciate it though!" Sitting up the elementary schooler peers over the table to peek at the sketchbook being laid out.

"Whatcha working on?"

[glasschampagne]

Hey love!

I saw that your requests are open I was wondering if you could write Sirius x reader with an arranged marriage trope and slowburn but not enemies to lovers idk if that makes sense lol. She's Regulus' bestfriend as well so it's like sirius and regulus have a good relationship and voldemort did not exist??? Hope that makes sense lol

Have an amazing day~

What Regulus Black Knows

MASTERLIST

Pairing: Sirius Black x Reader

Warnings: innuendos to Remus Lupin being hotter than the Sun, Regulus is a darling

A/N: Ok this is what I came up with. It's not exactly slowburn and it's kinda short, but I still hope you like it. Btw, please forgive me if its unlike my other works, I've been researching for the past 26 hours, and I'm tired as shit, I'm barely human at this point. Also, thank you so much for requesting!

○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

Arranged marriages. There is a certain negative connotation attached to the term, at least that’s what Y/N Y/L/N believed. And she had a right to believe so, given that she was betrothed to Sirius Black out of all people. Sirius "Loud Tosser" Black.

Although she had no say in the matter, her parents extended the courtesy of informing her that the engagement was meant to maintain blood purity. But she didn’t have to like it. Especially when she had no interest in supporting the buffoonery of pureblood supremacy.

Sirius was in a similar predicament. He was given no choice; his life was not his to dictate. All because of something as stupid as blood purity. And on top of that, he had to marry Y/N Y/L/N. "Female- Regulus" Y/N Y/L/N.

Despite the nicknames, Sirius and Y/N did not dislike each other. How could they, when they didn’t even know each other? Of course, they knew of each other. But knowing of someone and knowingsomeone, are vastly different matters.

Sirius didn’t know her favourite book, he wasn’t even aware she enjoyed reading. Y/N didn’t know his favourite colour, nor that he exclusively sketched using different shades of it.

There was someone who knew all of those things. Regulus Black. Being Sirius' brother, and Y/N's best friend; Regulus knew all the information the positions required.

He knew Y/N’s favourite book was The Chronicles of Narnia, because as an only child, an adventure with siblings was her biggest wish.

He knew that contrary to popular belief, Sirius' favourite colour was actually yellow, because it reminded him of the sunflowers in James Potter’s house.

And because he knew them so well, he was sure they would be perfect together.

He knew Sirius was touch starved, and loved to be held. He knew Y/N was a physical being that solved everything with a hug. He knew Sirius actually enjoyed giving compliments, and that Y/N needed constant reassurance.

Regulus was convinced a date was all it would take for them to fall madly in love. Only a date would suffice, if they gave happiness a chance. After all, they were natural complements. However, above all, they were the most stubborn people to have ever lived.

Their resolutions would not bend, and their prides would take no hit. They had already formed an idea of the other, and would not listen to reason. If he wanted to set them up, he would have to employ force. Luckily, the strong arms and mind of Remus Lupin were happy to help.

Locking them up together was an easy task. Their pride led them to believe no one could ever trick them. Y/N was convinced the shy presence that was Remus Lupin could do no evil. And of course, Sirius was certain sweet little Regulus could never design a deceitful scheme.

A successful scheme I may add. Lupin and Regulus did not only lock them up with each other. Y/N and Sirius also found themselves accompanied by a box. A box that spoke of their identities.

For Sirius, there was a sketchbook, Mrs. Potter’s blueberry tarts, and a pack of cigars. His passion, his home, and his vice.

For Y/N, a book, a mirror and a broom. Her hobby, her flaws, and her desire to run.

And just as predicted, they fell hard.

Sirius couldn’t believe he once thought her a female Regulus. Yes, she liked to read; but unlike Regulus, she didn’t do it for the knowledge. She did it for the adventures in places that were too far away for her broom to reach. And she was so self-aware, conscious that vanity could be dangerous.

She was beautiful, and colorful, and meaningful. She was pure stimulation to his artist heart.

Y/N couldn’t believe she ever thought of Sirius Black as a tosser. The term was too plain, too rough. He was not like that. Sirius was incredibly sensitive, and brave enough to express his emotions through art. He chose his family by the loyalty of their hearts.

He was captivating, and soft, and true. He was the refuge for her adventurous explorations.

Regulus had been right. But he is proud, and she is proud. They each went their own way, pretending everything was fine; although they could feel the fragility of their hearts.

Sirius lost inspiration. How could he produce art, when he didn’t remember what art was? His artist heart stopped beating. He had tasted the effects of her presence and nothing else could revive him.

Y/N was the same. Adventures had no appeal when she had no one to share them with. They didn’t matter when there was no home to return to. No him to return to.

The wedding day arrived, but their gloomy moods remained. Regulus understood. No matter how much they craved each other, going through with the wedding meant validating their families’ supremacist claims. The Houses of Black and Y/L/N would not be united that day. Regulus knew that.

But they didn’t know he knew.

They stumbled upon each other as they tried to flee. One look was all it took. They knew what they wanted to do, what their hearts needed them to do.

The Houses of Black and Y/L/N did not unite. But Sirius did marry Y/N. Far away, in a chapel in Wales.

[yostresswritinggirl]

Researching...

ZETA

You need to see this first then this

The alchemist had been trying all remedies to shake off the stress and fatigue in his system and they all seemed to fail, no amount of sketching or discoveries can pull him away from it. So when you offered a solution he hasn’t heard, he’d jump at it immediately. “You know, some people say having intercourse with someone is a good stress-reliever.” “Intercourse? If it’s true, then please, I wish to have intercourse with you.” “Wha- wait Albedo, do you not know what that is? It’s only done between lovers!” “Convenient, I love you, anything else?”

Pairing -> Albedo x Female Reader

Word Count -> 2944

Themes -> Smut, PwP, PwF, Woohoo, the "thing", the "do"

Series -> #Bonafide Specials (100 followers event)

Warnings -> NSFW CONTENT, DO NOT READ IF YOU'RE UNDERAGED! (this is awkward because you two have no experience, jsyk)

(Z,E)-9,12-tetradecadienyl acetate (TDA, also known as ZETA) are usually emitted by females to attract males for mating. Sex pheromones are defined as odors, produced by either males or females that stimulate one or more behavioral reactions in the opposite sex, bringing the males and females together for the purpose of mating.

The foldered papers at the mahogany desk met with a soft plop at its weight, and you noticed the Alchemist suddenly straighten his back from his spaced out daze on the noise, whipping his head towards where you stand. Albedo's teal eyes were wide from the sudden intrusion, but his eyelids drooped over them once again upon the realization that it was just you who entered as it loses its light once more. This worried you.

The Chief Alchemist of the Knights of Favonius has been in a dilemma recently. And all of Mond knows of this.

Albedo naturally holds himself in a regal and composed aura that draws people to him in admiration and trance. But this Albedo lacks such gait, with shoulders tense and eyebrows furrowed, steps heavy and head hanging low.

He has hit a wall in his never-ending research. And the effect was obvious on him.

Days he'd be cooped up in his laboratory staring at nothing, glaring at his setup. Days he'd be gone beyond the walls with his easel and sketchbook, only to return with unfinished artworks meant to be forgotten. Sucrose had tried placing experiments that are easy to handle and give him at least a sense of self-confidence for solving, but even that cannot pull his mind away from his obstacle.

"You know," leaning on the table with arms crossed, you watched the Kreideprinz drag his foot to where you were, aiming to check on the folder that you just submitted, "Some people say having intercourse with someone is a good stress-reliever." Such words smoothly flowed out of your mouth despite the masked embarrassment you expertly hid through a haughty smirk.

That someone was Kaeya, and that Kaeya threw out that same comment next to you when you two saw Albedo walk through the headquarter's halls like a zombie a few days ago.

The sudden pound of fists on the table at either side of you startled you, expertly caging you in as you looked up. Albedo loomed over you with eyes brightly catching the sun, giving it the luminosity that carried the same curious look he had when faced with the unknown. "Intercourse? If it's true, then please," oh no, "I wish to have intercourse with you."

Excuse me? "Wha-" suddenly, you were hyper-aware of just how close you are to one another. You slightly hiked yourself up against the table, as to preserve what little distance you have. "Wait Albedo, do you not know what that is? It’s only done between lovers!”

And without skipping a beat, he mused, "Convenient, I love you, anything else?" That familiar smirk displayed on his face.

Contrary to his face tho, you greatly contest to Diluc's hair. Really a normal reaction- to this guy suddenly confessing! Your head is already whirling around in confusion and your eyes couldn't set itself straight at him, still mindful of the distance of which reminded you why you were in this predicament in the first place.

Albedo attentively watched your eyes stray to the side as he stands there in silence, seeing it land at the entrance to his laboratory. Ah of course, he thought he'd made a discovery, as he leans away from you to make his way towards the door.

And shut it with a click.

"Wait, wait, why did you lock the door?!" You finally mustered up the courage to speak (breaking away from the shock of his confession) as he finds himself where he stood over you, eyes filled with confusion.

"You were quiet after my confession. I know such moments of romance are intimate and with your eyes, I only wanted to give us privacy," his brows furrowed with confusion before his shoulders dropped, a sharp sigh escaping. "Normally people would express their reciprocation by now," he breathed as he starts pulling back and away, "but voicing your rejection would have been appre-"

Quickly with a yelp, you reached out for his departing form, pulling him back by the grip on his shirt. Albedo's eyes only widened a little as he was quick to grip the table's edge to stabilize himself, one arm wrapped around your waist to ground you. "No! I do- do love you too!" You finally squeezed out the embarrassing confession, "You were just so sudden, it surprised me so much!"

And suddenly he was laughing openly, full of relief and humor, as his shoulders slackened at the validation. The heavy weight on his shoulders eased as if a physical matter left it, the bout of removed tension making him slump on you.

You cradled the tired Albedo in your arms as you let him place his chin on your shoulder. This man is your lover now, you thought as the fact finally dawned on you. The brilliant and most loved in Mond now tied down to you.

Basking in the presence of a person now his, Albedo found himself breathing in. There was a scent to you that always soothes him which now feels emphasized at the closeness. His pupils dilated as his face buries itself closer to the junction where your neck and shoulder meets.

Ah, what was this? Was this the pheromones you once talked about in your research on zoology that attracts those to them? He mused in his mind as those teal eyed fluttered shut, nose brushing at your neck for another whiff.

While Albedo indulged himself with the natural scent of you, you stood there with weak legs, trembling and red from the notions. Oh gods, you whimpered at the feeling of his lips brushing at your skin, you're whipped for this man.

"I'm waiting," you had to hold the shiver when his words vibrated against your neck, "for your answer on my offer, I think it would be good to try." Ah the 'intercourse'. You placed your hands flat on his back as he leans away to stare in attention, and then you finally explained to him what you meant, what you'd do, and what it entails to.

Albedo nods in understanding at your every clause and explanation. And his bright mind understood far too easily how it would help. "We are lovers now," his eyes twinkled at the cute scrunch of your nose upon the embarrassment of the fact, "sooner or later we'd end up doing it anyways. When shouldn't be a matter."

Albedo always make a good point.

With your consent, Albedo slowly lays you on the surface of the table as his other hand makes quick work to swipe away the items that would be in the way, thankfully the carpeted floor prevented anything from breaking. His lips found yours almost naturally as you urged him to take off his coat and you worked on your own, the thoughts spiraling in your head for every clothing that is shed:

Albedo has little to none idea on how sex works between humans, and you had your base knowledge from the things you learned from academics; in short, you're both inexperienced and you are his anchor.

How funny how the master role quickly switched, you thought with an inward laugh before it died in your throat at the sight— he stands there with his undershirt unbuttoned, belt and shorts caught by his knee, and his apparent bulge outlined by his boxers. Your thighs instinctively closed, you don't know what's considered average in size for such things, but you know for a fact there's gonna be some difficulty.

"Is something wrong?" His raw and calloused hands (gloves long gone) softly landed at your squirming thighs, the contact sending a shiver all over. "Am I doing something wrong?"

No, you breathed as you urged him to step closer and settle between your legs at the edge of the table, his form forcing you to spread your limbs apart.

The intoxicating scent that Albedo indulged in earlier was stronger now, drowning him and clouding his thoughts. The waft plunged through his senses so forcefully that he stumbled a bit on you, hips hitting as he grips your sides to keep him steady.

Next came the warmth that touched his sensitive length as it laid between you, the contact had forced out a cute squeak from you and an airy groan from him. His hips buckled to catch the sensation as he finds himself rutting between your folds with ragged breathing.

So good, it felt so good. Albedo finds himself struggling to keep his eyes open from what he now identified to be pleasure, and as he looks up to check on you, you were struggling just the same. Your chest rises and falls in quick successions as you covered your eyes with an arm, whimpers coming out of your slightly parted lips.

Fuck. If only he wasn't so engrossed, he wanted to capture this image through painting. "Am I-," he cleared his throat of the hoarse voice, "Am I hurting you?"

You gasped at the cold and wet feeling swipe from your chin to the corner of your lips, licking the trail of drool you didn't even notice when you opened your eyes to see Albedo's up close. With a shake of your head, you gripped the ponytail of his braid to pull his head for a sudden kiss.

Staggering over your form as your legs hiked up to hook around his waist, you guided the tip of his length to your entrance as he ravaged your mouth without restraint. Lips bruising each other, tongue tracing the underside of yours gingerly before it licks at the roof of your mouth— all the sensations had fogged up your consciousness so badly that you didn't feel an ounce of pain when he finally entered into you, guided by a shy gentleness to his ministrations.

It is only when his tip finally touched the opening of your cervix did you whimper; the way you're being stretched and the fullness of his length in you making you writhe under and around him, the friction only making rousing him more.

Albedo produced a low growl against your lips as he bit down on the bottom one, his trimmed nails digging to your soft-skinned hips as he pins it down. "Stop- nghh- stop moving around so much," a sudden warmth pooled into your stomach as you tightened around him.

Mistake number one: You didn't expect for his gentleness to be gone.

Spurred on by your tightening grip and the pleasure shooting up him everytime his tip came in contact with your edge, Albedo went into a relentless pace, pounding straight into you to hit that spot. Your pants turned into breathless chokes everytime he comes in contact, forcing your raw moans out of you. There's a dull pain by your entrance everytime he grinds against your walls, and he whimpers your name in pure ecstacy every stroke.

Your back arcs as he smacks into you, pulling back halfway through before burying deep into your hole once again. His brutal pace gets sloppy at times, before his strength comes back again to pull you closer. Halfway through Albedo produces a feral growl as he grips one of your legs behind the knee, pushing it closer to your body and slightly angled to the side.

And the moment he thrusts in with the new position, you cried out his name. The tip of his length reached far deeper with this new angle, and had plunged the top right into your cervix— your hips trembled as Albedo's whole body shivers at the new sensation, fingernails digging into your thigh as his other hand intertwines with yours, pinning it down on the table as leverage.

"Ahn," he whispered your name tiredly with tears pricking at the edge of his eyes, for the first time staring at your eyes after he had started, "How are you? Is it okay? Is it..."

Good, you mumbled with a tired smile at his consideration, bumping your hips to emphasize on it- which drew a sharp gasp from the both of you, he was already in so deep, your hips bruised and touching.

He rolled his hips to test out, his thickness rubbing at the walls as he stirs your insides. The sweet moan you produced spurred him on, and he was once again staggering into you, his hips slightly elevated in an angle meant to pierce through you.

The sound of flesh smacking against each other overpowers even your loudest moan as Albedo pleasured himself inside you desperately, the smell of sex filling your sense of smell. He chases the way your hole drips and wafts with the scent, drawing in a huge breathe whenever your mixed cum spills past his tightly locked dick in you.

And soon his pace became more desperate and short, as he makes quick work at hitting you in your most sensitive part to barely give you time to gasp for air. Your walls clenched down on him so tightly as you came, a cry of his name passing your lips as your back arched—

the pressure made him buckle and he thrusts in deep one last time, tip breaking past your cervix, as his climax enters you in thick strings of warmth.

That was mistake number two: you didn't bring protection with you.

But at that moment you couldn't care less (your cycle just ended anyways, you should be fine), watching him whimper your name in full pleasure as his teeth grinds against each other, his forehead and eyebrows knit and furrow as he releases before it relaxes after he is done.

And then he falls face first to your chest, the renowned Alchemist running out of the minimal stamina he had with him. Buried between the valley of your breast, Albedo had the most serene (almost drunk) expression on his face, lips pressed against the skin over your heart where it beats with fervor from your activity.

He tested another experimental thrust, lighter this time, as he felt your mixed fluids moved around the tiny space. You gave a wailing moan at his action, and he breathlessly laughed at your reaction.

Albedo stayed in you and on you for a few more minutes after that. Still trying to regain strength as your tired pants became the white noise that night.

"Albedo..." he hums against your chest as his arms tightened around your waist, enjoying the peace your hands brought to him as you stroke his cheek. "Albedo, I need to clean up." He jests that you should just keep it in you and you responded with rapid pats, whining at the notion. He chuckles.

It took him a lot of willpower to get up and he made it obvious as hell, taking his time to remove himself off your chest, grumbling that his bed was complaining too much. You let out a cute snort before smacking his arm. Albedo grips your hips as he gently pulls out when he stops suddenly, realizing that the liquids would pour out and make an obvious mess if he were to do so.

His head passes around the immediate area as he pinpoints a peculiar object, plucking it from its plastic package, still new from the bubble wrap. A sharp gasp suddenly comes by you at the cold and hard sensation that replaced Albedo inside you, only a few inches deep as the Alchemist walks off to get tissues. Wary, you looked down to see the object, choking out when you saw its end sticking out past your crotch:

A test tube, pristine and clean, was preventing the fluids from dripping out of your hole.

When Albedo came back with the tissues and spare cloth in hand, he muses at how your deep red face was smacked tightly against your palms. He offers to clean up, a gentle hand carefully pulling out the tube, but you refused and got quick work on yourself. That was enough embarrassment for tonight.

Unbeknownst to you with your busied self, Albedo held the glass vial in close inspection and curiosity. The translucent white liquid barely blocks the night light and produced the same strong scent he'd been chasing the whole night— he sticks his tongue out to taste, ah, slightly salty and sticky.

Albedo wonders what kind of experiment he can do with this.

The obvious lift on the shoulders of the Chief Alchemist was greatly acknowledged by everyone in town who were aware of the impasse the young man had troubled himself with for the past few days. The bags under his eyes were gone, and the tealness he has shined with newfound vigor. Besides the mood shift, many of the knights had also noticed the time spent between the two of you. Missions and expeditions were always coinciding with each other and people barely saw you separated, giggling and smiling to yourselves in your pink world.

One day they finally found out about your relationship when a knight barged in to his laboratory for an urgent matter. Blurting out the Chief Alchemist's name before he realized that you were there, lips locked against each other.

The news spreads fast with that little detail and everyone congratulated you on your relationship.

Behind your bashful smiles, you and Albedo sighed in great relief, thankful to the archons that the knight didn't took notice of your hand under his big white coat that time.

This turned out like this cuz alchemy boy very new to things u_u and little stamina, he needs to exercise more ehe-

@creation-magician @dandelion-dreams @zelos-simp @struggljng @youroffical-weirdo @your-local-venti-simp @indigodreamtime47

[writings-of-a-hufflepuff]

Prompt List #10 - Plus Size/Fat character

For the sake of this prompt list Character A is always plus size/fat. I mostly made this because I think we need more plus size reader inserts and character fics. For those who want to write them but aren’t sure of ideas, don’t know where to start I figured this might be worth while. 

I’d love to see more people create plus size/fat character specific prompt lists tbh.

All my Prompt Lists

Character A is grabbed/physically assaulted as a joke/way of laughing at their body. Character B is the one person who steps in.

“I’m too heavy...baby…”

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

Character B digging their fingers into Character A’s hips, soft waist, stomach, sides etc. enjoying the tactile nature of their partner.

+ (You may like to add to this) Character A pulling away from Character B due to feeling self-conscious/uncomfortable with Character B touching those parts of them they’re usually admonished for.

Character A is forced into wearing something tighter than normal, maybe they haven’t had time to do their laundry and it’s the only thing they have left, or it’s a last minute formal event and the only dress they have is something they bought and never felt confident wearing. Character B is there to remind them every step of the way how lovely they are.

“Has it ever occurred to you that I find all of you attractive? That i’m not ignoring anything, not picking and choosing parts of you that I like and ignoring those that I dislike? That I like all of you?”

Character A walks past a mirror and feels unusually (or not) self-conscious, it puts a damper on their mood. Character B takes note and aims to correct this.

Victorian AU: Character A has spent their life being told they’re unmarriable, unlikely to find a spouse because of their size, that they don’t fit the mold. Character B has a few choice words for Character A’s parents and a proposal.

Victorian AU: Character B soothing the marks left on Character A’s skin from wearing an ill fitting corset in an attempt to conform to societal expectation. Lots of tender love and care.

Character A decides to wear a swimsuit to the beach/pool for the first time in years, they’re self-conscious but trying not to show it. Character B is just there hyping Character A up, showering them in love and appreciation because damn!

Character A is confident, feeling it, has worked so hard on their body confidence. Character B isn’t quite there yet with their own. Character A is here to remind Character B that they are wonderful, lovely, deserve to feel confident and good in their body.

Character B is proudly showing off their partner Character A, not afraid to show everyone how much they love them.

(You could add this) Character B is asked why they’d even be with Character A, derogatory comments are made about Character A’s size. Character B is not having it. This is their baby and they love them.

“I don’t want you to hide from me. I don’t want you to feel like you have to, ever.”

“I love you for you, for all of you. I don’t think you’d be pretty if you were smaller, I don’t think you’d look better if you lost a few pounds. You’re all I want and all I need, just as you are.”

Character B takes comfort in just cuddling with Character A. In resting their head against Character A’s soft stomach, wrapping their arms around their waist/hips.

Character A has begun distancing themselves from Character B as their insecurities take over and they worry Character B is bored of them or no longer attracted to them. Character B is determined to set the record straight

“I’m not asking you to compete with anyone, you don’t need to. You’re the best person for me, the only person for me. I think you’re the most beautiful/handsome/attractive/etc. Person i’ve ever met. I don’t want them. I don’t want anybody else.”

Soft kisses to the soft rolls of a soft stomach

Soft kisses to the soft dips and curves of hips and love handles

“I love your double chin. I love your round cheeks. I love you. I love how your cheeks dimple when you laugh.”

Kisses to stretch marks, trailing fingers over the marks in Character A’s skin.

“You’re so soft.”

Character B is kind of obsessed with Character A’s butt

Soulmate AU: It’s terrifying having a soulmate, growing up to believe that they’ll reject you, that your body will disgust them. Character A is petrified of meeting their soulmate, scared they’ll be rejected, that they won’t be attractive enough. The moment they meet Character B those fears are washed away.

“I love your stomach, have I ever told you that?”

Character A gets dressed up for the first time, Character B is a little bit starstruck

Character A takes Character B with them to go clothes shopping. Character B is having the time of their life seeing all the different outfits.

Alternatively, Character A can’t find anything that fits right/they feel good in and is getting really down. Character be is here to save the day and change their perception.

1980s/70s/60s/90s AU: Character A (fem. presenting) works in a male dominated office, she is constantly dealing with the day to day sexist comments added to that are the comments about their body/shape/size. Character B usually works out of office, but for the first time they’re in house long enough to notice. They decide to put a stop to it.

Mob/Mafia AU: Character A isn’t what people expect a mob boss's favourite gal/guy/person to be like, too sweet, too soft, too big. But that doesn’t change the fact that they’re the favourite and no one can say a bad word about them.

Character A has been in past abusive relationships where they’re shamed for what they eat. Character B is here to make sure they eat what they want and don’t feel bad about it, they refuse to let Character A fall into self-destructive patterns.

Character A is soft, sweet, runs a bakery, (massively cliché i know), character B is rough around the edges but melts around character A.

“I’m not like other girls/guys/people you’ve dated. I...look at me? I don’t look anything like them. How can you...I don’t...I don’t understand why you’d want to date me?”

“I’m not your type.” “Who says?”

Character A poses for Character B nude for a life drawing session

Character B is always drawing character A in their sketchbook when they’re not looking. Character A finds the sketches.

Character B tries to write poetry about Character A, it’s bad, but it’s also sweet.

“I can’t do this anymore. I don’t want to be hidden away like some sort of dirty little secret. I can’t… I won’t.”

[ariespellz]

ask: hi! could i get a romantic matchup? my pronouns are she/her, i identify as a girl and im straight, and im 23. i like drawing, ice skating and dressing up! i have anger and trust issues, i am quite forgetful, im confident but shy, im an entp if that helps, and i am VERY stubborn. and also im an aries! i'd like it to be a canon universe, and i think i would have a pyro vision. my giving AND recieving love language is physical touch! my favorite trope is probably work friends, if that counts? and if it doesnt its enemies to lovers. ₍ᐢ‥ᐢ₎ ♡ i'd like a romantic matchup, and only 1 person if its fine. my favorite color is red! my music taste is indie-jazz rock, and alternative rock! my favorite series are american horror story, espicially 3rd season(coven)! thats it i think!! thank you in advance!!!

hello, hello!! thank you for your request.

after careful consideration, you've been paired up with...

... THOMA !!

he's kind, calm and patient.

a match made in heaven, really.

he has a great memory and will remind you things if you forget about them.

he knows exactly how to calm you down if you have an outburst, and knows when to give you space.

he never pushes your boundaries and is a great listener. you can open up to him whenever you feel like it. but if you don't want to, it's okay, too.

he would never judge you and he's loyal to a fault.

also!! he balances the five love languages pretty well, but his preferred ones are probably physical touch and quality time (giving) and words of affirmation and, again, physical touch (receiving).

overall, he loves you and respects you no matter what <3.

FIRST STEPS: meeting.

ogura mio had hired you as a designer in her shop. your love for fashion and desire for success in the field had been the ambition that granted you your pyro vision.

so you were elated when your designs gained popularity throughout inazuma.

your boss was the one doing most of the sewing and standing behind the counter, while you sketched in the back room.

you two had a very good relationship, as she gave you a lot of freedom and a great salary, and was also great company.

"(y/n)?" she called one morning. you lifted your gaze from the sketchbook. "there's someone looking for you."

"oh? i'll be right there."

ogura nodded and left, leaving the door to the shop open.

and there he stood. soft expression and kind eyes gleamed in recognition upon seeing you.

"here she is!" the pink haired girl smiled. "(y/n), this is thoma. i'm sure you've already seen him around the city."

he smiles sweetly, waving his hand as a greeting.

"it's nice to finally meet you, (y/n). i've heard a lot of things about you."

turns out, none other than kamisato ayaka wanted to hire you as her personal stylist.

thoma said you had around a week to consider accepting the offer, and mentioned that there was no pressure.

after a lot of encouraging from your friend (and stylist) you decided to accept

this could be the best business opportunity you'd ever have!

so, exactly three days later, you were standing in the entrance of the kamisato state

miss kamisato turned out to be really nice and sweet, and asked you to design a kimono for an upcoming event

under her request, thoma arrived soon after to show you the place

"we're happy to have you here" he said with a cheery smile. "if you ever need help, don't hesitate to ask me."

FRIENDSHIP: getting to know each other.

the duties as a worker for the tri-commission were demanding.

even more when your boss is the sister of the head of the clan, who is provably just as powerful.

the stress was catching up to you, and it was making you sick. on top of it all, you were currently on an artist's block

no matter what you did, you found no inspiration. no more original ideas.

and that was a big problem.

as nice as she was, ayaka was constantly attending to events. which meant you had to create a new pattern per week.

(you couldn't help but feel a bit bad for her, with a forever flooded agenda and barely any time for herself.)

you had been working constantly with no rest. as much as you presented yourself in a formal and composed way, full of confidence and passion, you didn't dare to ask for some free days.

what if she said no? would you lose your job? would your beloved career be over?

with a sigh, you looked at your lunch. suddenly, you weren't hungry anymore.

with a huff, you pulled out your sketchbook and fumbled through the pages.

looking for something. anything. with a groan, you threw the object somewhere in the floor when, once again, you couldn't squeeze a single drop of creativity out of your sleep-deprived brain.

you had an hour left of lunchtime before a reunion with the tailors, and your hands were empty.

you were fucked. for real this time.

you honestly felt like crying, but settled for a sigh instead. you couldn't give up now.

suddenly, you heard a knock on the door. no one really came to this room, so you used to eat lunch peacefully and sometimes draw a bit.

"...come in" you called after a beat of silence.

there stood thoma, smiling at you in a somehow shy way.

"hello! sorry to bother you" he greeted a bit nervously. "my lady said you seemed a bit... out of it today. is something the matter?"

you hesitated.

he couldn't know about the issue. if he were to know that you couldn't finish the job, you would get fired for sure.

"ah, thoma, it's nothing." you smile at him. he was a nice guy. although you didn't talk to him much, you enjoyed his presence. "just a bit tired, nothing to worry about."

his eyebrows furrowed slightly as he scanned the room briefly. and then, his eyes locked with the sketchbook, which was laying not too far from him.

you made up some excuse about how it must have slipped from your pocket. he seemed to believe it and sat across from you

"is it okay if we have lunch together?" he asked "we haven't gotten the chance to chat. these past few weeks have been busy."

turns out, he was great company.

he didn't mind your quietness and made sure to fill the silences when they were starting to get awkward.

but soon enough, there were around ten minutes left of lunch break. he got up and excused himself briefly. the smile he sent you was almost sly.

preparing for the worst, you had some minutes to calm yourself down. while heading towards the assigned room, you thought about a hundred different apologies.

however, when you arrived, they were leaving.

"the meeting has been postponed around two days." one of them sighs when you question it. "lady kamisato's orders."

after that, you somehow got some maids as subordinates. they helped a lot with work and were in charge of your schedule (something you were grateful for, because there was no way you wanted to accidentally miss a meeting again.)

something that also changed?

thoma's behaviour around you.

he now ate lunch with you everyday.

he accompanied you to the city in search for textiles you liked and helped you carry the boxes back.

he always compliments your drawings and clothes.

he knows your agenda better than you, and more often than not he'll go out of his way to help you out.

and little by little, he started to get close to you.

but your growing confusion cleared up one afternoon at the market.

you were buying groceries with him (something that had become the usual between you two) when you noticed a small group of people staring at you.

you paid them no mind, more focused on which lavender melons were better-looking.

but then you heard them.

"how can she work for the kamisatos? she has no class!" "oh, and poor thoma, i bet she's all over him. didn't you see him the other day? he had his hands full of her stuff!" "right! doesn't she have maids or something?"

'don't listen to them' you repeated yourself. thoma was in another stall and he'd be here soon.

they're just jealous.

...

well shit, they're still going.

once you paid for the fruit, you briefly thanked the vendor and grabbed the bag.

your blood was starting to boil, and holding back your tongue was even harder.

"he really must pity her if he still hasn't ran away" and they laughed. hard. in a mean, mocking way.

"hey, you! how about you go fuck yourself?" she turns to you, clearly nervous. she really didn't think she'd get caught.

"i- uhm..." she stammers, avoiding your gaze.

"oh, so you're acting shy now?" you scoffed. "keep your mouth shut next time, then."

a hand gripped your shoulder firmly. not exactly tight, but still supporting.

thoma was emitting some sort of dark aura that even guuji yae would be impressed of. his words were curt and his tone was cold in a way.

"i will not be tolerating any disrespectful comments towards (y/n). she is a very competent woman and she no doubt deserves her position in the kamisato state." he looks more serious than you'd ever seen him, emerald eyes clouded with anger. "also, none of you are to speculate about how or why we spend time together. it is none of your business. that being said, we'll be leaving now. have a nice day."

they didn't have time to react. thoma was dragging you away.

he sighed when you two gout out of the market.

"are you okay?" he asks, concerned. "i'm really sorry that you had to hear that. just so you know, i do enjoy helping you out. my lady has nothing to do with it."

"no, i'm sorry." you were calmer now. you had yelled at them in a pretty aggressive tone, not caring about who was around. the last thing you wanted was to damage the clan's reputation. "i kind of blew up back there. i should've just ignored them, but..."

"are you kidding me? you have nothing to blame yourself for!" he stated, brows furrowed. "you put them in their place. that's not something to be embarrassed about."

oh.

oh.

ADVANCES: feelings and confession.

thoma was a bit worried, to be honest.

had he overstepped his boundaries? made you uncomfortable? is that the reason why you were avoiding him? were you really avoiding him in the first place?

maybe he went overboard with the flirting! (oh god no you're gonna think he's a creep now)

truth is, you were way to shy to face him.

because now, every time you see him, the thought of his hand on your shoulder has your head spinning with fleeting thoughts and fake scenarios.

he was always so precious. so pretty. and so, so kind to everyone.

when the winter arrived, it was a tradition to open an ice rink to ice skate in

and thoma saw his chance there.

you had mentioned your love for the sport once in casual conversation, and he remembered.

(of course he remembers. he likes you.)

so the next time he saw you, he asked you directly so you wouldn't run away with some half-baked excuse.

if you rejected him, he'd just deal with it.

but at least he wouldn't have any doubts about your feelings about him. just co-workers who sometimes help each other. and that was it.

while you stammered to find an answer, he was buzzing with nervousness.

he was closing and opening his hands, which were sweating, and he was grinning at you like 😁

the maids who saw you found it funny, to be honest.

i would've laughed ngl

let's be real here

who would ever say no to thoma?? like- (/j)

"so..." you clear your throat "is it a date or...?"

"oh! ah... it could be one" he averts his gaze, smile straining. "if you wanted to, of course! no pressure or anything! haha..."

"i'd love to, actually."

R.I.P.

you killed him

he was as red as a tomato the entire day, and even redder when he picked you up

(the ice melted behind you because of your visions so you had to leave them with your shoes LMAOO)

you had a great time!! giggling the entire evening, holding him so he wouldn't fall (he caught the gist of it fairly quickly, actually), and having a small dinner afterwards (just some miso soup. none of you were very hungry).

"so, uh..." he started while accompanying you back home. "i like you. a lot. and i had a lot of fun with you today." he stops in his tracks, moonlight caressing his features in all the right ways as he looks at you, with an obvious blush in his face. "and i was wondering if you'd like to do it again? like, date?"

ah, he's so sweet<3

you found out his hugs were as warm as his words that day.

DATING LIFE: a relationship with him.

dating thoma is heavenly

he's pure husband material

you like PDA?? you better, because he WILL show you off

and the way he talks about you; with starry eyes and sugar-coated words

kazuha says it sounds like a beautiful poem. ayato says it's cheesy.

two sides of the same coin. pick your side.

he kisses you everywhere. in your forehead, in your temple, in your hands, in your nose,

and in his favourite: your lips<3

he prepares the BEST dates for you two.

itto insisted on 'helping a bro out' once.

NEVER AGAIN.

(it was kinda funny to see the gang trying to perform 'careless whisper' tho)

shinobu was so embarrassed to pick them up from the restaurant, and even tried to pay you two some mora in compensation.

oh and lady ayaka's eyes look full of amusement every time you speak to her

so do ayato's whenever you see him. which luckily isn't often.

realistically speaking, he's probably one of the best partners to have in genshin.

he's sweet, he knows you, he's patient, he'll make you his priority, etc

he's always very busy, though, so if you help him out every once in a while he'll be super grateful

overall, he loves you. give the guy a chance <3

[zulivaris]

Art Block tips that helped me

 I’ve recently experienced art block after 3 or so months of overcoming my last one. Thankfully this block only lasted a few days thanks to some things I’ve observed and noted down from the previous time. So I’m sharing these few tips in hopes that it might help someone get unstuck :D!

First and foremost if you’re tired, sad or anxious don’t be surprised that you can’t make art, go and take care of yourself by treating yourself with kindness and patience, the sketchbooks and canvases will wait for you :)

The tips are under here:

Separate art studies from the creative time:  When you do art studies you’re there to focus on specific things, learn and understand how things work so you can apply them later in your art. Studies take a lot of energy and focus and are the opposite of the creative "flow” of making your own pieces. If you combine the two the results are either unfocused studies or stiff drawings. When you sit down at your desk ask yourself “Do I want to learn something new or do I want to create something of my own?”

When you have an idea don’t be afraid of being messy: Let’s say you want to make a picture of several cats kolo dancing in the moonlight. How do you go about doing this? Well since you came up with the idea you already have a vague image in your mind, sketch it out with simple shapes, stick figures, circle and spheres etc Don’t worry about cat anatomy, or the dancer’s moves, sketch out the essence of it. This method removes the need to be perfect or accurate. 

Ok after the messy sketch then what? Well now that you have sketched out the essence of your idea (and hopefully had fun doing so) now you go on to look for references! You put the creative process on pause and you can do a few brief studies if you need to: anatomy, color schemes, values, poses. Pick out a few of your favorites but don't obsess over them, they are a guide, a tool.

You know much more than you think. You’ve probably been drawing for a few years now. You’ve probably done some studies and drawn more than one type of subject. Then you have already internalized some of that information. I used to be obsessed with capturing the minute detail of the subject, and not be able to draw ANYTHING without reference. Instead of a useful tool, references became another obstacle to my creativity. That’s perfectionism my friend, and that’s no good. Here is an exercise a good friend of mine offered: Draw a few characters, animals and objects from imagination. Make sure that the subjects have no personal value to you (no ocs for example) so that if you make a mistake you won’t feel bad about it. Make the process relaxed and comfortable, pour a nice cup of joe, listen to your favorite music ... You will notice that you do indeed know how to draw some things without reference, and it’ll help with your confidence. 

The more you do studies the more you understand This seems evident but the more you understand your subject the freer you can be and the easier it’ll be to draw it from imagination in the future. If you really struggle with something to the point of frustration (as in you can’t get it right even with reference) It means you have to study it. Have a study list, for example: hands, perspective, color theory etc. And one of those days you want to study pick something from the list, and look for videos on youtube or useful sites like line of action etc. Only study one thing at the time. You can go from studying hands to studying arms since they’re more immediately connected, but you can’t study hands and then jump to learning perspective right after. Trust me you can learn perfectly fine with the resources online, and I’m sure you’re clever enough to do it :D

Mistakes don’t mean you “suck”  I’ve noticed that the two most common causes for art block are perfectionism and lack of self-confidence.  The two can often go in tandem which is worse :’D But let me remind you of something, you can fix your piece along the whole process. Use erasers, lasso tools, liquify , select, paint it all over etc If something looks off to you then you also know deep inside how to fix it. Useful ways to see what clunks: flip canvas horizontally (helps with placement, proportions), turn the image to grayscale (helps to check values and where your eye tends to look), look at your image in thumbnail size and ask yourself if it’s clear, see the pose’s silhouette and ask yourself if you can tell what the character is doing etc. Don’t fret, everything can always be fixed :)

Perfectionism, sometimes it stops you before you begin Perfectionism causes you to overwork a piece, it makes you draw less, it makes art stressful, it brings insecurity. Let’s remove it with a simple exercise. It can be combined with the “draw things from imagination” once you’ve drawn something you like: dont do line art, don’t shade it, keep it as simple and crude as possible and then...post it. Yes, post it. You’re not at your best? You’re only human, this will help you embrace that very human side of you. You make mistakes. So what? The more mistakes you make the more you know what you need to study and the better at art you become. Mistakes are there to show us what we need to learn. See them as another tool and not a sign of failure.

Make the process as enjoyable as possible: You like art. You love drawing. Never forget this. Otherwise why are you drawing if you don’t enjoy it? It’s easy to fall prey to the mentality of those relatable memes that “art= suffering” or “I can’t even draw the other eye”. No no no my friends, these messages are fueling your insecurities instead of overcoming them. Let me tell you what, art is fun. It is. Art is fun, because I decided to make it fun again. And you should decide on that too. Personally I adore lineart but my hand-eye coordination is lacking to do it digitally, so....I just skipped it. Yes. I skipped it. I do the sketch, I clean it up a bit and then jump onto color which I adore. It allowed me to draw more and more freely. When I draw I listen to music, make strokes with the rhythm, I take breaks often and I drink my favorite iced teas. If you don’t like coloring do it in grayscale, if you love lineart then do that etc It doesn’t mean you won’t learn your weak points in the future with studies and practice, but you won’t let your weaknesses prevent you from drawing at all. No no, you won’t let them. You draw because you want to, despite of them.

Don’t wait for inspiration, provoke it  Inspiration is not a divine and capricious muse. You make inspiration. It’s easy just collect all the things you like, music, artists, objects, characters, animals, patterns, plants etc Make boards on pinterest or similar sites, combine things you like. You like suits? You like birds? You can draw a bird in a suit, or a bird-inspired suit design, there is frankly a lot of ideas that can spring up from little things like these.

When a project stops being enjoyable either pause it for now or move on to the next thing. Pieces aren’t precious. They’re not “the one time I got x right” they are one of many. This advice goes mainly to hobbyists who can afford the luxury of passing to a new project. I have a WIP of a character who is overly complicated (I enjoy a challenge from time to time) sitting for half a month. I sometimes come back to it and add something... but as soon as it starts to create discomfort and insecurity instead of enjoyment I move onto something else. In the meantime I created 3 or 4 new pieces. If I had waited on finishing that piece I would have been severely creatively and physically exhausted. The art comes from you, not inspiration. The more art you make the better you become.

That’s about it :D I know it’s long but I prefer to be thorough and cover all the possibilities. If you have read of this: Thank you so much I hope this helps you at least a bit, if it helps only 1 other person I’d still be very happy. Have a nice one, and kick art block’s butt!