#no I still don’t know how to properly digital art lol

[interactivefictionramblings]

Maybe it was partially because I was somewhat embarrassed, but despite having the idea for that fan art for awhile, I only now asked one of my brothers (both of whom are artists, btw) for information and advice on commissioning it - I doubt I can actually afford it, mind you, but yes I did talk to him about it. We’re gonna go over more specifics tomorrow, like how to format it so the desired details are clear and how far I’m imagining the perspective to be. It’s kinda fun.

[skintyfiia]

How did/do you practice to get to this point in drawing skills? With details, please. I love the texture and lighting in your drawings and how you draw people in your own style while they still look similar ❤️❤️

one thing about me is that i’m stubborn as a mule and if it is humanly possible to do something then i will, in fact, attempt it with a firm belief that I am capable of success no matter my skill level lol

warning: this is going to be a long post ;___;

a little about my background: I’m a 22yo self-taught hobbyist. I didn’t go to art school, I never took any proper drawing classes. All I had since I was like a toddler barely holding a pencil was my drive to always be Better, shitty school art clubs and probably something undiagnosed too

I started digital art when I was around 13-14. My traditional skills were pretty solid (for a kid) at the time but stepping into digital really did feel like learning how to draw from scratch again. This is what some of my earliest work looked like, around one month after I had started… oh god

just a few months after that I switched to semi-realism stylistically as it was pretty close to what I was used to with traditional art. This is what we were dealing with around 1-2 years after those first pieces

I hate to say this because it’s such a useless piece of advice but most of my learning process was just me throwing random shit at the wall and seeing what sticks. Most of the time I was just picking up things from my favorite artists or experimenting. I just barely scratched the surface of fundamentals, only enough to grasp the super basic proportions for everything, some color theory and I would pretty much wing the rest (don’t do that, put in some actual effort, these things are important). I am lucky in the sense that a lot of those things do come to me intuitively, like I don’t know, color theory is very logical to me so I never felt the need to study it properly??

A lot of people mention my use of color and texture and I am going to be 100% real with you, that was born purely out of my laziness, I just sat down one evening, discovered what layer modes and curves do and how with some tweaks they make my art look like I put 12 hours more into it and my heart sang. And as for my bold strokes idk where that came from honestly. My primary school art teacher once told me I have a ‘confident hand’ and my confused 11yo ass sat there with my frozen elsa fanart like thanks??

However this approach only got me so far as I did hit a wall around 2023-2024 which is when I decided to you know… start doing actual Studies™ and learn the fundamentals properly (at least try to). Since Cillian Murphy was my main muse at the time, I sort of used him as a training ground for all kinds of techniques and stylistic choices, I even sat down one day to properly study his face in detail (for science obviously). I went to museums, I stared at actual paintings (AND sculptures!!!), picking them apart and deconstructing them in my head, noticing each brush stroke, really trying to find what makes the whole piece click. I tried master studies for the first time in my life which was mind-blowing, would 100% recommend it. The time I read about Leyendecker’s technique genuinely changed my life and I couldn’t stop thinking about it for days omg. And don’t get me wrong, I’m still winging the shit out of everything but I guess I’m doing it more mindfully now??

I can’t stress enough how much art is about not just seeing but OBSERVING and NOTICING reality, not just copying but interpreting it, capturing the essence, feeeeeeeling it. Who cares if you fucked up a single stroke 500 times, who cares if your base sketch looks disgusting? It really is about trusting the flow, trusting the process and focusing on the bigger picture. And if you flop you dust yourself off and try again, all there is to it. Practiceeeee practice practice and have fun, it’s never that deep

[august-anon]

Hiii I’m glad you like them! Your writing is what’s gotten me into the bat family and holy batcow is it my new obsession lmao. I only know the characters via fanfiction/fan art but I feel like that’s kinda amazing? Like yall are out here world building so well that I can read some fan fictions and pick up on every little dynamic between these fools (and there are like 8 million lol)

Can I be Moody Anon? 🤔

Also have you read “The Power of Family and this Stalker I Found?” By JackHawksMoor on ao3? It’s not a finished fic which I know some people don’t love to read (totally understandable), but it’s SO good. It’s little Tim Drake centric and I’m just AH cause I have no one to recommend this fic too

Ps the Dick/Bruce Drabble is almost complete hehe

Of course, Moody! I've gone back and retroactively tagged all asks I know to be yours with "moody anon" -- just make sure to sign off on asks from here on so i know its you to tag properly!

also, i feel you, i literally got into batfamily because i started reading "batfamily meets the justice league" fics and i thought they were so fun and now several DC heroes in general have become special interests, but esp the batfamily sdkjfhkfh. most of my own knowledge so far is primarily cartoons and video games because reading things like comics/graphic novels/manga/etc digitally just like. does not mesh well with my brain's ability to focus, so i still have only really read Year One and no other comics sdkjfhdf (and i dont even really like Frank Miller all that much as a Batman writer, personally, so i wasnt even all that invested in Year One in the first place sdkjfhsdf)

I don't think I've read that fic! I don't tend to read a ton of seemingly abandoned/unfinished fics, i generally wont open an unfinished fic if it's been more than a year since it was last updated, but!!! since it comes on such high recommendation from you i will 100% be reading it, I already pulled it up on my phone at the end of my workday to read soon lol, i love a fic where Tim joins the batfam differently! always a fun dynamic when it's with a Jason who never died, too

P.S. i cannot tell you how excited i am for your batdad bruce & dick headcanon/drabble i look forward to it you are so wonderful to share it with us all dsjfhsdg

[vacate-et-scire]

Hell yea, a matchup event, lemme be a sigma like yall tooPLSPLEASEPLZ—

Honestly dunno how to properly write about myself, so imma just kinda yap abt it and get to the rizzing part right here and there

Starting with personality, if I would describe it in a shortest way possible I would say I'm an ESTP with an enneagram type 7w8. But if I get to the actual details, the most prominent ones are: the fact that I'm really REALLY loud, unpredictable in the most strangest ways possible and hyperactive. FREAK FRIDAY IS OPEN YAAAA! Yet, even knowing my last characteristic, usually I can be found procrastinating when some important tasks are needed to be done, cuz I get easily distracted and tend to lose interest in things quickly. Instead, I unwillingly fixate on meaningless shi, like something that can be done latuh. For example, imagine urself suddenly deciding to deep clean ur house instead of doing one simple thing that u actually have to do lol. Ngl, that sometimes gets in a way when I'm trynna act like totally-not-a-beta around others, cuz usually people say that they don't understand me much and take some things that I do in another way. In other words, I can be nonsensical. Sometimes I literally gotta explain myself, so they will get me at least in some bit, but that doesn't bother me at all actually. I love socializing, meeting new bros and fooling around da others, especially when I know that I can get myself loose. Gotta be real, this trait of mine does cause some trouble when I start to unknowingly cross the line, but I always try to make it up if It gets uncomfortable for somebody. OH AND WOWZERS! Also anotha important thing. I don’t like to talk about feelings and all that big sad stuff AT ALL, queen never cry philosophy HELLO 💋! It’s easier for me to suck it up and look at the bright sight. I prefer to keep a distance and not open up to people, even though I think I’m really friendly and easy to approach. At least I get that idea from duds constantly coming to me for advice, help and other good stuff.

Yada, yada, yada, LET’S GET TO HOBBIES. I think you can say they’re pretty basic, expect for the fact that i’m another retired professional swimmer in this blog, HEEEELP— Sum stuff led me to break up with da competitive side of swimming, so now I only go to train meh body a couple of times a month. Aside my love for water, I absolutely ADORE horror things. Any media like films, creatures, merch, real life stuff, etc. I find weird, gross and creepy looking stuff endearing and it usually tangles with my other interests, those include: art, writing, gaming and me collecting figurines, plushies and other official things from various media. Digital art is my main method of income and my future profession…tho this freelance thingy is on more nsfw side rn— But ye, it is what it is. Talking about the other one that I mentioned, it’s safe to say that my room kind of looks like a museum now, lol. I have several shelves and a huge bookcase that mostly contains anything but books. And believe me, it’s SUCH A PAIN IN THE POOSAY to clean, but I do it often anyways. Gotta dust those figurines regularly so it doesn’t look like I live in a haunted mansion, even though I would like it very much.

…Imma put music in its own category if you don’t mind, bestie— Tbh, usually I listen to many kinds of music, cuz it’s hard for me to choose somethin’ in a first place and why-not-give-it-a-try type of vibe, but I think I can still name some of my fav artists and it���ll give you a more proper idea. SO! Lil Mariko is my queen, Lizzo is my queen x2, Penelope Scott is my queen x3 and Jazmin Bean is my queen x4. Period.

As for the fashion part, I prefer to do crazy ahh hot pink gyaru makeup on my face and pair it with the matching style. Besides this, I also luv how girlies and duds from 2000 dress and yur good ol pinkPINKPINKKKK McBling. …Tho, it’s hard to get most types of clothes that would fit into categories that I mentioned above, so I usually put on something that can resemble those distinctive highschool teens from 90s and 00s.

It’s kind of difficult for me to think of an ideal partner, but there are certain characteristics that would make me go AWOOGA. Tots want someone who I can annoy. Someone, who can endure my antics, but with some response too! Like if I were to pester em I would prefer them to react. Even if it’s kind of a negative response, cuz it can easily turn into a playful one from my experience. (Would love to shower them in affection, kisses and diabolically stupid names while they scrunch their nose at it and complain, but stay still—) It would be also nice if that person could kick my lazy ass and motivate me in one way or another, lol. So ye, someone with a strong core and who is not afraid to stand to me will do just fine. Bonus points if I can hang on his arm like a monkey.

I also have a soft spot in my glittery heart for kind of confused bros, who can’t understand others and seem like anomaly to ppl. Like they just exist and do bizzare things that you don’t expect anyone to do.

…ORRRR I just need someone who can match my freak. Who will and can embarrass me in the funniest way possible and who I can at least try to embarrass in return.

All of em are good, the end—

💋💋💋

THANKS FOR LISTENING TO ME BOSS!

Your Blue Lock Matchup: Shidou Ryusei

Shidou Ryusei is the absolute perfect match for your chaotic energy, unpredictable antics, and love for playful banter. Much like you, he thrives on the drama and the fun of teasing and pushing boundaries. His cocky, bold nature aligns perfectly with your need for someone who can handle your loudness and constant desire to keep things interesting. Shidou wouldn’t back down from your antics, and he’d give it right back to you with just as much flair, making for an exciting dynamic where neither of you would be bored.

He definitely fits the description of someone who can handle your moods—whether it’s playful or a little bit of annoyance—he can take it and return it with interest. His strong-willed nature would not only match your boldness but would be able to call you out when needed, keeping you in check and motivating you to follow through with things, especially when your tendency to procrastinate kicks in. He’s the type to challenge you and keep you on your toes, which would keep things interesting, but without losing the fun and humor that come with it.

Shidou is also someone who thrives in the spotlight, much like your desire to be expressive, which would make you both a pair that feeds off each other's energy. His dramatic flair would pair so well with your love for freaky, spontaneous moments, and you’d have plenty of fun annoying each other with ridiculous antics. He wouldn’t mind being your “monkey” for those cute moments of affection, and you’d definitely have a blast embarrassing each other in the most hilarious ways.

Overall, Shidou Ryusei would be your perfect partner in crime, someone who can match your intensity, put up with your antics, and still keep the vibe lighthearted and fun. He’s got the attitude and the strength to handle you, and he’d definitely keep you entertained, all while challenging you to be your best self.

[tryingtolearnartsob]

I really did mean for break and DID have it. Just not as large of a break that I thought but did feel enough of a break to be one…I think I said break too many times I’ve lost the direction of where I was going with this

—ANYWAYS. it was very meaningful and very good for me. like I tried to not at all think about art and enjoy other stuff and well yeah I came back to art eventually and did urges to draw but I didn’t succumb to it mainly because I didn’t feel ready but I did start to just…watch videos.

—a lot of informative anatomy videos and stuff and like got around to wanting to draw then….and this time I really just wanted to scribble thingies in

—and just ehhh I forgot my main first thoughts as I was doing it tbh. but I know that I was focusing on the arms and stuff and I wanted to do it like in drawing circle for elbow first etc and then I wanted to focus on the pelvis. I did an overdraw for one of the figures too of how the pelvis would be like and then draw over it how the legs and stuff would connect cuz the first one looked like ??? what was that lol

—but I still didn’t feel like I really how things are structured and how legs are connected to it and so videos helped a lot in that 😌 I had like geneallllk understanding but it wasn’t enough and like looking at pelvis diff angles and stuff wasn’t enough either and I felt like I didn’t understand properly how leg was connected but I think I got it now….? I say that but I still feel like I need to strength my knowledge some more. it’s not as strong as it can be.

—anyways after that I was doing other stuff but still wanted to draw so I got out the pen n paper

—I didn’t have any real goal….i just had urge to draw smth…. Did some random doodles and kinda focusing a bit on drawing boxes and stuff I saw around me. Practicing my lines too (and lol I feel like my line on paper is so much better than line on digital….. idk if it’s just the texture of paper… rather than the glass or iPad but it feels like? my line control is so much better lol maybe it’s the knock off Apple Pencil that’s just bad) (sigh why did my pencil have to break 😔)

—also Drew juv n srda for a bit since I was getting bored of doing random stuff and ahhhh honestly just kinda feeling upset cuz I felt like I completely forgot everything 😭😭😭 on how to even sketch in a decent figure pose… 😔😔😔

—and I forgot what happened in the middle lol…? but I think I watched more videos and stuff and then tried to contrast the figure pose again after some time and this time…? I think I got it…! also one thing I realised with the arms is that lollll I’ve been forgetting to draw in deltoid…fjjfjfjdj. anyways very happy with the lower part of this page. I feel like that’s when I started to Get It

—I’ve been wanting to draw hands better but I think the problem with how I’ve been drawing/kinda practising hands before is that when I tried to draw what I saw in refs the problem was that I felt like my knowledge of hand was insufficient like I knew general/gist stuff but like… I didn’t feel like I had the best understanding so I watched a lot of hand anatomy stuff (thank you proko…) and it helped in getting more understanding of what’s going on with the hands and stuff and so when I was sketching in this time… it felt more fun and I liked this session of drawing hands to any other even if they didn’t turn out well cuz I felt like my understanding was much better.

—also added in some finger single studies since that’s what im very weak in also I feel like I need to better understand the fat/muscle sides of the pinkie and stuff since I don’t think I get that well.. I’ve been using method of drawing in the knuckle/joints of where figures would be after drawing in palm and it helped really great with getting the spacing and stuff down.

—like example when I say I didn’t get the understanding of hand before: like I knew how hand works and stuff but like I feel my understanding/structure of the hand was like…. very not fresh? but now I can imagine better and know what’s there. that I just need to focus on how to draw it and feel for how it all connects and stuff…. that’s what I mean

—I think the best hand kinda turned out to be the one where I didn’t do the whole drawing in the joints for hands… it was the second last hand I did and I felts like I had general idea of where the fingers go so I just drew in the general shape and it was much easier to clearly draw in the bend of the fingers that it turned out to look better… idk how to put this into words but yeah…

—I honestly did have plans to do more figure studies and stuff but I got swept by things and it didn’t come to be but yeah. very happy n satisfied with how this day turned out to be. the break was very well needed<3 it’s kind of funny since it doesn’t seem like a break but for real. I usually think of art 24/7 and even when im not drawing im usually thinking about it or watching videos about it. and well taking this break where I purposely drew my attention away from that was very good. I need that break. I think from here things are gonna go slow and stuff. Which is a pace I probs need. to ingest more construction/understanding information that I can then apply/strength my figure prac drawing….

—one thing I do want to focus on is the heads. like I noticed when I draw heads…..like for normal angles the problem is that I don’t have a structure and stuff for chin/jaw etc and it’s kind of….a lot of fumbling.? so I think I just need to get better understanding and think of way to draw it in a way that’s less more fumbling lol.

[gamergirl2million]

Update on Nasty Dog Animation: I actually have not worked on actual scenes and other components of it yet. The reason because I realized I will probably end up show hands in the video…I had not properly practiced hands at that point, so I started practicing. Surprisingly, I had shared my progress to my friends and one of them said they were surprised how quickly I improved…I started doing this a week and a half ago, so it was kinda fast lol. Here is the progression of those hands! I am also adding the sketches progression as well!

TW! Middle Finger

I’m also shocked on the progress as well! Although, that last digital drawing has that fist I feel is the weakest hand pose, but it still looks good! And I am very proud of the peace sign!~✨

Also, that last traditional sketch pic does say final page…after years of having the sketchbook (I believe I got it back in middle school) and not drawing for years after the first year I got it and a few more after V4nny’s Lord Eclipse server, I was not expecting to end up filling it. It’s kinda bittersweet…

Anyway, another update about the animation…it ain’t gonna be complete until after Christmas (maybe) and possibly until next year! The main reason is…well…I have a confession to make. I…don’t have a drawing tablet…the artworks you have seen by me so far have all been done digitally…on an app called Sketchbook…on my iPhone…with my finger…yeah, I don’t know how I have survived this long with it either. But when I was doing the hands, I realized how hard it was drawing them and realized…I could probably do better if I didn’t use my fingers lol.

I say after Christmas…because I’m actually hoping to be gifted a drawing tablet! I already told my mom and Nana I wanted one, so it’s in consideration! If it doesn’t happen, then maybe I’ll get it on my Birthday in February? I also have a friend who said that if he gets a better tablet, he would give me his old one if I didn’t have one of my own by then!

Either way, I think it’s best if I put the animation on back burner (did I use the term right idk) until I get a drawing tablet because I think it will cause my art to thrive more than it, surprisingly, has already! Don’t worry! I ain’t abandoning it! It’s just…gonna take longer than me and you were expecting!

In the meantime, I’m also working on another project that I wanted to do…that is not art in image, but “art” in words! I’m trying to write a video essay for the first time and I hope to have the script done and to have the video come out AFTER the animation meme! Why after the animation meme? Well, I kinda want to recreate my self-OC (the one as my pfp) and make some fun art for it! I feel cheap if I just ripped the character art from the game itself…yes, the video essay is about a video game! I think you can take a good guess which game too lol.

Anyway, sorry for the ramble, but I hope y’all understand why it’s gonna be a while before the animation is out. My friends have been so encouraging of me and I would have the drive to continue working without them! College has been scary and new, so doing stuff like this helps me destress! I hope y’all have a wonderful day and you look beautiful/handsome/divine today!~✨💗

[clover-the-awesomest]

Okay! I made a little ask on your other account specifically for your AU :)

But, since we're on the topic of au's, I actually have a little recommendation for another one that you've probably heard of, but in my opinion, it's still pretty underrated and deserves all the love in the world. It's called the Little Brother au, and Sharkfinn, the creator of it, made an original character named Spot. It's basically a separated au where Spot is being raised by Draxum, except this Draxum is just a really good Dad, so that's nice for a change. There's a lot more that goes into it, but I don't wanna spoil anything. So just go check it out if that sounds interesting at all. It's just that after Cass's Apocalyptic Series ended, Finn's au has really gotten me through that tough pain of letting an amazing story go. So, maybe it could do the same for you.

Say, I've actually chatted with Finn a little bit about digital art and how he's made his au, so if you wanted, you could ask him some questions! I think he'd be happy to have another fellow oc au comic artist in the Tumblr space asking for some pointers :]

But that's just a suggestion. Regardless, I'm happy to see others make their own au's with their own storylines and characters and world building and all of that because it is my absolute DREAM to create my own fan works and share it with a fandom as big as this one. That's what sharing your passion is all about, man! It's my absolute happy place just interacting with the things I love and making others laugh and learning a thing or two along the way, yk?

But I gotta stop myself right there because I'll start rambling on-and-on about my love for this fandom because God knows I'd never stop, lol. Anyway, I'm happy to be here, so thank you for having me ❤️

I’m thinking of putting a comic up for your ask right now I’m so ready to get going with it

AAAAAAAAAAA but thank you for the suggestion and the motivation to keep going with this AU! It’s a pretty big project that I’ve had playing in my brain for the past couple years and it means a ton to me!

Totally forgot to even mention what it’s called lmao - It’s called the New Home AU. The name symbolizes Clover’s entrance into a new, healthier life and a new home with a new family. Her name also ties into some important details later down the line which is completely unintentional on my part, but I’m not saying what until someone asks for the answer on my blog~ I’m not teasing anything cuz I literally just realized this as I’m typing it but if anyone out there were to randomly be like “Hey why’s ur name Clover???” I’ll just make a response like “Hey yeah so uhh it’s cuz of this one random detail that I literally just noticed haha” I doubt someone would ask that and they don’t have to at all but it would be so hilarious if that happened right????

ANYWHIZZLE I think I’ve heard of this AU actually! I found an animatic around a year or so ago on YouTube of a smaller turtle brother being sad about the fact that he can’t do his bandages properly on his own and Raph comes in, offers to help, while the little guy remisces on his time with Draxum. Though that last bit had an ominous subtext to it so I’m gonna assume that’s not it… I’ll totally check this AU out though! Seems super fun!

[fantomette22]

Tada

First proper digital art 🎉

Well ok it’s still a wip because it seems I still don’t know how to color properly xD (+put texture on it) wow just like on paper lol.

But for a first time I think it’s pretty cool! And more than enough.

It’s a redraw of this old drawing I barely even look at it for reference i mainly used the png of the old hunter badge as ref next to my canvas.

Oh btw I finally got a tablet and pencil do draw digitally! It’s so over for you all!!! >:)

No ok more seriously I would need to practice first for sure. ^^

But what should I do first anyway? A brand new drawing? And what? Or perhaps take a old sketch / lineart I did on paper and re color it digitally? (I keep pictures of the progress of some drawings I made) like maybe the meme with Caryll x)

[iraprince]

hello! do you have any advice for switching from traditional art to digital? (i recently ran out of supplies so im relegated to my computer lol) i hope youre having a good day!

i sure do!

first off i really recommend clip studio paint, but i also recommend u wait for it to go on sale. it goes 50% off a few times a year, so imo it’s worth waiting, but it also is usually on sale for only a few days so u have to stay on top of it. they usually announce on twitter etc. the tools don’t make the artist and obviously it doesn’t Really matter what program u end up settling on, i’ve just been really pleased with CSP and i wanted to recommend it

second: nothing that u can do with digital art programs/tools is cheating and it took me way too long to really internalize + understand that. copy-pasting stuff instead of redrawing it, using symmetry rulers, using transform/ctrl+T to stretch or squash slightly off anatomy instead of starting over -- when i was first getting into digital i A. didn’t know u could do this stuff and B. felt weirdly guilty doing it once i figured it out, as if i was a worse artist for using the tools that are literally built into the software or that it was lazy or dishonest to do so. that, it turns out, is bullshit. any drawing is just a constant series of decision-making and a lot of digital tools just help u make or retract or edit those decisions faster than traditional does. it’s not better or worse, it’s just different, and it’s worth ur time to figure out which of those differences are the most convenient and useful. this stuff exists for a reason! use it! save ur wrists and ur patience and ur time!

figure out file organization early, because it’s something u don’t have to deal with irt traditional art and so it probably won’t come naturally, but it also makes ur life harder to have a desktop swarming with wip files that are all titled “kjsrhrfgdhgj.psd” or whatever. some ppl sort into folders by date; for me it works better to sort by content (i.e. i have folders for tvrn stuff, patreon stuff, different fandoms, dnd/ttrpg stuff, “misc ocs” for characters i don’t draw much and “misc fandoms” for one-off fanart that doesn’t merit its own folder, etc etc; this is what makes it easiest for me to find stuff, but ur system might end up different.) i admittedly still name my files keysmashes if it’s personal stuff rather than work/commissions, but at least it’s all sorted into a category where i can quickly find it again anyway

also, u can hybridize traditional and digital! i frequently like my traditional pencil lines better than what i can do digitally, so i often scan them in, turn them into lineart, and color digitally (here’s a tutorial on how i prep that). but even if u don’t have a scanner, a carefully taken phone photo with high contrast can still be used the same way. i tend to lay my sketchbook flat on the floor in front of a window, squat down and hold my phone as level as i can while i’m taking the pic, and then i blast it in my phone’s built in gallery editor (highlights/shadows and contrast) before sending it to myself and doing the same thing w tone curve/levels in csp. it’s not perfect, but it’s presentable, and it can be a good way to ease urself in if ur feeling frustrated w the learning curve on digital draftsmanship.

oh, and this tip is really small but it’s ended up being rly helpful for me: resist the urge to zoom in way past 100% scale view just bc u can. if there are times where u absolutely need to, sure, whatever, but there’s no point in regularly tweaking tiny things pixel by pixel at 250% zoom bc nobody who looks at ur art is gonna see that and ur just bloating ur own time spent on things and creating unnecessary stress for urself!! if 100% zoom doesn’t give u the control u want, that may just mean u need to work larger to begin with.

set up a comfortable workspace with a Good chair. look up proper posture and try to stick to it. i know we’re all gay and it sucks to sit in a chair properly but otherwise ur gonna hurt urself. take even more frequent breaks than u do when drawing traditionally! screen bad!

also, if ur tablet has a way to calibrate pressure, try that out. a lot of them are set in a way where you have to press really hard to get full line width and over time it can really seriously strain ur wrist; u can’t manually set pressure in traditional tools (besides like. using softer lead i guess lmfao) but u can with tablet pens and u should try it, bc if u can use a lighter touch overall it really goes a long way towards preventing injury in the long term.

this is all the stuff that came to mind immediately; i’m sure there are tons of basics i haven’t covered, depending on how much of a transition this is for u, but there are a lot of tutorials out there written by ppl more patient and more educationally-oriented than myself so you’d be doing a better service to urself seeking those out than if i were to try to clumsily emulate them lol. good luck + have fun!

[bigmeatymudcrabchitins]

A not-so-brief overview of my Skyrim Dova OCs bc i need to scream to the digital void about my ideas

Freyora Lind, more commonly known by her strange alias “Bjorne Icepick”

A Nord-eventually-turned-werewolf who orphaned during the Great War and taken in by a Dunmeri mercenary whose residence was in Windhelm’s Gray Quarter. Grew up in a cramped boarding house setting among desperate mercenaries of varying backgrounds. Many of them would all come and go, but there was always some sort of a familial bond between them all.

From a young age she got in a lot of fights against people who insulted her for living in the Gray Quarter among the dark elves. Eventually she took a fight too far and was jailed for murder around 14, but was broken out shortly after by a band of masked vampires. Turns out some of her mercenary comrades unwittingly caught vampirism during a contract to clear out a vampire den and had to skip town, but not before ensuring one of their own wasn’t left to rot.

Lived in Cyrodil for about 15 years, but returned to Skyrim pursuing rumors surrounding a cure to vampirism, as her adoptive father would be nearing the end of his elven lifespan and had wished to die a normal death.

Seeing as she was literally a fugitive, and her long-belated parents were somewhat renowned for their battlefield prowess, she took on a false identity. AND an act to match it.

She’ll eat raw meat, chase prey with swords instead of using a bow like a normal person, harp about irrational conspiracy theories, and more. Everyone’s foul reactions to her outlandish act are plainly hilarious to her and only encourage her to act even stranger.

The alias “Bjorne Icepick” was simply the most ridiculous name she could think of.

Not the most morally outstanding. Besides drunken brawling, she’ll steal from anyone who angers her, even if it’s things she literally won’t ever need such as all the goblets in a household. It’s the pettiness that counts. “Try drinking your damn high-end wine now, jackass.”

Calls Dwarven Automatons “Gundams.” Including she herself, no one knows what that means.

Joins the Companions out of homesickness and a desire to fill in a gap that leaving home left.

Hasn’t bothered curing herself of lycanthropy because her whole schtick is being incredibly resourceful, and that includes using any means of power necessary. Still doesn’t fancy Hircine’s Hunting Grounds as her desired afterlife, though.

As her journey goes on, however, her lightheartedly eccentric face starts to fall off as a number of events push her to begin to question the legitimacy of her actions up until that point.

Some of which include the eventual death of her adoptive father (and how she was indirectly responsible for it even if it was what he wanted), Delphine’s ultimatum, the civil war as a collective, learning the tragic history behind the Falmer and the original Companions’ role in it, and killing of Vyrthur (no matter how much he genuinely deserved it).

She grows disgusted by herself down to the core. She takes to skooma to cope, and starts to be plagued by serious skooma-induced side effects. She ends up shutting herself away from all her responsibilities and distancing herself from her friends.

Does she get better? Maybe. I haven’t thought up anything past this point lol

Moureneris Alta

A very, VERY ancient vampiric snow elf, (though it’s notable she was born a considerable amount of time after the razing of Sarthaal)

Survived many atrocities. Stayed in isolation with a band of vampires for countless years out of sheer disgust for the nature of the sapient races. (I’ll explain her full story some other time. It’s pretty complicated)

She was abducted from her isolated lifestyle by a certain person i’ll talk about later. She managed to free herself south of Skyrim, and uh, walks right into that Imperial ambush. The rest is history.

Super ignorant to modern society as a result of centuries of isolation. Exploited for comedic relief. (“What in the name of Oblivion is a Cyrodilic Empire? Are you messing with me? And please, how does levitation magic simply get outlawed by this hypothetical Empire? What are you to do when you fall down a crevice? Just... let yourself perish? How degrading.)

She reintegrated herself into society with vengeance in mind under the belief that all humans are savage bloodlusting murderers who had to answer for their treachery. (And she was royally angry there was no Dwemer left to spite, but partially satisfied at the same time). But she grows conflicted after being shown genuine kindness, even as early as being freed from her binds in Helgen.

Subsequently has a very muddled redemption arc. Queue Dragonborn hero stuff

She has impaired vision, but she cultivated detect life magic to aid her in daily life and combat (think Hyakkimaru from Dororo ‘19 and his soul detection or Toph Beifong from ATLA and her seismic sense). At her peak, she can detect life from about a kilometer away.

She can just barely read, but only if she holds the text incredibly close to her face, not to mention her Cyrodilic lessons were left unfinished after her abduction, making reading a very taxing process. Weary travelers are often spooked at the sight of a floating, ghastly looking elven woman with her nose pressed up against crossroad signs, and it has become somewhat of an urban legend.

Isn’t as nearly as skilled with detecting the dead and tenses up in burial crypts or around other vampires for that reason. Unfortunately, being the Dragonborn and all, she finds herself in a lot of crypts...

When questioned about her background due to her unique appearance: “Oh, yeah. My mother was one of those mer from the east. You know the ones. Dark elves, I think? And my father was one of those er, tall elv- no, sorry, HIGH elves. Yeah. They both died in a big fire or something though. It was horrible. I can’t get the noxious smell or the deafening screams out of my head. Good talk, but never ask me about that again.”

Queue sheltered old immortal antics: “Wow, you’re THAT old? Enlighten me on how it felt witnessing the fall of the Dwemer. Or perhaps the rise of Tiber Septim’s Empire. The Gates of Ob-“ “Oblivion if I know. I lived in someone’s basement for thousands of years. And I still don’t know what everyone means by Empire. You all are messing with me, aren’t you? That really annoys me.”

She ultimately returns to faith in Auri-El and makes it her life’s purpose to help the Betrayed find peace, as well as to seek out any remaining snow elf groups. Probably good friends with Gelebor or something.

Had a crush on Serana. We all know how THAT went. Damned temples.

Was originally gonna spiral into a much darker corruption arc (another ATLA comparison being Jet or Hama) but I just felt bad for her. Moureneris can have a little found peace. As a treat.

That’s her preliminary design made. I’ll need a mod to properly play her, because that right there was made by choosing Dunmer as her race. But I can’t do that. I’m on console, and while I got the Steam port a month ago, my PC’s stone age specs can’t handle Skyrim yet and I’ll need to wait until I can afford a better graphics card (thanks economic inflation)

Alexandre Armasi, jokingly nicknamed Alexandre the Curious

A complete and unapologetic export of my character from a dead and unfinished DND campaign. Except there are no Aasimar in Skyrim, so he’s half Altmer half Bosmer. And his initial last name was Armas but I thought Armasi suited his Skyrim counterpart more, as subtle a change it is.

He’s mainly Bosmer in appearance and constitution, save for his hair and eyes, which are more similar to that of his Altmeri father’s.

I can’t really export his original backstory though because the campaign wouldn’t translate well into TES lore at all.

He’s a writer who came wandering into Skyrim in search of inspiration. While he mainly writes dramatic fables, he wanted to divert his focus to crafting his own bestiary and herbal compendium surrounding Skyrim’s fauna and flora. The ones at home are simply too vague to him!

He’s very altruistic, wishing to spread cheer wherever he goes, through the art of song (even though he was a cleric in DND and not a bard. My bad.) However, many of his verses are just blatant self promotions of his published fables.

But he’s too naive for his own good. Dangerously so. In fact, he says what’s on his mind with little forethought, with little grasp on the consequences of his actions, which lands him in lots of trouble. “I don’t favor him myself, but you guys kill people over Talos worship? That’s not very cool. A bit scary, if you ask me.” or “A Stormcloak rebel? Didn’t your leader kill a bunch of Reachmen rebels years back, or so I’ve heard. By the divines that’s not a man I’d make a symbol of nonconformity.”

He’s also insatiably curious. The type to ACTUALLY shove alchemic ingredients in his mouth with no knowledge of their properties, experiment with dangerous rune spells, throw rocks at pressure plates, and more. Needless to say he’s very accident prone.

Doesn’t know common curse words. People exploit this for laughs. Think that episode of Spongebob.

Everyone is a little baffled that HE of all people is the prophesied Dragonborn of legend. This agonizingly imbecilic writer who has absentmindedly wandered into burial crypts, troll dens, bandit forts, and more, too busy juggling his manuscripts to pay attention to his surroundings.

His past doesn’t exactly reflect his outlook on life. His mother and father fought in the Great War aligned with the Imperials despite their elven background. Both managed to live to see the war’s conclusion, but his father vanished without a trace shortly after, and it seems his mother knows something she won’t tell him.

With plenty of exposure to bad influences, his innocence is slowly lost throughout the course of his journey, and his altruism begins to grow twisted. But nevertheless, he maintains his jovial, social persona, except this time with much darker undertones. Kinda like a creepy dentist or something.

Whoops. He winds up becoming a feared Dark Brotherhood assassin. (Haha get it “Innocence Lost”???) He somehow deluded himself into thinking that the life of an assassin was the right thing to do. But he’s a funky little guy so he gets a pass for his heinous crimes against society

[ryuichirou]

I like asking digital artist about how they became such great drawer. it’s really interesting to hear from other artist. Hope you will answer my question you may skip if you don’t want to answer some^_^ Thank you for answering!

Tell me a story of how you became a artist.

Who inspired you?

How did you start?

What was your first drawing?

How did you start drawing SNK?

What do you want your artwork to say? 

Do you ever want to do commissions or sell your art one day?

Have there ever been a time you didn’t want to draw anymore?

Who’s your favorite Anime character? Tell me why?

Describe what kind of person you are.

What is a advice do you want to give to other artist?

This is such a fun ask omg, I’m sorry it took me so long to reply…  The reply itself is also quite long because apparently I can’t stop talking once I’m being asked this type of stuff.

Who inspired you?

Back when I was a kid, my main inspiration were cartoons and comics that I watched and read. I used to have a lot of VHS (*old person voice* remember those) that didn’t even work properly anymore because I rewatched them 3-4 times in a row sometimes, and it ruined the tapes.

I don’t think I had one particular person around that inspired me, mostly because I didn’t know the names of the artists whose stuff I liked. But I remember that I started drawings comics because my cousin was doing it (I was ~6-7? I don’t remember). He lost his interest very quickly though, but I kept drawing them by myself.

Oh oh! I also remember enjoying thick books of political caricatures by Jean Effel and Herluf Bidstrup. Didn’t understand a thing, but they sure were funny lol

And when I was 13 I discovered manga, and the rest is history.

How did you start?

Well, I don’t remember lol I think my mom told me something about trying to keep me busy while she was working. And then the cartoons, the comics, the manga, and then, as I started to sliiiiightly lose interest, Katsu became a huge part of my life, so I kind of never stopped drawing.

What was your first drawing?

I have no idea lol it was sooo long ago

How did you start drawing SNK?

Like I said a couple of times, we watched SnK in 2013, and I wanted to draw a fanart of it, it was just an obvious thing to do. We didn’t post much back then, but I always want to sketch at least one little sketch after we watch/play/read something that we like, just as a memory piece. And SnK wasn’t an exception – the characters were just too darn memorable and fun not to draw them.

But I’ll say this: it took me a lot of time to start drawing the way that satisfies me and Katsu. Not only anatomy-wise, but also design-wise: for some reason I used to mess them up royally… You can see it in my Levi-throughout-the-years post.

What do you want your artwork to say? 

For the most part it’s “I HAVE SO MUCH FUN DRAWING THIS CHARACTER OH GOD” lol, the majority of my artworks (if not all of them) are simply love-letters towards our favourite shows, characters and ships.

But I also think that a lot of drawings say “hey what IF”, and those are my favourite ones to draw. It’s obvious that we have a lot of fun with AUs, concepts and other stuff, and it’s especially cool when we manage to put some ideas and concepts out there.

Oh yeah right sometimes it’s just “isn’t it funny? LAUGH AT IT”

 Do you ever want to do commissions or sell your art one day?

I do commissions wink wink

Have there ever been a time you didn’t want to draw anymore?

Nope. I don’t think there’ll ever be a moment when I feel “well I think I’m done”, to be honest, not anymore. Too much stuff to draw…

 Who’s your favorite Anime character? Tell me why?

I have tons of favourite Anime characters… as for now, I think it’s a tie between Levi and Killua Zoldyck? I love it when characters are loyal to someone but aren’t afraid to call them out, to grumble, to critique their actions, but ultimately still side with the said someone because they’re very dear to them. It’s a very broad way to describe Killua and Levi’s relationships with their special people, I know lol but it’s also about someone being very powerful, but also quite sensitive when you look at them closely. Also both of them are super funny and I love their designs.

 Describe what kind of person you are.

Katsu called me Connie Smith the other day, I still think there is no better way to describe me.

 What is a advice do you want to give to other artist?

Don’t forget that art should be fun, first and foremost. But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t push yourself out of your comfort zone and try new stuff. Even if it’s difficult at first, it’ll get easy and exciting once you figure it out, and you’ll definitely figure it out eventually if you keep trying. Don’t torture yourself, but don’t be afraid of trying new things: these make the drawing process more interesting,

Phew, I think that’s all… Thanks again, it was a fun ask!

Sorry for the late reply.

[omgitscharlie]

𝖕𝖗 𝖚𝖓𝖇𝖔𝖝𝖎𝖓𝖌

ɪɴᴜᴋᴀɢ | ʜɪᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʟɪᴋᴇ ʙᴜᴛᴛᴏɴ ᴜɴɪᴠᴇʀꜱᴇ | ʀᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴛ

@horriblehowl YOU WANT IT YOU GOT IT BAYBEEE. 

i have been working on this for lol too long but i’m HOWLING (get it) at what i just created. it’s an abomination in the best way. enjoy.

SUMMARY: Inuyasha helps Kagome open her PR boxes on camera and is astounded at what she receives. tagging:  @princessinume, @rightoveryonder, @digital-art-monster, @heathersmusings, @nectarine500, @biancam70, @keichanz, @mickisketch, @mamabearcat , @littlestuffstohide, @misteria247, @aizawa-slaysme, @preciouslyours, @clementinesgulag, @sailorbabydoll92, @trepidatingboarfetus, @karibookat, @liz8080, @chimichangadude, @kagometaishostory, @shinidamachu, @blairex, @bluejay785, @ruddcatha, @inuyashasimp, @bluehawaiicat, @caribmiko, @ghostinluke, @hnn-wnchstr , @horriblehowl, @lavendertwilight89, @anxietyaardvark, @i-dream-of-soup, @sistasecbhere, @neutronstarchild, @kaze-ranna, @bigjakenenergy, @holi-holy, @marak7, @its11-11, @pinkpigeonstudio, @ntkrrs, @mymidnightnightmare, @smmahamazing, @sailorlolo​

AO3 + FFN

“Please tell me this is the last of ‘em.”

How many times had they gone to and from her car, grabbing boxes and boxes of PR that they’d picked up from her PO box. Watching him carry many more boxes than herself towards the front of her apartment building, she let out a small giggle, knowing that he’d become used to this by now.

“Yup!” she chirped before following after him with the three boxes that she’d grabbed from the backseat. Kagome followed after him, managing to press the lock button on her key and hear the familiar beeps.

Taking their millionth trip up the elevator, Inuyasha adjusted some of the boxes he was holding with a grunt, “Some of these boxes are fuckin’ heavy, Kagome. What the hell is in here?” 

“I honestly have no idea. You know how some brands are. Remember when I showed you that box that had a small screen inside that played a video? They’re intense sometimes.” It seemed as though brands were trying to up the ante these days, making their PR more elaborate and opulent. A waste was what Kagome called it. She’d asked some brands to just send their products in a simple box, nothing else. Some complied and others seemed to have missed the memo.

Hearing the ding, the doors opened and Kagome walked out first, knowing she would need to open the door and let him in. As much as she would find it easier to just leave the door unlocked, she knew there was already thousands of dollars worth of product inside that people could easily steal. 

Holding the door open, she watched her boyfriend carry the last of the boxes in before kicking the door shut behind her. Kicking off her shoes, she followed Inuyasha to the living room, where they’d been stacking the boxes in front of the couch. It was too crowded to open boxes in her studio and Inuyasha didn’t feel comfortable filming in his home, so Kagome opted for the living room. 

Typically, Kagome would film while Inuyasha did some work in her bedroom, but today she’d roped him into coming on camera with her and participate in a PR unboxing haul, “Thank you for carrying those boxes up, babe,” she praised, watching as he carefully stacked the boxes on top of one another.

“Yeah well, if I didn’t do it, you’da been doin’ this all day,” he countered in an attempt to deflect her thanks, an old habit that he’d yet to break. Placing the last box down, he placed his hands on his hips to marvel at his handiwork, “There. Done.”

“Looks great,” she complimented as she moved to stand beside him, gently maneuvering him so he faced her so she could get up on her tiptoes and wrap her arms around his neck. Easily, Inuyasha sank into her touch, wrapping his arms around her waist and happily letting her press a kiss to his lips. Allowing it to linger for a moment or two before pulling away, Kagome smiled up at the man that she’d been dating for the past year and a half, “I’m excited,” she stated honestly, not surprised by the perplexed expression on Inuyasha’s face.

“Why?”

“I like filming with you, is all,” stated as if it were obvious, she could see his cheeks flush as he averted his gaze, “My followers like it, too.”

“Keh. I ain’t interesting to watch,” he scoffed while feeling Kagome’s lips press to his jawline out of comfort. Turning his head back to her, he stole a kiss from her, unable to help himself. 

“Yes you are,” she murmured against his lips, still keeping her arms wrapped around his neck as she pulled away enough to find his gaze with her own, “You gunna take your hat off?” she knew it was a sensitive subject, and by the way he tensed in reaction to her question, Kagome understood that he wasn’t ready, “It’s okay. You don’t need to,” she reassured, unwrapping her arms and running them down the front of his chest as she lowered back onto her heels.

Inuyasha knew that Kagome loved his ears, she made that blatantly obvious whenever she could; rubbing them while they lay on the couch, teasing them with her lips if she wanted to get back at him for making her beg, and he knew if they were in public she would take every chance to touch them. Yes. Kagome was accepting and loving towards his appearance and what it meant, but he knew not everyone was like that. Hell, before Kagome, every person he showed them to found them strange. 

“Uh, yeah. Not yet,” or ever.

Nodding in understanding, she released herself from his grip and began making her way to her studio, “Gunna help me move the lights and camera?”

“Yeah, yeah,” he conceded, subconsciously adjusting the beanie on his head as he followed in after her.

They had to sit on the floor, the camera and her more portable lights set up in front of them on the other side of the coffee table. Adjusting the white balance, lighting and contrast, she finally settled on an image that suited her taste. All the while, her rather impatient boyfriend remained seated cross legged with his arms folded across his chest. Wearing a black henley with the first two buttons undone, it was easy to see the hint of fresh ink that began to sprawl over the entirety of his chest. 

“Okay, got it,” Kagome finally said, pressing record and moving to sit beside him before adjusting her light grey tank top topped by a thin black cardigan. 

“About time,” he murmured with the intent to only do so to himself, but soon saw Kagome shoot him a glare. 

“I need to make sure it’s in focus and properly balanced - this isn’t something we can just do over,” she explained in a rather scolding tone, only to see her boyfriend give her one of his infamous eyerolls. Not in the mood for his attitude, she smacked his arm with the back of her hand, looking up at him with her own scowl.

“Hey! Jesus. Can we just start?” He snapped, glowering down at her with a furrowed brow. Kagome continued to glare at him, Inuyasha unsure just what she wanted him to do and he wanted to figure it out soon; he could only handle that glare for so long.

“Apology kiss,” she demanded, keeping her face close to his while Inuyasha scoffed in faux inconvenience before leaning forward and pressing a kiss to her lips. It was short and sweet, rewarded with a bright smile on her face as she broke away, “Okay, we can start now.”

After a quick introduction to her channel, she let her followers know that Inuyasha would be helping her unbox PR, “As you can see we have...a wall of boxes that Inuyasha graciously carried up and stacked so well,” she stated with a soft giggle, looking to her boyfriend as he peered behind him with a grin, “Do you wanna choose the first one we open?” she asked, seeing his gaze flit towards hers and back to the boxes.

“Sure.”

As he gently gripped random boxes, trying to see which one was loose enough to grab without toppling the whole thing over, Kagome continued, staring back towards the camera as she did so, “As I always do with my PR unboxings, I’ll be putting things aside for a giveaway. All you gotta do is go to the link in the description and complete everything there to enter - the end date to enter will be there too.”

Grabbing a medium-sized box, he pulled it down without disturbing the structure behind them and placed it in his lap.

“Oh! Let me grab a knife,” Kagome stated while climbing to her feet and running to the kitchen. Inuyasha was about to tell her to not bother, but simply shrugged when he heard her patter around the kitchen. 

By the time she’d returned with the knife, holding it rather valiantly and proudly, the package was already sliced open, “Wait. What?” she asked, only to see Inuyasha lift his hand with a face full of disbelief towards her lack of realization that he had claws, “Oh!” she gave a slightly embarrassed laugh, “Right!” she waved her hand at him flippantly, as if she’d known the whole time. 

Shaking his head in bemusement, he looked down to the box and opened it, seeing a bunch of extra packaging before finding the products that lay beneath, “I don’t know what any of this is,” he stated bluntly as he pulled a few products out and held them out for her to take without looking at her so he could rummage around for more. Taking the products, she looked at one of the boxes and lit up with excitement.

“Oh! This is the new Milk Makeup™ foundation and primer. I’ve heard you guys tell me that you want me to review these so I’ll put those aside,” and she did just that, prepared to make two separate piles: one for the giveaway and one for her to keep. As soon as she’d put those products down, she saw Inuyasha holding out another handful for her to take. Taking those, she talked through what each product was until Inuyasha reached back to grab another box.

Opening it with his index finger, he pulled it open before scrunching his nose and turning his head away on the verge of coughing, “Fuckin’ hell. This box reeks,” he choked out before finally letting out a cough to try and get the taste out of the back of his throat. With his head turned away, he shoved the box into Kagome’s lap while lifting his tattooed arm to shove his mouth and nose into the crook of it.

“Are you okay?” she asked, somewhat amused by his visceral reaction, especially since she knew exactly was in the box, “I guess I should tell Bath and Body Works™ to not send any more candles,” she stated as she pulled out a three-wicked candle that supposedly was scented with sandalwood and pine, “Or I’ll just burn them when you’re not around.” 

“Like hell you are! Burnin’ ‘em would just make the whole apartment smell,” he countered, only to hear Kagome release an amused giggle. He wasn’t wrong, it would make it smell for at least a couple of days and would likely end up causing her to hold the same scent. As much as she adored burning a nicely scented candle, inconveniencing her boyfriend held precedent, especially if that as his reaction.

“Guess they’re going in the giveaway,” she stated before closing up the box and setting it as far away from Inuyasha as possible. Though the scent lingered, it was far away enough for the scent to not burn his nostrils and shoot down the back of his throat, “Can you grab that huge box by the end of the couch? I think that’s gunna take a while to go through,” she prompted, seeing Inuyasha climb to his feet with a nod.

Needing to slide the box into frame, it reached Kagome’s shoulders as she sat, “This one was heavy,” Inuyasha stated bluntly as he knelt down as used his claw to open it up. Leaning over, she could see a bunch of frosted bags inside and her brows furrowed, “Huh…” Inuyasha began before pulling out one of the bags and handing it to her. 

Adjusting the bag right-side up, she could see a logo that she couldn’t discern before sliding the bag open and peering inside, “Oh! I think that’s full of swimwear!” Kagome stated as she pulled the bright-red two piece from the bag as she listened to Inuyasha rummage around through the box, as if he was searching for something.

“I swear I saw it…” he muttered before feeling the poster board against his fingers, “Ah-ha!” Pulling the piece of paper from the box, he saw that it was a postcard with an image of white, sandy beaches and palm trees.

“What does it say?” 

“Uh,” Inuyasha flipped it over and stared at the words for a moment before finally reading it aloud, “Dear Kagome and Inuyasha, we are so excited to have you join our brand trip this summer. To make sure you’re prepared, here’s a big box of swimwear for the two of you to wear while enjoying the sandy beaches and crystal clear waters of Hawaii. We’ve also thrown in some new products that we think you’ll love. We’ll be seeing you soon. From, Trippin’ with Tarte™.” Inuyasha glanced towards the box before handing the card over to Kagome so she could look over it, “So, this whole box is just swimwear?”

“Hmm, no, I don’t think so,” she mused before getting on her knees herself and digging through the box, feeling something plastic at the bottom of it. Tugging on it, she made a sound of struggle before yanking it out and falling back on her ass with a yelp. A large, clear plastic weekender bag landed in her lap, filled with products - some new and some old. 

“You okay?” Inuyasha couldn’t help but ask, though it was obvious that she was fine, “That’s a lot of shit,” he added, seeing the bag filled at least half way with product. 

Kagome knew that she would need to do a lot of censorship in this video, as she normally did when Inuyasha came on camera with her. Though her main audience were people her age, there were still younger viewers that watched her and she was conscious of that. Yet, she didn’t want Inuyasha to try and censor himself while they were filming - she already knew she was asking a lot of him to even just be sitting in front of the camera in the first place.

“Yeah,” she replied, lifting the bag and inspecting it, “Wow, there’s so much in here. Thank you Tarte™. The bathing suits look great too. I’m gunna go through this bag later and see if there is anything that’ll go in the giveaway.” Placing the bag to the side, she watched as Inuyasha effortlessly lifted the box and slid it away on the wood floor. 

Peering behind him, he could hear Kagome ask if he could grab the bright red, medium sized box that was right smack dab in the middle of the stack, “That’s gunna bring the whole thing down, if I do; I guarantee it,” he challenged, letting his attention fall back to his girlfriend with a skeptical expression.

“I believe in you,” she chirped in deflection, offering him a cheeky smile as Inuyasha narrowed his gaze towards her. 

Muttering to himself, he began pulling at the box, placing his hand on the boxes above it in hopes that they wouldn’t fall over. The box itself was deceptively heavier than he’d originally thought it to be, dense and very obviously not holding makeup. The scent of silicone heavily coated the box, leaving him slightly confused as he yanked it out. 

For a moment he thought he was successful in his jenga move, but slowly the boxes started to tilt in their direction, “Oh shit!” he called out, while Kagome let out a shriek of surprise. Quickly, Inuyasha reached to grab Kagome and pull her against his chest while she held her own arms over her head in an attempt to keep any boxes from hitting her. Thankfully, most of them were relatively light, tumbling off Inuyasha back and onto the floor.

When it became clear that all of the ones that would fall, did, Inuyasha pulled from Kagome some, looking down at her with an unimpressed face fixed with a light dose of smugness, “Told ya.”

Kagome gave him a nervous laugh while looking up at him, “Oops,” she apologized while Inuyasha cut the tape of the box that’d been the cause of the avalanche. His eyes never left her face as he did so, that same unimpressed look on his own as he opened the box and reached inside. It was only when he grabbed another box (though much larger than any he’d grabbed before) that he looked away from her and towards whatever was in his hand.

Both of them froze at the realization of what it was, choking on their embarrassment and shock.

“What is this?” Inuyasha sputtered, turning his attention to Kagome and away from the rather high-tech looking pink dildo that he held in his hand.

Kagome’s face went beat red, catching his gaze with her own and trying hard not to laugh, “It’s-

“I know what it is!” 

That was it. Kagome couldn’t hold back her laughter, letting it erupt from her lungs as she loudly and playfully argued, “You asked!”

“Are companies sendin’ you sex toys now?!” He asked rather incredulously, gesturing to the box in his hand as Kagome kept up her fit of laughter. Wrapping her arms around her stomach, she continued her laughing fit as her boyfriend’s face fell back into one of lack of impression. 

When she finally managed to get herself under control, she wiped away the tears from her eyes while her laughter turned into small fits of giggles, “You done?” he asked flatly, seeing her nod as she reached out to grab the full box and dig out the card that she knew probably came along the product.

Finding it, she pulled it out and began to read it, “It’s from adamandeve.com,” she managed to say, though when she saw the next line, she couldn’t help but struggle to get the words out through laughter, “They,” a deep breath, “they gave me a p-promo code!” She fell back into a fit of laughter, leaning her head forward to rest it on Inuyasha’s shoulder. 

Out of everything she could have received, he had to admit, sex toys were very last one his list. Taking the card from Kagome’s hand, he read the print on the front of it, “Fifty percent off your first order if you use the code: KAGOME50. Are you serious?! They’re givin’ you a fuckin’ affiliate link?!”

Kagome was laughing so hard she was silent, mouth open and eyes closed tight as she kept leaning on him to keep herself from falling over. 

“Jesus Kagome. How old are you - twelve?”

“Your face!” she practically screamed, “I’m keeping all of this!”

“Like hell you are!” he scolded, only to see her nod in defiance, catching her breath with deep gasps as she straightened.

“I gotta let people know about the code,” she teased, both of them knowing full well that PR was never a guaranteed promotion. Peering down to the box, she opened it up a little more, “What else is in here, anyways?” she asked, sniffling as she wiped away a stray tear from the immense laughter she’d just partook in. Pulling out a ball gag, a butt plug and handcuffs, she could see the way her boyfriend side-eyed them. 

Tilting her head, she held up the box of cuffs with an inquisitive and playful expression, “Something interest you?” she asked, hearing her boyfriend give a dismissive scoff before folding his arms across his chest and averting his gaze, “That means yes.”

“Imma use that gag on you if you don’t shut your mouth,” he stated, flitting his gaze down to the box with the gag and back up to her face as he spoke.

“That a promise?” 

“Shut up,” he snapped back, though with a hint of a smile behind his tone, “We still got this pile of boxes to go through.”

“Since when do you care if we finish filming a video?” Kagome asked, pushing her index finger against the side of his arm. 

“Since you always make us get up and finish after we get distracted,” he rebutted, leaning closer to her to emphasize his point, arms still folded across his chest, “I’d rather just finish this so we don’t havta think about anythin’ else,” there was no seduction in his voice, no low husk or hint of arousal. It was matter of fact and, frankly, annoyed in nature, “Now can we move on?”

“Sounds like you got one of these up your ass,” she stated, holding up the butt plug with a cheeky grin on her face.

“Kagome, I swear t’god-” he warned, only to hear her giggle and feel her press a kiss to his cheek, dismantling any true anger or frustration he felt towards her.

Lifting her free hand, she coaxed his head to turn towards her, leaning forward to give a soft, small kiss to his lips before asking, “Can you pass me another box?”

[ashes-in-a-jar]

I was watching some time lapse videos of some artists and I was thinking to myself how I could never do that kind of video.

These people have a process. They know what they're doing and have a technique with a good app and tools, knowing layering, color science, proper human anatomy, room composition, light and shadow etc.

And I don't know if they learned it on their own or they were taught in classes but for me? Every drawing I make is a battle.

I have no technique. I can't retain any lesson, I don't do things in order, when it comes to colored art, light and shadow are way beyond me and my abilities. Forget composition, it's made up and doesn't exist until it randomly appears in a flurry of chaos.

This is all becoming clear to me since I started digital art a few months ago. It's such a struggle and it's the first time a truly started trying to understand colors and how they work. When a drew on paper it was all charcoal and black and white. Anything I made with color was never based on some reality or any scene I saw in front of me. I couldn't. The best part of digital art is the undo button which is my best friend. And the smudge function lol.

People say they can't draw so they don't draw. I say I can't draw and I fight to draw. I grit my teeth at an expression that came out weird, at a lopsided piece of furniture and redo it. I erase and do it again, erase and put up a reference which I practically copy and try again, erase and try a new layer. I can't for the life of me draw hands properly. And I don't get how people utilize layers so well. I fumble with them all the time. Nothing in what I do is tethered to any science. I mold the drawing like I'm wrangling a tiger. Like I'm pushing a mountain.

And it works. Seriously little by little I'm improving. I can draw faces now (I think)! I can separate a background layer from front layer properly without confusing them! I learned about line correction accidentally and it helps so much! Hands sometimes come out good! My color scheme is slowly but surely improving tho my stuff still looks like an interior design disaster.

I'm just rambling because I've been looking at my stuff and going through some of it to see if I improved and I did. People who don't take drawing classes and are afraid of drawing please don't be! Saying you can't draw is just an excuse if you never tried, never fought the blank sheet. Try! And also probably preferably not like me and learn techniques from YouTube videos before developing bad habits that make life harder.

[shangyang]

what i read this week

mostly rereads this week - my tbr pile is growing by the day and i keep adding to it, so shame on me, lmao. next week: things i've actually read for the first time. promise.

EMERGENCY CONTACT, mary h.k. choi

For Penny Lee, high school was a total nonevent. Her friends were okay, her grades were fine, and while she somehow managed to land a boyfriend, he doesn’t actually know anything about her. When Penny heads to college in Austin, Texas, to learn how to become a writer, it’s seventy-nine miles and a zillion light years away from everything she can’t wait to leave behind. Sam’s stuck. Literally, figuratively, emotionally, financially. He works at a café and sleeps there too, on a mattress on the floor of an empty storage room upstairs. He knows that this is the god-awful chapter of his life that will serve as inspiration for when he’s a famous movie director but right this second the seventeen bucks in his checking account and his dying laptop are really testing him. When Sam and Penny cross paths it’s less meet-cute and more a collision of unbearable awkwardness. Still, they swap numbers and stay in touch—via text—and soon become digitally inseparable, sharing their deepest anxieties and secret dreams without the humiliating weirdness of having to see each other.

still one of my favorite books, ever. penny's voice is so on point and just so personal, and the way these two fall together? ugh. chef's kiss. i particularly love penny's relationship with her mother, and the way penny talks about it. but emergency contact has a special place in my heart for telling one of the first stories that made me realize asian american stories didn't have to revolve around our mythology, or the "homeland". 100000/10, if you haven't read emergency contact, what have you been doing, pick it up right now.

MOONCAKES, author: suzanne walker, illust: wendy xu

A story of love and demons, family and witchcraft. Nova Huang knows more about magic than your average teen witch. She works at her grandmothers’ bookshop, where she helps them loan out spell books and investigate any supernatural occurrences in their New England town. One fateful night, she follows reports of a white wolf into the woods, and she comes across the unexpected: her childhood crush, Tam Lang, battling a horse demon in the woods. As a werewolf, Tam has been wandering from place to place for years, unable to call any townhome. Pursued by dark forces eager to claim the magic of wolves and out of options, Tam turns to Nova for help. Their latent feelings are rekindled against the backdrop of witchcraft, untested magic, occult rituals, and family ties both new and old in this enchanting tale of self-discovery.

i finally got my hands on a fully-colored version of mooncakes, so this was another reread for me! i'm probably gonna talk in-depth about why i loved mooncakes as much as i did (spoiler: cute romance & witches make me weak lol). my actual copy is a pre-release version of it, which i was super lucky to get during bookcon in...i believe 2019? my copy is signed and i am not the least bit ashamed to admit that i cried when i realized wendy xu was still at her table and i got to meet her. so yeah. mooncakes. don't let yourself be fooled by the pastels, and cutesy art, mooncakes is by no means the most hardcore, or goriest story out there, but it's heavy in it's own way. still, it's schmoopy and cute and both nova and tam are great characters who i am in love with. but the MVP award absolutely goes to nova's kickass grandmas, who run a little shop underneath their home. 10/10 please read mooncakes. it's cute and fun, and you're supporting an asian-american creator.

COMING HOME AGAIN, chang-rae lee

In Coming Home Again, celebrated novelist Chang-rae Lee, author of On Such a Full Sea and Native Speaker, recalls the year he spent living at home, and learning to cook the Korean dishes of his childhood before his mother died of stomach cancer.

i had to read this initially for an assignment for one of my lectures last semester, but it stuck with me. so recently, i went back to properly reread it - out of enjoyment, not just obligation, haha - and yeah. published in the oct 16, 1995, edition of the new yorker, coming home again is a short story more than it is a novel/graphic novel, like the prev. two works i've listed. it's good. it's melancholic, and the last part of the story hurts, and i feel, is especially punchy considering the times we live in. (corona, stop asian hate, the full gamut.) coming home again is free to read on the new yorker's website, so if you're going to read any of these three, let it be this. 10000000/10, this piece hurts so much, but in a really good way. i had to call my grandma and my mom after reading it.

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #317

i’m tired as a motherfucker and don’t feel like thinking up some lyrics, so here, jus have the survey.

Have you volunteered in the past 6 months? No. French fries or onion rings? French fries. I don't like onion rings. Do you suffer from anxiety? Very badly. Favorite healthy snack? "Apples and peanut butter are one of them." <<<< Same, actually. Good shit. Favorite Disney movie? Forever and always The Lion King. If you see a bee in your house.. are you going to kill it? I hate to say it, but I'm killing it. Do you normally take a shower in the morning or at night? Morning. Do you have a cat? Yeah. What is your favorite animal? It will always be meerkats. Always. Do you know what time you were born? 10:30 AM, I believe. Do you like McDonalds? I'm gonna be real: I've never understood the McDonald's hate. I enjoy it perfectly fine. I mean it's certainly not gourmet, but I'll choose it over other fast food places sometimes. It's cheap and decent food, imo. What's your favorite flower? Orchids. Have you thought about joining the military? FUCK no. Who is the person that has impacted your life the most? Given my PTSD, I think it's pretty obviously Jason. Have you ever had a pet fish? Yeah, but not a lot. I never enjoyed them much. Have you ever wanted to be on a game show? Not seriously, no. I wouldn't want to be on television. Have you ever vaped? Nah. Who was the last person to give you a hug? Either my niece or nephew. Have you ever been on TV? I don't think so, no. What's your favorite store in the mall? Hot Topic, ugggghhhhh take me there. Has anyone ever told you that you have an accent? Yeah, especially when I was younger when I definitely did have a clear Southern accent. Do you have any piercings? Yeah, six. I have been DYING for a new one lately... How did your parents meet? Work. What was your first word? "Dada." Do you eat more healthy food or junk food? Somewhere in the middle, I'd say. What do you spend too much money on? When it's my own money, tattoos. I think I'll be perfectly capable of doing it, but when I'm employed, I'm going to have to watch how much I invest into those. What is a disturbing episode of an otherwise non-disturbing show? What is a disturbing show (or one you would describe as one) is enjoyable to you? Meeeh I don't watch enough for this. What is the most memorable song in a movie? How about a show? Oh wow, I dunno. "Circle of Life" from TLK is a beauty, as is "Strangers Like Me" from Tarzan. There really are a lot. As for shows, "Carry On My Wayward Son" from Supernatural will immediately get fans screaming the lyrics, haha. However, I don't know if that song properly counts since it wasn't written just for the show, but whatever. What is something you’re grateful for that humans have made/have continued to make exist? What about something that you wish that humans didn’t destroy? The Internet, whew. I wish humans would stop destroying the fucking environment. It's heartbreaking how many woods are wiped away here for construction, only to never be built on... While evil men are commonly talked about, what woman would you consider the most evil? I don't know, but it would probably be a rapist or pedophile. Those are probably the people I abhor most. Do you believe children can be evil? If so, what child from history do you believe to have been the most evil? I don't really think children are born evil, no. I've never heard of a diabolical baby or anything. I think the environment they are raised in molds them as they age. I don't know about the last question. Name one way that music can be bad for humans. It can be depressing sometimes, actually dragging your mood down, especially if you already feel low. What has been one of the most blatant advertising in a movie, show, or music video? Some of these questions are hard man, idfk lol. What book have you read/listened to that “messed you up” (or made you have a lot of negative feelings afterward)? Johnny Got His Gun left me feeling so spiteful towards and disappointed in the world. It definitely made me feel down for a while. If you have a pet, what is the best thing that you have for them (either a toy, a highly rated food, etc)? If you don’t have one but would like one, have you thought about what you would get your pet? We definitely don't have the money for "high quality" stuff. What works, works. Did you ever know anyone who was (previously) a part of a cult? What cult? Were you ever a part of one? No. What is something that is legal right now that really shouldn’t be? I'm stealing the previous person's answer by saying fireworks. They have a horrible effect on animals and PTSD victims and is just litter and a fire hazard. What is a movie you consider successful/good that did not have high reviews? I'm not educated enough on movie rankings. When you met the person you now like, what happened? We hugged and cried a bit lmao. Did you realize anything today? No. What do you want to do today? It'd be nice to get off my ass and get Emerson's birthday pictures into Lightroom so Ashley can finally have them... Can you honestly say you’d risk your life for someone else? I know with certainty I would for some people. Could you forgive a boyfriend or friend who physically hurt you? Ha, nope, byyyyeee~ What’s the cutest thing someone’s ever done for you? Ugh... So one night when I was lying down to go to bed but also texting Jason, I was being playful and joked for him to sing me to sleep. He sent me a video for "The Mortician's Daughter" by Black Veil Brides (one of his favorite bands) and just pasted the lyrics, and I thought it was the cutest fucking thing ever. I went to bed listening to it and just smiling. It's why I just don't listen to it anymore. I shouldn't have even talked about it, soooo next question. What are the top five places you wish you could go before you die? Ummm South Africa, Yellowstone National Park, Germany, Alaska, and the Bahamas, maybe. How many tattoos would you like to have? I'm gonna be a fuckin mural. I want tats pretty much everywhere. What question do you hate to answer? "What do you like to do for fun?" What's your favourite animated or cartoon program? Fullmetal Alchemist. What do you think the greatest invention has been? Electricity. What's your favourite movie quote? I dunno, I don't really have one. Do you prefer digital or analogue clocks? Analogue clocks are way more elegant and can be beautifully decorated. Who is your favorite foreign singer/musician? Do you translate his or her lyrics? If you exclude English-speaking foreign bands, like from the UK, Rammstein for sure. I can translate some of them. Say something in a foreign language? "Liebe" means "love" in German. What is a weather-type that you like that not many others do? Snow, for sure. I've never understood the "ew, snow" type of people. It's so pretty. Granted, it's rare here, so it's more of a treat down here, but still. Who do you know personally that has a nice singing voice? Sara has a beautiful voice. What was the last word you learned? I have no clue, given how bad my memory is becoming... It's hard for me to learn anything nowadays, because it doesn't stick. What is your favorite culture? (that you find most interesting): I'll be honest, I'm not very well-informed on foreign cultures. Due to taking so many classes though, I do find German culture to be quite appealing. They are very serious about honesty (for example, telling someone you're okay when you're not is frowned upon in small talk, even), as well as manners. I would love to experience their lifestyle. Have you ever watched anime porn? I've never watched porn to begin with. If you got paid $3 million to smoke meth one time would you do it? Nope. I'm not risking addiction or death. Are ladybugs cute? Yesssss. Will you leave the house without fragrance on? Yeah, I usually do. Do you make good money doing what you do? I'm unemployed. I've only ever worked minimum wage jobs. What is your favorite fruit? Strawberries, yum. And kiwi. What do you think of horses? I love them! Are you doing something with your life that matters? Ugh, I don't feel like it. Do you like gravy on your mashed potatoes? I hate gravy. What is the dirtiest rap song you have ever heard? Nicole played "WAP" once when I was in the car and I wanted to die. What about a dirty song in any other genre? "Bitches" by Hollywood Undead MIGHT be rap, but idk? What even is their genre???? But anyway, as much as I love the song, it's dirty as shit. What is a genre of music you simply can't stand? Rap, generally. What is, in your opinion, the best way of dealing with a break up? Lots and lots of self-care and focusing on loving yourself and realizing your worth lies in yourself and not another person. What flavor of Doritos do you like best? Cool Ranch, of course. Would you ever go to a comedy club? Yeah, sure. Why is it that photography is becoming a trend? Because it's art, and people enjoy art???????? What is the funniest movie you have ever seen? White Chicks gets me way harder than it should lmao. Would you ever consider dating someone who lived across the country? I guess, so long it was the plan that we'd eventually move in together, and effort was being made to achieve that once we got pretty serious. Do you have a tattoo? If you do, describe the pain you went through when getting it done. Well, I have six, so I'll just talk about my first one, which was on my wrist. It really isn't bad, especially once you've adjusted to the pain. I think the best metaphor would be that it's like lightly pinching a cat scratch. Outlining is the worst part, imo. What is your favorite bookstore? I don't have one. Who was the last person to tell you that you were cute? I have no idea. When was the last time you had a fever? How high did it go? Oh, I couldn't tell you. Those are very rare for me. How many times do you think that you’ve truly been in love before? With who? Twice, with Jason and Sara. Do you prefer French kissing, or regular kissing more, and why? I mean, this depends on the mood as well as how serious we are. Have you ever been married before? How many times? No. Who do you know that gives the best hugs? Summer has always been a big, strong hugger like I am. Have you ever dated someone of the same gender before? Yeah. Who do you consider to be your hero? My mom. Who is your best friend? Tell us about them. Sara. She's a very caring, strong, creative, just overall amazing person who stands firmly for what she feels is right, and we can't forget about her incredible loyalty, nor her absolute adoration for animals, reptiles especially. How much did your car cost? I don't have my own car. What is the last picture you received on your phone of? Sara sent me a photo of Martha, her ball python. Do you have any friends that actually model? No. Do you keep condoms in your room? No, considering I have no reason to. Do you follow any special diet? (dairy free, vegetarian, gluten free etc.) No, but I desperately want to return to being vegetarian. Vegan would be even better, but I know I'm absolutely not capable of that. What is an appliance you don’t have, but would love to have? uhhhhh Which keys on your keyboard are worn out the most? My "a," "s," and "d" from gaming. If you could be any supervillain, which would you be? Ha, I could probably pull off Harley Quinn pretty easily. Though "super"villain sounds a bit strong for her. What’s the most historic thing that has happened in your lifetime? Either Covid or 9/11, probably. What’s the scariest non-horror movie? I personally think the idea behind Johnny Got His Gun is fucking terrifying. What’s the most amazing true story you’ve heard? More beautiful than "amazing," but whatever. I can't think of anything else. Jason's mother actually left his father to go back home to New York when he cheated on her, but he followed her all the way there, and they wound up reconciling and were very happily married since. They were a spectacular couple, and I miss them a lot. What brand are you most loyal to? I have no idea. It's hard to be loyal to any when you're not the one buying products. Where are you not welcome anymore? Well, speaking of him, probably Jason's house, haha... I feel that if I just showed up there, his parents would honestly be super happy to see me and want to catch up, but Jason, not so much. I doubt Colleen would welcome me into her house, either. What’s the most recent show you’ve binge-watched? Avatar: The Last Airbender w/ Sara. What’s a common experience for many people that you’ve never experienced? Just... adult stuff. Paying bills. Having a stable job. Passing their driver's test. What are some misconceptions about your hobby? We'll use forum roleplay here, in which case I know a very common misconception is that it's sexual in nature and is a kink. It's never been that for me. It's about building unique, complex characters in a vast universe of your creativity, meshing with other's. It's a beautiful thing to me. What’s the dumbest thing someone has argued with you about? Oh, I'm sure something with Mom... because she is absolutely never wrong. What’s the longest rabbit hole you’ve been down? Conspiracy theories on YouTube, aha... What odd smell do you really enjoy? I really enjoy the smell of lilacs, though I know people who think they smell too strong and/or just stink. If you had a HUD that showed three stats about any person you looked at, what three stats would you want it to show? Hm, interesting question. Maybe approachability, moral alignment, and mood. What is your favorite flavor of pop tart? I really like the chocolate sundae ones. Gum? I really like fruit-flavored gums, especially watermelon or strawberry. Last song you sang along to? I sang a bit to "Second Chance" by Shinedown. Are you fascinated by rivers? Yeah, sure. Streams, more specifically, because you can see the bottom and walk more safely in them. I love exploring those. Do you live near a volcano? No, and I plan on keeping it that way, haha. How big is the screen on your digital camera? I dunno, the normal size for a Canon? Do you find train whistles comforting? No. What bird is the cutest? Oh, that's so hard. I love the pastel-colored ones, and hummingbirds are like, universally cute. Are you scared to look at your own organs on x-ray or ultrasound? No, that's actually really cool. Do big eyes freak you out? On people? Generally, no. I tend to find them cute, actually, especially on girls, but I've definitely seen people with big eyes that instead look kinda creepy. Have you ever walked on a frozen lake/river? Hm, I'm actually not sure. I don't believe so, though. Have you ever held a real sword? No. Have you ever seen a tree over 100 years old? Uh, realistically, probably? That's not that old in the grand scheme of trees, is it? Do you feel uncomfortable at fancy restaurants? I can sometimes, yes. I feel very out-of-place.

[annypuff]

Hello! How are you? I hope you are doing well ☺ i had a question for you! I want to get into digital drawing, but I don't have a tablet, and honestly not much money either HAHA. Do you have any recommendations on what type of tablets I should be looking at? Or even some tips? I would really appreciate it! Your art is amazing

hi!! i can tell you personally what i’ve been through if that will help!  sorry, i get super into these things!!! lol so this is gonna be long, sip some water and grab a snack lol

i started digitally drawing in 2005 on ms paint with just a mouse haha.. and it wasn’t until maybe like 2009 i got a wacom bamboo fun tablet! which isn’t the kind with a display. I got it for like, $60-70CAD at the time, at one point had to replace it but it was still the same style of tablet.. and i had been drawing with it for over a decade! I was using ms paint but at some point i switched over to adobe’s flash (like an old version that i was able to get for free) and then paint tool SAI (which i got a “portable” version of... aka pirated lmao) anyways, wacom is on the pricier side but ive heard many great things about the brand huion? they’re a cheaper alternative and i believe they’re just as good! you definitely should watch some youtube videos about them though! so many of my friends (who are just casual artists, or just starting out!) just bit the bullet and got huion branded stuff and they love it so far.

however, some people have come up to me about how they can’t seem to fathom drawing without looking at their hand, so they opt for display tablets. this is where even ipads and other mobile tablets can come into play to. so i bought my display tablet, an old wacom cintiq, secondhand, just like, 2 yrs ago and i love it so much and i totally understand why people would rather skip the regular tablet “phase” and go straight into display tablets. it’s pretty much the closest thing to putting pen to paper except, digitally! but it is EXTREMELY pricey! you’re essentially buying a powered monitor lol depending on the sizes and brand, it can go anywhere between $300-2500! im going to mention huion again bc, yup!! very good alternative, more affordable brand! now if you’re thinking mobile tablets, i just recently got myself the samsung tab s6 lite, it’s a good mid-tier price and they support many other drawing programs and recently they released clip studio paint (what i use) for android and its fine so far! there’s many other mobile drawing software out there too, i suggest looking up on youtube as well as i cant seem to recall the names lol. but honestly, i only ever use it if i wanted to draw digitally on the go lol. this is very privileged of me. i know a lot of artists solely use their ipads and procreate, which i get why it’s so amazing but literally like that post i reblogged had said, it doesn’t matter what you have, it’s how you use it!!

currently i use clip studio paint as my software, but i bought it (on sale!! it goes on sale a few times a year) lol after i started making a stable income (again i feel very blessed) i also got SAI officially hahaha. i literally don’t know how to use photoshop properly :’D GIMP is a free drawing program, i think it reminds me of photoshop though so i didn’t really use it much. I actually haven’t gone around looking at any other drawing software, as i just keep advertising CSP to my friends and they also bought it.. so i would once again resort to youtube for that lol but i love CSP bc they have built in 3d models you can pose!! lol and backgrounds and other assets you can download, etc... when it’s on sale i goes down i think to 70? maybe less, i can’t recall. i don’t wanna advocate uh.. “portable” versions but uh... there’s that option too ;) (not sure if CSP has it but i think SAI’s is around somewhere on the internet...)

in the end, it really is an investment if it’s something you want to hone!! huion is something you should definitely look into and if you want to keep doing it in the long run, you can upgrade much later! I would say, if you can somehow test how well you can do with a non-display tablet, i would just go with that for budget purposes. if it wasn’t for my impulsive nature, i probably wouldve stuck with a non-display for a very long time lol.

oh also this is me assuming you have a laptop or a computer, if you’re running solely on mobile then an ipad alternative would be the samsung s6 tab lite, or anything similar, esp if you’re just going to be using it for drawing!

im so sorry this is so long LMAO my INFP ass just wants to be as helpful as i can... TLDR: try huion! LOL and trial versions of drawing programs!! to see which you feel more comfortable with hehe