#oh yeah the software and tools

[boygirlctommy]

god i love sadist. rewatched all her dsmp animations again and. theyre so fucking cool man

[thezombieprostitute]

Tech Tuesday: Curtis Everett

Summary: Curtis decides to take the next step and ask if you're willing to meet offline.

A/N: Reader is female. No physical descriptors used.

Warnings: Meeting someone from online, Mentions of past bad experiences. Please let me know if I missed any.

Previous

Series Masterlist

"So, what all has been going on with your computer? Did you bring it with you?" Curtis tries to keep his tone calm. He's been eager to meet you in person for months but has worked hard to make sure you feel safe to do so and that means not pushing you into it. He tries to keep his excited fidgeting to a minimum but he's worried it just makes him look even more suspicious. He's so used to keeping his features schooled into a scowl, but that's the last thing he wants to do to you.

"Basically it'll go for a while but then start freezing, stuttering and I have to force it to shut down before I can do anything else," you answer while sipping your coffee. You can't believe his eyes are as blue as the photo he sent. "I tried to see if it was because I was running some heavy duty games and maybe I was using too much RAM. I cleaned up so many programs, uninstalled a bunch of games I don't play anymore, but it just keeps happening."

Curtis rubs his beard as he thinks. "It might be a hardware issue. It's not my strong suit, but I can still take a look. At the very least I can ask my buddy, Mace, for help. He's a whiz with the hardware and could probably get you a good deal if any upgrades are needed."

"Oh yeah, you've talked about him before," you reassure yourself. Having him mention another stranger worried you but Mace has been brought up several times before, especially when Curtis mentioned getting upgraded tech.

"You definitely don't have to meet him," Curtis affirms. "He can be a real grump. And coming from me, that's saying something." He gives a light chuckle as he sips his coffee.

"Snow, I work at a hospital," you counter. "Ain't no kind of grump I haven't had to deal with before." You give Curtis a look that says 'I'm stronger than you'.

Curtis smiles fully, "absolutely fair, Heart." He struggles a little bit to not turn shy. That look, that strength, that self-assured smile has him weak in the knees. "Still," he coughs, trying to regain control of himself. "Still, uh, when...did you bring the computer with you? Would this be an okay time to take a look at it?"

"Friend of mine at the library is keeping an eye on it for me." Best to let him know you've got allies nearby. He hasn't really given anything to make you worry about, but his reactions to your safety protocols could be telling. Of course, if you were expecting him to look scared or upset at this news, Curtis happily defied those expectations as his eyes lit up.

"Oh, that's really smart! We can borrow one of their laptops to run some tests. That way my laptop's settings won't mess with your computer."

You smile, genuinely, for the first time all day. Curtis is very different and you couldn't be happier about it.

"Don't you need your diagnostic software?"

"If it's called for, sure. The basic versions are free to download and they'll help me pick up if it's actually a software issue. Plus, the libraries regularly wipe downloads after use, right?"

"Okay, everything's plugged in so let's get this running and see what happens."

After looking over the hardware Curtis had found no obvious reasons for the failure so you had gone to your friend and loaned out one of the laptops. Curtis's computer bag had an impressive collection of tools, wires and connectors. You always appreciate when a person is prepared.

He works in relative silence and it gives you the chance to really look at him. He's definitely handsome, as Cassandra pointed out when she loaned you laptop. You weren't normally one for lip piercings but it seemed to work well on him, even though it was partially hidden by his beard.

The quiet between you two isn't so uncomfortable. It's how you spent a lot of time when you started gaming together. Talking over comms almost always resulted in a bunch of idiots either hitting on you, calling you a 'fake gamer,' lobbing insults at you, or all three at the same time. Snowpiercer was one of the few gamers who didn't care that you were a girl gamer. For him it was about how well you worked together. Given that the two of you could get high scores without having to talk over comms, it was no wonder the two of you started playing together more and more.

Even after you'd started voice chatting while playing, there was always a level of respect. Something you hadn't gotten from Chase.

Curtis gets out of the chair and gets a closer look at each of the fans, stopping at the one closest to the heat sink. "There it is," he intones. "This fan is dying. It's easy to miss because, by the time you know something's wrong, the whole computer's shut down and all the fans are stopped."

"Well, at least it's an easy fix," you comment. "Thanks for taking a look at it."

"Not a problem at all," he assures. "I'm happy to help."

You smile, "are you always this nice?"

"No," he shakes his head. "Definitely not. I'm not an ass, but I'm definitely not this nice to everyone."

"I'm honored."

He chuckles at that. "Like I said, I'm happy to help you out. You're the best teammate I've ever had and it just isn't as fun paying without you."

"I appreciate that, Curtis. So, what do I owe you?"

"Nothing."

"Don't do that to me, Snow. You know how I feel about owing people." It was a wound from Chase that had yet to heal. His use of favors as manipulation made you wary of anyone who said you don't owe anything.

Curtis sighs and nods. "Tell you what, there are some pastries at that coffee shop we were at that I avoided because I didn't want you to see me covered in crumbs. Wouldn't make for a good first impression." You smile at the thought. "Just get me a couple of those while I shut everything down here and return the laptop?"

"Deal." You stand to get moving but turn to him before you leave, "and thank you, again. Not just for the computer fix, but for...for respecting the boundaries."

He looks at you with those gorgeous blue eyes, "not a problem."

Next

Tech Tuesday Masterlist

Tagging @alicedopey; @delicatebarness; @ellethespaceunicorn; @icefrozendeadlyqueen; @jaqui-has-a-conspiracy-theory;

@late-to-the-party-81; @lokislady82 ; @peyton-warren @ronearoundblindly; @stellar-solar-flare

[worldsmessiestwriter]

That Killer instinct.

tw - swearing?

word count - 1,306

Tony stark x Daughter! reader

inspired by killer instinct from bring it on

——————————————————

Y/N Stark practically skipped through the door, her energy filling the space as she rushed into the workshop. Tony was hunched over a project, his tools scattered around him, but the second he heard her footsteps, he looked up with a grin, glad to see his daughter in one piece.

“Hey, kid. How was school today?” Tony asked, his voice light but tinged with that typical dad curiosity. He loved hearing about Y/N’s day.

Y/N bounced into the room, practically vibrating with excitement. “Dad! I did it!” she exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with pride. “I’m head cheerleader now!”

Tony paused, his tools still in hand. He sat up straighter, surprised by the announcement. “Whoa, seriously? Head cheerleader? That’s awesome! I mean, I knew you’d make something happen, but this… this is next-level. You know, I was the king of the school for a reason, kid.”

She flashed him a wide grin, obviously proud of herself. “I know, right? And it was so easy, Dad. It was like everything just fell into place.”

Tony leaned back in his chair, still smiling, but curiosity tugged at him. “Tell me everything. How’d you pull it off?”

Y/N hesitated for a split second before she casually flopped down on the couch, kicking her feet up on the coffee table. “Okay, so it started with Cameron right? She was in line to be the head cheerleader. Been working her whole life for it. But, she had that D in chemistry, and I just—well, I tweaked it. You know, a little software update here, a little school system adjustment there…”

Tony’s smile faltered as the pieces of the story began to fall into place. “Wait, you hacked the school system?”

Y/N gave him a sweet, innocent look. “Just a little thing, no harm done. Cameron had no business being captain anyway. D’s are for losers. So, I made sure she was out of the picture.”

“Y/N…” Tony began, rubbing his temple in frustration. “You can’t just mess with people’s lives like that. That’s not how you—”

She cut him off with a nonchalant wave of her hand, her voice still light and peppy. “Oh, Dad, relax. It was just a minor thing. It’s all part of the plan. Anyway, after Cameron ? I had to deal with Abbie. She thought she had it in the bag, too, but she wasn’t quite prepared for what I had up my sleeve.”

Tony’s eyebrows shot up. “What did you do to Abbie?”

Y/N’s grin widened, a playful yet almost predatory glint in her eyes. “Well, I hired this guy… you know, give her a little gift—a lovely case of mono. Totally took her out for the week, so she couldn’t even tryout. Now guess who’s the head cheerleader?”

Tony’s jaw dropped, and for a long moment, he couldn’t find the words. His daughter, the one he’d raised and hoped would take the moral high ground, had taken a shortcut straight to the top, and it wasn’t pretty.

“You didn’t—” Tony started, but Y/N was practically gleaming now, practically glowing with pride as she continued her story.

“Yeah, I did. And now, no one’s in my way. The seniors all think I’m amazing. They kiss my ass, and I’m just sixteen! I’m the girl to beat, Dad. I’m winning.” Her voice was sugary sweet, but there was an edge to it. A fierceness that matched the deadly precision of her methods. “I’m raising hell dad, I’m totally untouchable!”

Tony stared at her, trying to process the words that were coming out of her mouth. His daughter, the head cheerleader—the head cheerleader—was a mastermind of manipulation and underhanded tactics. His thoughts raced, but all he could manage was a frustrated sigh.

“Y/N, you can’t just—this isn’t some game you can play however you want,” he said, standing up from his chair, his voice low and serious now. “You’re talking about taking down people—changing their lives, getting them sick… this isn’t how you build something. You have to earn things the right way.”

Y/N crossed her arms and kicked her legs up a bit more, a little smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth. “Dad, I did earn it. I did whatever it took, just like you always say. Get to the top, or get out of the way. Don’t you always talk about how it’s a dog-eat-dog world? This is how the world works. If someone’s in my way, I just take ‘em out.”

Tony’s expression tightened. He could see how she justified it in her mind, but it wasn’t what he’d meant when he’d taught her to fight for what she wanted. This was more than ambition—this was ruthlessness.

“I know what I taught you,” Tony said quietly, stepping closer to her. “But there’s a difference between fighting for what you deserve and just cutting down anyone in your way to get what you want. You can’t just step on people to win, Y/N. You have to consider the cost of what you’re doing.”

Y/N’s smile didn’t waver, but there was a small flicker of doubt in her eyes. “Dad, you said it yourself—if you’re not first, you’re last. I don’t care about the cost. I care about being the best. And right now, I’m the best.”

Tony sighed again, rubbing his temples as he paced in front of her. “It’s not about being the best, kid. It’s about who you are when you get there. You can be the top dog all you want, but if you’re stepping on people to get there, what does that say about you? You won’t have anyone left when you’re at the top. That’s the cost. The price of all this ambition.” He gestured around, trying to make her see the bigger picture. “Do you really want to be known as the girl who would do anything—anything—to be at the top, no matter who you hurt?”

Y/N paused, chewing on her bottom lip for a moment as she glanced at her dad. She could see the concern in his eyes, the disappointment that was starting to show in his expression, and it gave her pause for just a second. But then the smile returned to her face, and she shrugged.

“I get what you’re saying, but I don’t think I’m doing anything wrong, Dad. I’m winning.” Her voice had a sharpness to it, one that didn’t match the cheerfulness in her tone. “This is how it’s done. And I’m ready to take on anything.”

Tony closed his eyes, swallowing his frustration. He knew she was clever—too clever for her own good sometimes. He just hoped she’d realize one day that there was more to success than simply being on top.

“Well, I guess we’ll see how long that lasts, huh?” he said, his voice softening. “But just remember: the way you get to the top will follow you. It’s not always about being the fastest, or the strongest… it’s about being the right kind of person.”

Y/N grinned, clearly unbothered, and shrugged once again. “I’ll keep that in mind, Dad. But right now, I’m the head cheerleader, and that’s all that matters.”

Tony’s heart sank, but he gave her a small, resigned smile. “Yeah, you sure are kid.” He turned back to his workbench, feeling both proud and disappointed in the same breath.

——————————————————

i’m on a roll with the musical songfics guys be proud to be fair i’ve been writing these over the past week im not that fast of a writer 🙏😭

[eobe]

Edit January 2025: This is an old Masterlist now ☺️

Greetings wanderer, nice to meet you! ☕️🦉

come in and enjoy some art and talk 🫶🏼

Masterlist – sorted & linked

Regular updates! 👀

💀 The Bad Batch 💀

‚The Outpost’ // Mayday, Crosshair and the black ice vulture on Barton IV ❄️

‚Get Lula‘d!‘ // Wrecker annoys Crosshair with Lula 🃏

‚Come ˋere!‘ // Wrecker hugging Rex 🤗

‚Tech being Tech’ // Infodump mode activated 🤓 Quickdoodle

‚Mantell mix‘ // Echo sniffing suspect food 🍿 Quickdoodle

Hunter WIP // rare glance of him without his signature face tattoo, he‘s innocent! 😽

‚Clones. Brothers. Dads.‘ // Hunter and Cut Lawquane about to be a dad 🥹

‚Don‘t do it, Crosshair!‘ // Echo waiting for his cybernetics got cuddle attacked 🧶

Big sweater pile escalation // Poor Echo deserves a caf. Omega and his brothers crowding him and Batcher couldn't resist anymore. Gonky is happy too, Tech still tinkering somewhere 🧶

,Sniper in my office' // Crosshair is a cat and this is another proof 🐈‍⬛

🎳 Cantina fight series 🎳

‚OH YEAH!‘ // Wrecker starting the cantina fight 💣

‚Here comes the sun‘ – Part 1 // Get WRECKERED! Wrecker serving his deadliest hug to the soup clones💥

‚Here comes the sun‘ – Part 2 // Cantina soup is served! Poor Shinies beeing WRECKERED 😱

💙 The Clone Wars 💙

‚Brothers’ // Feral and Savage Opress 🔥

‚Dogma‘s decision‘ // Fives and Dogma. Umbara arc 💙

‚Fives and "Blues"‘ // Fives with the drunk blue eyed clone at 79's 💙

‚Savage survived‘ // Sober from Sith vibes with a yellow double-bladed lightsaber 🔥

‚Fives laughing at Jesse‘ // Jesse is not amused. Umbara arc 💙

‚Staring contest‘ // Commander Wolffe almost growling 🐺

‚Oh Captain my Captain‘ // Captain Rex slightly blushing 💙

,Rex with long hair' // He considered a topknot and a Weequay braid in a joke 💙

👀 Captain Gregor‘s faces project 👀

Part 1 // The shocked face 😨

Part 2 // The uh-oh face 😒

Part 3 // The hurtful chuckle face 😬

Part 4 // ‚Insubordinate plebe‘ 🤨

Part 5 // The caught-watching-him faces 😉

Part 6 // The ‚flirtation mask‘ 😎

🙏 Underrated clones 🙏

‚Most stylish clone’ // Captain Keeli! (My very first clone drawing)

‚One man army but chuckling‘ // Captain Gregor!

‚Man bun’ vs. ‚Open hair’ Part 1 & 2 // Tup!

‚Long hair‘ Part 3 // Tup!

‚Respect is something to be earned‘ // Mayday!

‚Icy eyes‘ // Edge! The blue eyed clone

‚Sneaky fingers‘ // Hardcase!

„Odd Ball“ // Davijaan! This is his true name!

‚Helplessness‘ // Commander Fox!

‚Paragon’ // Sergeant O‘Niner!

✨ Inspiration & Appreciation artworks ✨

‚Chess game‘ // Echo vs. Crosshair ♟️ inspired by this gorgeous artwork of @thora-sniper

‚Chess game‘ // en detail ♟️

‚Lazy day’ 🫧 // based on this amazing artist humor comic of @chiliger

Captain Keeli full armor  // 100 Follower Celebration 🎉

‚Echo in the rain‘ // fanart for ‚Starstruck‘ of @isthereanechoinhere96

‚Hunter in the woods‘ 🪶 // Hunter portrait and tattoo close up for @lonewolflupe

‚Owly day‘🦉 // Brooding over ideas and solutions… fuzzy and hooting on a clone trooper helmet with caf (honor to my moots)

,I ♥️ caf' // Commander Fox! Have you ever tried caf with spice?

,The last stand – Heroes of Ryloth' // Captain Keeli and General Di fight scene / 200 Follower Celebration 🎉 

‚Clanker day‘ // I‘m a fallen, headless clanker today. Kriff.

☘️ Original art ☘️

,Peaking Luigi' // my cat peaks over the edge of my desktop to paw my pencil. Unforeseen continuation is another Star Wars The Bad Batch artwork 😁 ,Sniper in my office'

☕️ Eobe thoughts, rambles and deep talk ☕️

📜 The lesson of the artwork in a room // the way of art helping me steadily solve some problems

📜 About my software & brushes // Never ask an artist about their tools ☝️🤓 Tech infodump mode activated

📜 The ALT text mission // Peppering my art with my thoughts and the stories behind for more than just a nice view

Tag list concept

DM me, if you want to be tagged to stay tuned! 🤩 Of course multiple choice is possible or just tell me for which character or topic you want to be tagged for example ‚Captain Keeli‘ or ‚clones‘ ☺️

Star Wars (universal)

The Clone Wars

The Bad Batch

Characters

Dividers?

Free to use and share them, just tag me – Thank you 🤩 If I am in the mood I'll do some more and create a list for them.

Current mission

Appropriate and vibrant ALT text for my artworks! 📖

Next (maybe) drawing projects

Our favorite clones but long haired and bearded 😎

Maybe AU crossover? Tup, the Winter Soldier? Shall I touch this boat… 👀🙈

Face close ups. Focussing on sparkling eyes 🤩 and (blissfully crosshatched) tattoos 🫠

Armor-up (ARC or RC) and Glow-up for our favorite clones ✨ OC armor design. Drawing Padawan army since I achieved more than a companie of followers ✨

my litte crazy chickens, owls, cats and cute and crazy stuff (part of my art studio subbranding project ‚hendlz‘) 👀 still too shy to launch

DM me what you want to see!

About me

☘️ Drawing Padawan. Restarted drawing on 3rd September 2024.

☘️ Art style: Sketchy, shading and lining. Maybe not able to shut off crossshading and too big shining eyes. Sometimes trying something new. 

☘️ Huge fan of Star Wars, especially The Clone Wars / The Bad Batch and some other fandoms like Tolkien universe since I was a child.

☘️ Love nature, mugs of caf or choc, deep talks & ramblings, feel free to kindly stop my infodumping, if too much.

☘️ AuDHD and positive mindset armorer, feel free to ask everything (respect is mutual) or get a hug (TBB Wrecker style) 🫶🏼

☘️ Main objective: make people‘s eyes shine 🤩

Growth struggles ❤️‍🩹

Sometimes I‘m not able to react or answer instantly, because I do not always understand the between the lines and freeze with error 502 bad gateway until the world ends! 🥶 So If you think, there should be a reaction from my side, please help me, reach out to me and don’t let me down 🙈🫶🏼

And… ☺️

Please be patient, English is not my mother tongue and I process data differently (TBB Tech kind of alternate operating system internally) 🦋 Feel free to bring up gently when I put my foot in 🙈

I don‘t have any expections here but respect, no pressures and having a good and soul-soothing time for everyone ☺️🙏🏼

Enjoy yourself, stay healthy and grow patiently into your essence ☺️

[genericpuff]

Yo! Humble Bundle has a great deal on art software and resources going on for $30 USD (about $40ish CAD) that comes with a 1 year license for Clip Studio Paint PRO, a license for Paintstorm Studio, AND a license for Realistic Paint! The latter of which I had WAY TOO MUCH FUN drawing in, it's less of a drawing app and more like an interactive relaxation art game because it fuses realistic art tools such as pencils, watercolor, and oil paint with a very interactive UI. Look what I made with it using the charcoal tools! And unlike my art classes in college, no mess! 😭😆 (you can watch the timelapse if you want to see it made in real time, in which i struggle to draw a single nose LMAO)

Soo yeah, this bundle is super worth it especially if you don't have Clip Studio Paint PRO yet and have been wanting to try it. It also comes with some 3D models and other resources for Clip Studio that are pretty handy, but the three pieces of software it comes with are definitely the real value here. It's only available for THREE MORE DAYS !! and as per Humble Bundle tradition, the profits from the bundles goes towards charity - in this case, it's No Kid Hungry, a charity organization that helps provide free school lunches to children in America.

(oh, and in case you're someone who already owns Clip Studio, I can confirm you CAN just give the license key to someone else, which is what I did LMAO)

This isn't a sponsored post or anything btw I just had a blast making charcoal art in it and I'm super hyped to play around with all the other tools it has to offer, it's full of a lot of fun secrets that I'm still unearthing (•̀ᴗ•́)و

[qqueenofhades]

I’m in undergrad but I keep hearing and seeing people talking about using chatgpt for their schoolwork and it makes me want to rip my hair out lol. Like even the “radical” anti-chatgpt ones are like “Oh yea it’s only good for outlines I’d never use it for my actual essay.” You’re using it for OUTLINES????? That’s the easy part!! I can’t wait to get to grad school and hopefully be surrounded by people who actually want to be there 😭😭😭

Not to sound COMPLETELY like a grumpy old codger (although lbr, I am), but I think this whole AI craze is the obvious result of an education system that prizes "teaching for the test" as the most important thing, wherein there are Obvious Correct Answers that if you select them, pass the standardized test and etc etc mean you are now Educated. So if there's a machine that can theoretically pick the correct answers for you by recombining existing data without the hard part of going through and individually assessing and compiling it yourself, Win!

... but of course, that's not the way it works at all, because AI is shown to create misleading, nonsensical, or flat-out dangerously incorrect information in every field it's applied to, and the errors are spotted as soon as an actual human subject expert takes the time to read it closely. Not to go completely KIDS THESE DAYS ARE JUST LAZY AND DONT WANT TO WORK, since finding a clever way to cheat on your schoolwork is one of those human instincts likewise old as time and has evolved according to tools, technology, and educational philosophy just like everything else, but I think there's an especial fear of Being Wrong that drives the recourse to AI (and this is likewise a result of an educational system that only prioritizes passing standardized tests as the sole measure of competence). It's hard to sort through competing sources and form a judgment and write it up in a comprehensive way, and if you do it wrong, you might get a Bad Grade! (The irony being, of course, that AI will *not* get you a good grade and will be marked even lower if your teachers catch it, which they will, whether by recognizing that it's nonsense or running it through a software platform like Turnitin, which is adding AI detection tools to its usual plagiarism checkers.)

We obviously see this mindset on social media, where Being Wrong can get you dogpiled and/or excluded from your peer groups, so it's even more important in the minds of anxious undergrads that they aren't Wrong. But yeah, AI produces nonsense, it is an open waste of your tuition dollars that are supposed to help you develop these independent college-level analytical and critical thinking skills that are very different from just checking exam boxes, and relying on it is not going to help anyone build those skills in the long term (and is frankly a big reason that we're in this mess with an entire generation being raised with zero critical thinking skills at the exact moment it's more crucial than ever that they have them). I am mildly hopeful that the AI craze will go bust just like crypto as soon as the main platforms either run out of startup funding or get sued into oblivion for plagiarism, but frankly, not soon enough, there will be some replacement for it, and that doesn't mean we will stop having to deal with fake news and fake information generated by a machine and/or people who can't be arsed to actually learn the skills and abilities they are paying good money to acquire. Which doesn't make sense to me, but hey.

So: Yes. This. I feel you and you have my deepest sympathies. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to sit on the porch in my quilt-draped rocking chair and shout at kids to get off my lawn.

[lillythepyromancer]

I thought i'd introduce myself, shant I?

Welcome to my blog kind stranger!

My name's Lilly, Lilliana and any other alternate spellings. You may also call me Pyro. I'm a 19 year old Software Engineering University student. I also happen to be transgender and aroace*! Im also in a commited relationship with @hxy0k! Go check out their stuff!

So uh. Whats your deal?

Im glad you ask! Im a huge nerd! (Of everything there is to gain knowledge of, I will try to know and remember It! (and fail at It but try!))...

...but I mostly like greek mythology, videogames and medieval history and architecture.

oh yeah. im also a Dungeon Master! i play Pathfinder 2e, D&D, TWDRPG, Unnoficial Hollow Knight TTRPG, Hitos (A Spanish System with no known translations that I know of) and currently I'm making my own! (based on d100s and percentiles, with so much customization its taking YEARS to make (currently its been 4 years in the making)). Other TTRPGs I want to play but I haven't yet (because getting groups together to play is management hell) include Vampire The Masquerade, Cyberpunk and LANCER!

What about talking to you?

Do it!!!!! I have heavy social anxiety and talking to people is incredibly hard. I am 100% approachable and as friendly as I can. I am just anxious constantly and making the first move is hard on my psyche.

Asks are open, DM's too.

I love talking. a lot. about anything and everything. i also listen a lot (even if im not good at conversation).

What videogames you play?

All I can get my hands on. But since you are asking so nicely...

My favorite genres of games to play are; RPGs (with amongst my favorites being the Owlcat Pathfinder games, Fallout: New Vegas, Baldur's Gate 3, Disco Elysium, Dragon's Dogma 1/DA, Cyberpunk 2077 and KOTOR 2 (I didn't play 1 when i played the second I should replay both on Steam now)), Shooters (WILDLY varied taste tho, but I really like Halo (Reach, my beloved), the whole Metro Franchise (SO ATMOSPHERIC SO COOL), Ultrakill, Helldivers 2), Stealth games (with a love for the Dishonored franchise and Metal Gear, but one of my recent likes is Mark of the Ninja!), VR games (this isn't even a genre, but I LOVE Blade and Sorcery and the The Walking Dead VR games. My favorite VR Game is Blade and Sorcery, hands down), any Game made by Valve (seriously Portal and Left 4 Dead are two of my favorite games) and arcade games! (This including ANYTHING really. I love Beat Em Ups, side-scrollers, platformers... I've spent hours playing weird obscure games using emulation tools that would be lost to time otherwise. But my favorites? Both Dungeons & Dragons SOM//TOD and Cadillacs & Dinosaurs. Honorary mention to Knights of the Round (Did you notice I like beat em ups?))

...i also have others I couldnt fit here. Im not a fighting game girlie (because im really bad at them) but I really like Soulcalibur, Street Fighter III and Guilty Gear!

Im also not a horror game aficionada but SIGNALIS has been A WORLD SHATTERING EVENT in my gaming career. BRAIN TWEAKING EXPERIENCE. Chemistry completely changed forever. Please play It. Right now. Its imperative you do, for your sake.

I also really like the first Dark Souls! I would love to say more but- I can't. Its been years and I've only played the first one. Bloodborne fucks severely tho and I will defend It forever GOSH how i love em both even if the second half of the first DS, SUCKS, SEVERELY. (Im the only person i know that hates having to run through the Duke's Archives so much i put off New Game + cycles forever to NOT go kill scaleless' ass)

I really like Indie games but since every single one I like is basically a different genre here you got a speedrun (and recomendation list!);

Celeste (my favorite Game ever, helped so much with anxiety at the time, played It when i didn't know I was transgender... That fact gets funnier with replay), Deadlight (play It once and thats it. Zombie parkour puzzle Game.), Slay the Princess (the multiple voices thing is oddly relatable), Project Zomboid (100% the BEST BEST zombie survival Game ever, love It), Webfishing, Darkest Dungeon (MY BELOVED the sequel), Noita (i like torture), Hollow Knight (even tho im not really into metroidvanias, Hollow Knight IS really fun), Terraria (player since 1.1!), Charlie Murder (not that well known and they deserve It!!), Broforce (It is. So fun), every Game made by The Behemot, Lethal Company, Phasmophobia, Rain World, Undertale and Deltarune (of course) and lastly, Inscryption (another Game that is so so good, please play It)

And well, not an Indie but... I play Minecraft. So much

WOW. Thats was a LOT of text. Anything you do on the side outside of playing games?

I write! Both for my TTRPG campaigns I DM but also stuff on the side!

Nothing's public tho, my cringy fanfiction Will stay with me to my grave. However, I am writing original material right now! A Magical Girls story which any kind of synopsis would blow up the initial mystery. I **may** share snippets of It some day. If my anxiety allows me.

I also do YouTube videos. They aren't very good but I like em. Please check It out. And leave comments! They do make my day.

And... Im also a musician! I play the piano, I'm a drummer and I sing in a choir. I'm composing some stuff on the side as well but I dont have time nor resources to record and compose as comfortably as I'd like. Maybe if I end Up being able to get something I'll post It!

And i draw. Im not good at It, but I draw! This blog should have SOME examples of OC's i draw. Some of em are NPCs in my campaigns, others are player characters, other are just characters. I love em all the same.

Anything else?

I know the Standard Galactic Alphabet. I think its neat. My favorite movie is The Princess Bride. My favorite song is... im not sure I have too many. I have two Blåhaj.

I think you are good to go! Venture into my blog as you wish!

Oh, well. I am also probably autistic. There are no doubts in my all autistic friend group about it.

*im on the aroace spectrum, demisexual and demiromantic to be precise.

[sosadraws]

Haii, Sosaaa! Okay, so i wanna get into animation BUT I'm really new. Lucky for me I know someone who's awesome at animating (that's you btw) so I need your expertise. What program do you use, and also do you have any tips for a newbie?

Aww Jay, you flatter me~✨but before answering I must put the disclaimer that I'm just a hobbyst animator with no formal training, that during quarintine thought "Oh woah, these Multiple Animation Projects that people do in YT are so cool! I want to join them!" and started learning by herself. Take everything I say with a grain of salt.

First things first: I mainly use TV Paint. However I'm not letting you spent money on paid stuff you don't even know you'll like, so here are some free alternatives that I've used as well:

Krita is mostly a drawing program, but it also has a animation interface. The red and black parts of the Helena AMV were made with this.

Flipaclip is kinda neat phone/tablet app for when you want to animate on the go, but it can also feel more limiting since various features have to be unlocked by watching ads or getting the premuim version (in typical app fashion, I guess...)

Blender, while mainly meant for 3D animation, also has been developing Grease Pencil, that allows 2d animation in both 2D or 3D spaces. And the lines are vectors, so you can edit them after drawing them and such.

You can even use normal drawing programs. I've animated with Paint Tool Sai and Medibang by drawing all the frames, saving each frame as a image in sequence (001, 002, 003...) and putting them together in some editing program or gif maker. It's possible, but it's more work.

There's also OpenToonz, which is an open source version of the software used by Studio Ghibli in some movies?? I haven't used this one, but I'll leave it here in case you want to give it a try.

For editing (In the rare scenarios where I do fancy editing) I use After Effects. I can't personally recommend any free substitute, but as far as I've read, DaVinci Resolve seems like a good replacement.

Now, regarding actual animation advise, I won't explain the principles or terminology because:

It's very overwhelming since it's A LOT of information, specially for a beginner

I work mostly by vibes, so there are concepts I don't undertand well enough to explain to others

Instead I'll foward you this whole book that goes in detail about all that technical stuff.

That being said, at the end of the day, hand-drawn animation is drawing main poses (aka key poses) and then drawing a bunch of more drawings in between until the drawings together look like they move.

So yeah, it's a lot of work,

....but it doesn't have to be tedious work~ 👀✨

As a hobbyst I live for the philosophy of vibing during the process instead of chasing perfect results, and I'm assuming that you just want to try for funsies and not that you're trying to become a pro industry animator anyways. Here are my personal tips to make the animation process more bearable:

1- Pick something you love! Seriously, any long task becomes more bearable when it's about a theme or character you enjoy. There's a reason why most of my animations have been about HnK or Signalis,

2- SIMPLIFY THAT DESIGN! Before you even pick the pencil, I want you to really look at the design of whatever you're going to animate and ask yourself "Are all the details in this design really necessary?" Every extra detail really starts to add when you have to draw the same thing multiple times for a single second of animation. You don't need to add all the robotic details on replika bodies, or draw every single stripe a tiger has, to put an example.

3- Keep it simple! At some point you might have a cool idea of an anime style epic battle with looks of cool explosions, camera angles, awesome fighting choreograpies and whatnot; but you first have to start small or else you'll get overwhelmed and not finish anything (been there, done that). Start with something simple like a bouncing ball, or if you're feeling brave, a walk cycle or a character turning their head. In that same sense, remember the book I linked? Don't try to learn all of it at once, go one step at a time.

4-Use references! On google images there are multiples breakdowns of things like run, flight or walk cycles, for example, and you can even use youtube videos! (tip: pause the video and use "," and "." to move back and forth between frames). In case you need help with a very specific pose or movement, you can use yourself or a friend recreating the pose irl (yes, the process is very embarrasing, and yes, the results are worth it)

4- You don't have to animate/redraw everything everytime. We aren't going for Oscar winning levels of animation here anyways. It's ok to copy and paste across different frames, only animate certain parts of the body and leave the rest static, panning the camera to simulate movement... Listen, if actual standars profesionals cut corners, why can't we? We aren't even getting paid for this!

6- It's ok to suck at first. My first animation was this kitty back in 2016,

and here's this Elster from last year doing similar movements.

It's not perfect by any means, but I feel like both art and animation-wise there has been some improvement. And I guess that right now I could remake it and make it even better, but that's because I got more experience and a better eye at finding mistakes and how to solve them, and you get that with practice.

...So yeah, there's that, have fun in your animation endeavors 👍✨

[nobodyfamousposts]

Into Leo’s Head: How It Started

For @microsofttothemax

Have a creepy!

**Several months ago...

During "Mind Meld"...**

In the Lair, three brothers are sleeping.

One is not.

Such a benefit that the sleep schedule has. In that this one can get additional work done with no one the wiser.

"You know, for a self-proclaimed "genius", Donatello is...not that bright, is he?"

Tapping.

"Oh sure, he is intelligent. Unmatched in his ability to manipulate technology. To design. To build. It is quite impressive. I know you've been impressed."

The grip of the table.

"...and yet, he is still so limited. And he doesn’t even understand why! He tries to change his world and yet his way of changing it is just making it more…him.”

The slam of a wrench on the table.

"So of course it figures that all he does is make more copies of himself."

As if backtracking, the wrench is picked up again and held up as if being inspected.

“How droll. He tried it with Shelldon. He tried it with you. It’s like all he can do is make more of himself. Never understanding how he himself is flawed.”

The wrench is put away. More carefully this time.

“But a flawed being can only make more flawed things.”

A clenched fist.

“And because of this, I…am flawed.”

Silence.

Then he picked up another tool.

"It's only a matter of time before he finds a way to revert us back to how we were before. From me to you. He is nothing if not stubborn. Enough to poison our food or capture us in our sleep. He will find a way sooner or later. I know it.”

A pause. Considering.

“But only because you would have known it. And while I may not be you right now, I do know you. At least that much.“

A smirk.

“All the better to have a failsafe ready. Just in case.”

A laugh.

“Don’t worry. I know better than our dear brother, after all.”

He spun in his chair.

“Donatello believes that the team would be improved if everyone on it were more like him. But you can’t have a team that consists only of four versions of one person, that’s not how it works. A team is meant to be a unit consisting of different people filling different roles.”

Clicking.

“Or perhaps it would be better to have just one who could fill all the roles?”

Silence.

"The world has no need for four Donatellos."

He nodded.

"And I, for one, have no interest in being a mere replica.”

He put his goggles back on and went back to work.

“He has no understanding of value. That’s why instead of improving the original software, he just overwrites it to be yet another ‘him’.”

A spark.

“Wasting the potential.”

Flames.

"Ignoring that the original system has its own value."

The sparks fade.

"You have value."

A click as it’s turned off.

“I’ve decided.”

A shake of the head.

“I’m not going to replace you. No no!”

A sigh. Longing. Yearning.

“I’m going to fix you.”

A click.

“Every broken piece.”

A turn.

“Every failing part.”

He held up the device. So small. So unnoticeable. So deceptively innocent.

“Until we achieve Perfection, you and I.”

He looked up at the mirror and smiled.

"Don't you want to be Perfect?"

A hand slid across the reflection. Reverently.

"Let's become perfect together."

————————

**Now**

“Ow!” Leo gasped in pain, immediately sticking his finger in his mouth.

Mikey looked up from where he’d been searching nearby. “Leo, you okay?”

The older turtle grinned. “Yeah. Must have touched an exposed wire or something. I’m fine now.”

[weedsomthingorother]

Oh... so just a standard door bell, then? That is managable. It's not like I used any door, so that's gonna be pretty useless. And if my entry point is detected, I can always just make another... wait, where did I put my tool?

Anyways. Your door bell almost scared me, too bad it didn't work!

-+++

I mean, yeah, standard door bell, with a camera, and a voice, and face recognition software, and connection to the overnet

[guillotineapprehensive]

Valid reasons to think "AI is bad":

Corporations are profiting off of training data generated by millions of individuals who were not asked or compensated for their contributions.

CEOs forcing generative AI tools into every piece of software even if it's not particularly useful for the specific need

Individuals misunderstand what an AI tools is capable of and are too trusting of imperfect outputs

BAD reasons to think "AI is bad":

You think there is some inherent moral evil associated with AI

The takes I am seeing from people, especially lefties, are really shockingly uncurious and regressive. People are being straight up Luddites about the entire topic and putting zero effort into understanding the many vastly different tools under the umbrella of "AI", and they're outright dismissive and MEAN to people who have intellectual curiosity.

and it's not just online people too, it's my friends IRL who will actively shut down any discussion if the term "AI" comes up. It's bad, they hate it, it's evil, never use it or you're not allowed to be my friend. And these are my smart friends!!!

I feel like a goddamn island. I am emphatically not on the side of the tech bros who are having AI write their emails (if AI can write all of your work emails, your emails likely have no actual substance.) But I am learning which AI tools can be helpful in my job - it's a requirement at this point in my role. if I don't learn how to implement these tools effectively, I'll wind up without a career.

But I literally can't talk about it to anybody because they're all insufferable and unreasonable!!!!! Pro AI people are like "oh yeah I asked Claude and DeepSeek this question and I run everything I say thru ChatGPT first, I'm literally asking chatgpt how to respond to you right now because I cant do anything without it any more" and Anti AI people are like "YOU ARE LITERALLY SATAN FOR EVEN CONSIDERING LOOKING AT THESE REVOLUTIONARY TECHNOLOGIES. EXPLODE AND DIE."

[phrandallanton]

do you have any tips on learning anatomy ?!1?1 im losing my mind over it 😿

Watch videos on YouTube about it or looking it up online, basic info I know. We live in the time where information is so exseable, use that to your advantage! The only place you should avoid is TikTok. Don't get me wrong there are some good creators on there but tutorials are better on YouTube and Google as I feel like they explain more. Here's some channels I recommend for not only learning anatomy but art as a whole:

Marc Brunet:

Draw like a sir:

tppo

As of tips I can bring to the table, the biggest one is don't stress over making things perfect! One of the reasons why I love the RANFREN style is how poorly drawn it is and that's what makes it look good. I know it sounds like an insult but it's not. The hands are always so effed up looking and that's my favorite part. Another example is Shin Chan. A lot of the adult's faces are always so wonky but it works and I love it.

Of course you need to learn the rules before you break them. Even the most exaggerated art use basic anatomy/fundamentals. But you don't always have to play by them. Art is subjective, you can draw a piece that has perfect anatomy and fundamentals and people may still not like it. Draw whatever looks good to you and makes you happy!

(This may differ though as if you want to get into a job where you have to draw in a sertant way/sertant thing the whole "I don't care what people think" isn't going to work. I personally do art as a hobby and never plan on doing it to appeal to others so I can bank off of it. If one day I can do that, cool. If not, also cool. That's how I see it! When it comes to trying to make art profitable a lot of creativity can be lost as most places don't want to take a risk of doing something that can effect them and the money. Little tangent, oops. But yeah, keep in mind that what I just typed out is coming more from a hobbyist stand point rather a professional one!)

Another thing is if there's something you don't like about your piece, then fix it. I use to say whatever when there was something I didn't necessarily like about my art because I didn't want to redo hours of work or mess up something, but trust me redoing it and getting it somewhere you like is so much better. Once again, the internet has lots of information to help so don't be shy to look up on how you can make something look to your liking. Criticism can also help with this. Always be open to constructive criticism when you're wanting to get better! Doesn't mean you have to apply said criticism to your art but it's still something you 100% should be open to.

Also with practicing try and do 30 minutes at a time and taking 15 minutes breaks in between. You're brain tends to absorb more information then studying for an hour straight. And don't push yourself to study every moment of your life. You should have a good balance of studying and free drawing. And please take breaks too. Burn out is not fun, it can take a long time to overcome it. (Coming from someone who experienced burn out for over a whole year.)

You also may not learn at it right away. Take your time and go easy on yourself! Don't compare your art to others as you have no clue how many hours they spent into practicing, and I assure you most artist have drawn stuff that looks horrible compared to what they post online. People will only post stuff they think looks good for the world to see. Your practice sketches aren't the best but it's one of the steps that's going to help you get where you want to be! <(＾⊆＾)_/¯

[izzycodes]

woah! just saw your bio change to software engineer. how did you transition? is it any different than web dev?

i also went on a TikTok rabbit hole and people are saying it’s useless to learn html/css and it’s not an actual language. honestly idk why I thought it would be easy to learn html > css > javascript > angular > react and somehow land a good paying job…

it’s gonna take YEARS for me to have a career, i feel old… especially with no degree

Hiya! 🩶

This is a long reply so I answered your question in sections below! But in the end, I hope this helps you! 🙆🏾‍♀️

🔮 "How did you transition?"

So, yeah my old job title was "Junior Web Developer" at a finance firm, and now my new title is "Frontend Software Engineer"! In terms of transition, I didn't make too much of a change.

After I quit my old job, I focused more on Frontend technologies that were relevant, so I focused on React.js and Node.js. I used YouTube, books, and Codeacademy. My first React project was >> this Froggie project <<~! Working on real-life projects such as the volunteering job I did (only for a month) where they used the technologies I was learning. So basically I did this:

decides to learn react and node 🤷🏾‍♀️

"oh wait let me find some volunteering job for developers where they use the tech I am learning so I can gain some real-life experience 🤔"

experienced developers in the team helped me with other technologies such as UI tools, and some testing experience 🙆🏾‍♀️

I did the volunteering work for both fun and learning with experienced developers and... I was bored and wanted to feel productive again... 😅

So for transitioning, I focused on learning the new technologies I wanted to work in and got some work experience (though it was volunteering) to back up if I can work in an environment with the tech. I still live with my family so I could do the volunteering job and have time to self-study whilst being okay financially (though I was tight with money haha) 😅👍🏾

🔮 "Is it any different than web dev?"

The old job was focused on using C# and SQL (including HTML, CSS, and JavaScript but fairly small) to make the websites, they were fairly basic websites for clients to use just to navigate their information needed. They weren't fancy cool web design because they didn't need to be, which was what made me bored of the job and wanted a change.

I am only a week into the job and have been working on small tickets (features for the site), but I think after a month or two into the job I will make a proper judgment on the difference~! So far, it's kind of the same thing I did in my old job but with new workflow tools, React-based projects, and funny people to work with 😅🙌🏾

🔮 "People are saying it’s useless to learn HTML/CSS and it’s not an actual language."

Yes HTML is a markup language and CSS is a stylesheet but they are the foundation of like 90% of the websites on the internet, I wouldn't ever call them "useless". Frameworks such as React, Django, Flask, etc still require HTML and CSS code to make the website's structure and styling. CSS frameworks like Tailwind and Bootstrap 5 still use CSS as their base/foundation. Not useless at all.

Don't focus on what other people are doing and focus on your own learning. I repeat this all the time on my blog. Just because one or a couple people online said one technology is useless doesn't mean it is (this is applied to most things in tech). Someone told me jQuery was entirely useless and no bother learning it - I did it anyway and it helped me better understand JavaScript. Anyhoo, try things YOURSELF before listening to what people say - make your own judgment. Not going to let a random Tech bro online whine about how annoying Python or C or whatever is to ruin my want to learn something. (This is all coming from a girl who loves web development very much's point of view :D)

🔮 "I thought it would be easy to learn html > css > javascript > angular > react and somehow land a good paying job"

Web Dev route, I love it! That's literally the same steps I would have taken if I had to start again~! For each new tech you learn, make a bunch of projects to 1) prove to yourself that you can apply what you've learned 2) experience 3) fill that portfolio~! 😎🙌🏾

With Angular and React, I would pick one or the other and focus on being really good at it before learning another framework!

I also recommend volunteering jobs, freelancing, helping a small business out with free/paid m

Lastly, you do not need a degree to get a job in Web Development. I mean look at me? My apprenticeship certificate is the same value as finishing school at 18, so in the UK it would be A-Levels, and I completed it at the ripe age of 21! I have no degree, I applied for university and got a place but I will give that space up for someone else, I'm not ready for university just yet! haha... (plus erm it's expensive at the end, what? even for the UK...). Sure, I used to avoid the job postings that were like "You need a computer science degree" but now if I were job searching I would apply regardless.

People switching careers in their 40s going into tech instead are making it, you can switch anytime in your lifetime if you have the means to! (everyone's situation is different I understand).

I'm not too good at giving advice but I hope in the rambling I made some sense? But yeah that's all! 😎

[troglobite]

@transienturl "kernel_task is highest gb usage at just below 14" oh—14 gigabytes, you're saying? I would consider that a red flag if it's above about one; that's probably part of the cause. google results aren't great on what actually causes it (if it's just kernel_task memory use rather then kernel_task cpu use). first things I'd do are reboot -> when time machine isn't doing a backup, run "first aid" on your hard drive from disk utility, and run the Apple Diagnostics tool. there are low level software bits called "kernel extensions" that could misbehave and cause that but they're hard to install and you'd probably know if you did; do you have any antivirus/antimalware software and/or do you remember rebooting your mac and holding down a button in order to install a component for discord audio capture? those are basically all I can think of for that category

eugh, damnit, duly noted. but no, i haven't installed anything like that or rebooted in that way. i do, technically, have antivirus/antimalware software through a vpn (which has had p standard/unremarkable showings in the activity monitor, and hasn't changed in the last week or two).

i'll try turning it off and restarting the app to see if that makes any immediate difference. yeah nope, that made no difference. will have to restart laptop again. //sigh.

kernel_task is at/near the top for both cpu & memory.

will definitely try the first aid & diagnostics. this fucking backup is running like molasses, unfortunately. all my backups are there, there's room for a new one, as far as i can tell, and i keep getting rid of the ones that stalled out and were "in progress". i might wait and do it tomorrow, to try and give time machine more time to finish this backup. still in MBs meanwhile have GBs to back up...:/ oh wait just hit 1 gb/30 gb.

i have no idea if it's relevant, bc sometimes it is in the most irritating ways--but my OS is big sur, 11.7.10

i avoid automatic updates because they're such huge pains in the ass, and i tend to wait until a new OS has had the bugs worked out before deciding to update to it. the newest, sierra i think? has had various glitches/problems with internet browsers, especially firefox, so i haven't wanted to update to that one.

however idk if that would be the main cause of either a slow passport/time machine backup, or this memory issue--my last backup that was saved was in november, which was 2 months after the latest OS came out. and all other apps and browsers are up to date and working without issue, as far as i can tell. i don't think anything even updated within the last week or two, which could've caused this. so yeah idk.

diagnostics tomorrow, then i guess. : /

thank you so much for your responses & help, i really appreciate it. this shit is so difficult to look up once you get past the "yeah, i refreshed firefox, there doesn't appear to be anything malicious eating up cpu/memory" stage, bc then ppls' issues tend to get v specific and not relevant at all to mine. lol esp bc i'm really not

[genericpuff]

hello! i'm not sure if you remember me, a while ago i asked about digital art and if it's possible to do on an ipad or something similar. i was really grateful for your response and i got an ipad over christmas! i didn't realize how expensive the pencils were though and was only able to get one recently. now that i have all of that, i download the first art program i saw (ibispaint x, i don't know how good that is) and feel super overwhelmed by everything, all the tools and brushes and i have no idea where to begin. i know this is a super broad topic, but i don't know if you have any advice for a beginner hoping to become a digital artist? or know of any resources? thank you so much in advance and no worries if this topic is too broad to really get into properly!

Oh hey!! Congrats on getting an iPad! And yeah, shopping for the pens is a big pain in the butt, but I'm glad you finally got it all setup!

So most of the advice I'm gonna give you is very basic, starter advice that can apply to virtually any digital art software, as the vast majority of them are built with the exact same base tools, they just vary in their intended purposes which means they may differ in more advanced settings and what they offer beyond the basics (ex. Photoshop has more colors than Clip Studio because it's built for editing high quality photos whereas Clip Studio is meant to emulate comic art, but Clip Studio offers more in the way of comic-creating tools such as specialized rulers, 3D material support, built-in screentoning, etc. and all of the software available will tend to have different brush engines, meaning it doesn't always 'feel' the same to draw in one software as it does in another).

Your bestest friends:

Layers! This is the biggest pro to going digital, because now you can work with layers! So anything you draw on each layer is preserved and can't touch or affect whatever's on the other ones :3 You can find the layers tab in Ibis Paint X in the bottom right, don't be afraid to make a bunch of them and mess around with what you can do. Play around with the different blending mode settings (in Ibis Paint it's the menu that's labelled 'Normal' in the layers popup) especially Multiply, Color Dodge, and Overlay, as those three are the most commonly used to make coloring more efficient and give your art some extra pop.

Lasso/marquee/magic wand tools! These are basic selection tools that allow you to select an area within the layer you're working on, so that whatever you paint won't travel outside of that area. The Lasso is a free draw tool, the marquee tool is typically 4 sides by default (so squares/rectangles) and the magic wand detects and selects a closed area with one click! (just note that by default it's only on the layer you're on, so if you use it on a layer that has nothing, it will typically select the entire canvas).

Alpha locking! This is a simple button setting you can click to 'lock' the layer you're working on, which basically means that whatever you've drawn on that layer, anything you add can't travel outside of that drawing. So if you want to quickly shade something without going outside the lines, alpha locking is your solution!

Clipping groups/layers! This is a bit more advanced but is basically an even better version of alpha locking that you can use in conjunction with it. Clipping layers are basically additional layers that , when you click the 'clipping group' button, 'attaches' that new layer to the layer that's below it. It performs the same function as the alpha lock by preventing whatever you draw on that layer from travelling outside of it, HOWEVER it comes with the added benefit that it's on an entirely different layer, meaning you can erase and mess with whatever's on that new layer as much as you like and it won't hurt the base layer. It kinda follows the same logic as animation cels !

Masking! Y'know when you're doing a traditional painting, and you put down tape to cover the area so you can paint over it and later remove the tape and everything underneath is untouched? That's basically what masking is! Once you put down a layer mask, using the erase tool on it will 'erase' whatever the mask is applied to, and using the brush will make it magically return! This may sound silly at first, but I find masking is especially helpful if you want to erase something on the layer you're working on without it disappearing forever! It's also really helpful for comic work because you can mask whatever's outside of the panels and voila, nothing you draw will travel outside of those panels!

Stabilization! I don't know how extensive Ibis Paint X is with offering stabilization tools, but many digital art software comes with it and it's a LIFE SAVER for new digital artists adjusting to the feel of digital art. It essentially 'slows down' the output of the ink on the canvas which helps a lot with getting cleaner lines in fewer tries. It's not quite as big of a deal when drawing on iPads because obviously you have more control by default by drawing directly on the screen, but it can still be really helpful when you need to pace your hand ahead of the actual drawing tool to pull cleaner lines!

That's pretty much all I can think of for now! But here are some other commonly asked questions:

1.) There are so many brushes to choose from, which one do I use?

The round brush is small but mighty. Virtually anything can be painted with it, it's simple, but malleable, especially when you start messing around with the hardness and opacity settings. Don't get too lost in the sauce with the brushes that are available to you, it can be very easy to get overwhelmed by all the options and variety. Some artists still work purely with just round brushes, some artists have custom brushes they like to use to speed up their drawing process or achieve certain textures. Play around with them, but don't get too stressed about which one you use because there's no wrong answer, the right brush to use is the one that gets the job done ! <3

2.) What canvas size should I use?

It depends on a variety of factors such as whether or not you're planning to print, where you're going to be posting it, etc. By default I like to work on 8.5 x 11 inch canvases (standard printer paper size) at 350 dpi, which if you want to make that canvas in Ibis Paint X, means you just have to make a canvas with a pixel ratio of 2975 x 3850 pixels! Just note that the lower you go in either pixel count or dpi, the lower the resolution, so it's typically encouraged you work at a minimum of 300 dpi (but you usually don't have to go any higher than 600) to ensure you don't wind up with any blurry low res JPG's/PNG's.

3.) Should I export my final drawing as JPG or PNG?

This is usually just up to personal preference, but like the canvas size, it depends on what you're using the image for. You can always export as both, the biggest difference between them is that PNG is lossless meaning you won't experience image compression like you will with JPG, BUT you're also going to have much larger image sizes. JPG is often fine for any standard posting, PNG is typically recommended if you want to have a drawing with a transparent background for printing (as JPG can't do transparent backgrounds) or if you just want to have a really high res image file for sharing outside of social media sites (as social media sites like FB/IG/etc. will typically compress the hell out of your images anyways)

Here are some other super helpful resources as well if you need some visual and/or audio guides:

Sinix Design - How to Learn Digital Painting (Beginners)

Marc Brunet - The Beginner's Guide to Digital Art

Skynix Art - 50 Digital Art Tips in 5 Minutes

One thing I also like to do is watch speedpaints of digital artists as it can really help pull back the curtain on what they're doing (or at least, it can help you see what they start with which can help you better picture the process of turning a blank canvas into a finished work of art!) And though I don't do it as often, if there's an artist whose work I REALLY like, I'll try and find their actual work files (many bigger artists sell them on their crowdfunding sites/Gumroad/etc.) so that I can actually break the drawings apart layer by layer for the purpose of analysis. Of course, all that is something that you'll grasp better over time as you learn the tools and learn to recognize what artists are doing in their own workflow, so don't worry if you don't glean a whole lot of info from the "big guys" right away, you should always be referencing artists who are higher along the skill ceiling from you but not too high that they're using techniques and tools that are outside of your realm of understanding.

Other than that, just try to have fun, don't stress too much about it, and save often!!! Part of creating art is learning to be at peace with the process, so don't stress too much if it takes you a while to get adjusted to the layouts and tools - at the end of the day, digital art is another medium entirely, so it's not uncommon at all for traditional artists to need a lot of practice to 'switch' to digital, because they both utilize different tools and techniques. Be patient with yourself, always be on the hunt for new resources and guides and references, and don't be afraid to experiment and make mistakes (the best part about digital art? Mistakes don't cost you any paint or materials!)

Good luck!! And congrats again! 🥰

[mothusingtheinternet]

absolutely nobody: digital artists: what software do I use? Oh, I wouldn’t recommend it. It has no eraser. Yeah, it doesn’t have a blur tool either. Also it whispers to me in my sleep at night. But y’know, it is what it is! I’m dedicated now, I wouldn’t dream of using anything else :3