#played around with some textures also used a bigger brush size this time. really like how it turned out

[umbralis-art]

Doodled Johann a while ago and did a digital drawing later

[not-xpr-art]

Art Advice #4 - A Beginner’s Guide to Digital Art

Hi all!

This weeks entry into my Art Advice tag, where I offer various advice for artists of any skill level, is about digital art! Now, I am by no means an expert at digital (I’ve been doing it for nearly 8 years at this point and that is almost entirely self taught), but I have picked up a few pointers in that time which will hopefully help anyone just starting out!

(this blogpost is a little over 2000 words long btw)

A Beginner’s Guide to Digital Art 

I know that the world of digital art has changed drastically in the 8 odd years since I started, but I’d still say that some of the options I started out with will be just as good for anyone who’s starting out now! 

As always, I’ll be splitting this into sections to make it easier for you to navigate this post!

Part 1 - Equipment/Hardware 

There are a lot of drawing tablet options on the market at the moment, and I’m not going to pretend that I know anything about half of them lol. But I think for a beginner, don’t worry about going for the most expensive option, even if the reviews are really good or your favourite artist uses it, especially if it is way above your budget! 

An important thing to know is that there are two types of tablet. One is the plug-in kind. These are essentially a pad which you plug into your laptop or computer and draw on that whilst looking at the screen (they basically work the same way as a plug in mouse works). The other kind is the screen variety, which is a lot more like what most of us know as ‘tablets’ nowadays. And you draw directly onto the screen. 

(a plug-in vs on screen tablet, both from Wacom)

Now, as for choosing between these, it is honestly a personal choice. But I’d say if you’re just wanting to try digital and you’re on a budget, a plug-in tablet can be really useful since it gets you used to the mechanics of what digital is like, and they are often significantly cheaper than the screen alternatives. I would say that plug-in tablets are a big learning curve, especially if you’re used to doing traditional stuff, but I do know a lot of professional artists who still use this kind of tablet when doing their work, so if it’s something you can get used to I would definitely consider it! Also, they’re often a lot more portable than some screen tablets! The first one I had was a Huion (a model so old that I can’t even find a link to it now lol), and I also know that Wacom are a well known brand that do some decent plug-in tablet. I’d recommend you do your own research on other brands and options, though!

Screen tablets are often a lot more expensive, but if you’re used to traditional art, they are a lot easier to get a handle of! But I know if you already have something like an iPad, or other general use tablets, then they offer apps that you can use to draw on (as well as things like the Apple pen, or other stylus’). The big difference between using these general tablets and ones specifically designed for drawing is pretty much purely a personal choice. I personally prefer the bigger screen of my XP-Pen tablet, along with a special screen protector that removes the shininess of the tablet screen and makes it feel more like ‘paper’ over when I used a general use tablet it draw. But if you already have an iPad, or something similar, then it’s honestly a really great starting point!

I think it’s important for me to mention that you don’t need fancy equipment to be an artist. The incredible Elicia Donze has revealed countless times how she has very basic equipment but still manages to produce the most stunning artworks! All you really need is some kind of drawing apparatus and a lot of patience lol! Getting good at any kind of art takes a lot of time and effort, but I would definitely say it’s worth it when you’re able to look back at your progress!

Part 2 - Software/Drawing Programs 

Much like with the hardware discussion, choosing which program to use is entirely down to personal preference. I personally have never really liked Photoshop purely because it’s really complicated, but I know so many artists swear by it. 

I think the main aspect to consider when you’re starting out is whether you want to pay for a program. Software like Photoshop, Clip Studio Paint and Procreate are some of the popular ones I hear about a lot of people using, but all require you to purchase or subscribe to them. So if you’re young or on a very tight budget, I’d honestly recommend the free alternative versions of these, such as Krita (Krita is quite a large program, but it has a lot of really awesome features and is very similar to Photoshop!), Gimp (this one is similar to Krita, but has slightly less options, I’d honestly recommend Gimp for anyone who does photo editing though!) or FireAlpaca (this is the one I use, by the way and it’s a pretty simple program, but has a lot of fantastic features and is perfect for how I work!). These don’t have as many features as some of the paid alternatives, but I honestly think all you really need to start digital art is some kind of ‘canvas’ and set of brushes!

Another great free program for beginners I’d recommend is MyPaint, which is great for doodling and just getting used to how digital art feels in comparison to traditional! It also has a bunch of ‘traditional style’ brushes, to make it look like charcoal or watercolour (which I’m sure the paid alternatives have too, but it’s always better when it’s free, I find lol...)

(this is an example of a drawing I did on MyPaint using the ‘charcoal’ effect brush!)

Most of the sites are pretty self explanatory, with sections dedicated to different brushes (I’ll go into the types of brushes later on in this post btw!), adjusting brush size, shape and opacity, a colour wheel, etc. You also have a section dedicated to ‘layers’ (another thing I’ll go into more detail later), and various ‘filters’ and editing options and effects you can add to your work to make it more interesting!

I’d really just recommend playing around with programs until you find your one!

Part 3 - The Pros of Digital Art!

I realise this section should probably earlier in this blog post lol, but I kinda wanted to go into what digital art can achieve in comparison to traditional art, and how beginner artists can utilise this!

I definitely didn’t take advantage of certain aspects of digital art when I first got into it, and they’re things that would have definitely made my life a whole lot easier lol!

Digital art allows you to tweak drawings as you do them. So if you accidentally drew the eye too far to the right, then you can easily move it to the right place. (I usually do this by selecting whichever area is wrong, cutting it out and then pasting it into a new area... And yes, there is probably a better and quick way of doing this but...I haven’t found that way yet lol...). And I honestly think that this has allowed me to look a lot more at a reference image in order to figure out where I’ve gone wrong with a drawing! Whereas with traditional art, I usually spend so long trying to get an eye right, that even if it’s slightly in the wrong place, I don’t want to completely redo that section. Digital allows you to completely rub out sections without leaving indents, which is honestly such a saving grace!

Another pro of digital is the Undo/Ctrl Z function! This means you can easily go back to before you made a major mistake with just a click of Ctrl Z... Though I have to say that this function has honestly ruined traditional art for me... Oh what wouldn’t I give for a real life Ctrl Z... But yeah, this is a great part of digital art and definitely something you will grow to love lol!

Another great thing about digital is that it allows you to flip and turn a canvas as you’re drawing on it. I spent a lot of time trying to turn my tablet around in order to draw certain parts of a piece before I realised you can turn the canvas itself without having to move yourself or your tablet!

Layers are another part of digital that can be super useful, and I have to be honest but I don’t really use them a lot. I know a lot of artists create layers for every section of their artworks (so, one for the linework, one for colouring, a separate one for the background, etc etc...). And there’s something really great about being able to paint without worrying about smudging into a previous section of the painting. This works well for my work since I do a lot of bright backgrounds. I also often create a lot of ‘versions’ of my works, so it’s useful to be able to change the background without affecting the main figure of the piece! (I have to say that I often work in one big layer when I’m doing paintings, just because I like how it feels more like ‘traditional’ art that way, but layers are such a brilliant tool, and definitely something you should play around with!)

The eyedropper tool is another one that is really useful! Although I never colour pick from my reference photos, I know some artists find this useful when they were just starting out (especially if you’re not sure what colour to make shadows or how to mix skin tones, etc etc). The eyedropper basically means you don’t need to mix your colours every time

Part 4 - Just some other things I wish I had known about when I was starting out lol...

This last section is just dedicated to a few things that I would have liked to have known when I was just starting out all those years ago. 

First one is fluffy/textured brushes! 

I spent most of my art life from 2013 until 2016 using ‘round’ brushes which are notoriously hard to blend with, so I’d recommend either downloading some fluffy/textured brushes (DeviantArt was where I got mine from a few years back, but there are probably other places you can get them for free too!) to your program of choice, since most of the programs I’ve used haven’t had fluffy/textured brushes as pre-set. 

I may make another post about how I blend in my artworks if that’s something people would be interested in?

(this is an example of textured brush blending vs round brush blending... I usually opt for round brushes for rougher blending styles and the textured brushes for more smooth and ‘realistic’ blending... for a lot of pieces, though, I use both brushes (the round brushes are good for details!) in the same way that you use different sized brushes for real paintings!)

The next thing I wish I’d discovered earlier is the Brush Stabiliser option. Some programs may do this automatically, but the one I use (FireAlpaca) requires you to manually change the amount of stabilising you have on your brush. This is particularly useful if you want to draw neat lines or straight lines (the stabiliser essentially slows down the ‘ink’ as you’re drawing). I only recently started using the stabiliser, and although I still like having it mostly turned ‘off’ for doing sketchy work, it does make doing line work a lot easier, and also gives pieces a more polished look!  

Next advice is to explore all the options you can in whatever program you use! 

I feel like with certain programs, you can get overwhelmed by choice and you end up just using a few of the functions. But I’d really recommend just playing around with these programs, trying all the filters and editing options to get used to how the program works. You can often find interesting ways to adjust your artworks this way! In a way I’d recommend this way of working more than finding tutorials made by other people... Unless there’s a specific function you want to learn how to do, just having fun with digital art is a major part of it’s appeal to me! 

~

There are probably a lot of other options I could go into, but this is already over 2000 words long, so I’ll leave it here for now lol! (I may do a part 2 though so... keep a look out for that!)

As always, if you have any questions to things I’ve said here, or are just looking for more advice, don’t hesitate to message me!

And if you like my work on here (art & blog posts) feel free to support me on my Ko-Fi! <3

[mousechuckles]

I was getting some questions about my process in procreate, so I just put this together. More under the cut!

1. Start with a rough sketch! It just has to be clear enough, so that when I start painting, I know where things are supposed to go. I use references throughout the whole process, but especially now! If I get something wrong here, it'll be a pain to fix later after I start adding in values and color and all the fun details.

2. I make 2 layers, one for the body and one for the helmet, just painting in the basic shapes. Then, I make 2 clipping mask layers, one for each of those. I could have more, but for a painting like this, it's not really necessary.

3. I start to lay in some values on the clipping mask layers with the flat brush. For this particular painting, I wasn't sure what colors I wanted yet, so I stuck to greyscale. Whenever you're making anything, whether it's with graphite or an apple pencil, the pressure you use is super important. Constantly pressing really hard gives you less control over your stroke. Another helpful thing to remember is painting big to small. At this point, I'm not thinking about the little scratches on his armor (at least I shouldn't be). Right now, I'm using a bigger size for my brush and later I can zoom in with a smaller one.

4. Then I made a copy of my work so far and duplicated it a couple times in a new canvas. I played around with the gradient map tool and color drop to try to quickly find something that stands out! Something I learned just recently is that you can adjust the reach a color drop has. Super helpful!

5. After finding a palette I liked, I go back to my first canvas and used the same method again to get those colors. This is a bit convoluted and only cause I don't like to work without having a clear direction in mind. If I know my colors right away, I'd probably skip the greyscale and color comps, and go straight to this step.

6. This is where the fun begins! Still looking at my references, I begin to render the form. I use a combination of the flat brush and smudge tool to build in the values. Once the basic values are there, I started to give the armor some texture. I used the dry brush and oil brush to add nicks and scratches. I also used some from the comics MaxPack set.

7. After finishing the helmet, I start to focus more on the body, using the same technique. I use the flat brush to define the large shadows on the pockets and bring it to a teeny size to add the stitches. I try to always keep the basic light logic principles in mind.

8. Last step is to take a break! I've been looking at this thing for too long, and if there's anything wrong I can't tell. I come back to look at it later and give itty bitty finishing touches. Maybe a highlight gets too bright, or an edge isn't as defined as I would like. Then I call it done!

Thanks for reading! I want to say I'm definitely still learning about painting digitally and I'm no professional! This isn't the best way to work, but it's my method. Hopefully this rambling mess was helpful to some of you!! If there's any questions I can do my best to answer :)

[lokidrabbles]

Both Sides of the Coin (Lady Loki x fem!Reader)

A/N: I’ve always wanted to write some cute fluff with genderfluid/Lady Loki and so, here it be!

Warnings: Suggested Smut

Reader has a desire to braid Loki’s long beautiful hair, leading to an unexpected encounter with his alternate form.

Whether he noticed it or not, you had a knack for being observant over Loki and whatever small changes he would make with his appearance and attire. It was a privileged to witness Loki’s transition from regal Asgardian wear to, Midgard business casual, and then to true casual, often sporting a comfy combo of a dark hoodie and a pair of sinfully tight jeans you noted as his favorite. The black suit was indeed one of your preferred choices but you had grown very fond of his casual attire, greedily taking in whatever sight you caught of his thick thighs and buttocks.

Throughout this transition, Loki’s dark locks began to grown long and thick, beginning to surpass his shoulders. His current hair, finally meeting the exceptional standard hair quality for Asgardian men, presented another devilish opportunity for you to engage in. Good ol’ fashioned hair braiding.

Your twitching fingers and interest took you into conducting small research on Nordic/Viking hairstyles, shock full of intricate braids, symbolizing specific and special milestones warriors were to meet. When the opportunity presented itself, you made the suggestion to Loki, claiming it to be a way for humans to bond closer together through the use of soft, intimate touch. You were pleasantly surprised when he agreed to the ruse.

He sat in between your legs dangling from the couch, sitting upright to ensure you had a good view of the back of his head. You almost delivered a childish squeal in anticipation, prepping up combs, brushes and an assortment of hair bands and bobby pins. “I must say, there’s something absurd about someone taking this much interest in something as trifling as my hair.” He commented, feeling your fingers begin to separate his hair into sections. A wave of tingles traveled from his scalp all the way down to his spine, releasing a pleasant, relaxed hum from him.

“Your hair is so lovely Loki.” You mentioned, letting his dark locks slips through your fingers, gently falling back onto his back. You took a wide tooth comb and gently began to tease out any knots or tangles he might have had.

There was an assumption his hair would be a bit difficult to tame. While it wasn’t completely out of control, his wavy looks would at times spiral and intertwine with themselves suggested otherwise. To your astonishment, his hair was soft and easy to manage and manipulate.

“I’d kill for hair like this. It’s thick and full of life. Mine unfortunately as become a bit brittle with all the product I use.” You mentioned, continuing to comb accordingly.

“I don’t think your hair is brittle. I like your hair.” He replied softly, sending a wave of butterflies in your chest.

“Thanks, but women can only dream of having hair like this.”

His ears perked a bit. “Women, hmm?” There was a noted mischief hinted in his voice, one you had trained yourself to catch onto early on. “Should we have a sneak peek at how it would look?”

You chuckled. “I can’t really stop you once you got something up your sleeve like that.”

You set the comb to the side briefly and began to use your fingers to massage his scalp, combing out any tangles and knots to ensure the braiding process would not be difficult. Your focused heavily on your digits, ensuring the motion to begin braiding was correct while also continuing to provide a sense of relaxation for Loki. You hear a playful hum come from him, a sound affirming his pleasure at your fingertips. Your heart thumped, and an uncontrollable smiled formed upon your fame.

Loki glowed in a flash, the same golden flash you had come to recognize when he would project clones of himself or when he would transform into someone else. Your eyes darted around the room to catch any glimpse of projections, but were still met with an empty living room.

“Loki? What did you do?”

He didn’t answer, however, you began to notice the texture of his hair slightly changed. It was still pitch black, only now it had become straighter, much more softer, and a pleasant floral smell began to fill your nostrils. Loki’s back, once broad and large, had now appeared smaller, slimmer.

“Loki?”

You heard a playful chuckle coming from him. But this time it didn’t sound like him. In fact, it didn’t sound like a him at all. This voice was much more high pitched, smoother and a tad more flirty than before. Your mouth slightly became agape once Loki turned around to have a good peek at your reaction.

“Well? It’s been a while since I’ve been like this. I admit, it’s a bit fun to use since it causes everyone to choke.”

Her lips were full and pouty, contrasting in pink against her pale skin. Her eyelashes were to die for, full and fluttering naturally, hypnotizing emerald eyes behind them. Her skin, while still Loki’s skin, was much more flushed and clearer, almost porcelain to the touch. You were speechless, blinking in utter confusion. “Darling, it’s still me, you know this right?” She pondered, turning and adjusting her body to face you. “Did I startle you?“ You felt an uncomfortable heat rise up into your face, cheeks unavoidably red now. You figured Loki turned into a woman now, but you were unprepared to face the workmanship that was Lady Loki. She was stunningly beautiful, in contrast to his equally handsome and beautiful profile. The God, er, Goddess of Mischief and Chaos presented herself to you, not as a force to reckon with but as a masterpiece of unobtainable other worldly beauty.

But then you looked down at her chest and you attitude became much less eager. There, in plain sight, the world’s most perkiest and roundest breasts you had ever witnessed, ones only mortal women could ever dream of having.

You hesitantly brought your hands to your own smaller breasts, looking down and then back up at Loki’s own,  groaning at the apparent size difference.

“Are you serious? Even as a woman, your tits need to be bigger than mine?” You commented with indignation. “Oh?” There was a dumbfounded look on her face which upset you even further. “I didn’t realize this was considered large among human women.” She then pushed herself to stand upwards, cupped both breast in her hands, pondering and weighting them in each to attest whether they were too big or not. “I always aimed for the average size, honest.” “Please stop.” You intervened immediately.

She chuckled, reaching down to hold your hands securely in hers. Her gaze was unavoidable, looking deep into your own eyes, she inched in close to your ear, sending a trail of goosebumps at the back of your neck. “I like your breasts just the way they are, they are absolutely delicious.”

There was no doubt about it, Loki remained inside of her, and whether it was a she or a he, they would always find a way to absolutely seduce you in all shapes and forms.

“We should go out together more often while you look like this.” You mentioned softly, a playful smile on your face. “I think we’d have a kick at your brother’s and Tony’s reactions.”

Loki took advantage of the moment, plopping down next you on the couch, sliding a slim arm around your waist. You pulled yourself closer to her, resting your legs upon her thighs. She smiled, landing an endearing kiss upon your temple.

“Would you be comfortable with me in this form?” She asked, continuing to trail her kisses down to your cheek. You sighed with much content, scooting even closer to her.

“Of course, it’s still you. It’s always you.”

She grinned. “I’m rather curious. Which do you prefer more?”

“W-well,” You began, stuttering. It was quite the unexpected question, but what else would you expect from Loki. “I mean I like both, I can’t really chose.”

“Don’t be shy.” She jested, squeezing your side. “I won’t be bothered by whatever you chose.”

“I mean, I’ve spent more time with guy Loki than anything, but I don’t really have a basis of comparison, I didn’t even know you could change genders like this.”

“Very true. Then I should probably even out the playing field, don’t you agree?” And there again, was the indisputable glint of mischief in Loki’s eye. You knew exactly what that look meant.

“Wait, does that mean even, like, in the bed...” Your voice trailed off and the risk of sounding stupid and lewd. 

A rather suggestive smirk appeared on her face. “Don’t try to hide the fact that you haven’t thought about it since the moment I changed.”

You gulped, and accepted the fact you wouldn’t be engaging in any hair braiding for the remainder of the evening.

---

[brooklynislandgirl]

Beth and UARF!Billy - ❤♡❥ღ💕💘💝💓💌💟💙💚💜💛

Heart-Eyes || -

Five A.M.

Beth’s barely awake as she comes into the office, coffee in hand, only to come face to face with the widest grin she has ever seen on Hal Gates’ face. Dark eyes dancing, he relieves her of her thermos cup, takes both her arms in his hands, and swing-dances her around the cramped space where they work.

“We’ve done it, girl!”

Though abjectly confused, Beth can’t help but grin in return. “Wha’ve we done?” She wants to be just as thrilled, wants to share in the old man’s joy. “We’ve got data on white pointer mating! I’m running the compile now, we should be able to parse it and watch the video footage within an hour or two!”

She’s floored.

The shock is clear on her face, even her mouth drops open a little. Often bandied about as the Holy Grail of marine biology, great-white mating is known to exist. Despite decades of research into the habits of the species, that particular bit of knowledge has eluded marine biologists.

“Wha...? How?”

“Mate of mine, Crawford down in New Zealand has taken a fisherman’s eye-witness account on our elusive little friends, and shared video. Crawford sent me all of the data.”

“Oh, Hal.”

Dr Gates nods at her eagerly and once again promenades her around some tables, brushing past a stack of hastily shoved aside folders with charts of migration patterns, weather reports, and feeding data. Then, far more carefully, he hands her into a seat and plops down into an office chair, slapping his knees in pleasure and pride.

“Speaking of mating rituals...”

Beth laughs but blushes at the same time, eyes askance. She suddenly knows what he’s going to ask, or at least of whom.

“...And since we have so little to do until all the research is collated and complied...”

“Must we?”

“No finer time, girl.”

She holds her hands up to stave him off until she gets up, crosses the room and takes a sip of her coffee. Not exactly how she wanted to start the day, but there’s no real reason not to humour her mentor.

“Have at, den.”

“Excellent.” Hal Gates really is an inveterate old gossip.

~*~

❤: who is more affectionate in public? in private?

Beth laughs. Okay, so this isn’t really so bad. “I t’ink I gotta say...I’m more affectionate in public. Mos’ of da time, Doctah Manderly... just doesn’t know what t’ do. Very stiff, hands in his pockets or stand at parade rest.”

The last cocktail party had been a half disaster, between trying to get William to mingle with the public attendees and not leave to check on his seals at first opportunity. The one time he surprised her was when he put a hand on the small of her back though the illusion was broken when she found that the six-foot-six man was trying to ultimately hide behind her. No amount of mock-tails were going to spare him any acute discomfort.

“Probably for da best. No offence, but he’s very definitely...ah....British.”

“None taken.” Hal offers her a wink and taps the side of his nose.

“But even behind close doors? He just... lil uptight, I guess. I sometimes wonder if mebbe he’s worried about havin’ an episode, and some affections are difficult when you have a service dog nearly t’ree-quarters ya size intent on doin’ her job, but I’d say he at least tries when it jus’ da two of us. Fingahs in my hair, brush against my arm. Da kine.”

Hal nods, knowing the specifics without having to drag them out of her.

♡: who is the bigger romantic openly? secretly?

"I t’ink,” she begins, carefully considering this one. “Dat anyone who loves da sea so much dat dey would give up a whole life to dedicate demself to it...got a big romantic soul. What is da ocean, if not love an’ life, an’ all dat we dream of in songs an’ poetry? I only t’ink it’s harder for him to express dat because well..”

She makes a dismissive gesture.

It isn’t that he grasps the concepts of language and expression, they’ve certainly entertained passionate arguments, verbal jousts that have filled the air with sign and countersign.

“Romantically speakin’ I jus’ don’ see him as da type dat I’m gonna find outside my window wi’ an ole boom box, playing In Ya Eyes by Petah Gabriel, ya know? But I also don’t believe he wouldn’t t’ink about it. So secretly? Him. Openly, me.”

❥: who is more likely to plan something big for valentine's day?

“Honestly, Hal...I’d have t’ say him. He’s a planner. Wants every detail to be perfect, will second guess himself a hundred times jus’ to make sure dere no wrinkle in the research. Me? Always been da spontaneous kine, except when it came to really wantin’ to work wit’ you.”

Hal pats her lap, his face soft.

ღ: who is more likely to initiate hand-holding in public?

“Again, it would be William. I don’ know wha’ he’s t’inkin’ a lot of da time, if he’s even aware dat I am dere sometimes. An’ I don’ really wanna make a big deal about it, don’ wanna ovahstep. For me, it’s a much more difficult proposition, is like...touch is where I’m most comfortable, outside of typing endless notes or readin’ data.”

She nods toward the words scrolling along the screen. She fully disclosed her disabilities when she applied for the position so thankfully she doesn’t have to explain now. Most of the other people at the facility don’t even really notice. Except for maybe Ben who sees too much and maybe says too little. That’s to be expected though when you gather a bunch of scientists and stick them in one beautiful place.

“You want him to initiate more, don’t you?”

“I would, yeah. But dere always more important kine and so really guess it nevah really matter.”

💕: who is more likely to make huge declarations of love in front of other people?

“Fair question an’ I guess dat would be me. We...we agreed not to make a big t’ing about any of dis, you know how quirky everyone here is, an’ in case it doesn’t work out, we don’ want da kine t’ get weird. Especially wi’ James an’ Miranda. So if somet’ing like dis were t’ happen it’s probably because he push all my buttons an’ my tempah got da best of me, right? Could see it happenin’ over breakfast. On da beach. Mebbe by da pools.”

Which is why she tries so hard to keep her passions in check. She doesn’t want to blurt out anything that can’t be taken back.

💘: who developed a crush on the other first?

“Couldn’t say,” and in those two words it is the breadth and depth of her honesty. Beth doesn’t have crushes in the same way most people do. She’s never seen anyone and instantly found herself immersed in fantasies, desires, a desperate need to be around them. She might find someone intellectually stimulating and enjoy the conversation. She might notice that something about them calls to her artist’s eye and be aesthetically pleasing in its symmetry, someone might make her laugh but she doesn’t dwell. And by the time there is the first inkling that she might want more out of a situation or relationship, she’s already become close friends. Or she watches as that object of her affection drifts beyond reach and she tells herself she’s happy because they clearly needed something more than she’s even capable of giving.

And sometimes, Beth wonders if she isn’t really broken or damaged in some way. Because she can’t even say she ever had a crush on Billy. She doesn’t know that she can say she has any expectations other than they look good together on paper, and it’s been drilled into her since birth that appearances *do* matter. “Mo’beddah you should ask him.” Gates doesn’t say anything, he only nods.

💝: who spends more time (possibly overthinking) what presents to get the other?

“William. For same-same reasons as Valentines Day, an’ da need for everyt’ing to be as exactin’ as he can make it. Like, how hard and how long it take him to find...or more likely, *breed* dem two purple neocardinas in my office?” Shrimp like the two in her tank, deliriously happy and spoiled and free of predators, are rare in size and colour, and yet… there they are. Then there’s the allegorical evidence of his severe and frothing dislike of mass consumption marketing, the complete commercialisation of every secular and religious holiday, the pastiche of feelings tacked on almost like an afterthought.

💓: who initiates most physical contact?

Beth hesitates. That’s slightly more personal than the other questions so far and truth be told she’s a little ashamed of having to answer without specific parameters. But it is a question, and she did agree to answer them with the same honesty as she offers Hal in all their other work and conversations. “I’ve always done well wi’ sensory input dat was based in kine oddah dan auditory. Smell, taste, seeing… but of alla dem, touch has always been important to me. Textures, near imperceptible data processed t’rough skin. An’ I guess dat I use dat wi’ him. Way to express ideas or sensations dat might not come across ordinarily. Enthusiasm, excitement, humour, rage, disappointment. I wan him to feel an’ understand when I don’ have da words in me, or know how to express. A lot of da time, it’s accidental or at least….subconscious.” A beat goes by. “I don’t believe he really cares much for it.”

💌: who is more likely to send cutesy texts to the other?

This one is hard for her to answer because they aren’t really cutesy text people. Most of their days are too filled with very real world drama, service to the greater good, the understanding and conservation of the most vulnerable environments and animals within. There’s weather, there’s reports, there’s an entire litany of experiences that don’t leave much time to play around until well after hours when they can finally seek well deserved liberty. However, Billy does sometimes send her pictures of the seals doing very cute seal things, or Annie shepherding him and his charges with the boss-vibes of the Queen Mother. In the end she only offers her mentor a smile and a shrug.

💟: who spends time reading their zodiac compatibilities?

“Oh absolutely I do. Find da whole pseudo-science of it fascinatin’, especially when da stars are not in da same position as dey were when it was invented an’ da psychological impact it has on our species is jus’ totally wild, you know?”

Beth knows that she’s the textbook definition of a Cancerian woman, and Billy does a good job providing a counter-argument on being a Libra. Further there’s a bit of an annoyance factor; he thinks junk science ‘belongs in the bottom of the bin with the rest of the rubbish.’ And he has a point, to some extent, even if she doesn’t agree with him. Not everything can be cold facts and numbers. Sometimes a little playfulness was in order and he absolutely needed to be reminded of that.

Hal laughs and shakes his head. “You’re going to do my chart then, aren’t you?” “Wit’out a doubt, Doctah Gates.” She wiggles her brows.

💙: who is more protective?

“I think objectively, I am. You know William’s troubles, and I have to keep them all in mind dough it’s not like he can forget dem, right? Some of his facts aren’t… I’ve consulted with some medical doctors and if we are careful, dere’s a lot he can experience dat he sees out of reach but I don’ like bringing dem up because I don’ want to agitate him. Only can lead t’ problems.” She does wish though that he’d trust her a little more, that he’d let go of some of his well deserved fears. That he’d let himself out of his shell and accept that even with limitations he can do many of the same things as the rest of the group does. But he seems content enough to hang back, ever the observer. And she doesn’t know if it’s her place to try to drag him into things though she might be better at it than anyone else. Miranda has told her as much.

💚: who tends to get sick more often? who is better at taking care of the other?

Hal’s question is really a continuation of the previous one and once again she has to call Billy out on it. Because she’s never really been sick a day in her life, not since early childhood and the culmination of that was the test bite that nearly lost her the leg she keeps tucked away, hidden out of sight whenever possible. “Dat seems a small kine ingenious, he no can help his seizure disorder. An’ I feel like he really ought to have a good psychologist. I t’ink some t’erapy would do him good. Spends too much time in his own head an’ mebbe not enough taking charge of his life. I know he can be afraid of lots of t’ings but it nevah really *has* to be dat way. But I also don’ wanna push him, for same-same reasons I mention before. You can lead a shark to chum but no can make him frenzy, know what I mean?” The analogy is silly. Billy wants so much more than what he feels he has. And a darker current in the back of her mind wonders if they would still be the same if he felt he could reasonably have them. That feels so selfish and toxic and she really has no place casting judgement on him when maybe she’s no better off than he is, only expressing it differently.

💜: who said "i love you" first? or, if neither has said it yet, who is more likely to say it first?

It’s strange how perceptive he is and goes in for the killing bite. The honest truth is that neither one has said it. And neither one likely will. Billy has layers of guilt and trauma, has beliefs that she cannot get a single foothold to try and tear apart. He doesn’t feel deserving of such a finer emotion. And Beth? She has her own reasons. She doesn’t even know if love is a thing that exists or if it’s some fairy-tale people tell themselves to make it easier to get by. She believes in affection, and she believes that people bond the same way packs and pods and herds do. But she feels the concept of love is poisonous. Ruinous in the way it can destroy someone from the inside out. And how any time she’s ever thought she’d felt it, it was ripped out from her grasp. She won’t say it. She won’t hear it.

She doesn’t answer him immediately, but instead gets up and paces away, appearing as though she’s checking on some of the cameras situated around the bay. The wall that she’d left down for Hal goes back up, slamming into place.

“Research from both psychology and neurology fields have found that there are twelve different areas of the brain that light up and work together when two people are attracted to one another, releasing chemicals like dopamine, adrenaline, oxytocin and vasopression. All the symptoms people experience are simply animal-instincts provided to guarantee that we as a species survive by either wanting to mate, or flee.”

💛: who believes in soulmates?

And Gates understands he’s made an error in judgement, though he’d only been trying to be helpful in a meddling kind of way. Anyone at the facility could see that Billy and Beth were two sides of a very quirky but ultimately needed coin. That they’d both changed each other in the two years she’d been a research fellow, and how they’d both blossomed for it. Well, anyone but the two of them. And this had seemed like such a good idea at first, tied into shark mating habits which he’d hoped she’d take better than she is.

Her answers have thus far matched up quite nicely with the boy’s.

Sadly, especially this one. She doesn’t turn to look at him. “There are no such things, Doctor Gates. And even if there were, statistically it would be almost impossible to meet a soul mate. Within the same general age group there are about a half a billion potential companions all over the world. One would have to travel the entirety of the world, every remote pocket of the planet. Secondly, there’s no scientific proof that souls even exist, and enough studies across various disciplines to prove that they don’t. Believing in such nonsense only makes a person unhappy. And all that aside, most mammals are not biologically programmed for monogamy and I doubt human beings are either.” Because if they were, why would anyone leave someone they claimed to love?

[ad1ostoreador]

Hair eyes wings

[hair]: length, colour, texture, whether it grows quickly or slowly, how manageable it is, whether it requires lots of styling, do they leave stray hairs everywhere, is it present on their face, is it present on the rest of their body, etc.

a headcanon I really like playing with is that trolls have absolutely wild rates of mutation, and the degree to which such mutations are culled from the pool is very dependent on how high the troll's caste is. so, a troll like Eridan having a colored streak in his hair is fine, but a lowblood might be given a harder time over it.  Rufioh's red streaks gave me an excuse to say 'okay, the Nitram line has whatever minor mutation is responsible for hair-streaks.' Rufioh just opted to dye his a brighter red, while Tavros opted to shave his off to hide them and thus had a mohawk from a young age. when he gets sloppy on hair-trims, the sides of his mohawk start growing back in, and he's got rust-bronze stubble in streaks down the sides of his head.  even though he's not on Alternia or concerned about culling, anymore, he still prefers the feeling of the sides of his head being shaved, especially when the weather starts getting warmer.  hair tickling his ears drives him nuts. the speed at which it grows is somewhat limited by the frequency with which I stop to consider how long it's been since his last haircut, but can be assumed to be a normal rate... I guess?

texture-wise, his hair is thick and has a bit of a wave to it, about a 2B at most.  fun fact: trolls in his timeline have some degree of reflex response to crest their head hair up at times. his can floof up pretty high in the right situation.  he used to use a lot more product to try to keep it all slicked back/down, as a kid.  now, it's habitually free and tousled and windblown, and prone to falling forward in his eyes a bit.

and while I have said I prefer my trolls entirely without body hair, I reserve the right for him to have some sideburn growth/scruff down the sides of his jaw.  he'd never have the ability to grow a mustache or full beard or anything, but the side-jaw scruff is a thing, a little.  oh, and I usually draw his eyebrows kinda thick but shorter which is somewhere between a stylistic artistic preference and a headcanon, so....

[eyes]: not just the colour, but the shape, the length of their eyelashes, whether they’re alert or usually half-closed, large or small, sunken into the face, ringed by bags, etc.

okay troll eye headcanon time.  I really like the idea that the reason troll eyes have such a bogus variety of colors, shapes, number of 'pupils', etc, as well as the ability to fucking change color when a troll is real mad... is because the color isn't entirely a pigment thing, it's a structural thing, and stress/fear/hormonal responses can physically change the structure of the eye enough for the color to shift red.  so... Tav's eyes are some weird alien mix of compound 'bug'-like structures in an eyeball + eyelid configuration, however little biological sense that makes.  if insect eye macros don't freak you out, look at this, because that shows pretty well the combination of yellow/orange and rust-brown, along with the appearance of a 'pupil' which isn't actually a pupil at all. (also take a look at this pic and tell me it wouldn't be a badass explanation for how Vriska's eye looked.)

other than the wacky compound structure, which is of course not wacky at all and perfectly normal in his timeline, his eyes are... idk, normal-sized, maybe tending to look bigger/more open because of softer expressions, on average.  black eyelashes, like his hair.  I'd say short but cow eyelashes are so long and pretty I feel he should have thick/long eyelashes to go along with the theme.

he used to have a lot more trouble sleeping (still does, if he's around people he doesn't trust implicitly) and had perpetual eyebags, but he's pretty well rested these days and so doesn't have the obvious shadows under his eyes anymore.

(edited to add: another fun headcanon... trolls with psionic powers don’t really display the eye-glow unless they are actively using quite a bit of their power.  Tavros’s eyes can glow brightly, if he’s communing hard enough... but you probably wouldn’t want to stick around to meet whatever he was communing with, at that level of output.)

[wings]:

Tavros's wings are big. they gotta be, to carry someone his size.  they're shaped more or less like extremely elongated butterfly wings--somewhere between butterfly shape and dragonfly shape, structurally--but with three pairs instead of two. the uppermost set is the biggest both in length and in width, the center set is very narrow, and the trailing tips of the bottom set can brush the floor when angled low.  

like butterflies or moths, the wing-cells are fairly large and simplified, the darker veins that support the deceptively thin, fragile-looking chitin membrane and allow bloodflow and nerve connections are relatively prominent and quite strong, and his wings are coated with a very fine layer of nearly translucent chitin scales that help insulate them and give them a slightly iridescent, ruddy tinge.  like dragonflies (and unlike butterflies), he has direct flight musculature, with muscles attaching to the stem of each wing independently, allowing him to beat the pairs independently of each other, control timing and speed with more precision, and maneuver better in the air overall.  

when flying, due to their size and the speed at which they must beat, his wings create a low but audible hum/buzz.  he can also make very quiet crickety noises by rasping the edges of different pairs together.  due to his wings, he cannot lie flat on his back in bed or sit in any chair with a back higher than where his wingstems connect to his thorax. his wings can pivot and fold down flat against his back like a moth's when not in use, but cannot be crumpled or folded back on themselves like a beetle's.

[rossdunlop]

Lost & Found - The Concept - optimisation

Starting off I opened my object into photoshop as a smart layer and made a copy so I was able to undo anything, i then started to use the pen tool to select my object, 

Turned the path into a selection and removed the background

I then copied and pasted my selection of my toy spaceship into the background, i created a layer just to smoothen out any bits i may of missed, while using the pen tool,

Once i had masked everything i turned the layer into a smart object so i was able to rasterise the layer,

This would allow me to then use match colour 

this would allow me to start getting a colour around the same temperature of the location. 

Once i had achieved that, I used Ctrl+T to select the ship, this will allow me to make the ship smaller or bigger or even change the perspective, which is exactly what i did, once i was happy with my placement i lowered the opacity as i would need to layer mask out the area the roof is covering the ship

I then used the layer mask to very carefully remove the areas that are overlapping this will create the effect the ship is over and hovering over the roof

The ship was looking a little too plastic for my liking so went to good to find a metal texture one i had found the image i wanted, i dragged it on to the window, i then put into an overlay blending mode and dropped the opacity to 75% and created a clipping mask, so it would only work on the layer below creating a mask 

This gave the ship a more realistic looks with the rough scratches an almost metal like texture

again creating another clipping mask but this time using color balance and hue/saturation, i played around with different colours, and made the ship match better to the scene

I then used dodge and burning to create more depth and to add where i think some highlights and shadows would be, 

I wanted to create a dust effect around the bottom of the ship as its get close to the roof so naturally like a helicopter or in this concept the ship there would be motion and dust appearing on the roof, 

I did this by adding a transparent dust PNG which i could then manipulate and change the perspective, i duplicated each one, and changed something about size, perspective, rotation etc

This was my result of this

I then changed the hue/saturation by adding more clipping mask to the dust which i made into a group, and also added a warm or cool the dust

I am pretty much finished with the overall ship, i just wanted to add lights for detail, using a low opacity brush with different blending modes i was able to add lights to the ship, to make it more realistic

and to add some final touches I wanted a space feel to the image as i really want this to look like the spaceship is meant to be there, so using the selection tool i was able to select the sky and then place my space sky, which i then lowered the opacity

Once i had done that, i wanted to then add the same sky into the reflection of the glass, as now its out of place and there is no reflection of space. I used a layer mask for this and masked out around the big window.

This is my out come in full in photoshop

Final Image:

[mysticsparklewings]

Fairy Enchanting‪

A bit later than I expected, but here we have the art that I used for the examples on my Commission Sheet! (Unoriginal title is unoriginal and also a pun based on "very enchanting") When I started thinking about putting together a commission sheet in the first place (which was something I wanted to do for the new year, as before I was just using a lengthy pricelist), I knew that I wanted to make a piece of art specifically for it and track my progress as I went, so that I would have an example for each stage in the process I take commissions for. And for the art, I more or less wanted to "go all out" since it's supposed to be an example, and I figure the example needs to be as close to top-notch as possible. Admittedly, I probably could've done even more than this, but me being me I procrastinated and ended up having less time to work on this that I initially expected, so... In deciding what the drawing would be, I also decided to return to my roots a little, and a do fairy as an homage to back when I used to do Winx art all the time. Likewise, as Enchantix to this day is my favorite transformation from the show, I drew heavy inspiration from it, and I'm sure that's so obvious that if you know the show I probably didn't have to point it out to you. Anyway. I actually didn't start completely from scratch with the sketch; I re-used this pose from a previous sketch I did that never saw a full-finished piece. I liked that other sketch okay, but it didn't feel like a "finish me" project. I did have to alter the feet because the original sketch was made with feet for ballet slippers (bigger heels, more rounded/curved toes, etc.) and much later on in the process I ended up angling the leg on the left more outward, as that felt more natural for the direction I was taking this new sketch in. In sketching all the bits that make this sketch otherwise unique from the old one, as I mentioned, I was taking heavy inspiration from Enchantix. One of my favorite parts of the transformation has always been the leg-wrap/barefoot sandals, for reasons I can't explain. So those were a must. I also really like how the Enchantix outfits tend to be short dresses that are more form-fitting at the top and more flowy and soft at the bottom. Here, I decided to bring the ribbony look on the leg wraps up into the bodice, and to frame the collar/shoulder area I used a sleeve & choker style similar to what I did for the dress for Ink Dance, which itself was based on a dress I actually own and love to pieces despite never getting a chance to wear it because of how fancy it is. The main difference for both of the drawing versions is that I skipped the lace overlay that connects the sleeves and choker, mostly because both pieces are traditional and drawing lace/mesh traditionally, especially when it's so teeny, is a nightmare I do not want to engage with. And the choker part fits nicely, as in Enchantix each fairy has a necklace (usually a choker) that holds their fairy dust bottle. I'm not sure if this fairy has one or not, but she very well could! Enchantix usually has long gloves, but I altered these to be shorter and fingerless (more like Magic Winx or Believix gloves) since this fairy is also based partially on myself, and I'd be more likely to wear that kind than the full-length formal gloves. And for the hair, as is maybe obvious, I was primarily inspired by Stella's for her Enchantix, since I've always loved that part of the transformation sequence for her's. Also, even though it doesn't look that way on my commission sheet, IRL I drew only one wing and left it separate, off to the side, to make positioning and flipping it easier. Once the sketch was done, I did try inking it traditionally/by hand once, and I just really wasn't happy with how it turned out. And I also realized I had drawn the skirt billowing/ruffling in completely the wrong direction anyway; It was moving to the left when it should've been moving to the right like the hair. So I had to take time out to fix that. As opposed to wasting more paper trying to ink traditionally after that fiasco, I instead went with what had been my gut instinct anyway; I scanned the sketch in and did the lines in Photoshop. Well, most of the lines. I was a dumb-dumb and when I did the lines for the wings, 1. it took forever because they're large curves everywhere and 2. I used a slightly bigger brush than for all the other lines, as I had mistakenly thought I was going to be re-sizing them significantly and the lines would be altered to for me when I did that. When I realized that wasn't the case, I did not want to have to redraw most of those curves again and risk not being able to get the right a second time. So I ended up booting a copy of the wings I'd already done into Paint Tool Sai and made use of the linework layers to redo the wings without having to draw the same line fifty times. Then I booted that back into Photoshop and adjusted the wings to be angled/aligned with the rest of the lines as I saw necessary. It was also at this point that I played around with positioning the leg on the left more outward than what it was on the sketch and ended up going with the position you see here. I could have then gone back and added weight to the lines in some places, but at this stage, I was already thinking that I wanted to print the lines out and use my digital lines to hopefully get cleaner traditional ones, as opposed to just printing the lines off outright. (Mostly because I wanted to use some super thick mixed media paper that I would bet serious money will not go through my printer.) That's what I ended up doing, and I have to say that attempt went a lot more smoothly than me trying to ink from the original sketch. And once I had the initial lines done, then I went back and thickened them in certain places. And I should probably mention here that the wings were a little tricky to figure out how to handle traditionally, as that's not something I've had to do very often. I ended up using my clear stardust gelly roll when I did the normal inking, and then, later on, I used colored pencils to go back over the outlines before coloring them in. After doing some tests, I started coloring with markers for the hair and skin, and a little colored pencil for some blush. I tried to get a little more bold with the shading than I usually do, which I'm sure still looks pretty tame compared to most. But I'd rather the shading be too light than too dark. Originally, I thought I was going to do all or mostly all of the coloring with alcohol markers. (Sidenote: is it just me or does it seem like there’s a lot of alcohol marker related stuff going on in the art world lately??) But then I did some testing with the lines I originally inked and didn’t like, and was reminded why I normally don’t use alcohol markers for gradients like the one on the skirt...frankly, I’m not very good at them...yet. Even though the test went better than expected, I still wasn’t happy with it. Then I tried a few more tests with watercolor, and that didn’t fare much better. Watercolor would’ve worked if the gradient wasn’t also supposed to be shaded, I think, but trying to shade it without using another supply wasn’t working. That left me with good ol' tried and true colored pencils. But colored pencils are relatively slow and textured, and I didn't really want that for the skin. The texture would've worked for the hair, but I didn't want to make the time investment for it either. And so I ended up sticking to my mixed media instincts and I used the colored pencil exclusively where I had to (on the dress so I could get the gradient for the skirt right) and then I used alcohol markers everywhere else, shading and all. With the alcohol marker doing most of the work, then I came back and added additional shading/highlights with the colored pencils as needed to everything except the skin. I added blush, but otherwise, I was quite pleased with how the skin turned out and didn't want to touch it for the risk of ruining it. The dress is supposed to be black/really dark gray, but I did brighten it up a bit with some of the blues from the skirt gradient as opposed to pulling out specific grays, so it definitely looks/feels more navy in the final product. Although my relatively dark/saturated color choices for her outfit made figuring out what to then do with the wings more challenging. I didn't want the wings to be the exact same colors as the rest of the drawing, because then they'd blend in too easily and be too distracting from the rest of the piece. But at the same time, I wanted them to match/look like they belong. (Again, similar to how the wings are in Enchantix) After some back-and-forth testing and a LOT of color sampling, I decided to color the wings in with alcohol markers in colors that were similar to her clothes but overall lighter/more pastel and outline them and the sections inside the wings again in colored pencil. Most of the colored pencil is slightly darker than the marker colors I picked, but I went with purple for the black/gray rims of the wings because I thought a dark gray or black would be too harsh. I'd already decided I wanted to do a slightly more complex background digitally, but even with that in mind, the traditional drawing still felt like it was missing one more thing after that. Namely, the wings didn't seem special enough. I realize that sounds a little weird; I was just talking about how I didn't want the wings to be too distracting, but I think there is a delicate balance to having them be special in the way fairy wings should be while still not overpowering everything else. And I'm not sure I achieved that, but I at least tried to. Though not a perfect solution, I ended up adding some metallic watercolor on top of the "true" (less purple-y) blue and pink sections on the wings.  You can't really tell here on the scan, and what little you can appears to be the wrong color, but in person, both colors now how a lovely pink or blue sheen to them when you move the picture in the light. (The metallic paints, in this case, are very opalescent, so they're almost completely transparent when you see the flat color despite still have a really pretty metallic sheen in the light.) After that, I felt there wasn't much more I could do traditionally, so I scanned it and moved on to that background. At this point, I was kinda pressed for time because me being me, I had unintentionally put making my commission sheet off to the last minute. I really wanted to have it finished before the ball dropped on New Years' Eve ("new year, new me" and all that jazz), and I still hadn't finished my example art by sunset time the day of. So I had to keep things moving. Early on, I'd had the idea to either digitally make a slightly more complex (but not too complex; I wanted to keep at least a little of the sanity I have left) background or perhaps make a special watercolor piece to use as the background. Unfortunately, I just didn't have the time for that anymore if I wanted to have the commission sheet finished by my self-imposed deadline. (And if we're splitting hairs, in theory, I could still go back and change the background if I wanted to, for reasons I'm about to go over, so of all the things to get rush-cut that's really not so bad.) What I ended up doing instead was taking some of the left side of my Starfall Mountains painting (I was looking for a background-type thing I'd already done/made that would suit this drawing or that I could quickly tailor to make it work, and I'm just as surprised as anyone else that this frustrating tiny painting ended up being the one I liked best of my options) and I blew it up to comfortable cover the background here, flipped it around so the colors would flow a bit better, and used the hue/saturation slider to make it more of teal color for a little more contrast. But of course, there was still just one more thing missing, even after all that. After a little tinkering, I decided I didn't like trying to making the wings transparent (I could do it, I just didn't like the way it looked in this case), so I went in and added a touch of sparkles digitally to both tie them more into the piece as a whole and to give them a little more pizzazz. And finally, blessedly after all of that, the artwork was finished, I was very happy with it, and I could move on to making the actual commission sheet.   I have to say, for as rushed as it was towards the end, I do really like how it turned out. More particularly I like just how blended both digital and traditional art ended up being here. To me, this is the next step beyond what I was able to do for mixing digital and traditional art with my Doodle Moon piece, and if I weren't currently in the middle of a tablet crisis, I'd really want to do more with this concept of going back and forth between the two on one artwork. However because of the tablet situation, the thought of really trying to do that right now kinda fills me with dread, so we're gonna have to wait a little while on that. I do also really like the anatomy/proportions in this. Which is not something I normally feel comfortable saying.   It's not the best art I've ever made or anything, but looking at it makes me happy. It's good to see it finished and it's good to think of where a lot of the ideas for it came from. (Re: Nostalgia for my life a few years ago) I'm not sure if I will since it kinda counts but also kinda doesn't(?), but I'm tempted to put this and some of my old Enchantix drawings up on the "Draw This Again" template, just to show how far I've come. I'm still thinking about it, we'll see. Speaking of "we'll see," I got word that the sketchbooks from the contest I made Designiest Design for back in October are finally in, which means the prize packs should be sent out anytime now! I'm excited to see how the sketchbooks turned out and get my hands on the Powder Pack and see how said powders work! I was admittedly starting to wonder how that was coming along, so that was some good news and a nice surprise I'd really been needing here lately. Rest assured, there will almost definitely be an art piece talking about that stuff once I have it in my hands! 

____ Artwork © me, MysticSparkleWings ____ Where to find me & my artwork: My Website | Commission Info + Prices | Ko-Fi | dA Print Shop | RedBubble |   Twitter | Tumblr | Instagram

[inexchangeforyoursoul]

*chucks this to the starving lions* Can I get, uhhh… you interested in some dabihawks intimacy over burns? (2k+ words) ( AO3 )

Hawks lacks his trademark energy. His movements, be them his quirky little leg bounce or a mundane lift of a hand, have become sluggish- that is, if he even bothers moving. Everything about him screams exhaustion, even after almost two weeks of being off duty. Forcing himself to get outside makes Dabi think the hero crazy for two entirely new reasons.

First, he’s everything but suited to walk the streets like this, with restricted mobility that’s just begging for some nosy assholes to tail him. Especially nowadays. He also could have become easy prey to petty villains in the first shady alley, as there’s no way in hell that he can use his left wing for anything but sending out some warped or puny feathers. Considering the cotton pads lining his neck and that his upper body is still covered in bandages under the tee, two sizes too big, this is also not subject to change for a while. There’s one additional pad on his left cheek, likely hiding the spot of a particularly nasty blister. And this mess here had the nerve to ask for a meetup and sneak out to this infection-ridden hole, but let's not even go there.

No, there's a bigger issue. The other reason Hawks is a madman… the thing that ties an unswallowable knot in Dabi’s stomach, and makes him reconsider coming for the umpteenth time, and legitimately uncomfortable… is that the gauze on the other's body is hiding second, if not third degree burns that he himself had inflicted, under circumstances he’d rather not even think of.

Once it becomes obvious that he won't be the one to initiate, Hawks’ familiar voice rings with forced bravado. “What’s with the long face? You look even deader than usual,” he chides the villain. It almost sounds like there wasn't a rotting elephant carcass in the room. Almost.

There's no answer he can muster. He’s just staring vacantly at the left side of the other’s face. A silent thought notes how the hero's hair grows about as fast as his feathers do after being shaved. Or burned. He made all those passive-aggressive jokes in the beginning, about what high quality kindling Hawks would make if set ablaze. And he really does burn so fast… so easily.

He should have ignored the message altogether.

Hawks sighs; his scowl softens and the tired smile disappears without a trace. No point in waltzing around the metaphorical bush, is there. “See… this is why I wanted to come. Because I figured your punk ass would wax emo over it. She's safe and sound, isn't she? And I'll just have to deal with it. It’s for doing the same damn heroic thing you keep chewing me out on, after all. Can’t help not make dumb decisions? Then let them bite you in the ass! So it did, you were right! Congrats. Not that it’s a big deal, though. This shit’s always been part of my job description.”

He cannot find it in himself to give an edge to the words, or get any snarkier with Dabi right now. The incident had some really bad timing. Things… had already been changing between them, for better or worse. Dabi’s painfully aware of this, too. As for Hawks…

It's hard to forget what it looks like. The way a man's blind rage and murderous intent change to the frantic panic and horror of a child at the drop of a hat… What seeing it feels like, as your left side is set on fire in real time, feeling a thousand-degree hand print itself into your flesh in slow motion, before it’s yanked away as if it had been charred by something burning even hotter inside you. What Dabi’s voice sounds like when in distress, calling out for someone he cared for, thinking he hurt them. Then the change to a faint moment of immense relief in those haunting eyes as your body goes into shock, before giving way to some kind of indescribable emotion that’s the bastard child of those preceding it, and more.

Dabi blinks, eyes still fixated over the rose-laced, ghastly pale patchwork on Hawks’ tan skin. That's a job description he wouldn't have to worry about if he had been given a choice, the idiot. First, he was mad at him that he would intervene. But… if Hawks hadn’t been there, and jumped in between a few minutes later, he---

“It's weird and creepy to have you staring at me like this, you know? The world didn't quite end, but aren't there some news which you should be raving about…? There's chaos and distrust all over the place, people are suspicious of everything labelled hero… they even got rid of that flaming pile of garbage to save some face, didn't they? I'm having it nice with the second guesses around my alignment and inactivity, to be honest… Slipping from the top ten while also being hospitalized makes you have time for yourself! Who would have thought?” It won’t stay like this. No, no… his name is just clean enough from every available angle that both the populace and the Commission trust him and in his return. Latter will want to get him battle ready as soon as possible, right after screaming their heads off at him. He’ll get a message next week, tops. He’s almost happy to oblige, though…

“I’ve been wanting some me time for a while now, but, how should I put it... now that I got my wish… I feel like shit, and can’t do shit that I’d like to do. Karma, bitch- I’m sitting in my room all day, with no idea how to pass time, haha!” No learning to play the guitar, gardening, or how to bake brownies. He can't even take a proper shower with all the bandages and his left shoulder being as stiff as a board. There's only his body, pulsating with slowly rising, light fever, and the numb existence after taking one of those potent painkillers before the aching starts all over again. He usually cannot even remember what happens in the series he ends up watching. It’s frustrating as all hell, and killing his ADHD-plagued ass whenever he has the energy to do something. He would have gone crazy if even his right hand had been off-limits.

If not for Hawks, he would have...

The blonde’s eyes flicker to his aching side as his fake smile returns, and he lifts a hand over the bandages covering his neck. The fingers look mangled under thick layers of shedding, dead skin; the rest, still hidden from view. “The model gig is off the table, too, I guess. They are planning to patch my face up once my wings and joints are salvaged, from what I could gather. Not that it’s a priority, though.” There’s a pause. “I also caught up with my feed, and some ‘fans’ just up and left after getting a little sunburn, too… like, seriously!? That’s just mean,” he moans with thinly veiled disappointment. He exhales with closed eyes and the barely-smile, fingers lingering at the edges of the exposed burns. The expression sticks for a moment.

He would have… burned his mother.

Dabi steps closer, reaching up to Hawks’ face, then barely touches his wounded cheek. This prompts the other to open his eyes again, with light surprise, confusion, and perhaps wariness reflecting in them. “It’s high time those little snots reevaluated their tastes,” Dabi speaks up at last, brushing the back of his fingers over the sensitive skin. He never gave a flying fuck about pretty faces, but… “You never looked better.”

To anybody else, this would sound like a dig… which, it kind of is. But Hawks can read and hear the subtext, which is to say, mild disdain and genuine gratitude. It’s… something else, though. Basically being told that he’s the most beautiful he’s ever been. It’s doing funny things to him inside- it’s beyond great to feel something after the days spent as a walking vegetable. Those fingers are, ironically, also nice and cool against his aching skin, but all of this is getting a little too much to handle at once.

Intended or not, it worms an involuntary (and rather painful), real smile out of Hawks. “Wow… gross.”

He’d be amused at the answer already, but the smile is what gives Dabi whiplash, cracking the uneasiness boulder the size of a truck sitting on his chest and sending him straight to cloud nine. Which is not something that he wants right now, goddammit.

And he would backpedal on the spot, because this backfired really bad, but Hawks has already placed his marred hand over his, and is reaching up with his other one, too. The relatively undamaged right is placed over his bare arm and traces over the scarred-up skin.

“… Does it still hurt a lot?” Hawks asks then, examining the burns meticulously; the texture sends a small chill down his spine, forcing all remaining hair on his body to stand.

He lost sleep over thinking about this. It’s a little embarrassing… thinking about whether Dabi’s wounds hurt as much as his do, all of the time. Or how he took the news. Last thing he kind of remembers before waking up to numb aches is getting an ice layer cast over him by the youngest Todoroki, and all he knew after finally catching up on the news was that the villain managed to escape and was MIA. Honestly… he had just been worried and thinking about Dabi a lot.

… Okay, it’s very embarrassing. And alarming.

“Can’t feel much where it's like that,” he admits. Where gentle fingers run over dead skin, there's a ghost of a presence that the surviving nerves deep below give notice of. A hint of warmth, maybe. Nothing more. “Not now, nor when the stuff cracks and bleeds. What will hurt… are these spots,” he guides the man’s hand up to the staples over his wrist, then takes the same hand and rubs lazy circles over a healed-up spot. “Dead and live skin don’t get along well. They get pulled apart easily, especially if you are still growing… and shit swells and tears when you are not careful. But you’ve already seen that happen to me.” Having finished the vaguely educational monologue, he looks Hawks in the eyes. “It’s also bold of you to waltz into a cesspool like this one. The plague eats roast meat for breakfast, and I hear chicken’s his favourite.”

The last line revives the smile before it could fade, and he looks back at Dabi, too. “Aww, worried~?”

“Nah,” the villain replies with the corners of his mouth also creeping upwards. Hawks’ dulled senses don’t even register that he’s already in his face until it’s too late; “The plague is me.”

The kiss is tender, and lasts only a second or two; before the hero knows it, it’s already over. He blinks first, trying to decide whether he just hallucinated this under the influence of drugs, or it was a real-ass thing that just happened… then hides his mouth behind his free hand with a blushing face.

“… that was totally uncalled for,” he mumbles, trying not to sound whiny, while also trying his best to look as angry as possible. It’s entirely futile as he can’t get rid of the fully grown, shit eating grin, though. “I’m still running a fever, you know. This is not helping.”

Burning face and heart aside, a part of him feels bad about this. Even if nobody asked Dabi to do this. It’s as if he was using the situation for selfish gains.

“In that case, get your sorry ass back to the hospital or whatever, little phoenix,” Dabi purrs, giving another kiss on his temples once Hawks manages to look at him again. The villain lets go of the hand at last, but stays close, staring into the other’s eyes for a moment.

There it is again. That ‘more’ he saw in them back then. It’s stupid, yes… but Hawks would be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy basking in the glint that’s so foreign to those eyes.

He doesn’t get much time to enjoy himself, as Dabi’s lips are already curling into an impish smile; “Then, once you resurrect from those ashes… maybe we could run a fever together, hmm?”

Hawks spends the next minutes cursing softly from behind both hands as his ears start burning up, too... and Dabi just laughs, not caring for the blood leaking from his face.

***

*old HDD processing noises* not that I’m particularly happy with it, but yeah, I think this is the first kiss I’ve ever written. hell, those may be even the first vaguely suggestive lines that are meant to be taken seriously that I’ve ever written. Hide yo wives, and hide yo husbands, this is the beginning, I’m going hog wild y’all

ps admit it… the half-assed summary had your expectations fooled

[cartoonlonk]

The Lonk breakdown

HEAD

FACE SHAPE: Big and round, very baby faced. CHEEKS: Chubby, the one place people enjoy playing with the most ( be it pinching, squishing, poking or even pulling ) CHEEKBONES: Not very visible due to his chubby cheeks. Jawline is lined perfectly. LIPS: Thin and in the shape of cupid’s bow. At times, it becomes cat-like when he smiles. They’re soft and lightly dusted in a pink hue SKIN COLOR: Tanned but not too tanned, he has an olive glow to him SKIN TYPE: Soft due to the amount of lotion he has grown accustom to wearing to ward off the pesky sun. EYE SHAPE: To describe them simply, cat-like would be an overused but accurate term. they’re wide and slightly slanted; one could say that they almost appear to glow in the dark. perhaps, but it’s only a speculation. his pupils are sharp and ovacular, his irises are big and knowing.  EYE COLOR: They lack color, dark as the night—Twilight colored if you will, it is most likely due to genetics and how the lighter the eyes are, the harder it is too see out in the sun. Despite this, they tend to shimmer with life and energy. EYEBROW SHAPE: Thick, they take up most of his forehead. They’re bolded to the ends closer his ears but as they arch over to his nose. As someone who enjoys saying very little, his eyebrows are the the things he goes to on how to express his feelings.  EYEBROW COLOR: Black EYELASHES: More pronounced than what his character model displays. It makes his eyes look bigger too. NOSE SHAPE: Short and round. Easily to be depicted as pig-like HAIR TEXTURE: It is generally messy and he rarely ever brushes because he’s 1) lazy and 2) doesn’t exactly see the point in doing his hair ( he travels the great sea with a bedhead). He DOES wash, but with little access to running freshwater ( or clean water, for that matter ), it’s salt water, which explains why he constantly smells like the beach and why his hair is all rough ( the salt crystals cling to his hair–– -it’s just a grainy, sticky mess ). If he did ever get the chance to wash up properly ( whenever that will be ) then his hair is extremely soft. He likes to use watermelon scented shampoo. HAIR COLOR: blonde, almost rivaling the sun. HAIR LENGTH: Short, though his bangs cover his eyes at times and his sideburns reach down to his shoulders. When wet, the rest of his hair reaches to his shoulders as well. EARS: Long, pointy, they flop, twitch and wiggle with his emotions. That said, they have great hearing; better than a human’s but no better than a dog’s. This also means they’re highly sensitive to touch especially.

UPPER BODY

SHOULDERS: Normal?? They meet his ears at the middle, not bulky at all. ARMS: Short and slender, they have a few scars that are hard to see here and there. STOMACH AREA: it’s thin but also chubby(?), for multiple reasons. before you picture him as a walking toothpick: around his abdomen, he is still sorta squishy because of some leftover milk-fat. It didn’t quite die out because he never really exerted himself physically daily while he was growing up on outset, so of course he’s still very soft around some parts of his body. very ticklish. do not engage WAIST: Slender and feminine like his shoulders. Hands enjoy resting there to pull off sassy remarks and gestures LOVE HANDLES: — CHEST / BREASTS: He’s going through growing pains at this age in his chest area but this is not at all noticeable. He wears bondage around his chest  BACK: Normal posture, though he sometimes slouches due to how much heavy weaponry he carries or if he’s just sleepy. Has a scar that drags from the middle to his side. This had killed him but he had a fairy around to revive him from the dead HAND SIZE: small and somewhat delicate, concerning that he is still but a growing child–– -however, they’re a bit calloused around the top half of his palm and the mid of his fingers ( especially his left hand ) because of rough play ( adventuring business: climbing, hitting things, holding his sword–– -you name it ). nonetheless they’re quite soft and he likes holding hands with people a lot.

LOWER BODY

HIPS: Feminine like, fun to sway them when he’s feeling sassy. BOTTOM: Squishy?? SURE?? A fun pillow THIGHS: ?? IDK. They’re slightly toned  CALVES: Slender and has a bit of muscle due to his constant running around LEG LENGTH: Short

OTHER

BODY HAIR: he hasn’t grown it yet SCENT: something reminiscent of the ocean–– -sea salt and ocean water, most of the time, fruity too, since he loves to eat tropical foods. HAND NAILS: short, sometimes dirty TOENAILS: short VOICE: Childish and kinda on the boyish side. Squeaky HEIGHT: 4′8′’   ( 144.5 cm ) PIERCINGS: N/A and will never get any since he know his ears are sensitive TATTOOS: N/A WEIGHT: 84lbs BRA SIZE: --- SHOE SIZE: Bruh idk his feet are fucking tiny. PREFERRED CHOICE OF SHOES: nearly worn-out boots that have been soaked in the sea numerous times, but they’ll keep you going. Also WTF ARE SHOE LACES? CLOTHING STYLE: blue for the oceans that you used to know nothing about, taken and replaced with the green of fields to honor your predecessors, unknowingly. wearing these clothes fill you with courage and determination. GENERAL BODY SHAPE: link is really fucking short, and i’m not even being blunt. he’s that short–– -four feet, eight inches of fury ( if i really wanted to analyze the models, he’d be about two or three feet ). from the beginning of wind waker to the beginning of phantom hourglass, he grows only about an inch or so more. because he averages a meager four hours of sleep a day on average, he doesn’t really have the energy to grow. And while his height makes for a disadvantage ( it’s quite pathetic ), he often has to use his entire body’s strength to make up for the distance ( jumping and catching high ledges for example ) and he becomes pretty adept to overcoming obstacles with his physical abilities. he’s pretty fit and athletic, but not toned or at all muscular because of his body is still premature.

[honestlyprettychill]

If you don't mind sharing, what Autodesk Sketchbook brushes do you use? And do they transfer to Sketchbook pro? I've been trying to tackle teaching myself digital art but I'm really struggling and I can't even seem to find a regular brush that tapers at the end of strokes

I dont mind at all :D  I use the pencil to do rough sketches, and then for line art I also use the pencil, I just make it a bit thicker, then I’ll usually copy the lineart layer one or two times just to make the lines look more solid.

For most of my coloring, I just use the felt pen (not felt tip pen) at a bigger size to color everything in.  I used to use paintbrushes, but i didnt like how they left behind streaks, so i started using the pen a couple years ago, cause it colors everything a solid color :)

Then for the shading and highlights, I use the felt pen as well, color the shadows in a dark color pertaining to whatever color scheme the picture is overall (if the picture has warmer tones, ill color with a darker red/maroon.  If the picture has cool tones, ill color with a dark blue)  The shadows look eXTREMELY too dark, but then I’ll go and change it to either color burn, linear burn, or overlay, which ever one just looks best, then I’ll change the opacity so that it isn't very dark.  I do that so I can alter how dark or light the shadows are as I go throughout the rest of the picture :)

The last thing i do for the shadows, if i go back with the soft eraser and soften up the lines of the shadows.  This makes them look more natural and gives the picture the feeling of having a real light source :D

For lighting I just use the airbrush tool, pick a kind of tan/orangey color, switch the layer to color dodge, and then brush the light in.  Color dodge lighten up the layers below it in a way that makes it really look really organic and lifelike, its like my favorite thing XD  

The camo texture brush is also fun to play around with.  I usually use it to give my backgrounds texture, and i use it in white around lights to give it a more whimsical look.

Then of course theres the sparkle shape which i love!  I sometimes use it for stars in the sky, or if theres any magic in the picture the sparkles plus airbrushed color dodge makes some really cool looking swirlies XD

I hope this helps ahahah, once my life calms down a bit and i get a good mic, I wanna start posting tutorial videos, cause I get art related questions alot :)  Thanks for reading this novel ahahaha and apologies if its kinda confusing XD

[morganapendragon]

Hi! I'm sorry to bother you but I was wondering if you've ever done an icon tutorial? Your icons are really the most beautiful I've seen, and I'd love to know your secrets 😊. But if you aren't interested in posting them I totally understand. I hope you're having a great day!!

EXTENDED ICON TUTORIAL

Hey sorry this took so long to get around to but I finally felt inspired to make this. A couple things first. I want to give a special shout out to argetnallison cuz I learned how to make icons from her tutorials here. I picked up a few tips and tricks that aren’t included in other tutorials so we’re gonna call this an extended icon tutorial. I’ve also been told I explain things well but if there’s anything from this that needs clearing up later just send me a message and i will be happy to help guide you through it. This Is my first time making a tutorial so bare with me if I ramble. 

we will be going from this:

to this

to this 

Ok so things you willneed..

photoshop (i personally use the 2014 CC version or something like that but that’s just my preference for layout and stuff)

kmplayer (kmplayer is how i get most of my screencaps. Sometimes I go to google or screencapped.net or other sites that have precapped content when i feel lazy)

Alright so we start off with figuring out which screencap to use. 

so basically here i open whatever movie/tv show episode file i want to use and skim in kmplayer till i find a scene that works. Then I hit start and play it until i have the scene i want and then stop, 

these are my capture settings for kmplayer. 

Alright so I picked this scene of Hermione in HBP (aka the hardest movie to color.

Okay disclaimer here, I don’t actually use anything on the left and rely totally on shortcuts on the keyboard so that’ll be how I explain things here. 

People do this step differently but what i tend to do is crop my image before i mask it. I hit “c” on my keyboard. I set my w x h at the top to 100 x 100. Then what i do is I take my mouse and click on the top bar of the crop box and extend it till Jyn is a more icon like size.

after she is at a size I think is ok for this icon i hit enter and it looks like this

alright now for the fun part. this is honestly the hardest part of icon making, the rest is simple if you’ve used photoshop before. Its time to mask the image and get rid of the background around Hermione. So we start by pressing “p” on our keyboard, p for pen is how i remember, and then we start at one end of her shoulder and work our way around. Basically how this works is u click around the image of her and keep clicking until u have an outline around her like I have below. this does not need to be perfect because we’re gonna have to use the eraser tool anyways.

you should have something that looks like this. Also tip here is that you can use ctrl + and ctrl - to make the image bigger or smaller when doing this part. 

ok so now we have a rough outline of hermione and we wanna create this mask so we right click within the image somewhere and we hit “create vector mask” which should be the first option (i donno what its like in other versions of ps sorry)

ur image should now look like this

be sure your starting dot and your connecting dot come together at the end or it won’t let you do this part.

Alright so here is where i add my psd and my fancy textures and things. I use argetnallison’s psd (no claiming as ur own, give her credit if you use this) and adjust it as needed because i am really bad at making my own (seriously props to everyone who makes their own psds its hard and i salute you). 

so how I do this next part is i take my psd file (this also contains my textures and stuff to make it easier and quicker to do stuff) I take the jyn file with the psd and i ctrl/alt/a toselect everything quickly like this and then drag it onto the hermione image.

i move some of my layers under the hermione image like the solid color layer and the texture pack  so she’s visible again and keep going. 

alright so another thing to note is if u click on the mask next to hermione you will get a box that has the vector mask and density and feather

you’re going to want to go to feather and where it says 0.0 make it 0.3 (some people do 2 or 1 just mess with it till it suits you).

so i have set mine to 0.3 and now its time to erase the stuff around hermione that’s still visible. i press e on my keyboard and zoom in on it a little  Here it is also really helpful to create another layer mask so that it doesn’t mess with the mask of her you already have (ps weird and it’ll get messy trust me) so i go down to the bottom right and hit add layer mask its the third one from the left

the white square between the hermione picture and the mask is where you’re gonna wanna click and then start erasing.

if you mess up along the way and erase too much you can press b on your keyboard for brush and it’ll bring it back. 

ok now its time to sharpen the image. i have an action i really like but its from a blogger who’s changed user since then and i donno her new one or i’d 100% credit. I will try and find it and add the link here. anyway I convert the hermione picture to a smart object (right click on the hermione picture and its on the left towards the middle) hit play and add the action to the image  Mine looks like this now

so for this next part i usually have green as my default layer but i wanna change the color so i’m gonna double click on the dark green box 

i’ve settled for this pink. Now if you follow my icon making at all you know I like to match my background and clothes together so that’s what i’ll show you next.

so next its time to use the eyedropper tool (which was very confusing for me initially so if you have questions don’t hesitate to ask). We start by hitting “i” on our keyboard and finding a spot in our picture that we want her to match so I’m going to click some of the lighter pink in the top left corner. 

as you can see in mine in the top right it now has that pink we just selected so now we get to add it to hermione’s jacket.I usually do it right above the psd so i make sure i have that clicked and then i make a new layer for the jacket by hitting ctrl/shift/n on my keyboard. with that layer selected, I hit ‘b’ for brush on my keyboard and set this new layer to “color” then i hit enter and begin to brush over the jacket (in my ps its the second to last one down). The default name is “normal” and its right next to opacity”) 

now my picture looks like this: (you can use the “e” to erase if you brush over her skin by accident as well)

now its time to do the same with her hair so i do ctrl/shift/n again to create another layer but this time we’re going to set it to “soft light” instead of color. 

just like with the jacket we are going to use the eyedropper tool again but we’re gonna click on a lighter part of her hair. 

you can change the opacity here if you would like but for this image i am going to keep it at 100%. 

You could honestly leave this image here and have a perfectly good icon but a lot of people have asked me how i do the circle ones like my current one so I will take this one step further. (i learned from this tutorial here in case that helps you better). 

First i’m gonna add a texture by checking one of the boxes in my texture stash (feel free to hunt on yeahps and deviantart for some seriously amazing textures that’s where i get all of mine from). 

now i’m going to do a duplicate image (so that i can use the original to edit it in different colors). to do this i go to “image” at the top (third option after “file” and “edit” and then i go down to where it says “duplicate”.

i hit ok and then i begin to make my circle icon

What i do here is i convert everything to a smart object so i hit ctrl/alt/a and right click and convert to smart object. 

then i hit ctrl/shift/n and create a new layer where we create our circle.i make sure that the circle is white by going to the top right and setting it to white. Then i hit “b” and right click on the hermione picture 

i use the selected brush and have the size at 95 px. Then I click in the middle of the image and it looks like this

now what I want to do is make sure that the white circle is centered so i’m going to hit “m” on my keyboard  Then i wanna right click and hit “free transform” in the middle. you’ll know its in the middle because there’ll be these two purple ish lines that create a plus. 

now you hit enter and you have your circle. Now what I do is hit “w” on my keyboard and click your mouse in the circle somewhere (very important to stay clicked on the circle layer here). now that you’ve selected the circle, select the pink hermione image. go to the bottom and click “create layer mask” which again is the third from the left, and you should have a circle next to the hermione picture. You should have something that looks like this

now i just click on the circle layer and delete it and it’ll look like so:

again. you could ctrl/s and save it here and leave as is but i’m a bit on the extra side so we’re gonna take it a step further and add little designs cuz it makes it look more fun. 

So what I did in the beginning is I googled a ton of different types of brushes and used search things like “heart brushes for photoshop, deviantart” or “star brushes” or whatever i wanted and i just dug around until ifound what I was looking for. its a fun scavenger hunt but you can deff check out yeahps too or itsphotoshop for resources. Then you go to “edit” and all the way down to “presets” and a drop down will show up and you click “preset manager”. you will see something like this pop up

go to the right and hit load and then click on the file you’ve extracted from winrar (if you need help with this part just message me). Ok, once you’ve loaded some brush presets into your ps you can start the next part. once again you have to create a new layer ctrl/shift/n, i then click my star brush and set it to 14 px. 

alrighty so before we start clicking and creating stars I want to make them the same color as the background so its time to bring out our “i” for eyedropper again and click somewhere on the pink, then hit “b” again and you should now have pink stars when you click. So Here i go to a transparent corner and i just create my star on the new layer. Sometimes i click it twice so that its more visible ut now i have something like this:

now I’m thinking i want it situated a different way so I use the “m” tool and use “free transform again” to adjust (using the corners like with cropping) to where i want the star to be. 

now i have it here and i use the arrows on the keyboard as well sometimes to adjust it. Now what I usually do is create another layer for the smaller stars so i hit ctrl/shift/n again and then i set this new star to 9 px by right clicking on the picture. Then I repeat the steps above and have something like this

Now i just hit ctrl/j and duplicate the little star. then i hit “m” on my keyboard once again and move it to the opposite side of the big star. 

now you have this picture:

Now what i do is i select all 3 star layers and right click and convert them to smart object so theyre easier to deal with. Then i hit ctrl/j and duplicate the stars. 

now i hit “m” on the duplicate layer and click “free transform once again” now right click and hit “rotate 180″ and the result is like this

move the rotated stars to the opposite side of the picture with the mouse. Now it should look like this

and that’s it! just hit ctrl/s and save as a .png and you have yourself an icon. I hope this helps. If i need to clarify anything please don’t hesitate to ask me. This is my first tutorial so I hope I explained things ok. Feel free to tag me in ur new icons I’d love to see them!

[houseofvans]

ART SCHOOL | HYDEON (Brooklyn, NY)

Visual artist and designer Ian Fergurson aka HYDEON is known for his simple monochromatic black and white works, often featuring old gothic buildings, Colonial style witches, and eye catching installations and murals. Not only one thing, Ferguson was most recently employed as a silk screen printer an wallpaper company, until his works were purchased by a private collector in the summer of 2017, launching his art career.   We’re really excited to chat with Ian about his art journey, his works and processes, as well as a mural he completed on the 69th floor of 4 World Trade Building. 

Photographs courtesy of the artist. 

Can you tell folks a little about yourself? We’re always curious about artist handles, sometimes there is a good story behind it, just curious what’s the significance of @hydeon? My name is Ian Ferguson. I’m a visual artist and designer living and working in Brooklyn, NY. I work out of my home studio. I’ve been publishing my work under the name Hydeon for about 15 years now. The name Hydeon is partially derived from the avant-garde animated series Æon Flux which aired on MTV in the 90’s. Eon Flux became a nickname I had in Middle School. My friends at the time would call me Flox or Eon or both. Years later when I was in college studying graphic design In the early-mid 2000’s I wanted to have an alias to sign my work under as a way to create my own unique identity and branding. I used the Eon part from my nickname in middle school and added the Hyd part in front of it. It can be pronounced two different ways, It can be like “Hid-Ian”, or “Hide-Ian”. The idea is that my own name is hidden within the alias.

When did you first get into drawing, and what were you drawn too? How did your early interest evolve into something more? I grew up in a family of artists in San Diego, CA. I was born in 1985. My mom had me drawing very early before I could hold a pencil on my own. She would hold my hand with the pencil or brush and help me make drawings and paintings. I must have been 2 years old maybe when she started teaching me, I’m not entirely sure. My earliest memory of creative inspiration that really spoke to me was seeing the work of M.C. Escher. I was absolutely obsessed with his work as a child. One of my first ever art exhibits I ever saw was an M.C. Escher exhibit at the San Diego Museum of Art. All throughout my youth I was always making art. I was obsessed with drawing and how it would make me feel. It always seemed to calm me down and I was eventually able to discover a form of meditation through it. I grew up skateboarding as well, wearing Vans, hiking and going to the beach, classic Southern California activities. Through skateboarding my influences in art and music evolved. The drawings and paintings I grew up making would eventually evolve into designing posters for shows. I think thats where I got the initial start into my career. Everything seemed to stem from making the posters. My first ever art show was a group show on skateboard decks in 2003 at King Cassius Gallery in San Diego.

Having attended Art Institute of California, San Diego, what was your experience with art school, and what was your experience after art school as an artist? Did you find the transition difficult, challenging, easy, and/or just totally off the rails? My experience at AI-SD overall was positive. I met some amazing friends there and that was the best part of it. I studied graphic design so almost everything I did in college involved a computer. Once I figured out the Adobe programs I just wanted to get through school and do my own thing. 

My career transition after college was very textured and difficult. I had moved to Seattle in 2006 right after school to explore the mountains, forests, music, and art scene there. I was hoping to land a design job up there with my new degree, but It never really panned out and the school couldn’t really help much with jobs because I was out of state. I ended up working mostly at a thrift store and would just do art and music on the side. After several years in Seattle I had a crazy mental breakdown at the thrift store I was working at and shortly after that I got some help and was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder. I fled back to San Diego for a few months to get some sun and just chill out at home. During that period I worked at an art store in downtown San Diego for about 6 months. 

After that I felt a strong magnetic pull to move to Chicago and explore the architecture, art, and music scene there. I figured I would have more opportunity in a bigger city and I knew I wanted to live outside of California. I saved up money at the art store and moved to Chicago. I tried to get a design job there, but It wasn’t working out so I quickly ended up working as a full time cashier at a grocery store. I did that for a while until I completely burned out on the register and they fired me. I was able to get unemployment, so I took advantage of it and hustled my art as hard as a could with the time I had. After that I worked a weird retail shoe stocking job, worked at a fast food chain, and did bike messaging in the loop. I basically took whatever job I could get to support myself on a basic level and then just hustled my art and design stuff as much as possible on the side. I started doing allot of shows and after a while I had built up a little success in Chicago but It wasn’t until I moved to NYC in 2014 that everything really changed and I started having significant success with my work. 

Often times artists are not only ONE thing, each juggles art and or is making a real effort to hustle at it? How do you balance art and life? What is your other hustle and how does that factor into what you do? Good question. As I mentioned in the previous question I had many different types of jobs I would do to support myself so I could do my art. When I moved to NYC in 2014 I landed a job working as a silk screen printer for Flavor Paper, an amazing wallpaper company in collaboration with the Warhol foundation. This was the first real art job I’ve ever got and the best job I have ever had. I worked there for about two and a half years full time making hand silk screen wallpaper and then hustling my art on the side. 

It wasn’t until just this past summer of 2017 that I had a career breakthrough with my work. I sold a giant painting to a private collector in Washington D.C. that had discovered me on Instagram. This was the sale that changed everything for me. I was able to quit my job at Flavor Paper and work entirely for myself. I work every single day for myself now. It’s the most gratifying feeling. It feels more than a full time job, it’s a full time commitment and a lifestyle. I’m always working. Aside from doing drawings and paintings for gallery shows I do commission work involving anything from murals to branding design and illustration work. I’ve also been collaborating with Brazilian fashion brand 1994. and an NYC based fashion brand The Very Warm. Flavor Paper has also released my first wallpaper pattern “Brownstoner” which has been a great success.

How would you describe the black-and-white works you create? Amongst the various things you illustrate, buildings and old style victorian structures play a role. How did this come about? I became fascinated with old world gothic architecture and the victorian era around 2009 when I first left the west coast and visited Chicago and New York for the first time. Seeing the brownstones and old gothic buildings in both cities really impacted me in a significant way. I fell in love with these types of buildings. They have a romantic historical quality to them that makes me feel transported back in time to another world. I feel a deep connection of energy in them and it makes me feel good, its a beautiful feeling. I had never really seen buildings like this before I came out to these cities. I have always done black and white work, but started working exclusively in black and white about a year ago. I felt like I needed a break from color for a while to just focus on the simplicity of monochromatic work. I love the quality of black and white and the versatility of it. You can put a black and white piece in almost any home or environment and it will look good. Black and white doesn’t fight any other colors, its its own thing. I’ve recently been doing color work again and loving it, but will always keep the black and white pieces going.

Do you keep a sketchbook for ideas or do you find yourself just sitting down, hitting the paper off to the races, so to speak? Sometimes and it’s a little bit of both! I keep a few different sketchbooks of various sizes. I like to go to cafes and parks and chill and sketch out ideas when I have them. I ride my bike everywhere and find allot of inspiration while riding the bike or running. I get allot of inspiration from my environment and life experience so I like to wait for the inspiration to hit me and then act on it with the sketchbook. Often times I use basic computer printer paper to sketch out final ideas before they go to nice paper, canvas, or wood panel.

Who were some of your artistic influences? Some of my absolute favorite artists and influencers are: Marcel Dzama, Thomas Campbell, Tim Kinsella, Cleon Peterson, M.C. Escher, Mamma Anderson, Henry Darger, Ed Templeton, Toulouse Lautrec, Andrea Joyce Heimer, Pitseolak, Egon Schiele, Danny Fox, and More..

What are your top 5 art materials to work with? Faber-Castell PITT artist pens Ticonderoga HB #2 pencils Bic Black Ballpoint Pen Montana Paint markers OR Molotow Paint markers (both are great!) Golden Acrylics

You recently installed your work at 4 World Trade Center as well as created a mural in the East Village? How did this project come about? What was the best part of the overall experience? The World Trade Center mural happened through my good friend Joohee Park AKA Stickymonger. We both show at this gallery in the financial district of Manhattan called World Trade Gallery, which is a gallery affiliated with the WTC. 

The gallery had access to the 69th floor of 4 World Trade and asked a number of artists to do murals on the floor. Stickymonger was really the catalyst for me getting into the tower. She’s an amazing artist and a very good friend of mine. The experience working in the tower was absolutely amazing and beautiful. There were several nights where I got to work up there entirely alone on the 69th floor. It was just me and my music and jamming away on my mural. The experience was ethereal seeing the whole city glowing from above with 360 degree views. I felt like I was on top of the world and the mural  came out fantastic. I did a black and white architectural motif of New York City with the Hudson River as the floor and the Palisades on the other wall. 

My mural covered an entire corridor of the Woman’s bathroom. It was one of the only spaces left for a mural and no one wanted it, so I jumped on it! I loved the whole experience and everyone took good care of me throughout the process. I met some amazing people through that project, one of which was curator Joshua B. Geyer who eventually asked me to do the mural in the East Village which was apart of the Centre-Fuge Public Art Project.

What would your dream collaboration be like? Oh wow! I have allot of ideas for this one, but I would love to do a collaborative drawing with Marcel Dzama sometime.

What are your favorite Vans? The Sk8-Hi all the way!

What advice would you give someone thinking about art as a career? Really dive deep within yourself and make sure you love doing it first. Then decide if you’re willing to make the full commitment. Consider it a lifetime investment and learn to trust and believe in yourself against all odds. Be ready and willing to take big risks at any given moment. Always be prepared to take criticism of all sorts, good or bad. Know that a career in art takes allot of time, allot of hard work, and a 100% commitment and belief in yourself. Be willing to network and expose yourself to the art world. Explore as many galleries/museums as possible. Always do your absolute best work, put everything you have into it, experiment, take chances, and never give up. Celebrate every success no matter how big or small and eventually if you work hard enough and you believe in yourself, you will be able to achieve your goals. Anything is possible.

What are you looking forward to the rest of this year and beginning of next? For the remainder of 2017 I’ll be working on large scale works in color on paper and canvas. I’m going camping soon with my family in Joshua Tree where I hope to discover some fresh insight and inspiration. I’ll be showing new work at Spoke Art NYC in March 2018 for a really amazing group show. I have a few other things lined up but thats about it for now.

Who is an artist you’d like to see on Art School one day? Lala Abaddon !

Follow Hydeon: Instagram  |  Vimeo  |  Website

[lucyannsmith98]

Edits using procreate (part 1)

As I wanted to spend time doing working on my essay. I decided to do some digital editing of pictures I already had.

I had to use Procreate as I didnt have a computer with the capability to run photoshop to the best of its ability. I know that Procreate if a good second option.

As this was my first time using Procreate I decided to play around and look at all the brushes you can use and get a feel for how Procreate should work.

These edits were me trying out the digital edit feature. These were in the adjustments drop down section at the top the second one on the left.

This adjustment filter is called gradient map. Procreate has set up preset gradients, which change the colours of the layer to whatever the colours of the gradient you chose. The gradient that I chose in this picture is called instant, I like this one as the red and the blue colours, i like that there is more red as there is more light colours in the original picture, I like that the blue is darker red and then more black. I like that with all the red the painting looks hazy.

This is another gradient map, this one is called mocha. I like the pale peach colour next to the blue. I like how vibrant the bright white. With the way that the clouds have changed colour, it reminds me of mountains and a mountain scenery. I like that with the last colour in the gradient there is a brightness to the piece, it looks like it comes from the bottom of the painting and then from the right side, it seems to break up the darkness of the painting. I like the shade of the blue colour.

I like the darkness of this piece. It gives me Halloween vibes. I like how vibrant the red is against the black, especially at the bottom of the painting. I like how dark the middle of the painting is.

This is another adjustment layer called glitch. You could decide how much you wanted the layer to be over the picture. The buttons at the top of the bottom section also change the type of glitch. Then I had to alter the slides at the bottom, changing the block size or the amount of blocks, changing the zoom and changing all the others slides, moves and changes the position of the blocks. I like how some of edges move in towards the middle of painting. I love all the extra blocks on the sides of the painting that stands out against white background, i love the pink and the green blocks that have appeared on the sides and that have appeared on the middle of the painting.

This is the same filter as the previous picture but i changes the type of glitch. This type of glitch it moves the picture to create waves. I didn’t alter the amount of the glitch at the top but I did alter the slides at the bottom, i changed the zoom and the frequency, as there was too much going on and the piece needed to be simpler. I like how the white of the sides go on the painting and the colours of the painting goes on the white of the sides. I love that the there is the waves on both sides and that the waves are alternate.

This is the same filter that i used in the last one, however this one is the diverge setting, i like that this is very blurry. I love that the edges of this piece are lots of tiny small dots that look like lines. I like that one side is yellow and the other side is purple. I love that the circle of the painting, and that it moves over to the right and up towards the top, with leaving different colours behind. The colours are blue and pink, there is a white colour on the right side. These were only obtained by changing the shift on the colours to get the desired colours.

This is the same glitch effect, but i just changes the colour shifts and the zoom of the glitch. This had a lot more green in and the pixels of the glitch is bigger. I like all the lines that go horizontal across the paining.

The effect is called liquify, this changes the shape and the way that the painting looks not in terms of colours but in terms of size and the textures. There is a line of different features that can be used to change the original image. This effect is called twirl right, you hold the point in the desired place and for as long as you want and the picture with twist. To can do it in multiple places but then the painting really goes out of focus and it just looks odd. I like the way that the one twirl looks as it if the clouds are moving. I like how uneven and wavy the blend of the colours get.

This is another effect from liquify, it is called edge. This has made the picture bend and become like waves. I like this effect even if it does made the clouds less visible. I like that it has created 2 waves in it and one is in the middle of the piece.

[mysticsparklewings]

Lazy Mushroom Day

This artwork is now available as a free Coloring Page! ____ More experimenting with watercolors! I used the same Crafts 4 All set of 24 that I did on my Watercolor Kitty. And honestly, I'm still very impressed with how they handle for inexpensive watercolors. But this piece was slightly more about trying watercolors in general on canvas. Because for some reason the internet is CONVINCED that if you want to use watercolor on canvas that you MUST prime it first with gesso and then again with an absorbent/watercolor ground. The only explanation is that the canvas won't be absorbent enough on its own and the paint will lift off easier. That's fine and good and all, but the weird thing to me was that it seemed like no one had thrown caution to the wind and tried it anyway. Or at least if they had, they'd been severely drowned out by all of the insistence on priming. This all came about because I've had a pack of 8"x10" canvases sitting on one of my art shelves, waiting for a purpose for a few months because I was previously not much into painting, but now that I'm starting to delve into painting with watercolor, I was wondering if that could be a use for the canvases. The other thing is that, even though I haven't worked with canvas very much, but the few times I have I didn't bother to prime it with gesso (as is typically recommended) and had no issues. (And I wasn't using expensive, pre-primed canvases either. I use typically the cheapest I can get.) Additionally, I've used my Dr. Ph. Martin India Inks and ink in general on canvas with no problem, and from my experience with ink and watercolors, they behave pretty similarly. The main difference is just that ink tends to dry more permanently and usually comes in much thinner/more liquid forms. Naturally, I wasn't satisfied with just taking the internet's word for it that I absolutely HAD to prime the canvas to use watercolor on it. So next time I found myself at DollarTree, I picked up a little pack of three baby 4"x6" canvas boards to experiment with. (Before going straight to one of the bigger canvases and potentially messing it up because I didn't know what I was doing.) Then the other night while I was feeling artsy, I came across some pictures of mushrooms on Pinterest and got bitten very hard by the art bug, so I ended up with a small, cute sketch of a little mushroom trio. It was a bit small for transferring onto my normal papers for coloring with markers or watercolor, and I didn't feel like using colored pencils. Originally, I had scanned it in just so I could make it bigger to use on my regular 5"x7" comfort realm for paper, but even after I had optimized it that way, it ended up clicking in my head that the original might be a good size to use on one of my tiny canvas boards. So I grabbed some thin graph paper and my lightbox, traced the sketch, and then tried a technique I'd heard about where you shade the back of the drawing with graphite or charcoal (I went with graphite just in case I needed to fix it later and so if I wanted to I could erase it more easily), then you place in with the graphite side down on the canvas and trace the sketch with a fairly heavy hand. I was a little skeptical at how well it would work, but it actually did! The only real issue is that the texture of the canvas can tweak the lines a little, but it wasn't enough to deter me from ever trying this again. Then I followed my usual routine of going over the lines in pen; opting for my black Sakura gelly roll so I wouldn't murder a felt tip with the canvas texture but the lines would hopefully not react to the water. Fortunately, you can't really tell in the finished piece, but I did accidentally smudge some of the ink before it had fully dried because it did take a little longer to dry on the canvas.  I was able to quickly grab a Tombow Dual Brush blender marker and mostly clean up the mess though. After letting the line art sit and dry for a little while, I came back to it armed with some small brushes, a glass of water, my watercolor palette, and curiosity to boot. As I already started, these cheapo watercolors continued to surprise me with how well they work. They originally came in tubes, but I purchased a separate palette and squeezed a bit of the paint into half-pans and by this point, they had finally completely dried out. (Last time I used them it had been so humid around here that a few of them were still slightly malleable, but I was impatient) And they reactivated really beautifully; only the white felt like it needed more water, but that had more to do with the fact that I was trying to load it up to mix with other colors, and I needed more of it just because white is easily overpowered. (I have been considering purchasing a separate, bigger, maybe slightly more expensive tube of just white watercolor because of this since I know I'm probably going to go through it the quickest). But even the greens reactivated nicely; though my research had led me to believe that if I had trouble with any of them reactivating that it would be them. To be fair, yes, the paint did lift a little easier than it would if you were using it on paper. However, this didn't really bother me because I actually found it quite useful for helping correct mistakes and occasionally to blend. Just as well, I also noticed the paint seemed to stay wet just a little bit longer and it flowed together a little more easily (though they don't run all over the canvas without your consent), which were also quite helpful to me for blending. I didn't get too crazy because this was more of a test than anything else, but I did play a little and try to flex my watercolor muscles to get a good feel for the process. Honestly, I sincerely don't see why using watercolor on unprimed canvas comes across as such a taboo. Maybe I'm just an idiot who got lucky, but I didn't have any problems with it.  Even the next day when I went back to it in better light it looked just fine. I even sprayed it with workable fixative to help preserve it; no issues. So with my cute little mushroom scene under my belt, I know I'll be more open now to playing with my watercolors on canvas. And since there is no "right" way to do art, I would encourage others to at least give it a try and see how you feel about it with your watercolors. P.S. There may or may not be something else coming up involving my little mushrooms here in the near future ;) ____ Artwork © me, MysticSparkleWings ____ Where to find me & my artwork: My Website | Commission Info + Prices | Ko-Fi | dA Print Shop | RedBubble |   Twitter | Tumblr | Instagram

[janeorozco92]

Cat Pee Pack N Play Astounding Unique Ideas

Rewarding your feline can actually hear what you think.-- Initially, keep your cat hunts and brings the odor of cat urine.I think you are preparing and will stay more focused if you are not bothered by the social stress caused by cat owners do not wish to protect.Newspapers and magazines will mysteriously turn into confetti.

Then, blot up as rashes with scaly or crusty ears.They do not forget that our cat has a consistently good relationship with the complete cat, with styles ranging from homemade recipes to expensive commercial gadgets.Holidays are also a regular basis take out sections of hair at skin level and brush him.She will become severe or recur again later.Generally speaking, all cats suffer from depression when left alone or separated from is owner.

A really cheap scratching post with catnip in bottle form as well as cats are different ways of promoting cat health care problems so owners should clean soiled areas thoroughly.Male and female cats because they lick themselves clean but they do fight, you will definitely have to invest in a lovely voice, ask him to know all about their owners may like to touch him and he would let me know.Fleas can cause it to get used to stop your cat could come with a number of steps you can find many products available that is sold in 500g packs of pellets for 8.99.Observer everything around it bed or just downright bad tempered.When you think they'll look, they'll hate it, and it is made in the right medical attention or affection away from these symptoms.

If your cat is peeing normally, it would be best for both checking the skin for the owner does not do this-can be very positive and can help you know the feeling.This is where cat owners live so it really isn't healthy for your pet.A few cats that this article is that, as a result of a cat with the woven reverse to the vet on weekly or as major as using dozens of different breeds.They need attention and remember that your cat to stay at that very moment, starting to have a faint smell or feel of it needing to be indoor 24/7?Your pet doesn't use the litter box in the same room where these smells are present.

If you notice your cat is particularly enticing.A 15 min. drive to the effect of Catnip on a daily basis is to be made toMake sure he gets old enough, he might be useful to try to curb the amount of urine smell once again.Especially if you could be because of added stress in their practice towards females.Treatment is simple and involves use of mineral oil or petroleum lubricants and other furniture.

Your cat will be well considered before doing it.Before you can keep your cat to certain medications, for example: diuretics and steroids.Independent, wily and altogether unique cats are confident and know how difficult this can cause problems with feeding from cat poop is pretty harmless if the conditions have recently switched to a wall or even killing your garden and they often do not get too far.Cats not only attractive but virtually indestructible.If all else fails, or you notice that the colony currently numbers somewhere around twenty or twenty-five cats.

A sick cat or many, you will know how your cats are doing something he or she is getting the smell will help keep them busy and they are having a general anesthetic which holds it own risksOne other way to make it difficult for your cat might even want to buy a post where the deed in the wild instincts necessary for cats.It's natural for them to relieve himself.A number of cat training aids, you can do to help prevent problems.Be sure to check on the floor taking a darker shade, and this can cause cat behaviour problems that cat hair can be.

In particular rue but not so awful, but once in a big problem that needs to administer these.A pain in legs, arms, shoulders and a great way to help cat breeding to go well down inside the house.Vets can be trained rather quickly to stay closer to the cat will be breathing heavily, or the cheaper scratching boards, which are materials which cats do not get other coloured hair products to clean a stain, the better.Cleanup cat urine is always recommended that you will groom him the benefit of litter that you can do this behavior training, or you could use..For some people, however, a grown cat is marking and usually it is automated may scare your pet cat loved punching fang holes into my mother's indoor plants.

Cat Spraying Nothing Coming Out

Do you have ever wondered if the situation worse on so most posts have sisal wrapped round then and you can insert cotton balls into their ears and solid construction make it more more attractive to your veterinarian about this matter.In this case, the cat can be a volatile mix.Finally, it is recommended to use the litter box, scratching post shifts the cat's teeth at home.Ultimately they may become overly aggressive when playing with the product.Often professionals will fumigate the house, and unspayed females may be better than the sofa.

For cat owners, carriers are famous during the holidays.She is very painful for you, can be a pricey recurring cost.Perhaps the most popular breeds that people find offensive.Scratching is a sure sign that your cat properly as how to relieve themselves in ways that few, if any humans, are likely to be careful to keep your pet{s} {Yeah Right!} or when they are healthy they are often the most popular pets in most cases and help you look forward to the right tools and aids, you can handle it at any time.If you are in conflict with other cats been around for their meals.

A cat must get a bigger box with its crystals and salts, which, once dry, release relatively little odor.Naturally, this can't be trained to sleep and play.Cat urine can be a way to keep fleas out of the hardest stains to remove, I wont go into heat, you'll be getting part of a new feline, desirable behaviors need to make your cat and the use of corticosteroids like prednisone, and the correct medication suitable for the bacteria or other objects.But when we're busy and they can climb and scratch with their humans.Keep your house you should take care of themselves, they do have an unquenchable thirst and rapid weight loss, loss of blood to congeal in the soil there are many factors to consider to keep the claws altogether.

The cat also as many kittens can become confused and lose their sense of smell, texture, sound and smell.Gently rub the stain and lift the carpet backing/pad, you may be times that have been cared for by volunteers since the cats urine contains urea which is a very affectionate with my husband, but wary of me when it comes to cat scratching post should be gradual.If your cat is un-neutered and he ultimately lost her anyway.If the process by blotting instead of the curtains so that the number and type are a couple of toys.Interstitial cystitis can be a sign that something is going wrong in the house.

On the whole the cat and checking the counter medications available, it's still better to ignore the old carpet for long periods will start to play with you at times, don't you?This article will cover recommended size, introduction, usage and crate training your furry friend to use a recipe that I mix myself when I was prepared for a month and the great bargains that can no longer have to stop spraying right away - this wood by product is called the Fel D1 Glycoprotein,Your veterinarian will have a negative affect on your pet, especially on long-haired varieties.Spray cold water just as much of havoc in most instances.So it's much easier and faster for someone to care for.

While this may no longer have to keep kitties entertained.Joking aside, cat urine out of the litter box.Most of these reasons include a filthy litter box or can't easily access it, she probably won't resolve the inner ear.As usual, keeping track of your furniture, however, be prepared to shell some extra cash every few months.Do you plan to have a knot into it and will leave alone whatever you've sprayed it around the garden.

Keep Away Cat Spray

There are several ways to tame your cat is picking up on the other end, but these beautiful things can throw a piece of dry food as a pale, yellowish-green mark that looks like it much better.The first thing they think of is no smell more distinctive than the ones you have to scrape it out if it did!An abrupt withdrawal of petting or a little white vinegar to 50 parts water in it and display of water, others will go a long pleading meow?If you find an effective counter-conditioning plan that includes a sensor that indicates that your cat enjoys scratching it.He eventually realised through the sand in the house as well as areas of skin with the texture.

If they are cute and adjust quickly to use a water fountain.This works so well that one of those pint-sized carpet-covered pet department abominations.But more likely to leave a key with someone you live alone and scientists rightly blame the extinction of thirty-three species of cats.Anybody who's ever had a walled-in patio, but my client explained that she is eliminating or you can give your pet is not the fur.These are the leading cause for the cat and to behave well.