#realism/'correctness'

[monster-noises]

Anyone out there got a solution for when you're feeling really stuck with your art and everyone and their mother tells you the solution is to do studies and figure drawings and other such things but even just thinking about doing those things makes you Spiral and want to Kill Yourself?

[chulippi]

l4d2 and everything’s the same except ellis likes TOOL

[imactuallyacartooncharacter]

This one is not as good as my most recent ones, but that's because... I GOT A DRAWING TABLET!!! AND A COMPUTER!!! I spent the whole day learning how to use, and I think this turned out really good for my first day using the tablet to draw :)

I'm so excited SBXKANXKANXK of course, the tools don't make the artist, but I feel like now I have the opportunity to learn even more cool things and explore my art in ways that I haven't before and AAAAAAAAA THIS IS SO COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!

Like, I used to draw when I was a kid and sometimes as a teen and it was never a frequent habit, but I went YEARS without drawing ANYTHING!!! I literally picked up on it again this year, and I wasn't planning AT ALL on taking it "seriously", even though it's only a hobby I wasn't expecting to actually get better and start drawing almost every day, and now it's one of my favorite things to do ever!!! This is so cool!!!

By the way, this is from my post-apocalypse au!!! Gonna make another post talking about it once I digitalize the other characters as well :)

[tevintersnakes]

None of it is posted here but looking at my art from end of last year/start of this year of my bg3 OC and shaking my fist aggressively over the fact I'm getting too attached to moving towards realism.

anyway, here's Kettle & dnd!Antyllus from 02-Oct-23

[zekkopunks]

if you have a unique art style tidbit and someone says its weird DON’T LISTEN TO THEM!!! PLEASE!!!

[nero-neptune]

that disney+ peter pan and wendy trailer looks monochromatic and boring as hell. i say this as both a hater and a peter pan connoisseur. lost girls exist (bad And wrong). costumes look just ok. where's the whimsy? why is every color in that trailer some uglyass shade of green and brown? mary blair did Not paint dozens of works of art for the 1953 production of peter pan just for its next gen disney reimagining to be this bland. and ugly. i simply must reiterate how Butt Ugly it looks.

[baylyx]

a lil lazy susan i finished a couple weeks ago

[scarapanna]

hey! this is chance & here’s this week’s prompt. what websites or resources do you use while you write or develop a character/story? what do you think of them and would you recommend them?

This is a really good and interesting question!

Most of it is actually based on what I come up with on my own story whise, whenever I don't know what story or interests to give a character I usually brainstorm a few ideas I havent used yet to find what fits best.

For character design I usually take different kinds of animals and reference them for looks and color palettes (The funny fella in my pfp was based off of a bearded vulture for example), I go on Pinterest for these as there's lots of material to work with and some really nice pictures as well.

However if a character is heavily affected by something or has gone trough some form of trauma I use multiple medical websites and sources to be as accurate as possible since these kinds of subjects are rather delicate and complex to tackle, wikipedia is handy but the more correct information the better (an example of this is this silly little mossfly here)

Regarding the sources themselves id say Pinterest is good for color palettes or designs, while for stuff related to physical traits or mental health related information wikipedia is a good basis but more websites should be integrated in this kind of research to get a better understanding

[al-mayriti]

hi <3 i remember i was obsessed w this test a couple of years ago and asked all of my friends to take it so we could compare results. Now that it's back on my dash it seems silly not to ask the moots to take it too (if you want to ofc)

AAAH i love tests!!!!!

you might say... i'm a dreamer

[s-soulwriter]

Things Real People Do in Dialogue (For Your Next Story)

Okay, let’s be real—dialogue can make or break a scene. You want your characters to sound natural, like actual humans talking, not robots reading a script. So, how do you write dialogue that feels real without it turning into a mess of awkward pauses and “ums”? Here’s a little cheat sheet of what real people actually do when they talk (and you can totally steal these for your next story):

1. People Interrupt Each Other All the Time In real conversations, nobody waits for the perfect moment to speak. We interrupt, cut each other off, and finish each other's sentences. Throw in some overlaps or interruptions in your dialogue to make it feel more dynamic and less like a rehearsed play.

2. They Don’t Always Say What They Mean Real people are masters of dodging. They’ll say one thing but mean something totally different (hello, passive-aggressive banter). Or they’ll just avoid the question entirely. Let your characters be vague, sarcastic, or just plain evasive sometimes—it makes their conversations feel more layered.

3. People Trail Off... We don’t always finish our sentences. Sometimes we just... stop talking because we assume the other person gets what we’re trying to say. Use that in your dialogue! Let a sentence trail off into nothing. It adds realism and shows the comfort (or awkwardness) between characters.

4. Repeating Words Is Normal In real life, people repeat words when they’re excited, nervous, or trying to make a point. It’s not a sign of bad writing—it’s how we talk. Let your characters get a little repetitive now and then. It adds a rhythm to their speech that feels more genuine.

5. Fillers Are Your Friends People say "um," "uh," "like," "you know," all the time. Not every character needs to sound polished or poetic. Sprinkle in some filler words where it makes sense, especially if the character is nervous or thinking on their feet.

6. Not Everyone Speaks in Complete Sentences Sometimes, people just throw out fragments instead of complete sentences, especially when emotions are high. Short, choppy dialogue can convey tension or excitement. Instead of saying “I really think we need to talk about this,” try “We need to talk. Now.”

7. Body Language Is Part of the Conversation Real people don’t just communicate with words; they use facial expressions, gestures, and body language. When your characters are talking, think about what they’re doing—are they fidgeting? Smiling? Crossing their arms? Those little actions can add a lot of subtext to the dialogue without needing extra words.

8. Awkward Silences Are Golden People don’t talk non-stop. Sometimes, they stop mid-conversation to think, or because things just got weird. Don’t be afraid to add a beat of awkward silence, a long pause, or a meaningful look between characters. It can say more than words.

9. People Talk Over Themselves When They're Nervous When we’re anxious, we tend to talk too fast, go back to rephrase what we just said, or add unnecessary details. If your character’s nervous, let them ramble a bit or correct themselves. It’s a great way to show their internal state through dialogue.

10. Inside Jokes and Shared History Real people have history. Sometimes they reference something that happened off-page, or they share an inside joke only they get. This makes your dialogue feel lived-in and shows that your characters have a life beyond the scene. Throw in a callback to something earlier, or a joke only two characters understand.

11. No One Explains Everything People leave stuff out. We assume the person we’re talking to knows what we’re talking about, so we skip over background details. Instead of having your character explain everything for the reader’s benefit, let some things go unsaid. It’ll feel more natural—and trust your reader to keep up!

12. Characters Have Different Voices Real people don’t all talk the same way. Your characters shouldn’t either! Pay attention to their unique quirks—does one character use slang? Does another speak more formally? Maybe someone’s always cutting people off while another is super polite. Give them different voices and patterns of speech so their dialogue feels authentic to them.

13. People Change the Subject In real life, conversations don’t always stay on track. People get sidetracked, jump to random topics, or avoid certain subjects altogether. If your characters are uncomfortable or trying to dodge a question, let them awkwardly change the subject or ramble to fill the space.

14. Reactions Aren’t Always Immediate People don’t always respond right away. They pause, they think, they hesitate. Sometimes they don’t know what to say, and that delay can speak volumes. Give your characters a moment to process before they respond—it’ll make the conversation feel more natural.

Important note: Please don’t use all of these tips in one dialogue at once.

[cherrymagik]

also i finally read the catcher in the rye and i have to say

[theonewhopoops]

I don't know how to voice my opinion on this other than: this is very "but it's okay to wear makeup if you want!" on a post saying "I really wish there wasn't immense societal pressure for women to wear makeup and all the damage done by the surrounding mentalities"

This is "I wish there wasn't immense societal pressure that forces artists into small, easily digestible boxes that chokes them of style and life and joy and replaces those aspects with More Widely Marketable Trends and encourages them to trade interesting dynamism with excessive and lifeless polish"

"I wish there wasn't such a disregard for life and joy and passion that artists pour into their work that leaves them feeling like they have to focus solely on finishing skills rather than drawing what they find fun and engaging - leaving them desperately trying to 'compete' with the 'quality' of other artists just for the chance to be seen or appreciated or, in some cases, paid for their work."

And then the reply is "but doing that is fine too!"

Just like it is not a moral failing to wear makeup, it is also not a moral failing to make art that looks the way you want it, or improve on skills and styles you like better. The issue isn't in the act itself, but the external pressure that sucks the life out of anyone who doesn't do it and wears them down subconsciously whether they realize it or not.

It is akin to the art school teacher that needlessly states "no anime." It is the relative that says "but nothing you're drawing is real. I wish you would stop drawing cartoons." It is the classmate that says "what the fuck is that? What a freak." It is the mainstream media that looks exactly like the one next to it and the one next to the next one.

As an artist who was pressed and pressed and pressed over the years to stop drawing what I want and draw instead of what is "preferred," I know this feeling well unfortunately :\

nothing sadder to me than when an online artist posts a side by side of the same picture from 5 years ago / redrawn this year, and the first one is fluid and energetic and full of character, and the second one is flat and static and clean to the point of sterility

[striped-ibex]

first drawing is mid 2022, redraw is late 2023 !!

[aviculor]

Another thing that really stands out about The Substance is that it wholeheartedly kicks realism to the curb for the sake of Artistic Vision. It snows in LA just for the sake of showing the passage of time. An exercise program airing on morning network television is basically softcore porn. A New Year's special also airing on network television has topless dancers. The instructions you receive alongside The Substance, for the medical procedures you have to perform yourself, are just flash cards that say shit like "do this every week" without ever saying what or how. Nearly every man seen is a satire where the only reason Monstroso Elisasue makes it to the stage is because the security guard didn't notice the starlet was actually a walking teratoma since she glued a cut-up poster to her face. The poster wasn't even of the correct identity.

[practically-an-x-man]

man my sfx instructor is super talented and amazing at what he does

but he also is the type to just hover around while you're working and offer constant critiques, which is incredibly stressful for me

[palominocorn]

[Video description: a montage of an archer with shoulder-length hair having to push hair out of their face while setting up to shoot, and in one faee while about to unsheathe a sword.]