#reposting with beta so i can edit this on my phone if necessary

[madeimpact]

Private, low-activity multimuse featuring canon and OC animated / video game characters. Written by Neg ( she / they, 25, PDT ). Rebooted 12 / 28 / 21. Exclusively uses beta editor.

An exploration of — heroism, finding the sunshine, the power in human connection, digging deep to find strength in the face of adversity, learning that humans are flawed and loving them anyway.

Carrd / Self promo tag / Meme tag / Interest checker

Important headcanons - a masterpost of headcanons that are worth knowing on this blog. Not required reading, but recommended!

Current main muses: Sora, Roxas, Ventus, Prompto, Noctis.

Upcoming muse birthdays:

Roxas: May 30th.

[rosy-dodie]

how i make moodboards!

If you want to start making aesthetics/moodboards, you’ve come to the right place! Under the cut is a foolproof step-by-step plan I always follow to make them! Trust me lol, I had to figure all of this out myself.

Step 1: Choosing a theme

The great thing about moodboards is that they can be based on so many things! The possibilities are pretty much endless. Typically, the theme of a moodboard is one of these, though:

* an object

* a period of time (ie. months/seasons)

* an event or historical occurrence (concert, women’s march, etc)

* a color scheme

* a specific aesthetic (ie. vintage, artsy)

bonus: moodboards can also be based on people’s names, which I find to be extremely cool!

Step 2: Collecting images

what pictures do I choose?

If you’ve taken photographs you’d like to include in a moodboard, that’s always a really good option! By doing that, you’re ensuring no one will get mad at your use of their photo in another post. What I typically find to be easier, though, is searching Tumblr or Google for photos of the theme I’ve chosen. (Tip: A good way to find nice, good-quality pictures of what you’re looking for is to add “aesthetic” at the end of your search.) Make sure to choose photos that go well together; usually, your moodboard will look nicer if the photos in it are similar in color/style.

how do i save images?

Usually, I get all of my photos from Tumblr. On mobile, there’s a very easy way to save pictures that you’d like to use in a moodboard (or just in general). Simply select the image by pressing and holding your finger to the screen, and your phone will give you the option “Save Image.” Voila! Your image has been saved!

stealing??

Important!! If you find a post that explicitly states “do not repost,” please don’t! It’s extremely disrespectful to them and their work. It’s sort of a known rule that you shouldn’t repost someone’s art, too, even if the caption doesn’t say anything against it. There can be exceptions, though, so if you’re worried about stealing art it’s always better to message the artist and ask for permission. I’ve posted art in moodboards before, but I’m always selective about the art I choose. Try not to do it at all if you can help it.

how many photos should I save?

You’ll need nine images to fill a standard moodboard, but Tumblr allows you to post 10 at a time. I always like to pick out around a dozen pictures just in case some end up not working out.

important note:

I didn’t realize this for so long, and I’d like to save you from the sinking realization that your moodboard isn’t a perfect square. It might just be something that bothers me, but there’s a definite way to ensure your board is perfectly positioned, and it’s just about picking the right pictures. Make sure you never choose any photos that are too wide and short to be a square. If the photo is too long vertically, that’s fine, because Tumblr will automatically format it to a square (so long as at least one image in the row is a square).

Step 2.5: People (Optional)

You also have the option of basing your moodboard off of a person, whose picture is typically included in it. Because my account is specifically for Dodie, all of mine are centered around her! You pretty much use the same process as you would finding any other picture, but it can sometimes be harder to find a picture of that person that fits your theme. If so, no worries! You can always edit the coloring of images, improvise with another picture, or change the type of photos you’re getting! (An example of the latter: changing the shade of pink you’re using, or the theme altogether)

Step 3: Formatting

Now that you’ve gotten your pictures and theme sorted, it’s time to put everything together! This is usually the point where I start to realize none of my pictures go together— If that happens to you, take a short trip back to Step 2 and get pictures that fit better.

As I mentioned before, a standard moodboard consists of nine pictures, arranged in a 3 x 3 form. However, it isn’t just “stick them all in and you’re done.” For me, at least, it definitely takes a bit of time to arrange everything the way I want it. I try to separate pictures that are too similar or have too many of the same colors because they can be distracting if they’re clumped in one spot. For example, this is a rose-gold moodboard I made the other day:

As you can see, the photos surrounding Dodie are all a little more pink than the outside ones are. I placed them like this to make it seem more intentional and symmetrical, and this way none of the pink pictures touch.

Step 4: Phone a friend (Optional but recommended)

Now, listen. This isn’t to criticize your work in the slightest, but you’ve been looking at the same set of photos for God knows how long. It always helps me to get a fresh pair of eyes to check the moodboard over. Usually, if anything’s wrong it will pop out immediately to your friend, because they’ve never seen it before (plus they didn’t make it!). They’re the betas of your work, and though it isn’t necessary to have one, it’s always helpful to spot errors you haven’t thought of/seen. If you don’t have anyone to check it over, I’d recommend leaving it be for a while. When you come back to it later, you might see things you hadn’t before. I tend to do the work at night and come back to it in the morning, but that’s just me! Find a system that works for you, and enjoy what you’re doing! That applies to everything in life, but like, you know. 

edit: Many people also find it easier to use apps other than Tumblr to format their moodboards! They make sure all pictures are the correct size without the struggle Tumblr mobile presents. A life saver, @colorful-dodie, recommended Picsart, which I totally agree with! It’s what I use whenever I make split moodboards (look for a future post on that!) Also, they recommend you use Afterlight and/or VSCO to change the coloring of a picture!

Step 5: Tagging and Posting

(credit to @colorful-dodie for bringing this up!)

Tagging is quite possibly the most important part of the entire process! If you don’t tag your posts correctly, they may not get many notes and you won’t get the feedback and encouragement you need to make more! My advice: tag the heck out of all of your moodboards. 

I will admit, I did go quite overboard in my first few posts (I spent more time tagging than making the moodboard!) but it was really helpful in getting my account discovered by other Dodie fans. 

what should i tag my posts with?

Probably the most important thing to tag your post with is the topic or theme you chose, and the person or object you centered it around. That way, you can be found and supported by other aesthetic/fandom accounts, and it will motivate you to keep making your moodboards! Don’t be afraid to do strange variations of each and every tag, too- I spent my earlier evenings figuring out how else to say “dodie green aesthetic” and “dodie green moodboard” for a month before it really paid off. 

so is it time to post?

Yes, if you’ve followed all of the steps listed above, you should be totally set! Good luck with your new hobby, and be sure to take advantage of all of the friends and tips it brings you! Have fun!!