#same things apply to non furry art!!!

[marimboy404]

commission/adopts details:

btw same things apply to art of ppl !!! i do both and we can negotiate prices if you like cant afford it or smth and i also do art trades also my art tag is #☆meatloaf art☆

if its hard to read but you want to commission dm me and i can give you more details and etc!!!!!

dm with any questions or send me an ask i do my best to check both frequently!!!!! and i will also post any adopts im ready to send out

commissions will open soon ill lyk when!!!!! (im working on opening a bank account rn)

also traditional art commissions are cheaper bc they take less time !!!!

for traditional art:

headshot/bust(?) $3-4

half body 6-8$

full body $10-13

full color full body 15$ (i suck at coloring in stuff in traditional art unless its colored pencil)

full color half body 8-9$

full color headshot 5-6$

its all in usd (im american tragically 😔😔)

list of things im NOT ok with drawing!!

pron

idk how to draw protogen very well so maybe not protogen sorry

anything thats like hateful on purpose like nazi shit etc or terf stuff yk

ANYTHING that sexualizes minors IN ANY WAY bc thats fucking nasty 💀

again im a minor so i dont feel comfortable drawing kink stuff

i cant draw dragons like at all sorry and deer are kinda iffy but if i try hard enough i might be able to but just be warned itll take longer if its something ive never drawn in my life 😭

i think thats it if i think if anything else im not comfy with ill put it here !!!!!!

thats all!!!!

[valeriehalla]

on the concept of a “human furry”

i feel that there are some artists whose relationship with humans is much the same as a furry artist’s relationship with animals. that is to say, the artist admires these creatures, finds within them enormous aesthetic and tactile potential, and seeks to express themselves through that potential: but you could hardly argue that the end result of this process is a literal depiction of the creature in question. it’s, you know, a beautiful chimera, possessive of whatever aesthetic qualities of the source material the artist finds emotionally resonant.

when the source material is a non-human animal we call this “furry art”; when it’s a human we don’t really have a particular word for it. maybe you could argue that this is simply cartooning, though i’m not totally convinced.

most of my favorite cartoon art of animals that are ostensibly humans is by furries. furries fucking own: they just Get the concept of Embodiment. furries latch on to all the things that would rule about having a particular kind of body. furries know exactly what’s to like about having fur, or a huge tail, or a snoot and perky ears, or whatever. Embodiment! when that same lens is applied to the human animal, the resulting art often carries that same feeling. that feeling of, like, “this artist knows why this shape would be cool to be.” maybe what results isn’t a literal depiction of a human any more than any given anthro can be called a literal depiction of a fox: it’s a beautiful chimera inviting you to play in the space of Embodiment.

anyway that’s how i’ve been thinking about drawing lately. thanks furries. i love you

[canonkiller]

Hi, I'm trying to do art commissions, but no one has commissioned me yet. Do you have any advice for attracting customers?

I wrote a lot of words for you in hopes that at least some of it will be helpful, so I'm putting the bulk of this answer below a read more to save people the scrolling. The quick and easy two tips that I find people forget to do the most are:

Is your art easy to find? Having a pinned post with a tag for your art, a link in your bio, or an art-focused / reblog-light blog (like this one!) make it so that people know you draw, and knowing you've been posting art for a while makes you less likely to be a scammer.

Is your commission info easy to find? People can't buy things that they don't know you're selling; clear and accessible links to your prices and terms are important.

Now for the real bulky meat of advice giving, where I say a lot of words that may or may not be relevant:

I have a lot of advice, but I do want to say before getting into it:

A lot of selling art (especially in a non-industry setting, like with social media commissions) is luck.

There is no one size fits all method for selling art, and it's best to go with what feels right to you (I'll go more into this later)

Tips for selling are not necessarily tips for creating, and there will be advice in here that I don't apply to myself. Determining what you do and do not implement is something you should decide for yourself and your work flow.

Your art not selling doesn't mean nobody cares about it.

Personally I think the idea of intentionally curating a single subject demographic of Customer and Consumer for your work is limiting and doomed to burnout in a non-industry space. I will also touch more on this later.

Now for the rest of it in varying orders:

✨ Attracting Customers

This one is going first because you mentioned it specifically. It is kind of vague though, by nature of the term, so what I advise doing is specifying.

When you are thinking of a customer, are you trying to appeal to:

People who will buy pre-made art products? (Pins, stickers, prints, etc)

People who will buy custom work? (Commissions for specific subject matter)

People who will buy art resources you've created? (Fonts, bases, texture packs, 3d models etc)

There's also frequency: a repeat customer of custom art will usually be appealed to more by a wide range of options (like illustrations), while you might get more single-purchase customers if you only offer a limited range of options (like only icons).

Demographics also, of course, play a substantial role in just custom art commissions; furries get lauded as high spenders, but they're also a huge community that is focused around OCs, so by statistics alone they will have more people with spending money and will be frequent customers of people drawing OCs. A narrower audience means fewer people, but often the spread of the people within that audience is the same - and at the end of the day, selling an art piece only requires one other person, it's just a matter of happening to find them.

The follow up question is of course the finding: the average artist in fandom spaces selling commissions does not have the platform or budget for an ad campaign. This, however, is also its own category:

✨ Posting Online

Right out the gate: anyone who has told you that just drawing x thing is the way to get easy money is wrong.

"If you draw more fan art, you'll -" wrong.

"Nobody cares about that, you should be drawing this instead -" wrong.

"if you need to sell fast, just sell porn -" wrong. And also re-evaluate your perceived lack of quality or value about the subject.

The things you will be able to create easily and consistently will be the things YOU, SPECIFICALLY, like to create. It is also entirely impossible that you are the only person on earth to have ever liked those things, which means that if you create them, there are people out there who will enjoy them.

It feels itchy to be like "and those people are Potential Customers", but it is true; your work will resonate with people. They will want you to create it. It is vitally important to your own well being that the things you create, that you want others to enjoy, are things you enjoy as well.

(This is also why the "just draw porn" joking advice that gets tossed around is particularly fucked up. You as the artist should not feel forced into drawing things you aren't comfortable with, and the vast majority of customers for explicit content also don't want the people making it to feel forced into doing so. It's basic consent. I have strong feelings about this.)

If you are creating things and putting them out into the world, they will find an audience. That audience may be one singular person! The number does not matter, because that's still a person who - again, sucks to frame ig this way - has the potential to buy things from you.

If you're constantly chasing a bigger follower count, more interactions, etc etc for the future, it can genuinely be pretty taxing on the people who want to support you in the present. When you enjoy someone's work, and want to support them, being told constantly that that support is not good enough is frustrating. Trying to follow your work should not lead to seeing more "likes are WORTHLESS and NOBODY reblogs my things" posts than it does art. You are a person making things to share with other people, and you have to remember it or you will burn yourself out into a desiccated husk.

TL:DR consistency is key and the easiest way to be consistent is to just draw whatever the fuck you live drawing in whatever ways you want to draw it, and then slap it on the internet somewhere and Keep Doing That

✨ The Actual Commission Information

this one is just factual really. A lot of artists have really shitty commission sheet layouts, because advertising graphic design and illustrative art are different skill sets. That's fine. You don't have to remake the wheel. A good commission sheet should include:

More images than text (if you can't see what the examples are when zoomed out, you have to rearrange or cut down on words)

Examples organized by price / type, and clearly labeled

Your personal favourites for examples - one really strong example piece is better than twenty tiny images of work you think is just "okay"

Contact information - having a method that works WITHOUT a social media account (email.) Is important and way easier to keep organized, imo

A SIMPLE list of strengths (the things you draw the best) and things you won't draw (common example: mechs). You do not need to list every fandom or subject matter. Limit yourself to a top five.

A clear and easy to type link for your terms of service. Carrd, and sites like it, is good for this. This will go into details about your process, what you will and won't do, permissions granted to the commissioner (like "no, you can't make an NFT with this"), your privacy policy (saying you won't sell commissioner details to third parties), and other stuff. You do not want to have all of this on your original post, because it should be thorough and you want your main post to be showcasing your work and not your legalese. Here's mine as a reference; if you have trouble writing your own, feel free to copy from it and make the necessary alterations for your work.

✨ There Was More I Was Going To Write But I Forgot

I have a different document of commission related talk here, which is also incomplete but in a different way. It's in my nature. Hopefully some combination of this and that can be useful to you. Sorry if they're not. I love you have a nice day

[discommunicator]

!! ART COMMISSION !!

What is art commission? You pay me to make me draw things you want to see, as simple as that, but this is my commission so heed that there are rules/limitations of my own!

If you're seeing this post via reblog, please check the post date and look for the original post, not the reblogs, because commission status and the terms might've been changed/updated by the time you're reading it. I might reblog this myself whenever I open the commission.

Current commission status: CLOSED(taking a break)

SLOTS: [ ] [ ]

Detailed wall of texts guide goes down here, if you're going to apply please read them first so you're aware of what you can expect from me. ↓

I'll ONLY DRAW

Humanoid non-humans

It means anything that somehow shares silhouette of human(e.g. overall disposition of head and limbs), is obviously a person, but is not a human in an apparent way. Be it a goblin, imp, kobold, demon, furry people, inkling, android, whatevs. Go look what I've been drawing to these days, I bet you know what I'm talking about. You can bring them from your original character pool, or from a cartoon, or some games, etc.

Note that what I'm taking now is NOT 'design things from scratch' commission. I require clear references.

Along with those above, I'm capable of drawing some basic elemental visual effects like flames([1][2]), waters([1]), lightnings([1][2][3]), dust clouds([1][2][3]) and earth cracks([1][2]). Just tell me if you particularly want to include those in your commission piece.

I WON'T/CAN'T DRAW

Crossover - I won't put your OCs and other existing media characters together in a same piece. It also applies for different characters from different media.

Webtoon~Comics format

Most sky-scraping tall robotics - Transformers, GUNDAM or in that line of genre.

Background/Landscape details

Excessively complex objects

Realistic modern firearms

Sexual theme, either explicit or subtle

Nudity? - That depends like, Pokémons such as Tinkaton are humanoid and technically naked but look not so naked. Otherwise, unlikely.

Fetishes of all kind

Characters with astronomically huge tits - No offense, I just have no idea how to handle them properly.

Bloody gore element - Though mild body horrors are feasible in some degree. See my OC [Hess] for example. It's neither cuts nor bloodshed.

Independent original characters that belong to somebody other than you - Don't ask for third person's OC, unless you two are friends and there is approval. I'll double-check.

Whatever that makes me feel uncomfortable - Due to strict copyright? Personal preference? It might be anything that I didn't list here. If I don't feeling it, that's it.

THE PROCESS

Contact acenth.1012@gmail.com, then:

Let me know that you're asking for a commission.

Tell me whether it's about drawing your OC(Original Character. I need you to show me proper reference images. Either via email attachment or via image hosting sites.) or characters from existing media(you know, cartoons and games)

If I don't accept, I'll inform you that I'm not interested.

Otherwise, I'll respond and ask you "how do you want it to be". This is about direction of the piece, which refers to how the character will be presented, like the pose, action, facial expression and more. If you show me the exact references (like pictures searched up on Google) that's better. If you're only gonna suggest me a character and want to leave the rest up to me, you can tell me so. I can still reject your commission at this stage If I'm not really into your direction.

If I fully accept I'll send you a transaction link where you can pay directly from your PayPal balance. While you're at it please put a comment regarding your email under the sum section so I can identify your payment. As soon as I check the payment I'll start drawing, and send you the finished piece via email when it's done.

If there are obvious and critical errors I made like missing tail, flipped hand or such, I will fix them of course, but don't expect too much about further adjustment on demand. Even though the final version turns out not so satisfying to you, I can't really help about it. After verifying the delivery the transaction completes.

+ If you're about to upload the final piece which is larger than 850x850 to website like twitter please tell me that so I will send you an indexed color mode version along with the original. Indexed image loses some color palettes but prevent twitter's horrible png resizing.

PRICING

Baseline is $80 per piece.

Includes 1 character, full color and shading by default.

Different characters in a single piece adds up $40 each, up to 2 more extra characters.

If an extra character is extremely simple or small compare to others I might just consider them as an appendage rather than an extra character. e.g. Big the Cat and Froggy (Sonic the Hedgehog series), Harmony/Annie and their clownfish (Splatoon series)

I prioritize drawing full-body. It can be thigh-up or even waist-up depending on your demand (or at my discretion if you didn't give me any direction) but this does not affect the price.

You can ask for multiple same characters in a single piece, but in that case it most likely be one simpler full-body and several waist-ups. This does not affect the price.

Background is flat white by default. I can fill them with different flat colors or put simple figures or put gradients, or make it transparent as you ask. Pitch black background + outline around the character is also doable(check some of the deltarune fan arts I did). This does not affect the price.

Adding some elemental visual effects does not affect the price.

ESTIMATED ARRIVAL TIME AND REFUNDS

I doubt the discussing part alone can be somewhat dragged on due to the time zone/schedule difference, but I also believe the whole thing can be done under two weeks, or more depending on the conditions and real life issues.

Basically 'no refund' once I receive your payment and start drawing the piece, however, I'd willingly refund you if I can't finish the piece in time due to my own personal reason.

REGARDING THE USAGE OF FINAL PRODUCT:

Commercial use of my commissioned artworks is prohibited.

Do not relate my drawings with cryptocurrency activities.

Final products may be used as a sample in my future commission introduction page.

It's okay to post them online, use them as a header, banner, profile or such for your blogs/social media page, as long as it's non-profit use.

I can post them on my own blog/social media if I'd like to.

BEFORE YOU APPLY:

You need PayPal account for the trade. I'm not accepting any other method as of now. Also please pay with USD if possible!

Please take a gander at fanart, original stuff and other's oc on my blog so you get what my art style is like and how I reinterpret existing characters. Applying for my commission also means that you're agreeing to the visual changes I make in the process.

My drawings are .png files and NOT resize-friendly due to use of binary pen! And the final size of a piece will barely exceed 1000x1000 so keep that in mind if you use super wide screen or if you're about to do something with my finished works.

제가 한국 계좌 쓰는 한국 사람인 관계로 한국인이시면 페이팔을 통한 거래가 불가능합니다

If you got further questions that's not answered here(other than bargaining the price), feel free to ask them via my email. acenth.1012@gmail.com

[fablepaint]

Hey there! I’m a massive fan of your work and I’ve been following for a while, only just recently found your tumblr. I was wondering if your still working on Umbagog and when/if it will come back? I hope it’s not a rude question I’m not very good with words

It's never far from my mind, but it was a labor of love that had to be put aside so I could literally earn money to eat. I've been financially struggling for years (consequence of the recession hamstringing my career just as I emerged from college in 2010) and if I wasn't breaking my body constantly to get jobs, finish jobs, and look for jobs (all at the same time), survival wasn't possible. No lucky breaks I found could solve the constant poverty cycle either. Most jobs I took, most the money went to paying off debt during the period I was scrambling to find work.

End of 2016, I finally had a nervous breakdown and had to pause the comic. It took about a year to recover any mental stability, all while still struggling to stay solvent. I finally got some medical treatment for my depression, but it took years to convince anybody to take my physical and mental issues seriously enough to do anything about them when I sought professionals.

Within that space I had time for only tiny art pieces for myself. Usually offhand doodles to express a thought. But it's still been mostly trying to finish commissions taken during emergencies and getting studio work where I can. Whatever impression folks have of me from the outside, I'm not a person who has ever commanded high enough prices on my commissions to justify the amount of time I actually spend on them (never enough money to cover monthly expenses). Any side work I did for myself felt like a betrayal of the clients who I still owed work to, like it was evidence I was "slacking off" or just stealing money. An accusation I've seen levied at many a struggling artist in the same situation as myself.

Often times there's a refrain you hear about working artists, especially independent ones. "There's someone in the background helping them out financially until they make it big". I won't say I have received NO assistance. I have friends and family that have, on occasion, helped me during especially dire times. But it's not something I am able to lean on consistently. They're struggling too. And between me and my partner, we've switched places as "breadwinner" very frequently. We're both serial job-hunters. Nobody keeps us for long. Job over, you're gone. Quality of work be damned.

Applying for non-art jobs didn't work either. Zero coffee shop jobs or retail work wanted me. Delivery and taxi gigs paid less than what I was making doing furry commissions, while costing me more in gas and car repair.

Passive income sources like print-on-demand services netted me maybe 20 or 30 USD annually, at best.

Merch I invested money into or made myself simply didn't sell. Nobody comes to me looking for charms, sculptures, or anything else I could premake and sell at volume.

So I had zero alternatives.

At some point I said "fuck it, if I'm working this hard and dying for it, I might as well start pursuing indie as more than a side job and instead as the only reliable thing I have". But investing in yourself when you have so little left means everything takes an excruciatingly long time to compose. And it still meant seeking out commissions, but I had to do a very expensive move (which left me in even more enormous debt) and take on more roomates just to get to a place where that was a remote possibility. And the possibility was simply "a place where my brain will be less on fire".

When will Umbagog come back? It'll come back when I am no longer drowning.

When will that happen? That's for my audience to determine.

[sandumilfshou]

This started mostly because of dead dove content (the full tag for this is 'Dead Dove: Do Not Eat' based on the Office scene where he finds a bag in the fridge labeled that, opens it to see a dead dove, and goes "I don't know what I expected").

Dead dove technically means what you see in the tags is what you're gonna get, but in effect it means 'PLEASE read the tags, because they fully encompass what is in this fic and you are consenting to this by clicking on it and reading it', which is used mostly for things that ARE dark/taboo content, such as abuse, extreme violence, rape/non-con, incest, pedophilia, etc. in fanfiction.

Pretty much the only people writing this content would be considered proshippers, because obviously the puriteen antis are not going to be writing/consuming this content (though weirdly enough they seem to collectively agree gore and furry stuff is fine and the fantasy = reality argument doesn't apply here, and they do not want to kill/torture or fuck animals why would you think that just because they like art involving that???)

So therefore to antis, they jumped upon the proship = dead dove train to justify and validate themselves and their hatred of proshippers. Because generally yes dead dove = proship, but proship ≠ dead dove.

Proship is an ideology as explained above, and within that there are always going to be people with varying levels of interest and comfort about certain dark topics and kinks. Equating the two terms as being the same has been the antis' strongest revisionist argument over the last few years in an attempt to get a knee-jerk reaction and get more people agreeing with them.

If you spend a few minutes speaking with someone proship and someone who is an anti, I guarantee you'll know within a few minutes who are the more accepting group who acknowledge nuance, and who treat fandom as a panopticon where you are always being watched for the slightest hint of problematic behaviour, upon displaying which they will turn on you with en masse harassment, guilt tripping, shame, and slandering.

Uh- are you aware of the meaning of proship?

Proship has never meant anything except a combination of three ideas:

Ship and let ship (your ships don't harm me and vice-versa) and YKINMK (your kink is not my kink, and that's okay; my kink stories don't harm you and vice-versa)

Harassment over fiction is not acceptable

Censorship of fiction is not acceptable either

Any other definitions are made by antis, not proshippers, and are an attempt at revisionism to justify harassment based on false claims.

[who-is-page]

Twitter is exploding with furries dumping the galaxy brain take "if you're alterhuman and you've ever drawn NSFW of yourself as your species then you're a #zoophile" and I am thiiiiis close to straight up picking someone up and throwing them directly into the ocean. It's such a phenomenally bad take. Discussion about it below the line, because I don't want to spam with a long-ass post.

Like, I'm guessing the disconnect is different definitions of what "zoophile" means, where in the alterhuman communities it's generally (though not always) used more to mean someone who supports bestiality, engages in bestiality, or publicly aligns themself with people who do such without necessarily vocalizing their stance on the subject politically. Meanwhile the (Twitter) furry community--judging from the reactions on hellsite 2.0, at least--seems to define "zoophile" as closer to someone who is attracted to any depictions of non-humanoid creatures. So things like traditional monsters (ex. dragons, werewolves, centaurs), modern fictional 'species' or characters (ex. sparkledogs, pokemon, Simba), and extinct/extant species (ex. Tyrannosaurus rex, giraffes, ladybugs, oak trees) depicted in NSFW art of a sexual nature all falls into the "zoophilic" category by furry standards, but the alterhuman communities don't really have a solidified perspective on such because we just don't operate in the realm of fictional content in that way. (A part of me wonders if that uber-broad definition of "zoophile" is why the furry fandom struggles so much with its missing stairs in real life spaces, like the bigger conventions... it's hard to focus in on people who are causing harm to other real people and animals when you broaden your definition of what constitutes as "harm" to such an insanely large degree.)

It's the difference between how content is treated by an identity group in comparison to how content is treated by a fandom. For a (non-alterhuman) furry, what you've drawn is a character, and that character is taken as a reflection of what you desire as a human. So if you draw, say, a minotaur, you're interpreted as wanting to fuck minotaurs within this scenario. But for the alterhuman, there isn't a distinction. That's not a character; it's them. That's them, or otherwise reflective of an internal, integral part of their identity, and it's not something they can just switch on and off.

And the justifications the furry fandom uses in its own spaces just fall flat when you bring them out against alterhuman artwork featuring the alterhuman in question.

1) "It's normalizing sexualizing nonhumans!" doesn't work for several reasons, most notably because the alterhuman community is so immensely small. It's quite literally impossible for our community to have a wide-reaching, substantial, lasting effect on the world around us. We do not have the capacity to change norms on such a massive level as to change the public zeitgeist around porn and if someone thinks that, they're genuinely stupid. More than that, it's a miniscule subset of a small community we're talking about here: not every alterhuman can draw or wants to draw NSFW of themselves, and of those that do, it's much more likely they're not going to publish their work to public spaces, further removing any chance of horny alterhumans somehow magically encouraging every American to decorate their house in Bad Dragon horse cocks, or whatever else "normalizing sexualizing nonhumans" might mean.

2) "Nonhumans can't consent!" doesn't work either, because...the nonhuman in the picture is the one who drew it, so clearly they do consent. (Even iif n this case it's just that they consent to be depicted in a specific NSFW way, because we also have to acknowledge that fictional kinks don't always transfer over to what people would be interested in IRL.) This also applies to the "Drawing NSFW of nonhumans is the same as drawing child porn!" argument; if the adult artist is depicting themself then...that's automatically not child porn, by definition! That comparison makes no sense, and I don't get why it ever even gets brought up.

3) "It's a red flag, it means you want to sexually abuse nonhumans in real life!" Aw yeah totally, let me go spank my fucking jalapeno plant to go get myself off (/sarcasm). That's not true anymore than someone being more likely to go on a school shooting spree because they play GTA, first off, and second off, what nonhuman does the art of themself prove they want to 'abuse' by that logic? Themself? (Honestly, this reeks of the same sort of anti-kink rhetoric aimed at people who engage in BDSM and are told that they're "abusing themselves," and this also doesn't even make sense within furry contexts, given that some of their community's most well-known zoosadists and zoophiles have all had anthro fursonas.)

All in all, it's a fucking stupid argument to even be having, and I'm facepalming over the Twitter furries even starting it. The real harm that we see going on in alterhuman spaces isn't happening on the pages of someone's horny personal comic about them and their medusan polycule; the problems are coming from the people who are harming actual living animals and who are encouraging others to do similar. And those are missing stairs our community is actually working to fix and deal with in a lot of spaces, which I'm damn proud of. We still have a long way to go and we're definitely not perfect in our perspectives all the time, but it's a hell of a lot better than just nonstop flailing around and crying wolf over something as stupid as some rando's private artwork of themself.

[the-named-anon]

Okay so request rules:

Also! If something has asterisks “*(text)*” around it, it means that the things also with that in the same color apply!

If there is one “*(text)” that means it partially applies to the thing in full asterisks of the same color

TWO drawings PER PERSON unless your a friend, then I’ll do three if you want :) (please put them in separate asks!) ((except for the fictive ship one I stated below in the red section))

I can say no to drawing things. Doesn’t matter how much you beg, no means no.

Please PLEASE give me a reference or two for the thing you request if you haven’t seen me post about it before. Especially if it’s an oc

I’m iffy on drawing ocs for non-friends sorry :/

These will be traditional! I don’t want to color them (I’m lazy lol)

If you ask for a character that already exists and can be interpreted in different ways (aka someone from a pixel game or a mc/yt), please send links or dm me AT LEAST 2 (no more then 4) references. (Ik this could be in 3 but whatever)

Just head/neck and bust shots

Things I won’t draw so please don’t request it*:

Ship art (canon x canon) (*unless it’s for fictives, you guys are cool) it will count as two requests however!*

Nsfw

Gore

Realistic stuff (I can’t draw in a realistic style.)

Something based on just a description like “can you draw a male character in his mid 20s with short blue hair blah blah blah blah” *describing an outfit is fine, as long as it’s not too complex*

Things I am very iffy to draw/ *won’t draw unless your my friend*:

*Furries (I’m sorry I can’t draw animals well…)* (if they have animal ears/tail/small characteristics it’s fine!

*Animals (for reasons stated above)*

Full body things (this is for everyone! If I want to draw a full body I will, but you can’t demand it!)

Ocs (I’m sorry! I just don’t want to botch your lovely character)

Ship art (oc x canon) or oc x oc

*Muscles/boobs (I’m putting this here for my lack of skill)*

Also: anons are fine on one condition! You HAVE to have some way for me to differentiate you from other’s requests. If an ask comes in without a “-(something/emoji)” there is a smaller chance of me doing it!

[1vintage]

Ocean Vuong on Metaphor

below is a transcript of an Instagram story from Ocean Vuong, available here in his story highlights under Metaphor.

Q: How do you make sure your metaphors have real depth?

metaphors should have two things: (1) sensory (visual, texture, sound, etc) connector between origin image and the transforming image as well as (2) a clear logical connector between both images. 

if you have only one of either, best to forgo the metaphor, otherwise it will seem forced or read like “writing” if that makes sense.

~

a lot of ya’ll asked for examples re:metaphor. I can explain better if I had 15 minutes of class time (apply to UMASS!). But essentially, metaphors that go awry can signal a hurried desire to be “literary” or “poetic” (ie “writing”), which can lose traction/trust with a reader. in other words, a metaphor is a detour—but that detour better lead to discoveries that alter/amplify the meaning of what is already there, so that a reader sees you as a servant of possibility rather than someone trying to prove that they are a “writer.” One is performative, the other exploratory. In this way, the metaphor acts as a virtual medium, ejecting the text’s optical realism into an “elsewhere”. But this elsewhere should inform the original upon our return. otherwise the journey would feel like an ejection from a crash rather than a curated journey toward more complex meaning.

example:

“The road curves like a cat’s tail.”

This is a weak metaphor because the transforming image (tail) does not amplify/alter the original. The transfer of meaning flattens and dies. Logic is weak or moot: A cat’s tail does not really change the nature of the road. You can certainly add to this with a few more expository sentences which might rescue the logic—but by then you’re just doing cpr on your metaphor.

Sensory, too, is weak: a cat’s tail has little optical resemblance to a road other than being curved (roads are not furry, for one.)

So this is 0 for 2 and should be scrapped. (Just my opinion though! Not a rule!)

okay so what about:

“The road runs between two groves of pine, like the first stroke of a buzzcut.”

this is better. the optical sensory of the transforming image (a clipper thru a head of hair) matches well with the original.

but the logic feels arbitrary. again it doesn’t substantially alter the original.

in the end this is just an “interesting image” but not strong enough to keep I’d say.

Now here’s one from Sharon Olds:

“The hair on my father’s arms like blades of molasses.”

Sensory connector: check. A man’s dark hair indeed can look like blades (also suggestive of grass) of molasses.

Logical connector: check. the father is both sharp and sweet. Something once soft and sticky about him (connotations of youth) sweets, has now hardened the confection no longer fresh etc.

It’s an ambitious metaphor that is packed with resonance. In other words, it does worlds of work and actually deepens the more you dit with it. A metaphor that actually invites you to put the book down, think on it, absorb it, before returning. a good metaphor uses detours to add power to the text. poor metaphors distract you from the text and leave you bereft, laid to the side.

lastly, the prior examples are technically “similes” but I believe similes reside under the umbrella of metaphor. although a simile is a demarcation, ie: this is “like” that. but this is “not”, ontologically, that.

however, I think something happens in the act of reading wherein we collapse the “bridge” and the mind automatically forges synergy between the two images, so that all similes, once read, “act” like metaphors in the mind.

but again this is all subjective. you might have a better way of going about it.

Another very ambitious metaphor is this one from Eduardo C. Corral:

“Moss intensifies up the tree, like applause.”

This is a masterful metaphor, risky and requires a lot of faith, restraint, and experience to pull it off.

Difficult mainly because we now see a surrealist “distortion” of the sensory realm: origin IMAGE (moss) is paired with transforming SOUND (applause).

There is now a leap in comparable elements. But the adherence to our two vital factors are still present.

Sensory: moss, though silent, grows slowly (the word “intensifies” does major work here becuz it foreshadows the transforming element). Applause, too, grows gradually, before dying down.

Logic: the growth of the moss suggests spring, lushness, life, resilience, and connotes anticipatory hope, much like applause. In turn, applause modifies the nature of moss and imbues, at least this moss, with a sense of accomplishment, closure, it’s refreshment a cause for celebration.

God I love words.

~

I’ve gotten so many responses from folks the past few days asking for a deeper dive into my personal theory on metaphor.

So I'm taking a moment here to do a more in-depth mini essay since my answer to the Q/A the other day was off the cuff (I was typing while walking to my haircut appointment).

What I’m proposing, of course, is merely a THEORY, not a gospel, so please take whatever is useful to you and ignore what isn’t.

This essay will be in 25 slides. I will save this in my IG highlights after 24 hrs.

Before I begin I want to encourage everyone to forge your own theories and praxi for your work, especially if you’re a BIPOC artist.

Often, we are perceived by established powers as merely “performers,” suitable for a (brief) stint on stage—but not thinkers and creators with our own autonomy, intelligence, and capacity to question the framework in our fields.

It is not lost on me, as a yellow body in America, with the false connotations therein, where I’m often seen as diminutive, quiet, accommodating, agreeable, submissive, that I am not expected to think against the grain, to have my own theories on how I practice my art and my life.

I became a writer knowing I am entering a field (fine arts) where there are few faces like my own (and with many missing), a field where we are expected to succeed only when we pick up a violin or a cello in order to serve Euro-Centric “masterpieces.”

For so long, to be an Asian American “prodigy” in art was to be a fine-tuned instrument for Mozart, Bach, and Beethoven.

It is no surprise, then, that if you, as a BIPOC artist, dare to come up with your own ideas, to say “no” to what they shove/have been shoving down your throat for so long, you will be infantilized, seen as foolish, moronic, stupid, disobedient, uneducated, and untamed.

Because it means the instrument that was once in the service of their “work” has now begun to speak, has decided, despite being inconceivable to them, to sing its own songs.

I want you, I need you, to sing with me. I want to hear what you sound like when it’s just us, and you sound so much like yourself that I recognize you even in the darkest rooms, even when I recognize nothing else. And I know your name is “little brother” or “big sister,” or “light bean,” or “my-echo-returned-to-me-intact.” And I smile.

In the dark I smile.

Art has no rules—yes—but it does have methods, which vary for each individual. The following are some of my own methods and how I came to them.

I’m very happy ya’ll are so into figurative language! It’s my favorite literary device because it reveals a second IDEA behind an object or abstraction via comparison.

When done well, it creates what I call the “DNA of seeing.” That is, a strong metaphor “Greek for “to carry over”) can enact the autobiography of sight. For example, what does it say about a person who sees the stars in the night sky—as exit wounds?

What does it say about their history, their worldview, their relationship to beauty and violence? All this can be garnered in the metaphor itself—without context—when the comparative elements have strong multifaceted bonds.

How we see the world reveals who we are. And metaphors explicate that sight.

My personal feeling is that the strongest metaphors do not require context for clarity. However, this does not mean that weaker metaphors that DO require context are useless or wrong.

Weak metaphors use context to achieve CLARITY.

Strong metaphors use context to SUPPORT what’s already clear.

BOTH are viable in ANY literary text.

But for the sake of this deeper exploration into metaphors and their gradients, I will attempt to identify the latter.

I feel it is important for a writer to understand the STRENGTHS of the devices they use, even when WEAKER versions of said devices can achieve the same goal via different means.

Sometimes we want a life raft, sometimes we want a steam boat—but we should know which is which (for us).

My focus then, will be specifically the ornamental or overt metaphor. That is, metaphors that occur inside the line—as opposed to conceptual, thematic, extended metaphors, or Homeric simile (which is a whole different animal).

My thinking here begins with the (debated) theory that similes reside under metaphors. That is, (non-Homeric) similes, behave cognitively, like metaphors.

This DOES NOT mean that similes do not matter (far from it), as we’ll see later on, but that the compared elements, once read, begin to merge in the mind, resulting in a metaphoric OCCURRENCE via a simileac vehicle.

This thinking is not entirely my own, but one informed by my interest in Phenomenology. Founded by Edmund Husserl in the early 20th century and later expanded by Heidegger, Phenomenology is, in short, interested in how objects or phenomena are perceived in the mind, which renewed interest in subjectivity across Europe, as opposed to the Enlightenment’s quest for ultimate, finite truths.

By the time Husserl “discovered” this, however, Tibetan Buddhists scholars have already been practicing Phenomenology as something called Lojong, or “mind training,” for over half a millennia.

Whereas Husserl believes, in part, that a finite truth does exist but that the myopic nature of human perception hinders us from seeing all of it, Tibetan Lojong purports that no finite “truth” exists at all.

In Lojong, the world and its objects are pure perception. That is, a fly looks at a tree and sees, due to its compound eyes, hundreds of trees, while we see only one. For Buddhists, neither fly nor human is “correct” because a fixed truth is not present. Reality is only real according to one’s bodily medium.

I’m keenly interested in Lojong’s approach because it inheritably advocates for an anti-colonial gaze of the world. If objects in the real are not tenable, there is no reason they should be captured, conquered or pillaged.

In other words, we are in a “simulation” and because there is no true gain in acquiring something that is only an illusion, it is better to observe and learn from phenomena as guests passing through this world with respect to things—rather than to possess them.

The reason I bring this up is because Buddhist philosophy is the main influence of 8th century Chinese and 15th-17th century Japanese poetics, which fundamentally inform my understanding of metaphor.

While I appreciate Aristotle’s take on metaphor and rhetoric in his Poetics, particularly his thesis that strong metaphors move from species to genus, it is not a robust influence on my thinking.

After all, like sex and water, metaphors have been enjoyed by humans across the world long before Aristotle-- and evidently long after. In fact, Buddhist teachings, which widely employ metaphor and analogy, predates Aristotle by roughly 150 years.

Now, to better see how Buddhist Phenomenology informs the transformation of images into metaphor, let’s look at this poem by Moritake.

“The fallen blossom flies back to its branch. No, a butterfly.”

When considering (western-dominated) discourse surrounding analogues using “like” or “is”, is this image a metaphor or a simile?

It is technically neither. The construction of this poem does not employ metaphor or simile.

And yet, to my eye, a metaphor, although not present, does indeed HAPPEN.

What’s more, the poem, which is essentially a single metaphor, is complete.

No further context is needed for its clarity. If context is needed for a metaphor, then the metaphor is (IMO) weak—but that doesn’t mean the writing, as a whole, is bad. Weak metaphors and good context bring us home safe and sound.

Okay, so what is happening here?

By the time I read “butterfly,” my mind corrects the blossom so that the latter image retroactively changes/informs the former. We see the blossom float up, then re-see it as a butterfly. The metaphoric figuration is complete with or without “like” or “is.”

Buddhism explains this by saying that, although a text IS thought, it does not THINK. We, the readers, must think upon it. The text, then, only curates thinking.

Words, in this way, begin on the page but LIVE in the mind which, due to limited and subjective scope of human perception, shift seemingly fixed elements into something entirely new.

The key here is proximity. Similes provide buffers to mediate impact between two elements, but they do not rule over how images coincide upon reading. One the page, text is fossil; in the mind, text is life.

Nearly 5000 years after Maritake, Ezra Pound, via Fenolosa, reads Maritake’s poem and writes what becomes the seminal poem on Imagism in 1912, which was subsequently highly influential to early Modernists:

“The apparition of these faces in the crowd: Petals on a wet, black bough.”

Like Maritake, Pound’s poem technically has no metaphor or simile. However, he adds the vital colon after “crowd,” which arguably works as an “equal sign”, thereby implying metaphor. But the reason why he did not use “are” or “is” is telling.

Pound understood, like Maritake, that the metaphor would occur in the mind, regardless of connecting verbiage due to the images’ close proximity. We would come to know this as “association.”

Even if the colon was replaced by the word “like,” the transformation, though a bit slower, would still occur.

In fact, when I first studied Pound years ago, I had trouble recalling whether this poem was fashioned as a simile or not—mainly because the faces change to fully into blossoms each time I try to recall the poem.

Now, let’s look at a simile that, to me, metaphorizes in the same way as the examples above, in the line we saw before from Eduardo C. Corral:

“Jade moss on the tree intensifies, like applause.”

The origin/tenor image (moss) is connected to the transforming element (applause). This metaphor suggests, not an optical relationship, but a BEHAVIORAL one.

Both moss and applause are MASSES that accumulate via singularities: grains of moss and pairs of hands clapping to form a larger whole.

By comparing these two, Corral successfully suggests that moss grows at the RATE of applause, creating a masterful time lapse effect. Applause speeds up the moss growth, connoting rejuvenation, joy and refreshment. That something as mundane as moss deserves, even earns, jubilance, also offers a potent statement of alterity, that the smallest flourishing deserves celebration, which in turn suggests a subtle yet powerful political critique of hegemony.

The poet, through the metaphor, has recalibrated the traditional modes of value placed on the object (moss).

And no other context is needed for that.

You might disagree, but when I read Corral’s line, I don’t SEE an audience clapping BESIDE the moss. I see moss growing quickly to the sound of clapping. Although the simile is employed, the fusion of both elements completes the action in my mind’s eye.

Like Maritake and Pound, metaphor has OCCURRED here—but without “metaphor”.

HOWEVER, the simile is still VITAL. Why?

Because the transforming element is abstract (applause) and looks nothing like moss. We don’t want moss to BE applause, we want the nature of applause to inform, imbue, moss.

The line, I feel, would be quite poor if it was formed sans simile:

“Jade moss is applause on the tree.”

The “is” forces transposition, which is here akin to slamming two things together without mediation. We also lose the comparison of behavior, and are asked to see that moss BECOME applause, which doesn’t have the same meaning as the original.

So, although the simile fuses into metaphor (via association) in the mind, such a metaphor would NOT have been possible without the simile.

Similes matter greatly—as tools towards metaphor. Why?

Because (thank god) our minds are free to roam.

To summarize, one of the central strategies (and, to an extent, purposes) of the Japanese Haiku is to juxtapose two elements to test their synergy. This impulse is grounded in Shinto and Buddhist concepts of impermanence and structural malleability. That is, all things, even ideas and images, are subject to constant change—and such change is the most pervasive nature of perception.

The Haiku then becomes the perfect medium to test such changes. This principle is of central importance to me because it is rooted in non-dualistic (or non-binary) thinking.

The poem becomes the theatre in which fixed elements can be transformed, their borders subject to being dissolved, shifting towards something entirely new—to “create”, which is the Greek root to the word “poet.” The metaphor, then, is more like a chemical, whose elements (like hydrogen and oxygen), placed side by side, becomes water.

In this way, Buddhism’s influence on my work and, specifically, my use and understanding of metaphor, is a foundational QUEER praxis for alterity.

The reason why I emphasize the malleability of simile’s impact is that, although syntax and diction can aide a metaphor towards its more luminous embodiment, the ultimate key to its success is you, the observer.

YOU have look deeply and find lasting relationships between things in a disparate world.

In this sense, the practice of metaphor is also, I believe, the practice of compassion. How do I study a thing so that I might add to its life by introducing it to something else?

At its best, the metaphor is what we, as a species, have always done, at OUR best: which is to point at something or someone so different from us, so far from our own origins and say, “Yes, there IS a bond between us. And if I work long enough, hard enough, I can prove it to you—with this thing called language, this thing that weighs nothing but means everything to me.”

In the end, it is less about how you set up your metaphors (you will eventually find a way that suits it and you) but more about how you recognize your world. THAT is not easy to teach—it comes with patient practice, with a committed wonder for a world that at times might be too painful to look at. But you must and you should.

Good metaphors, in the end, come from writers who are committed to looking beyond what is already there, towards another possibility.

This calls that you see your life and your work as inexhaustible sites of discovery, and that you tend to them with care.

That’s it. That’s the true secret to a strong metaphor: care.

Lastly, I want to recommend the work of BIPOC poet and theorist, Thylias Moss, who discovered the Limited Fork Theory, a theory which suggests that the mind engages with the world, and especially with ideas, including text and art, the way the tines of a fork engage with a plate of food.

That is, only so much can be held on the work/mind with each attempt to consume, and that no “work” can be possessed in its entirety, which I find happily congruent with Lojong.

What a wonderful anti-imperialist and forgiving way to engage with our planet and its phenomena. Thank you, Mrs. Moss!

And thank YOU for sticking around through my little seminar.

I hope this has been helpful. Again, this is just my 2(5) cents! Now I’m going to sleep for four days.

In the meantime, me-ta-phors be with you.

—O

[dapolyshipping]

On Exchange Letters

Exchange Letters (also known as "Dear Creator Letters", "Dear (Event) Author", or "Dear Santa" for holiday exchanges) are letters created to include with a gift exchange sign up. They are sometimes used in place of the prompt/optional details field and sometimes in conjunction with.

These letters often contain more in depth information which might not fit in the AO3 Prompt field due to length; they can also be easier to include non-text information (like links and images) as the Prompt field would require basic HTML to do so. They often contain information on general likes and preferences, do not wants (DNWs), preferred formats for writing, art preferences, in depth prompts, AUs, kinks, tropes, what you like about certain ships or the fandom in general, etc. In exchanges that allow OCs (like Dragon Age Poly Exchange) letters can also contain info on OCs.

An all encompassing letter should contain everything your giftee would need to know in order to create a gift you would enjoy. A letter designed to be used in conjunction with the Prompt field is usually shorter, containing only the general information which applies to every request being made while the prompts for the specific ships or requests are placed into the Prompt field. Once written, you can drop a link to it in each request in the Letter/Additional Info field of your sign-up.

Click on the Read More for more info on what to include, where to host your letter, and how to sign up with one.

What to Include

If you're writing your first letter or are revising your current one, you might be wondering where to start. We recommend starting by scrolling through your AO3 bookmarks and want to reads and jotting down any tags you see repeated often and by thinking about what you use to filter when you're searching for something to read. For your DNWs think about what squicks you avoid, any triggers you might have, or things that just make you hit the back button and not read a fic.

You can include things like POVs, tenses, styles of writing, general tropes (fluff, angst, smut), or more specific tropes (Hurt/Comfort). If that's not helping or you feel like you're forgetting something check out the following links with lists of common tropes, AUs, and kinks/fetishes. As you scroll through them make sure to note your likes and DNWs.

It's definitely not necessary to list everything in the below lists as a like or DNW. There are certain things which are going to be rare or non-existent in the DA fandom (i.e. underage fic isn't common because most characters are adults, compared to other fandoms like Harry Potter) but there are others which are exclusive to DA (for example, MCiT - Modern Character in Thedas). It's more important that your letter hit the big points. If your giftee has questions they can always reach out to you on anon (if you have them on) OR get in contact with a moderator so we can get more details.

List of Fan-fiction Kinks, Tropes, and Clichés

AUs

Masterlist of Alternate Universes

Kink List

Note: this is an extensive kink list from a furry website intended to help furry roleplayers match; proceed with caution if this could squick you

Where to Host Your Letter

Your letter can be hosted in many of the same places as your OC content from our post: Where to Host OC Content.

Google Drive/gDocs

By far the most popular place to host exchange letters currently. Many of the same tips and tricks for OC content hold true for your letter. You can link to other docs and external sites, add images, use templates, etc. Please check out the Where to Host OC Content post for lots of details on using Google products for exchanges!

Tumblr

You can also drop your letter into a regular tumblr post or page. If you would like to keep your letter off your mutuals' dashes you can make the post private and then a few hours (or days) later make it public. It will not appear on their dash if they sort by popularity or by timeline unless it suddenly gets a lot of likes.

Livejournal/Dreamwidth/Wordpress/Other Blogging Site

Although not as widely used now as tumblr, Livejournal and Dreamwidth are still around and you can post on these sites for your letter. Wordpress or other blogging sites like Blogger are not as popular for fandom endeavors, but they can absolutely be used for a fandom letter, too.

Wix.com/Weebly.com/Other Free Webhosts

This option might be too much if you’re just doing a letter, but if you’re planning using one of the above for your OC content, you can make your fandom letter a page within that website!

Your AO3 Profile

Exchange Letters are not allowed to be posted as separate works on AO3; however, according to the AO3 Content FAQ (we recommend using CTRL+F to search for “letter” to find the right question) you can post general likes/preferences on your profile which means you could use this space for a general letter designed to be used in addition to your Prompt field. Although you can do this, we think one of the other options above is a better idea, as profile space is relatively limited.

How to Sign-Up with a Letter

We're going to be doing a more in depth guide to signing up before Sign-Ups open, but we thought we'd give you a small preview now. The sign-up form below is NOT the final version of our form, so things may look different by the time you sign-up.

[esor-ogramira]

Digital Requests are OPEN! [2/2 slots available]

I've decided to try opening two slots for digital requests, and start opening digital requests on a rolling basis! Which means that traditional requests will now be open once a month starting after I finish the two traditional requests I have, so that I don't end up overwhelming myself. And next time I open traditional requests, I'll be sticking to one slot at a time for the same reason.

What I can/will draw

Humans/humanoids OC’s Copyright characters (as long as they are human/humanoid) Characters that are used as one’s persona (even fandom-based if they are human/humanoid) Simple backgrounds Nature-based backgrounds Limited blood (bloody nose, scrapes, cuts) Basic poses Dynamic poses

What I can’t/won’t draw

🛑 Hate art (This is non-negotiable.) 🛑 Fetish art of any kin, including inflation (This is non-negotiable.) 🛑 Any kind of NSFW (This is non-negotiable.) 🛑 Anthro/Furry/Fursonas (This is non-negotiable.) 🛑 Macro/Micro (This is non-negotiable.) 🛑 Vore (This is non-negotiable.) 🛑 Loli/shota (Anime/manga involving older women and men who visibly look like little children or teens. These animes/mangas can sometimes involve sexual situations with those particular characters. This term of mine is non-negotiable.) 🛑 Drawing any copyright female character who is not typically drawn with large breasts and a large butt as “thicc” (This is non-negotiable.) 🛑 Drawing any copyright female character who is explicitly stated as being under the age of eighteen and is not depicted with large breasts and a large butt as “thicc” (This is non-negotiable.) 🛑 “Aging up” any underage character to make it “okay” to draw them in a seemingly sexual manner (This is non-negotiable.) Kissing and/or hugging (subject to change w/ art skills) Heavy blood and gore Fan characters (fandom-based, non-canon characters who are not explicitly stated as fandom-based personas) Buildings (subject to change w/ art skills) Complex backgrounds (subject to change w/ art skills) Animals

Conditions

Not first come, first serve. I have the right to decline a request for any reason, especially if it fits in with the non-negotiable terms of what I won’t/can’t draw. With copyright characters, I will attempt to mimic the art style the character is drawn in. One character per request (subject to change w/ art skills). Please be patient with me! I am autistic, and I have the inattentive version of ADHD. The artwork is yours to keep and use, just be sure to give me credit for the drawing when sharing it! You can use my handle on whichever social media account you contacted me on for the request, along with my handle on the social media site you are sharing it to:   If you got the request from me on DeviantArt, my handle is @/MagmaAquariusWolf   If you got the request from me on Twitter, my handle is @/artist_margo   If you got the request from me on Tumblr, my handle is @/margo-rose-urbanfantasy   If you got the request from me on Instagram, my handle is @/margotherealartist Unless you tell me not to post your artwork publicly, I will save the artwork that I make for you for my portfolio. I am only doing this so that when I do decide that I am ready to take commissions, potential customers will be able to see examples of my work. No matter what kind of artwork you want, I will always send you a screenshot of the sketch when it is completed, so that you may see what it looks like and what may need to be changed. If you don't want me to publicly post your artwork for any reason (which you don’t need to disclose to me if you don’t feel comfortable doing so), please make it clear that you don’t want me posting it publicly before I accept your request! I will respect your decision, and I will refrain from posting it publicly. But I need to know before I accept the request. I will be accepting requests on a rolling basis, meaning that once I finish the requests in the queue, I will open two (2) more slots. Give me at least a day to respond to your comment, at most three (3) days.

Options for requested drawings

Option 1: Digital bust-shot painted portrait

Painted in Krita. Transparent, solid, or simple background. Examples:

Character in this painting (Jerecy) belongs to JuliaMersmann on DeviantArt

Character (Rowan) belongs to me

Option 2: Digital bust-shot illustration (cell-shaded)

Done in FireAlpaca. Transparent, solid, or simple background. Examples:

Character (Clara) belongs to me.

Option 3: Digital illustration, shot from the knees up (cell-shaded)

Done in FireAlpaca. Transparent, solid, or simple background. Examples:

Character (Morgan) belongs to JamesTDG on DeviantArt.

Character (Delros) belongs to me.

Option 4: Digital headshot painted portrait

Painted in Krita. Transparent, solid, or simple background. Examples:

Character (Delros) belongs to me.

Older example w/ an outdated concept design for Rowan, but similar shading style to what I use these days.

Much older example w/ Rowan’s first concept design, but again, similar shading style to what I use these days.

To ask me for a request, you can use one of two methods. You can reblog this post with the four or five things below, along with the hashtag # Artist Margo Rose Requests, or you can reply to let me know that you want to message me with your request, then message me with the four or five things listed below.

1.) If you've read the terms and conditions and understand them after you've (carefully) looked up whatever words I've used that you might not understand, say "I accept the terms and conditions! :)" before you give me the below details for your request in your comment/note. 2.) A reference sheet of the character/a picture of the character 3.) Which option you want for the artwork (Option 1, Option 2, Option 3, or Option 4) 4.) What expression the character should have 5.) A description of the pose the character should be in, or a picture of a character/person in a similar pose to the one the character should be in (This only applies to Option 1, Option 2, and Option 3.)

I’ll reblog this post with the comment that requests are closed once those two slots are filled!

[emmaekart]

Commissions Info

The money I get from commissions is going towards: A drawing tablet so I can make digital art.

DO NOT TRACE, REPOST OR COPY ANY ART IN THIS ARTICLE.

Status & Slots

Status: OPEN

One commission equals one slot- so if one person orders three pieces, that person fills up three slots. If all slots are taken you can ask to be put on a waitlist.  

Slot 1: OPEN

Slot 2: OPEN

Slot 3: OPEN

Ordering & Pricing

How to order:

Send me an email , filling out the form below. It MUST be by email; I do not check my account every day and I want all of my commissions in one place. If you have any questions as well, email me. I will let you know if you are accepted or not.

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GENERAL INFO:

Your name:

Type/category of commission:

How many characters:

Any specific wishes/details you want included:

Background:  

CHARACTER(S) INFO:

Character name:

Character personality/description(s): Please give me everything you have on your character that you want me to have in mind when drawing them - also characters from series since I might not know them. By sending this order I confirm that I have read and accept the terms of service for commissioning Emmaekart.

Reference photos:

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You can place multiple orders in one mail, just include the above info multiple times.  Please include reference images of your character(s). If there is anything specific you would like me to get inspired from (e.g. environment for background or stock images for poses) please include them as well. Send your order to emmaekart@gmail.com.

Payment method:Paypal only

About Commissions

Before you order, please make sure to have read my Terms of Service. These terms apply to private commissions only. This information is NOT applicable for commercial work, therefore the art can only be used for the client’s personal purposes.

All prices below are base prices. Things that might increase the price are complex character designs, number of characters, complex backgrounds and amount of detail in the image in general.

What I Will Draw:

Furries

OCs

Anime

Video Game Characters

Cartoon Characters

Photos of people transformed into anime characters

Somewhat NSFW, no pornography

What I Won't Draw:

NSFW

Hate Art

Probably anything else, but I'm just now opening up my commissions, so feel free to ask; it may help me!

Examples & Prices

!! The prices listed may change depending on how much time and extra effort is put into the commission. !!

Sketches:

Bust: $5 / Half Body: $7.50 / Full Body: $10

Add a Background: +$2 / +$3 / +$4

Add a Character: +55% of base price (excludes background prices.)

Lineart:

Bust: $7.50 / Half Body: $10 / Full Body: $12.50

Add a Background: +$4 / +$5 / $7

Add a Character: +65% of base price (excludes background prices.)

Color (Colored Pencil):

Bust: $12.50 / Half Body: $15 / Full Body: $20

Add a Background: +$5 / +$6 / +$7

Add a Character: +75% of base price (excludes background prices.)

<<More examples and more options will be added later, but this is all I have for now.>>

<<For now, rates are all the same for all the types of art I will do, whether it be anime, furries, etc.>>

To be added in the future: Big bust, Big Half Body, Chibi, Icons, acrylic painting options, watercolor painting options, marker options

Terms of Service

If you have a problem with any of these terms, they may be changed if discussed with me prior to paying for your commissioned piece.

GENERAL TERMS

All drawings may or will include a subtle sign that you may not remove.  

I might record the drawing process and post it on social medias.

The finished product may be posted on social medias.  

Prices are subject to change based on demand.  

I have the right to reject any order that I do not feel comfortable drawing for any reason.

​

​

PAYMENT

Currency accepted is either USD and can be paid through PayPal.

Commissions can be paid either 100% upfront or split 50% upfront and 50% after sketch approval.

Don't send me any payment before I have agreed to give you a slot and requested you to send me the payment.  

​

PROCESS AND DELIVERY

I will notify you when I have started on your commission and you, therefore, lose the rights to a refund (see point 7 further below for more info on refunds.)  

While I'm working on your commission I will make reviews with you to make sure I make it just right for you!  

The amount of reviews depends on the complexity of the work.  

During the reviews, you will see work-in-progress and be able to tell me what I can revise.

The time it takes to finish your commission varies depending on factors such as health, the complexity of the commissioned piece, and how much time I am  spending with family or friends, but your commission should not take very long at all.  

If anything comes up that will slow the progress of the initially estimated delivery time I will let you know asap.  

Once the piece is finished you will receive a high quality photo of the art (I have to use my moms phone, my phone's camera is awful, that's why the photos in this are bad quality.) Note that there is no physical product. Depending on where you live, we can arrange to ship your artwork. Just ask :)

​4. REVISIONS  

If you wish for me to change something in the drawing you have previously approved, I will charge you a fee to change it. The amount of the extra charge depends on the change you want me to make and is usually based on an hourly wage.  

If your reference is unclear to start with changes will come at an extra charge.

​

COPYRIGHT / USAGE POLICY

I, Emma Knierim (the artist), claim the rights to the produced drawing, not the buyer. Therefore I am allowed to use the copyrighted artwork to: post, advertise.

The buyer is allowed to: post and use with mention.

The following is considered copyright infringement: posting without a mention, tracing, copying, claiming the artwork as your own, reselling my art.

I reserve the full rights to the image and it's use/distribution unless otherwise agreed upon (rights to the image for your own non-personal use may be purchased at any time).

​

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

I will do everything I can to make my customers happy!  

If you have a problem with anything in regards to the commissioned piece please tell me right away so we can find a solution together.  

I am willing to change some of my terms for you if you ask before I start on your commission. If you do not want me to post your art anywhere, we can discuss this.

​

REFUND / CANCELLATION POLICY

The buyer is not allowed a refund once I started working on the commission.  

If for any reason I am unable to start your commission you will receive a full refund.  

If you cancel your order before I started it, you can get a full refund.  

If you are getting a refund, do not request a Paypal chargeback. I will transfer the money back to you myself.  

If you request a Paypal chargeback at any point when you were not allowed to ask for a refund you will lose all before mentioned rights to the commissioned piece and I will have the full right to profit further from it in any way. I will decline the chargeback and supply Paypal with our conversations in which we talk about the commission as evidence that I have completed work for you. Furthermore, you will be blacklisted for commissioning me again.

​

If the buyer breaks any of the points stated above they will lose all the beforementioned rights to the artwork commissioned by me, Emma Knierim (the artist), and I will have the right to profit further from the commissioned artwork in any way I see fit. If you have a problem with any of these statements, they may be changed if discussed with me prior to paying your commissioned piece.

​

​What do you get?

Drafts that you must decide which one I should continue with (depending on the complexity of the commission there might be fewer or more drafts.)  

Sketch and/or final sketches that you must accept before I continue the work.    

Full size high quality photo of the finished work.

By purchasing a commission from me (the artist) you agree to be purchasing my services only. If you have a problem with any of the below conditions, they may be changed if discussed with me prior to paying for your commissioned piece.

Please read the terms carefully:

I, Emma Knierim (the artist):

I reserve the right to cancel and refund the order at any time for any reason.

I retain all copyrights over the commissioned artwork.

I will NOT profit further from the commissioned artwork unless you (the customer) break any of the terms.

I reserve the right to post the commissioned artwork online and use them in my portfolio.

You (the customer/commissioner):

You may upload the commissioned artwork on any website and social channels WITH MENTION.

You may NOT make profits from the commissioned piece (reselling, redistributing, uploading to POD-services, make prints, etc.)

You may NOT alter the commissioned artwork without my (the artist's) consent.

You may NOT use the commissioned artwork for commercial purposes.

You may NOT use the commissioned artwork for commercial purposes. The license to the commissioned artwork may be purchased at any point - contact me for info.

DO NOT TRACE, REPOST OR COPY ANY ART IN THIS ARTICLE.

Thank You.

Thank you for reading, I hope to see you in my email inbox!!

[hellzyeahthewebwieldingavenger]

Ghost Spider #2 Thoughts

Sigh...more of the same...

This premise gets worse the more you think about it.

I mean let’s talk about the most obvious thing that didn’t occur to me before. So Gwen needs to pick her entry points back and forth from Earth 616 carefully because her powers don’t work immediately after exiting a portal. To this end she chooses a spot she knows will lead to a bill board with poles jutting out she can grab onto before her powers kick in again.

...why not just open a portal on the ground?

Then you have the utter lack of world building.

It’s fair enough to presume that audiences are familiar with the world building of Earth 616. It’s been around for donkey’s years and it’s the basis for just about every media adaptation of Marvel ever, including the movies. Even if it’s far from a 1:1 similarity it is close enough that even comic book virgins can jump in and not be at too much of a loss. That’s particularly true for a Spidey series where the premise is to be relatively normal, the only fantastical elements demanding world building being the spider powers (which everyone on earth is aware of) and the villains, who often speak for themselves or are famous enough that you can presume knowledge from the audience.

But when it comes to alternate universes like Earth 65, which are specifically alternative to  Earth 616, you do need to flesh some things out. And so far beyond Gwen is a super hero and not dead, nor is her Dad and Jameson’s son is an evil gangster not much world building going on.

More problematically is the fact that basic questions are never raised nor answered. Gwen says in Earth 65 she’s going to be late for a class in Earth 616. Is time synchronized though between universes? That’s a pretty basic question when dealing with parallel universes. In the Doctor Who episode ‘Rise of the Cybermen’ that question was answered almost immediately upon entry to the parallel Earth of that story, and the series at that time was trying to be baby’s first science fiction!

It’s not an unreasonable question to ask either given how from Spider-Man’s POV Spider-Verse (where he first met Spider-Gwen) was years ago but the first sentence of the recap page of this series states Gwen got her powers mere months ago.

Playing in the same ballpark as the bad world building is the ignoring of established continuity in regards to the Jackal. Now look, I could buy that Warren has gone so far off the deep end that he considers turning Gwen into a furry like him a good idea.

But...doesn’t Warren effectively consider his clones of Gwen as the real thing? Isn’t that the entire reason he cloned Gwen in the first place, why he set up the original clone of Gwen with a clone of himself to in a weird way live out his fantasy?

So why is he obsessed over this new version of Gwen, a version that for all he knows could just be another clone? In fact if you are Miles Warren wouldn’t that be the first thing you presume? It’s not like she has given any genetic samples he can test to confirm if she is a clone or not.

On the other end of this relationship I just realized how asinine it is that no one recognizes Miles Warren, especially at ESU. Sure once upon a time Warren’s identity was secret. Even after his presumed death in the 1970s Clone Saga his identity was a secret. But that all changed in the 1990s Clone Saga when he was arrested and sent to Ravencroft. At that point his identity became public knowledge. There were like SWAT teams after him for god’s sake! And it’s very difficult to believe that ESU, the place where he worked for years and then randomly disappeared from wouldn’t have heard about one of their staff members being a super villain. Especially a super villain who

a)      Became a player in gangland activities

b)      Was targeted by the Punisher...three times!

c)       MURDERED one of their other staff members!

d)      Was majorly complicit in an event that turned everyone in New York into spider monsters!

e)      Attempted global genocide!

f)       Seemingly died very publically

Those last two by the way? They happened on site of the Daily Bugle newspaper!

This isn’t even addressing how he was last seen Marvel Team Up 2019 where he was again arrested at ESU itself! This issue does nothing to explain how he went from that situation to this. Which I’m actually okay with as that was handled by a different editorial office. If you like that was Ms. Marvel continuity and this is Spider continuity.

Normally I’d let the other continuity errors slide but most of them are stories that are major major appearances by the Jackal and define his relationship with Gwen Stacy in the first place, which is the thing this whole arc is built upon.

But no. He changes his last name, and literally nothing else, and he goes unrecognized. Unrecognized in a school where Peter Parker  is a teaching assistant (still don’t know when or where that happened)!!!!!!!!!!!!! How on Earth is he going incognito? Does he just make sure to stay 10 paces behind Peter at all times??????? Hell Curt Connors is working there too and he has to know that, he just saw Connors in Clone Conspiracy! In fact GWEN saw him in Clone Conspiracy, she saw multiple clones of him looking just like he did in issue #1 why was she not reacting to that?

My God it gets dumber the more I think about it because in Clone Conspiracy we last saw Warren blowing himself up and that was 100% confirmed to be the real Warren not another clone so who is this guy? Not to mention that story also depicted Warren wearing a Jackal costume not actually transforming into a human jackal monster.

Now me personally I think nowdays the latter idea should be the norm for the character. It never made sense for a middle aged man to get the better of Spider-Man, but his 90s Joker/Matrix look was just terrible. Having him transform back and forth though is a great compromise. But again how did we get here????????????????

It’s all just so poorly thought through!

Going back to what I said last issue about the lack of information given to new readers, this story goes along with that as far as the Man-Wolf is concerned. His treatment very much plays out as the latest issue in a run which would be fine if this was merely Ghost Spider #51-52 as opposed to ALSO being Ghost Spider #1-2. To treat this character who’s affecting subplots the way he is as though readers should just know who he is doesn’t make sense with a major relaunch. We haven’t even SEEN Man-Wolf in this series but we’ve talked a lot about him.

Remember show don’t tell?????????????

The same applies to the ramifications of his actions. He’s responsible for a bomb. What bomb? He almost killed Harry? Who is Harry? Gwen tells some thugs to leave her friends alone but its not until panels later that we confirm they are Man-wolf’s thugs, played initially as it was that wasn’t clear.

All of this is a non-issue if you read the older run but if you haven’t then it’s confusing and alienating.

And unlike what certain people might say it’s beyond unacceptable to demand that readers do homework to enjoy a comic they already paid for.

Lets change things up and talk about the two positives I have. The art continues to be nice, I especially like Benji’s look because it is very reminiscent of Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane! And, as was common back when I was reading Spider-Gwen regularly, George Stacy continues to be the best character in this. The short scene in the kitchen was the best scene of the whole book and was genuinely endearing.

Okay back to the justifiable complaints.

So Gwen comments that she has to be subtle in order to keep her identity on Earth 616...but then towards the end of the book she enters a portal from Earth 65 into Earth 616 unmasked. This is stupid in general but extra stupid considering she knows her powers don’t immediately work upon exiting portals. So even if she wasn’t immediately spotted by someone or a CCTV camera she wouldn’t even have a spider sense to warn her of danger for a few precious seconds! Someone who’s life was upended by her identity being revealed (and was a public enemy before that) would be naturally wary of something like this. This isn’t even accounting for the fact that she knows she DIED in Earth 616 because one lunatic discovered Peter’s identity! Also if she can exits portals on roof tops why does she ever need to risk her neck over at that billboard?

The only other problem I spotted was that the colourist seriously screwed up Peter’s look as he has black hair instead of brown.

Besides all that the inherent problems of the premise from last issue still apply. Peter being a regular character. Gwen endangering her friends on Earth 65. The division between the supporting cast.

Ugh....this is gonna be a slog of a series isn’t it...

[wausdraws]

Howdy! Commissions are now open! As this is my first time doing anything of the sort, I'm keeping it to five slots so I'm not overwhelmed, on the chance I am commissioned. Also of note: I am open to discussion! If you're unsure about anything, please contact me via Discord, at Awauspic#3154. I will answer you as soon as I can, so feel free to ask!

A Few Things First

          A few things you'll want to know before even considering commissioning me.

All In One Place.  Since I'll be having a limited number of slots, I'll be leaving these available for checking. You can track these on my Trello if you want to see what I'm doing, though I will also state whether my commissions are open or closed on my dA profile & art Tumblr.

Full Payment Beforehand.  I require full payment upfront for commissions. Pricing and Payments below will cover how I'll handle refunds and anything extra that may come up.

Communication is key! I will check with you for every stage of the commission, and request that you stay reasonably responsive; I want to make sure it looks as good as can be, but to do that, I need to know your thoughts!

On Uncertainties: If you think you might want to commission me but aren't sure where anything falls - contact me! I want to give you the best possible experience, which includes before you commission me. I'm perfectly willing to discuss what you want with you, regardless of whether or not you decide to commission a piece from me.

Referring to references... As a general, I will want a flat-color reference, with no or minimal shading, or an available color palette. If there isn't one available, I'll work with you to get the appropriate colors down and provide a swatch with the completed piece for future reference.

Cleaning up afterward. Post completion, you have one week to point out anything minor or easy to fix within the piece that bothers you; as long as it's within that week, and reasonable, I'll fix it. Past that, however, it's done and dusted, and I will not be altering it.

What Can I Do For You?

          You're okay with the above? Great! Here's what will be accepted, what will be rejected, and a few things I'm a little iffy about. This isn't exhaustive, so if you're hesitant at all, contact me! I'm more than happy to clarify for you!

I will draw:

Furries! As visible in my commission post above, I will draw fursonas and general furry creatures, feral, to anthro, to 'taur.

Animals! In-line with furries, I'll also do general animals.

I might draw:

Fandom content!  This is more so because I need to know where it's from, and have references available. Though by no means an exhaustive list, some fandoms that I'll cover are:

Undertale/Deltarune

Since this is AU heavy, please specify if Classic for standard, or give me the AU. I try to keep up but dear god.

Warriors, including OCs.

Light Gore. I am willing to draw bleeding/injuries/fights. See below for what classifies as too much. Again, this is case-by-case.

Body horror. I'm much more tolerant when missing chunks, extra mouths, broken shapes, and general weirdness is just part of the design. However, it is still case-by-case, and we'll need to talk it out.

Innuendo or Suggestive. Tasteful relative nudity, suggestive posing or behavior, and visual innuendo. Nothing too obvious, but I’m game to work with you on figuring something out.

I will not draw:

Mechs!

Actual Human People. Those who are real people. I’m not drawing a celebrity, I’m not drawing your cousin.

Humans, in general. This will change as I improve, but for now, humans are a firm no go.

Bugs. I am terrible with them. I will improve, but for now, these are no-go.

NSFW.

NSFW Gore is anything excessive; pieces being ripped off, clear abuse or painful deaths are hard no's.

NSFW Sexual is with visible genitalia, actual sex, etc.

Pricing and Payments

       Having chosen what you want and the piece in question confirmed to be alright, here comes the rest of it; paying the artist. As a heads up, everything listed is in US Dollars.

Details, Extras, and Deadlines, Oh My.

Character(s)

Group Shots: I will do multiple characters for full-body pieces of any level, but not for sketches or mugshots. Each character will add seven dollars onto the original price, for up to five characters total.

Complications In The Making: Characters come in varying levels of complexity. However, if one is exceptionally intricate - either in having heavy, detail-orientated patterns or a lot going on, that will be ten dollars per intricate character, alongside the original pricing.

Backgrounds: With all pieces, I’ll include a simple mono-color background, as well as one without. In fully rendered, I’ll add an effect on top to make it special. However:

Funky Background on Non-Rendered: I'm happy to add background effects on a non-rendered piece. However, it'll cost you another two dollars.

Simple Scenery: Scenes are another beast entirely. For simple scenes, that's seven dollars.

Detailed Scene: Fifteen dollars flat for anything detailed; more requested features drive the price up by two dollars every two features.

Deadlines.  If you want a piece done by a certain time, it may drive up the price depending on how quickly you want it, and if there is anything I will have to set aside to get it done. Naturally, I will reject deadlines that I know I will not have time for, or are otherwise unreasonable.

Start to Finish: For a single fully rendered body piece, it takes me approximately three days to complete, while balancing it between the rest of my workload, while sketches often only take minutes.

Sets: You can commission multiple works at once, and I'll bundle them together to be done along the same timeline, or at least with each other; excluding a deadline or real-life problems, I'll have them done and sent to you at the same time. Individual prices still apply.

Up-Front, And Returned

       After alerting me to your intent to commission and getting the details worked out, so comes the green.

A Cuppa! Feel free to pay me through Ko-Fi! It takes in 3$ increments, so anything divisible by three is an option, and with less processing fees.

Paypal! After we've got everything settled, I'll hand over my Paypal.

Patreon! Still a WIP, my Patreon is available if you're feeling like you want regular doses of art, or just want to support me. I appreciate it no less. <3

In the event of a refund... I will refund for work not completed. If, for example, you commission a full render, but request a refund after I have completed the sketch, I'll keep the sketch costs, but return the rest to you; you also, of course, get to keep what work was done before the refund.

[ashleyfableblack]

To All Rape Fetishists and "Artists"...

TL;DR- You are fucking sick. Do not come near me, -EVER- or my family. Go die in a fire. Seriously. Fuck you.

TRIGGER WARNING- This is NOT a discussion. This is a calling-out of disgusting shit-people without mercy. Rapists and rape apologists do NOT deserve mercy as they surrender that right in the act itself. This includes "fetishists". If you are a rape fetishist, you are an apologist and are complicit in their guilt This principle has been established in a court of law, repeatedly. Stop lying to yourself. You may also die in a fire.

"I hate euphemisms and euphemistic language. It's a language smug, greedy, well-fed white people have created to conceal their sins. Its as simple as that" -George Carlin.

George Carlin may have used wording more clumsy and racially-loaded than many would have preferred but did hit a proverbial nail on the head. In this statement "white people" doesn't specifically refer to "Caucasians" as much as a rank of social elevation and privilege.

This applies VERY well to Rape- the actual crime, Rape pornography art and rape "fetishists" and how those whom have been affected so horribly by this are generally treated in our society.

Chances are if you have an art account on any online site, particularly a furry community art listing, you have encountered the grotesque evasion of reality that is the tree of euphemisms for rape imagery. The persons who enjoy this despicable act ofteb realize how foul they are and make an attempt to verbally obfuscate the horror of their sick amusement at anothers traumatic violation. Sadly, they truly are changing the wording of the act with the idea that it will somehow lessen the harsh, brutal reality of the act. I myself recently encountered the largest and most shamelessly embarrassing euphemism for rape I've ever heard and by a person I had held in VERY high regard until that moment.

If laid out in a pattern of shaving the layers of delusional bullshit off euphemisms one layer at a time it looks like this...

"Malicious Compliance"

"Non-consentual"

"Non-compliance"

"Forced orgasm"

"Forced consent"

"Non-consent"

"Non-con"

RAPE.

All of these terms are the same thing- rape. Stop deluding yourself. You are drawing rape. You are writing stories glamorizing rape. You are enjoying rape.

Those whom have never known the real horror of this act often have little care for the terrifying bodily harm, emotional scars and mental trauma which rapists cause. When confronted with this data they will often become defensive, agitated and even violent. Their privilege is being called into question and the pleasure derived from their erection is far more important to them than life-long inescapable trauma in someone's life.

The rape culture of our society is defended and/or dismissed by a STAGGERING number of people- many whom consider themselves to be "good" people. The horror of the willful and knowing violation of another's body, sense of security and autonomy and even sense of self is often swept aside by "enthusiasts" under the protective umbrella of any number of excuses.

There is no defense for this.

To any Rape apologists using the defense that it is "just art"...

Defending your horrifying inhuman enjoyment of another's violation and suffering as "its just a picture" is adding stupidity to entitlement.

In and of itself, Rape pornography is "just art" in the same way that blowing someone's head off with a Remington 1100 pump action is "just testing a firearm". It is a despicable act of violation, brutality, which ends a life and permanently stains EVERY life that WOULD have been touched and enriched by the victim.

In this situation, you-as the apologist- are deriving sexual enjoyment from the headless corpse of someone's child, mother, father or spouse.

All "art" exists as an created work of skill which draws a emotional response from the viewer. In-and-of-itself, existing in some manner of impossible to create vaccuum, artwork is neutral. However, Its glamoirizing of brutality and torture and your sexual enjoyment of that suffering is not and NEVER will be.

To any Rape apologists using the defense that "it's hypnotism\mesmerizm. That's not rape"...

Yes. It is.

Rape is the act of enacting a sexual act upon another whom has not given consent. To hypnotize a person is to remove their capacity for free will, their capacity to give, deny or withdraw consent. Though hypnotism is -for the most part- nonsensical fantasy which has been debunked countless times, hypnotism rape imagery presents the same real-world problem as any other rape imagery. Functionally the act depicted is NO different from any other act of depriving a person of their mental capacity which IS real, such as slipping a roofie into their drink or forcing yourself upon them when otherwise chemically impaired- high, black-out-drunk or unconscious.

Forcing a sexual act upon a person in these states IS rape. It isn't "hypno-pornography". You are drawing rape. You are enjoying rape.

To any apologist using the "I'm against the REAL act. That's horrible. No, I just like art." defense...

Listen to yourself. Seriously. You dont like the act.... You just like the IDEA of the act is no defense. If anything, it is a confession of your guilt, if not one lacking in self-awareness.

You dont have to commit an act to promote that act, normalize that act or to be complicit in the act and deserving of the guilt for the act.

A person who posts page after page of KKK propaganda imagery, stories of violencing racial minorities and LGBTQ persons, graphic imagery of physical brutality against said persons- this person is a racist. Few would deny that. They are by virtue of their act, promoting racial and sexual hatred and are de facto, supporting the KKK. They are not "just enjoying art". They are racists.

A person who posts nazi imagery- swastikas, propaganda videos and speeches, stories and artwork of violencing Jews, homosexuals and other minorities, -this person is promoting Nazism, providing a platform and taking center stage to spread propaganda. They are a Nazi, as proven in court multiple times during the famous post-WW2 Nuremburg Trials. They are a Nazi.

If you create rape pornography, rape art images, rape fiction stories, animations and such- if you run a online group which creates these things or promotes them or a simulacrum of them- If you fill your gallery of likes and faves with support for the persons who create these things- you promote rape. You enable rape culture. You are effectively a rapist.

To any rape porn artist or "enthusiast"using the 'free speech' defense:

This is not a defense. This is an explanation of vehicle of expression. "Free speech" doesn't validate your sick enjoyment of another living person being horribly violated. It is the means by which you legally get away with being a sick Fuck, making artwork/writings for other sick fucks and are not held to task for what you do. It is excusing shooting someone by saying that you have the legal right to own a gun.

I respect that you have the right to create rape porn. I do NOT respect your rape porn or YOU. That is my right. As it is also my right to be repulsed by your sick enjoyment of another human beings suffering for your sexual pleasure you inhuman Fuck- as any person with a shred of empathy would. It's also my right, as a survivor and friend of several others, to tell you to take your 'freeze peach' roll your rape porn up in it, light it on fire and go fuck yourself with it and never come anywhere near me or mine again.

We are responsible for what we do with our freedoms. Including if we promote sick violent assaults on people which will leave scars on them for the rest of their fucking lives.

Fuck rape porn and rape pornography 'artists'.

As a proud member of The Satanic Temple I feel the need to include A specific mention for any of my fellow Temple Satanists who enjoy this sick fetish bullshit.

Have you even READ The Seven Tenants?

"One should strive to act with compassion and empathy towards all living creatures within reason..."

In NO way is this, physically and sexually violencing another living being, by any stretch of the imagination expressing this. It is deliberately denying it.

"One's body is inviolable, subject to one's own will, alone."

You are expressing, encouraging and taking joy in the exact opposite of this point.

"The freedom of another is to be respected... To willfully and unjustly encroach upon the freedom of another is to forego one's own."

You are again, expressing, encouraging and enjoying the befoulment of this point. You are surrendering Your own right to freedom from the promotion of violence against you, or arguably the violence itself, by pure principle of this.

"The struggle for justice is an ongoing and necessary pursuit that should prevail over laws and institutions"

Every day, rape survivors struggle to live again. Every aspect of their lives is a pile of shattered glass which they shred themselves trying to reassemble into a picture. You glorify, glamorize and take joy in the act that destroyed their lives and you spit upon the possibility of their pain being taken seriously and their violators being brought to see even a fraction of what they deserve.

"Every tenant is a guiding principle designed to inspire nobility in action and thought."

In NO way is promoting sexual violation and brutality noble. None.

The mission of The Satanic Temple is to encourage benevolence and empathy among all people. In addition, we embrace practical common sense and justice.

This is our creed. This is our work- The Work, in a nutshell. Or -at least- it is Supposed to be. The promotion of and glamorizing of sexual violence, the open violation of our basic tenants, this is a vile and disgusting befoulment of our very virtues. You are a shameful misrepresentation of The Work, The Left-hand Path and Satanism.

Un-Fuck yourself. NOW.

Recently, I had been contacted by a political activism group on Furaffinity. They wished to use some of my art to promote their group. They seemed a fairly progressive bunch with a strong emphasis on church-state separation and freedom of expression so I agreed to provide my services and support.

A few weeks later I was checking on their discord chat group and was surprised to find an extended forum of rape imagery of all stripes and a rather repulsive, jovial discussion of rape and the raping of young men and women.

I wanted no part of that. I know many survivors and have nothing but empathy for their suffering and respect for their struggle for a return to security and normalcy. If this was to be allowable or encouraged in the group, I wouldn't be associated with such.

Before leaving the "enlightened" group I felt it proper to talk with the founder whom had initially brought me onboard, explaining my grievance and perhaps coming to an understanding. After I explained my position on the subject I was verbally lambasted, given the full list of the usual excuses and defenses, mocked as a "bleeding heart" and my religion was belittled in an embarassing display of a lack of understanding of Satanism.

Since then, said founder has cut ties with me, personally and has allegedly made multiple assaults on my character in conversation with others.

Still, I would do it again and again if given the same situation.

If you should be a creative- Don't bother looking through your gallery. You know what you've drawn. Don't bother looking at your faves or likes. You know what's in there. Dont bother checking your groups. You know what they do and promote.

Most people view justice as a matter of equivalency. Quid pro quo. Eye for an eye- life for a life.

What "justice" is there to be had for a crime that can never be recovered from? What is "justice" in This case? How do we as a society enforce justice upon the act of violating a person for life?

What "justice" do you deserve?

You know if you're guilty or not. What you do with that knowledge is up to you and in the end that action will determine who you really are.

Treat others with compassion, Show empathy to the suffering, fight for the justice denied those who have been violenced. They are our friends. They are our families. They are us.

[justaramblingromantic]

~ send me a ship and i’ll tell you who ~

@snigz17 (Part II of III! Decided to do the three ships separately because the HCs all got so detailed...! Last one to be up soon!)

EiRin here

IshiNene here

RyoAli here

SouEri

curses like a sailor

Neither are the type to curse prolifically. That said, Souma can be rather inventive with his choice of epithets when thoroughly provoked…just as he is with his never ending, questionable experiments with different variations of grilled squid. The first time Erina hears an, uh, unusually creative combination of words coming out of his mouth, she stares at him like she has never seen him before. He is more amused than embarrassed by her comically appalled expression, and then he makes it a point to get this sheltered princess of his to loosen up a little by teaching her how to swear, too. She is very ruffled and affronted by his instructions, much to his everlasting glee. The first time she accidentally blurts out a cuss word in a fit of frustration, she is visibly horrified by her lapse in decorum, but he laughs until his face is red and calls out proudly ‘atta, girl!’

does the chores voluntarily

Souma is faster with the chores, Erina is more careful and meticulous. Her womanly pride is offended by his easygoing efficiency at first, and like almost everything they do, she tries to turn it into an unofficial competition, albeit a largely one sided one since Souma is never too bothered about that sort of thing in the first place. He is bemused by her sudden, unexpected enthusiasm when it comes to doing housework, this highborn ojou-sama who never had to dirty her hands with domestic chores all her life. She is also very hilarious when she runs to him all bright eyed with excitement and wonder, waving the ‘latest’ housecleaning gadget she finds, usually something incredibly cheap and for sale in 100-yen shops, marveling over the device like it’s the most magical thing she’s ever seen and boasting about it in the most adorably amusing fashion. 

wants to marry their bed

That massive princess canopy bed that she has slept on for the majority of her childhood and through her teenage years is a work of art and a frou-frou monstrosity, both at the same time. When they finally moved into their first apartment together, she wanted to take that humongous bed along too, regardless of the mind boggling logistics and limited space constraints that would render such a feat physically impossible. Souma carefully eyeballs that gigantic, polished, mahogany bed-frame with the equally mammoth mattress that could probably sleep an entire family comfortably, and firmly sets his foot down on this one. ‘Erina,’ he tells her matter-of-factly. ‘You won’t need all that space anymore.’ Not with me.

gets awkward about romantic gestures

She agonizes and worries and frets over them with all the solemness and graveness of making a major decision during a Tootsuki board meeting. Is it too much? Is it too little? What is that even supposed to mean? What if he thinks that I’m overbearing? What if he thinks that I don’t care? She’s so adamant on making everything equal and perfect that she gives herself no small amount of grief just pondering the proper thing to do. Souma watches all the mental gymnastics that she’s putting herself through, highly visible via the earnest emotions that flashes across her hesitating, clouded features, and eventually, he stands up, walks over to her and sets his hand on her shoulder. She glances up at him, startled by his presence. She always looks young and vulnerable and unsure to him during moments like this. He leans down and pecks a kiss on her cheek, silently reveling in this exquisite tenderness that she evokes so effortlessly in him. ‘I love you,’ he tells her simply, because sometimes she needs to hear the words to be reminded that he isn’t going anywhere. ‘What would you like to have for dinner? I’ll make your favorites.’ 

stays in the shower for what seems like hours

She’s a princess through and through, and princesses take long baths, apparently. He is endlessly bemused and fascinated by her girly ways and elaborate evening rituals; how she adores applying those faintly flowery, subtly sweet smelling creams on herself after emerging freshly washed from the bathroom, her ivory, moonlit skin flushed pink after a good, invigorating scrub in the shower. She has so many different bottles and containers of stuff in their bathing area he cannot even begin to fathom what each and every one is for - women sure are an endless mystery, and she has always been the most mysterious one out of them all. 

would adopt a million cats if given the chance

She’s never been allowed to have any pets growing up, and Souma didn’t think he has ever seen such a blissful, content expression on her face until they went to that cat cafe and she’s swimming in a furry pile of happy, purring felines who seem to adore her just as much as she does them. She looks so forlorn when it’s time to leave that he ends up petting her head and telling her they can come back again anytime she wants. She gazes at him with such childlike hope and delight, part of him starts to realize that he will be in trouble once she figures out that he can’t say no to her whenever she’s looking at him like that.

fixes stuff around the house / apartment

Every once in a while, Erina harbors manic fantasies and delusions of grandeur when it comes to being a good homemaker and DIY-er, but much to her dismay and endless bewilderment, most of her (non-culinary) home projects usually end in unspeakable disasters. Thankfully enough, there’s Souma to fix her messes and save her clumsy handiwork; the man is ridiculously handy to have around, even when she sometimes finds it immensely irritating that nothing she throws at him seems to faze him for too long.

watches too many Disney movies

Whenever she gets too stressed out with work yet is too tired to do anything to alleviate that tension, she switches on the television and plays Disney movies to relax. He comes home and finds her fast asleep on the couch with a flick playing in the background on more than one occasion, and whenever that happens, he turns off the TV, quietly picks her up in his arms, and carries her to bed. He tucks her in with uncharacteristic gentleness, careful not to rouse her from the rest her body so desperately needs. She wakes in the morning with no recollection whatsoever of getting in bed, but his familiar scent lingers on her sheets even when he’s already left to attend to work. Erina wistfully wonders if this fuzzy, content fondness is what Rapunzel feels as well when she thinks of her adventurous lover. 

gets drunk off of champagne

She has a secret, guilty weakness for expensive champagne, atypically French, rose gold and sparkling, of a certain rare vintage and an unforgettably full bodied, sophisticated flavor that’s strong, radiant, tense and sharp. Fitting for a queen...Yet he’s the one who grows inexplicably intoxicated as he drinks deeply from her mouth, seemingly unable to get enough of her heavenly taste. 

cries when the ASPCA commercials come on

She always insists with disgruntled vehemence that she’s not crying- how dare he say otherwise and is he secretly laughing at her? - and he pacifies her upset indignation with good humor - yes, yes, you’re totally not cryin’, I gotcha; our Erina has a heart as hard as steel - all the while drolly handing her pieces of tissues to blow her nose and dab with at her wet eyes.