#someone remind me to post my sketched of all my ocs too

[locallygrowndaikon]

might as well post my photoshoot of me cosplaying Ness

[tortor-sauce]

18+ POST LOOK AWAY 👹🔞 if you’re not 18+ PLEASE DNI with this post!! 👹🔞

(sketch and drabble and headcanons)

(jel/reth/oc stuff)

GO AWAY LOOK AWAY!!!!! IM WARNING YOU 🔪

SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP I CANT EVEN TAG THIS I DONT EVEN WANT PEOPLE TO SEE BUT I HAVE TO SHOW SOMEONE AND TALK ABOUT IT OR I’LL EXPLODE!!!!

i’m too shy to share the whole picture IM SORRY—i just wanted to capture a few headcanons into a single shamelessly horny drawing of the three of them together. also, my thoughts are completely unorganized and this post is mostly just me rambling!

small disclaimer, if you don’t agree with or like my headcanons, that’s totally valid but please don’t tell me so 🙇 i kindly ask you just move on from this post. thank you!

okay. so i feel like both reth and jel are service tops HEAR ME OUT—like, they’re both just a couple of pathetic lover boys who are so head over heels in love with you. the fact they practically always gift you something when you flirt with them in-game (jel gifting silk and reth gifting soup) i feel is their attempts at spoiling you and taking care of you in their own way. they just want to see you happy and make you cum your brains out a thousand times until you can’t think straight anymore 🥺

and in general, i feel jel would love to shower you in compliments and words of praise and practically worship your body. while i feel reth is the type to show you how he feels and relish in watching you come undone with him. but personally 👉👈 i feel jel and reth align more closely as switches because they’re both so.. so soft and need to be spoiled and loved so deeply (no innuendo intended)

with that said, i think jel is a more intimate and passionate lover while reth is a bit more unhinged and rough. that’s not to say jel doesn’t have his sadistic bouts. i feel it stems directly from his obsessive nature and grows into a desire to watch you submit to him and his whims, sort of in a controlling way. but it makes him so happy when you do. the need to know you belong to him, both your heart and body, is honestly really important to him. i actually feel he has control issues due to a number of reasons but that’s a different discussion—💀 and he rewards you so thoroughly for showing him how much you love him. god, the aftercare? he’s so gentle and attentive and treats you like the most precious thing he’s ever held.

more on reth, while not as sadistic, i feel he’s still plenty controlling when he wants to be. the poor man has hardly any control in his day-to-day life and the fact you allow him an ounce of control? over your body of all things? yeah, that shit drives him mad (positive). gets a bit carried away and leaves marks on your body, hickeys, scratches, bruises, the like. but hey, at least it’s a pretty reminder of how much fun you had together. plus, if anyone sees they’ll know you belong to him. but he definitely teases you about it the following days by making sly comments and even running his fingers over the more sensitive marks.

so, in my polycule i envision moments where two will actively spoil the other. so for instance like when maddox and reth want to spoil jel and shower him in the love and affection he deserves, he gets all shy and blushy but relishes in the moment. he pays them back tenfold once they’re finished, but not that same night. maddox and reth make sure he’s completely worn out so he’ll finally get some damn sleep for once. reth is the same in that regard; he gets all shy and blushy but he enjoys being spoiled for once. not having to care about anything or anyone else and focus fully on himself and his pleasure. and the two know this and want to show him how loved he is. lowkey i imagine jel bringing him to tears, crying tears of pleasure and from overstimulation but that may be a personal thing of mine. 💀 and as for maddox? they both know exactly which buttons to push. i imagine them sort of egging each other along. i mentioned earlier i think jel has a sadistic side to him, well i think the same of reth albeit not nearly as prominent. like, the fact he teases and flirts so much could be for a number of reasons, but how lovely it would be if it were only to watch their reactions each time. with that said, maddox happens to be very reactive and discovering that fact in bed, like, awakens something inside of him to tease more, to push as much as maddox will allow him. and yes, he notices the way jel reacts to it too. it only makes him want to tease him for the fact as well 🥴 WHICH is why i drew him with that expression LMAO normally i would’ve imagined him with a much softer and kinder expression but i think he’s quick to lose himself in the throes of pleasure which causes him to act a bit selfish at times. but like i said, i see him as a service top so really his ‘selfish’ moments are him just spoiling maddie and jel and showering their bodies with so much love and attention.

i have so many more thoughts but this post is getting long and i’m getting embarrassed so i’ll stop there for now.

IF YOU READ THIS IM SORRY LOL BUT THANK YOU FOR INDULGING ME///////

[mantisgodsart]

[Tonight I dreamed of teeth and claws and what felt like a million grasping hands chasing me through an endless field. The air smelled of sulphur and acid, and I could tell something was watching me, far beneath the moss and earth.

I woke to find I had been shedding wing scales in my sleep, and that apparently one of my primary containment chambers was registering a foreign presence within it. The only thing there when I checked, however, was Mal, who is supposed to be there - and certainly not supposed to be registering as an intruder.

I hope I don't have to update containment over this. Rescribing every little knot in the weave every time I need to strengthen or add to it gets tiring, when you have to do it multiple times a month. Maybe I should start looking for an apprentice again, if only so I don't have to maintain the entire laboratory myself.

There's an old joke about this sort of thing, charmsmiths only getting an apprentice when they need to make sure someone's take down notes about the experiment that kills them. I'd like to think it's more simply making sure that my knowledge doesn't die with me...]

One of the two left over from @bug-oc Round 1, Mal from @sushiikando gets a post all to their own, just like a Round 2 contestant! This is both because zey're a big/complicated design and because we... really aren't gonna be done Pola any time soon. Which is probably what we get for making a comic, even a short comic, while in the time of summer where we actively struggle to think. Oh, well. We'll get it done eventually.

More details under cut, as usual - despite our enthusiasm for walls of text, we don't particularly want to completely obliterate your dashboard. We're getting kicked in the dick by fatigue right now, so further ones might take a bit - we've got Maria sketched out, and Pola's comic only really needs painting and accompanying story, so all fates willing, it shouldn't be too too much of a holdup. There's an abundance of things that we would LOVE to be doing right now, but heat does awful things to our brain, we're still feeling off from being sick, and with tourism season in swing to boot even with our current medication it's an uphill battle to get ourself to do anything at the moment. Hopefully, this clears up soon. For now, we're still very much alive.

First things first - wow, this one took a few drafts. Although not really an originally anticipated difficulty, the lack of reference of just what Mal looks like under that coat made a lot of our original ideas fall a bit flat unless we wanted to make something up from whole cloth. Marigold's transmutations don't include clothes by default, since actively incorporating inanimate objects into an animate body is both difficult and much, much fussier than usual when you're using Marigold's particular methods.

We tried a few initial designs that stopped at that point, then tried at incorporating the coat into the design more properly a la the more "abstract" brews, but after a few fell flat, we sort of... just started throwing spaghetti at the wall, so to speak, and spaghetti stuck. The body patterns here are, for the most part, entirely made up. Maybe the patterns distorted, maybe they didn't - we don't know what's under the coat and we will likely never learn. It's probably fine.

Our primary inspiration here is eastern dragons, particularly the mythos of the koi who climbed the waterfall - the colors and patterns of Mal's design reminded us of koi patterns on first glance, and after a few drafts, we started running with the concept, using both Mal's wings and the shape of the lab coat for "fins". Runaway To The Stars's Bug Ferrets also provided some inspiration (particularly in the face - if you click the link, those mandibles might start looking very familiar).

We also took some amount of inspiration from theveryworstthing's REMwolf series, particularly Laika and The Morriss Dragon, though a lot of the particularly body-horror-y and sillhouette-breaking effects we might have wanted to include in a more detailed piece got nixed by a lack of time. We cannot take the duration of the entire tournament to draw one Round 1 contestant, unfortunately. Even if we wish we could've gotten a bit more detailed, and we very much would've liked to tinker with working in some design elements akin to Sea Legs or Guard Dog or Biology Lab, we're very nearly a full month overdue by now. We have other contestants to paint, and so we must move on.

...fuck, this took a while. Thank you for being patient with us while our brain's scaffolding falls to pieces! We dearly appreciate it. Hope you have an excellent summer!

[bobbybutterfly]

I have a post lined up about my latest finished SaH doll. But it’s taking just far too long to finish. So I thought I would make a different post in the meantime. Getting ya’ll up to speed with some of my SaH digital art. Starting with a piece I finished just now VISUAL KEI MULORI for @32girassoisdevangogh !

Hope she looks alright. I should have done more research before jumping straight into it. Ever since I discovered pen stabilisation inking became way more enjoyable. I just have to have a sketch I made on paper underneath because unless it’s something simple like the things in the panels and the petals then it’s not going to end well. Let’s just say that.

I first learned (maybe somewhere else before that but this is what I remember) of Visual Kei I would say was in a Rainbow High Review of sorts by Negative Legend on Youtube. She mentioned it would be neat if more dolls would represent this subculture. I looked it up and personally didn’t like it.

Well. Things are different now. I heard the calling of the darkness. I’m a fan of the trad goth style and Visual Kei looks awesome. Thanks for reminding me of this subculture with this art trade.

Now for something more cheerful. It’s the return of my OC Shiho Tenshi. I don’t know why I started thinking about them again. But here we go.

They’re wearing an outfit inspired by Princess Knight, a revolutionary shoujo manga. I started watching the anime when I was in England and it’s so fun! Also the main character is what we would call now nonbinary. Although you could make an argument that Prince Sapphire is trans masc. It’s thought to say.

Yeah. I don’t have much to add to this. Just happy to draw them again.

What’s this? A new OC alert?!

It’s a white rabbit everyone! We always need more of those. Inspired by 1920’s I Shanghai Art Nouveau posters it’s Ai Yuen. She’s a silent film actress and a spy. Originally I wanted her to be a spy for the Weasel Empire but now I think she should be a spy for Flower Hill. She seduces the animals she spies on. Tricking them into thinking that she’s just some bimbo you can spill all your secrets to.

She’s a mean girl only out for herself. She knows she’s talented and looks good. She knows her worth. Not going to lie, major lesbian vibes. I don’t know why. She grew up relatively poor and climbed that ladder. Getting rid of everyone who stood in her way. Deep down she’s really lonely. But she hates the idea of being vulnerable and needing others so she pushes it down with opium and other drugs.

Then she meets Shiho Tenshi. Someone with a similar background to her. But instead of being all alone they have their big acting troupe that’s like a found family. Ai slowly starts to open up. Thinking to herself that she’s only getting closer to Shiho because of her mission. A mission that would lead to her getting killed by Flower Hill if her true feelings were to get out.

She’s one of the OCs I made just because why not. I don’t have any ideas what to do with her. Well. Maybe I could make a doll of her later down the line? Let me know what you think.

[fluffalpenguin]

⬅[Prev] Day 2: Family

@ygoc-week Day 3: Decks

I wanted to sketch something for each of my ocs with their aces but unfortunately i passed out last night so i'm just going to chuck the actual card beside a picture of them, lol

Image heavy post below!

Starting off with the Synchro Dimension, Hamelin uses a Yang Zing deck, and has two "secret roommates" (read: pet rats) that she named after Ba Xia and Jiaotu, her two main Extra Deck Aces.

She switches gears to Magikeys when in her Phantom Thief persona, who has a deep grudge against...

Jackie, who uses Swordsouls, an archetype that carries much meaning to her. Her belt is based on QXYL's sword(?)tail(?) and her unwavering devotion to an estranged childhood friend makes her a worthy wielder of the sword the card is based on, which represents integrity.

Jackie works for Fleur, who uses Aromages. As someone who is very at home behind a chessboard, she doesn't like dueling that much as it has too many uncontrollable factors, such as luck.

Moving to the Standard Dimension, first up is Cider and her Myutants! What? Her duel disk? Oh, that's because she's originally from [REDACTED]

Weird, how did we end up in the Xyz Dimension? Anyway, Alcidis uses Witchcrafters, and before you ask me how he Xyz summons with this deck, my answer is that he splashes in Dogmatika cards from his bestie:

Arte, who uses Dogmatika! When she duels, it's like a switch flips, and she looks a lot like her brother... It scares her teacher, because it reminds him of a very unpleasant memory...

Viol used Mermails during the war, but after the events of the show he upgrades his ace from Abyss Dweller to a... custom monster... that I haven't designed yet lmao sigh one day i will

Back in Academia, Faye and Fence shared a Dream Mirror deck, each memorising one side of the deck as they struggled too much to memorise and use a single deck by themselves. After they moved to Standard, Fence picked up Normal Pendulums and Faye uses a custom Xyz archetype that lets her transform like her favourite masked riders!

(Above art by @mechaseraph go throw money at them you won't regret it)

Last but not least, Fuschia with his Despians! He picked it because he loves red and purple, but more importantly, he found the love of his life... Aluber the Dogmatic. Yeah, he's one of those weirdos with a duel monster crush (same tbh)

He'd never admit he had a crush on Aluber during the events of ARC-V, but post-canon he unabashedly has a giant poster of him (pictured above) in his room.

死の舞台で闇と光こそ栄える… 答え探し道はここに途絶える！ 融合召喚！レベル⑧ デスピアン・クエリティス!

Upon this stage of death¹, darkness and light² alike thrive… Your path for answers³ ends here! I fusion summon! Level 8 Despian Quaeritis!

Did I make a summon chant in japanese too because i could yeah i may be cringe but at least im free

[1] Despia is a portmanteau of 'death' and 'thespian'. [2] His ace's fusion materials requires one Despian monster and a LIGHT or DARK monster. [3] Despian Quaeritis is named after quem quaeritis i.e. Whom do you seek? It's a question Fuschia often asks his quarry during the war. (And then he cards them all together after helping them reunite)

➞[Next] Day 4: Relationships

[shadowredfeline]

Five in One Post

For my Filipino Friend's National Dog Day Drawing

Looks really cute of how Spot, Rita and Aace got to be with Dogday for National Dog Day. Even Rita is great is helping with dogs whenever they're in need.

And for my Filipino Friend's Sketch Comic

It has been a while since you've done a sketch drawing, and same goes for me, because right now, i'm doing some sketches and then finish them on my Cellphone or IPad by editing out by adding the line art and color at the same time, which i know that's what our A-Pal does. But when you made the comic, ever since our A-Pal did that pic with Unikitty back in 2018, i was wanting to another drawing where we had Nicole, Richard and Anais get attack by the Giant Chicken from Family Guy because otherwise the three should no better into falsely accusing their sons. But if Panini saw Anais badly hurt by the Giant Chicken, maybe she can fight the Giant Chicken as well. But normally Mung Daal and Truffles are the only two who can also fight the Giant Chicken. And it'll be something the Giant Chicken would do is take a break from fighting Peter Griffin and fight someone else for a change.

And two Reponses for both my A-Pal and my Filipino Friend.

First off, i sometimes do drawings when i was in school and i can sometimes draw at work during my break or lunch time. But even one day when i get a better job somewhere else, i'm sure i'll find a great one that is perfect for me on writing, illustrating or even do Coding and voice acting. And i can sometimes draw when i'm over at social club anytime i don't want to craft something, and i can sometimes craft on something that i would like or am interested in.

Second Response.

I have remember Pig, Goat, Banana, Cricket. I wasn't a fan of that show myself, but i remember Phantomstrider has talked about it in Worst Nickelodeon shows since on the cartoon was ugly and gross, and that show was also trying to redo the Ren and Stimpy Style of how more Gross and Intense it is. But i do love We Bare Bears since it's a really good show on Cartoon Network, plus i also remember that my Aunt also likes that show too. When she used to be alive, we do talk about it anytime i used to hangout with my Aunt. And also, i know Shadow will be extra careful when he tries to avoid stepping through the flesh and the goo.

And a Response to the three,

That sandwich does look really good to what our G-Pal got for his lunch. And when you mentioned "Shells" It sounds like you're thinking of Gas station and it also has a minimart. And i remember that Gas Station company ever since i was young "Shells" Because ever since the 90s, i always remember another Gas Station company called "Texaco" Which it's another Gas Station i remember since the 90s. And yeah i hope the Mochi taste really good. Since i never had one ever since my sister brought me home some Macaroons. Which are also pretty good, and i'm always about the sweet sugary taste which i'm sure our OCs would enjoy anytime they crave a sweet tooth. But i only went to a shop that sells Boba Tea, and i know my sister has tried Boba tea before.

[onlyswan]

hello! tulip anonie came back from the dead 🪦

i’ve just been catching up on your posts and why am i seeing people saying you’re leaving?!? 😭 but i’m so glad you clarified that you just need a break and i’m so sorry you have to go through that my love ♡ i just want to say if you really need a break then take it. you don’t have to write anything, and you don’t owe anyone anything. i think sometimes a slump is what we need to make us feel the yearning to do something that we love again because we’ll miss it eventually.

i guess may was a rough month for everyone. take your time to do selfcare for a whole week because may was an ass and i -too- wanna kick it in the butt for being the toughest and longest month so far. i know the ‘lack’ of interaction / appreciation for your writings lately can be discouraging and i totally get that. like sometimes it can feel as if a negative comment would be better than nothing, because at least ‘someone is acknowledging something that i made’. but i’m so happy so many people came to give you the love and support and it proves that you’re so loved and appreciated because your works really helped people to find comfort and have a peaceful time even just for 10 minutes of their (mine too) 24 hour long and tiring day.

oooh… and i want to tell you about a bit of my life lately… remember that i was going to yoongi’s concert and it was my first ever concert and you told me to forget everything except my ticket and powerbank? yea… my powerbank broke and i had to borrow this lovely lady’s 💀 i got a vip soundcheck and practically a barricade 🥹 i still can’t believe i got to see 1 of 7 of them right in front of my eyes 😭 i had so much fun and as an introvert -i hate crowded places so much and meeting so many people makes me anxious- i never thought i’d love concert as much as i did! but i’ll give it to yoongi and the lovely people i met, army 🫶🏻 because they’re the nicest people on earth istg. talking with armies online is so nice, but meeting so much of them in real life was soooo much better. the whole time i saw them, my brain just went “wow… we really love the same person / band huh. the tannies are so loved. i love it here”. speaking of concert… i got tickets for coldplay too! 😭praying that they will perform my univers live 🕯️🪐✨

and here we are in june! let’s have fun with tannies because it’s our month! i started this month still with a neverending college final project *booing and throwing tomatoes*. but i’m so happy because i finally found the type of pencil i’ve been searching for soooo long that i got out of my year long drawing slump… and i’ve been practicing again with drawing jungkook’s nose because i love it so much and i wanna *boop* it. and as i was sketching, i was watching the festa livestreams the whole day. a therapeutic experience :’] i miss them soooo much ❤️‍🩹

as i’m writing this, i’m eating unripe mangoes with salt and chili. reminds me of that drabble where jungkook, his abs, and oc went on a beach vacation ♡ OH! and the latest drabble!! i wanna be loved that way sooooo bad 🥲 and so steamy😮‍💨 and the bathtub scene… oh artemis i love how you can always always make the most out of the very intimate places in the house of lovers… the kitchen, the bedroom, and the bathroom. EVEN THE WALK IN CLOSET FFS. it’s just how good you are with what you do and you use your heart to dictate the words to your fingers.

buuut how are you feeling now? how are you doing? you can vent if you want to, i’m all ears! i hope good things happen ♡ have a great day artemis!

-🌷

hello my tulip anonie! i missed you so much! aghhh you got to see yoongi so close?!?!? i’m so happy 🥹 you deserve it so much !!!! 🥹 and thank god the lovely lady let you borrow their powerbank lmaooo. so nice to hear you had a wonderful experience at your first concert :") hopefully it’s the same for the next one too! coldplay is amazing!

and omg you draw??? you’re so cool <3 jungkook’s nose is my favorite nose ever if i was an artist i’d totally spend all my time practicing how to draw it. hehe

stop now i’m craving for mangoes 🫢 and maybe a jungkook. the latest drabble!! the bathtub scene… rips me to shreds when i think about it until now tbh. every room, no matter how small, can hold an eternity of memories 🥺 i guess is what i’m trying to say.

thank you so much for your understanding and endless love my beloved <3 life has just not been very kind, like everything that can go wrong is going wrong? i’m ok with challenges, but maybe only one at a time? 🤣 but you’re right! hopefully june will be a better month. with festa and pride month, i think we deserve that much !! hopefully i get to finish the next drabble soon too, which actually been helping me release my heartache little by little <3 i hope you have an amazing week my love! ☁️

[zante-selachi]

unveiling my Shadow Company OC

pushes him to the front this is how he looks for now, dont remember if i made any additional changes after drawing this hshsh (Leopard was his old callsign) also im not the best w/ writing on tumblr cus i dont really post here so...

anyway if anyone wanna use him for any SC prompts/drabbles/writings, feel free to do so or ask me/dm me about him :3

will insert some sketches of him i did which also have his old design at the bottom

CW: mention of torture, unhealthy coping mechanisms

Callsign: Belantik / Orion (based on the constellation) he doesnt mind whichever bc both mean the same thing, just in Malay and English

He/him, pansexual, 5'10 and Malaysian. He has tanned skin with hazel eyes (i suck at colouring so if he looks off, im sorry 💀)

He likes to paint his nails black or any other dark colours and wear rings when not on mission

He has a scar on his neck from when he was tortured really badly bc his captors wanted to silence his screams

Sucks to be them, he can still talk but not for too long/too much bc it hurts so most of the time he doesnt talk unless he needs to and this made him looks like that one scary higher-up that will stare you down--and he will--but the point is that he. Will. Get. His. Point. Across. No. Matter. What.

Orion who was only working with SC temporarily for quick cash but they somehow wormed their way into his heart and he eventually signed his life away to the devil (Graves, that smug man) and found himself being in a whole ass PMC after years of working alone/being vigilant

He took some time to adjust being in a team again and trusting them with his back because ✨trauma✨ but once he got the hang of it, he is fiercely protective of the men and will stop at nothing for them

Orion who wakes up every morning very dazed and just smiles at whatever the men are doing, no matter how chaotic they are while he sips at his tea (he rarely drinks coffee bc it makes him sleepier) has a sketch of this below‼️

Orion (a Captain) who would make sure his men come back from their mission alive. Banged up to the hell and back but alive and able to get back on their feet while he hovers over them whenever possible to make sure they rest properly

Las Almas absolutely devastated him and he isolated himself for some time bc it reminded him of bad times, felt like he didnt do good enough for his men and Graves

Orion who grumbles with a scowl on his face at how stupid the men are while he just stands and watches them, not even trying to stop their antics (because he likes seeing how happy they are, missions are hard enough and hes not stopping them from having fun)

Anytime he grumbles or shit talks someone, he would revert back to his native language which is Malay. Examples of what he would say below :>

"Ni lah dia budak2 zaman sekarang..." (Kids nowadays I swear...) [exasperated & fond]

"Orang dah kata jangan buat, dia buat jugak. Kan dah kena." (I said to not do it and they still did it. Serve you right.) [amused]

"Susah lah aku kerja ngan orang2 bodoh cam si botak ni, beruban aku sial." (It's so damn hard working with dumbasses like this bald fucker, im gonna grow white hair atp) [angry]

"Pale hotak kau." (Are you fucking dumb.) [deadpan]

"Commander tersayang aku ni... bongok gak." (My beloved Commander... just as idiotic) [fond]

"Aku benci mat saleh, babi pahal sedap sangat suara ngan accent??" (I hate white ppl [slang, but in this he actually just meant non-Malaysians] why the hell are their voices and accents so damn nice??) [frustrated & flustered]

Silly facts when i was first making him

- I wasnt sure if i wanted him in tf141, kortac, or sc but chose sc bc ehem graves... hello...

- i forgot about giving him his number in sc oops but maybe 2-15?

Sketches!

1&2 are based on a tt video (old design)

3 is self-explanatory (old design)

4 is eepy and smiley Orion (current design)

5 is his first ever design‼️‼️

Thats all for now, thank u goodnight runs away

[ultravioart]

Self reflection with Art

Man, I keep wanting to draw Marvin in WoY style, Dominion Au stuff, Star Wars Ocs, maybe even some Ramattra art, but I get insecure about the quality of it. My whole plan to 'post art at the end of each month' backfired because: 1: Deadlines make my brain procrastinate due to past traumatic experiences with school/work deadlines when I fell extremely ill (yes I met 95% of the deadlines, but it left me with debilitating burnout that took years to recover from. Thanks dysautonomia, spoon debt is REAL). So this January with my new "post at the end of the month" plan, instead of drawing all the time like I usually do with no pressure to post, I procrastinated, and mostly drew within the last 3 days of the month because I felt pressured by my set deadline. This was not helpful lol, I'll try something different going forward. But within that procrastinating, it did allow me to take a long break from my PC set up, and explore different activities more. Like cooking, learning to crochet, self care (meal prep, research into foods, research into how to care for my hair texture), research in general on topics I find interesting, and deeper life discussions face to face with the people in my household. I think I will include more "days off" from my art set up so that I can dedicate full days to other activities going forward. Sometimes you have to take one day at a time with POTS (dysautonomia), and that's okay. Some days you can't draw, and that's okay too, no need to force it because you REALLY want to create art right then and there. 2: looking back on the art I did draw, I didn't post it at the end of the month because I felt it wasn't "quality" enough to post. It was quick sketching with shape use I didn't like enough, or line quality I didn't like. I have to remember that posting is better than not, and it doesn't matter if I think it sucks. So what? There's nothing to be ashamed of. Going through this internal discourse, it did suddenly remind me that I draw VERY fast, and what would take someone underdrawings + line art to look like a nice doodle, I genuinely just doodle something out in less than a minute that looks like a nice doodle. So, there is no need to beat myself up if my less than a minute art isn't perfect lol. Not every day I can physically draw, and that's okay. Those low days I can just create a prep of ref, or scribble stick figures so I at least remember what the comic was so I don't forget the idea.

[zulivaris]

Art Block tips that helped me

��I’ve recently experienced art block after 3 or so months of overcoming my last one. Thankfully this block only lasted a few days thanks to some things I’ve observed and noted down from the previous time. So I’m sharing these few tips in hopes that it might help someone get unstuck :D!

First and foremost if you’re tired, sad or anxious don’t be surprised that you can’t make art, go and take care of yourself by treating yourself with kindness and patience, the sketchbooks and canvases will wait for you :)

The tips are under here:

Separate art studies from the creative time:  When you do art studies you’re there to focus on specific things, learn and understand how things work so you can apply them later in your art. Studies take a lot of energy and focus and are the opposite of the creative "flow” of making your own pieces. If you combine the two the results are either unfocused studies or stiff drawings. When you sit down at your desk ask yourself “Do I want to learn something new or do I want to create something of my own?”

When you have an idea don’t be afraid of being messy: Let’s say you want to make a picture of several cats kolo dancing in the moonlight. How do you go about doing this? Well since you came up with the idea you already have a vague image in your mind, sketch it out with simple shapes, stick figures, circle and spheres etc Don’t worry about cat anatomy, or the dancer’s moves, sketch out the essence of it. This method removes the need to be perfect or accurate. 

Ok after the messy sketch then what? Well now that you have sketched out the essence of your idea (and hopefully had fun doing so) now you go on to look for references! You put the creative process on pause and you can do a few brief studies if you need to: anatomy, color schemes, values, poses. Pick out a few of your favorites but don't obsess over them, they are a guide, a tool.

You know much more than you think. You’ve probably been drawing for a few years now. You’ve probably done some studies and drawn more than one type of subject. Then you have already internalized some of that information. I used to be obsessed with capturing the minute detail of the subject, and not be able to draw ANYTHING without reference. Instead of a useful tool, references became another obstacle to my creativity. That’s perfectionism my friend, and that’s no good. Here is an exercise a good friend of mine offered: Draw a few characters, animals and objects from imagination. Make sure that the subjects have no personal value to you (no ocs for example) so that if you make a mistake you won’t feel bad about it. Make the process relaxed and comfortable, pour a nice cup of joe, listen to your favorite music ... You will notice that you do indeed know how to draw some things without reference, and it’ll help with your confidence. 

The more you do studies the more you understand This seems evident but the more you understand your subject the freer you can be and the easier it’ll be to draw it from imagination in the future. If you really struggle with something to the point of frustration (as in you can’t get it right even with reference) It means you have to study it. Have a study list, for example: hands, perspective, color theory etc. And one of those days you want to study pick something from the list, and look for videos on youtube or useful sites like line of action etc. Only study one thing at the time. You can go from studying hands to studying arms since they’re more immediately connected, but you can’t study hands and then jump to learning perspective right after. Trust me you can learn perfectly fine with the resources online, and I’m sure you’re clever enough to do it :D

Mistakes don’t mean you “suck”  I’ve noticed that the two most common causes for art block are perfectionism and lack of self-confidence.  The two can often go in tandem which is worse :’D But let me remind you of something, you can fix your piece along the whole process. Use erasers, lasso tools, liquify , select, paint it all over etc If something looks off to you then you also know deep inside how to fix it. Useful ways to see what clunks: flip canvas horizontally (helps with placement, proportions), turn the image to grayscale (helps to check values and where your eye tends to look), look at your image in thumbnail size and ask yourself if it’s clear, see the pose’s silhouette and ask yourself if you can tell what the character is doing etc. Don’t fret, everything can always be fixed :)

Perfectionism, sometimes it stops you before you begin Perfectionism causes you to overwork a piece, it makes you draw less, it makes art stressful, it brings insecurity. Let’s remove it with a simple exercise. It can be combined with the “draw things from imagination” once you’ve drawn something you like: dont do line art, don’t shade it, keep it as simple and crude as possible and then...post it. Yes, post it. You’re not at your best? You’re only human, this will help you embrace that very human side of you. You make mistakes. So what? The more mistakes you make the more you know what you need to study and the better at art you become. Mistakes are there to show us what we need to learn. See them as another tool and not a sign of failure.

Make the process as enjoyable as possible: You like art. You love drawing. Never forget this. Otherwise why are you drawing if you don’t enjoy it? It’s easy to fall prey to the mentality of those relatable memes that “art= suffering” or “I can’t even draw the other eye”. No no no my friends, these messages are fueling your insecurities instead of overcoming them. Let me tell you what, art is fun. It is. Art is fun, because I decided to make it fun again. And you should decide on that too. Personally I adore lineart but my hand-eye coordination is lacking to do it digitally, so....I just skipped it. Yes. I skipped it. I do the sketch, I clean it up a bit and then jump onto color which I adore. It allowed me to draw more and more freely. When I draw I listen to music, make strokes with the rhythm, I take breaks often and I drink my favorite iced teas. If you don’t like coloring do it in grayscale, if you love lineart then do that etc It doesn’t mean you won’t learn your weak points in the future with studies and practice, but you won’t let your weaknesses prevent you from drawing at all. No no, you won’t let them. You draw because you want to, despite of them.

Don’t wait for inspiration, provoke it  Inspiration is not a divine and capricious muse. You make inspiration. It’s easy just collect all the things you like, music, artists, objects, characters, animals, patterns, plants etc Make boards on pinterest or similar sites, combine things you like. You like suits? You like birds? You can draw a bird in a suit, or a bird-inspired suit design, there is frankly a lot of ideas that can spring up from little things like these.

When a project stops being enjoyable either pause it for now or move on to the next thing. Pieces aren’t precious. They’re not “the one time I got x right” they are one of many. This advice goes mainly to hobbyists who can afford the luxury of passing to a new project. I have a WIP of a character who is overly complicated (I enjoy a challenge from time to time) sitting for half a month. I sometimes come back to it and add something... but as soon as it starts to create discomfort and insecurity instead of enjoyment I move onto something else. In the meantime I created 3 or 4 new pieces. If I had waited on finishing that piece I would have been severely creatively and physically exhausted. The art comes from you, not inspiration. The more art you make the better you become.

That’s about it :D I know it’s long but I prefer to be thorough and cover all the possibilities. If you have read of this: Thank you so much I hope this helps you at least a bit, if it helps only 1 other person I’d still be very happy. Have a nice one, and kick art block’s butt!

[marinerainbow]

Alrighty, @marshmallow-biscuit-blog encouraged me to post about my other OC (if I ever post my own stuff on my own more than likely someone encouraged me) so here's Betty Locera!

(As usual, art done by marshmallow, and in fact her last name is thanks to her too! ^^)

Betty came from a big family, that grew and sold all types of flowers to tea factories and flower shops. When she was old enough though, she decided to leave the nest and settle down in her own home, choosing to move to Inkwell Isle. Isle One specifically because the grassy plains reminded her of home, so it was her way of being close to her family. Not to mention the fact that she's simply not used to the city and wasn't feeling adventurous enough to move in it.

She made plenty of neighbors, a couple of which she's more personally involved with in their lives in different ways. The first being Cagney Carnation, though the two of them developed a bit of a rivalry. Elder Kettle however she made good friends with.

They met when she first moved in and decided to introduce herself to her neighbors, she found Kettle in his garden and was about to walk up to him, but he cracked his back so she helped him inside and took care of him. Ever since then, she's come over to check in him frequently and even became involved in Cuphead's and Mugman's lives.

And that's her story. Pretty simple I know, but unlike Sketch she doesn't really get involved in anything serious. Even while the boys faced the debt collectors, she acts more like the helpful NPC's like Kettle and Chalice. Anyways, onto tidbits about her!

Despite her soft appearance, she is not a pushover. She was raised to stand her ground and be honest to a fault, even if the truth hurts. But she still has a kind heart and will help out whenever she can, and will even give criminals a chance if she can see a potential to be good in them and they prove her right. All in all, she's a sweet lady who won't take anybodies crap.

She does in fact babysit the boys and acts as like an aunt figure for them. Which means she is acutely aware of the type of shenanigans they can get up to. And since she adopts Flower Gal (@marshmallow-biscuit-blog adorable OC) she has much more experience being a parent.

She still grows flowers in her garden. In fact, that's her job in a way; she'll sell her flowers to the local shops and will even enter Flower competitions. Of course she'll take other odd jobs like babysitting or cleaning for extra cash. Her and Kettle bond by sharing gardening tips, and the competitions only fuel hers and Cagney's rivalry.

Speaking of which, it can be easy to rile her up. Something that Cagney exploits. The two are often arguing about various topics. Betty does not appreciate or tolerate bad attitude from anyone, fortunately she won't get physical.

I imagine Betty's height is just a bit below King Dice's shoulders (it's a bit hard to measure, though I think I got it right. I'm using the shows height btw). And I also imagine her having a bit of a southern accent. I can't think of a character to properly use as an example though.

Alrighty, that's all I can think of! Any questions and constructive criticism is always welcome! ^^

[i-did-not-mean-to]

Diary found in K---D--- : Part 2

So, here's the next little part of this :D

Imagine by @lathalea is indented!

Enjoy <3

Taglist: @shrimpsthings, @mulasawala (so you see where I'm going with this lol)

(Yes, there will be MORE artwork coming, stay posted...)

Fandom: Hobbit

Characters: Ori x OC

Rating & Warning: Fluff and silliness

His name was Ori and he was a scribe in Erebor. It turned out he visited the forest often to sketch the animals and plants. You spent the rest of the day together. In the evening, you exchanged campfire stories, sharing a meal. At one point, he shyly asked about where you came from. Blushing, he admitted, almost whispering, he never saw a person with such beautiful hair before.

You told him that you came from another world, from a region called East Asia, where many people looked similarly to you. He was very curious about your homeland, your culture and your world. You spent hours telling him everything about it and he listened to you in awe.

“Ori.” He replied, his lips quirking a tiny bit as if he was not used to speaking his own name. “I’m a scribe. In Erebor. The Mountain.” He pointed to a tree beyond the clearing.

Thankfully, I was familiar with the Lonely Mountain and did not think that he didn’t know the difference between a living organism and a pile of minerals.

“I have never seen you, neither here nor in that Mountain.” I replied, for I went into the halls sometimes to translate for travellers, but for the most part, I let the king be his grumpy, glorious self.

“I come here often, to sketch, but I seem to have lost my way.” He admitted with a tiny frown. Ah, a real dwarf. They only knew up and down seemingly and if there was no way into a hill, they’d stubbornly trek up until they tumbled off the other side again.

As if to prove to me that he was not lying – dear reader, he had a face that was utterly devoid of malice or dissimulation – he showed me rather good sketches of the fauna and flora of the dense forest surrounding us. “That is really good, Ori, the scribe, from under the Mountain.” I commented which made him blush with a fierce and, apparently, unexpected pleasure.

In an expression of indescribable cuteness, he literally wiped his face with his sleeve as if he could clean away the rosy hue like a stubborn ink stain from under his skin.

“What are you here for?” He then asked, pushing out his chest heroically. As a reminder, he was the one who had lost his way, but apparently, he wanted to defend either the forest from me or the other way around.

“I am here to think…in silence.” I replied; he retreated a few steps. “Oh? I’ll leave you to it then, I guess. It was great to make your acquaintance…”

I gave him my name, after all, he had given me his, and he chewed on it for a few moments before his face split into a smile that was like the sunlight breaking through the cloudy afternoon sky: tentative, warm, and strikingly beautiful.

“Stay. I like your face.” I heard myself saying. Maybe, it was my teasing, mischievous streak acting up, but I had liked his embarrassment so much that I couldn’t help wanting to coax more of these blushes out of him.

“My…face?” In that weird dance he had been engaged in for the last few minutes, Ori stepped closer again, shuffling his feet in the heavy boots dwarrows insisted on wearing.

No, your ass, I thought, but bit my tongue; Ori the dwarf looked like someone who would die on the spot if I said anything even remotely inappropriate…as I was wont to do when nervous.

My sarcastic thought spurred my own interest though and I examined him a little closer: he was indeed swaddled like a babe, beads of sweat pearling down his temples on account of the steep climb and the stubborn blush powdering his nose and cheeks with pink blotches.

“Sit down, you’ll get a heat stroke.” I invited him and pointed to a patch of moss beside me while rummaging in my pack for the flask of ale I had brought.

“Thank you ever so much.” He plopped down in a cascade of earthen-coloured wool and awkward limbs. He did smell warm, I noticed, a blend of cinnamon and comfort.

Also, he had one of those faces that only became better when seen up-close, I admit freely; there were golden stars dancing in the depth of his dark eyes and he had the most adorable freckles as if some outlandish fairy had sprinkled gold dust over that heart-wrenchingly handsome face.

“Are you thirsty, Mistress?” He asked, nodding at the flask in my hand.

Handing it to him rather abruptly, I realised that I had spent the last moments intently staring at his face as if I had never seen a male dwarf before in my life.

“I have work to do.” I snapped, feeling immediately guilty for taking my own embarrassment out on him, but he merely nodded and pulled his sketching supplies into his lap.

Strangely enough, Ori did not disturb me. If anything, the silence felt fuller, richer, deeper with him by my side. As I translated a letter, as a spinster I had to support my family and my insufferable sisters as best as I could, I felt like the chirping of the birds and the vibrancy of the colours around me were even more enjoyable now that I shared them with someone else.

…

The sun crept along its never-changing arc slowly and yet, much too fast.

As I looked up, I wished I was a better painter myself, for this dwarrow was made for sunsets.

The way the last golden hurrah of a perfect day exploded in a halo of warmth around his figure, the way all the greys and the blues seemed to bleed out of the world to leave nothing but warm tones behind, and the way his smile was the perfect expression of this mellow, unhurried mood…it struck me deeper and more violently than a thunderstorm in all its booming rage would have.

“Will you join me for dinner, Ori?” I asked gently, “I shall escort you back down.”

“It would be my honour.” He nodded, tearing out a page of his notebook and handing it over.

“It was an invitation; I do not demand payment.” I said seriously, for the sketch of the doe was so good, it might have been worth actual money. “Oh…” His nose crinkled at little at that.

“I wanted you to…have something beautiful. I have seen you work very hard.”

Of course, he was a scribe as well, he would consider the scribbling work, I thought and gave him a thankful smile. “You’re beauty enough for one day.” I shrugged.

He gasped, bringing his notebook up to his face as if to shield himself from my words.

“You’re having me on, aren’t you? Dori has warned me that girls do that sometimes.” He sounded utterly dejected. “I am not having you on. Has nobody ever told you that you’re handsome?” It was my turn to be wide-eyed with shock.

“And who is Dori?” I followed-up when he didn’t really reply to my question even though I thought I had seen his braids move like strings of pearls in a draft. The minutest of shakes of the head, a quiet admission of inadequacy that sunk ugly, ragged claws into my soft heart.

“He’s my brother. I have two of them. Dori…and Nori. They’re…” – “Older than you.” I completed. “Protective.” He supplied.

He was still holding his drawing out to me, and, after a moment, I took it gingerly and put it between the pages of my own writing supplies. I would hang it in my room and look at it daily.

Nowadays, there were but very few gifts for me; all the money went to my two younger sisters who were still nubile and would, if Mahal willed it so, be able to make a good match.

Busying my hands with making a fire, I asked him to tell me about his brothers.

“Oh, Nori is…agile. He’s…funny and brave and resourceful.” Ori started, his voice warm with affection and admiration. He sounded like a proper rogue to me, and as it turned out, he was, but he also deserved every single ounce of the deep-felt care Ori held for him.

“Dori is…fussy. He’s polite, he’s very caring, and he’s exceedingly proper.” Ori went on as I waved a hand for him not to stop. I enjoyed hearing about the life of other families than my own.

“So, is he the one who raised you to be this…warmly clad and gentle?” I asked, turning to place the foodstuffs I had brought up and stored in the cool lake water on spits to roast over the fire.

“Warm? Oh yes…I was a sickly pebble and he’s been worried ever since. I hope I have behaved in a way that would not make him disappointed in me.” Again, he worried his lip.

“Let’s see, you’ve startled a bird and an unsuspecting dwarrowdam.” I listed with a wicked gleam in my eyes; his face fell, and he looked properly guilty.

“Then, you’ve kept me company, and the best company I’ve ever had, it has been, on my grandmother’s grave, I swear.” I went on and that treacherous blush was back with a vengeance.

“I didn’t mean to startle you.” He then said in a low voice. “Great beauty is always startling.”

“I am hardly Thorin Oakenshield.” He laughed. Readers, you cannot imagine that sound just by reading my words. If flowers blossoming had melody, if the sun setting on the eternal sea had a song, if autumn leaves dancing on a gale had a tune, they would have sounded like nails on scree, like cats having their tails trampled, and like kettles going unheeded compared to Ori’s laughter.

“There’s beauty in the doe as much as in the wolf.” I replied gently.

“May I…can I ask where you’re from? I don’t seek to be rude, but I’ve never seen anyone quite like you; your hair looks like those fabrics the Elves weave. It…seems so soft, so liquid, so smooth.” He blushed a darker shade yet.

This might well have been the first time that someone had asked me about my origins without making it sound like an accusation; there was honest fascination in his demeanour.

“My family and I have come from the Far East. I have travelled a lot, Ori, I have seen landscapes entirely made up of rock and sand, I have walked forests so stiflingly hot and moist it felt like being underwater, and now, I am here in the land of tall trees and taller mountains.”

I said, surprised by my own frankness.

“That sounds amazing.” He took the food I offered readily enough, and I told him about the people I’ve left behind to be stranded at the other end of the world.

“This is good, is that a recipe of your homeland?” He asked, looking down on the piece of meat I had seasoned with herbs I had grown myself in our small backyard.

“It actually is. I’m glad you like it. I had not planned to have company, otherwise I’d have brought something more palatable to the local tongue.” I apologised quickly.

“No, I like it. You should definitely trade some recipes with Dori…and Bombur…oh, and if any of your delicious herbs are medicinal, Óin.” He laughed again when he saw my dumbfounded expression.

“I make a good honeycake, if I can interest you in that? Maybe…” He fell back into silence.

…

A look at the sky told me that it was too late to go down in the inky darkness.

“We’ll have to stay here for the night.” I mumbled, slightly uncomfortable at the idea of spending the night with a dwarrow who had not lost a single word about a wife.

“Are you married, Mistress? Will that endanger your wedlock?” He asked shyly.

“No, I am not and I have no name to lose…It’s a long story.” I didn’t feel like blurting out my disgrace, lest it give him strange ideas after all, especially as he would easily have been able to overpower me if he so chose.

“Neither am I. I don’t know about my name…Doesn’t look like I’m going to be married either. There’s not enough dwarrowdams as it is, and I think the royal line has a prerogative there.” There was no resentment in his tone; he seemed to accept this as a fact.

How could someone that sweet not be married, I wondered. He was courteous, he was cute, and he would have made the fortune and happiness of someone.

“Well, in that case, I think we can risk our reputation rather than our necks.” I grinned, rolling out a blanket I kept tied to my pack for emergencies and stretched out next to the fire on the moss.

“Erm, yes…Good night…” He mumbled, fidgeting around with his different layers of clothing. Apparently, he was deciding which one he needed least on his body to use it as a bedroll or blanket.

I eyed the proceedings with interest and a good deal of amusement.

“I can offer you my cloak to lie upon…the ground will grow very cold and wet soon.” He said in a low voice, not sure if I had already fallen asleep or not.

“Alright, I can offer you a spot under the blanket then?” I extended my own graciousness.

“With you?” No, with the red bird, I thought, rolling my eyes internally.

“Yes, Ori the scribe, with me. I will not eat you, as you have witnessed, I have had dinner.” Not that he did not look good enough to devour, standing there with his cloak in his hands and his face all crunched up in embarrassment.

“Hmmm…I guess.” He muttered doubtfully, spreading out the cloak and sitting down on it carefully. Impatiently, I scooted over and spread my lousy blanket over the both of us with a flourish.

“Sleep!” I commanded as I turned around only to find him staring wide-eyed at the spot where the back of my head had been only a second ago. Now that he was presented with my face, only inches away from his, his eyes grew even rounder and bigger in wordless distress.

“Friend…Have you never lain with a woman? And I literally mean, lying next to one?” I laughed for there had been friends and cousins aplenty in my own life and the feeling of having another body so close to mine was not a new experience for me.

“Well, I fell down on the battlefield once, next to a foe…I’m pretty sure that was a Lady-Orc. She was dead. There was a…” He gestured, indicating a spear or a lance sticking out of his chest and brushing against my own with the back of his hand. Dear reader, he flinched back as if I was a tiny Durin’s bane wreathed in flames.

“A Lady-Orc, indeed…” I mused; no doubt, he could hear the smile I hid in my voice for his face crunched up in embarrassment.

“I am sorry.” He sighed, rolling his eyes, and thinking – there was not a shadow of a doubt about that much – of his brothers who would have mocked him mercilessly for his stammering.

“There’s no need to be sorry” I tried to reassure him, but I admit now that there were things that I did not tell him right away then. We had only just met, and he was blessedly unaware of my shameful past.

How could I have made him understand – without hurting his feelings – how much I enjoyed that air of purity about him that I had squandered myself on an undeserving fiend? As a daughter amongst others, I had been used to dwarrows coming to court or to seduce, their eyes ablaze with greed and their hands wandering.

He would not have comprehended how much the absence of that voracious hunger that had plagued my youth and had ended up destroying my promising future meant to me.

“Sleep.” I repeated, unable to put into words how miraculous and precious the things he seemed to be most ashamed of were to me.

“Good night, Mistress.” He breathed with a soft smile that was nowhere near the wolfish baring of fangs I was used to and so, it was easy to return it.

You who may or may not have stumbled upon this ludicrous account of the most important story in an otherwise unimportant life, you shall hear another confession I did not make at the time.

I was fiercely aware that – had I but leant forward a little – I might have pressed my lips upon his; I was young still at that time and, despite what had happened, parts of me, that should have withered and died in the aftermath of my botched engagement, were much alive.

He smelled like our dinner and warmth, and the gentle reticence of the curve of his smile was more inviting than any flashing grin I had ever seen before.

Yes, in that very moment, on this very first evening, I had already been conscious of the shrewd attraction this self-effacing dwarrow held for me…and it scared me half to death.

…

Part 3

[solesurvivorpaigeargot]

Holy hello, is it that time again already? Why, I think it is! Not only is it time for Sketchy Saturday, it's time for...

SHIPPY SATURDAY!

It's been a LONG month, friends and fans... So let's get moving on some cute shit! As always, if you'd like to participate in Sketchy Saturday this week, please click the 'read more' link below and have a read through the guidelines for sending in a request!

Not participating, but wanna tell your friends? Feel free to reblog this post! :D

The prompt this week is Shelter From the Storm-- Because I have a mighty need for comfort in adverse and isolating conditions for some strange reason. I wonder what it could be...

To send a VALID Shippy Saturday request, please send the following information in an ASK to my ASKBOX:

The PAIR of characters you'd like sketched up this week ---- ALL FALLOUT CHARACTERS WELCOME! Pair o canon characters? Hell yeah! Canon and OC? DAMN RIGHT! OC and OC? Honey, you're in the right place. <3 ---- COUPLES ONLY. I got nothing against poly folk or poly ships, but more people means more figures, and more figures means more time. I will eventually do an event for poly ships, specifically, but that's not this week. ---- Sending in an OC or two? Remember to send your request ask FIRST, and THEN send reference information to me via the TUMBLR IM.

The NATURE of their relationship ---- Romantic? Platonic? Familial? Shippy Saturday is for all nature of relationships, not just the romantic ones! You just need to let me know! ---- Any biases I should be checking? Is either character touch adverse? Aro/ace? Trans? Lemme know so I don't accidentally art someone doing something intensely OOC, or missing important details.

A MOOD or FEELING to use as inspiration for the sketch ---- Got a lot of feelings about your ship? It's okay, me too. Feel free to include up to three 'mood' or 'feeling' words in your request. ---- Please don't specify actions or poses, that is up to me.

That's it!

I included a lil reminder last week, and I think I'm gonna keep posting it every week-- a reminder that a singular person keeps this whole event running. I am a human being, please remember to be kind, say please and thanks, reblog the finished goodies, make ooo noises in the tags, and all that good stuff. It sounds really small, but it's the little stuff that makes all the hard work worth it <3

This prompt will be going live just as I'm passing out for the night, but the askbox is OPEN and READY for requests. Get yours in! :D

See y'all in the morning :D ~Loor

[thewarriorandtheking]

Day Off

It’s been so long since I posted anything, half of you probably don’t rememer I write fanfiction...

I set myself a goal to work on writing daily...and since I didn’t feel like working on my serious stuff I decided to adapt one of my many Warrior and The King wips into a little sketch about a certain overworked King who needs a day off. 

Pairing: Thorin x female oc

Warnings: None, unless you object to fluff ;-) 

The Warrior and The King MasterList here

*********************************************

Kaylea Wolf shifted the coffee and cups into one hand and knocked twice on the office door before pushing it open.

Thorin Oakenshield looked up as she entered, a smile spreading across his face. “Good morning, my love.” His eyes went to the carafe she was carrying. “Ah, just the thing!”

Kaylea smiled back, thinking the King seemed very small behind the stacks of papers and ledgers littering his desk. She could see the fatigue around his eyes, the tension in the set of his shoulders. He looked more tired than she had ever seen him. She set the cups down on the half-written parchment in front of him and flipped open the pot. The dark brew from her native land, hints of chocolate and cinnamon rose from the cups. Thorin took his gratefully, savoring the first few sips.

“You always make the best coffee.”

Kaylea laughed. “I come from a nation of soldiers. Coffee is a serious business.” She gestured at the mountain of paper on his desk. “It looks like you have a full day ahead.”

“I feel like I live in this office,” Thorin tossed his quill down. “Some days I can’t even remember what the rest of Erebor looks like.”

“Is there not someone with whom you can share this burden? What about Balin? Or other members of your council,” Kaylea frowned at him. She knew he was eager to rebuild his kingdom and legacy, but he was working himself to death.

Thorin rubbed his eyes. “I admit, I am still learning how to delegate. But a lot of this: correspondence, trade agreements, contracts, I want to go over myself before they are signed. I never realized running a successful kingdom would be this much work.”

Kaylea put her hand on his beard. “I am worried for you, my king. Too much work will put you in an early grave.” An idea occurred to her. “Why not take the rest of the day off? Do something fun.”

Thorin laughed. He took her hand in his and kissed her wrist, then sat back in his chair. “Now I am reminded how little I really know about you! What is it you do for fun? Wrestle dragons? Run around the mountain twice?”

Kaylea poked his leg with her boot. “That is not fair. Anyway, I was talking about you. What does the King Under the Mountain do for fun?”

Thorin waved his hand at his cluttered desk. “I don’t remember anymore.”

“In that case, a day off is in order, your majesty,” Kaylea told him, taking hold of his braids. “You are coming with me.”

 A few hours later they were in Dale, walking through the markets hand in hand. The King of Erebor was well-known here, of course. But many stepped out of their shops to watch them pass, curious about the Human who was said to have the King’s heart. The tall woman fair as an Elven lord, in her golden hair the braids that marked her as the King’s Woman. At first glance they seemed an odd pair, but everyone remarked on the affection between them. None of the merchants could remember Thorin ever smiling so much, or being in such good humor. He didn’t even haggle as fiercely as he normally did.

Ever since Thorin had reclaimed his kingdom the city had been striving to rebuild its reputation as the trading center of the north, and it was well on its way. Shops selling goods of every description lined the streets; silks from Dol Amroth, saddles from Rohan, carpets from the Southron lands, whiskey from Lossarnach, tobacco from the Shire, furs from the northern mountains. As they walked through the streets, Thorin gave a running commentary on the buildings and their history, who owned them, what their business was, and how it had changed since his grandfather’s time. As they strolled along the city wall that looked toward Erebor, Kaylea was glad to see the light coming back into Thorin’s face, he seemed to have left the exhausted bureaucrat behind.

Thorin leaned on the wall, looking at the carved gates of his city. He was silent for a long time. “I have made a good start,” he said finally. “I think my father would be proud.”

“Yes, I he would be proud, and surprised,” Kaylea followed his gaze. Even at a distance the scale of the Erebor gates was astonishing, all traces of the great battle and the long occupancy of the dragon had long ago been repaired. The carven stone towered over the mountain vale, looking almost new-made in the afternoon light. “Look at all you have accomplished in a mere sixteen years. The alliances you have built, your people prosper and more arrive every day, you have a son and heir, your city is once again a beacon in the north.”

Thorin grinned lopsidedly at her. “I have been too close to see it clearly. Thank you, my love. I needed this.”

“The day is not over yet,” Kaylea took his hand. “Where to next?”

Thorin’s eyes swept over her worn traveling clothes. “I know just the place to buy you something that is not black.” He drew her close and kissed her neck. “Then you can wear it to dinner.”

“I do as you command, my king,” Kaylea stepped back and bowed formally.

“I like the sound of that!” Thorin laughed, sliding an arm around her waist. “Let’s walk a bit further first.” He was already imaging the red dress he would buy her, and how much fun it would be to take it off.  

[inkabelledesigns]

Vibrance the Hedgehog: Reflecting on a Decade of being a Sonic Fan and an Artist

Today is Sonic’s 30th anniversary, and it has me feeling all kinds of sentimental. So today I want to talk about it. A lot of you probably don’t know I’m a Sonic fan unless you follow me on the voice acting side of things. I’ve been Rouge the Bat in a ton of fan projects for years now, and especially with Adrenaline Dubs, a lot of people recognize my voice from the work I’ve done as her. 

But believe it or not, Sonic is what started me down my path as an artist. I originally started drawing because a friend of mine did cool Sonic fan art back in 2010, and I wanted to be a part of that. My friends were super into the series, and even though most of us drifted away from it, I held on and hopped from group to group for years. Most treated me like garbage, but there were a few diamonds in the rough that I’ve reconnected with over the years. I got hurt badly enough that I stopped drawing Sonic fan art, I just couldn’t look at it without feeling this sickness in my gut. But last night, I got reminded of a video from like seven years ago where it was just a catchy song and a rapid-fire showcase of Sonic fan characters, and I was compelled to go and doodle the one that meant the most to me. I’m not gonna show it here, because it was late and not a great sketch, but I did want to pull up her original artwork.

This is Vibrance, from May of 2014. At one point in my life, she was my whole world. I had a lot of FCs before her, but she was the one that stood out the most. She was the coolest, this audiokinetic teenager who looked up to Sonic and wanted to be a hero like he was (and had a goal of challenging him to a breakdancing battle, that was a thing). This is the only digital version I have, and it’s pulled from my old DA page. I remember being so proud of this picture, my best friend helped me with it during tech class our junior year of high school (we always finished our work early, and the teacher would let us draw when we did). She did the pants wrinkles, but everything else was mine. I loved this drawing so much that when I went to get my senior photos taken, I posed with it. Drawing this stuff was my entire identity back then (and it wasn’t healthy). I wanted people to see me as a skilled artist, I thought that if I could prove myself in my craft, that I’d have the respect I wanted from people, but the groups I was with were mostly filled with these self righteous donkeys that were more interested in making fun of me than helping me improve. 

But that didn’t stop me from improving. Vibe was with me through it all. I transitioned into learning digital art when I reached my last year of high school, mostly because I got my first pen tablet (which I still use to this day). These are some of the pieces I was proud of from 2017. I entered Vibrance into the first annual Pageant Mobius competition, and while I got burnt out and couldn’t keep going, I’m still glad I expanded my horizons and tried new things with these. As I got further into college, got emotionally destroyed in a few relationships, and just had more doubts about my art, I gave up doing Sonic stuff. The last piece I did was this piece of Zonic for my friend Trev, as payment for a favor. That was in 2018, same year I graduated.

I haven’t touched Sonic in a long time, not for art or for pleasure. I joined up with AD mostly because of my friends in the VA scene. If they hadn’t wanted me to stick around, I probably wouldn’t be voice acting for Sonic stuff still. I feel like most people don’t realize I’m an artist these days, given I don’t draw as much, much less post it. They hear my voice, and that’s the thing they want from me. And you know what? Most of the time, I can be okay with that. I get immense joy from voicing characters, be it ones you’re familiar with or personal OCs, hearing people squeal and get excited over having something they love come to life is satisfying. 

That’s the thing I always craved with my art and never got, I wanted to share my excitement, and no one wanted to share it with me. And it wasn’t just visual art, it was my stories too. I was a writer long before I ever drew, like I was still learning cursive when I started making up my own stories. Nobody wanted to hear what I had to share, I was just kind of forgotten. I’m still in some places where I’m left out, no matter how much dedication I show in trying to support others, but I’ve finally found places that do want to listen and interact with what I have, where I’m happy to do the same back. Most of those places are tied to Bendy and nutcracker stuff, and it makes me so gosh darn happy to share those things with people. It’s nice to have a space where I finally feel valued.

So now that I have an outlet that gives me that, I think I’m more content with my drawings. I think I’m happier not worrying about what other people think of my art. Sure, I still worry a little bit, I’ve got a lot of great friends who are so skilled at what they do, I don’t want to look bad next to them, and I’m motivated to keep practicing and trying new things in that way. But at the same time, it ultimately doesn’t matter what anyone thinks, I’m having fun creating, and that’s something I missed a lot.

When I look at Sonic, I’m enveloped by this childish wonder. I’m reminded of my first home console game, Sonic Colors, and how much fun I had with it (you can imagine I’m super excited for the remaster this year, that makes me so happy). I’m reminded of my long car rides trying to beat Sonic Rush Adventure, or sharing the Winter Olympics with my friends and sisters. I laugh at stupid inside jokes with some of my friends, the FCs we made, the roleplays we had. I smile when I remember the hype over Mania, or the joy I had going to see the Sonic movie in the theater with my sister (the last public outing I had before the pandemic hit, and it was magical for every moment). When I look at Sonic, I’m reminded of the fact that I had a lot of fun with him. His series was my favorite, because it made me feel like I could be anything I wanted to be. He was brave, charming, and confident in himself, and he was fast, oh gosh was he fast. I needed to see that as a kid, someone who wasn’t afraid to stand up and do the right thing. Every year on his anniversary, I take a moment to celebrate quietly to myself, usually by popping in an old game and playing a level or two. No clue how I’m gonna celebrate this year, but I know this much: even with all the bad things that happened, nothing can take away how much I love this hedgehog, or how important this franchise was to my journey as a creative, and in becoming a better person. You may not see me share much of that nowadays, but I don’t need to be active in the fandom to be a fan. I’ll still hold Sonic close to my heart, even if no one else ever knows about it. Not gonna lie, I’ve cried a few times in writing this post, but I’m glad I said it. 

Thank you for reading this. Thank you for listening to my artistic ramblings, for supporting me when I have something to share, for being around when I want to geek out. No matter what you come to my page for, I’m glad I have this blog, along with so many lovely people who fill my heart with so much joy. Happy Birthday Sonic, keep on running. 

[the-lazy-tallest]

It's kinda sad, looking back on this.. I had big plans, high hopes... still wanna continue this for her, and.. Kinda did. I wrote it all out, just hadn't drawn it yet.

I figured I'd wait until folks showed some interest again, one last ask, something to push at that piece I spent hours on for the lore, of her staring up at the big testing facility related building on Planet Devastus, hinting at something that hurt, some trigger that happened at that very moment, and just.. Hoping someone would ask. Take a guess, or push me to answer, or.. I dunno, something..

Maybe I shouldn't have been waiting on someone else to push me.. like I kind of have been, with my waiting irl. Waiting for therapy, waiting for the meds to work, waiting for life to stabilize, waiting..

I don't even remember why I decided to wait.

Anxiety? Depression? ..Rejection? Probably some mix of that, I suppose.

But Tai's story still waits to be told, and I should get around to that sometime, I hope. She's one of my dearest ocs, so she'd never disappear.

It's just me that did, heh. ..Sorry.

I hope anyone who was watching for more stuff from me is well, and knows I'll be okay.

I still know the plans for this blog, and could continue at some point.

Tai hints at a sore past, then is pushed by someone to continue, so she does. I even had an animation in mind for that, but I might just share the wip, which is also on my YouTube channel, been there for a while, but... Never shared it here for fear of spoiling too early. But I just might post it on it's own to share here, if I don't feel like finishing it, hah.

She escapes to Urth, gets a job, makes this blog, meets someone (also had a wip animatic relating to that meeting), who y'all would actually get to see being met, and see their relationship develop, even letting y'all push them together or give Tai doubts, talk to Tōhi to see what all he knew (though he only speaks irken, and it's a much more bird-ish sounding version, but still understandable, bit like an accent of Irken rather than a sub-language.)

You'd see more hints of her being watched by those blue eyes, might even have someone point them out to her and have her look back confused, and play that out interestingly

And eventually reveal who that was and what role they played, and then that reveal would play out eventually in a scene, based on how y'all played with that one relationship, where that dream I'd mentioned would come into play some too

And it'd be baaaad news. Very bad. Tai would need a lot of comfort and help thinking and all, and I thought that'd be the best time for interactions to get more influential on her, in her moment of weakness, within reason of course, with you folks acting a bit like voices in her head in that moment, and see how that played out

Eventually she'd cool back down, and any recovery from bad choices could be done, and all that, and..

There was a lot more I had planned, beyond that, but..

That's just a taste, of course. To prove I really do remember, and still am sitting on those plans.

I'm somewhat willing to try and get back to it, if you're all still interested of course. Just a bit in need of motivation, y'know?

I'm tossing this extra, 3rd rough sketch animation thing, since I doubt it'll get more done on it, and therefore it's not spoiler related.

Apologies, as usual, just.. Someone liked somethin out of the blue, and it reminded me of what could've been, had I just pushed myself more rather than waiting. Felt like venting a little, but then kinda realized I might try again if it was wanted, and if not, I'm willing to let go, and keep all of Tai's story stuff between friends and all.

Sidenote, the silhouette is someone you haven't met, and the gal in the yellow dress is someone new, but that I've shown here before, even named off, if you recall, hehehe.