#the composition of this piece is really captivating

[killishin]

— ◇ jjk men when you draw them.

pairings: nanami kento, gojo satoru, geto suguru

category: fluff

content warning: suggestive themes, sfw

a/n: i love when men support their partners in their art, its literally so sweet. saying so as an artist myself. wrote this in the dead of the night so not proofread. hope everyone enjoys :)

dividers by @cafekitsune

masterlist

NANAMI KENTO

he would have all your art and pieces memorized. he would be the one who'd give detailed compliments— strokes, composition and a hell lot of 'you're the best, darling'. he would definitely have favourites, and god forbid you ask him to choose— he'd be going back and forth, trying to choose because you won't accept the 'all are beautiful answer', only to mess with him.

also i believe, he would also have tried it out. just some doodling, some sketching perhaps— turns out he is good. he can grasp the basics quite fast and he finally understands why art is such a part of you. best believe all he ever draws is you.

now, the often times you draw him, he's a mess. a sputtering mess even though you've made like a ton of portraits of him, in every medium you knew and still he blushes.

"sweetheart why don't you draw something better?" he'd suggest as he tries to maintain the small smile on his face that was itching to widen into a full blown grin. he was all mushy inside.

"define better." you rolled your eyes at him, a knowing smile adorning your lips.

"i don't know— i guess something more... captivating?" his nose crinkled as he suggested that, looking up at you only to pause at the deadpan stare.

"honey, the love of my life—" you begin as you inch close, holding his jaw between your thumb and index, "this should be the last time you insinuate that you aren't captivating."

you lean closer to peck his lips and he subconsciously moves forward to chase your lips, not caring about the dazed smile or the blush raging on his cheeks that he tried so hard to hide.

"you are my muse." you added, murmuring against his lips, to further mess with him.

oh you best believe he is going to thank you for that portrait and sweet praises.

with praises. just in a different setting.

GOJO SATORU

"BABE AM I REALLY THAT HANDSOME?!" he exclaims, fully believing himself that yes, he is that handsome.

he is that push you need when your mind is stuck in an art block, with his constant over the top praises and compliments, he literally powers the creativity in your mind. he is the type of guy to literally decorate your shared home with your pieces, every inch. he'd leave no opportunity to show off, to a friend or even sometimes strangers. it gets especially concerning when the person doesn't quite like it.

"how do you not like it?"

"gojo i just—"

" absolutely pathetic taste." he says with the withering glare still on, rattling the other person's soul and you need to literally drag him away.

and oh when you draw him. its like already fanning that enormous, gigantic ego into something much more out of control. he absolutely smothers you, crushing you in a hug and a fit of kisses attacking your face.

"babe do you have a crush on me? seems like you do, how you draw me so damn beautiful."

"you idiot we're married."

in the moments when he isn't as loud with his appreciation, you catch him gazing at your paintings in silence, that content and proud smile on his face.

even his wallpaper is a your painting of your self portrait, for him to gaze at but also to boast about you when someone asks about the painting in the wallpaper.

"my love's a genius." is what he always says, and never gets tired from it.

GETO SUGURU

he loves your art, like its a part of you. he even helps you sometimes when you don't quite know if it looks good, gives pointers and suggestion. he even tells you if something looks wrong that maybe you overlooked, says it in the best way possible. he likes to watch you do your magic, at first it was a little unnerving for you in the beginning of your relationship so he used to just sneak and watch. there's just something about you in your element that puts him at ease, grounds him.

he poses for you if you want to draw him, a huge help and you don't even have to go look for references. he'll do whatever you like. whatever pose you suggest, anything. (he means anything ;])

"is this pose alright?" his eyes twinkle while he smiles smugly, knowing exactly what he's doing.

"...yes. hold that." you can't even focus on your canvas, god knows drawing what.

"darling you're sweating. you okay?"

"shut up."

he keeps the more...mature art safely tucked away, his daughters don't need to see that, only for his eyes.

but like satoru, he's vocal with his appreciation. whenever guests are home he literally gives a whole ass description, from the strokes, inspiration, interpretation, paragraphs of pure compliments— literally everything. and lets just hope they do not say they don't like it, that sweet smile doesn't look much sweet later.

and you don't know it, but he has drawn you a concerning amount of times, he just doesn't show you because they're his little secret.

reblogs are appreciated :D

[vivicantstudy]

30 Of My favorites Compliments in Japanese to Praise Artists and Their Work

I love complimenting artists; I like them to know that their work is always amazing, and I enjoy motivating them. Since I started creating pixel art, I have become very close to Japanese artists and realized that it is much easier to compliment them in Japanese, as it seems to make them feel more comfortable! That’s why I put together a list of compliments! Feel free to use them and correct me!

1. 素晴らしい作品ですね。 (Subarashii sakuhin desu ne.)

“It’s a wonderful piece of work.”

2. とても感動しました。 (Totemo kandō shimashita.)

“I was very moved.”

3. あなたの才能に驚かされます。 (Anata no sainō ni odorokasaremasu.)

“I am amazed by your talent.”

4. 色使いが本当に綺麗ですね。 (Irozukai ga hontō ni kirei desu ne.)

“The use of colors is really beautiful.”

5. 細部まで丁寧に描かれていますね。 (Saibu made teinei ni kakareteimasu ne.)

“The details are drawn so carefully.”

6. ユニークなスタイルですね。 (Yunīku na sutairu desu ne.)

“You have a unique style.”

7. 本当に才能がありますね。 (Hontō ni sainō ga arimasu ne.)

“You truly have talent.”

8. 見ていてとても楽しいです。 (Miteite totemo tanoshii desu.)

“It’s very enjoyable to look at.”

9. 構図が素晴らしいです。 (Kōzu ga subarashii desu.)

“The composition is amazing.”

10. こんな作品を作れるなんて信じられません。 (Konna sakuhin o tsukureru nante shinjiraremasen.)

“I can’t believe you can create such a piece.”

11. とても独創的ですね。 (Totemo dokusōteki desu ne.)

“It’s very creative.”

12. あなたの作品はいつもインスピレーションを与えてくれます。 (Anata no sakuhin wa itsumo insupirēshon o ataete kuremasu.)

“Your work always gives me inspiration.”

13. 表現力が豊かですね。 (Hyōgenryoku ga yutaka desu ne.)

“Your expressive power is remarkable.”

14. 見るたびに新しい発見があります。 (Miru tabi ni atarashī hakken ga arimasu.)

“I discover something new every time I look at it.”

15. あなたの作品には心がこもっていますね。 (Anata no sakuhin ni wa kokoro ga komotteimasu ne.)

“Your work has so much heart in it.”

16. あなたの作品には魂が宿っています。 (Anata no sakuhin ni wa tamashī ga yadotteimasu.)

“Your artwork has a soul in it.”

17. 発想力がすごいですね。 (Hassōryoku ga sugoi desu ne.)

“Your creativity is amazing.”

18. あなたのスタイルはとても独特です。 (Anata no sutairu wa totemo dokutoku desu.)

“Your style is very distinctive.”

19. 作品に強いメッセージ性を感じます。 (Sakuhin ni tsuyoi messe-ji sei o kanjimasu.)

“I feel a strong message in your work.”

20. この作品を見ると、何かを感じずにはいられません。 (Kono sakuhin o miru to, nanika o kanjizu ni wa iraremasen.)

“I can’t help but feel something when I look at this piece.”

21. あなたの作品を見ていると、とても幸せな気持ちになります。 (Anata no sakuhin o miteiru to, totemo shiawase na kimochi ni narimasu.)

“Looking at your work makes me feel very happy.”

22. どの作品も心に響きます。 (Dono sakuhin mo kokoro ni hibikimasu.)

“Every piece of your work resonates with my heart.”

23. この作品の雰囲気がとても好きです。 (Kono sakuhin no fun’iki ga totemo suki desu.)

“I really like the atmosphere of this piece.”

24. あなたのアートはとても洗練されています。 (Anata no āto wa totemo senren sareteimasu.)

“Your art is very refined.”

25. この作品からインスピレーションをたくさんもらいました。 (Kono sakuhin kara insupirēshon o takusan moraimashita.)

“I received a lot of inspiration from this piece.”

26. あなたの技術は素晴らしいです。 (Anata no gijutsu wa subarashii desu.)

“Your technique is superb.”

27. これからの作品も楽しみにしています。 (Korekara no sakuhin mo tanoshimi ni shiteimasu.)

“I’m looking forward to your future works as well.”

28. 色彩の使い方がとても巧みですね。 (Shikisai no tsukaikata ga totemo takumi desu ne.)

“Your use of colors is very skillful.”

29. こんなに素晴らしい作品を見たことがありません。 (Konna ni subarashii sakuhin o mita koto ga arimasen.)

“I’ve never seen such an amazing piece of work.”

30. あなたの描くキャラクターはとても魅力的です。 (Anata no kaku kyarakutā wa totemo miryokuteki desu.)

“The characters you draw are very captivating.”

Some observations made by my Japanese study friends!

1. あなたの作品には魂が宿っています。

This phrase is correct, but it’s quite poetic. If you want a simpler expression:

あなたの作品には力強さを感じます。 (Anata no sakuhin ni wa chikarazuyosa o kanjimasu.)

“I feel strength in your work.”

2. 発想力がすごいですね。

Correct and commonly used.

3. あなたのスタイルはとても独特です。

Correct, but for a softer tone, you could say:

あなたのスタイルはとても個性的ですね。 (Anata no sutairu wa totemo koseiteki desu ne.)

“Your style is very unique and individual.”

4. 作品に強いメッセージ性を感じます。

Correct, but slightly formal. You could also say:

作品から強いメッセージを感じます。 (Sakuhin kara tsuyoi messe-ji o kanjimasu.)

“I feel a strong message from your work.”

5. この作品を見ると、何かを感じずにはいられません。

This phrase is fine, but can be made simpler:

この作品を見ると、心が動かされます。 (Kono sakuhin o miru to, kokoro ga ugokasaremasu.)

“When I look at this piece, my heart is moved.”

6. あなたの作品を見ていると、とても幸せな気持ちになります。

This is correct and conveys the intended meaning well.

7. どの作品も心に響きます。

Correct and natural.

8. この作品の雰囲気がとても好きです。

Correct and natural.

9. あなたのアートはとても洗練されています。

This is fine, but “アート” (āto) is a bit casual. Using 作品 (sakuhin) might be better for a more formal tone:

あなたの作品はとても洗練されています。

10. この作品からインスピレーションをたくさんもらいました。

This is correct. Another way to say it:

この作品にとても刺激を受けました。 (Kono sakuhin ni totemo shigeki o ukemashita.)

“I was very inspired by this piece.”

11. あなたの技術は素晴らしいです。

Correct and natural.

12. これからの作品も楽しみにしています。

Correct and natural.

13. 色彩の使い方がとても巧みですね。

Correct and suitable.

14. こんなに素晴らしい作品を見たことがありません。

Correct, but sounds slightly dramatic. A softer version:

こんな素敵な作品を見たことがないです。 (Konna sutekina sakuhin o mita koto ga nai desu.)

15. あなたの描くキャラクターはとても魅力的です。

Correct, but can be shortened for a more natural tone:

あなたのキャラクターは魅力的ですね。 (Anata no kyarakutā wa miryokuteki desu ne.)

16. あなたの作品には魂が宿っています。 (Anata no sakuhin ni wa tamashī ga yadotteimasu.)

Correct, but it’s quite poetic and intense. A simpler alternative could be:

あなたの作品には強い感情を感じます。 (Anata no sakuhin ni wa tsuyoi kanjō o kanjimasu.)

“I feel strong emotions in your work.”

17. 発想力がすごいですね。 (Hassōryoku ga sugoi desu ne.)

Correct and natural for complimenting creativity.

18. あなたのスタイルはとても独特です。 (Anata no sutairu wa totemo dokutoku desu.)

Correct, but “独特” (dokutoku) can be interpreted neutrally. For a more positive tone, use:

あなたのスタイルはとても個性的です。 (Anata no sutairu wa totemo koseiteki desu.)

“Your style is very unique and individual.”

19. 作品に強いメッセージ性を感じます。 (Sakuhin ni tsuyoi messe-ji sei o kanjimasu.)

Correct, but it can be simplified:

作品から強いメッセージを感じます。 (Sakuhin kara tsuyoi messe-ji o kanjimasu.)

“I feel a strong message from your work.”

20. この作品を見ると、何かを感じずにはいられません。 (Kono sakuhin o miru to, nanika o kanjizu ni wa iraremasen.)

Correct, but it’s a bit formal and literary. A simpler alternative could be:

この作品を見ると、心が動かされます。 (Kono sakuhin o miru to, kokoro ga ugokasaremasu.)

“When I look at this piece, my heart is moved.”

21. あなたの作品を見ていると、とても幸せな気持ちになります。 (Anata no sakuhin o miteiru to, totemo shiawase na kimochi ni narimasu.)

Correct and natural. No adjustments needed.

22. どの作品も心に響きます。 (Dono sakuhin mo kokoro ni hibikimasu.)

Correct and natural.

23. この作品の雰囲気がとても好きです。 (Kono sakuhin no fun’iki ga totemo suki desu.)

Correct and natural.

24. あなたのアートはとても洗練されています。 (Anata no āto wa totemo senren sareteimasu.)

Correct, but the word “アート” (āto) is a bit casual. Using “作品” (sakuhin) might be more appropriate for a formal tone:

あなたの作品はとても洗練されています。

“Your work is very refined.”

25. この作品からインスピレーションをたくさんもらいました。 (Kono sakuhin kara insupirēshon o takusan moraimashita.)

Correct. Another way to say it:

この作品にとても刺激を受けました。 (Kono sakuhin ni totemo shigeki o ukemashita.)

“I was very inspired by this piece.”

26. あなたの技術は素晴らしいです。 (Anata no gijutsu wa subarashii desu.)

Correct and natural.

27. これからの作品も楽しみにしています。 (Korekara no sakuhin mo tanoshimi ni shiteimasu.)

Correct and natural.

28. 色彩の使い方がとても巧みですね。 (Shikisai no tsukaikata ga totemo takumi desu ne.)

Correct and suitable.

29. こんなに素晴らしい作品を見たことがありません。 (Konna ni subarashii sakuhin o mita koto ga arimasen.)

Correct, but it sounds slightly dramatic. A softer version would be:

こんな素敵な作品を見たことがないです。 (Konna sutekina sakuhin o mita koto ga nai desu.)

“I’ve never seen such a wonderful piece.”

30. あなたの描くキャラクターはとても魅力的です。 (Anata no kaku kyarakutā wa totemo miryokuteki desu.)

Correct, but can be shortened for a more natural tone:

あなたのキャラクターは魅力的ですね。 (Anata no kyarakutā wa miryokuteki desu ne.)

“Your characters are captivating.”

This list was quite a bit of work to make, but it was very fun! I would appreciate it if you shared it! Thank yoooooou!

[lecsainz]

Hi can you do some charles headcanons dating a emo girl (and she plays bass in a emo band)

SHE MAKES SONGS

˒ ⌕ masterlist . . .

parings: charles leclerc x emo!reader

an: I loved writing that! I was a bit scared of getting something wrong, so I didn't delve too deep into it.

summary: the one where you are a bassist in an emo band and date charles.

Charles loves when you play the bass. He finds the emo tunes you create both fascinating and alluring. The way your fingers dance over the strings makes him appreciate your talent even more.

You both complement each other in a unique way. Charles with his racing attire and you with your emo style; it's an unexpected but intriguing contrast that draws attention and makes people curious about your relationship.

Charles adores calling you by sweet nicknames in French, like "Mon Trésor" my treasure, "Ma Belle" my beauty, or "Mon Coeur" my heart . Hearing these terms of endearment from him makes your heart flutter every time.

Despite being at your gigs, you always manage to keep tabs on Charles's races. During breaks between songs, you discreetly ask someone from your band's crew for updates on your boyfriend's race position. Charles finds it adorable and loves that you're always keeping track, no matter where you are.

Charles loves brainstorming with you for new songs. He's always there to bounce ideas off, offering a fresh perspective and helping you fine-tune your creations.

Sometimes, during interviews or public appearances, Charles subtly mentions your band or a particular song, expressing his admiration for your talent.

"Ah, well, you know, I've got to say, my girlfriend is an incredible musician. She plays bass in her band, and honestly, she's amazing. The way she pours her heart and soul into her music—it's something else. I'm really proud of her. I mean, I know I'm probably going on about her, but it's hard not to when you're so impressed by someone's talent, you know?" smirks "She's got this way of captivating the audience with her passion for music that's just... it's something special. And yeah, I think I'm a pretty lucky guy to have her in my life, both as an incredibly talented musician and as my partner." grins "Sorry, got a bit carried away there, but I can't help it. She's just that good."

He absolutely adores it when you pick up your bass and play just for him. Your private jam sessions, where you perform songs specially dedicated to him, become treasured moments between you both.

Charles loves it when you share your new compositions with him first, feeling honored to be the primary listener and your biggest supporter.

There have been a few secret moments where Charles has joined you on stage, playing a simple melody on the piano while you perform. It's a beautiful surprise for the audience.

Charles is your biggest fan at your band's performance. He proudly attends your shows and, to your surprise and delight, wears a shirt emblazoned with "My Hot Bassist Girlfriend" in the front row. His unwavering support and cheering from the crowd make your performances even more special.

He frequently plays your band's songs in the Ferrari garage, showing immense pride in your musical talent.

One day, Charles surprises you by gifting one of his favorite bracelets, a piece he hardly takes off. He expresses that he wants you to have something of his close to you, a sign of his deep affection and trust.

On race days, you proudly wear Ferrari-themed outfits but add your personal touch, incorporating elements that reflect your own style. Charles appreciates the gesture, feeling a sense of unity when he sees you in his team's colors.

[cafulur]

Modern Personal Assistant Labru AU ✨📋🐉

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

- Laios is a renown animal/monster expert (not sure yet if this is modern as in no monsters or just a modern version of their realm w/ monsters included)

- he does most of his research independently, occasionally working alongside small groups of other scientists

- a new animal species / monster mutation emerges that completely captures the world’s and Laios’s interest. As one of the top zoologists / monsterologists in the nation, he gets requested to head the first ever research on this unknown creature.

- something about this species is so bizarre that in addition to studying it, Laios is suddenly also having to do press conferences to explain to the masses wtf is going on.

- … except he kind of can’t. the first time he gets on the mic in front of a bunch of people, one reporter asks if there is concern for reproduction as we’ve only found two females of the species. Laios goes on a 20 minute rant about the egg laying process they recently discovered and how according to x-rays of the eggs they do not require a mate to reproduce but appear to still seek and thrive off of community. A conference that should’ve had enough time to answer dozens of questions ends with him only have answered two and a half, as he greatly struggled to be succinct and not derail into mile long explanations. But to Laios, every detail counts!! They’re all important pieces to the puzzle!

- his boss pulls him aside— “listen, you’re the only person on the planet at the moment who has the most knowledge about this thing. if you’re going to also be it’s’ spokesperson, you need to handle your PR better and read the room. we’ve assigned you an assistant to help with any future public appearances.

- enter Kabru, works in public relations, usually political, and is all too comfortable with addressing the masses. local elections just ended and so as a PR specialist he’s being assigned unconventional work by his management company during this downtime, which includes a rambly scientist with zero social cues or ability to read the room.

- Kabru sits down with Laios at a café a few days before the next conference and they run through a little practice session. Kabru clears his throat and acts as a reporter.

- “So, Mr. Touden, how long do you expect the research to go on for before we know if we can integrate this species into our local environments? Is it even safe for us to be near them?”

- “it’s not a question on whether or not it’s safe for us but whether or not it’s safe for them. they seem to be flighty little guys, and don’t even agitate or fight when provoked. but something about the oils from human skin damages their feathers, they have almost the same texture and composition as paper. it’s really fascinating actually, they somehow appear to be resistant to water but our oils break them down very quickly, and so we’re thinking they might thrive better on reserves people can’t access. but that’s also not exactly ideal due their apparent difficultly living in captivity and small spaces, as well as the potential need to migrate. closing off their environment may actually—“

- Kabru knows deep, deep down in his heart of hearts that he needs to cut the man off right then and there, show him how he could be more concise and clear with his words, and maybe not ramble so much. but Laios is positively glowing with both wonder and genuine concern for this creature, and Kabru cannot help but be completely captivated.

[slayrith]

u know what im on about btw. band kid!chris x color guard!reader pleak 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

TYY BESTIEE ok for context to like anyone who doesn't know: colorguard is a troupe of people who choreograph with flags or other objects, usually for marching bands- so this is a highschool au ig? with chris in marching band and a jock josh sneak- also since u didn't specify i'm giving a small crumb of a scenario teehee ty lovely

pic cred

When you joined colorguard in your freshman year of high school, you ended up mingling with a lot of other people who were in the band and on the football team- which is to be expected, but with you being shyer and more averted to new people, it was harder for you to adjust than you realized.

That ended when you became friends with Hannah Washington, who was also on colorguard. And when she invited you to an afterparty for your school's home game, you met a certain four-eyed blonde who happens to play the mellophone. You two develop feelings for each other, nerdy banter here and there, but it's obvious to everyone- especially Josh- that you two were much too awkward to make moves, just quietly pining for one another. So Josh had an idea.

Chris and Josh were having their usual banter after their extracurriculars, Josh sweaty from the football team's usual practice and he was eyeing Chris putting his instrument in it's case with his trademark smirk before he spoke up.

"Hey- for our next home game, wouldn't it be really cool for the brass section to have a little solo? Impress a certain little lady, y'know?"

"Oh, yeah. The director actually was considering something like that for our next performance- he got tired of the same four compositions and- wait, what are you planning?"

"Excellent. I have a few ideas for a piece."

So, after a few weeks of preparation, Josh and Chris going back and forth with the music director, during the half-time of a home game arrives, and it's time for Chris to shine. The brass section stand up, the cheer and colorguard teams rise, a new choreography ready for this specific performance, and he's ready to impress the girl in the center, holding her flag with a nervous confidence

As they play, his eyes, flicker back and forth between his sheet music and you- you were just so captivation, the way your hands held the flagpole with a light elegance, your outfit and the way it compliment you so perfect, the rhinestones embedded in the material making you the center of attention, how your hair moves with your dance. You were just so pretty, like a butterfly, and your smile, it was so-

Fuck.

He pressed the wrong chord.

He faltered a bit, but was able to cover his mistake quickly, and luckily, no one but the other players notice- but it happens all the time. Chris, however, was tense the rest of the performance, acutely aware now of how red his cheeks and ears were. When the performance finished, he sat back down at the bench, his mind racing

Holy shit, he fucked up. Did the band notice? Did you notice? Surely you guys were practicing with the song in the background, there's no way you wouldn't notice that he had done a flat instead of a sharp like the orginal-

The game concluded, and your high school had one again. That had put Chris at ease, until after the game, where you, Chris and your usual friend group had recuperated at the Washington home to celebrate like always. After you had congratulated him on the performance, Chris was about to make a witty response at your praise until Josh spoke up.

"What was the deal with that last note, Cochise?"

"Oh- uh- My hand slipped.. Happens all the time."

"Something on your mind? Or was it someo-"

"Shut it, Josh."

[frogcroaks]

My 2023 art summary. I've finished some works this month, but I tend to not put commissions on these sheets LOL.

I wrote a bit of a longer retrospective under the read more. Thank you for sticking with me this year and I hope to see you on the next one!

This year overall was really rough on me and I think it reflected on the art I made. While I think everything looks nice and that I did improve, it still all feels very uninteresting, stiff, boring. I love my character design, but I think my art heavily relies on the character design to actually look visually interesting. If the character design falters or if I'm not creating one in the first place, my art doesn't have anything captivating about it.

It's frustrating! I see and follow artists who draw gorgeous compositions, backgrounds, cool poses and collages. Their graphics catch your eye, and there is a message to their art, even if it's just "look at this beautiful sky with me". I cannot say the same for my art, it's all just eye candy with no substance to it.

I try to not be so emo bout myself in public like this, and at the end of the day all you can do is pick up what you improved (and i did improve!), and take it with you on your future lessons, but its annoying to feel like you haven't meaningfully improved in the things you want to be good at!

Sorry about the soap opera LOL. It's good to write down your feelings and shake it off I think. There's so much ahead of me, it's not like this is the end LOL. I'll see if next year I learn more about backgrounds and create pieces I really feel proud of :)

[kiwiflame]

Fan Art Feature Results!

It's finally time to announce the results of the Fan Art Feature for Book 1!!! Thank you to everyone who participated, you will all receive a digital PDF of the book once it is complete… which was supposed to be the 27th, but I am waiting on one last minute addition to the book which should hopefully be complete soon. As soon as it's complete, they will be distributed, and prize winners will be asked for applicable mailing info.

Pieces were judged based on the following criteria:

Composition (How interesting is the posing?)

Concept (How creative is the idea?)

Understanding of the source material (How well does the piece showcase an understanding of the world and characters?)

Effort (How much time was spent bringing everything together?)

The prizes each place wins in order: 1st place

A free physical copy of Changing Skies

Free stickers

A cameo in the comic in an upcoming chapter

A Sketch Doodle

2nd place

A free physical copy of Changing Skies

Free stickers

A cameo in the comic in an upcoming chapter

3rd place

A free physical copy of Changing Skies

Free stickers

4th place

Free stickers

5th place

Free stickers

So, let's get into the winners!

5th place: MD

The COLORS on this are gorgeous. I love how wholesome it all is, and I love the way it seems as if Clara is watching them from the star in the center. The sky flows like water… it's silky and tangible.

4th place: Cowcowwow

Another one with very pretty colors. I love that they ARE the stars, riding them through the sky. Topaz is so cute the way she's watching a little star above her, and Myu trying not to laugh at Atticus is very in-character.

3rd place: AnothrYuki

ADORABLE. I am delighted by the softness and the use of Japanese (or Kantonian, as the language was called in the extra he appeared in). It translates to "You're perfect…", and Jacques's use of Kantonian for trusted family is wonderful and spot-on.

2nd place: WulfricGrayscale

The suit of cards idea is captivating, and the thought put into the outfits is on full display. All the characters stand out, even with only their basic outlines for hard detail. The posing is great, and a lot of thought was put into the placement of elements.

1st place: Xalesander

Fanfiction is such a rare form of fan art for me to receive, and probably my absolute favorite. Speculative fiction is the most enthralling to me, and requires understanding of the material and much interest and thought toward future events. This piece showcases a lot of emotional beats that would like to be seen in the comic proper someday, and it ilicited a real response from me. Congratulations!! The full short story will be available to read in the book!

And now for the remaining submissions who will all also receive their own place in the book!

Desman

I love 3d models… also such a rare gift to receive.

Eclipsed-star

First submission I got, and SO CUTE…

Gecko-Comics

The sunset is beautiful! Some of my favorite colors.

Jayrry

Topaz is SO ready to go. It's a great night to fly.

Neptune

He is noodle... this one is based on the discord emote that's in our pmd server.

Redpine

Atticus keeps watch over them after they fell asleep stargazing. Like a true family.

Woo

My beautiful wife reformatted and submitted some pieces I really loved. Dielle and Sandy reading together is a recent love, but the shining piece to me is the one where Atticus comtemplates not living up to the species he should have been born as.

Thank you to everyone who submitted! Watch this space for info on the book coming soon.

[sorseri]

NCT 2023’s ‘Golden Age’: A Mesmerizing and Full of Hope Piece of Art.

NCT 2023’s Golden Age is always my favorite song of them since I discovered this group around late 2023. I’m personally not a huge fan of Kpop, however, this track is very captivating in my opinion. So I started to listen to Kpop more often, especially NCT’s tracks. Using the sample of Beethoven’s Pathetique, this amazing whole package of art was produced by a producer team based in South Korea, Artiffect. This combination of classic composition with modern electronic and rap tunes is really captivating since they blend nicely and are not sound overlapped. ‘Golden Age’, in the song explains about how the members have been working hard and achieved their golden era by getting so many attentions and awards in music shows. It’s pretty much about their fight against fear and hard times during their struggling moments.

Expected as a ballad song by some listeners who already watched the teaser, it turned out way different than what they think. Opened with soft piano playing, followed by Doyoung’s adlibs, people thought it would be some kind of sad and calm type of song. But, then, Mark’s rap appeared with heavy beat which shocked those listeners at the first time they were listening to the full song at the same time. However, the beat turns into soft and tender with piano and string sounds. Xiaojun led the pre-chorus with gentle voice and a little falsetto technique singing. The beat jumped into more energetic rhythm as Haechan started to fill the chorus line. When the main tunes come, people finally understand the progression of the song.

Involving 20 members at that time, this track is full of taste and color since the members have their own style in completing this piece of art. The MV also has good concept, which represent the achievement of the struggle era of the members by showing a chair being burned by fire, members picking up their keys as a symbol of key of the path they have chosen. However, this MV has been rated as PG-13, since it contains burning fire in the middle of the video. This video is pretty much soft, delicate, yet strong at the same time. SM Entertainment management really calculated every detail of the song and the MV. NCT’s visual card also help so much on the aesthetic visualization of the video. SM is really good at scouting and auditioning best members to be part of NCT.

Working together as a team of NCT from all units, the members were cooperative and understand the portion of their work when making this project. Even though every member has little part of line, they shown the best work they have done. Combining so many type of voice became a challenge for the composer and music producers. But the good thing is that the composer and producers are highly experienced in their work realm, especially that they are SM’s composer and producers. Even when the song is sampled by one of the best classic composition, it still has NCT’s music color, which is experimental and explorative. This one is a great job of the members, composer, producers, and the lyricist. I expect to listen to their new full team releases which will be as good as ‘Golden Age’. I must take my hat off for Artiffect for making such a beautiful and energetic song for one of my favorite Kpop group, NCT.

[my-hobby-is-finding-the-source]

What are some of your favorite artists?

Oh, thanks for adding "some" to that question! I wouldn't be able to sort through them in linear time...

I'm gonna pick just five (is that too much?) off the top of my head, in no particular order. Sorry if I'm unable to elaborate well on why I like them—some times, when looking at art, my mind is just ù̷̞n̶̘͌i̵͖͌n̶̪͗t̵͕̆ė̶̼l̷̢̀l̷̤̈́i̶̪̋g̵̲͆ì̵̫b̸̪͆ļ̵̍ḛ̴͌ ̷͔͝n̷͚͘o̶̪͑i̴͙͆ș̵͛e̴̗̽s̶̮͐. This might end up a bit long.

We can start with Kotou (孤島), I guess. He hasn't been active for a while, as far as I know, but the Madoka Magica Major Arcana set is a permanent resident of my mind.

The composition can be so elaborate, and the use of the technique is simply fascinating.

If I were to think of any more recent works, I must mention Kart (@kartprowler). I absolutely adore the animal character designs, and Raku (the fennec fox) has got to be my favorite.

Also, for any fans of Revue Starlight, there are some really incredible pieces you need to see as well.

If the topic is animal characters, I couldn't possibly forget to bring up Sakutake (さくたけ). I'm particularly captivated by the bunnies! Or would those be hares?

If your preference is birds, there are a couple, and even butterflies for those inclined.

All this talk of rabbits tangentially reminded me of max! I found him via his GochiUsa works, and was positively charmed by his art style.

Or maybe I should say styles—his range is quite impressive! If you're predisposed for horror, give his alt account a look.

And last but not least, for those expecting something steamier (here's the NSFW warning for one of the links below), my recommendation is maiqo.

They dabble in both the sweet and the spicy, and though I'm not well-read in these particular fandoms, the pieces have more than enough to sustain me on their own.

For now, that's it. I really enjoyed doing this! As I went, I got to see some older works again, it was really nice.

[marinevhs]

You have gorgeous style, I love it so much. Your lineart??? Lines, their shape, weight?? Amazing. Colours, too, I am captivated by your value usage, it's very nice to the eye.

I came because of your CaPri artwork, and then saw so many other fandoms?? I finally understood what people meant when they say they enjoy artwork so much they could eat the piece. I just wanted you to know that, because my god. The little details on your artworks,, and faces?? I love your faces, and how you compose elements on the layer. I know it's messy how I wrote this, but I feel like I'm going insane trying to pinpoint what exactly I like in your artworks, because I haven't noticed anything I don't like. I found myself zooming in and analysing your art even if I wasn't familiar with media it was from, only because I could not not do it, because there was always something that caught my eye. The expressions?? It's little things you include on faces that bring so much life into them. Small, small details that didn't have to be there, but bring everything together and complete the composition,,

I just wanted to share these thoughts with you in hopes they might brighten your day if you needed that. And also I often unnecessarily babble when I'm excited, and I fear you became a victim of that, but my god. Discovering your profile was like being given a jar of cookies unexpectedly.

OMG, thank you so much!

I’m so happy to hear that my work is appreciated this much, even in unknown fandoms ;) I’m glad you found me with my CaPri fanart though haha

It made me so happy to read your message—I’m really touched to see that my little drawings manage to reach some of you. :)

Your message has indeed brightened my day 🥰

It means a lot thx 🙏🏻❤️💃🔥

[tibbycaps]

🎨 for the ask game? hope you have a nice day!

🎨 favourite piece of fanart? link it!

oh gosh it's so hard to choose just one. (you too btw :'D) went thru my rbs and here's a few bangers:

technically an animation and not fan art but this animatic by volcanocraft is my favorite life mcyt animation of all time. the style is just to die for, the song choice is perfect, and while lots of traffic fan art and animations tend to be very dramatic and theatrical (which is totally fine, it rules) this is sort of a rare case where the artist manages to perfectly encapsulate the inherent silliness and comedic effect of using minecraft to tell your story. the goofiness of the little minecraft characters running and jumping around like bugs is perfectly captured which i feel like is a hard vibe to get in art sometimes

fan art that resembles renaissance paintings and even takes inspiration from said paintings is so beloved to me (i minored in art history so its very dear to me). specifically sillyfairygarden and floweroflaurelin come to mind! (thello's life series designs are also very dear to me, as the costumes they design remind me a lot of shakespearian plays, and make me imagine the life series as a shakespearian tragedy being told on a stage. as someone whos url is a shakespeare reference this also scratches a very specific niche in my brain. their bigb design is especially gorgeous and reminds me of 1996 mercutio)

cherri's life series as an rpg series is a banger, it really makes you yearn for the game to be real, it's also nostalgic of a lot of old rpgmaker games i used to play as a kid which is probably why i'm so drawn to it

i LOVE this secret life scar by felix convexsolos because i think the scene of scar standing in the wheat field is one of the unintentionally coolest most cinematic scenes from the life series, the off-putting angle and his stone-cold expression captures his silent rage, unhinged and unpredictable energy in that series so well this double life fan art by ghost3a i'm absolutely obsessed with the colors and expressions, each pairing has different colors and the color choices for each pairing is so telling and the way each piece kind of fades into the next by having a hint of color at the bottom is awesome. i'm a sucker when it comes to bright contrasting colors used to convey emotions/feelings.

this last life mumbo by stackofeggs has always stuck with me because i feel like it captures red life mumbo really well; he's terrifying and dangerous with his end crystals but it also still kind of retains that wet cat energy mumbo always has. he's scary and unstable and fragile just like the end crystals

this bdubs by imflyingfish is SO COOL AND CUTE, the style is so unique and captivating and i love the choice to draw bdubs' building the earth arc as it's honestly the only fan art i think i've seen of that specific secret life moment

i'll end off by mentioning the Common Applestruda W, where i honestly can't even link a specific piece or i'd be here all day. but her color work and compositions are wonderful

[gtenvs3000w24]

07: Music in nature.

Hi everyone! As someone who loves both music and nature, I’m excited to talk about this week’s prompt! I've found myself captivated by the connections between music and nature in the past, and It's a topic that's as fascinating as it is deep. When we ask, "Where is music in nature? Where is nature in music?" we're really diving into the core of how we interpret and understand both. 

Nature is like the ultimate composer in a way. From the rhythmic crash of waves to the gentle rustle of leaves in the wind, it’s almost like a whole symphony out there. And it's not just about inspiration; nature's sounds can actually shape the way we create music. If you listen to the works of Beethoven or Debussy, you can practically feel the influence of the natural world woven into their compositions. 

In modern music, the influence of nature can be heard across a wide array of genres and styles. Take, for instance, the Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós, whose soundscapes often revolve around the beauty of their homeland's landscapes. In songs like "Sæglópur," layers of shimmering guitars and haunting vocals create a sense of vastness and wonder, making listeners imagine fjords and tundras. Even in electronic music, artists like Björk incorporate elements of nature into their compositions, using field recordings of wind, water, and wildlife to add depth and texture to their songs.

Music, in turn, also becomes a way for us to interpret and express the essence of nature (Hooykaas, 2024). Whether it's through a beautiful orchestral piece or the melody of a piano, music has an incredible ability to evoke the feelings and sensations we experience in the great outdoors (Hooykaas, 2024). It can even be like taking an audio journey through forests, mountains, and oceans without ever leaving your seat. So, when we talk about nature interpretation, we're also talking about how we interpret the sounds and rhythms of the world around us, and how we use music to capture and communicate those interpretations. It's a beautiful cycle of inspiration and expression that speaks to the deep connection between humans and the natural world. 

One song that immediately reminds me of a natural landscape is “Landslide” by The Chicks. This is a cover of the song originally written by Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac. With this version by The Chicks being a country song, it’s much different than the rock/metal I usually listen to, but it’s a song that has always stuck with me. Me and my mom like to go for drives out in the country roads/backgrounds, and she always plays this song on those little trips. I find that this song really fits with the rolling hills, vast open fields, and blue skies that I see when we go on those drives. Now that I can drive too I like to go for drives out in the country, and I play this song everytime! It’s a great listen, and really adds to the scenery. The song itself has many lyrics that relate to nature as well.

Overall, as someone who's passionate about both music and nature, I'm amazed by the ways in which these two things are so connected. Whether I'm listening to a symphony or taking a hike in the woods, I can't help but feel like I'm tapping into something bigger than myself, and that's what makes exploring the relationship between music and nature so rewarding!

Hooykaas, A. (2024). Unit 7: Nature interpretation through music. University of Guelph. https://courselink.uoguelph.ca/d2l/le/content/858004/viewContent/3640021/View

[thouartachoochootrain]

I’ve seen this weird sentiment about art. The example, of my coworker, is not the first or only time I’ve seen this but it came at a very unique moment. I had been practicing traditional pencil drawing for long enough that I realized how hard it was, and had been delving deeper into what I wanted my art to be and what “good” art (art that is very stimulating to me personally) looks like.

She saw me drawing and excitedly wanted to show me a TikTok of this artist she considered to be one of the Best. ‘Oh he’s the most amazing artist it’s really really incredible’ ‘are you trying to be like this guy.’ I looked at the man’s work and I don’t want to act like his art wasn’t good. He was and is Very talented. The amount of work is incredible and he’s rightfully popular. However, the art she showed which was by her metric “the best” was just hyper realism. ‘Look at that!!!’ She said pointing to the details of hair. ‘It’s like a photo!!’

To her and many others, the merit/quality of a piece of artwork is based around how closely it resembles real life. What takes the most Technical skill to do. How close can it be to a picture. But, they aren’t unaffected by art that doesn’t look this way. They are still very much affected by all the famous art pieces that are in no way even Close to representing reality.

I grow frustrated with my art because it lacks this quality that I see in other art. A simplicity and style that evokes heavy emotion with just a few well placed lines and shadows. Modern art pieces that make me imagine I’m at war while being composed of the left overs of a middle school art class. Hyper realism to me is less of an evocative art form and more of an exercise. You do it so you can develop skills to make the exciting art. Hyper realism bores me because it shows mechanical skill and to me that’s it. I’m aware art is subjective, this is a personal opinion.

People demean 2d animation for being “childish”. They look down on modern art for being “easy”. But they laud the photograph made from graphite as being more skillful, more adult, more mature. Yet they also can’t escape the fact they have been and will be the most affected by these ‘lesser’ art styles. You remember the 2d Disney movies from 100 years ago. My coworker couldn’t remember the artist’s name, and she has never brought him up again. She also is captivated by AI generated images. It always gets her. It gets Many Many People. They don’t even notice. I think it’s largely a failing of art education in the USA. There’s basically none and people grow with all of this human ability to see and feel art but none of the tools to really Know it. So they think AI generated images are real and also that it’s acceptable. ‘Oh look at this gorgeous picture’ it’s AI, the person has an extra arm and fused fingers. But much like the hyper realism they didn’t actually SEE the details, they glanced and saw it was like a photo. That’s all they needed. Even when a picture has breathtaking details they don’t actually Look at them directly, they skim. AI composites are ideal for this mindset, the area where your eyes will land most quickly and easily is the most detailed and the quality from there drops like a rock.

I think we’d all benefit from more mandatory art classes. Maybe AI generated images wouldn’t have become as prevalent if we had a more art inclined culture. Uuuuuuuuh el problemo es el capitalismo etc etc.

[jdaviswords]

*PSA - Long post warning*

Man, no lie…I’ve really been mulling over how I was going to type this out that would appeal to folks scrolling through their timelines for weeks. And I’ve figured that the best way to do that would be to compose what I’m thinking/feeling right now concisely. Unfortunately, it’s just not going to be something I am able to do. So while I appreciate you reading this far, you’ve been warned should you continue.

The Leftovers is a sequel to another project that I worked on called The Funnies. It was spearheaded by one of my closest friends, James (also known as, Bone). The Funnies was a culmination of both of our works that were written over a decade ago, sewn together, and highlighted James and myself as artists. It connected musical composition and spoken word. In our opinions…it was unique.

Before I continue, I must also emphasize that James and I are not the only two involved in the making of The Funnies or The Leftovers. So many folks played part in them for no other benefit than to be a part of expression. And should The Funnies or The Leftovers be listened only once, that notion itself is a victory for us.

The Funnies left off with the character I created standing at the top of a volcano, hence the inspiration behind the album art cover for The Leftovers (shout out Kojau). The Leftovers was inspired by two major things:

a.) An excess catalog of work that was in consideration for The Funnies that never made it

b.) James McCann

It’s nerve racking putting yourself out there and without my friends and family supporting me on this, it doesn’t exist. Setting that aside, I’m putting inside this ramble, that I am proud of myself. Because I am. And also for future reference on those tougher days.

If you’re still here, I would like to elaborate just a little bit more…

The Leftovers is purposeful in its design. It’s chronology has been discussed at length, and so from the intro of Impoverished War Machine to the outro of I Write, it is intentional how they sequent one another. With that, I do believe the individual pieces can stand alone, but are better served collectively (like a pin collection). Those last parentheses won’t make sense to the most of you, unless you take a dive inside that volcano with me. Then I’d have no other choice than to Call It like it is, state a welcome, and then ask…Where Have You Been?

Now that you’ve left behind your Intimidation to Jump, Where Are You Now? Where Do You Go when you’ve lost The Idea Of Me? I type this as tonight’s version of Night Thoughts and I am so thrilled to Mash Up these song titles as I take a deep breath of Oxygen and exhale. I figured after I couldn’t put the words together originally, eventually I’d find The Right Way. I knew that once I started, it would roll together like A B C and it would showcase again me being me Unapologetically. I’m steady running now, like Two Knobs and a Faucet.

Today I turn 31 years old. It is my birthday and I’ll admit that it’s the ugliest feeling birthday I’ve felt yet. I know that’s a feeling which will subside. In the interim, I am choosing to focus on my next Smoothie Sip, and not be bogged down in negativity like a sailor walking The Plank.

I am so grateful for what writing has given my life. And while the vulnerability of this project is evident, being able to share with you a piece of my passion is both a blessing and an honor.

Lastly, (and I swear I am done after this) I would like to leave you with the mission statement for The Leftovers, as I truly feel it encapsulates the album in a shortened version of what is written above:

The Leftovers is a project inspired by spoken word, music, and friendship. The album is a unique interpretation of slam poetry and meshes with it, the love of music. It is captivating, playful, and thought provoking. Its design is geared towards the premise of embracing vulnerability and showcasing artistry. The Leftovers will take the listener to a place of reflection and enlightenment driven by its rhyming and word play. It highlights the art of writing and touches on aspects of expression, mental health, politics and more.

Inspired by a passion of words, The Leftovers (as already mentioned) is the sequel to another project called The Funnies. While similar in design, The Leftovers is my first ever fully spoken word album that truly embodies myself as a writer.

“…but even in my uniqueness, it means nothing, unless it reaches someone…and teaches them…something…or breaches a curiosity. I hope I can be inspiring for those who are tiring from the beat down of this crazy society.”

– Intimidation to Jump

One Love,

-Jdav (Justin Davis)

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/album/31kzYT00XSU74Q0quHOsZx?si=5wlZxGpkTJ6UPdVnSXGlPg

Apple Music - https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-leftovers/1728930211

YouTube Music - https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mQGXZqAuqFFrx8uTBnmryBm0_y5ET3R5w&si=diM1dAqinak8FZe4

Distrokid - https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/jdav3/the-leftovers?fbclid=PAAaYZQ2K1X81V6Zco3hM8_ywdyo7QGUJUOT-C8E4y7AOgLTu8eQKHrmiLhRE_aem_ARIv9F3Eyu9tEjMzdhzZXBDDN-QmP3MpQwijMM9oZZvswaxYo2v44018mRnWtQ_zK-g

[kuwdora]

January 15 - if you made a painting embodying a character, who would it be? @sassaffrassa

I cannot remember if I told you about this one specifically, sass, or just foamed at the mouth about my other art ideas. Can I describe this coherently? Guess we’ll find out.

I would love to paint Ciri from the witcher books. This is nothing in my skill set right now. And it it probablyyyyy too many ideas to fit into one piece and could probably be 2-4 pieces. But maybe it’s just one very busy single piece. But it's Ciri and lots of things from the witcher books.

Stylistically I want to make a painting that’s surrealist/eldritch horror with fantasy vibes. Composition-wise I’m, ahhhh, inspired by the old Star Wars posters and Bosch.

I want Ciri’s face with her very huge scar prominent to be a main focus. I want horrifyingly exaggerated uterus to be a focus as well, fallopian tubes reaching out with tentacle-like horrors, ovaries dripping with blood, with disdain and rage.

In the background behind Ciri rises the Tower of Swallows—or maybe Ard Gaeth behind her. Stars in the background. Space and time, you know.

Ciri is flanked by all the people pursuing her for good and ill, so Eredin and Emhyr and Vilgefortz on one side, Yen, Geralt and the Hansa on the right. The fallopian tubes are wrapped around Vilgefortz neck because fuck that guy (I can hold many different kinds of feelings about shitty villain characters). But really fuck that guy and choke him out with a fallopian tube. Or maybe wrapped around all of them, Eredin, Emhyr and Vilgefortz.

On the right Yen has a bloodied lip and messy hair a la her captivity scene, or maybe her scrutinizing expression I think she’s wearing when she’s speaking with Freya in Skellige. Geralt is below Yen and is looking exhausted and determined and wearing a headband, jowly and pale. And beside him is the rest of the Hansa. Cahir with wet eyes looking up at Ciri like she’s hung the moon. Regis looking poised and mindful at Geralt, Dandelion holding his memoirs. Milva cropped hair with her bow Angouleme with a cheeky expression and maybe a knife.

Also have a smaller Vysogota over one Ciri’s shoulder, and Kelpie over her other. Maybe Mistle somewhere, too. Definitely need Ihuarraquax somewhere because fuck yeah unicorns.

Below Ciri and her exaggerated uterus is maybe moment from Ciri’s final fight with Bonhart, her balancing carefully on the beam and Bonhart thinking he’s got her but we know he doesn’t but the stakes are still high.

And just below that is Ciri riding Kelpie over the lake, and Avallach standing on the edge of the water watching her. And if I continue to be maximal I’d want to find a place for some compositional elements about The Spiral. Maybe a reflection in the water of the lake, or something anchored to Avallac’h in the scene.

To layer it even more like this is a Bosch painting meets meets Kahlo and Dali, I would have Nimue with a magnifying glass that she’s looking through from the corner of the painting, examining this Whole Scene with a dreamy-eyed Tilly at her side. Maybe reaching through the looking glass into the scene. Throw in an ouroboros somewhere. Maybe framing the whole painting??

Anyway. This is a lot. My brain is a lot and it is what it is… and hey now! I made a post about it, so it’s out of my head! I cannot and will not paint this, but if anyone is inspired oh my god have at it and run with the ideas if it moves you.

January posting meme + claim a date - can still prompt me.

[terminaxshowtime]

this is the stupidest question you've ever been asked but how do you analyse music?

aight, well, i don't do anything professionally or anything, all just for fun. usually i focus on the techniques of the music, or certain elements that it has. i was actually taught how to analyze music elements and techniques in class, mainly with identifying structure, rhythms, melody (eg. intervals), harmony/tonality (eg. cadences), and timbre. if i'm just analyzing music for fun, sometimes i'll pick it up by ear and be like 'oh, that's __ cadence, this is fitting for the song because it creates __ effect' or something along those lines. some of them are pretty obvious- like with rhythms, or repetition. for the ones i'm super interested and have to go in-depth to, usually i'll head over to, say, Musescore, search up the sheet music, and try to figure out some of the cadences and intervals myself. if i really want to go deep, i can check out these and associate them with other common uses of the sequences or whatnot, and just kinda make my own personal conclusions as to what the composer was trying to do when they made this. it's always about the messages they're trying to send and whatnot, or sometimes the message is just 'have fun!!!' or keeping the listeners not bored out of their mind.

for analysing music as part of, say, a soundtrack (in my opinion, the best to analyse) i'll focus a bit more on the actual compositional devices. mainly leitmotifs and instrumentation (similar to timbre), because those features can help you understand the story and character of the song. with these, i kind of just pick them up even the first time that i hear it. like, if i recognise a certain pattern, i usually associate it pretty quickly, then i narrow it down to some kinda reason as to why the composer might have done this. it's all connected!!

and if the song i'm analysing has lyrics (rare) i just use the typical English writing analysing techniques on it. with the exception of where certain words would be emphasised through certain chords or cadences in the harmony giving it a different meaning, or as an ornament, in which case i could pack the lyrics together with the musical elements and then analyse it further. so that's a cool thing that i like doing.

i also find that the more diverse a piece, the more interesting and fun it is to analyze, and to an extent, listen to. i think my favourite thing to listen to and analyze would be things with contrast, a lot of range, just something that makes it sound super captivating. which i often find video game ost to have. i highly recommend ost from Kirby games personally ;)

oh, and the stuff i WASN'T taught. okay, so I actually use DAWs and make music myself. i don't post it because i'm self conscious and don't think it's THAT good, but it's probably fine. it's mainly through my own experience through using DAWs that I can figure out what kind of techniques the composers are using for songwriting, mainly through mixing and audio effects- the classic reverb, overdrives, EQs, panning- all my knowledge and ability to judge these comes from my OWN personal experiences with making music and therefore being able to recognise the techniques when i listen. then i can figure out the effect that this technique has and analyse the song and all. so that's the part that was SELF-taught from myself, really.

but anyway. if that didn't answer your question, whoops. i was mainly taught to do a specific type of analysing, and yeah i can analyse it outside of just these techniques- vibes work just fine- but it's kind of hard to explain. 90% of it comes from having knowledge of what the features and effects are, plus my own personal experiences help. i think after you can recognise and NAME the features and techniques, then it's much easier to figure out what the composer was thinking when they made it (ie analyse it.)

erm i rambled way too much. wow. hope this helped???