#this was a commission but I would have drawn this same thing for fun

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Never Let You Go

Inspired by this post; in the same universe as this and this and this

Warnings: non/dubcon, power imbalance, and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

Character: Sam Wilson

Summary: you run into an old face as you try to build a new life.

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging ❤️

“Richard, hi,” you approach the table on the cafe patio. “I hope you haven’t been waiting long.” 

“Oh, don’t fret, I’m always impeccably early,” he stands to greet you and offers his hand, “so good to finally meet in person.” 

“Yes, finally,” you smile. “I really appreciate you coming all the way down here.” 

“I’m of a mind to try new things,” he says. “Especially local places. They put a touch more care into their food.” 

“Have you ordered? They have a great curried egg salad.” You suggest as you claim the seat across from him. He sits as well. 

“Just a coffee,” he says. 

“Sounds great,” you reply. “Could use one as well but if you’d rather just get to business--” 

“Go on, I can wait,” he assures as he checks his watch. “Our meeting is still ten minutes away, technically.” 

“I’ll be quick,” you get up with the promise. 

You head for the door and dip through to join the queue. You’ve been looking forward to the snickerdoodle latte all day and yet Richard spoiled that by being even earlier than you. It’s a good sign at least. It means you’ll probably get the commission. 

You wait your turn patiently. You sway back and forth. You greedily ogle the desserts in the case, your restraint at battle with your sweet tooth. Your eyes are drawn to the paper taped to the glass. ‘Under New Management. Fun changes coming soon!’ 

You come here a couple times a week and you had no idea. You suppose you didn’t ask. You’re always in autopilot; you get in, get your coffee, and go. 

Your turn comes and you step up to order your latte. The snickerdoodle is discontinued. Oh. You get the vanilla bean instead. No use being picky, much more important things to tend to. 

As you pay, a familiar tone catches your ear. It can’t be. The timbre flows through the open door to the back. You take your coffee and go. 

It’s all in your head. You’re not paranoid, just a little... cautious? It’s been months. You’re in a new neighbourhood, you cut all your former clients, well, the ones he didn’t chase away, and you have a new favourite coffee shop. Things are looking up. 

You take your order and return to the table. Richard looks up, smiling over his cup. 

“The coffee is great. I understand they have a new supplier,” he says. “I was chatting with the new owner, he said it’s hand-roasted.” 

“Oh, wow,” you smile. “I didn’t even know it was sold,” you push your shoulders up and set your cup on the table. “Did you want to see my mock-ups?” 

“I certainly would,” he says. 

You bring your bag into your lap and slide out your tablet. You flip back the case and scroll through your folders. You open his file and turn the screen towards him. 

“You can look through,” you say. “I used the pictures you sent me and I applied the changes digitally. I even have an invoice with an inventory of paints, flooring, fixtures. The furniture is separate for ease. And if there’s anything you want to switch out or change or keep, we can do that as well.” 

“Ah,” he takes the tablet. He drags his thumb across. You watch him as he focuses on the screen. “A talented editor too.” 

You turn your head. You don’t want to pressure him. It’s normal for clients to have feedback. You had your initial consultation online and you got his general ideas but it’s different when you can see it. 

“Did you have any alternates? I think this dove grey is immaculate but I’m curious. If we could do around the fireplace in a different colour perhaps?” 

“Oh, I could do something else. I did have another idea for that but it was entirely different. Rustic. The brick was red clay and the walls hardwood.” 

“Interesting, you have that?” He wonders. 

“Sure, it’s in my drafts.” you reach across.  

You take it back and shuffle through to your drafts. You return it to him and he clucks. “I’m afraid I’ve made a terrible mistake,” he remarks. You wince. “I’ve now brought myself to stalemate. I’m not sure which on I prefer.” 

“Oh,” you chuckle in relief, “well, it’s easier when you see swatches and materials. That could be the deciding factor.” 

“Probably best,” he agrees. 

He gives you back the tablet and you return it to the other file. You offer it again and he continues to browse. He hums and lowers it again. 

“I know one thing for sure. You’re hired,” he grins. “When can we begin?” 

“As soon as you like,” you try to repress your excitement. Admittedly it’s been difficult since your break-up. Relocating destroyed much of your existing client-base. 

“Wonderful,” he says. “Not to rush out but it is such a nice day and I think we are agreed. If you don’t mind, could you forward those images? I could offer more specific notes?” 

“Sounds good,” you take the tablet. “Thank you so much.” 

“Not at all,” he stands and grabs his cup, draining what’s left in the porcelain before setting it back down. “Have a wonderful day.” 

“You too,” you smile. 

He leaves and you watch after him. You’re ecstatic. You don’t have to dig any further into your savings. 

You sit back and grab your cup. You haven’t even tried the latte. It's not bad. Not the sort of vanilla that’s too sweet. 

“Is it good?” The voice startles you. Not only because it’s unexpected, but because it’s familiar. The same one you were sure you didn’t hear inside. There’s no way... “I changed the recipe. Upgraded the machines...” 

You look up and put the cup down. You gape at Sam as he steps closer and puts his fingertips on the wooden tabletop. “Lot of changes, huh, honey?” 

You gulp. “What?” 

“It’s a cute place but the management was a disaster. Tanking. But I made an investment--” 

“Sam,” you croak, “how...” 

“You blocked my number, yeah, I know.” He smirks. 

You blink. You know better than to argue. Disengage. You put your tablet in your bag and stand, abandoning the latte you’d looked forward to all day. 

He as quick as ever. He catches your wrist over the chair. You tug and look around, “Sam,” you hiss. 

“Shh,” he hushes you. “You know what happens when you make a scene.” 

He calmly sits and draws you closer. You try to resist but he’s too strong. You peer around. No one else seems to notice the tense encounter. If you cry out now, it will be just like that night you broke up with him. For the fourth time. 

He forces you down, onto his lap. Now that might catch a few glances. You shift and lean away from him, your hip pressing into the table. 

“Let me go,” you plead. 

“So, you moved on quick.” 

You wince. It’s been almost a year. 

“New place, new coffee, new... man,” he grits the last word. 

“He was a client.” 

“Oh, I know how you are with your clients,” he sneers. “All bubbly. You were never like that with me, baby.” 

“I tried. Sam, you know it’s over.” 

“I never agreed to that,” he snarls. 

“Sam,” you warn in a flat tone. “Let go or I will scream.” 

“You changed a lot,” he ignores the threat. “Your mom didn’t though. She’s still in the brownstone.” 

“Sam,” you repeat. 

“I really did miss hearing you say my name.” 

Your eyes wet with helplessness. How did it come to this? How did that charming, funny man you met all those years ago turn into this? You mourn what you thought he was more than the relationship. 

“You should finish your coffee,” he leans forward, crushing you against the table as he grabs your cup. “Go on.” 

You stiffen as he lifts the cup to your lips. You sip as you feel him watching. He snickers and pulls it away. He presses against you again to put it down. 

He tuts as he sits back, “ah, you got something...” he wipes your lip with his thumb and purrs. 

“Why are you doing this?” You whimper. 

“Because you’re mine,” he growls and runs his hand up your back, gripping the back of your neck, “you better not forget that again.” 

[fullcolorfright]

An Afternoon by the Sea

[theheraldsrest]

Hey! I really really love your blog! If I may request, during downtime, how would the members of the inner circle react to find the Inquisitor drawing/sketching them?

“Companions react to Inquisitor drawing/sketching them”

After our *cough* little thing with Bull, let’s have some fluff, shall we? Thank you anon for the ask!

-Lord Lex

Cullen

“You did this? It’s certainly…it’s…how did you even…it’s amazing.”

-So surprised, no words. It makes him feel a little special that you’d choose to sketch him but also very embarrassed. In return, he tries drawing you. Might not be as good and there are a few rough sketches that were thrown in the fire, but he wanted to return the favor. 

Josephine

“Oh! Look at the detail and the softness! I wouldn’t have even thought it was me from how stunning it is!”

-Absolutely gushing over it. Josey’s always had a fascination for the arts and to be the subject of the piece from someone close to her? Adores it, even asks to keep it. She has it tucked away in one of her favorite books. Will always compliment your art even when talking to dignitaries.

Leliana

“I commend you on your artistic talent. Though, I’d ask you not to sketch me. Perhaps one of the ravens would make better practice?”

-Like Josephine, Leliana has an eye for art. She loves looking at the little details in your sketches and finds it a surprise that her face is amongst the papers. As much as she appreciates it, she’d rather her face remain a secret. She is your spy master, after all. Though, if she becomes Divine, she keeps the sketch as one of her favorite pieces of her. 

Vivienne

“Darling, as much as I’d like to say you're wasting your talents by leading the Inquisition instead of honing your skills, you are equally talented in both. Most usually fail to make me look this stunning.”

-It might not show on her face or in her words but she loves it. Several times people have been commissioned to paint her yet none come even close to your level of detail. More points if it’s of her smiling or laughing, the lines on her face as well as the wrinkle around her eyes gives her a sense of…normalcy. If she becomes Divine, she commissions you to do her portrait, no one else.

Varric

“You drew me? I think that’s gotta be one of the scariest pieces of your art I’ve ever seen! When you're done, can I keep it?”

-Though it doesn’t sound like it, he brags about it constantly. Even when he’s making fun of his slightly crooked nose or how his eyes might seem smaller than other dwarves, he’s complimenting the skill you put into the very minute details of his face. Varric will try to pay you for it even if you refuse, later trying to commission a drawing of Hawke when they come around.

Cole

“Oh, it’s me! Not really, but it’s Cole. But you’re trying to draw me…I can still remember his face, then.”

-He’ll stare at it for hours, his shoulders down. It’s been sometime since he’d been able to see his own face, forgetting that he even had a face. To see you draw that face, the real Cole, just from looking at him makes him happy. Will ask to look at it every now and then, just to make sure it’s still the same.

Solas

“I must say, you are quite talented and steady with your hands. It does allow others to see how the artist sees. You certainly make me seem…at peace.”

-From one artist to another, he gives you high compliments with very few complaints. It is unusual to see him drawn in such a way since he’s so used to seeing only the mosaics. He meant to get rid of it when he left the Inquisition, but just couldn’t bring himself to do it.

Cassandra

“Inquisitor, though your craft is very beautiful and I admire how you can make these pieces, I must ask you not to sketch me.”

-Don’t get her wrong, she loves seeing your sketches but it’s mostly out of formality (and somewhat embarrassment) that she asks not to be your subject. If she becomes Divine, it’s one of the only pieces she prefers over the paintings. Though she does ask you, if you have the time, to draw something for her. When you give her a perfect picture of her brother and her, it’s one of the few times she truly hugs you.

The Iron Bull

“Holy shit. I’m alright when it comes to sketching, but you make it look pretty damn easy while so complicated! You even got my scars and the detail on my patch! Damn, boss!”

-Bull is used to doing quick sketches, usually of small details to make sure he could track someone or to remember something easier. Never had he really seen himself drawn so picture perfect that it completely baffles him. He looks at all the details with a smile on his face.

Dorian

“I can’t believe you managed to get my good side! In all honesty, though, this is remarkable. And not just because it’s me.”

-He had studied some art pieces before and never really found any he liked, but he has now found one of his favorite artists. Constantly asks if you’ve done any new pieces just so he can look at the heart that goes into them. Ask if you could teach him to sketch as such so that he can add better drawings to his research notes.

Sera

“What the fuck! That’s me! How the fuck! How did you do this! You even got my eyes to be lined up! How the hell did you do that?!”

-We all know Sera’s drawing style. She keeps saying the same things over and over again because she’s at a loss for words. Except for cuss words. Along with the rooftop hangouts, she insists that you two just draw together sometimes. Some of the goofiest drawings come from these times, especially one of a cartoonish Coryshit falling from a very detailed tower.

A little speech bubble near it says “Oh shit, I shat myself!”

Blackwall

“I…I’m honored to be one of your subjects. Not to blow my own horn, but this looks stunning. You really are something special, hm?”

-Blackwall has done a lot of sketching himself and finds your art a breath of fresh air. Other than looking at bits and pieces of his reflection, he usually tries to avoid seeing himself. So when he sees your drawing of him, he almost doesn’t recognize himself. You both trade sketches of each other just for fun and even sketch together.

[rexscanonwife]

Check it out, I found some ref sheets for one of my favorite Star Wars: The Clone Wars characters!! 😊🫶

It was so much fun to work on this! I've been meaning to update Brea's ref officially for a while now, and for some reason I thought it'd be fun to imitate the style of the clone wars character sheets. I think it turned out pretty good, and I'll probably draw some more show-accurate style stuff soon! (taglist + some detail ramblings under the cut)

So, one of the neat things I did in this ref sheet was sort of break up the segments for Brea's hair! Both to help future artists I may commission get a better understanding of it, and to have an idea of how it might be 'rigged' for animation, inspired by a note I saw on Anakin's season 7 ref sheets.

The progression of her outfits is something I've thought about a lot too, and I think it reflects the animation style over the years and in some cases her personality!

Seasons 1-2 had very limited animation, so her outfit isn't very complicated and doesn't have a ton of moving parts. Her iconic waist drapery is missing so they wouldn't have to animate it, and her outfit is...visibly kinda slutty as you can see 😂 given what outfit they put Aayla Secura in, and that Ahsoka's stupid little season 1 tube top was George Lucas's input, I wouldn't put it past them to give Brea the same treatment.

Seasons 3-6 see her iconic outfit I've drawn her in the most! Her waist fabric is more for show than anything else, though it comes in handy as a blanket or a towel in a pinch. Her affinity for gold accents is most apparent in this outfit, as well.

In season 7, I think they would wanna show off just how far the animation has improved by giving her an even more complex outfit! I thought the two-tone top looked nice, as well as the cutouts on the sides of her abdomen. She also has her midriff covered for the first time, which reflects her emotional growth and maturity over the years in my mind. Her gold accents are slightly more subdued, but they're still present, she keeps a boob window and lack of sleeves to show that it's still the same Brea at heart!

Taglist♡: @me-myself-and-my-fos @tiny-cloud-of-flowers @sunstar-of-the-north @dearly-beeloved @adoredbyalatus @changeling-selfship @crushes-georg @cherry-bomb-ships

@rosieaurora @rejaytionships @in-true-blue-love @tropicalgothships @little-miss-selfships @hotrodharts @cupiidzbow @frozenhi-chews

@limey-self-inserts @candyheartedchy @space-sweetheart @halsinkisser @clancyismylover

[chaoskirin]

What AI Art is NOT

I keep seeing people refuting points from REAL ACTUAL ARTISTS using these talking points. So here’s a sort of FAQ of what I’ve seen.

Q: Isn’t AI Art is just a tool?

A: Tools include grids, perspective lines, rulers, apps like Sketch Up which place assets that are pre-designed and cannot be altered, et cetera. Tools are NOT: apps that draw the whole picture for you. If AI datasets were tools, then artists would also be tools. Artists aren’t tools. 

Q: AI Art isn’t stealing art. It’s just like a collage. 

A: I really want you to think about what a collage is versus the kind of art an AI dataset spits out. Are those things the same? Collages are derivative and generally fall under parody law, so long as the person creating them isn’t taking credit for the parts of the collage they didn’t photograph or draw. You cannot sell a collage of other peoples’ work without express written permission from those people. The elements of a collage are each separate and identifiable as such.

AI art is not a collage. The elements of an AI art piece are not separate and identifiable. They are combined into one single piece, where each piece cannot specifically be traced. AI art does not fit the definition of a derivative or parody work. 

Q: If someone puts their art on the internet, it’s fair game. 

A: Copyright law specifically disagrees with you on this point. 

Q: If it’s not a collage and one can’t see the pieces of the art, doesn’t that make it an original work, and therefore, it’s not theft? 

A: AI isn’t generating a new image. It’s taking pieces from many originals and “claiming” to make a new original piece. However, AI cannot generate these things without knowing what they are (IE skimming tags and allowing users to tell the AI what’s in the picture) Without the input of original artists, an AI would not be able to create anything, which is why most datasets include millions of pieces of art “scraped” (AKA stolen) from the internet. Currently, these pieces AI makes are being sold, and the owners of the datasets are charging for their use. This means that people who did not actually create the art are being paid, whereas the original artists are not. 

Q: AI art can’t replace real artists. You’re fearmongering. 

A: AI art has already replaced real artists. Shortly after Kim Jung Ji died, someone fed all his artwork into a dataset and “created” several new pieces that were almost identical to his style. Cosmopolitan magazine released a cover “drawn” by an AI and blatantly stated on the cover “and it only took 20 seconds to make.” A magazine article in The Atlantic used AI art to generate a photo of Alex Jones surrounded by papers. Someone submitted AI generated art to an art contest and won. Several anecdotal stories (not verified, but reliable) on Twitter state that small companies have fired their graphic designers or cut their work force. Commissioned artists have reported dropping sales numbers. 

Corporations (and most people) will ALWAYS favor a cheaper option. If it’s good enough, it’s usable. The Cosmo magazine cover and the article header image were TERRIBLE, and they still went to print. Everyone should know by now that corporations will ALWAYS screw people over when they’re able to. If AI art becomes acceptable and commonplace, in-house artists will be replaced. This isn’t theoretical. It is already happening. 

Q: It’s going to happen anyway. You can either embrace it or reject it. (Yes, this is real. Someone actually said this to me.) 

A: Yes... Exactly. I’m rejecting it. Without laws to protect artists, I will fight AI art whenever and wherever I can. It might be fun and convenient for you, a non-artist, but it is terrifying and heartbreaking for artists. Websites like Deviantart and Clip Studio Paint who said “well it’s going to happen anyway” should have been the first line of defense against the creep of AI art, but they failed. It can only take over if people let it. Stop letting it.

[kamruna]

Thomas one of my oldest ocs i love him with all my heart, i’ve drawn him like 4 times but he knows he’s the favourite

i’ve been stuck in a rut with my warrior cat / furry art for a while now, i think i’m afraid to experiment with it as much as i do with my other art because a big chunk of it is commissions for which i feel like i need to upkeep the same exact execution every time in fear of not giving someone what they want first try - it’s not as much of a problem with my own silly cat art of course but it still seeps into it! i need to stop trying to make all of my art look the same and allow myself to have fun and develop - i think remaking my price sheet would help, freshen it up since it’s getting pretty old now, maybe switch up how i do things a little :P

TDLR: i wanna experiment and have fun with my cat art more, might change up my commission sheet ‼️

[ciciciron]

COMMISSION INFO!! PLEASE READ!! SORRY!!

All payments done via Paypal, I try to price things what I believe to be fairly, I don't have many examples because I only drew one thing so far this month oops

Icon - $5 base (single character simple background), + $2 for two characters, + $3 for detailed background, $10 max cost. Square canvas

I don't divide based on how much is being drawn so the next two are based on personal preference

Simple drawing- $10 base (single character simple background), I'm talkin' more basic stuff, no detailed props, just a guy vibing, + $5 for two characters, + $5 for detailed background (I should specify that the average background isn't just a white canvas but instead a lazy attempt at a scene, max cost would be $20

Complex drawing - $15 base (single character simple background), this is your action shots, your vending machines that take you 20 days to complete drawing (do ask), more dynamic poses and all that. + $10 added character (complex) vs. + $5 added character (simple) difference is one can join in the fun the other gets to stand on the sidelines shouting you go girl or something, detailed background is + $10 for all my vending machine related troubles (don't ever make me draw another one). Max cost $35 but in my defense I'm pretty good at drawing backgrounds

Refs - $20 base with front, side, and back angles included, + $5 for silly doodles, + $5 if you want me to explain your ocs lore in a paragraph, at most $30, if you just want like a front look it's $10

Note that I will draw; Ship art, gore/violence, original characters, animals and/or pokemon, and any sort of fictional character so long as the design isn't sexualized because I am 16

I will not draw; Nsfw, anthro (I just don't have the experience), vending machines unless you tip /j, super detailed mechs, and anything I deem offensive

Non human characters (animals/pokemon) are priced the same as people cuz I have more experience drawing humans, also everything will have dynamic lighting because I like doing dynamic lighting

I reserve the right to refuse any client and also please be patient I am one guy and I'm currently attending community college as a dual enrollment thing so I'm kinda busy, I work as fast as I can though, images will be watermarked until payment is received, tips appreciated but not necessary as I believe I've valued my work efficiently

Here are the two examples of of my art style I have

One took a night the other took 25 days but I promise so long as there's no vending machines I will not take 25 days thank you please consider supporting me I'm just a little guy

New example!!

[radiomonkeys2]

Enekai with differing levels of bioelectricity, looking exactly like a Hóuxiān monkey (猴仙) sometimes.

Drawn by MKUchiha and Salvamakoto

Enekai was the first Yaban character I created, both predating and building off my earlier (and technically later) OC, Romaine

I have no idea why Romaine got so popular back in 2017-2018 other than the popularity of edgy OCs and Caulifla. The story of Enekai and Romaine is funny, but the truncated version is that I created Enekai at some point in 2013 for an entirely different, entirely non-Dragon Ball related story

...and recycled the basic concept of this young girl/young woman who possessed inconceivable levels of electrotelekinetic power for a few years, right up into the first Xenoverse game where I decided to adapt Enekai into a Saiyan for fun and roleplaying profit. Then that version of Enekai bounced back and forth between being a Saiyan and an elf (for yet another, separate story)

The main thing noteworthy about Enekai being that, when she was fully power-charged, she had Super Saiyan Future Trunks' hair (a trait which some artists seemed to struggle to understand)

Just because of how stupid and wild it looked, I loved that hairstyle. And helping matters was, as I mentioned before, the realization that Super Saiyan hair (and possibly even regular Saiyan hair) was so spiky because of bioelectricity

Well, because that was Enekai's standard look, I was going to go all in on adapting her into the form of a Saiyan, and this tied into the proto-Yabanverse Dragon Ball fanfic I had of there being different "tribes" of Saiyan between the elite Jinbraljin, the commoner Patotajin, and the violent demonoid outcasts Mayasaijin, with Enekai being a hybrid of the latter two.

Well, about six months after that last commission with Enekai having extreme hair, another Saiyan was introduced. A Saiyan girl with the same hairstyle as Super Saiyan Future Trunks.

This presented a slight problem because now basically no matter what I did to say otherwise, any Enekai commission would easily be accused of being a typical recolor OC, so I decided to just roll with it and commission Caulifla, but now with muscles and Hiei's clothes

And also, just for fun, I commissioned Kale with her hair down

Because look at her! Actually r63 Z!Broly, and no one seemed to realize it at that particular moment in time.

(This seems to have been the start of Salvamakoto's commission career, unless I'm mistaken)

Well that was fun, but I eventually wanted to commission Enekai in full, but again I chickened out, and decided to revisit Hiei-lifla and make some "edgelord donut steel" adjustments, and voila, Romaine

Then, it was mid-December 2017 when I decided to drop all pretenses and just make the Yabanverse a thing

"I'll make my own Saiyans! With blackjack! And hookers!"

And I had Enekai right there, so I used her as the basis for the "Yabansaru-seijin".

@nolanthebiggestnerd

Enekai's design with the elf ears and weirdly ghoulish skin is a vestigial remnant of the very early Yabanverse, back when Yabans were just similar to Saiyans but actually spliced from alien monkeys and elves and Enekai herself was still very recently an elf herself IRL.

Enekai was a fine MC for the Yabanverse, but my sentiment on her soured after I created Yulaan because I became ever more aware that Enekai was literally r!63 Son Goku. Take just about every single trait of Goku, and then add boobs, and you have Enekai. So much so that I nicknamed her "Lady Wukong"

We already have Son Goku. He's called Son Goku, and he's a perfectly fine Son Goku. Yulaan the Skullcrushing battle-crazed monkey pipsqueak forced to live in whitebread suburbia at least seemed more unique in comparison.

"But isn't Yuta also Diet Goku?"

Zip it!

I've never gotten rid of Enekai; she's still the one I feel should lead Strongest Under Heaven.

[clockworkspider]

So I’ve been seeing a post about the semantic drift from “artist” to “content creator” recently, and it mentions how the term “art” use to encompass non-visual art form in the common vocabulary, and people had to specify "visual artist". And that’s true. 

But it also reminds me of how a lot of what we easily considers art nowadays weren’t always considered art.

During the emergence of the Poster (and lithographic print), there’s a lot of debate on whether mass produced commercial work should be considered art. Alphonse Mucha, the guy who basically defined Art Nouveau, wished to be recognized for his “serious art” (mostly religious/spiritual murals) instead of his more popular commercial work. He didn't think his commercial work had as much artistic value. These were his commercial work, by the way.

When I first learned about his views I was shocked. Of course these have artistic value. They're hand-drawn and gorgeous! Does the fact it's mass produced or made to sell cigarette/advertise plays lessen their intrinsic "artisticness"?

In the past, there’s always been a distinction between the artist and the craftsman. Carpenters and weavers made beautiful objects, but these objects were considered product, not art.

As a graphic designer, I’ve worked with as many colleagues (both graphic designers and illustrators) who insist they’re artists as the ones who insist they aren’t. “We don’t make pretty things that just sits in a gallery, we make PRODUCTS that serves a FUNCTION.” Personally, I would also hesitate to call the branding/advertising I’ve created art, even when a lot of illustration is involved.

Now, as social media becomes the world’s biggest gallery, the term “art” began to conflate with “illustration” or simply “images (excluding the likes of selfies/personal journalism photos)”. And with the proliferation of AI generated images, the meaning of “art” is being debated to hell and back again.

Both proponents and detractors of AI would say “AI can’t take away art or the human need to create because it can't make meaning” and people would point out moving works from the gallery or how children have so much fun and passion drawing badly. This is talking about "art" from the galleries, art as a form of expression, art as vessels for meaning. It's not actually about "artists" as "craftsmen".

But that's not actually how most "artists" (illustrators, copywriters, animators) make a living. Most artists sell their skill as labour to make commercial products, whether that's commission or merchandise or advertising. And that's what's being replaced by AI. It's never about the value of the art in the galleries/museums. It's not even about creative expression. They pay me to make their ads pretty and now the AI can make the ad pretty so they don't have to pay me anymore. I can still make art out of the passion of my heart tho, nobody's stopping me, and they will still have meaning and value, it might just not be monetary.

I just think... It doesn't make sense to argue it both ways, you know? The vaguery of what art is. If we're arguing art is defined by it's capacity to hold meaning and the divine act of creation then we also have to admit a lot of what we think of as art isn't art by the same definition.

[sundaysplayzone]

Commonly Asked Questions.

I get asked the same 3-5 questions all the time, so I thought I might make this new lil pinned post to help everyone out! But first, I want to thank you all for visiting my blog!

Do you take requests?

No, I do not.

Are your commission open?

Yes currently! Honestly now a days they’re almost always open. You can check them out on my website HERE!

Are you okay with gift art?

Of course! I would be flattered! If you’d like, you can find most of my characters here on toyhouse (I promise to update it soon!)!

How do you get the retro/vhs effects on your art?

I actually made a tutorial on that here! But honestly at the end of the day it’s a lot of “I plug this picture into several different apps and video editing software.” I wish I could give you a simple answer, but there is no easy way to do it that’s the same every time. I rarely if ever do it the same way back to back. Some colors look better when edited in Photoshop, some in Photomosh Pro. I pay almost $100 a month to have access to all of the software I use to make these effects because it’s part of my job. But luckily you can find so many free tutorials and apps out there, you just need to be curious and try new things!

What do you use to draw?

Another vague answer whoo! Sorry, but I use so many things to draw! But usually it’s sketch/ink/color/shade in Paint Tool Sai, and then move it to Photoshop to add the background, effects and details. I also use Procreate and Clip Studio from time to time. When it comes to traditional, it’s usually standard cardstock or a mixed media sketchbook. Then I draw and color with microns, copic pens, jelly rollers/gel pens, prisma colored markers and copic markers. 

Did you draw the backgrounds in your art? And if you use screenshots, where do you get them?

In the majority of my pictures, I use screenshots from old cartoons. I get these screenshots from the shows themselves. My friend is kind enough to set up a program that takes snapshots hundreds of times during the show. Then when the episode is over, they send them to me. I then spend HOURS, going through thousands of images and delete all but the good pieces. A majority of the time they take a lot of editing to be usable. I have to clean them up, remove character and scale the images.

This isn’t always the case however! I do often draw my own backgrounds! If you ever want to know, feel free to ask!

As for the more aesthetic/abstract backgrounds, I make those myself! I spent far too much money buying licenses and rights to use tons of different patterns and vectors. With those, I love recreating authentic backgrounds in the style of those seen in the 80s and 90s!

I see you draw a lot of Transformation/Chubby/(insert common movie trope here). Are you a fetish artist?

No, I am not a fetish artist. Do I draw art that might be someone’s fetish? Do I take commissions from people with a fetish for this subject matter? Yes, of course. But people need to realize, furry characters alone are a kink to some people. For me the difference is in how it’s drawn. And I personally do not draw my art in a way that sexualizes the piece.

I love drawing transformation scenes, people being swallowed by a monster, extra big tummies, but not because it’s something that I find hot. I just like drawing fun scenes. I get bored of just drawing a character standing in place all the time. I like drawing wacky scenes! 

A lot of my love for these come from cartoons. Edmund getting turned into a cat in Rock a Doodle. Hercules getting swallowed by the hydra. Kaa hypnotizing... everyone xD It’s just a story telling tool and sometimes it’s fun to draw! I’m not into hypno but I do like drawing big, colorful eyes. I’m just whatever about tf but I love drawing the swirling magic effects and the character changing from human to animal. It’s just cool to me!

In short, when I draw these things, it’s like I get to draw scenes from cartoons and movies in my style. It’s so wonderful to attempt to emulate some of the effects and details they used in movies from my childhood. It’s not about the hand changing into a paw for me, it’s the magical sparkles and how it’s so bright and vibrant compared to everything else. Where you see it go from hand to paw, that’s what I love drawing about tf art! Or being able to exaggerate the body and make a character look weighty by making them really round. Getting to draw a comically big mouth, giving a fun and interesting perspective shot. I think that stuff is so neat! Because it’s art!

I don’t care if it is someone’s fetish. I’m not drawing it in a way that’s sexual. Heck, it even says I wont in my TOS! Everything is G-PG here in Sunday’s Playzone! I’m not here to make that kind of content. It’s okay if adults have fetishes, and so long as you and others aren’t sexualizing my art, all is well!

[we-are-inevitable]

Davey and Santa Fe- i’m very curious

this same ask was sent to asper so go read that bc it hurt so good

and where asper talked abt a little bit of canon era dreaming, i’m gonna talk about modern au reality!

i genuinely think that davey, though strong willed and generally confident in himself, would also be the kind of person to push away what he wants in favor of letting his partner’s dreams come true first. he’s willing to compromise and give away his entire life for jack, because he loves jack, and he wants jack to be happy because happiness doesn’t come easily for jack kelly and i think this would culminate in jack and davey moving to Santa Fe after graduating college.

and for the first month, it’s lovely. most of their time is spent fixing up the house, but they go exploring in the beautiful nature surrounding the town and find little shops and restaurants they like. jack is able to start selling prints of his original paintings and he gains traction doing commissions so it’s all really lovely, and davey finds work as an eighth grade reading teacher, and things are good and fine and davey definitely isn’t miserable. totally not.

because he can’t be miserable, this is jack’s dream, always has been, and he’s wants to support it- but davey is so far away from the friends and family he relied on, and santa fe is hit, which seems like a little thing to complain about but if davey’s environment isn’t comfortable then he isn’t comfortable and it makes him feel awful.

awful, because he’s supposed to be supporting jack’s dream of a house and a yard and a dog in New Mexico, when his own dream has always been a studio apartment and a rooftop garden and a cat in New York.

i think jack notices the shift around the three month mark. davey comes home from work and, instead of laying on the couch in jack’s sunlit painting room, he lays in bed in a dark bedroom. on weekends, davey doesn’t really feel like going anywhere, and when they *do* go out and explore, davey is having to force himself to have fun and jack can tell.

the breaking point is jack walking into their dark bedroom- the blackout curtains are drawn and not even the lamp is on- and seeing davey there, sitting up in bed and wiping tears from his eyes. he’s not freaking out, he’s not uncontrollably crying- he’s just resigned, and to jack, that’s even worse.

so, he sits, and they talk. davey tells jack he hates it here, in more elegant terms. jack tells davey this is all he’s ever wanted. and david says, i know, you’re flourishing here, and i don’t want to ruin that for you. i love you so much. i won’t be able to live with myself if i take you away from this. and jack says, but what about you? your happiness matters to me.

the idea i have in my brain is a break up. one neither of them want, because they’ve been together for nearly three years, but one that’s needed until they figure this out. and david knows it’s his fault for not speaking up and saying he doesn’t want to move, and jack knows it’s his fault for blindly dragging david out here.

because jack’s dream is a place, but davey’s dream is jack, and it doesn’t work for either of them yet.

davey moves back to new york over winter break, and starts a master’s program at NYU Steinhardt.

jack moves back to new york four years later, because he feels antsy and needs to go home.

he invites david out to dinner when he gets back. david agrees. they greet each other like old friends, and the rest is history.

[roseate-felidae]

Vent warning

Super long too.

I'm still so upset. I pretended to be someone I wasn't. Yet it was pointless and unsustainable. In grief, I became a monster.

Everything has come together in the weirdest ways possible to make this so much worse.

It started last summer. I came across some characters for an au. The au's artist/writer and I became friends and spent the night chatting for hours. They asked if I wanted to be beta for the au's fic, and I declined due to work getting in the way. But I still enjoyed discussing the characters.

We discussed the characters regularly. Like before.

My overchatting became too much. I have autism and a tendency to ramble. I also asked too many questions, trying to learn so much about the characters. A research binge.

I overestimated how much of a friend they saw me as. So asking how they were, hobbies and other fandoms was uncomfortable. They weren't a friend you saw in person. So it wasn't the same. I didn't realise that at the time. But I do now.

They weren't used to my personality. Friendly yes, but not quiet or breif. Too much for most.

Naturally, boundaries were drawn. So only the au was discussed like the boundaries stated. But still, it was too much. Not tiny infrequent chats.

So they chatted to a mutual friend, and more boundaries were drawn. no more asking about a cameo (I was indescisive), no random small talk, and only chat about au once monthly.

That worked for a while. Then it didn't. I became so fearful of triggering overstimulation that i felt like I was treading on eggshells. But the slightest lapse in caution would lead to a silly meme said, or I would give them a question to "save" for next month, but they'd answer it then.

I blame myself for not being as strict as I should of been. They lowered boundaries, and I didn't realise I was inching over them. Even if a little. I would relax and then it couldn't be undone.

Small things on their own were fine. But it accumulated over time, and that was enough.

It was never a good scenario. We had fun, and therefore, neither of us saw the red flags. For me, a normal friendship isn't a question allowed only once a month and masking to not seem like myself. To them, it was lowering their boundaries to make someone happy and putting up with someone who was too much for them.

But just as stress accumulated for them, so did stress for me.

One day, i asked for a sfw commission on my fave characters, a gay pair joking about with eachother. They said they'd think about it and come back to me. Stupidly, i researched commision prices (they had not priced themselves), confused by the vast differences in different tumblrs, I voiced this in a wordy way to them. But it was unwarranted wordy chatter. So the natural conclusion came to be. They came back politely, explaining they never wanted to chat again, and I was blocked, and fic stopped from being public.

I had used the fic to help keep myself afloat. Many awful things happened in that time in my life (and sadly currently), and those life events made me grow too attached to the au fic. It was comforting, and then it was gone.

I greived and felt disgusting for upsetting a friend. Then, I became a monster. I was trying to apologise and see if I could change their mind on the fic. I didn't inch over the boundary with their permission or with an innocent joke. No, i leapt over it. I contacted someone they knew and commented to them outside tumblr. In desperation to fix it. I killed it. This wasn't small accumulating, but a disaster.

Thankfully, with the comfort of a friend, I'm not so hateful of myself. With the advice of another friend, I rectified the comment by deleting it.

Yet the irrational part of me resents them. I wish I had never helped with the au, never laughed and joked about it. Never cared about the characters. Never met them at all. My confidence in my autistic talkative self is shattered. I feel like an unworthy freak, forever too much for people. I come across things that remind me of it and feel sorrow. Wonder if I did something different, if it would change the outcome.

But it was never healthy. If you can't relax enough to chat frequently and be yourself. If you lower your boundaries to suit others. If you get overwhelmed easily by someone's natural self. How was it ever gonna work? You can only pretend to be different people for so long.

I will never not feel hurt looking back on this. But maybe I can surround myself with people who I can be unapologetically myself with. Infodumper, chatterbox, and all. Hopefully, they will be stronger, too. One day, I will see things that remind me of it and not care. I just have to hope and wait. Maybe they may post it again. I won't be able to interact, but I can enjoy it on my own. But it's out of my control. I can only hope.

I just wished I could have gone back and told myself it wasn't a good idea to pretend not to be you. It couldn't be sustained, despite how easy it sounded, and it would come back to bite you. The joy would be great but fleeting. That I was being a naive fool. When they said we were too different, I should have said goodbye and enjoyed it on my own.

I hate autism. I never chose not to be "normal." Yet I refuse to let myself be a monster to grief and desperation anymore. What's done is done. It's in their hands now. My apologies are known.

[askbananapie]

The Test of Laughter

Author's Note:

The test will be translating what Banana Pie is saying to everyone. Meaning, everyone from the test will be able to understand him, while also preventing him from saying only "Banan", even though he can speak normally without saying it all the time. It won't stop him from saying "Banana" though.

The names of the ponies in the test were very hard to come up with, so I mashed some random words that sounded good together to come up with their names.

The drawing was drawn by ask-that-one-firefighter-girl, who I commissioned.

The Psychopath proofread this chapter. They were the one who also came up with the name of the kingdom in the test, which is in Latin. One of the words is Latin for gold and old English for kingdom is what I've been told.

Banana Pie appeared at a distance away from the front of a castle.

“Where am I, and where is everypony else for that matter? And why am I near a castle when I was in Ponyville?” said the unicorn stallion, confused.

He would’ve asked himself more questions, but the unicorn stallion heard a voice from behind.

“Excuse me,” called out a young, male voice.

Banana Pie looked behind himself to see a young, unicorn stallion who was dressed up in the clothes of a jester, but the Cutie Mark was covered up by the outfit itself.

“Are you here to see the king?” asked the mysterious stallion, curious.

That made the unicorn stallion confused. “I’m sorry, but what are you talking about?” he asked.

That made the jester realize something. “Oh, I guess you’re not here to do that then. Well then, allow me to introduce myself as the Royal Jester of the King Gold Metal and his royal family of Aurum Cynedom, ‘Foolish Jokes’,” introduced the young stallion.

Banana Pie smiled. “Nice to meet you, Foolish Jokes,” he greeted. “Darn. The one time where I make a new friend and I don’t have a banana on me to give to them.”

The unicorn stallion made a promise to himself to find out where he is, return to Ponyville, defeat Nightmare Moon, and then return to give Foolish Jokes a banana.

For now, Banana Pie needed something answered. “So, why did you ask me if I’m here to see the king?” asked the unicorn stallion, curious.

The jester smiled. “Well, the king proposed a single game to the whole town that if anypony can find his son, the royal prince, who is disguised and could be either amongst everypony in the town, or in the king’s castle, then they’ll be able to go into the royal vault and pick out any treasure that they want in return. Everypony only gets one chance to guess, and if they get it wrong, then they’re out of the game,” he explained. “So far, everypony in the village has guessed and has gotten it wrong. Even travelers who have visited our kingdom have gotten it wrong.”

Foolish Jokes had gone into a thinking pose.

“The game started today and will be over in less than an hour. After that, it might be a month or so until the king does the same thing again just until somepony makes the correct guess and wins,” added the Jester. “The King really loves to play games, and even loves to have his citizens, including new ponies and creatures, take part in them. After all, the goal of the game is to have fun as well.”

Banana Pie was impressed that the king would think up fun games for everypony to play in.

The unicorn stallion was impressed. “That is very impressive to hear. The king sounds like somepony who really loves his kingdom and would do anything to make everyone smile and have fun,” he complimented. “I think he sounds like a fun king to be friends with.”

Foolish Jokes smiled at the compliment towards the king.

“So, where are you from, uh…” said the Jester. Foolish Jokes then realized that he didn’t know Banana Pie’s name, and chuckled. “Sorry. I don’t think I got your name yet.”

“Oh. My name is Banana Pie,” introduced the unicorn stallion. “And well, to tell you the truth, I’m new to this kingdom and I don’t know where I am.” He frowned as he remembered what happened. “One minute, I was at my town’s celebration with my friends, the next, I ended up here separated from them.”

The Jester felt sad for Banana Pie. “Oh, that is so sad. Do you need any help locating them?” he offered.

Banana Pie shook his head. “No, thanks. I have a feeling that all of my friends are heading to Ponyville as well, wherever they are,” said the unicorn stallion. “But I do need help knowing which way is Ponyville and the fastest way to get there.”

Foolish Jokes thought about it until he had an idea. “Maybe the king could help you? There’s a chance that the castle’s maps could help you find out which way is Ponyville,” said the Jester. Foolish Jokes trotted towards the castle. “Follow me.”

He followed after the Jester. “Do you think the king would allow me to see them?” asked Banana Pie, wondering.

The Jester smiled. “The King loves helping others. He’ll definitely help you,” he said.

A Few Minutes Later

They made it to the Throne Room where the king was sitting upon his throne.

King Gold Metal smiled. “Ah, Foolish Jokes. You’re back, and you even brought a guest,” he said. “Would you like to introduce him to me?”

Foolish Jokes bowed to King Gold Metal. Seeing that his new friend was bowing, Banana Pie bowed too.

The Jester looked up at the King. “King Gold Metal, I’d like to introduce to you, Banana Pie. He has traveled from a town called Ponyville and needs help getting back to it,” he informed. “Can he use the castle’s maps from the Archives to find his way back home? He has friends that he was separated from that he needs to get back to.”

King Gold Metal frowned. “Well, that is sad news. Of course, he can use the maps,” he said. “Tell the guards that I allowed your friend to come along with you into the Archives.”

Foolish Jokes looked back down. “Thank you, my king,” said the Jester.

The two of them got up from their bowing positions and trotted in the direction of the library.

A Few Minutes Later

They were currently in the Archives and had been searching for Ponyville for a while on the map of Equestria. So far, it wasn’t anywhere on the maps. It might be possible that their maps didn’t contain the unicorn stallion’s hometown since they’d never heard of it before.

He frowned. “I’m sorry, Banana Pie. Looks like your home could be anywhere,” said the Jester.

Banana Pie smiled. “It’s okay, friend. I’ll just think of a plan to get back home,” he said. The unicorn stallion frowned a little. “...Somehow.”

“Until then, you can stay in this kingdom until you find a way home,” offered Foolish Jokes.

The unicorn stallion smiled even more. “Thanks,” said Banana Pie. Something popped up in his mind. “Foolish Jokes, sorry for asking this, but are you the king’s son in disguise?”

That surprised the jester.

He had calmed himself down. “Um, w-why would you think that?” asked Foolish Jokes.

The unicorn stallion scratched his head. “I don’t know. It’s just that the king gives off some sort of a royal presence of some kind, and you seem to give off a royal presence as well for some reason,” he explained. “Does that make sense?”

The jester smiled. “Oh. Uh…Yeah,” said Foolish Jokes. He got up from his seat. “Excuse me. I’ll be right back.”

Foolish Jokes then galloped away, leaving Banana Pie by himself, confused.

“That was weird,” said the unicorn stallion.

A few Minutes Later

Banana Pie was now trotting through the hallways with the Jester as they were both heading somewhere. Foolish Jokes had wanted to bring the unicorn pony with him to some part of the castle.

“Where are we heading?” asked Banana Pie, confused.

The Jester smiled. “You’ll see. We’re almost there,” he answered.

Luckily, the unicorn stallion’s curiosity was about to be answered as they had arrived at a room that was guarded by two guards.

“The King allowed us to visit this room. Can you open the doors for us?” asked Foolish Jokes, in a royal-like tone.

Hearing this had surprised the guards a little, but since it was King Gold Metal’s orders, the two obliged. The moment the doors were opened, the inside of the room was revealed: It was filled with treasure.

He was shocked. “Whoa! There’s so much treasure in here!” said the unicorn stallion.

Hearing this made him laugh at Banana Pie’s reaction. “Well, of course it is. This is the Treasure Room after all,” the Jester informed. “Now, you can go and pick some treasure out from amongst them.”

The unicorn stallion shook his head. This was confusing Banana Pie as he didn’t know why the unicorn stallion was allowed to do this since he wasn’t interested in the treasure.

“But, I didn't do anything to deserve this,” said Banana Pie.

Foolish Jokes smiled. “Actually, you just did something a while ago,” he informed.

That surprised the unicorn stallion. “I did? What did I do?” asked Banana Pie, confused.

“Remember when I told you about the game that King Gold Metal proposed to the town?” asked the Jester.

He thought back. “You mean about that guessing game involving the prince being disguised?” answered the unicorn stallion.

Foolish Jokes nodded, smiling. “You guessed what nopony else was able to guess. Everypony else guessed that he was disguised as something else, or as one of the castle staff or guards, but nopony was able to guess that the Jester was actually the prince the entire time,” explained the Jester.

That shocked him as Banana Pie had not only just found out that the Jester was actually the prince in disguise, but that he was only guessing at the time. The unicorn stallion didn’t know that he was actually right.

“But I wasn’t taking part in the game. I was only guessing since I had a feeling from the royal presence you were giving off,” argued Banana Pie.

His smile didn’t change. “And that feeling is what allowed you to win. I had told my dad, and he ruled in favor that you won the game despite you not taking part in it,” said the disguised prince. “So technically, you won.”

In the end, he had no choice, seeing as how Foolish Jokes wasn’t changing his mind about the unicorn stallion technically winning.

“Also, when you’re with me and are around others outside the castle, or royalty from other kingdoms, you have to call me ‘Ruby Spark’,” the disguised prince informed.

“Is that your real name?” asked Banana Pie, wondering.

Foolish Jokes shook his head. “Actually, my name is really Foolish Jokes. My mom, who is the daughter of the former Jester of the previous king, is the one who gave me that name,” the disguised prince explained.

Foolish Jokes was a bit embarrassed about the name, but the disguised prince also wore it with pride since his mother did choose the name since she wanted to name him after his grandfather: ‘Gag Jokester’.

“It’s just that dad gave me my second name to use around other ponies and creatures. So, I had an idea, and decided to disguise myself in an outfit and with some magic to look like a Jester, that way he can refer to me by my real name whenever we have company,” explained the disguised prince. “It has worked many times since no one knew who I was while in disguise.” He cleared his throat. “Now then, go and take a look around the treasure room. If you see anything that catches your eye like a trinket or a ring or something, then you can have it.”

The unicorn stallion sighed inwardly. “Fine, I’ll take a look around, but if there’s nothing I want, then you have to promise me that you won’t push me to get something, okay?” he asked.

Foolish Jokes nodded. “I swear upon my name that I promise that that won’t happen,” said the disguised prince.

Seeing that he promised, Banana Pie nodded. Then, the unicorn stallion trotted forward inside while looking around at the treasure uninterested as none of it caught his eye. Suddenly, the unicorn stallion collided face first into a glass case atop a podium. Banana Pie was about to back away from it, but the moment he saw its contents, he became enamored. Inside of the display was a golden necklace with a banana-shaped gem in the middle.

“Ooh, Banana,” said Banana Pie, amazed.

He trotted inside, approaching the unicorn stallion, smiling. “I see that the pendant has attracted your attention, Banana Pie. It used to belong to my mother’s mother, who was a wandering gypsy at the time when she had met my grandfather,” explained the disguised prince. “I think it suits you, seeing as how your Cutie Mark looks exactly like the gem. I think you were destined to have it.”

Foolish Jokes’ horn lit up with a blue-colored aura as he used magic to open up the case and levitate the pendant out. The disguised prince then placed it around Banana Pie’s neck.

This made him concerned. “Are you sure I can have this? This did belong to your grandmother and mother after all,” said the unicorn stallion.

Foolish Jokes smiled. “It’s okay. Besides, I think it’s time the pendant was given to its new owner anyway,” he said. “I know that my father will agree with me. Take it.”

Banana Pie wanted to argue back, but seeing as how his friend wanted the unicorn stallion to take it, Banana Pie accepted it in the end. Though, the unicorn stallion did want to give the disguised prince something in the end.

Banana Pie then had an idea, and smiled. “How much does everyone in this castle love to laugh?” he asked.

Foolish Jokes shrugged. “Well, everyone in this castle loves a good joke or trick. Why do you ask?” asked the disguised prince, wondering.

A Few Minutes Later

Everpony in the throne room was laughing as the unicorn stallion was now juggling bananas in the air, while letting some fall onto his head with a ‘bonk’. During the time that had passed by, Banana Pie had been doing funny stuff involving bananas like pretending he was in a fight with himself, driving around in a banana box car, etc.

The king had to calm himself down from laughing. “Goodness gracious. You are funny with those bananas,” said King Gold Metal.

The unicorn stallion smiled before tossing the bananas into the air. “Thanks,” he said.

Then, the bananas started falling onto Banana Pie’s head one by one, making everyone laugh even more.

He tried to catch his breath from laughing. “Enough, enough. Please, stop,” said Foolish Jokes. The prince wanted the unicorn stallion to stop making everyone laugh before they all ran out of breath. He sighed. “Phew. That was funny, Banana Pie. You must be funny back where you live, huh?”

Banana Pie smiled. “Well, I’m not ‘Pinkie Pie funny’, but I do love to make my friends laugh. Their laughter is enough to make me smile,” he informed.

“Well, it’s enough that you passed the ‘Test of Laughter’,” Foolish Jokes informed.

“Huh?” asked the unicorn stallion, confused.

He smiled. “You care about making your friends happy and to laugh their troubles away, and you make them laugh even when you want to bring laughter to them,” said Foolish Jokes. The prince pointed at the necklace. “As proof of you passing the test, the Element of Laughter is still there. If you didn’t care about laughter, it would’ve disappeared.”

Banana Pie touched the necklace, surprised.

“Whoa,” he said.

“Yeah. Now, you must wait until one of your friends comes to get you,” Foolish Jokes informed. “Then, you’ll be able to leave and return back to Ponyville.”

The unicorn stallion nodded. He understood that since this was all a part of the test, then all Banana Pie has to do is wait for his friends to come for him.

“They’ll come and get me. I just know it,” thought the unicorn pony.

The castle’s servants brought trays that contained Banana Cream Pies.

Banana Pie smiled. “Ooh. I love Banana Cream Pies,” he said.

The unicorn stallion couldn’t wait to eat. But then suddenly, one of the pies impacted his face. Banana Pie removed the pie from his face to see that the one who threw it was the prince, who had a grin on his face.

The unicorn stallion grinned back. “Bad move on your part,” said Banana Pie.

A few seconds later, a pie fight broke out as everypony was throwing pies at each other while having fun.

[the-axe-and-flail]

I just realized I haven't really introduced myself yet so let's change that!

My name is Kay, and I'm 35, agender (any pronouns work for me, though I usually use they/them in reference to myself), bi af, and an obsessive autistic.

The Fandoms I primarily draw/drabble for are currently Dragon Age, Demon Slayer, and Otome, though here you'll only see the Demon Slayer pieces. (@otomesass is where you can find much more, like kpop and some personal project stuff too!)

I am always open for suggestions, and you're more than welcome to jump into my inbox to suggest things you'd like to see, but there are a couple rules!-

Keep it simple- please don't request a whole ass scene with 30 characters and a full background. I mainly drawn in linework and will occasionally paint, but for the most part know when I draw requests it'll almost always just be sketches (unless the topic catches my fancy... I've been known to go overboard 😅) Please keep requests to 1-2 characters, or a third if they're minor (like X,Y, and a baby).

I will NOT under any circumstances draw ship pairings with adult and minor characters. Yall take your tanjiro/kyojuro (just for example) bullship elsewhere bc it's not happening here. Same goes for incest parings. I also will not draw smut for minor characters either.

Be nice when you request things please! I do this for free, don't be an ass.

I will draw smut, fluff, or anything in between, but even I have my limits. Please don't request things like CNC (I get it, it's my problematic fave too), or anything remotely touching on Dubcon. It's impossible to write consent into a snapshot so I won't even touch it.

I WILL draw for all body types, genders, and orientations. Gay, trans, fat, whatever! Just make sure you state that in your requests so I can give you what you want!

I will draw OC/Character, but I need references for your OC. I'm not here for character design (though you can ask to commission some!) So I need a solid reference to work from :)

And last but not least- be patient with me as art is something I do for fun and will not tolerate demands. I also reserve the right to refuse any prompts that make me uncomfortable or feel I would not be able to adequately do justice to.

With all that out of the way, I'm very much looking forward to drawing some of your requests and characters!

My ask is also open for things like headcanons, opinions (lord knows I love to give those lmao), and also just to chat :)

Enjoy this selfie of me on my way to see the Demon Slayer season premiere in theaters as a little intro~

[dangerous-advantage]

38, 40, 41? :3

[link to ask game]

(sorry for the wait, and thank you so much for the ask!!)

38. Would you ever write commissions?

oh, that would be so fucking fun.

i am perfectly fine with writing for passion, but if i were willing and able, i would absolutely write comissions. not even comissions (though, i will admit, it would be nice to spend hours of time and effort on something that would allow me to feed myself, haha.)

the only reason a balk at this is the same reason i balk at becoming an actual published author. i am very much a perfectionist, and that becomes even more apparent when i'm writing something for someone else.

i'm working on it (i swear, i am), but old habits die hard, and people-pleasing is one that is especially pervasive.

that being said, if i ever got to a point where i felt a little more confident about my writing abilities, and where i had more of an open schedule, i would absolutely write commissions.

i've actually already considered what that would look like-- i think i'd have different categories like how artists do, seperated by things like word count or type. it might be difficult to stick to something like that (especially since i am a very detail-oriented writer), but i can image having a category like 'character creation' (i love making characters/filling out those silly little sheets and forms. i used to have this huge, uber-detailed one that i'd fill out for all my ocs, haha).

i'd probably classify them in things like, 'drabbles' and 'character studies,' vs things like whole-ass oneshots. i can't see myself doing big, multi-chapter projects, just because i'm afraid i'd never be able to finish those, but smaller works with a few chapters, or maybe a series of oneshots might be possible.

i could see myself doing poetry as well-- i don't share a lot of the poetry i write, since it's usually just something for me, but i could think of some really fun ways to implement poetry into commisions, especially since it's a lot more of a 'stricter' medium.

for the time being, i don't see myself opening up commissions like this anytime soon, but like... if there's anybody who might be interested in that, maybe let me know? really it comes down to if anybody would want to commission me to write something for them, which i'm not sure there are many in the market for haha.

40. If someone were to make fanart of your work, what fic or scene would you hope to see?

(tw: mentions of blood/gore)

since the only fic i really have to write for at the moment is 'it was futile,' that's probably all i have to work with.

honestly, i would love any and all fanart of my works. like, if anybody ever makes anything based off of/inspired by my work, no matter if you don't like it or think it's bad, hit me up, because that is so fucking flattering to me.

like, as somebody who relies on motivation as a currency, the fact that you could be so inspired by my work that you'd whip out a comic or animatic or whatever is just like '!!!'

it's right up there with long-ass comments, because you know somebody spent time creating something like that because they really, truly did enjoy what you made. the day i get fanart for something i've written is the day that i peak.

to answer the actual question, at the moment, i... don't have anything off the top of my head? sometimes you'll read something and be like, "oh, yeah. this moment-- this moment-- is gonna be drawn." but those are often later on in stories.

i can think of some future scenes that might inspire fanart (i've shared one in particular with you over discord that i am so fucking excited to write), but as it stands, nothing really immediately comes to mind. maybe something from one of my upcoming chapters, but nothing so far.

if i had the artistic ability to do so, one scene that i always thought would be cool is from the first chapter of my fic. (spoilers from this point on, if you hadn't guessed already).

it's where leo has just defeated the kraang beast and is laying beneath it, slowly realizing what just happened while droplets of blood rain down on his face. very angsty, i know, but i feel it's a very pivotal scene for the chapter-- a turning point of sorts-- with a lot of emotions going on beneath the surface. also the image just goes really hard in my brain, haha.

some other scenes might be from chapter... seven, i think? 'the rest of us.' it's the future raph chapter, where he basically just makes the decision to (finally) create the resistance. while i was writing it, i just couldn't get the image out of my head of f!raph's hulking silhouette, standing against the backdrop of the burning city.

something about it-- the fear and terror of the people fleeing the area, looking up to see f!raph push away some sort of debris and step out in a shower of sparks and embers-- i dunno. it just... embodies this ideal of hope that f!raph brings to the apocalypse. also just a cool visual to me.

i guess another one might be the scene where f!donnie switches their headphones. i poured a lot of my own experiences into that one, and how i wish people might have handled things like that with me in the past.

i imagine a comic, maybe just a few panels, with donnie pressing his broken headphones to his head, as the static and noise and everything just gets worse and worse around him. and it follows this progression of everything just getting worse, until suddenly he looks up and sees, y'know, f!donnie.

and then, wordlessly, he gives donnie the other pair of headphones, and then just steps back and lets him have his space. and just... the immediate relief as soon as donnie puts on the new pair of headphones.

i dunno. it's a little silly describing it, but the ideas behind the scene mean a lot to me. i wrote that chapter while i was feeling really overstimulated, and tried to base it off of what i felt might actually help me in that kind of situation. so i guess it's a bit of a personal scene, haha.

just... that idea of not having to justify why you need something, or even what you need, because there's somebody else there who knows exactly what you're going through, and just wants to help. i think it's something a lot of nd people might relate to (though, who knows? /lh)

41. Do you tend to reread fics, or are you a 'one-and-done- type of person?

do... do other people not reread fics? like, not even the really good ones? never?

ok, that's not fair. sometimes, some fics really are just meant to be enjoyed once. an ephemeral experience that's treasured more for the memory of the moment than returning to it. and that's fine, and good!

i'm also not somebody who rereads every fic. usually, especially when following along with a fic i really like, i'll go back and reread chapters while i wait for the next one to come out. then when i'm done, i like to go back and read the whole thing without any breaks, because it's a bit of a different experience.

i'll also often just return to a fic to reread certain scenes or moments that really got to me in my first read-around. there are some fics out there that i do consider good enough for me to revisit and reread in their entirety again and again, like a book.

however, like there are some fics that are best read only once, some fics are meant to be read again and again. details and foreshadowing you might not have noticed the first time will become apparent, and it can be fun looking back and finding all the little details and the 'trails of breadcrumbs,' as someone once described it to me.

[animatedaf]

It’s that time of year again, time to look over the last twelve months of creative productivity! This was my busiest year for freelance animation EVER, with six projects all pretty much one after the other, some of which lasted several months! For the first time in over ten years animation actually felt like my main job! Read on for full details on each month (with links to things in bold)!

January:

I kickstarted the year with an attempt to keep myself busy (haha) by coming up with weekly personal illustrations to work on while livestreaming. This included a couple based on childhood toys, followed by fan art of games I was playing at the time. 

I also started my first freelance gig of the year about visiting a recycling center for Love Essex, which was finished and released in early Feb.

February:

I continued the weekly art streams (though I did skip one week while I was wrapping up the animation work) that included more Balan Wonderworld fan art and another nostalgia trip based around old TV game show Fun House which was seen and approved by Pat Sharp himself!

I also made some Valentine’s day silliness for CherryT and with her help also created this ridiculous Art Data-Blast video featuring all of my art over the years with a 90′s TV inspired intro.

March:

A big turning point for my livestreams arrived here when I decided to create a PNGTuber using Veadotube Mini! I livestreamed the majority of my experimentation and process and the cutdown videos about it became some of my biggest hits on YouTube yet! Going forward I would now use this animated avatar instead of a webcam, though this would actually end up being the last month of the year that I’d have any time to livestream because...

April:

..April would be the start of one of the biggest projects: six one-minute animated shorts for the Scottish Illegal Money Lending Unit about the dangers of loan sharks. This month was spent mostly storyboarding most of the films and completing the first one.

At the same time concepts were being developed for another six-minute piece of animation that I would need to juggle alongside the above project over the coming months!

I should also mention here life-wise I changed my daily job from working in a cinema to...working in a smaller, closer to home cinema!

May:

This month was mostly spent storyboarding for the second big project and waiting around for approval while the Loan Shark project was put on hold, so while I had a bit of spare time I gave my website a new lick of paint (including some new art of old characters) and made several illustrations including my favorite Eurovision 2022 act (now my most popular Tumblr post ever for some reason!), joining in on the Catoon Network CMYK art fad, and fan art of a fellow PNGTuber. I was also commissioned by Jadypie to create some cute animal Twitch emotes!

June:

After two pieces of quick art including another obscure game character and another excuse to draw Amy Rose, me and CherryT took a couple days away to visit the theme park Alton Towers, which I made a travel vlog about! 

The 2nd film for the Stop Loan Sharks series was completed this month and this was when the 2nd big project was given the official go ahead! The six-and a half minute long film has yet to be released and might end up staying in the private sector but it was a pre-birth social work training video for Essex County Council  with a similar subject matter and art style to the Annabelle’s Journey film I made last year. Clips of it can be seen in my latest showreel.

I also drew these guys for some reason.

July:

This month was almost exclusively knuckling down to get the un-released film fully animated. Much like the Annabelle film this was a massive amount of hand-drawn animation squeezed into just over one month! I also made time to do this commission for PCWzrd.

August:

With that long, time-consuming project out of the way it was time to jump back into the Loan Shark films. Two were completed in April and June but I still had four to go, so this month and most of September was day-to-day animating again!

September:

I was getting these Loan Shark films done at a rate of roughly 10 days per film, though the last one took a little longer as it was yet to be storyboarded until now. This project was finally complete midway through the month and released near the end!

Somewhere in the middle of all this I managed to fit in some livestreams of the Sonic Fan Games Expo and some reactions to some gaming events.

In the last week of the month I worked on a pretty exciting commission that I need to stay tight-lipped about for now!

October:

This month was started by wrapping up the above commission and jumping into another, thankfully much shorter 1 minute animation for the English Stop Loan Sharks company that has also not yet seen the light of day, but you can see a short clip of it in my latest showreel. As soon as that was done another big project approached!

November:

This freelance gig started at the end of October and lasted all through November and up until the middle of December! This one has released in January 2023, a short film called What a Waste! 

There was a break at the end of November when me and CherryT went to Birmingham for a few days to finally go to a concert we booked back in early 2020 that kept getting delayed!

Mid-month I also quickly doodled up my OC a couple times.

Above: the moment I finished an 8-week long non-stop project on a to do list!

December:

What a Waste ended up taking longer than I anticipated at around seven or eight weeks total, most likely because it’s quite unlike anything I have done before. After what felt like roughly nine months of almost non-stop animating the last half-month of the year was spent last-minute Christmas shopping and finally chilling out a bit, including going to a local video games expo for the weekend! The last piece of art I did this year was for the Newgrounds Secret Santa.

That was an intense year! I can’t wait till you get to see the stuff that’s not out there yet and in terms of 2023 I do already have a couple things queued up for January so we’ll see how it goes I guess!

Previous years: 2021 - 2020 - 2019 - 2018 - 2017 - 2016