#this is inspired by a leyendecker (hes the best)

[chromunist]

bellanaris

[lackadaisycats]

I’m so sorry if you’ve already answered this somewhere, but how do you design your characters?

I’ve been trying to make an OC from the prohibition era and it turns out there’s basically nothing to work with for men’s outfits, so I’m curious how you made this many that look unique and fitting to the characters

There is so much to work with, though! You will tend to find more of a focus on variety in women's fashion, but there is still quite a lot of menswear to ogle too. I suppose it's just a matter of searching out ideas and inspiration in the rights corners. Here are a few suggestions:

Old Clothing Catalogues -

Collections from Sears-Roebuck and other popular clothing retailers are pretty easy to find compiled into relatively inexpensive books, or just floating online.

A fair bit of it is in the public domain now.

--Here's an entire 1922 catalogue of stuff to flip through.

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Contemporary Artwork -

Some phenomenal illustrators were working in this field amidst the "Golden Age of Illustration" and featured prominently on the covers of magazines and on the ads inside. There was a lot of emphasis on fashion.

Collier's and The Saturday Evening Post are a couple of the more prominent and easily searchable resources. The costuming on the cover art always has a lot of personality.

There's Rockwell, of course, and it's almost impossible to go wrong with J. C. Leyendecker. He's probably best known for his Arrow Collar ad art, but even his sock ads are like…

There were numerous other amazing and influential illustrators working at the time too. Here's a list of some of them. Here's a bonus Henry Raleigh featuring some of his fabulously-dressed people.

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Blogs and Articles -

There are so many of them! If you want historical accuracy, be wary of write-ups pulling all of their references from film and television. There's nothing wrong with using those for inspiration if you aren't too concerned with historicity, but there are some pretty comprehensive and well-researched things out there with more of an eye on actual fashion history too:

--Gentleman's Gazette - What Men Really Wore in the 1920s

--The Fashionisto - 1920s Men's Fashion

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Digital Collections -

There are numerous digital historic image collections stemming from universities, museums, libraries, and the government that are free to peruse too.

--The Metropolitan Museum has a searchable catalog of exhibits that includes fashion and photos

--Here's some things from the New York Public Library

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Photos at Large -

If you aren't sure where to start, image searching for any of Hollywood's early celebrities will typically turn up a bevy of production stills and promotional photography featuring a variety of fashions. Here's a random Getty images search for Harold Lloyd. A lot of standard 3 piece suits, but a lot of stuff with added character too.

Photography was generally quite accessible by the 1920s, though, and you can find a lot of authentic photos of people from all walks of life, out in the wild wearing all sorts of clothes.

This is by no means the limit to the resources available, but hopefully it'll provide some leaping-off points for designing looks for your characters!

[notbecauseofvictories]

My best friend and I had a call recently---she’s back with her family for a bit helping out with some hometown stuff. As part of the stuff, she’s been going through a (deceased) relative’s scrapbook, compiled in the American Midwest circa 1870-1900 and featuring mostly cut-out figures from the ads of the day.

She talked about how painstaking this relative’s work was. (Apparently the relative was careful to cut out every finger, every cowlick; this was by no means carelessly or hastily assembled.) But she also she talked about how---the baby on the baking soda ad is ugly, it is so ugly, why anyone would clip this heinously ugly illustrated baby and paste it into a scrapbook? Why would you save the (terribly told, boring) ghost story that came with your box of soap?

(Why include these things in the first place? we asked each other. ”There’s a kind of anti-capitalism to it,” she mused.)

And we discussed that for a bit---how most of the images, stories, artists, and ads were local, not national; they’re pulled from [Midwestern state] companies’ advertisements in [Midwestern state] papers, magazines, and products. As a consequence, you’re not looking at Leyendecker or Norman Rockwell illustrations, but Johann Spatz-Smith from down the road, who took a drawing class at college.

(College is the state college, and he came home on weekends and in the summer to help with the farm or earn some money at the plant.)

But it also inspired a really interesting conversation about how---we have access to so much more art, better and more professional art, than any time in history. As my bff said, all you have to do to find a great, technically proficient and lovely representational image of a baby, is to google the right keywords. But for a girl living in rural [Midwestern state] of the late 1800s, it was the baking soda ad, or literal actual babies. There was no in-between, no heading out to the nearby art museum to study oil paintings of mother and child, no studying photographs and film---such new technologies hadn’t diffused to local newspapers and circulars yet, and were far beyond the average person’s means. But cheap, semi-amateur artists? Those were definitely around, scattered between towns and nearby smallish cities.

It was a good conversation, and made me think about a couple things---the weird entitlement that “professional” and expensive art instills in viewers, how it artificially depresses the appetite for messy unprofessional art, including your own; the way that this makes your tastes narrower, less interesting, less open.

By that I mean---maybe the baby isn’t ugly! Maybe you’ve just seen too many photorealistic babies. Maybe you haven’t really stopped to contemplate that your drawing of a baby (however crude, ugly, or limited) is the best drawing of a baby you can make, and the act of drawing that lumpen, ugly baby is more sacred and profoundly human than even looking at a Mary Cassatt painting.

And even if that isn’t the case....there was this girl in [American Midwestern state] for whom it was very, very important that she capture every finger, curl, and bit of shading for that ugly soap ad baby. And some one hundred years later, her great-something-or-other took pains to preserve her work---because how terribly human it is, to seek out all the art we can find that resonates with us, preserve it, adore it.

It might be the most human impulse we have.

[iwtvfanevents]

Rewind the Tape —Episode 1

Art of the episode

During our rewatch, we took note of the art shown and mentioned in the pilot, and we wanted to share. Did we miss any? Do you have any thoughts about how these references could be interpreted? How do you think Armand and Louis go about picking the art for their penthouse in Dubai?

The Fall of the Rebel Angels

Peter Bruegel the Elder, 1562

This painting is featured in the Interview with the Vampire book, and it was important enough to be included in the draft pilot script!

Bruegel the Elder was among the most significant Dutch and Flemish Renaissance artists. He was a painter and print-maker, known for his landscapes and peasant scenes.

Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion

Francis Bacon, 1944

Bacon was an Irish figurative painter, known for his raw, unsettling imagery and a number of triptychs and diptychs among his work. At a time when being gay was a criminal offense, Bacon was open about his sexuality, and was cast out by his family at 16 for this reason. He destroyed many of his early works, but about 590 still survive. The Tate, where these paintings are displayed, says this about the work: "Francis Bacon titled this work after the figures often featured in Christian paintings witnessing the death of Jesus. But he said the creatures represented the avenging Furies from Greek mythology. The Furies punish those who go against the natural order. In Aeschylus’s tragedy The Eumenides, for example, they pursue a man who has murdered his mother. Bacon first exhibited this painting in April 1945, towards the end of the Second World War. For some, it reflects the horror of the war and the Holocaust in a world lacking guiding principles."

On the Hunt or Captain Percy Williams On A Favorite Irish Hunter and Calling the Hounds Out of Cover

Samuel Sidney, 1881 [Identified by @vfevermillion.] and Heywood Hardy, 1906 [Identified by @destinationdartboard.]

Sidney was an English writer, and his prints usually accompanied his publications about hunting, agriculture, and about settling Australia during the colonial period. Hardy, also British, was a painter, in particular an animal painter. There's also a taxidermy deer, ram, and piebald deer on the wall.

Iolanta

Pyotr Tchaikovsky, 1892

The opera Louis and Lestat go to was composed by Tchaikovsky, another gay artist. The play tells a story "in which love prevails, light shines for all, lies are no longer necessary and no one must fear punishment," as put by Susanne Stähr for the Berliner Philharmoniker.

Strawberries and Cream

Raphaelle Peale, 1816 [Identified by @diasdelfuego.]

Peale is considered to have been the first professional American painter of still-life.

Outfits inspired by J.C. Leyendecker

Leyendecker was one of the most prominent and commercially successful freelance artists in the U.S. He studied in France, and was a pioneer of the Art Deco illustration. Leyendecker's model, Charles Beach, was also his lover of five decades. You can read costume designer Carol Cutshall's thoughts on these outfits on her Instagram.

The Artist's Sister, Melanie

Egon Schiele, 1908 [Identified by @dwreader.]

Schiele was an Austrian expressionist painter and protege of Gustav Klimt. Many of his portraits (self portraits and of others) were described as grotesque and disturbing.

A Stag at Sharkey's

George Wesley Bellows, 1909 [Identified by @vfevermillion.]

Bellows was an American realist painter, known for his bold depictions of urban life in New York City.

Mildred-O Hat

Robert Henri, undated (likely 1890s) [Identified by @nicodelenfent, here.]

Henri was an American painter who studied in Paris, where he learned from the Impressionists and determined to lead an even more dramatic revolt against American academic art.

Starry night

Edvard Munch, 1893 [Identified by @vfevermillion.]

Munch was a Norwegian painter, one of the best known figures of late 19th-century Symbolism and a great influence in German Expressionism in the early 20th century. His work dealt with psychological themes, and he personally struggled with mental illness.

If you spot or put a name to any other references, let us know if you'd like us to add them with credit to the post!

Starting tonight, we will be rewatching and discussing Episode 2, ...After the Phantoms of Your Former Self. We hope to see you there!

And, if you're just getting caught up, learn all about our group rewatch here ►

[ghostflowerdreams]

Who are your favorite artists? The art kind.

I'm a bit surprised I haven't been asked this question before!

I appreciate so many artists that it's hard to narrow it down. But based on what I can remember and what I can check on my Instagram and bookshelf, here are some of my favorites:

Gustave Doré (1832–1883) → A French artist, illustrator, and sculptor, celebrated for his intricate and dramatic engravings and illustrations. He is best known for his illustrations of classic literary works, including Dante Alighieri's The Divine Comedy, John Milton's Paradise Lost, and Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven. His skillful blend of realism and romanticism, combined with his mastery of visual storytelling, has established him as a significant figure in the history of illustration and fine art.

Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890) → A Dutch post-impressionist painter renowned for his expressive use of color and bold brushwork, which had a profound influence on 20th-century art. His most famous works, such as Starry Night, Sunflowers, and The Bedroom, showcase his unique style and emotional depth, capturing the beauty of the world around him.

Henriëtte Ronner-Knip (1821–1909) → A Dutch-Belgian painter best known for her detailed and charming depictions of domestic cats. Specializing in animal paintings, her style combined realism and a romantic touch, often portraying cats in cozy, playful, or elegant settings that captured their personalities and grace. She was celebrated for her ability to convey texture, particularly in fur, and created intimate, lifelike scenes that became popular in 19th-century bourgeois society.

John William Waterhouse (1849–1917) → A British painter associated with the Pre-Raphaelite movement, known for his romantic and mythological subjects. His art style blends elements of Romanticism and Classicism, featuring realistic figures, rich colors, and a strong focus on nature and detail. Waterhouse is best known for his depictions of female figures from mythology and literature, such as The Lady of Shalott and Ophelia, which convey a sense of beauty, melancholy, and mystery, making his work iconic in the realm of 19th-century art.

Harry Clarke (1889–1931) → An Irish stained-glass artist and illustrator. His work was influenced by Gothic art, Symbolism, Art Nouveau, and Irish folklore. This blend resulted in a distinctive aesthetic that harmoniously intertwines beauty with darker themes. Clarke is best known for his illustrations in classic literary texts, including James Joyce's Dubliners and Edgar Allan Poe's Tales of Mystery and Imagination. In these works, his illustrations masterfully balance whimsy and darkness, creating striking visual narratives that continue to resonate with audiences.

Alphonse Mucha (1860–1939) → A Czech painter and decorative artist best known for his distinctive Art Nouveau style, characterized by intricate, flowing lines, elaborate floral motifs, and a harmonious use of soft colors. Mucha's work often features idealized female figures, embodying beauty and elegance, and is heavily inspired by his fascination with nature and Slavic folklore. He gained fame for his poster designs, particularly those promoting the actress Sarah Bernhardt, as well as his decorative panels and illustrations.

J.C. Leyendecker (1874–1951) → An American illustrator renowned for his iconic magazine covers and advertising art, particularly his work for The Saturday Evening Post and the Arrow Collar Man campaign. Leyendecker's mastery of visual storytelling and branding helped shape American commercial art in the early 20th century, and he significantly influenced later artists, including Norman Rockwell.

Leonid Afremov (1955–2019) → A Belarusian-born artist known for his vibrant, impressionistic paintings created using a palette knife technique. His distinctive art style features bold colors and dynamic brushstrokes, often depicting landscapes, city scenes, and emotional moments, such as rain-soaked streets or sunlit parks.

Ayami Kojima → A Japanese artist and illustrator best known for her work in video game design, particularly as the character designer for the Castlevania series. Her art style is characterized by intricate, gothic aesthetics, combining dark fantasy elements with a detailed, ethereal quality.

Victoria Francés → A Spanish illustrator known for her evocative illustrations that blend gothic, fantasy, and romantic themes. She is particularly known for her illustrated books, including the popular series Faery Tales, which showcases her unique blend of fantasy and gothic aesthetics.

Yoshitaka Amano → A Japanese artist and illustrator renowned for his distinctive style in character design and concept art, particularly for the Final Fantasy video game series. His style fuses his interests in traditional Japanese aesthetics like those of wood block prints with Western fantasy elements. It results in ethereal forms, and a dreamlike quality, especially with Amano's use of watercolor techniques and intricate details to create a sense of movement and fluidity in his work.

Nico Delort (IG: nicodelort) → A French illustrator known for his detailed, black-and-white artworks created using scratchboard techniques. His art style is heavily influenced by the aesthetics of 19th-century engravings and woodcuts, blending elements of Gothic, fantasy, and mythological themes. Delort's work is recognized for its dramatic use of light and shadow, intricate textures, and atmospheric depth, often depicting moody, fantastical scenes.

Vania Zouravliov → A Russian-born artist known for his intricate, surreal illustrations that blend dark, fairy-tale-like themes with fine detail and symbolism. Zouravliov's work explores beauty and darkness, merging the macabre with the fantastical.

James Jean (IG: jamesjeanart) → A Taiwanese-American visual artist and illustrator known for his surreal, highly detailed works that blend elements of fantasy, mythology, and pop culture. Jean gained early recognition for his award-winning covers for DC Comics' Fables series.

Audrey Kawasaki (IG: audkawa) → A Japanese-American artist known for her blend of contemporary Japanese aesthetics and Western art influences. Her ethereal paintings often depict young women surrounded by nature, featuring intricate line work and a soft color palette. Her works are typically painted on wood panels, adding a quality that enhances the emotional depth of her subjects.

Jessica Cioffi (IG: Loputyn) → An Italian artist known for her enchanting illustrations and concept art that seamlessly blend traditional and digital techniques. Her work reflects the influence of 19th century neo-gothic and Japanese manga, and among the artist's favorite themes are witchcraft, folklore, and mystery.

Wenqing Yan (IG: yuumeiart) → A Chinese-American digital artist and illustrator known for her detailed, expressive art. Her style blends elements of anime, fantasy, and realism, featuring vibrant colors and intricate designs. Yan draws inspiration from nature, technology, and personal experiences, and she is well-known for her webcomic Fisheye Placebo and art series like Knite, which explore themes of activism, technology, and the environment.

Gretel Lusky (IG: gretlusky) → An Argentine digital artist and illustrator, Gretel Lusky is recognized for her whimsical, vibrant artwork featuring fantasy characters, and magical themes. Her style blends cartoon and anime elements, characterized by bold lines, expressive characters, and a colorful palette. She is well-known for her enchanting illustrations on social media, where she shares art tutorials and collaborates on various comics, book covers, and other projects. She is also known for her debut graphic novel Primer, an original graphic novel for DC Comics.

Margaret Morales (IG: margaretmoralesart) → A Filipino watercolor artist currently residing in America. Margaret Morales is known for her dreamy, ethereal portraits that intertwine feminine figures with elements of nature, such as flowers and animals. Her style, characterized by soft brushwork and pastel hues, creates a surreal, fairytale-like atmosphere. Her evolving work draws inspiration from art nouveau, mythology, fantasy, natural elements, Japanese/manga art, and fashion.

Tactooncat → An Indonesian digital artist known for creating illustrations that feature cats in a humorous and whimsical style, particularly cat memes and videos. Their work appeals to cat lovers and fans of lighthearted, expressive illustrations.

There are so many more, but hopefully the ones I've mentioned have caught your interest enough that you'll want to look them up. Each artist offers a unique perspective, whether through their distinctive style, use of color, themes, or techniques—there’s plenty to discover and enjoy.

[sparklepocalypse]

🥑☁️🐝🎨 please.💜

🥑 ⇢ you accidentally killed somebody, which mutual(s) do you text for help?

I'd get in touch with @cha-melodius for her anatomical knowledge (y'know, maybe I can resuscitate whoever it is?) and @happiness-of-the-pursuit for his legal expertise, in the likely event that the resuscitation doesn't work.

☁️ ⇢ what made you choose your username?

You know, I've had this username since about 2010, and I honestly can't remember the backstory. I'm fairly sure it has something to do with some sort of arts and crafts project and then-untreated ADHD, though...

🐝 ⇢ tag your biggest supporter(s) and say one nice thing about them

This might get long, so I'll come back to this one and toss it under a jump. 🤣😅

🎨 ⇢ link your favourite piece of fanart and explain why you like it

You know, prior to the latest RWRB zine being published, I wouldn't have been able to narrow it down to just one, but this JC Leyendecker-inspired piece by @artofobsession is possibly my favorite piece of fanart that's ever been created. It's just -- even nearly a month after it was first posted, it causes beauty aggression in me and I just want to bite it because it's so pretty and glowy and ethereal and lovely and they're just so blushy and so into one another. It's the first fanart print I've ordered in years, and it's going to go on my wall of ephemeral pretty things with my Lindsay van Ekelenburg art and my various tarot card prints from Kickstarter decks.

[Send me emoji from the Writers Truth & Dare Ask Game and I'll answer the corresponding questions!]

Aight, back to 🐝 ⇢ tag your biggest supporter(s) and say one nice thing about them

I mean, obviously I'm tagging you first, @ad-astra13, because you're the Most Excellent of Doc Gremlins and your flailing in my Google Docs has been so, so motivating. Your fiber work is really cool and creative! I'm always intrigued to see which project you'll take on next.

And then there's @hgejfmw-hgejhsf, who even with a bunch of stuff going on IRL still takes the time to DM me a screenshot when someone has recced one of my fics, which -- warm fuzzies just everywhere. Val is one of the sweetest, most deeply passionate RWRB fans I have ever met, and her encyclopedic knowledge of all things book and movie have come in handy on like, dozens of occasions in the few months since I've gotten to know her.

@kiwiana-writes and I basically have the same brain in different bodies on different continents, the vibe is so consistent. Half the time I read his work it feels like it could've emerged from my brain instead of his, and now it turns out he's a pretty gifted songwriter too? Incredible, awe-inspiring, iconic, etc.

@artofobsession and I have a Spider-Man meme thing going on where I yell at Hann about their art, and they yell at me about my writing, and it's just a never-ending cycle of yelling. Pretty amazing to consider that I was Too Scared To Say Hi ™️ for awhile there, because I'm a big ol' introvert. Regardless of what Hann's got going on, I've never read an unkind word that's emerged from their keyboard, and they're super well-spoken and yeah, really glad I started making unhinged bulleted lists of art reviews as a way to break the ice, because they're good people.

Speaking of Spider-Man memes, @seanchaidh7 and I have also been Spider-Manning back and forth these last few months. She's created some really, really incredible art for my Big Giant AU, and just genuinely seems like a cool person. I'm happy we stumbled across each other in this fandom!

@duchessdepolignaca03 is one of the best unhinged idea riffers I've met. She deserves at least partial credit for the idea for my RBB fic, because a simple "fic where [x]" message can lead to a thread of dozens (or hundreds) of messages back and forth just flinging ideas out there to further the prompt. Half the time the riff is all that happens, but occasionally, the riff spawns something way bigger.

And there are folks who either I haven't found on Tumblr, or who left Tumblr behind in like 2013 and haven't looked back -- super grateful for everyone who's enabling my weird little brain to do the thing!

[veneritia]

OC Questions Tag

Thanks @sourrcandy for tagging me! You can find their entry here

Doing this for Charles because he doesn't get enough love from me

5 words to physically describe your oc

Pretty like a Leyendecker painting

who inspired your oc?

No one specific? Charles has gone through so many iterations because I just couldn't figure out who the heck he was and what shape I wanted to story to take. Trope wise, he's modeled after the sheltered aristocrat and a little bit of the OG MLs in early villainess mangas/manhuas

give me a song to define your oc

You Dream by Isobel Waller-Bridge, Tara Nome Doyle

if i met your oc on the street how would they greet me?

He'd smile, shake your hand, ask your name, and make you feel like you're at the center of his undivided attention for however long it takes to make your introduction. There's an 80% chance he'll forget all of this the second he leaves.

can your oc be your best friend? why?

Ha! Nope. He's probably like 10 social classes above me, rich, and socialble/well connected. We'd have a hard time finding common ground. Would we be friendly with each other? Yes. Friends is a different thing entirely.

1 adjective and 1 noun to describe your oc

the lonely favorite

Tagging — @serpentarii @jjm-blogspot @cheshawrites @musetta3

[trebo]

hi hi ok i have a minute to spare now 😭 so i’ll share a little bit about my oc lore 😼😼

setting: it’s 1913 in ontario, canada. first there’s two bros, secretly gay for each other but they can’t really show it yet. and then they have their pals, who form their close-knit friend group.

james “jamie” leyendecker:

a muscular, budding hockey enthusiast

proud player of his university’s hockey team

at least like, 6’2.

bulky as hell, nearly indestructible on the outside

but soft in the middle, sensitive and a compassionate giant

plays rugby from time to time when he wants a break from the ice

ALWAYS shows up in willy’s dreams. without fail

william “willy” burley:

golf enjoyer, often drags jamie along to his golfing sessions

is actually very skilled but plays it off as nothing

goes to the same university as jamie, always makes sure to see his hockey games!

considerably shorter, around 5’8. definitely on the skinnier, leaner side. broad shoulders with a small waist.

jamie considers him the most handsome man he’s ever met; and by society’s standards he’s quite attractive.

the quintessential “arrow collar man”

julia/julie gibson:

inspired by the gibson girl :D

raised by a wealthy family, but she’ll never make it too obvious unless one looks close enough

is very much an adrenaline junkie, loves adventure and totally unsafe car rides. as long as it’s fun anything flies for her!

has nearly completely caught onto whatever’s going between willy and jamie, but more than happy to keep it a secret

active and outgoing little sister-figure to everyone

franklin jackson murdoch:

works full time as a driver and assistant

always terribly busy when on working shifts and at peak traffic hours, but he’ll always make sure to set aside his weekends to meet up with the others

has a great singing voice

cracks the best jokes at the best times, lightening the mood and bringing optimism to the table

the main plot arc of their story in summary follows jamie and willy as they accidentally uncover a dead body in an alleyway, which begins a “who’s the murderer?” mystery they try to solve. unfortunately it attracts a whole bunch of other characters, including a suspicious detective who thinks it’s jamie and willy that committed the murder.

hsldkjfjsksfhsjahddhajk

I am asking about the leyendecker OCS

what a beautiful thing to open tumblr to

i will get to them in a sec 😭

[churchofpossum]

Second Valentine’s Day card is Jaskier, the best bard. I think I forgot to mention that with the Geralt but the frame is heavily inspired by a Leyendecker valentine’s day illustration. His pants look so weird in this outfit, like he’s just coming fresh from the gym. But I used reference okay, this is how they look Q_Q 

[nat-20s]

shock of all shocks, I come bearing safehouse fluff fic. this one is courtesy of @elfgrunge, who suggested I do something based off of a leyendecker painting (I chose my favorite one) and @themoonversusstars who suggested Jmart having a nice night in. This only sort of qualifies, it’s more of a nice day out.

~*~

Under the majority of circumstances, three days is not a particularly long length of time. Indeed, the first three days following being pulled out of the Lonely had been a whirlwind of activity, ranging from going on the run to heartfelt love confessions. Martin had felt as if he’d barely been able to blink without time slipping through his fingers.

Three days after all that, however, had turned the half desperate escape/half romantic getaway in the Scottish highlands into something...well, to call it boring seemed rather ungrateful, but. Him and Jon could only spend so much time laying about the cabin together (god, together, would the thought ever not make make him giddy?) and living off of Daisy’s canned food stores before both of them started to get antsy.

Hoping to get rid of some of pent up energy permeating the air, as well as stock up on relatively fresher food, they finally made the trek to the local village to do the shopping. Other than having to pull Jon out of a slight trance when their cashier, apparently, had had a run-in with the vast, acquiring groceries had gone smoothly enough. Really, they should be heading back by now. Less time spent out in the open meant less chance that their whereabouts would somehow make it back to one of their various would-be tormentors. On the other hand, barring dusting, cooking, napping, or trying to get through one of the few pulp novels scattered about, there was nothing to fucking do. Jon seemed to have reached the same conclusion, because he nodded towards the book store and gently said, “You know, we do have enough cash for some, ah, indulgences.”

“Oh?” For the first time in his life since he was about 13 years old, he genuinely has no idea what his, or, er, their financial status is. There was a distant memory related to an ATM, maybe, as well as some notes changing hands, but the 24 hours or so immediately after the fog were... hazy at best. Jon had taken care of it, though. Jon had taken care of him, which was..uncomfortable and awe-inspiring in equal measure.

“Basira set us up fairly nicely, and there was a few additional stashes in the cottage itself. I don’t..I don’t know how long this situation will last, but we could theoretically be comfortable here for..a year? Maybe longer?”                                                                                      

“Woah.”

“Yes it’s.., I mean, it’s called a safehouse for a reason? Wouldn’t do it much good to run out of funds.”

“No, I suppose not. Though, it still feels kind of.. wrong? to spend money on anything beyond essentials.”

Jon gets as far as, “We certainly don’t have to..,” before trailing off, because it really is tremendously boring in the cabin, and to be honest, Martin doesn’t really want to go back empty-handed for entertainment either. “We should though. Maybe just, um, would you mind checking out on your own? I’d prefer to, er, not know the total.”

Jon gives him a searching look, but doesn’t press any further. Martin’s grateful for the reprieve, he really doesn’t feel like getting into the whole low level consistent trauma of general poverty thing on this pleasant casual outing. With a shrug and a simple, “All right,” Jon heads in. Martin trails after him, but his desire to read as of late has been borderline non-existent. After about ten minutes of watching Jon toss paperbacks into a basket, seemingly at random, Martin begins to wander the store on his own. He takes notice of the section with blank notebooks and fancy pens, but decides to steer clear. Writing poetry was never meant to be about skill or sharing for him. It was always meant to be more cathartic, a way of getting the tangled thoughts sorted onto a page and hopefully gain some relief.

Nowadays, though, his thoughts are less tangled and more sluggish, grey, and the internal reflection required for poetry would now likely be disastrous. He’s lived in his own head for the past year, and it was a deeply unpleasant place to be. No, a new notebook would be a luxury that would end up sitting unused in a drawer.

The small craft section, however, catches his eye. It’s hardly an expansive collection, but there is yarn (including a deep purple that would look incredible on his boyfriend), some cheap sets of crochet hooks,and pairs of knitting needles in handful of different sizes. Hell, they even got their hands on a few pattern books (which, yeah, okay, makes sense for a book store). Everything necessary to plunge him back into the world of yarncraft (and give him something to do with his hands) for around sixty quid, depending on how much yarn he got.

The thing was that he’d be sorely lacking in hobbies for the past while. And that that he remembered the comfort of it, the self soothing nature of the repetitive motions. And that he remembered the attention of it, basking when someone would end up watching his fingers, half hypnotized, or even ask to be taught the basics. Idly, he wondered if Jon would watch. Seems that Jon watches everything he does these days, half due to concern and half, much to Martin’s shock, due to genuine interest. It’s a nice thought, and it’s even nicer to imagine Jon receiving some knitwear that Martin had made with his own two hands. Maybe his eyes would get all soft and surprised and delighted in that way that seemed so so new and so so precious and absolutely knocked the air out of Martin’s lungs. Certainly he’d be more receptive to it than the previous primary target of his gifts. She had always, at best, been disinterested, and at worst would toss is back in his face muttering about shoddy, secondrate craftsmanship. Eventually he figured out a work around via the care home staff placing whatever he had made into her possession, but-

Oh. Huh. That’s why he had stopped. Not because of the criticisms, if he stopped doing things because his mum disapproved of them, he would do nothing at all. Rather, after she passed he just..didn’t have anyone to create for. Sure, he could make a sweater for himself, but by that point “Himself” was someone unlikely to last much longer, and it seemed quite the waste of wool. None of his living and conscious coworkers would’ve appreciated it, and a scarf for Peter would’ve been for the express purpose of strangling him with it. God, he probably should’ve strangled him but, well, Peter’s gone now.

Anyway.

The past is the past, and the present includes a very handsome man with perpetually cold hands who would happily receive gifts from him. Martin sort of, or, no, not sort of, fully strokes the royal purple hank of yarn. To his content, it’s plush, soft, and warm, without any of the scratchiness or clinginess that wool can sometimes be prone to. Perfect for, say, someone with more than a few sensitive scars on top of pre-exisiting texture issues. He can almost justify the expense if it’ll turn into gifts for Jon, but. But they also have premade items out of a similar wool, and the supplies will definitely make it quite a bit pricier, and it’s for a silly little hobby. Hell, he’s out of practice enough that whatever Martin makes will look significantly worse, uneven and wonky and riddled with dropped stitches.

Yeah, okay. He’ll just get a set that’s already been made, and surely Jon’s gotten a wide enough variety of books that something in there will be appea-

“Something catch your eye?”

“Augh!”

Jumped out of his thoughts by the arrival of a not-at-all sneaky Jon, he forces his shoulders to relax. Jon tells him, “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you,” and while that’s probably true, the small smirk on his face broadcasts that he’s hardly remorseful.

“Uh-huh.”

With the arm not holding a basketful of books that Martin is certainly going to be the one carrying home, Jon wraps himself around Martin. In many ways, it startles him more than the sudden appearance, but he doesn’t outwardly show that. Jon, in a shocking turn of events, is rather keen on casual physical affection, and Martin loves receiving said casual physical affection. It’s just...an adjustment. A good adjustment, but an adjustment nonetheless.

He’s getting mournful again. With a shake of his head, he clears out the last of the cobwebs, so to speak. Pointing to Jon’s bounty, he asks, “Is that everything?”

“Everything but whatever you’re going to get, yes.”

“I, uh. I’m not getting anything. There’s nothing really up my alley.”

The effect of his words is rather diminished by the hank of yarn still in his hand. Jon raises a rather unimpressed eyebrow at him. “Nothing?”

Gently placing the yarn back, Martin affirms, “Nope.”

“Now, I hardly have an award-winning memory, but I think I recall that you used to crochet. Would bring it around the office sometimes, I thought it was horribly unprofessional.”

“Of course you did, seeing as you were a miserable old bastard in your twenties.”

Jon nods sagely, conceding, “That I was,” while trying to subtly slip the yarn Martin had just put back into the basket. God, he is so bad at subterfuge. Injecting as much exasperation as he can into the name, Martin says, “Jonathan.”

Voice utterly plain, Jon replies, “Martin.”

“We are only getting books today.”

                                                                  “Actually, I’m thinking about picking up a new hobby, so I’m going to get some supplies. For myself. Exclusively.”

“No you’re fucking no-”

“-what do you think I need? I’m not knowledgeable in this area, my guess would be a few pairs of needles-

“-Jon-”

“-some yarn, obviously, and preferably something warm and pleasant, the cabin gets so cold, you know-”

“-Jon-”

“-and I’ll probably want to switch things up get some crochet...things...whatever they’re called-”

“-they’re called hooks, and I doesn’t matter, because-”

“-maybe some pattern books? Maybe? That seems wise, considering the lack of internet availability-”

“-Why are you doing this?”

Apparently, the slight desperation in the last question breaks through to Jon. He peels himself away from Martin’s side, readjusting so that, while they can still hold hands, they can also look directly at each other. “Hmm. Part of it is payback for years of You should really get some more sleep, Jon and Why don’t you come join us in the breakroom for lunch, Jon and Here’s another cup of tea, Jon. Part of it is that you’re allowed to want things, and you’re allowed to have things, and I know that will take time to learn. And part of it is my own selfishness, because I do very much like seeing you happy. It seemed like there always used to be a sense of, hmm, not necessarily peace, but ease of existence when you used to crochet, and it’d...I’d be nice, if you could get that back.

God, okay. He’ll process the amount of love in those words when he’s not in public, seeing as thinking on it is either going to result in tears or giggles. Instead, he focuses on trying to not sound too dazed as he replies, “Um. Yeah, it..it would be.”

Jon searches his face for a few moments, then turns towards the craft supplies again. “So yarn, patterns, hooks, and needles. Anything else ‘I’ would want if ‘I’ were picking up this new hobby?”

The worst part is how easily he gives in. Martin should fight this. He doesn’t deserve any of this, not the materials and not the fussing. But. It’s hard to fight something that you both ultimately want and find (mostly) harmless. Plus, it infuses his entire body with a soft, glowing warmth to think about listening to Jon read one of the novels while his own hands make something. So, there’s that.

“Well, I would say that you have a ruler and scissors at home, but maybe some stitch markers, the things that look like lightbulb shaped safety pins, might be nice. I’d also say skip on the knitting needles, because maybe you are, uh, even more out of practice with knitting. But pick up the five pack of tapestry needles? The ones that look like regular sewing needles on steroids? And I’d also say this hobby is really starting to get expensive, especially if you were to get three of the purple yarn, so maybe just um. You should. Drop it….”

Handing him a tenner, Jon replies, “Sure, yes, of course, but, completely unrelated, would you please get me a drink from the cafe while I check out?”

Martin stares at the bill like it’s going to bite him, then sighs and accepts his fate. “What would you like?”

“Mmm, early grey? Oh, and a slice of lemon loaf, if they have it?”

With a “Righto,” and a two finger salute, Martin turns towards the annexed cafe, pretending not to see Jon immediately start grabbing yarn. The bags that Jon is (clearly struggling with) carrying upon meeting up again are bulging suspiciously, and while Martin knows exactly what their contents are, he’s found this whole song and dance surprisingly reassuring. Plus, there’s enough bulk there that he has to carry the majority of the shopping on their walk back, which is at least a little bit of revenge for what Jon’s just done. More revenge is found in putting away the groceries, and starting the fire, and cooking dinner. That’s all that he’s allowed to do before Jon admonishes him for being “too useful, good lord, go sit down”, even though he could’ve easily done the dishes, Jonathan.

                                                                                                                                                Eventually, they’ve wound down for the night, still awake but relaxed and languid on the really-too-small-for-both-of-them couch. Jon dumped out the paperbacks without ceremony on their coffee table and is now digging through them for whatever’s going to entertain him tonight. As entertaining (endearing) as it is watching him with that little crinkle that forms between his brows when he’s focused, Martin’s feel the itch in his fingers to create something. It’s..nice. Almost forgotten, in the haze of the past few years, but still there. And, due to Jon’s insistence, something he’d be able to indulge.

Untangling his legs from Jon’s lap, he grabs the bag of supplies, and settles back in. To his surprise, the first hank of yarn he pulls out is not the expected plush purple, but rather a lovely chocolate brown. He holds it up to Jon and makes a questioning noise. It takes a second for Jon to pull himself out of his search, and when his eyes land on the yarn, they go wide. “Ah. Yes, well, um. I just..liked that one.”

He then ducks his head in the manner that means he’s blushing, which is very interesting. “Oh?”

“I...it..may have reminded me of your eyes? The- the color that came back to them when you, er, saw me in the lonely. It’s..it’s that color.”

“Oh.”

That’s..ridiculous. Objectively, it’s ridiculous, and overly sentimental, and just downright sappy. Martin adores it, and Martin adores him. He should let him know that, but how it comes out is, “God, you’re lovely.”

“I think you might be bia-” Jon starts, but doesn’t get to finish as Martin takes his hand and swiftly kisses his knuckles. He’s far too content to allow for that kind of self-deprecation right now. It has the intended effect of stopping Jon in his tracks, and the bonus of Jon melting into gooey affection. On that note, he gets up to go grab a chair, and Jon, though he’d never admit it, ever so slightly whines. “Where are you going?”

“Gotta get a chair. I need to ball the yarn before I can reasonably use it, and it’s significantly less likely to end in a tangled disaster if there’s something to hold open the strands.”

“Ah, well, couldn’t I just hold it?”

That...hadn’t occurred to him. He’s always done it own his own, sometimes using the back of a chair, something struggling to keep it held around his knees, and occasionally even wrapping it around a laptop. He knows conceptually that it be easier to have someone hold the yarn while he balls it, but, “It’d be inconvenient. It takes me around 20 minutes per hank, and someone seems to have bought about six of them.”

                                                                                                  Jon airily tells him, “I don’t mind. Might be nice, actually.”

To Martin’s own shock, he believes him. Still, he adds on, “Okay, but if, like, your arms get tired or the texture is bad or just you don’t want to anymore, let me know.”

Jon rolls his eyes, but it’s a fond eye roll, so Martin will take it. “Yes, Martin, if the oh so harrowing task of holding yarn proves to be too much, I’ll let you know.”

Muttering “arse” under his breath and not even slightly meaning it, Martin settles back onto the floral patterned couch, and tells Jon to reflect his criss-crossed position. Pulling the first hank, he untwists it and places it around Jon’s hands, spread about a foot and half apart. They settle into an easy quiet for a bit, nothing but the motions of Martin winding the yarn making any real sound. It’s soothing, somehow, and allows his thoughts to aimlessly drift without becoming harsh.

He gets about halfway through the first skein before he suddenly comes back to awareness. First he takes in the ball in his hand, then follows the thread back to Jon’s hands, before his eyes land on the focus of Jon’s expression, and he’s suddenly overcome. A giggle rises out of his throat and he’s grinning like an absolute loon. Jon snaps his head up with alarm, but whatever he finds on Martin’s face must be reassuring, because his own goofy grin takes over Jon’s features.

All of this is not enough, obviously, to claim a happy life.. They’re not safe, they’re not even free, not really. But, for the moment, Martin has someone who loves him enough to hold his yarn, and he can bask in that incandescent joy.                    

[sophiechoir]

Artists I Like

(Listmaking is totally a creative exercise, right? Right? If that’s true then this is the longest running creative exercise I’ve ever indulged in lol)

Gerda Wegener - fashion & lesbian art nouveau/deco

Harry Watrous - enigmatic paintings of sophisticated women

Helen Frankenthaler - abstract expressionist paintings

Sergio Toppi - italian illustrations & comics

Dan Hillier - contemporary spooky angelic ink/print/collage

Mike Binge - 70s sci fi art

Gustave Dore - highly detailed wood-engravings prints, dante

Paul César Helleu - numerous portraits of beautiful society women

Roberto Ferri - making the old masters cool again

Gustav Vigeland - weird figure sculptures

NC Wyeth - one of america’s greatest illustrators

Andrew Wyeth - melancholy realism painter

Frank Frazetta - best fantasy & pulp artist

John Buscema - conan comics artist

Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez - wonder woman comics artist

Parker Hagarty - landscapes & figures

Henry Patrick Raleigh - star of golden age of illustration, high society drawings

Paul Lehr - 70s future-fantasy pulp illustrations

Stanley Meltzoff - 50s scifi/pulp cover illustrations

Alphonse Mucha - art nouveau

Kawase Hasui - japanese woodblock prints

Edmund Dulac - delicate detailed book illustrations

Makoto Takahashi - vintage shoujo manga

Harry Clarke - super detailed & dark art nouveau/deco illustrations

Sophie Lecuyer - contemporary spooky illustrations

Wassily Kandinsky - abstract geometry

George F. Kerr - book illustrations

Beatrix Potter - book illustrations

Mary Bauermeister - eclectic sculptures & drawings - geomancy

John William Waterhouse - Pre-Raphaelite paintings

Alexandre de Riquer - gorgeous mucha-esque posters & illustrations

Gianpaolo Pagni - patterned graphic designs

Giovanni Boldini - dynamic paintings/portraits, “Master of Swish”

Erté - art deco fashion ladies (new orleans!)

Cicely Mary Barker - fairy illustrations

Dorothy P. Lathrop - beautiful childrens book black n white illustrations

Kay Nielsen - glittering golden age illustrations

Coles Phillips - “fadeaway girl” golden age illustrations

Gustav Klimt - gold 💋

Koloman Moser - patterned art nouveau

Konstantin Tarasov - contemporary colorful & detailed digital drawings

Carlo Dolci - soft & dramatic chiaroscuro baroque religious portraits

Trung Le Nguyen aka Trungles - deviantart digital artist, colorful golden age mixed with anime illustrations

John Everett Millais - Pre-Raphaelite paintings

Arthur Rackham - English golden age illustrations, muted colors

Syd Mead - industrial & sci fi concept art

Mario Garbuglia - Barbarella set design

Henri Patrice Dillon - dreamy fadeaway muted illustrations/paintings

Frantisek Kupka - later Czech painter who began in representational art and evolved into pure abstraction

John Bauer - classic nordic fairy tale/myth illustrations

Aya Takano - superflat/anime but make it fine art

John Singer Sargent - heavenly portraits

Winslow Homer - masculine largely marine landscapes

George Barbier - art deco illustrations

Edward Okuń - polish art nouveau & symbolist painter

Robert Anning Bell - paintings & illustrations

Thomas Cooper Gotch - sorta preraphaelite paintings, portraits of girls

Jules Chéret - colorful french posters

Kaarina Kaila - dreamy soft children’s illustrations (almost kitsch)

Helen Hyde - japanese woodblock prints but actually they’re american

Melchior Lechter - paintings and book designs. “His hieratic, symbolic, decorative style combined gothic elements with art nouveau”

Jan Mankes - gentle unlined dutch paintings

Amrita Sher-Gil - contemporary indian paintings, mostly of woc

Sydney Long - australian watercolor landscapes

Carlos Schwabe - freaky religious/mythological symbolist paintings

Bob Pepper - groovy 60s-80s pulp illustrations

Frank R. Paul - scifi illustrations

Chéri Hérouard - La Vie Parisienne french illustrations

John Berkey - scifi illustrations/concept art

Aubrey Beardsley - fin de siecle black and white illustrations

Charles Caryl Coleman - pretty still lifes & landscapes, flowers & capri

Erich Schutz - Austrian illustrator of children's books, Schutz was influenced by Art Nouveau, and specialised in painting fairies and mermaids

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec - French painter, printmaker, caricaturist and illustrator

Eleanor Fortescue-Brickdale - lush detailed paintings of richly dressed figures and scenes

Anne Claude de Caylus - not sure if he actually made them but print illustrations of peasantfolk

Friedrich König - Austrian prints & paintings, Klimt contemporary

Georges Barbier - french illustrations like erté

Betty Jiang - contemporary pretty pearly & dark digital art

Stephan Sinding - marble sculptures of lovers

Heikala - contemporary soft & sweet watercolor & ink illustrations anime inspired

Paul-Albert Besnard - french prints & paintings in between academic & impressionist

Henry Ossawa Tanner - biblical realism paintings

Norman Lindsay - etchings with lotsa great figures

Michael O’Toole - colorful landscapes

Caspar David Friedrich - moody Romantic paintings

Gian Lorenzo Bernini - iconic baroque marble sculptures

Francois Schuiten - french detailed architecture comic art

Adrienne Gaha - colorful contemporary half-abstract paintings

Tradd Moore - trippy silver surfer comic art

tono/rt0no (on tumblr) - super cute illustrations of victorian cats ;-;

Nanaco Yashiro - pretty colorful contemporary illustrations

Ramiro Sanchez - contemporary traditional painter, director of painting program at Florence Academy of Art

Isabella Fassler - contemporary colorful illustrations

Florence Harrison - art nouveau childrens book fairy tale illustrations

Shahzia Sikander - contemporary Pakistani-American visual artist

Atelier Heinrichs - trippy colorful collage covers for sci fi pulps

John Macallan Swan - pretty kitties

JC Leyendecker - our fave dapper gents

Frederick Sandys - pre raphaelite paintings

Stepan Kolesnikov - realist yet stylized russian paintings

Okumi Iyo - embroidered illustrations

William Henry Barribal - colorful art deco paintings

Ilya Glazunov - russian historical/orthodox paintings in the time of communism

Igor Karash - spooky illustrations

Daud Ahkriev - his drawings of fishermen

Seiichi Hayashi - pretty, contemporary japanese manga & illustrations ft women

Nola (nolawon.art) - pretty, detailed takashi murakami-esque illustrations

Harrison Fisher - classic american illustrator, pretty women

John Austen - gorgeous black n white detailed hamlet illustrations

Gustave Moreau - fantastical & aesthetic french paintings admired by proust

Ceri Richards - welsh abstract paintings of people indoors

Otto Mueller - highly textured angular colorful paintings with bold lines

Henri Privat-Livemont - Art Nouveau posters

Giovanni di Paolo - prolific painter and illustrator of manuscripts, including Dante's texts

Ben Reeves - contemporary painter, moody & blue-heavy collages of colors

Alex Niño - amazing abstracted comic artist

Ludovic Alleaume - dreamy french paintings

Yoshiko Fukushima - unsettling figures with strange colors, superflat paintings

Zinaida Serebriakova - kind realistic russian paintings of pretty women and children

Harold Robert Millar (H.R. Millar) - famous Scottish graphic artist and illustrator of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries

Alice Marshall - delicate illustrations of fairies on black background

Stanislaw Kamocki - colorful Polish landscape paintings

Bertha Lum - American version of Japanese woodblock prints

Raphael Kirchner - art deco fashion illustrations

Tamara de Lempicka - highly stylized art deco portraits of ladies, polish

Phil Greenwood - bright pop-y floral landscapes

Rose Cecil O'Neill - vintage illustrations & cartoons

John Rush - great use of color in figure drawings

Jean Delville - otherworldly paintings

Paul-albert Besnard - monochromatic prints

Helene Schjerfbeck - modernist subtle portraits

Heinrich Lefler - beautiful detailed narrative paintings/illustrations

Maximilian Liebenwein - art nouveau illustrations

Franklin Booth - detailed pen and ink drawings

Ulla Thynell - dreamy contemporary illustrations

Jun'ichi Nakahara - japanese graphic artist, early manga

K.F.E. von Freyhold - playful German book illustrations

Beth Billups - contemporary abstract painter

William McGregor Paxton - interior scenes of woman like Henry James depicts them

Ida Rentoul Outhwaite - Australian illustrator of children's books. Her work mostly depicted fairies

Ernest Biéler - Swiss painter, draughtsman and printmaker

Junko Ogawa (@junk_junk_junk on ig) - surreal anime style drawings

Marianne Stokes - Austrian painter, one of the leading women artists in Victorian England

Lee Mullican - abstract paintings

Rae Klein - creepy surreal paintings

[focsle]

6 and 25 for the ask game, if you like?

6. Are there particular authors/artists you feel have influenced your work?

This is a hard question for me to answer for comics because I…am shamefully bad at reading comics and have to get better at it. It’s just harder for me to find comics that hook me compared to other media. J.C. Leyendecker and Charles Dana Gibson have always been big stylistic influences on me. I tend to pay attention to specific rendering techniques with other art too like….weirdly how the water was animated in Disney’s Pinocchio was formative for how I render water in GTW. Otherwise it’s just…drawing things the best way I can I suppose! But I do need to expand my comic inspirations, definitely.

Answered 25 here, but I think another character people will like is Ezra—because people have already told me they like him and know him a liiittle bit more than the others. He and Josué were the only two characters that carried over from the 1st iteration of GTW, and where they were sort of side characters now Ezra’s one of the main characters. And folks have told me they’re excited for him now so heyy! I’m excited to give him more of the stage. He’s a kind-hearted Bro. And people have told me they like his relationship with his fam.

[buggymel]

any tips for staying motivated while drawing?? ive been struggling with that a lot recently and i always find it freaky when art blogs are constantly pumping out art cause i cant seem to do it myself haha

I wanna begin this by telling you that you shouldn't feel pressured to be creating a ton of drawings at once in a short period of time - everyone has a different pace!

I can't speak for other artists so I'll be saying this in my personal experience, but I think the best way to stay motivated is to keep your mind open and DO NOT berate yourself for making mistakes or creating drawings that "dont look perfect."

I think many people lose motivation to draw when they see that their drawings don't quite look like the idea they envisioned in their head or they compare their art to other artists and feel bad about it. This used to be me and I still am guilty of doing this often, but i think I've gotten better at moving past these negative thoughts by simply viewing these imperfect drawings as stepping stones to create something even better.

I think the best tip I can give you to be able to stay motivated is to find a source of inspiration and start from there. Personally, I am inspired by so many frickin things starting from songs in my playlist to little things like what the plants in my backyard look like! Often times I'll be listening to a song and I hear lyrics that make me think OH I can make a drawing out of that!! Also I think it's important to start off by drawing what you love/are comfortable with, and then steadily reach out into territories you haven't quite yet explored. I really fucking love jojo and I'm hyperfixated on it, so I'm always thinking of ways to create more fanart for the characters I like. I also find Araki's journey of developing his art style to what it is now, super inspiring!! I want to experience the same process of what it took for him to reach a style he's comfortable in so I'm constantly motivated to keep drawing and tweak and adjust my style. Obviously, this will be a very long process since araki has literal decades of experience while I dont.🤧🤧

Some of the artists I'm always turning to for inspiration are:

-edwin georgi

-JC Leyendecker

-Hirohiko Araki

-Alma-Tadema

-Caravaggio

I also really like looking at pictures of people cuz I think humans are all really beautiful. I follow a lot of fashion blogs with unique models and I get ideas from that as well. Music videos are very helpful to look at too :D

I think I ended up rambling and this didnt end up making much sense but I really hope this helped at least a little!! Just trust the process and dont pressure yourself to "pump out drawings." Feel free to DM me if u ever wanna talk more about this!!! 💖💖💖💖💖

[inscapeblog]

Design and Context: Subculture Valentino Vivian

Introduction

The design has been a significant part of human society and is now a part of our lives more than ever. This is made so because of the internet and the growing popularity of social media. Anyone with a smartphone and internet can connect with the world, be it carefully taken photos or well-edited videos. Design inspiration can be taken from anywhere, like a pattern on a leaf or the specific grains on tree bark. Culture is also a significant influence on design, although, in this essay, we will investigate the influence of subcultures in design. This essay will define what a subculture is and will examine various examples of how certain subcultures influence the design and prove that subcultures in context can help provide design solutions. This essay will discuss multiple subcultures that birthed new forms of design.

Defining Subcultures 

In this section, we will discuss the definition of subculture and its characteristics. The more commonly known definition of subcultures is “the concept of a subculture implies a minority culture that is of subordinated and secondary nature in relation to a dominant majority culture” (Zackariasson et al., 2014). Based on this definition, a subculture is based on a long-standing culture like music, fashion and architecture and adopting certain practises or beliefs of that culture that do not necessarily match with the original culture. Subculture in this regard is similar to a group of friends going to the cinema to watch a movie, but one group does not like the choice of the movie by the group, so then they would decide to watch a different movie. 

Making reference to the definition of culture is “the ideas, customs, and social behaviour of a particular people or society.” (Oxford Language). From this definition, Nathan Bolton state that these subcultures are in opposition to accepting the customs and ideas social behaviour of the culture in question (Boltan, 2012). He uses a study that focused on gang crime in working-class American teens, the culture in which they derive from gang culture in America, although they were mostly anti-utilitarian. These troubled teenagers would be able to relate to one another by sharing their short time crime stories/experiences “ The gang inverted the values of the majority culture, deliberately pursuing the mirror image of the American dream.” (Boltan, 2012) 

A book that is focussed on the subject of consumer behaviour defines subculture as “people who share a set of secondary values” (Niosi, n.d.) The definition states that one can be part of one or many different subcultures, but the individual is part of a larger community within a smaller community. What places people in subcultures are based on Material culture, social institution, beliefs, aesthetics and language as this makeup much larger, broader cultures like music, Christianity and the French-speaking population. Subcultures are also formed based on a trait that is very different from society; for example, Vegans are a subcultural group that believes that its wrong to consume animal products and, in doing so, has an effect on climate change. Vegans are different or have a trait that others do not.

When defining subcultures, there are some definitions that are positive and others that have negatives connotations. When referring to the negative connotations, it is usually stated that the smaller group within a larger culture do not agree with their belief or ideals of that culture. As an act of rebellion, they form their own group, which then becomes its own culture within another culture. When referring to the positive connotations, this is more so in the commercial field. This is where success is attained by a brand where there are a large variety of people from around the world of different beliefs, languages and aesthetics, just to name a few (Zackariasson et al., 2014). An example of this positive connotation can be seen with the Sony Playstation community; Sony’s Playstation 4 is one of the highest selling consoles of the past four years. They were able to do this within the gaming community. There is a subculture in gamer who prefer the PlayStation 4 over other consoles, thus creating more subcultural in terms of games.

The significance of Subculture in identifying and solving a design problem

s in mainstream society.”(LumenLearning, n.d.) The first argument is that pop culture caters to the mainstream but forgets about those not in mainstream society; this would then create a void of diversity in the design field. If all designers were to design with a pop culture mentality, a large majority of the designs the world would be exposed to would all be the same or have taken a similar approach. If we look at the economic point of view, if companies used one method of solving design solutions, it will show in their designs, not only that, but it would be difficult to interest investors as one would see that there is no difference in the design approach.

Subcultures allow designers to view the design problem through a different lens as they would typically do. Subcultures are various ways that people consider a topic or culture; this then breeds room for diversity in design. By using or designing with subcultures in mind, then broadens the skillset for designers, allowing them to venture into new ways of designing. As an example, if a designer were to start using elements of the Hip hop subculture in their design, they see how bold fonts would work with specific colours. Another way in which subcultures are essential to design is that they inform the designer on the connotations of certain elements, colours objects. An example could be that in mainstream culture, Monster energy drink can be viewed as the second-best energy drink, whereas in the skater culture, Monster is the best, and nothing compares.

Music is one of the most diverse phenomena; the sharing, critiquing, and enjoyment of music is one of the primary activators for subculture groups. Discussions are had, and opinions are formed, dividing people into these subcultures. Due to these many subcultures being created, there is an untapped market for designers. “ designers translate this idea of a music and internet subcultural “scene” into a product design worthy of those individuals amerced within theses subcultural groups.” (Allen, 2009) The creation of these products allows more people to be made aware of these other subcultures that one could identify with, thus increase and growing that specific subculture.

It is essential for designers to know about subcultures and what subcultures bare good prospects. Having knowledge of subcultures is essential in terms of inclusivity. It is well documented that member of the LGBTQ community have been scrutinised over the years, and this community also serves as a subculture. In 1905 the arrow man was created by J.C Leyendecker, which revolutionise design and advertising. The illustration was placed on many magazine covers; the man is said to be the J.C Leyendecker partner, which means that the arrow man is the first homosexual male to make it onto magazine covers. As a result of this design, making it on the magazine cover made the public at the time know that there is a subculture or community where homosexual males are welcomed, and that pop culture is evolving to include them. Design helps inform and influence the public, steer change. (Martin, 2019)Examples of successful application of  in spatial design

Skatehalle, Berlin, Germany

Skatehalle is a wooden skate park located in Berlin, German. Skatehalle is a space purposefully designed for the enjoyment of the skater community. The park is made up of ramps, rails and bowls all used to perform tricks. In the skater culture, they value creativity, risk and freedom, which are very prominent in the park's designs. Their bright, colourful murals express the core values of skaters pushing risk. Skatehalle is effective in the sense that because of the ever-growing skate culture, some or most cities did not approve as it was seen as a delinquent activity. As a result, many skateparks were built and are still popular to this day  

Spodek Arena

The Spodek Arena is a multipurpose arena located in Katowice Poland. This arena annually hosts the IEM Katowice Esports tournament. The arena is designed to cater to the need of the Esport gaming community. In these tournaments teams play games like Dota and League of legends for Trophies, these are highly sponsored event. Elements that make this space for the subculture of Esports gamer is that they have multiple large screens and seating from the floors to the rafters for maximum amount of spectator. This type of design ia effective because many gamer set ups use neon light set ups and most the time the gamers are in their rooms doing extraordinary things with no audience, so the arena is designed in such a way that these factor are non existent.  

 Conclusion

The study and knowledge of subcultures are significant as this knowledge will help any, and all designers reach different audiences. Having knowledge about different subcultures can also help designers find new ways to approach design problems using elements from different subcultures to create new and impactful designs. When designing, it is also important to know what certain elements of a specific culture or subculture mean in order not to offend or give off the wrong messages. Subcultures are a significant part of the design. 

Reference List

Allen, B. (2009). CULTURALISTIC DESIGN: DESIGN APPROACH TO CREATE PRODUCTS FOR SPECIFIC CULTURAL AND SUBCULTURAL GROUPS [Ebook]. Retrieved 10 March 2021, from http://etd.auburn.edu.

Boltan, N. (2012). Essay on graphic design through the effects of subcultures. [Ebook] (p. 1). Retrieved 10 March 2021, from https://issuu.com/nathanbolton/docs/how_subcultures_have_effected_graphic_design1.

D'Angelo, W. (2020). Switch vs PS4 vs Xbox One Global Lifetime Sales – January 2020. VGChartz. Retrieved 10 March 2021, from https://www.vgchartz.com/article/442352/switch-vs-ps4-vs-xbox-one-global-lifetime-salesjanuary-2020/#:~:text=The%20PS4%20has%20sold%20106.99,Xbox%20One%2046.36%20million%20units.&text=The%20PlayStation%204%20outsold%20the,and%20Xbox%20One%20are%20down.

DiBlasi, A., & Willis, V. (Eds.). (2014). Geek rock : An exploration of music and subculture. ProQuest Ebook Central <a onclick=window.open('https://ebookcentral.proquest.com','_blank') href='https://ebookcentral.proquest.com' target='_blank' style='cursor: pointer;’>https://ebookcentral.proquest.com</a>

LumenLearning. Pop Culture, Subculture, and Cultural Change | Introduction to Sociology. Courses.lumenlearning.com. Retrieved 10 March 2021, from https://courses.lumenlearning.com/sociology/chapter/pop-culture-subculture-and-cultural-change/.

Martin, M. (2019). The Leading LGBTQ+ Milestones in the World of Design. Architectural Digest. Retrieved 10 March 2021, from https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/lgbtq-design-milestones.

Niosi, A. Subcultures. Kpu.pressbooks.pub. Retrieved 10 March 2021, from https://kpu.pressbooks.pub/introconsumerbehaviour/chapter/subcultures/.

Zackariasson, P., Wilson, T., & Dymek, M. (2014). The video game industry. Routledge.

[shochmonster]

84 Questions

original: https://fuckyeahsurveys.tumblr.com/post/61049002526/84-questions

Put your music player of choice on shuffle and list the first 10 songs Guns of Brixton - The Clash Holiday in Cambodia - Dead Kennedys  Chainsaw - Nick Jonas California - Joni Mitchell Make It Wit Chu - Queens of the Stone Age This Woman’s Work - Kate Bush The Bad Thing - Arctic Monkeys Between the Bars - Eliot Smith Drown - The Smashing Pumpkins Different People - No Doubt

If you could spend a week anywhere in the world, where would it be and why? Would you take anyone with you? I’d take @duoloopo to the UK. I’d like to see places other than London.

What is your preferred writing implement? (eg. Blue pen, pencil, green pen)  I use my iPad stylus the most, but I have this heavy mechanical pencil I really like for drawing. 

Favourite month and why? October. I just love the fall vibe. 

Do you have connections to any celebrities (even minor)? List them. I went to undergraduate school with Rebecca Sugar. We used to ride the bus between NYC and DC together on holidays. 

Name 3 items you could pick up from where you are. Can of seltzer, pencil case, stack of bills

What brand logo is closest to you currently? REAL Skateboards

Do you ever play board games or other non-computer games? Got any favourites? I love Small World and Munchkin. 

A musical artist you love that isn’t well known Laura Stevenson and the Cans

A musical artist you love that is well known Red Hot Chili Peppers

What is your desktop background currently? Thomas Barrow on the beach in the Season 4 Christmas Special

Last person you talked to, and through what you talked to them @duomaxwell02 with my face :O 

First colour name you can think of that isn’t in the rainbow White

What timekeeping devices are in the room you are currently in? Two wall clocks, though one is very old and doesn’t wind anymore. I also have a clock @duoloopo ‘s dad made for me. It’s on the piano. 

What kind of headphones do you use? JBL Bluetooth, noise canceling 

What musical artists have you seen perform live? Foo Fighters (3x), Incubus (3x), Red Hot Chili Peppers, Smashing Pumpkins, Beastie Boys, Audioslave, Justin Timberlake, Troy Sivan, Arctic Monkeys, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Queen (but with Roger Daughtry, not Freddy... for obvious reasons.). Probably a whole bunch of others I’m blanking on. 

Does virginity matter to you? Not really. 

What gaming consoles do you or your family own? PS4, PS2, PS1, XBox 360, N64, Gamecube, Wii, NES, SNES, various Gameboys, Nintendo DS, PSP

What pets do you have? What are their names? Two cats, Hemingway and Renji

What’s the best job you’ve ever had? I like freelance art gigs the best. As for ‘normal people jobs’, I once was a sign painter for Whole Foods. That was pretty fun, minus the work drama. 

What’s the worst job you’ve ever had? Food service. 

What magazines do you read, if any? I’ll pick up Time once in a while

Inspiration behind your URL? My classic original URL was LinkWorshiper and had been since AIM first existed. I picked it because Zelda was the first fandom I ever joined. Now I’ve changed all my handles (except on AO3) to reflect my actual name, as my literary agent thinks it’s more professional. 

Inspiration behind your blog title? Mean Girls. I always chuckle imagining Thomas and Jimmy as some Edwardian version of the Plastics. 

Favourite item of clothing? My Downton livery waistcoat. And the stiff bosomed shirt and collars I have to go with it. 

Are you friends with any exes? Nah. By the time I felt comfortable enough to possibly try, I also didn’t care enough to. 

Name at least one book you loved as a child. His Dark Materials (the trilogy by Philip Pullman). I still love them and am jazzed that he’s writing more these days. 

What’s your native language? If that language has distinct regional variations, which variation? (eg. AU English, US English) US English, mostly a northeastern dialect/accent

What email service do you use? Gmail

Is there anything hanging on the walls of the room you are currently in? So much stuff. I have a mood board full of Downtons stuff over my desk, various DA posters and memorabilia, plus some artwork I’ve done, and some of my JC Leyendecker collection. The aforementioned wall clocks, a San Francisco cable car bell, Sailor Moon and a few other little knickknacks, like my hamsa. To name a few lol. 

What’s your favourite number, and why? 212 because it’s Manhattan’s area code and also because it used to be the notation for one of my favorite ships in an old fandom. 

Earliest moment in your life you can remember? Sitting under the table and looking at my grandma, who was wearing a Cruella Deville dress she’d knit herself. Like, it had the actual Disney character on it. Pretty cool to a little guy, I guess!

What did you have for dinner yesterday? Quesadilla 

How often do you brush your teeth? Whenever they feel gross

What’s your favourite candy/chocolate? Lately, I’ve been into Junior Mints. 

Have you had other blogs on Tumblr? Do you have any other blogs currently? This blog used to have my old handle, linkworshiper. I did a small Whole Foods blog when I worked with them, but it never went anywhere. 

If you were suddenly really hungry, what would you choose to eat? Sushi

What fandoms would you consider yourself a part of? Downton Abbey, though lately I’ve been crazy busy and not as active as I once was. Casually still poking at old fandoms like Zelda and Gundam Wing to name a few. 

If you could study anything, what would it be? More art education can’t hurt. Maybe some formal history education. 

Do you use anything on your lips? (eg. Chapstick, gloss, balm, lipstick) Chapstick 

How would you describe your sense of humour? Seinfeld 

What things annoy you more than anything else? Mouth noises

What kind of position are you in at the moment? Sitting

Do you wear much jewellery? Nope

Who is the leader of your country, currently? Any other levels of government with leaders? (State, region, province, county, district, municipality, etc) Three supposedly equal branches of government, currently being run into the ground by a clown 

Last 3 blogs on your dashboard, not including any of your own @halcyondaze @mab1905 @lavender-hued-melancholy

What do you carry your money in? I try to never carry cash, but I carry a small wallet 

Do you enjoy driving? Why or why not? I like it but sometimes it feels like a chore, especially during a commute. @duoloopo thinks I’m a shit driver so she tries to drive whenever she can, which has pluses and minuses. 

Longest drive you have ever been on? Savannah GA to San Francisco, CA in a UHaul

Furthest away from home you have ever been? Germany 

How many times have you moved house? God, I don’t even know. More than ten. 

What is on the floor of the room you’re currently in, not including furniture? Cat toys, unused canvases

How many devices do you own which can access the internet? Phone, computer, iPad, various game consoles 

Is there is anything that is guaranteed to always make you happy? Thomas and Jimmy <3 <3 

Is there anything that always makes you sad? Thinking too hard about being a failure

What programs do you currently have open? I just rebooted, so only Chrome, Spotify and Photoshop

What do you associate the colour red with? This line in the Kate Bush Song Blue Symphony, which goes, ‘I associate love with red, the color of my heart when she’s dead.’ 

Last strong smell you can remember smelling? The Greek food I ordered in for dinner

Last healthy thing you ate? Roasted veggies

Do you drink tea or coffee, and how much per day? I prefer tea, and I drink coffee for energy, though sometimes I think it just makes me crash harder. 

What do you associate the colour blue with? The sky

How long is the closest ruler you can find? 12 inches

What colour pants/skirt/etc are you currently wearing? Dark blue

When was the last time you drank water? About a minute ago

How often do you clear your browser history? Rarely

Do you believe nude photos can be artistic, rather than erotic? Yes

Ever written fanfiction for anything? Oh God, yes. You can still find it under Link Worshiper on AO3, though some of my ‘classics’ have been removed since I turned them into original manuscripts 

Last formal event you attended My cousin’s wedding

If you had to move your birthday to another date, which one would you choose and why? Maybe inch my birth year up just by two so that I’d stop being called a damn millennial. At my age, I really just don’t relate to the generation even though technicalities make me a part of it. 

Would you prefer to be at a beach or in the countryside? Beach

Roughly how many people live in your town? 52,000

Do you know anyone with the same birthday as you? Leonard Nimoy :D 

Favourite place to shop? Can be a certain store or a place where there are multiple stores I haven’t really gone shopping since the pandemic. Right now, it feels like the only place to buy anything is Amazon XD

Do you have a smartphone? What kind? If you don’t, do you want one? Samsung. It’s not a Galaxy but is a new model and a fraction of the price. 

What is your least favourite colour, and why? I don’t think I dislike any colors honestly. 

How do you spell grey/gray? Grey. I’ve got too many British online associates to ever go back. 

Go to your dashboard and describe the image shown in the radar section (below the “Find blogs” link) It’s Umbrella Academy fanart of Klaus. He’s in black and white with this hands over his eyes and the background is red. It’s very graphic. 

What difference is there between how many followers you have, and the number of blogs you follow? 736

How many posts do you have? 8,859

How many posts have you liked? I can’t find the stat D: 

Do you post mainly reblogs, or your own content? Mainly reblogs but I pepper in my own content when I can. Lately, I haven’t had time to do as much fanart though, and I kind of feel like it’s not worth bothering to post my original stuff. Nobody follows my blog for that. 

Do you track any tags? No. 

What time is it currently? 7:33 PM CMT

Is there anything you should be doing right now? Waking up @duoloopo. TIME TO JUMP ON THE BED. 

tagging, if they feel like it: @abbys-little-whippersnapper​ @bumblebarrow​ @irrationalgame​ @downtoncat​ @mab1905​ @duoloopo​

and everyone who I’ve forgotten

[jashoang]

J. C. Leyendecker inspired/study portrait. He was the best artist in terms of shape design and clear graphic read of the image in my opinion. In this piece, I tried to imitate the way he handled shape language and made the silhouette easy to read.