#this is like my biggest artistic passion I LOVE anatomy SO much

[deoidesign]

Hi, how did you learn to draw Steve's physique?

Ohh what a complicated thing to answer...

When it comes to how I learned to draw anything, it's hard to say anything too specific since it's always a culmination of many years of assorted study and practice... but I can try to do my best to explain some of the biggest things that helped me learn, some tips I keep in mind, and maybe at least some places to start/delve further.

(just a little disclaimer it's not like my drawings here are going to be 100% medically accurate.. they're just to illustrate concepts!)

The main thing about learning various physiques is understanding anatomy. Which feels obvious, but I don't mean proportions; these are important, but perhaps more important is understanding the skeleton and how it moves and learning where muscles connect to bones and where fat grows on the body. When you understand how these function on a more mechanical level, depicting form and movement in a way that feels natural comes in tow.

For instance, understanding things like the pronation and supination of the radius and ulna, as well as the fact that muscles can ONLY contract or relax, will help you understand a bit better which muscles will be flexed and which will not while someone moves. It's inherent to the positioning based on the structural makeup of the body... It's not like you NEED to memorize all the muscles and bones, of course, but understanding and gaining at least a passive familiarity with the concepts really helps.

In tandem with this concept is the way parts of the body flow into eachother. Muscles ALWAYS come in groups because they can only contract. Whatever muscle is there to lift something, there is a muscle on the other side to pull that bone back down. What this results in is a series of straight edges next to curves, which gives us a lot of really lovely "s curves" and dents and folds and so on and so forth just naturally occurring.

I would suggest at least learning the "bony landmarks", which are bones (usually) visible on the surface of the body. things like the iliac crest, the great trochanter, the 7th vertabrae, the acromion process... These can be used to help you understand the parts of the body as angles and relationships, rather than trying to remember lengths and sizes, which vary immensely... (since you asked about steve, he can be our model... also study these on your own don't just take my word for it haha, these are the ones I personally keep in mind)

I've done the same thing with body hair... learning where it grows and in which directions... It helps me make up variations without needing reference, because I have a set of rules I can follow.

The biggest thing that helped me understand all this on a much deeper level was my ecorche course. I sculpted this guy. We started by sculpting the entire skeleton to understand the bones, and then we added muscles on top. Not every single muscle, of course, but the "artistic muscles" AKA the ones which directly affect the surface of the body. Doing this let us see where muscles connect, because we would make a shape, put it on the bone where it actually goes, and then you get to see how other muscles overlap that.

This helped me, perhaps, more than anything else. But I also didn't just start with this course, I had been drawing for years before I even took it. I had been in school for years before I took it. Not that I think it wouldn't be helpful to someone just starting out, but I do think that the more you know going in, the better an in-depth course like this will help you and stick with you. Classes are also expensive, though so I'm not really like... recommending you pay potentially thousands of dollars to take one... But it did help me a lot, personally.

I also, of course, have done many figure, gesture, and master studies...

These just help you quickly gain a stronger understanding of generalized anatomy, and gives you real life examples of and practice with of how people move and balance.

What all this does when combined, is gives me a very solid ability to depict movement and form in a way that feels relatively natural from my subconscious without the need for reference.

The rest of how I've learned to draw his physique is honestly mostly just stylization. I understand the body, and this is how I am depicting it for his level of musculature.

And as I move into depicting him in other ways, either moving in comics or in animation, realistically rendered, or extra stylized, these concepts inform every step of that process for me! When he keeps the same/similar relationships between parts, he gets to still look like himself.

It ALSO really helps when putting clothes on, because the way cloth falls and bunches and lifts is all directly related to the form it is on... So the more you understand that form, the more you can depict clothing and movement in a way that feels natural.

This is all, of course, true when I draw anyone, you asked about Steve so I'm trying to mostly show with him! But because I'm just drawing from raw information of general anatomy rather than trying to study one body type at a time, it allows a lot more "give," I think!

Like, here's most of the cast from TTA so far... actually, they're not as varied as I thought they were nevermind LMAO ignore this part

But, it also makes monster and alien design much easier! It's a lot easier to come up with non-human anatomy when I understand human anatomy, because I can manipulate the knowledge I have...

There is infinite more to study in the world of anatomy... The complexity of the human body goes extremely deep. For our purposes as artists, we need only depict a fraction of it, but more information rarely hurts the process.

I'm sure there's something in here that's wrong on a technical level, I'm mostly going off of memory. But that's kind of my point - I understand enough generally and conceptually that when I am missing something and need to find reference for it, I understand what I'm looking at. It's much easier than trying to learn AND draw at the same time.

I hope even one thing in here helped you! Sorry it's so long.

[monstersandgirls-webtoons]

Question! How did you first get into art professionally? Like how did you gain enough confidence to sell your work? And then how did you get so darn good at drawing bodies?? I know practice is a part of it, but did you use specific references? Your style is so unique but also pleasing to the eye. I love how simple your backgrounds are without being too abstract, you have the perfect blend of color contrast, too.

1) I could never really call myself a professional artist, I’m just very passionate for it. I’d say I started selling my work the minute I turned 18

2) you just. Gotta trust yourself. You can’t wait to get better. If people already follow and support your art, it can’t hurt to sell it to them

3) lots of practicing and references. I have this practice called “30 second sketches”, tho I cut it down to 15, where I try to draw a pose as quickly as possible to get comfortable with anatomy. I also try to make my bodies feel appealing but not… unrealistic. Like my biggest pet peeve is art where you see a woman with curves and amazing rendering and then her boobs are… balloons.

And thank you for complimenting my backgrounds! I’ve been slowly trying to get better at them. I try to avoid making my characters blend in too much with them, so I like making backgrounds (particularly in hell) a little more muted

[lovesongbracket]

Reminder: Vote based on the song, not the artist or specific recording! The tracks referenced are the original artist, aside from a few rare cases where a cover is the most widely known.

Lyrics, videos, info, and notable covers under the cut. (Spotify playlist available in pinned post)

Lay All Your Love On Me

Written By: Björn Ulvaeus & Benny Andersson

Artist: ABBA

Released: 1981

Cover included: Amanda Seyfried & Dominic Cooper for Mamma Mia!, 2008

“Lay All Your Love On Me” explores the high emotions and passions that can emerge when falling in love, and documents one woman’s shift into erratic behaviors as she falls under the spell of her new lover. The song hit number one in the US dance charts in 1981, but has lasted in popularity over the years, becoming an ABBA staple. It was featured in the band’s jukebox musical (and its movie adaption), Mamma Mia, and in 2006 was named the 60th greatest dance song of all time by Slant magazine.

[Verse 1] I wasn't jealous before we met Now every woman I see is a potential threat And I'm possessive, it isn't nice You've heard me saying that smoking was my only vice [Pre-Chorus] But now it isn't true Now everything is new And all I've learned has overturned I beg of you [Chorus] Don't go wasting your emotion Lay all your love on me [Verse 2] It was like shooting a sitting duck A little small talk, a smile, and baby, I was stuck I still don't know what you've done with me A grown-up woman should never fall so easily [Pre-Chorus] I feel a kind of fear When I don't have you near Unsatisfied, I skip my pride I beg you, dear [Chorus] Don't go wasting your emotion Lay all your love on me Don't go sharing your devotion Lay all your love on me [Verse 3] I've had a few little love affairs They didn't last very long and they've been pretty scarce I used to think that was sensible It makes the truth even more incomprehensible [Pre-Chorus] 'Cause everything is new And everything is you And all I've learned has overturned What can I do? [Chorus] Don't go wasting your emotion Lay all your love on me Don't go sharing your devotion Lay all your love on me Don't go wasting your emotion Lay all your love on me Don't go sharing your devotion Lay all your love on me Don't go wasting your emotion Lay all your love on me

Chasing Cars

Written By: Jonny Quinn, Paul Wilson, Tom Simpson, Nathan Connolly & Gary Lightbody

Artist: Snow Patrol

Released: 2006

Cover included: The Wind and the Wave, 2015

This slow-building ballad is Snow Patrol’s biggest-selling single. A main driving force behind the song’s success was its inclusion at the end of the Grey’s Anatomy Season 2 finale. In an interview with Take 5 Gary Lightbody says: “The track wasn’t even featured on the iTunes top 100, and then an hour after the show, it was number 1. So that’s the impact of TV right there." About the song, he said in a interview with Rolling Stone: “It’s the purest love song that I’ve ever written. There’s no knife-in-the-back twist. When I read these lyrics back, I was like, ‘Oh, that’s weird.’ All the other love songs I’ve written have a dark edge."

[Verse 1] We'll do it all Everything On our own We don't need Anything or anyone [Chorus] If I lay here If I just lay here Would you lie with me and just forget the world? [Verse 2] I don't quite know How to say How I feel Those three words Are said too much They're not enough [Chorus] If I lay here If I just lay here Would you lie with me and just forget the world? Forget what we're told Before we get too old Show me a garden that's burstin' into life [Verse 3] Let's waste time Chasing cars Around our heads I need your grace To remind me To find my own [Chorus] If I lay here If I just lay here Would you lie with me and just forget the world? Forget what we're told Before we get too old Show me a garden that's burstin' into life [Bridge] All that I am All that I ever was Is here in your perfect eyes, they're all I can see I don't know where Confused about how, as well Just know that these things will never change for us at all [Chorus] If I lay here If I just lay here Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

[banana-zim]

Art Ask from FaithfulWhispers

AH CRAP, I DIDN'T FINISH MY ASK FROM

@faithfulwhispers-art / @faithfulwhispers

AND NOW TUMBLR DELETED IT, AHHH

Faith asked for 8, 10, and 22. (I'm so sorry this got messed up, dude!)

I already answered 8 and 10 over here, but those are great questions! As for 22... -cracks knuckles-

22. List at least one of your “artspirations.”

Impossible to list just one. There are dozens, and I've added a lot to my list just in the past few months. Here are just some to gush about for now~

Jamie Hewlett

Gorillaz artist. Huge idol. Huge, huge inspiration. I want my work to be as invigorating and jaw-dropping as his someday.

@mybrainisbigpoop

is one of my biggest art inspirations, holy shit. This dude inspires me every day. Their layout of comic panels, to their background work (HOLY SHIT, big inspiration and art goals), and their drive to tell a story in their work, including little details in their work. Their traditional work and inking is everything I want my stuff to be when it comes to working those mediums. I also adore their ability to make a character have any expression, and their ability to contort anatomy and facial features to fit any mood. Their work is raw and edgy, everything I love about that type of art.

@beecher-arts

- is one of my best friends in the world, but I always credit this guy to helping me pursue my dream of art. When I first met Nic a handful of years ago, I was an adult in college, having quit my full time job to go back to school for Physics, something I didn't really care for (I was just chasing the idea of a high-paying job, lol). I ended up dropping out a few months in after seeing his art, deciding I wasn't going to ignore my passion to pursue my own art. His art is beyond anything I've ever seen. and he inspires me every freaking day to be better at it. Nic is my best bud, I love him so much, and his art is just a blessing to see each and every time. He is an artistic GENIUS.

@tr333333

- I credit tr33 for bringing me back into the fanart scene and into the IZ community on Tumblr. The moment I saw tr33's work, I KNEW I had to start drawing fandom stuff again (I was on a hiatus from any and all fanart for a few years). Then, I got to see their original work and other fandom pieces, and their original comic, and I just fell in LOVE with everything about their work. They are such a huge inspiration as well - the expressions, to the story-telling elements, to the way their line weights are... everything about their art ignites such an artistic passion within me, and I literally cannot stop the conscious flow of creativity when I see their stuff.

@roztheirken

is someone I look up to, whose clothing designs and anatomy always look flawless and perfect. Their love of folds and fabrics inspires me to continue to work on my own fashion elements in art, and I am constantly amazed by the incredible intricacy to detail and fine lines. It's the perfect mix of realism and comic style, and I LIVE for that.

@junkmixart

inspired me years ago to start working on comics. They also are a big inspiration to my style, especially the hands and coloring techniques I used to do. I have done so many hours of studying their work, and I still have a copy of one of their comics to enjoy reading from time to time, reminding me of what can be done if you set your mind and spirit to it.

@faithfulwhispers

you, my dude, are also an art inspiration. I can't tell you how many times I just see a piece of your art and have to sit back and just stare at it. Your coloring and design skills are magnificent, and it's incredible to me that you learned all of that in such a short span of time... a few YEARS and you've mastered all that? And you do this so flawlessly and with such speed and accuracy, it amazes me. Someday, I want to be able to color a piece so beautifully like you do. <3

Honestly... I have so many more, especially the newest ones from the IZ community that I've met and gotten to see. Everyone I follow is an inspiration all on their own, and it truly is a pleasure to see your art and writing each and every day.

[maxx-doodles]

This isn't really a request, I was wondering if you have any tips for art in general, like the details on clothing, lineart, lighting (on hair especially), keeping ya style consistant? Sorry if this is a bombarding question,,, I just really admire your art and would love some tips :)))!

Oh boy, you’ve come to the right place! I love talking about art :D Keep in mind every artist’s journey will be different, that is why we’re all so unique! But here’s some tips I’ve learned from my personal experience!First off, I wouldn’t worry about keeping your style consistent. Experiment! Try new styles, techniques and tools. The more you explore the more you’ll know what you like and what you don’t. You’ll naturally gravitate towards the stuff you enjoy or like the look of, and before you know it you’ll have a style. Even so, don’t shackle yourself to that style once you find it. Many artists have multiple styles and they’re all constantly evolving and changing. It’s only natural to happen as we grow as artists and, well, people!Another tip that seems like such a cop-out answer because everyone says it: learn the basics! And by that I mean study anatomy. Don’t try to go super stylised right off of the bat. I can assure you that all the really good cartoon styles you enjoy were born from knowledge the artist(s) learned from real life. This is not only true for anatomy, but lighting, shading, colours… We can learn so much from real life if we just take the time to look.Almost done, this is getting extremely long: try not to over-detail! I remember when I was starting out as an artist I would try to draw every individual hair and every single possible wrinkle in clothing. Most of the time it causes the piece to look unbalanced and unappealing because the rest of the piece doesn’t have the same amount of detail in it. Rather look at general shapes. You’ll find it’s not only easier and less time-consuming to draw, but it will also look a lot better!Lastly, and most importantly, never give up! If you’re passionate about drawing, practice and improvement will come naturally. All I ever do and all I’ve really ever done is draw all day. It’s what I love. But the hardest times are when I compare myself to others, put myself down, give up on my ability. I know it’s difficult, but try not to do that to yourself! Your biggest obstacle between you and improvement is not believing you can improve.Stay safe and keep drawing!

[laine-o]

who are some artists u take inspiration from / are some of ur inspirations? love ur art btw :)

Wow I’m so sorry it took me awhile to get back to you anon! This was a hard one. I haven’t thought of my inspirations lately since they have changed a bit. I tried to keep these relevant more to my anime art since that’s what I’m more known for, but some are influences on more of my original art that I hope someday I’ll feel brave enough to share with you all.

From left to right, top to bottom.

CLAMP (Magic Knight Rayearth) - they were the reason I started drawing manga/anime artwork at all back in early 2000′s for me. The only “shoujo” artists on this list, I was really taken by the eyes they drew at the time and it still can be seen a little bit today, though I’ve really tried to steer myself away from the large pointed eyes with thick lashes and elongated bodies that plagued my art for a long time. I’ll always love their compositions, use of color and just how they use marker.

Yusuke Murata (Street Fighter fan art) - known for Eyeshield21 and One Punch-Man. This man can draw anything. His sense of anatomy, foreshortening and movement is breathtaking. I love the lighting and rendering as well. He also has a knack for creating really original faces and he doesn’t have the “same-face” syndrome problem. Just top-notch. I don’t aim to be as shonen in style as him, but I hope to start being able to add more dynamic poses into my work.

Kyohiko Azuma (Yotsubato!) - known for Azumanga Daioh and Yotsubato! I really love the comedy and slice of life genres lately. I love softer styles and I really adore the more simplistic approach he has to his character design that really allows the slice of life genre to shine through his art. Despite the simplicity, it still is very anatomically technical. It’s simple, but warm and effective and very soft. His skill in backgrounds as well is phenomenal. I think it’s a whole atmosphere he creates and the story he tells in his illustrations that I would love to apply to my own work if I can. I also related a lot to an interview where he stated he struggles blending little Yotsuba into the world he created because she’s so different stylistically from all the characters, so it’s a lot of fun and helpful to see how he accomplishes this throughout the manga and the panels.

Masashi Kishimoto (Naruto) - of course one of my biggest influences due to all the SasuSaku I draw. I think his style is very effective. It’s also I think more on the simpler side actually (if you compare it to CLAMP and Murata’s). But it’s so dynamic and full of strong composition and memorable character designs. I really appreciate how by his influence, I never really stopped drawing thanks to the characters, Sasuke and Sakura, that he created that had such an impact on me.

Xia Da (Song of the Long March AKA Choukakou) - This one is a manhua artist. Her inking and watercolor artwork is absolutely phenomenal. Definitely someone I look up to when I’m inking my own pieces, I would love to be at her level of skill someday. Primarily an inspo for inking.

Kamome Shirahama (Atelier of Witch Hat) - another artist with phenomenal inking skills that I really admire. She’s also really good at drawing children! But I definitely believe she can draw anything, the fact that she has crossed the barrier to illustrate comic covers for both DC and Marvel is just incredible to me and a testament to how much skill she possesses. Primarily an inspo for inking.

Kozue Amano (Aria) - Known for Aqua, Aria, and Amanchu (lots of A’s!). Her ability to design precious soft characters, gorgeous scenery, and write a beautiful and gentle slice of life fantasy tale has always made her one of my absolute favorites. I absolutely love how she colors her works.

Adachitoka (Noragami) - this is a team who does characters and background art. It’s not a secret that I love watercolor. I also love the movement and action and fighting scenes from this manga. The fact that this team is female and broke through with a popular shonen series is simply amazing. I hope to be as good as they are in drawing figures and in watercolor someday.

James Gurney (Dinotopia) - the master of creating fantasy worlds and making it look like it EXISTS with his painting skills. His “Color and Light” book is an absolute staple (I have it always ready as reference) and it’s a must if you want to give your lighting that more realistic feel. I think my love of lighting really came from growing up with the Dinotopia series. He is always constantly sharing his wisdom as well on his website and twitter and just an amazing and inspiring person for generations of artists.

Makoto Shinkai (Kimi no Na Wa) - This movie’s aesthetics (especially the lush backgrounds), surrealism, and existentialism really spoke to me. I adore the starry skies and heavens and clouds. Screencaps of his movies fill my phone as a quick reference whenever I’m rendering some complex lighting or trying to create some sort of composition with the sky.

Studio Ghibli/Hayao Miyazaki (Kiki’s Delivery Service) - nothing really needs to be said especially given my love for the details in all the movies, the fantastic scenes involving flying in the sky, the gorgeous backgrounds, and the delicious food. Always a good choice to use as a reference for anything with nature or even cluttered cozy houses and rooms and greenhouses. It’s still a desire to delve more into world building for me and I’ll be using these movies for reference. I also keep tons of their artwork in my phone as reference.

Satoru Takizawa (Legend of Zelda, Breath of the Wild) - Known for his work with Twilight Princess and Breath of the wild. You know where I’m going with this - he is the MASTER of ambient lighting. I love his rough and loose painting style that I wish I could achieve someday, but I still have a tendency to over-render. A great resource for learning how to world-build and for concept art.

Andrew Loomis - anatomy and figure drawing master. At the end of this list, but not the least important by a long shot. His book I think is not the most beginner friendly in terms of seeing basic shapes and breaking down the form (I think his construction is still more on the complex side), but it’s a good place to start and keep grinding until it “makes sense.” It took me years, but once it started clicking, I have him to thank for it because my anatomy was an absolute mess because of my background of starting from CLAMP’s art style. Buy his book and make it your bible. Attend figure drawing classes. If you want to illustrate people no matter how simple, you must make studying anatomy a part of your process.

Lastly - some original artists to check out who I like the inking, watercolor skills, and concepts of that closely align with my interests for my own original art.

meyoco - twitter, instagram

maruti_bitamin - twitter, instagram, tumblr

Qinniart - twitter, instagram

Some mangaka honorable mentions -

Takeshi Obata (Death Note, Bakuman)

Kaoru Mori (Emma, Otoyomegatari)

Satsuki Yoshino (Barakamon)

This was super long, I apologize, but it’s something I’m passionate about. I love art to pieces. I think a lot of what I admire is very technical - anatomy and lighting. I think my influences also reflect my aim to be more proficient at watercolor and inking. And lastly, world-building, fantasy/cosmos, and background art. I think a lot of what I really love though, is color and lighting and that’s found within any of these artists. :)

Thanks for the question anon! You allowed me to geek out on art for about an hour while I wrote this out.

[keepcalm-andbopon]

Introducing us!!

Isabelle: @swiftie-isabelle

I’m Isabelle and I’m turning 14th in June 27! I would die for Taylor swift. I started listening to her when I was 3 and her music had comforted me ever since! She has had such a impact in my life and I’ve gotten so many amazing memories from her!

Victoria: @sinkanddroundswift

im victoria & i do nothing w my life except cry over taylor swift and not having a boyfriend . I do nothing ever except lay in bed and cry over every little detail. I eat too much food for my body. I like boys alot but they don’t like me. taylor swift claims she loves me multiple times but idk if I believe her yet. I love my cat shes a scottish fold. Beverly Hills, 90210 is my favorite tv show & High School Musical is my favorite movie. I also love grayson dolan more than I can comprehend. I have 0 friends so its me, myself, and I all the time.

Lily: @lilyadorestay

im lily and i do nothing with my life except cry over taylor swift, have people tell me to stop crying about taylor swift, and waste money on bucket hats :)

Sasha: @dropsmynamesasha

I’m sasha and I have a large obsession with food, cats and Taylor Swift

Katelyn: @redheadnamedkatelyn

I’m Katelyn and I’m 13! I don’t do anything in my life except for lacrosse and cheer and love Taylor swift. I have red hair, & Taylor Swift is my absolute best friend and my life wouldn’t be the same without her. And I owe so much to her. And basically I’m known as “the Taylor swift girl” at school so that’s kinda cool. Anyways The moral of this is I love Taylor swift!

Lexie: @drunkonswiftxo

I’m lexie, 18 years old. I have a very busy life actually, I compete in many different karate and martial arts competitions and was British Champion in 2016 with my sword and in October of this year I am competing in the World Martial Arts Games! Before any competition I usually get very nervous but listening to Taylor’s music calms me down (cringe ikr) but I wouldn’t be doing all of these if I didnt have a calming mechanism!

Natalia: @natalialovestaylor

hi! i’m natalia, i’m 15 and from the bay area. taylor has been in my life since i was 8 and i’ve been supporting her ever sense:) she makes me so happy, she’s like the sunlight in my life. i want her to know that i love her so much and i want to hug her and tell her thank you more than anything. 💗

Katie: @shapeofyouswift

hi i’m katie and i’m 16! i’m from ny and i went to all 3 metlife shows!! i’ve been seeing taylor in concert since the fearless era and i’ve seen her 11 times! i’m fortune to have met her 5 years ago at GMA and i was able to get a picture with her outside time 100 gala! taylor makes me so happy and has helped me through many rough times in my life as well as all of the happiest! i’m so thankful to have such a positive role model in my life!!

Meredith:

I’m Meredith and I love Taylor Swift more than words can describe:) I’ve been listening to Taylor since I was four and she has always been a big part of my life since then !! She inspires me everyday and makes my life so much brighter. I am so so proud of her and all that she has done!! Also, I love going to the beach and petting dogs🤩💓

Memphis: @taysmidnights

hi i’m memphis!! i play tennis and obsess over taylor swift! i’m from the beautiful state of california, and i love to surf! i first heard a ts song (You Belong With Me) in 2009, and i’ve loved taylor ever since. i am also a proud supporter of the LGBTQ+ community and have a passion for changing our world. oh, and i’m known as “that taylor swift fan” at my school, but i’m not complaining! 🧚🏼‍♀️

Brooke: @brookewhatyoumademedo

i’m brooke and i’m 14!! i live in cleveland, ohio along with some of my best friends i met through taylor!! i look a lot older than i am and it’s a good and bad thing haha. i used to play a lot of sports but i have decided to just stick with lacrosse!! i love music so much because it helps me with everything. taylor has been like my big sister since i was a baby and i’ve always looked up to her!! my stan song is stay stay stay because it always puts me in the best mood!! i love grey’s anatomy a little too much but i can’t help it. the show actually made me very interested in the medical field and as of now i want to be a pediatric neurosurgeon!! i also love volunteering and helping out my community as much as possible! and i like school which is kind of not something freshman say a lot haha. and that’s me!☀️🌸🦋💘💋

Paige: @taylorswift-paige

Hey! I’m Paige & I’m 21 (soon to be 22 😍). I live in Australia and I’ve been listening to Taylor since I was 9. The first time I saw Taylor perform live was at Speak Now and I was completely blown away, since then I’ve been lucky enough to see her perform 6 times. I’m so grateful that little me decided to listen to Taylor as I don’t know where I would be without her lyrics, music, and advice to guide me through life. Thankyou for everything Taylor, I love you so much and I’m so excited for the Lover era 💗😘

Skylar: @skylarswiftie13

Hey I’m Skylar and I’m 15!! I have been loving Taylor ever since I was 5 and I have (obviously) not stopped since. Other than obsessing over Taylor I loveee to run and watch friends and greys !! I have seen Taylor at the 1989 tour Detroit and Rep Detroit and they were hands down the BEST nights of my life and I def cried a TON hahah. I plan on going to Nash and either Chicago or Detroit for next tour! I absolutely cannot wait until the day that I get to wrap my arms around Taylor and thank her for everything she has done for me ahhh. I love you forever and always Taylor!! 🥰❤️🌈🦋✨☀️

@singitswiftie

Hi Taylor I’m ella and I’m turning 17 in August 12th! IM SO EXCITED FOR THE NEW ALBUM! I just can wait to sing along to all of the songs🥰🥰 you are my absolute favorite human and you helped me with your songs! clean means THE WHOLE ENTIRE WORLD to me and I just relate to it on a personal level. Thank you for supporting lgbtqia+ always! YOU DESERVE THE WHOLE ENTIRE WORLD

Makayla @comebackbbehere

Hey T I’m Makayla!! I’m 13 and I’ve loved you since 2009!! My stan song is Come Back... Be Here not only because it’s amazing but because it has helped me through so so so SO much. It’s amazing how you can, with just a song, literally save someone’s life from spiraling downhill. So thank you. Thank you also, for inspiring so many people. Including me! You have inspired me to sing and write songs and songwriting is now a way I have learned to express myself and a way to help me get through the hard times. You have also inspired me to be more of an activist and speak up for what I believe in. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be a proud feminist or be as educated about the LGBTQ+ community!! In conclusion, thank you SO SO SO much for everything you do and just being the beautiful, amazing, inspiring person you are. I love you more than words can express and I can’t wait for August 23rd!!! ps: I really hope we can hug someday 💗

Bessie: @flyawayswift

Hey !! I’m Bessie, I’m 17 and I’m from the UK 🇬🇧!! I love to do Ballet and Tap dancing, but when it comes to Taylor’s music it’s generally just me doing crazy dad-dancing because I cannot stay calm during her songs. There’s aren’t many words which can sum up accurately how much I love Taylor or how grateful I am to have her in my life, but I love her to the moon and back 💛 I’ve been a swiftie for nearly 5 years, and have loved her music since I was 11. I’ve grown up with her as the big sister I never had, and my biggest dream EVER is to give her the biggest hug hehehe 💛💛

ana: @taysfavourite

hey!! i’m ana and i’m 14, i’m from the uk!! i love taylor (ofc) and i do gymnastics, i also love dance and stuff like that!! i am so thankful for taylor bringing me to some of my best friends!! (i’m always open for new friends btw) and yeah i love taylor!so!much! 💋💋💋

alex: @delicateswiftiez137

hi guys! i’m alex and i’m 14 years old. I live in illinois, and i’ve been a fan of taylor ever since I first heard love story and yblwm on the radio as a kid! my stan song is fearless because I love the message it portrays, but recently i’ve been OBESSED with the whole 1989 album because it’s a literal masterpiece! besides taylor related things, one hobby of mine is swimming! i’ve been a swimmer since I was about 2 years old! anyways, I hope you all have the best day! 🧁🌸🦋💗💋

Edith: @twinfiresignsswift

Hi, my name is Edith and I’m a 15 yr old from California! Anything related to cats is my ideal thing. I’m currently the mother of a tabby cat named Jagger who is very shy, grumpy, and introverted just like me, so the two of us get along very well 🥳 both of us are def party poopers. Anyway I enjoy art, especially watercolor! Initially I wanted to become an artist when I grew up, but I realized I would be poor asf, so now I want to major in biology and become some type of zoologist because animals are the best. In 2014, 5th grader me became obsessed with Blank Space and my life immediately changed from that day on. My favorite album is Speak Now because of how magical and well written it is. My 1 brain cell could never manage to write a whole masterpiece like that all by myself. And my stan song is You Are in Love!! It makes my heart go 💕💗💓 I am so incredibly grateful that I got to see Taylor for the first time ever on rep Pasadena night 1. It was the best day of my life :,) I know so many others do not have the same opportunities; I know how they feel, so I try to stay as humble as I can. I would be such a boring and sad person without Taylor and her amazing lyrics. She is such an amazing role model. Thank you for always being there for me, I will love you forever and always, and I am so excited to see what you have in stock❤️

Jess: @jessheartstaylor

hey!! I’m Jess and I’m 14, from the UK!! My stan song is begin again, I love it so much!! IM SO EXCITED FOR LOVER! I can’t wait to see what Taylor has in store for us!! I’m so thankful for Taylor as she’s such an incredible role model and idol to me, her music always cheers me up and she never fails to make me smile!! I love her so much- forever and always!! 💕💞💓💗💖💝

jordan: @fairytaleswift

hey taylor!! the thought of you scrolling all the way down and reading this right now is insane... all of us girls love you with everything inside of us. I have been supporting you for lucky number 13 years!!! I’ve been with you since 2006! I have been to Speak Now, Red, 1989 and Rep! I am so excited for Lover! It has been an honor watching you grow and become the amazing and strong woman you are today. I love you so much taylor... I hope we get to hug soon! 💗🌥🍭🦄🌩🌸🌈💐🦋💗💓🥰💅🏻🌥

Ravae: @vaelovestaytayswift

Hey I’m Ravae!! I’ve loved Taylor for as long as I can remember my sister has listened to her forever so I grew up listening to her!! Taylor inspires me everyday to be a better person and she’s a great role model. Her music helps me through the really rough times but also puts me in a better mood through the good times! I hope to meet you one day! Love you Tay🦋💞🌈💘🥺

Gracie: @inredlipsticks

Hey, Taylor! I’m Gracie and I’m 20 as of June 22nd. I’ve loved you since debut and my favorite album of all time is Fearless. I’ve been fortunate enough to see you four times and hopefully more on the lover tour 💗 along with Taylor, I also love Selena Gomez, Disney, and dogs!! 💗🦋🌸 The four most important things in my life.

Ella: @ellalovesswift

Hey! My name is Ella and I’m 17 years old. I’ve loved Taylor ever since the day my dad thought I needed my own music instead of just listening to his, this was when I was just seven years old and my dad bought me the fearless album and I fell in love with Love Story!! Ever since then I’ve never stopped loving Taylor! Other than her music, I’ve grown up with Taylor and every day she has inspired me to be a better person! My favourite songs are enchanted, better than revenge and dress! I’ve been to the red and reputation tours in Melbourne! Other than Taylor I am a swimmer. I swim a lot and it’s been a part of my life since before Taylor! I hope one day I can hug her and tell her how much she’s impacted my life! I will always stay, love you Tay 💗🦋💓🌸

bri: @briadorestay

hi t! my name is bri and i am 13 (turning 14 on august 19th) i have loved you since i was 5 years old and my stan songs are the archer, ciwyw, and you are in love. the soft songs🥺🥺 i love you so much and i hope you never stop doing what you’re doing because you are so inspiring!! i love u so much buddy! see you one day?🧚‍♀️☁️🌸💘🥺💗⭐️🕊

[writingandmore]

Hi! Could I have a Dr matchup? I'm a straight female, shy, awkward and serious at first but I open up more with friends. I like reading, watching anime and musicals and playing videogames. I enjoy swing music and 1800/steampunk fashon but my biggest passion is drawing, I really like studying anatomy and sketching and I hope to become a comic artist. I'm also really interested in mythology, especially Greek and Egyptian and astronomy and I get really passionate when I talk about these. Thanks!♡

I pair you with Korekiyo Shinguji! 

 - Korekiyo is very interested in all sorts of media from different cultures, so he’d enjoy sitting down with you and watching musicals or playing video games if they have elements of different cultures in them. When he just needs to relax he’ll watch pretty much anything you’ll have on. 

 - He’d be very interested in your passion for 1800s and steam punk fashion-he’d be pretty experienced with most period style clothing, so you could talk about that together fairly easily. He wouldn’t know that much about steampunk though, and he’d love to hear more about it!

 - He isn’t shy with his opinions and what he wants to say, but he is very quiet, so he would appreciate your own introvertedness. He would also like your serious disposition-he definitely doesn’t like to joke around as much as some of the others. 

[atruththatyoudeny]

Monthy Reads | APRIL 2019

Happy 28th! Wow, April has been fantastic! Thank you so much to all the amazing authors and artists for sharing their work. @onedirectionbigbang​ started posting so make sure to head on over to their blog and check out all the fics and art!

Counterbalance || YesIsAWorld || enemies to lovers - motorcycle racing - ballet - implied/referenced homophobia - 44k Harry Styles loves two things: teaching ballet and racing motorcycles. Those two worlds collide when his greatest rival on the track, Louis “Tommo” Tomlinson brings his tiny siblings to Harry’s class.

Face Your Fears || SadaVeniren || a/b/o - mpreg - kid fic - implied/dubious consent - famous/ not famous - miscommunication - slow burn - angst - 92k Harry is a single father, pretending to be a beta after his alpha mated him and left him. He’s getting by just fine raising the twins when Louis walks into his bakery. Too bad him and Louis will never be a thing.

Latching Onto You || reminiscingintherain || famous/ not famous - 34k The one where Louis wants to book Harry Styles to perform at his best friends' wedding.

That's What I'm Here For || taggiecb || boss/employee relationship - age difference - farms - fluff - angst - friends to lovers - grief/mourning - depression - 46k Louis Tomlinson is a dairy farmer on a tiny farm in eastern Canada. His wife of nearly thirty years has left him and his children are all grown up and out of the house. Louis needs help running his business but has no idea where to even start looking. Luckily for him his children know just the man for the job.

(Something's Been) Hiding In My Heart || lululawrence || Sweet Home Alabama AU - exes to lovers - emotional hurt/comfort - mentions of miscarriage - implied mpreg - angst - 25k A Sweet Home Alabama AU where Louis comes home to finally get his divorce from Harry finalized so he can move on with his life. Alderford holds its own set of challenges when he returns, but by facing his past maybe he can find the healing he so desperately needs.

An Unbalanced Force || FullOnLarrie || divorce - miscommunication - 110k Harry has the rest of his life planned. Marriage. Career. Kids. Happily ever after. But sometimes plans don’t work out. That’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Fondre ton absence || scrunchyharry || amnesia - World War I - historical - 41k Harry had never really given much thought to the future. He preferred to let life steer him forward and to follow in the footsteps of Louis, his best friend from as far as his memory went, his lover, his everything. Louis knew better than he did what was good for him. It changed drastically when Louis was ripped away from him, drafted and sent to the front to fight in a war that Harry had always been sure would never reach him. Too young and too sickly to follow, Harry was left on his own for the first time in his life. When he thought things could not possibly get worse, Louis went missing at the Somme and was declared dead. While everyone buried and mourned him, Harry never moved on. If Louis were dead, he was sure that he would know it. Their lives were too entwined, he would know if half of his heart had died. Determined to find Louis, Harry did everything he could in his quest to be reunited with him, except prepare for the state Louis might be in. He did not prepare for the harsh truth he would have to face: was love possible without memories?

The Post-War BP || jaerie || a/b/o - mildly dubious consent - dystopia - post-war - mpreg - 17k The eight year war has left the country's birthrate severely stunted with a lack of virile alphas left to bring it back up. To ensure the survival of the country, the government opens The Breeding Program where young omegas can apply to carry an alpha's child in exchange for benefits. Louis' family is struggling and the BP is one of the only ways to secure a roof over their heads. Harry was drafted at the age of eighteen and spent six years of his life defending a country he doesn't recognize when he returns home. The government made the bed but it's Harry that has to lie in it.

Graphic design is my passion || FullOnLarrie || college/university - mutual masturbation - 6k Graphic design student Louis Tomlinson has exams to study for and final art projects to complete, if it would stop raining long enough for him to walk across campus. Luckily Harry Styles has an umbrella, and he’s perfectly willing to share. Louis doesn’t plan to get his heart broken and he doesn’t plan to make almost a hundred silicone dildos. One of these things definitely happens.

Fiction Romance || rougeandtonic || collge/university - blind date - misunderstandings - 17k Harry has a type. He likes older, sophisticated, mature men. Well-educated men. Men with life experience and passion for arts and social causes. Men who are established in their careers, who've sorted their lives out. Niall knows this. And so Harry can't understand why he's sat here opposite Louis Tomlinson. A punk Louis/uni Harry blind date AU.

Flawless || Throwthemflowers || strangers to lovers - injuries - angst - hurt/comfort - 25k After a debilitating surgery, former concert pianist Harry Styles isn't able to come to terms with his new reality. Sundered from his high standards of performance, Harry can't seem to feel anything anymore, except perhaps interest in his favorite coffee shop's barista, a man who seems wholly unsuited for the job and whose blue eyes hold in them the same pain that Harry struggles with every day. When fate renders them more than mere acquaintances, Harry is forced to deal with the insecurities of his condition and his stubborn pride. Louis wants to love him, but Harry can't accept that, because he can't accept himself. And besides, he's never loved. He doesn't know how. He just wants to be able to play his piano like before, because it was safe, because at its keys he could control the roiling of his heart and funnel it into music. With love, things are much too risky. Why would he ever take such a chance?

Snow Big Deal || FullOnLarrie || smut - 8k Louis is a professional snowboarder set to appear in ESPN The Body Issue and Harry is an assistant photographer working for the magazine. They have more in common than they think.

The Way Her Body Moves || dimpled_halo || Girl Direction - friends to lovers - 2k “Need help?” Harry jumps, her eyes widening as she drops the manual. She puts her hand to her chest, breathing deep. Her eyes meet Louis', her gorgeous co-worker who’s stationed in the office right next to hers. Harry has the biggest crush on her. She and Louis started working at the company the same day, right after New Year’s, and it’s been torture being around such a pretty person. Harry has caught herself multiple times staring at her, the way she talks with those soft glossy lips of hers, and her eyes. God, those dreamy blue eyes are embedded in Harry’s brain. She dreams about those damn eyes every night, she swears. Louis clears her throat, shaking Harry out of her thoughts. As much as she’s tried to get this chair together on her own, she needs the help. Harry was barely able to lift the backside of the chair by herself.

O! Yes! || homosociallyyours || a/b/o - omega/omega - sex toy store - 2k Louis is a somewhat sexually awkward omega into other omegas. When an omega-centric sex shop opens near his favorite coffee shop, he definitely doesn't plan to check it out. One friendly ambush later, he's standing inside and talking with a too pretty omega about things that definitely make him blush. He's not the only one blushing, though. Harry, the cute and enthusiastic toy store employee is too.

Small Voice In The Choir || Star55 || Girl Direction - homophobic language - 8k Louis is just a little lesbian who wants to audition for the school choir. She doesn't expect to gain a new friend from it.

All we can do is keep breathing || thealmightyavocado || Greys Anatomy inspired - medical AU - slow burn - angst - character death - grief/mourning - emotional hurt/comfort - 310k A fated story of two broken and battered boys who barely survived the unimaginable and how the love of one little brave girl defies all the odds and somehow puts them back together.

Drifting || noellehenry || enemies to lovers - implied/referenced homophobia - misunderstandings - 18k Canal Boat AU Harry becomes the owner of a shabby narrowboat, quite unexpectedly. He decides to keep it and make his longtime dream come true; he’ll start his own business, afloat. He embarks on a new adventure in a small village along the Grand Union Canal with his boat ‘Gay Tunes’ where his neighbours are the musician on the 'Black Velvet’, a fitness centre owner on the 'Slow’ and an extremely annoying bookshop owner on the 'Floating Pages’; seriously, what is Louis Tomlinson’s problem?!

Pillow Talk || FallingLikeThis || sexuality crisis - mutual pining - fake/pretend relationship - 26k When Harry starts having confusing feelings for a male classmate, his sister's best friend, Louis, helps him figure himself out. Cue lots of kissing, sex, and falling in love.

Naked Attraction || reader_chic_2 || Naked Attraction AU - meet-cute - famous/ not famous - 12k Naked Attraction: a gameshow where the contestant views 6 naked possible partners and narrows them down based off of pure attraction. Harry was not a fan of the shallow gameshow, so he decided to mix it up a little. Louis Tomlinson was the only gay and unfortunate staff member chosen to step in for one of the six possible partners when someone dropped out. He hated working there, and he definitely didn't want to agree, but it was too good of an offer to be turned down. Nothing would come out of it, surely, and they even agreed to keep his identity a secret. That all changed when famous singer Harry Styles walked out. Louis had no idea who he was, and Harry liked that about him.

Everywhere And Nowhere || 2tiedships2 || a/b/o - strangers to lovers - secret admirer - 16k Niall took a seat and said, "Apparently Louis' downstairs neighbor is a fan of giving Louis creepy gifts. Maybe I should go introduce myself and tell him that Louis actually prefers food." "What has he given you?" Liam asked. Louis shrugged as it were no big deal. "There was a rabbit's foot keychain on the door a little after he left from introducing himself and there was a small teddy bear sitting by my door tonight. Obviously I can't prove it's from him, but they seem to have his scent. I could be wrong though." "Wow," Liam said, looking deep in thought. "That's old school." "What's old school?" Niall asked. "Giving creepy gifts?" "I've never known an alpha to do it, to be honest, but he's courting you." Louis couldn't contain his look of disbelief directed at Liam. "He's courting me. Like some sort of romantic shit they'd do in the 1800s or something?"

Play It Back and Press Rewind || crimsontheory || childhood sweethearts - angst - mentions of death - 22k Harry and Louis were high school sweethearts until Louis broke it off when he moved away for uni. Ten years later they both return to their small hometown for a funeral.

Love Will Tear Us Apart || lovelarry10 || childhood friends - punks - friends with benefits - alcohol abuse/ alcoholism - drug addiction - drug abuse - recovery - angst - major character injury - 103k A story of two halves. Louis and Harry had it all - a career, friendship, and some of the best sex either of them had ever had. But Harry ruins it all with one life-changing mistake ... and Louis is left to pay the price.

Take Me Down Slow (Don't Let Me Go) || jacaranda_bloom || a/b/o - friends to lovers - omega/omega - 26k The one where Louis wants to find the right kind of partner to love, Niall hates snowboarding, Liam wants to settle down, Harry is really good with his hands, and mother nature could be the thing that changes everything.

Medicine || SophiaSoames || enemies to lovers - 23k I've had a few, got drunk on you and now I'm wasted. Louis Tomlinson doesn't do feelings. He doesn't do relationships. And when he has an itch to scratch there are always clubs and hook ups. Quick dirty encounters in dark places that feed the need that brews in the pit in his stomach. He works every hour of the day as the Front Office manager or the Clouds Westminster hotel in central London. He's a good boss, and he knows his shit. Then that asshat Styles swans in like he owns the bloody place and Louis's carefully managed world starts to fall apart. Harry Styles needs. He's impulsive and stupid and childish and probably the last person in the world who should be allowed to run the Food and Beverage department at the Clouds Westminster, however many brilliant ideas he has and seems to manage to miraculously pull off. He needs. And he needs Louis Tomlinson. It's a match made in hell. A recipe for disaster. There will be a bloodbath one day. They all know. Everyone knows.

Streetwise hercules || jacaranda_bloom || collge/university - fake/pretend relationship - 7k Uni AU, where Louis pretends to be Harry's boyfriend to scare away his one night stands.

[shemakesmusic-uk]

Getting to Know...

Noé.

Stripping back from her self-reflective and light-hearted approach to love and lyricism, Paris-born singer-songwriter Noé turns to her music in a completely raw and real way on her latest release ‘Color’, where she reveals some real life struggles. In collaboration with her main producer Matt Parad (Tinashe, Bea Miller, Kacy Hill), ‘Color’ is a moody slow burner with real-life storytelling, built from simple instrumentation, and stripped back to put Noé soft and dreamy vocal work on display.

Brilliantly transforming struggle into a tool for self-empowerment, ‘Color’ is the third release off her debut EP ibynoé, coming out in Springtime.

We had a quick chat with Noé all about 'Color', her upcoming EP, influences and more. Read the interview below.

You've just released your new single and video 'Color'. What was the inspiration behind the track and the visuals?

"To me, ‘Color’ is about depression and anxiety, because that’s the abusive relationship i’m currently in. But it can be about any unhealthy relationship. ‘Color’ is about taking control over something you feel you have no control over. It’s about being honest with yourself and facing your current situation, because you can’t make better something you won’t admit is real. In the case of depression, It would be foolish of me to think I could ever put an end to it. It’s a part of me. But by acknowledging the situation and calling it out by name, I feel like I am less afraid and somehow taking control."

'Color' is the third song to be taken from your upcoming debut EP ibynoe. What can you tell us about the record? What have you gained from the experience of making your first EP?

"Oh my I’ve gained so much. From a better sense of my sound and who I am as an artist, to self confidence and relief from finally expressing things that burdened me. This EP also helped me surround myself with the right people. I’m so grateful for the team I have today. I’ve also learnt so much about myself as a person, and I think I’ve grown a lot (though there’s always space for more growing). Amongst many things, I’ve learnt that being a perfectionist is a quality until it’s not. Knowing when to let go is just as much of a quality. I didn’t think it could ever feel this way, but I am so proud of this record."

Let's go back to the beginning for a moment...where did your passion for music begin and what made you want to follow a career as singer-songwriter?

"My parents had me start guitar lessons when I was 9, after I made it out of some pretty serious health issues. They were told music would be a great way of therapy. A few weeks later, I was playing and singing the first song I ever wrote, with the greatest hook-line ever “Mommy mommy mommy, what would I do without you”. I’ve been writing ever since. Never thought it would be more than a hobby, until my last year of high school when i got accepted to Berklee College of Music. It was honestly a super out of the blue decision. Music was always almost too personal to even think of making a career out of it. But I’m so glad I did (or that I’m trying to)."

Who or what has the biggest influence on your sound and style?

"Not sure about my biggest influence, but im super sensitive so my state of mind definitely has a big impact on the music I make. If i’m feeling sad, I’ll most likely wanna write about sad things and only listen to sad music and make sad music. I’m not really the kind of person who will try to uplift my mood by listening to happy/funky/good vibes music. I’m more the kind who will wallow in wtv mood im in. And that definitely shows in my music."

Finally, aside from your debut EP, what else is next for Noe?

"I’ll definitely be playing more and more shows which im super excited for! I always call the studio mic my favorite place on Earth because im so comfortable with it. Now I look forward to calling the stage mic my favorite place on Earth! Also a dream goal is to have one of my songs placed on grey’s anatomy haha so I’ll def be pursuing that."

‘Color’ is out now.

[starglasszodiac]

SGZ Anniversary - Cassie and the Comic

The big one, the origin story!!!! And honestly one of my favourite memories to look back on. :’D I’ll be talking about both the idea itself and the evolution of Cassie’s character in what is a BEHEMOTH of a text post, so here we go!

While July 19th, 2015 is the official origin day of SGZ, it started a bit prior to that. I have this story already somewhat explained on the blog’s FAQ page, but I might as well reiterate it here:

SGZ started as an idea in the summer of 2015 after my buddy Laura showed me two webcomics: Paranatural by Zack Morrison, and Vibe by Dan Ciurczak (two comics I highly recommend, please go read them!). I loved how vibrant and beautiful their artwork was despite how different their stories were, and how wonderful the writing and humour was. My two biggest creative passions have always been visual art and writing, but ironically this was what really flicked the switch in my head to actually try comics, the literal combination of the two. Why I didn’t start sooner will forever be a mystery to me, but I suppose a lack of exposure to comics as a kid had something to do with it. Better late than never, right?

The specific launch day of July 19th is an homage to not only the creation of the idea but of the main protagonist, Cassie. After thinking “hey, I could do this!” I started wondering what I should make a comic about. While working at my retail job (on the slowest day in existence), I began to make a list of things that I liked or wanted to write a story about, and stars / astrology was one of them. I had always loved that aspect of mythology, and my affection for stars is a mystery to no one.

I worked at what was effectively a Blockbuster clone in my hometown (RIP Cherry Hill Video) and we had scrap pieces of paper that we made from old movie facings, so the first ever notes and doodles for this series exist on these scraps. I’ve still got quite a few of them, but they got a bit scattered when I moved for college. I’m hoping the rest are at my house somewhere.

I got the idea of a girl with a star in her eye, and called it the Starglass. And, well, the idea went from there! I started researching all of the zodiac signs and symbols, and drew the first (digital) drawing of Cassie when I got back home that day. Which, looked like this:

Seeing this again is not only weird and oddly nostalgic but it’s a testament to where my artistic sensibilities were prior to going to animation school. The idea for SGZ happened mere months before I was thrown into that 3-year fray of insanity so the evolution is pretty odd in places, especially how my knowledge of shape language, anatomy, etc. evolved and how my style adapted to that. I had almost NEVER drawn humans prior to going to college, so a lot of the art for this series deals with my inability to do so at the start. ^^’ The awkward phase, if you will. And as such, it is the first story idea I had that primarily focused on humans.

Looking back on it, Cassie’s character in terms of personality was pretty different than what it is now, but from a visual standpoint there’s (surprisingly) a lot that stayed. The basic idea of her hair stayed, right down to the double ponytail and orange clasps. Her freckles, eye colour and general face shape too, even if that ended up modified after solidifying her character later.

Her main colour was always red, in fact after making the headshot I remember having NO IDEA what to do for the rest of her body, so it just ended up being RED. Then I added the blue for the contrast, but I still wasn’t happy with it at the time (a perhaps subconscious origin for her blue pants though, lol). I also find amusement in the fact that my current concept for her mother Nora has her wearing blue flats much like these.

Based on the notes I have and what I remember, Cassie was older at this point (like 15 or 16 probably) and seemed to be a lot more sarcastic (this is a norm for a lot of my characters, trust me). xD Some of the first character interactions I ever wrote largely involved Cassie being sassy to one of the signs, back when a few of them were being over dramatic (looking at you SCORPIO). I cackled reading those interactions again now that my characters have changed so much. They’re not well written at all but they still let me look back to that time with fondness. :’D

What is also interesting is the progression of her name, or the fact that she didn’t have one right at the start. My earliest notes have simply Starglass or SG whenever I wrote dialogue. I started trying to think of a name, and contrary to popular belief, settling on Cassie actually had nothing to do with Cassiopeia. Though I do really enjoy the irony of that. xD It started with Cass, which could be short for either Cassandra or Cassidy, and I ended up going with Cassidy. I then changed it to Cassie, as I find the -ie suffix makes it a lot cuter. I am biased though, my name ends with it too, aha. There is a note that spells it as Cassi and for the life of me I cannot determine if that was a typo or not, but when I write fast I miss letters sometimes. The nickname of “Star” was one the table for a while too, and now that Star VS exists it’s even funnier. I specifically recall my mother telling me that she was going to suggest Star on the Facebook post I had made for the art at the time, but thought maybe it was too obvious. She was right, though this idea lives on in the nicknames that the signs end up giving Cassie later on, my favourite being “Little Star”.

While development for the story and characters started right away, it got a much welcomed jumpstart at the beginning of my second year at animation school. We were given a character design project that would span the entire year, and would require a story concept to complete all of the assignments. We were told this fact in first year to give us time to prepare over the summer, and I had just pulled an all-nighter to finish an assignment that day, but upon hearing this news I was not tired at all. Character design was already my favourite class, but this put it over the top. That beautiful feeling of inspiration that hits you is the BEST and in that moment nothing else mattered. Not even my fatigue, which I promptly dealt with the next day.

I used this as an opportunity to spend time developing the designs and story progression of all the characters, while getting marks for it at the same time! This is largely the reason I was able to launch the comic a few months after completing that year of school, as it ended up giving me full-sized references, colour schemes, and a much better idea of the story as a whole. Based on when my school years took place, I can actually track the progression of the characters pretty well through the artistic skill upgrade I was getting too.

The progression is pretty wild honestly, especially between 2015 and 2016:

(oh god these are so old help me) 

(these aren’t all of them either but I did my best jdhkfhsjkfhskjf)

From 2016 onwards I had the basic idea of her, so her colours stayed more or less the same once I actually added them. Cassie’s hair was one of the things that required a lot more iterations. I had her general idea down for a while, but when it came to making the character pack of her for my character design class, I remember having to sit down and actually figure out how her hair would work, structurally and otherwise, for that High Quality Refinement™ that was required of the project. Her older drawings had the part in her hair be in the middle, and that posed the problem of covering her eyes too much. If she was a more reserved character in any way this could have worked, but nah. I knew from the beginning she was going to be an outwardly eccentric child, one I wish I could have been when I was growing up.

Now for anyone that knows me as both a huge nerd and an artist, when it comes to fantasy stuff I LOVE armour. Absolutely love it. You see it everywhere in the things I make both inside and outside of SGZ, and I adore making themed costumes based on that (see my Feather Knights series for the most extreme example of this ever, ahahaha). So, it stands to reason that I would do the same for Cassie at some point, and I did! 

There was a particular focus on a helmet for a while too, whole plot points in fact! This helmet was, story wise, a long-standing plot point that proved difficult to change once the focus shifted. The initial idea was that the helmet belonged to Cassie’s science teacher (who is still a minor character in this as of now) and he gave it to her knowing its significance to the Starglass, thus establishing a sort of connection between Cassie’s normal life on Earth and the supernatural shenanigans that happen on the Astral Plane. The night she brings it home, she discovers that this little friend laid dormant inside:

This is Flicker. A character I’ve actually never revealed to anyone prior to now but hey, why not? The idea of Cassie having a spirit companion certainly didn’t come out of left field for me, but I wasn’t entirely sure how this character would appear, or what dynamic they would have with Cassie. I didn’t have pets bigger than a hamster growing up, so the idea of Cassie having a potential dog or cat companion would be new territory based on my own experiences. 

Flicker, as they are right now, acts as a sort of sensor for spirits that are roaming loose on Earth, and alerts Cassie to them... even if she’s not always up for a spirit hunt. They do have a backstory associated with how they appear and what their purpose is in the overall context of the world, but that isn’t revealed until much later in the story. For now Flicker is a cute little friend that cannot say much, but is devoted to protecting things, especially the Starglass. Luckily they still made the cut when it came to the helmet idea, and you should be meeting them officially pretty soon in the comic! :D

While the initial problem was getting any sort of cohesive look to the helmet or any other armour in terms of concept, I found as the story developed along with Cassie’s design, both her hair and her star sweater ended up being her two most “iconic” qualities aside from her eye, and using armour would have covered that up. 

On top of that, Cassie didn’t really end up being the type of character that would use armour, as one might expect from a character that has to fight and defend things a lot. She’s one to do things a little differently, and both her and the signs discover that, well, different works! It wasn’t a matter of her physical strength for the majority of the problems she faces, but rather strength of heart, and that’s a very personal note for me to touch on with this character. As such, nothing about an armour concept ever came out of the sketch phase:

It still makes for really interesting ideas though, so I’m sure I can work these into something else I’m working on. :’D Knowing myself, I’ll find a way. (The wings are VERY Cardcaptors though lol)

What did stay, however, were her swords:

She had at least one sword at the very beginning of this concept, but it eventually evolved into two. I find it interesting that sun, moon and star symbols were always present, regardless of what iteration these swords went through. Their official names are the Sun Star and Moon Star Swords respectively. Aside from the few doodles here and there for the zodiac weapons, this was the first appearance of any kind of fantasy weapon in SGZ. I can confirm that Cassie and the signs were going to have weapons from the get-go though, this IS something I made after all. xD

I think I also need to mention the main influences for this series, as the love for those things is very evident in my work, from the visuals to the storytelling and everything in between. Aside from my general interest in fantasy topics such as mythology and astrology, here’s a list including (but not limited to) the series that inspired the making of SGZ:

Kirby, Steven Universe, Harry Potter, Avatar: The Last Airbender & The Legend of Korra, Cardcaptor Sakura / Cardcaptors, Kim Possible, Danny Phantom, and pretty much any other show I’ve watched about surviving school while going on crazy adventures. That stuff may be cliche now but I’ll be damned if I don’t love it still.

I grew up with some of these and the rest are new, but they’re all near and dear to my heart for many reasons. I’m happy that I can put that love into something I’ve made, and share that story with the world. 

I know I’ve got a lot more ranting about this story to do in general and the comic is still going, but I want to say some special thanks to some of SGZ’s biggest supporters: 

Laura, Eleanor, and my classmates and teachers at Seneca College. This comic wouldn’t exist without you. <3

I’ll be honest, working on this series got me through some of the toughest years of my life so far, and this was one of the first times where something I made actually came to fruition in some way, and had a genuine development period that I can look back on. I’ve grown a lot as both a person and an artist since then, and doing this look back in time really solidified that for me. I have a cast of characters that I love, and now I get to tell their story. So if you’ve stayed till the end in this gigantic post, thank you. I don’t know where this story will lead me, but with any luck it’ll be somewhere in the stars. Thanks for reading, friends. <3

[kotorcomics]

Doki Doki Literature Club: Exclusive Interview with Character Artist Satchely

Hey! This is a longer post, as we have an exclusive interview for you! Satchely, the artist who drew the character art for Doki Doki Literature Club, was kind enough to give us an interview where she talked about her influences and her journey as an artist. Hopefully there’s something in here that you’ll enjoy!

Q: What makes you want to create art? What influences led you to start drawing?

A: My first influences were digimon/pokemon as a young kid. I started drawing the creatures in those to create my own worlds. Then I would basically just sit in my room and play out stories with my own art. Which kinda leads back to present time where other people use my art to tell stories.

What keeps me going now is my love for any and all art out there. Be it anime/architecture/fashion/games or graphic design. I take inspiration from all of those.

Art is a huge part of my life and I see myself creating it until I'm not able to do so anymore.

Also, striving to make better art and seeing it being rewarded is the best feeling. Those rewards could be just simply likes on Twitter or people telling me my art inspires them to become better themselves.

It's fulfilling to create something from nothing and see it coming alive.

Studio Ghibli is [an influence, and also] the art for visual novels and games in general to me. (Gayarou/Kantoku for visual novels and Akihiko Yoshida/Shigenori Soejima for other games).

Q: Where does your art style come from? What do you like about drawing in this style?

A: My art style comes from the moe art-style you see in lots of anime and japanese visual novels/games. Often times it's being used for sexual themed media, so I think it's great that DDLC didn't follow this trend. I hope more creators out there will realize that you don't need sexually explicit content when making an anime styled game.

What I like about this style is that it's very cleanly/precisely drawn and obviously cute. It's easy to show a wide range of emotions, because the most apparent trait of it are the big expressive eyes.

I also don't like to limit myself to just one style. I experiment with different genres that are not anime. I believe this helps me become a better artist who can also adapt to different media/clients.

Q: You describe yourself as a self-taught artist. What did that involve? 

A: Being a self-taught artist is easier than ever with the internet. There's a ton of free tutorials/references out there that helped me become better. Besides this, I surround myself with art everyday so I develop a better eye for what looks good and what doesn't. I also learned that real life is the best teacher. If there's something I don't know how to draw, I turn to real life and that solves the problem most of the time for me. I feel like a lot of beginner artists don't do that and shy away from using references.

Q: What was it like when you started doing commissions on DeviantArt? How did you build your following online?

A: When I first started offering commissions I was scared that nobody would want my art. At first that was the case but over time and with me putting more of my art out there, the number of commissions I received slowly increased. Also, I was scared to increase my prices but the better I got, the more confidence I had in my work.

I think artists shouldn't undervalue their work and not have to work below minimum wage, even though that is sadly often times the case. It would be better for the whole of the industry if people valued their work higher.

I built my following slowly over time by just uploading my art to DeviantArt. Uploading it also to social media like Twitter helped even more.

Because of DDLC I had a huge influx of new followers and it's incredible to me how impactful games can be!

Q: What led you to studying art at college? What do you feel you've learned from your studies?

A: I went to an art focused high school and initially I wanted to continue by studying medicine. After much research and soul searching I've decided to follow my true passion (art and design), so that's what led me here.

My high school focused on traditional art and not on design. I really didn't like that they didn't appreciate digitally drawn art, so I had to do everything on paper. I still learned a lot, but my heart lies with the digital medium.

I've now been studying design at college for half a year. I had to go through entrance exams and submit a 30 piece portfolio, which was a big challenge for me. I had to step out of my comfort zone and draw things that weren't in my usual style, but in the end it taught me a lot of things that helped make my regular art better.

My college portfolio had no anime in it. It was western cartoon styled illustrations and realistically drawn portraits.

I was scared of the bad stigma around cute anime art and that the college professors wouldn't take me seriously because of it. Also I just wanted to step out of my comfort zone and try new things.

The first semester at design college consisted of many different subjects like film & animation, graphic design, illustration, product design and many more. Out of those I chose graphic design, typography and interactive design as my focus for the coming years. I'm excited to learn things I know next to nothing about! Of course I will also continue working on games and other things.

Q: What was it like working with Dan Salvato on DDLC? I know he gave your source materials to inspire your work, so what was that like?

A: Working with Dan was fun and I liked that his vision for the game was very clear. It made my life as the character artist a whole lot easier instead of having to guess what he might like to see.

While I was working on DDLC I was close to graduating high school, so often times my studies had to be prioritized over drawing. It was great that he understood that and was patient with me.

There were a few reference pictures of the characters that existed before I started drawing them. After that, he just sent me random references of poses/clothes etc that really helped me.

Q: What was the biggest challenge you faced working on the game? How did you overcome it?

A: The biggest challenge was probably the process of slowly becoming a better artist. Before DDLC I shied away from drawing full size characters because I had trouble drawing legs/hands or scenes. When I started facing these challenges I slowly became better.

Like mentioned above having references is a huge help. Also mirroring the canvas all the time makes mistakes in your pictures stand out a lot more. After a while you just need a fresh eye on your drawing because you become blind to your own mistakes.

When I look at my drawings that are even just a few days old I suddenly see it in a completely different light and I wonder how those mistakes weren't visible to me before.

Q: What has the fan reaction to the game been like for you?

A: I'm still really surprised by the huge reaction this game has had. Neither I nor Dan expected this at all. At first I thought maybe a few hundred people would write reviews for it on Steam, but to see it climbing towards 100k now is just incredible to me.

Also it's just surreal to me that millions of people saw my art. With that comes a lot of critique and often times I can agree with it. The most common ones are probably that the anatomy is wrong in places. Like I said before, your own mistakes are kind of invisible to you until you take a step back.

But the positive feedback I get on my art has been the majority and I couldn't be more thankful and happy for that! It really means a lot to me to see people appreciating my work.

Overall, I think the community built around this game has been fantastic so far, especially on Reddit. Now and then I go there and laugh at all the creative memes/jokes people make or be impressed by all the fanart.

Q: If you were telling your own story, what would be the lesson or the moral for people to learn from it?

A: When I create my own story, I would want it to show that there's beauty in the little things, that you can find happiness/inspiration anywhere and that life is too short to waste it on things that make you unhappy.

I would want the characters to grow and get past their fears, accomplishing the things they love.

[wisestudentninja]

June 2018 Featured Creator

What is a Featured Creator?

Write Way Studio’s “Featured Creator” segment is my way of showing appreciation for the creators of the world.  Creative outlets are limitless, because there is no end to human imagination.  Every month shows the succeeding featured creator.  If you would like to be a part of this collaborative project, contact me at studiowriteway@gmail.com!

  My ninth guest creator is the artist known as PonPox!

Introduction

Known on the Internet by their username PonPox, they also go by Pon!  They are twenty-four years old with their birthday landing on March 16th.  Their astrological sign is the Pisces, better known as the twin fishes!  They have earned a bachelor’s degree in video game design with a focus on 3D art.  At the moment, they are part of an internship with a mobile game company as a 3D/2D artist for a vocational university.

Although they are a 2D artist at heart with both traditional and digital media, PonPox also works with 3D.  They create fan-art for a variety of fan-doms they are currently interested in.  When they have spare time, they adore experimenting with digital art.  With the digital come the opportunities with colored pieces and more advanced work.  In comparison to traditional work, digital has become so much easier because of Ctrl+Z and able to freely move pieces around as desired.  Programs like Photoshop and SAI help them practice even more with all artistic elements and experimentations.

However, because of their current schedule, most of their creative drawing time occurs on their commute to and from work, an estimated three hours per weekday, and lunch breaks.  In concerns to the consequence of the impending time crunch, they elaborated that their artwork was bits of “messy sketches, cleaner lead drawings and sometimes inked pieces.”  The minimum of their supplies are sketchbooks, mechanical pencil, and an eraser.  At the moment, they possess an interest in coloring, so they also bring along color pencils in order to satisfy the urge.

The most common subject matter for them is fan-art.  Original pieces are a close second, particularly folklore and fantasy creatures.  Fauns, harpies, centaurs and Scandinavian-styled trolls name only a few.  They like to place them into a modern setting with creative narratives attached.  The chronicles even develop into full blown backstories during their commutes.  The ideas may even develop into something more in the future.  But right now?  They are just ramblings to them.

What Sparked the Creator Passion?

How It All Started

They started drawing around the same time as everyone else would, in kindergarten.  The only difference is that they did not want to stop.  They admitted that a huge artistic milestone for them had been the introduction of manga and anime into their lives.  They were about nine or ten when they first started reading manga.  They later would try to mimic the manga styles they encountered.

All about the Art

The Epiphany

PonPox recalled some sort of news coverage a couple years after they had been introduced to the world of manga.  The topic of discussion?  “How to draw manga” tutorials, of all things!  They then remembered paying very close attention to the instructions the news provided.  A new development occurred to them from the experience that never registered before, that “you can learn techniques to draw better.”

Their parents later gifted them with a “how to draw manga” book that actually managed to do a decent job in jumpstarting their journey as an artist.  They learned so much in a short time as well as lucked out with the book being one of the decent tutorial texts.  It provided a bit of everything for artists, from color wheels, basic anatomy, and even shading rules.  It even shared multiple drawing styles and artists, revealing how manga is just one kind of style that happened to originate in Japan.

Manga and Anime

Manga and anime continue to be PonPox’s biggest inspirations.  It’s the main reason they started to focus on their art more versus simply aimlessly drawing.  However, a clarification is in order:  they are not a manga artist.  The term implies that the artist is creating manga in Japan and they definitely do not like being labeled with that assumption.

Experimentation

Fantasy and folklore creatures interest them since the beings can freely break away from the norm.  People-watching heightens their creativity and curiosity.  Humans fascinate them so, just like the creatures.  They began to tinker with various body modifications, from body hair, wrinkles, body fat, muscles and body types as a whole.  Part of the experimenting is due to them trying to escape from the typical anime/manga body imagery.  For the mythical creatures, they feel that “you can bend the rules more . . . [since] their beauty standards and physiques can be very different than what humans are used to.”

Future Projects

At the moment, there is no definite answer.  PonPox does know, however, that they will never stop drawing.  They sometimes works with their girlfriend on comics of an AU (alternate universe) for the character Leorio from the anime series Hunter x Hunter on a side-blog.  They are always creating more art for their blog, though!

There may be the possibility of prints, keychains, and other products (that is the hope anyway).  They are simply creating art and completing commissions at the present time.

Where to Find You? Support You?

PonPox is available on the Interwebs, from looking at their artwork to business purposes.  To satisfy your curiosity, look at the information provided below!

  Two sides of Tumblr house their art!

Main Art Blog

Side-Blog (that also focuses on art)

Portfolio for their 3-D work!

Support their work or even request a commission!

Ko-fi

Commission Details

Last Tidbits

As crazy as it may sound, PonPox had no clue narwhals were real animals!  Somewhere they heard about narwals being the unicorns of the sea and it just stuck.  It wasn’t until they were about thirteen or fourteen that they stumbled upon a photograph of one.  It completely blew their mind!  To this day, they still think narwhals are “some of the most magical creatures out there.”

Important Notice

Please understand that some information will not be shared by the creator’s request.  If you cannot understand that, there is not much more I can do to help you.  Safety is a top priority here, and I am here to help the creators, not instigate negative behavior.

Collaboration Disclaimer

The information provided in my Featured Creator articles is, in fact, from the real people, not some random Internet bot.  I do not use random stock photos to fill an imaginary photo quota.  Any photos in the Featured Creator segment are provided by the creators with permission to use them in this manner.  I want to support the original person behind the work, not a random online copycat creeping around.

To PonPox,

Even though we could not work on this as much as I would like, I hope you enjoyed the collaboration as much as I did!  I know that it was hard to consistently connect for the collaboration, especially when some unavoidable occurrences happened on my end and you having work as well.  It was definitely not easy and I cannot apologize enough for my lack of professionalism when the situations continued to arise.  It also provided me with a painful reminder of the unfortunate reality my technology presents me (since I had to rig it so much just so we could work on the rough drafts – long story!)

We beat the odds!  This finished product you’re reading right now is proof of that!

I appreciate this opportunity you gave me and hope we can work together again soon!  As crazy as it may sound, you are the first person on Tumblr I have actually asked to work with me (and answered back!)  I love your unique art style and quirky personality.  You are one of the people I look up to, especially when it comes to art.  Until next time, I wish you the best of luck!

Sincerely,

Jasmine Love

{Write Way Studio creator and blogger}

MLA Citation (8th edition)

PonPox.  Personal E-mail Interview by Jasmine Love. June 2018 Featured Creator Collaboration, 20 May – 5 June 2018.

[gearlic]

artist appreciation !

my art style has developed so much in 2017, and there are so many artists who have influenced my style greatly, especially tf2 artists !! I owe so much to them ,, i want to make a post including as many of the wonderful tf2 artists i follow that have been the biggest inspirations to me this past year, so here it goes:

@astral-glass (aaa ur so nice+encouraging ! seeker inspired me to make a tenth class of my own and im so very grateful,, ur art is so soft and, “passionate” in a sense,, like, ur art gives off such positive vibes i love it) 

@longliveteufort (youve got such an expressive+energetic style !! it pushed me to start ~broadening my abilities~ ,, and ur tags are so so kind :’>>)

@tomiyeee (ive followed u for a long while, and it was ur art that actually introduced me to tf2 ! its become my life now ahaha, and i owe so much to u for it)

@thatsoneginger (ok ok i HAVE to include u in this, cause ur tf2 fanfics brought me even closer to the fandom, not to mention how absolutely incredible ur writing is !!! MBD is a masterpiece *chef hand kiss*)

@wachtelspinat (HHH ur art is such an inspiration to me, and ur sniperspy content is so life-giving. i began drifting away from same-face by studying ur art)

@tf2humbug (2 words: Expressions and Anatomy!! 3 words, kinda but gosh, ive learned so much abt it from ur art ! especially drawing people from angles o geez)

@charlattf2/ @charlattes (mk i am in LOVE w ur sniperspy content, every now and then ill browse through and get inspiration from it aaaa )

@kredous (ur colors are so bold + set such a strong mood :O ur arts so fun to look at, the sense of space and fabric/wrinkles are incredibly powerful)

@missjamiekaye (i have your commissioned pieces hanging in front of my computer, and whenever im struggling w my art i look at them for encouragement. ur drawings greatly influenced the way i draw faces !)

@matchrun (ur art is so soft and warm and textured !! i love ur gestures and the vibe ur art gives off, its driven me to going for a warmer feel to my style :^o )

theres so many ive missed, but if i follow u, you’ve been a great inspiration to me! not just those ive followed, but anyone who has contributed your creativity to this community. i enjoy looking at all the content the tf2 fandom has created !! and theres so many people who love this game as much as i do <333 thank u all so much for loving this silly game

[kiserusmoke]

dude what would the meme team™ (the bidders) be like with an mc who rescues animals (pshh what this totally isn't based off me what (i say as i sit with my 12 rescues))

LukThe meme team is their new squad name. Thank you for the ask bby. The rest are under the cut since they’re rather long!

Eisuke

Scoffs at the idea to keep up appearance, but inside he’s like “holyshitholyshitholyshitILOVEANIMALS”. Of course when MC brings yet another animal home, Eisuke acts disinterested. When MC isn’t looking, Eisuke is stealthily reaching for a toy and trying to play with them. With his shitty luck regarding animals, Eisuke will probably walk out of the living room with his hand covered in scratches and tuffs of fur stuck to his suit. MC pretends to ignore the sound of yowling and barking she heard only moments before. This poor bastard. 

“Tch, I told you keeping animals in the Penthouse was foolish”

Soryu

He acts slightly miffed at first, but this big softy secretly finds MC’s passion endearing. Soryu is used to chaos with Thing 1 and Thing 2 (Inui and Samejima), so having dogs and cats run around his penthouse or the Ice Dragon headquarters is no skin off his nose. This mobster is impressed to see MC control even the biggest dogs with a simple command. Though he finds it hard to admit, Soryu is partial to the dark-colored tabby that rubs against his desk while he’s filling out paperwork. 

“I wouldn’t mind keeping this one, if you’re okay with it”

Baba

Loves animals!! Just don’t scratch his face, please. Baba is practically fawning over MC when he sees her rescue an animal off the street. He thinks MC is an animal whisperer, and he has no problem with changing the course of their date if she finds a cat stuck in a tree. In fact, Baba is willing to help you on the regular! MC even teaches Baba her techniques, such as how to soothe an anxious dog or coax a kitten out of it’s hiding place.

“You really are an angel, MC!”

Ota

Oh boy, this gives Ota even more reason to refer to MC as Koro, but I disgress. Since it’s obvious that this artist loves dogs, he’s eager to support MC’s passion. Ota is the first one to go out and buy pet supplies and beds to scatter around the Penthouse. He takes a little time to warm up to other animals, but MC soon finds him talking to the hamsters as he feeds them, or lounging on the couch with a cat curled up on his lap.

“Maybe you can talk to animals after all, Koro!”

Mamoru

MC could practically see Mamoru’s eyes roll back into his skull when she told her what she does in her spare time. “What a pain” he groans, but makes no major protest when she brings home a puppy with a broken leg. She knows Mamoru is won over when she wakes up to find him sitting cross-legged on the kitchen floor, talking to the puppy as he hobbles around. He’s too stubborn to admit it, but he’s grown a real liking to the one dog in particular.

“You really must be a kid if you keep rescuin’ every damn animal you see!”

Luke

Oh my God, MC has found the way to his heart. His eyes light up when she tells him, and he eagerly asks her when she can start bringing the animals over. Luke is overjoyed when MC brings over a litter of kittens, and he abandons all work that day to play with them. In his spare time, Luke reads up on animal anatomy so he can provide medical attention for the wounded animals MC occasionally brings home. MC’s heart almost melts when Luke insists on cleaning the crusty eyes and nose of a kitten she found in the rain. 

“MC, you did good rescuing this little kitten”

Shuichi

Shuichi doesn’t see why MC is so worried about animals that don’t even belong to her, but he entertains the idea for her sake. He immediately regrets it when he comes home and sees just how much these things shed. Still trying to keep the peace, Shuichi only mutters complaints as he lint-rolls the furniture. MC assumes she can’t stand animals, until driving home after a date turns into Shuichi getting out of his car and grabbing a dog that ran out into the street. 

“I knew you’d never let me live it down if I just let it get away”

Hikaru

This dude acts annoyed at first, but he secretly loves playing with the high-energy dogs. Hikaru is the first one to suggest taking like,10 dogs to the park with only one Frisbee. MC is glad to take him up on his offer, and Hikaru becomes the official dog walker for the endless amount of pups that MC brings home. He’s also the kind of person that cries when he sees a cute baby animal, so he’s choking back tears when MC asks him to help bottle feed the newborn kittens.

“It’s not like I think they’re cute or anything. Shut up”

Rhion

If it was possible for one of the Bidders to love animals as much as MC, it would be Rhion. He’s practically vibrating out of his seat with excitement while he waits for MC to bring the animals over. Rhion makes a point to introduce Cheshire to every animal, making sure they at least sniff each other. He’s too excited to sleep the first few nights, so MC will find him sitting in a chair with a dozen or so animals sitting patiently at his feet as he reads them a story. 

“Do you think all the animals would like it if I gave them nicknames?”

[artstarstv]

An Interview with Christina Son of Sugarin Studio

Christina Son is a beauty artist from Toronto who founded Sugarin Studio now living in Los Angeles.  After getting a chance client who works in the movie business in 2013, she started doing eyelashes for Hollywood celebrities. Her clients range from the rapper Eve to Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger actress Ally Maki and Grey’s Anatomy star, Sarah Drew. She has been written about in Entertainment Tonight, which has called her one of the best cosmetic artists in the business, and has been called a lash specialist by Popsugar.

Son is the go-to expert to help spot trends in the industry, like ombré shading, which gives a softer eyebrow look, lash extensions and lash lift. Today, Son not only specializes in lashes, but microblading and cosmetic tattoos in Los Angeles. For her 5th anniversary of starting her business, she spoke to us about the art of the eyelash, how Instagram has helped and why trust is key.

Why did you decide to relocate from Toronto to LA?

Christina Son: As much as I love Toronto, I wanted more diverse opportunities in my field. Beauty industry is more saturated in LA and I wanted to explore. It's a very diverse place with many great talents from all over the world.  

How did you first get into doing lashes in LA? 

I was very fortunate and did lashes for a prestigious movie producer and she loved my work. From there, I started to get inquiries from other great talents in the industry and my career took off from there. 

When you started in 2013, lashes weren't as prominent as they are in beauty culture. When did you see their shift into the spotlight? 

I believe the social media platform played a big role as it is global. People can easily find the newest beauty trend. On Instagram, everything is visual. You may see people wearing lashes and artists sharing their lash work. People get intrigued, curious and want to know more.    

How can you determine what lashes are a perfect fit for each person, is it about their face shape, their personality, their on-screen persona? 

My clients usually know what they want. Majority of my clients are quite natural and prefer the "untouched" look. If they are unsure, I would ask them if they are looking for more of a natural appearance or something more glamorous and the purpose of getting lashes. If it's for a red carpet/on-screen role, the questions would go deeper to find more information regarding same. Then I would assess their own lashes such as health, thickness, length. Understanding their daily beauty regime also help to determine the style and technique.

What has it been like working with celebrity clientele such as Noureen Dewulf, Whitney Port, Jodie Sweetin, Sarah Drew among others? 

I am very fortunate to have this kind of opportunity. I'm more fortunate to work with such wonderful people. It's very exciting to hear about their projects and work. For them to have my work be part of theirs is a great privilege. I recently did lashes for Ally Maki's press tour for Toy Story 4. This was a lot of fun and exciting as Toy Story is one of my favorite movies.  

I saw on Instagram that you've worked with the rapper Eve, what is she like to work with?

Eve is simply wonderful. I really enjoy working with her. She is incredibly sweet and down to earth. She is very natural and prefers the natural look when it comes to her lashes. I'm also obsessed with her dog, haha. 

Is the 'lash lift' procedure still new to some people?

Absolutely. This is currently one of the biggest beauty trends however there's still some people who have never heard of lash lift. They are curious about what exactly entails in the service, and my most asked questions are how long it lasts and if it's damaging to the lashes. This is a fantastic alternative to eyelash extensions as it is very low maintenance. Lash lift was Google's most popular beauty searches of 2018. Special thanks to my client who has posted in social media several times, she was contacted by Google to let her know about this information and that she was the closest person associated with this trend.  

What are some of the pros and cons of lash extensions?

Eyelash extensions are fantastic for those who are willing to take care of them. It really transforms the eyes and women love them, whether they are natural or prefer more of a glamorous look. It saves a lot of time from beauty regimen and most women do not wear any makeup once they have their eyelash extensions. It makes a person look wide awake and rejuvenated. Unfortunately lash extensions is not for everyone. It is high maintenance and gentle care is much needed. If they are rough with their lashes, they can easily lose their own lashes or the extensions may shed very quickly. It is also very costly and quickly adds up as a refills and touch ups are needed in order to maintain the lashes.  

How did you get into brows?

I wanted to explore further in the cosmetic artistry industry. I have a passion to help people boost their confidence and self-esteem. Lashes and brows go hand-in-hand so I wanted to learn natural-looking permanent makeup. I enjoy working patiently and meticulously. Microblading brows also gives me the freedom to explore my artistic abilities by designing and customizing everyone’s brows according to their desire and needs. The transformation is very rewarding especially for clients who have suffered hair loss from cancer and alopecia.

What mistakes do you see in microblading today? 

Not enough research and improper training. Microblading artistry is a journey. It is not a skill that you can develop overnight. It takes patience, commitment, skills and experience to be able to draw, create your own unique patterns, understanding pressure and technique so you're not damaging the skin. Unfortunately, there's many facilities offering training holding a large number of students in class with lack of supervision during live model work. You need to be able to trust your artist. My recommendation is to invest some time in doing research and ask questions whether you are looking to get microblading or seeking training to become a microblading artist.    

How is ombré shading different than microblading?

Ombre Shading is the newest trend in permanent makeup. Both the style and technique are different than microblading. Ombre Shading is performed with a machine whereas microblading is done with a manual pen. The beauty of Ombre Shading is that it works on all skin types unlike microblading. It is also versatile as it can be mixed together with microblading technique to give texture, density and definition. Ombre Shading gives a soft cosmetic penciled look. Once healed, it looks very natural. Microblading is creating and mimicking natural hair strokes not a solid cosmetic look. Both techniques are wonderful depending on the person's skin, lifestyle and other factors. 

What keeps you going as an entrepreneur?

I have always been driven to have my own business since I was 13 years old. When I was in school, I was constantly thinking about the possibilities of having a success business. It has also been my goal to retire my parents so that keeps me going. They have sacrificed greatly for my brother and I. One day I would like to retire them so they can just enjoy life to the fullest.    

Is working with celebs the same as your regular clients?

Yes, it is, to some degree. If they're very highly profiled clients (unfortunately I'm not able to disclose their names) the appointment arrangements are a bit different as they prefer to keep everything strictly confidential.

Check out Christina Son’s company Sugarin Studio on Instagram and her website here.