#those updates are both fun and extremely NOT FUN to draw

[pushing500]

Ohhhh my goodness, I got all teary-eyed at the update. I hadn't seen the update, just the ask which followed it, and my heart sank so fast. Oh, the poor boys. I'm glad they're okay—and that they might be pleased to get more bionic—but ohhhhh my goodness. Thank the stars they survived. If Kwahu had died, I would have rioted, I think. Thanks for drawing these and sharing them! They're incredible!

Oh, yes, I imagine it would have been a bit stressful seeing that ask before you saw the update!! Sorry about that. The boys are both doing well now. They are patched up and going on with life as best they can with their lost limbs.

You're not the only person who would riot if Kwahu died, I don't think. I certainly wouldn't be happy, and Mechi would be devastated. He's finally found someone he cares about as much as Yamka, and I think losing Kwahu would hit him just as hard as if he'd lost her (and vice-versa).

Yamka would be happy to see that she isn't the only sibling Mechi Is ride-or-die for anymore, though. The Jones siblings are a close-knit bunch, be they biological or void-born. I'm glad we got Kwahu, and I'm glad he's still here. He's a delight. <3

[askuemki]

So I have no idea if I’ll keep this post up, but…

A little rant abt re8?? (And cod.. kinda) maybe venting (just a mess :,)

Disclaimer, take my opinions with a grain of salt I just wanna ramble lmao

Also spoilers, maybe (update, definitely)

So I’ve been having fun dipping my toes into Donna Beneviento (god her last name is hard to spell) content. After watching the gameplays and to at least have a basic understanding for the game, I find myself really drawn to her, maybe more than Alcina tbh

By no means i’m a diehard fan or anything, recently it’s been hard to find a new fandom to get attached towards. As much as I adore cod, there isnt really much to get attached too… like sure, task 141 is a fun group and the there is some GREAT art about the ships- but I only got attached because of Valeria, I won’t deny it at all. I’m a diehard lesbian, but there isn’t really much cannon content of her?? It’s really damn disappointing sometimes, man… same with Laswell. I appreciate all of the fanartists out there though, I adore all of the content here, fanfics or fan art. With Farah, she’s a diffrent story.. personally I never really got attached to her, but as a character she’s pretty neat. Her story sort of brings to light the horrors happening today which is a bit of a benefit…?? But ever since I found out things about both Valeria’s and Farah’s actors I’ve been a little off about things here and there. I don’t think I’ll stop posting Valeria content at all, it just might be a little less offen to indulge in different things.

Some personal things have been happening to make me feel really disconnected from like.. fucking everything for some reason?? Like I’m drifting away from fandoms, I’m drifting away from people and I’m like alone again.. I’m lost in a damn dumpster fire. AI art doesn’t help with this at all.. like why do I draw?? I’ve been drawing since I was in kindergarten like I never really thought of the specifics of perusing art, more or so just that I want to. Like hey, I wanna make a game or movie series, and something in me doesn’t realize I need to put in the effort to learn shit with just ends up in me doing nothing but self pitting on something I can change and ugh.. wish I can slap myself to get out of it.

So I think I’ve been kind of finding myself relating to Donna. Not in her extreme way, more or so just her aspect of being isolated, and just being known primarily for one thing. Like.. our side of art? Damn. Shit. I think I’m worth nothing.. and with Donna we don’t really know much about her besides her being a cursed Dollmaker, and the bare bones of her past. And we both barely fucking speak man… both hide our faces too !! maybe I kin this woman or something I don’t know

But as I was looking through her tumblr tag, I saw a rant about how headcannons and stuff has been stripping away the interesting stuff about the re8 villains… and with the things I’ve seen so far?? I can kinda agree, honestly.

Don’t get me wrong, if it’s not too.. insane? (I know those boundaries are hard to define at times, but maybe REALLY immoral shit for our “normal” world) and people aren’t forcing these headcannons into other people? I don’t mind headcannons. You do you, boo!

But the fan content I’ve seen, people reduce Donna and Alcina (I’m surprised it was pronounced as AlCHIna and not AlSIna, but side tangent over) from the potential they really have. Yeah it’s definitely nice to see Donna more, especially in those intimate moments.. but sometimes I feel like people just depict her as some shy, easily gullible, girl, and not really the mentally deprived woman she is. Like I’d love to see ideas of the different dolls Donna could create, or unique imagery of her mental state outside of having porcelain skin. What about the kinds of plants she takes care of? Or the dolls she makes? I’d love to see more of it, whether she has favorites, or if it’s a situation where she has doll replicas of her deceased family. Man, I really wanna see Donna do more creepy shit, basically.

With Alcina however? She’s kind of reduced to that (I’m going to cringe at these words so terribly, god help me) “hot vampire mommy”.. I’ll take fault for not looking into her content as much, I’m sure there’s great content out there !! (I’m not sure if anyone would do this but.. feel free to send me any fic recommendations or art) With what I want to see for her? I’ve heard from the rant post as a man-hating woman she had primarily female statues in her castle, it would be fun to see what else she has cause of this worldview, as well as more whitty remarks from her; I really enjoy her throwback with Heisenberg. Just in general.. her being a comical villain.

Okay so, the reason why I made this post in the first place before all of this shit threw up from my brain. Belladonna. At first, this ship really interested me, I like the character dynamics, the art was neat. But then something came up in my mind.. (as well as another rant post on the ship..) isn’t the Dimitrescu bloodline related with Donna? Both are failed experiments from Mother Miranda, and technically adopted by her. Though from what I know, Donna is the only one officially adopted. So would that be family..? I’ve seen a few places where Alcina called Donna her sister, and it makes me feel really off.

And I’ve seen in a few fanarts, Donna technically older than the Dimitrescu sisters posed next to them like another sibling??

I would like to endorse the ship, but just the morality of everything is off centered for me. I rather not support weird incest…

So please if people could maybe clarify for me whether it would technically be okay for support this ship.. I’d appreciate it. If it isn’t okay, I have plans on making a fan character anyways, or I can take current characters and make a resident evil au or something, and ship them when Donna. (I have a character that honestly looks like a mix of Alcina and Bela, but by no means she’s relates to the franchise, lmao)

By no means I’m experienced in resident evil lore or the fandom, this is just coming from a newer fan of the series, and what I’ve seen so far.

If you read all of this.. thank you?? I apologize if I sound ridiculous here, this is like the only place I can rant abt things without being brushed off for other shit

Good night now!!! I need to stop pushing my sleep boundaries ugh

[reredram]

Introduction post (Updated)

Hello, and welcome to my blog!

Open up to read more info about it.

About me

My name is Ram, you can also call me Re, Dram or Rered. I use He\Him pronounce, but don't mind any pronounce at all. I'm pansexual agender and happily taken .3

I'm 22 years old artist, but I also really like voice acting and cooking. My other interests are video games and dragons in any shape and form. I live in Russia, so I can speak on 2 languages.

About my stuff

I draw various stuff, mostly furries, monsters, dragons, and fandom stuff! Currently as this post being created, I dived deep into Rain World fandom, so most of the stuff you'll see here is RW related.

!Content Warning!

I may keep this blog sfw, but I DO draw violent stuff from time to time, such as:

Gore

Violence

Blood

Physical and mental manipulation

Horror stuff

Unnerving images

I usually put respective TWs and CWs before the post, but please, watch those only if you're sure you'll handle such. I don't say that I'm ace in drawing that, but my standarts of if it's traumatizing or not are more hardcore, since I'm more mature and traumatized myself.

Interactions

Gonna point it out so there won't be any questions.

I do allow

✓ Art interactions, such as art trades, art gifts, character interacrions and other fun stuff. I honestly like those, and could overreact if you draw me some sort of gift, bc I'm not used to it. But that's okay!

✓ Text interactions like dms and asks. Gonna clarify 2 things about it:

1. I don't mind speaking with ppl, but I do have anxiety. If you want to chat, please don't just say "hi" and void, state your point and ask away. I don't bite, but I can run away bc of my sociophobia, lol

2. If you're under 18, you're still allowed to dm me, BUT keep it NSFW free, for both yours and my safety, okay? Some of my friends are minors, and I don't mind speaking with such, but again, keeping everything clear.

✓ Collabs. If you suddenly want me for some project, like drawing something or voicing a character, don't be afraid to ask me out for it!

Extra note on my reposts. I rarely do that, since I want this blog focused on my stuff, but if I do repost some stuff, consider yourself lucky. I do it only for 2 reasons:

1. You're my bestie or a good friend and I want to support your creativity <3

2. Your stuff hit me right in the spot and I count it as extremely cool!

I don't allow

✘ NSFW in any other shape that wasn't mentioned before, that includes any kind of sexual content. I want to stay SFW artist as long as I can, I know I can easily draw furry NSFW due having needed skills, being adult and living separate from parents, but I don't want to resort to it.

✘ Ask box spam. Call me cold hearted, but I don't care about your problems. Life sucks for all of us, some more, some less, we all struggling here and I'm not paid for caring about your problems. Adapt and thrive, or die trying. Such messages will be deleted, and sender will be blocked and reported.

✘ Art thieft. I may not put signatures on most of my art because I couldn't care less, but I won't appretiate if you're steal my art and call it yours. If you like my style, or how I draw something, you can always dm me about it, you can copy my drawings for study or use it as reference. If you do so, please don't forget to mention me as inspiration or something like that, I'll greatly appretiate it.

Stuff I'm currently working on

Rain World AUs

The Frostrot - one of my biggest projects so far. I'm a co-owner of the au, original creator is @dvepalki, a good friend of mine. I'm helping him out with storyline, worldbuilding, slugcat(and other animals in general) designs, and some iterators designs! Whole plot revolves around the idea of dystopia and iterators mostly going off-string and creating own countries, with more evolved, aka anthro, scugs and scavs as citizens, after Ancients mysteriously perish. #the frostrot - main tag for this au, all the content for it could be found here Dreamscape - my personal main AU, that's based mostly on my mental shit, like sleeping patterns, traumas and ext. Currently being actively developed. Instead of seeking a way to get out of The Cycle, Ancients wanted to achieve any kind of immortality, and that's how Dreamscape was created, a wast digital mainframe, that could give you digital immortality. Iterators taking care of their creators, divided in local servers of Dreamscape. At some point, from unfortunate event, Sliver of Straw dies, and Nightmares manifests, and from here everything starts to crumble down. #rw dreamscape - main tag for this au, all the content for it could be found here Bug in a Maze - my secondary personal AU, based on concept of fact that war never changes. Currently being semi-actively developed. Ancients abandoned their pursuit for salvation, and war broke between Houses, as they rip eachother's throats for what's left of the resources. #RW Bug in a Maze - main tag for this au, all the content for it could be found here Rotstruck - my tretiary personal AU, based on idea what if iterators were furries, lol. Currently on hold, characters are only used for Discord rps Mammals and Reptilians were on a brick of a war, when global apocalypse struck down, turning almost everyone into rotstruck zombies. Pebbles, the main suspect on that case, escapes his home universe and wander around other universes, trying to find a cure not only for himself, since he's also infected, but for his whole world. #CFP: Rotstruck - main tag for this au, all the content for it could be found here

Rain World Ships

Forbidden Noodles - Cherrybush with a twist, both of scuggos are dead lmao. Basically a ship of HLL and Echo Saint, two fellas couldn't escape their demise, so they just chill and support each other. #rw forbidden noodles - tag for this ship

Side work stuff

@temple-of-srs - my side blog, dedicated to drawing SRS. You can send your prompts for this character over here!

Aaand that's about it! Enjoy your stay here!

[tartrat]

2025 reviews part: Leda and Cygnus are some presumable number of years old as of the current story.

How many? Don't know they seem to have perfected anti aging. Honestly obsessed with this week's previews. Also i'll be continuing the suggestion drawings tomorrow, i'm just trying to finish school work for tomorrow night so that i have more time at the weekend (I get Fridays off now). onto my thoughts.

In Your Eyes (Remix): I love how confident Leda is here. Also the young Mihaly in the back, Also Cygnus with Short hair. I don't really like The Weeknd but this is a really cool map, like Leda's owning it here. If only she didn't turn evil. I mean i love all of Night swan/Leda's maps so no surprise that i would like this one as well.

Padam Padam: This one looks like its going to be sore. Fast and flows really well. Its nice to see that we might get Kylie minogue songs more regularly now. I really want them to do the Robbie Williams song she was featured on, Kids, like i think that would make a good map.

My Heart Will Go On: Completely unexpected and I love this one so much. Like they went full couples karaoke and brought all the cheesiness with it. Its going to suck doing this one solo because it would be so good to do with another person. I hope that it ends with them doing the pose from titanic. It'd be really funny if they straight up name these two Jack and Rose. Can we get more maps like this where its just karaoke. Like the performers seem to have gotten really into it which just adds to why i like it.

Dubidubidu: Is Kitta a mother now? also i found out this song is from 2003 and not this year so theres that. Like Padam Padam this one looks really fast, but also really fun at the same time. Honestly the song is catchy, and i watch those block breaking videos that use it allthe way through just to hear it some times.

Pink Venom (Extreme): I don't really think Pink venom needed an extreme, the song isn't that high energy, and when i saw a clip of the official choreography i was like, yeah the classic seems like enough. Because even that clip of the official choreo i saw wasn't that hard, unless it gets harder.

The ranking:

Joint first: In Your Eyes, Padam Padam, My Heart will Go on, Dubidubidu

2 Pink Venom Extreme

So how old are The Traveller, Night Swan and Cygnus currently. Like they have to be at least in their late 40s to early 50s. Like Night Swan And the traveller both have adult children who are presumably in their early to mid 20s. Then Cygnus, who i sorta assumed was quite old already (because he has been said to have built that city), but he still looks young in beggin.

Now we've seen a young Jack and Mihaly, so i'm assuming we'll see a young Wanderlust and Brezziana at some point. They should show more coaches when they were younger like Beedabop as a computer chip, The I will Survive coach when they were alive (being alive is technically younger than being dead), Kapyy as a five year old eating crayons, the list is endless

We are now officially two weeks (well one week and six days) from the release date, which feels so weird because i'm pretty sure this is the earliest a game in the series has come out. Its also weird that its October now like wasn't it just August yesterday? I'm annoyed that the update yesterday removed the "opus" sorting option and ordered all the plus tracks in the style that unlimited was. I hope for the first season they add opus back, i just preferred seeing it all alphabetically by game. I'm still confused about how back in JD2021 and 2022 they removed default alphabetical sorting.

[kimeoshi]

‘Twas both 👁👁, but yeah honestly I’m very interested cause damn- (sorry if I seem awkward I’m not good with online interaction 😭😭 LMAO)

NAH no worries you're doing fine!!

It's a pretty wide array of topics but touching the surface of it, I'll go into my art process.

Here's a short thread where I went into this similarly!

I pretty much follow the steps of what I mentioned there, but it varies a little bit based on the style I go for too: painting whole illustrations or design or more simple fun things.

I could describe what I did in each frame of my process gifs which I've posted before but I would need some time. With big pieces, the steps I go by (read slowly, it's a pretty dense text):

thumbnailing -> sketching with bigger shapes to get the line of action/feel (that is, I'm just blocking out the composition) -> refine that a bit -> hide BG, draw the characters (lineart) and add the base colors of them. (then merge & rasterize a copy of it for later) -> put them back in the environment (unhide BG), make them grey -> add shading in greyscale style (multiply layers, glow dodge layers, you name it) -> get that previous rasterized layer back and put it on color mode -> those characteristic shiny parts get a new layer with overly saturated + high brightness colors -> color BG with a new color layer -> then rendering/refining for concerning amounts of time -> add effects and change color/brightness/contrast curves + gradient map -> profit???

For software, I generally use Paint Tool SAI (I adore blending/painting here), I use Clip Studio Paint for the 3D posing library/sketching/lineart, and Photoshop for final effects. (Update: I mostly do all things in CSP now)

(if you have CSP, try out this brush... it saved my life)

As for improvement:

I experiment, watch a lot of youtube videos (I personally like the ones which analyse an artist). I suggest thoroughly understanding how something moves and works (for anatomy I can recommend the book 'Anatomy for Sculptors'), I also study and jot down important pieces of advice or insights to a collective document, rather than saving them to my device where it is highly likely to be forgotten.

I believe if you put great importance on colors and composition, that can cause the most noticeable, 'fastest' improvement, at least if you view it from the lens of social media. (While online environments provide significant reassurance, it must be engaged with in moderation, as it is easy to fall into a lot of negative mindsets, taking the enjoyment out by perfectionism, comparison, or seeking validation, etc.)

Another improvement technique you can try is to slow down a speedpaint video of your choice and follow along with the artist. Extremely useful, I recommend, put your artist under a microscope.

Of course I don't do all of these things every single waking hour, it's just a side hobby to my unrelated studies in real life. Even if you don't actively draw your visual library and knowledge can improve passively, I find that so fascinating. I don't touch a paper for months and there's a sudden jump, like damn what. (Not saying you should do this, active learning is still better ofc) Either way my point with that is, that improving does and did take a lot of time for me as well.

Apologies if this goes all over the place, I tried to touch upon every subject that came to mind at the moment, in not too much in detail, overall I hope it makes sense

If you have any specific questions related, feel free to ask! Or if there's any specific problem you'd like to tackle but find yourself lost, same applies!

[auranovabloggers]

Rise of the Corrupted Xiāns

Happy Halloween as I present to you this incredible art that I made for a Darkstalkers Tribute Fanzine that I was honored to be a part of. 😈 As Cryas Darkstalkers is my thing, I had to find a way to represent my designs of the characters. So, what better way than to draw these dangerous, eerie forms of the Shao sisters? But now, with some touch ups! I have gone through the effort of fully redesigning the markings that adorn their bodies. I actually have a reference for the markings:

The scripts you see are ancient forms of 仙 or xiān. Considering their training was around the practician of Xiānshù and their village was named Xiān Mén Cūn, it stands to reason that the Xiān play an important part with Hsien-Ko and Mei-Ling. And considering their long-life spans after becoming jiangshi, one could say they are 'immortal'. And with these forms coming from influence of Corriyami, a substance that can 'corrupt' life forms, one could say they are like corrupted Xiān in the flesh. So it works together to give the sisters unique markings that are more specific to them both and their heritage.

This piece also serves as further practice into my take of basically the MvC2 art style and I am extremely proud how this came to look! New layer tricks and simplifying the sketch lines in the shaded areas. Some lighting stuff here and there. And another update to their designs to add natural lip colors to them. Hard to see a bit, especially on Hsien-Ko, but they are there! 😄

I just adore the way both sisters look. Hsien-Ko looking like an absolutely feral, battle hungry warrior ready to absolutely tear those who oppose her and her big sister. Mei-Ling calmly, yet menacingly commanding the shadow that flows from what was her arms. And with the way I composed the flow of this piece, it even looks like she is commanding Hsien-Ko with just a simple gesture... maybe even controlling her? Ooooo!

Speaking of Mei-Ling's shadow, I fully updated it with a brand-new look. While the blue/purple colors are still there to represent the Corriyami that flows in her veins, there is now this shimmering yellow energy that coats the flowing form. This energy is meant to be her own qì, as the original intent I always had was for her shadow to be a mixture of both her qì and Corriyami. With the color choices, it better reflects that and even has some fun color theory going on with complimentary colors. 😄

At this point, I am basically waffling on. Honestly, I hope you adore this art and can feel the passion I put into this. I truly thought I wasn't gonna be able to make the deadline for the zine. But then the motivation kicked in. The motivation to make incredible art of the two characters I hold dear! 🥹🩵💛

I'll leave you with two last things. First, a grayscale version of the piece for maximum spooky factor!

And most importantly, a link to the full version of the Darkstalkers Tribute Fanzine of 2024!

I implore you to give it a good look and see all the incredible art and passion of every artist that contributed to this. 🤩

And have a safe and most fun filled night on this eve of Hallow. ���🦇🌑

[within-your-eyes-if]

Have any fun facts about the Warden's? Or the kingdom?

As a guild that operates in close association with various rulers, leaders, and others of importance, the Wardens also function as an unofficial information network. They primarily exchange information among themselves for mutual benefit, but if the right incentives align and the seeker of knowledge is of relevance, they are willing to share information to outside sources. However, even they draw a line on how much they are willing to share. Although the guild branch in Auris has been cut off from the main channels due to politics, there are those who do not adhere to these ideals and still trade information to those within the kingdom.

Auris essentially severed ties with the Church of Ozwyn when the Grand Ecclesiarch, who oversaw the kingdom's branch, vehemently opposed Auris's decision to join the Council. While worship is still permitted, Auris has made it clear that they will not tolerate interference from the Church's leadership in their affairs. This has contributed to extreme tensions among Auris and the Church and by extension, Lenia.

Both of these points of lore will be touched and expanded upon in Chapter 3. I will also be updating the Codex to include Church Hierarchy, but the Grand Ecclesiarch is a role just beneath the Cardinal.

[orangeisfab]

Abby/Max :(

This thought has been brewing in the back of my mind for a very long time now, and I feel that, as a certified Abby defender, I must say it.

Abby/Max is toxic. Obviously it's not Abby/Press levels of toxic, but I have this theory that the writers originally intended for MANG to be a complete mess (which they are) but for Ginny to eventually completely drop them and never come back, never have that apologetic reunion etc. I reckon it wasn't until they expanded a bit more on Max and Abby (god knows if they'll ever give Norah an actual story arc) that the writers decided they wanted to keep the friend group around. BUT I also believe that you can see little sprinkles of the original idea with MANG in the existing version of the show.

That's the only way I could try to explain those odd scenes. One in particular comes to mind, and is in fact the entire reason I haven't been able to get this out of my head.

Yes that's right, jurors of the court, "Abby, why are you such an ADD nightmare?"

To those that have not spent their time watching "Abby Litman Scene Pack" videos and, god forbid, that "Sad Abby Litman Scene Pack" one, Abby, in quite normal friend fashion, tries to jokingly draw on Max's face and Max delivers the infamous line.

Abby is so visibly hurt and Max just does not give the slightest fck. And then the cut to Ginny who was laughing along before, her smile suddenly dropping at Max's words? Like dam, that hit me a little hard.

There's this dynamic with Max/Abby that gets more frustrating the more I think about it, and I think it's summed up really well in @/rahnesinclair's fic cool cool cool, fun fun fun (really good fic).

Abby is extremely insecure and Max doesn't care, and in fact often abuses that fact. Not on purpose, Max isn't a bad person (not like someone cough cough) but she takes and takes and takes, and simply gives nothing back. It especially bothers me that Max has supposedly been Abby's best friends since they were toddlers, and I worry that this is how their dynamic has always been. And just like in the fic, it completely crushes me that Max apologised only to Ginny and doesn't even think to apologise to Abby. (Abby really does have reason to be insecure in her relationship with Max, and I think it's so telling when you compare the way Ginny treats Abby in comparison)

Abby has convinced herself she needs Max (and, well, maybe in a way she does) so, just like with all the other problems in her life, she shuts up, sits down, and lets Max be the main character in both of their lives.

All that said, I do also believe the writers will resolve this (unless they forgot about it ;-;) and perhaps then I can go back to writing my MaxAbby fic in peace (I SWEAR TO GOD I REALLY WILL UPDATE IT, I HAVE A SCAFFOLD AND EVERYTHING). They have a habit of always hinting and hinting about Abby's upcoming storylines (Oh look, Abby's gone to the bathroom and doesn't want Ginny to come with her, oh look Abby keeps a stack of food with her in the bedroom, oh look Abby's looks a lil sad today, etc. etc.) but supposedly we've been told she will finally get attention from the writers in the third season (I have a whole list of things I want to see next season for Abby and if I don't get them i will riot) and I hope to see Max's "self-growth" extend towards Abby as well, and not just two very select people.

[practically-an-x-man]

3, 43, 51, 62 for that ask game

Thank you so much!!

Ask Game for Fic Writers

3. on a scale of 1-10 how much do you enjoy incorporating romance into the average story?

Hm... obviously a lot of my fics involve romance in some way or another, just because I think there are so many ways it can take shape and I love exploring those different dynamics. So for fanfics... maybe an 8 out of 10 - romance is by no means a requirement for a good fic, but I just think it's fun, especially when you can look at the ships and say "Hey, Eris and Rick love each other, and Jasper and Kyle love each other, but they love each other in completely different ways"

But in terms of all my stories, both fanfic and original, it's more like 3-4 out of 10. I still like writing romance, but my original writing is a lot more sci-fi, horror, or modern fantasy, only a few of which have a major romantic plotline.

It's really only fanfic where romance is so ubiquitous in my writing, my original stories have some very different vibes.

43. how did writing change you?

Oooh man...

So on a more serious note, writing has kept me alive. I've pushed through some of my darkest moments with the knowledge that if I don't get this story finished, nobody will ever be able to read it because it otherwise exists only in my head. It's why I keep so many active WIPs even when I can never update them on schedule - as long as I have a story waiting for its ending, I have at least one reason to keep going.

On a less serious note, it's changed how I look at the world. When my mind wanders, I find myself mentally describing what's around me, or coming up with snippets of description or dialogue (either for my stories or just standalone bits). I also have gotten a lot better at categorizing my thoughts and emotions, since I find it easier to put words to those feelings.

51. share the synopsis of a story you work on that you haven’t published yet

Hm... I can't really call this a WIP since I haven't even written out a full outline yet, but I picked an idea at random from my ideas list and here's my attempt at a synopsis:

Christina "Chris" Carver can see the future. It comes in pieces, illogical flashes that overtake their entire body at the most inopportune of moments. When they experience such an episode in the middle of a crowded subway station - mere moments before a devastating bombing that costs dozens of lives - their life is upturned in a complex legal struggle that they can't seem to fight their way out of. How do you prove the existence of foresight? They're going to need a really good lawyer.

(it's been a while since I looked at this OC and I think they're due for a bit of a revamp, but the plot is one of my more dynamic ideas)

62. what’s the weirdest reason you’ve ever shipped something?

Oooh man... I'm not sure. Most of my OCs and those ships come from these sort of "what if?" opposites - what if Mister Morals Rick Flag was met with someone with an incredibly flexible moral code? What if Peter Maximoff was forced to slow down and pay attention? What if Alex Summers, a man who mocked physical mutations, was given a partner who develops extreme physical mutations herself? What if Wojchek, a sailor with a lot of superstitions, ended up in a relationship with one of his own old sailor's tales? And so on and so forth. I don't know that any of those are weird, it's usually just an element of the character that I want to draw out and focus on.

And all of my canon-character ships are fairly run-of-the-mill, I think? At least, I can't think of any that are super out-there or have a particularly weird reason behind them.

[mokutone]

🌿🌱 Mokutone Masterpost 🌱🌿

Hi! Welcome. This post will function sort of as a FAQ and will be updated as such. You don't need to read it, but if you've had these questions, here are my answers:

"Do you take Commissions?"

Not yet! I do, however, have a Ko-fi, where I'll do some little thank-you doodles!

"Do you have a shop?"

No, not at the moment! I am considering it though...

"What materials do you use?"

By far the questions I get asked the most are about this, so this will get very long and I'm going to put it under a readmore. I will address the papers, inks, watercolors, dip pens, brushes, and other materials that I have used.

I also answer questions about my materials under the "my ninja tools and scrolls" tag, and give art technique advice under the "my jutsu" tag. Yes it's silly, but this is a Naruto art blog. this is what we all signed up for.

Mostly, this will be a list of my traditional materials. I will address the paper, pens, inks, and various types of watercolor that I use!

📄 PAPERS: 📄

—Strathmore 400 Series Heavyweight Drawing Pads 100lb/163gsm. (these numbers refer to the weight/thickness of the paper. thicker paper is less likely to buckle) ———> This paper is extremely cheap (a 9"/12" pad is often under 10 dollars), takes inks EXCELLENTLY, but it's a much lighter paper, and it will buckle under watercolor. For this paper, it's good to only paint small sections, to paint very slowly, or to paint with the paper taped down to another surface.

—Fabriano Hot Press (Hot Press means the paper is smooth, not rough) Watercolor Paper, 140lb/300 gsm ———> I use this paper the most because it's fairly cheap to buy in bulk, while still being good enough quality that my picky watercolor teacher approved it, Lol. I can usually find a 9"/12" block of it with 50 pages for about $20 if i look hard enough—and the paper is hardy enough that if I'm careful, I can paint on both front and back of the paper. Bad for archival purposes maybe, but great for having fun and not spending more money. [Example]

—Vision Cold Press (Meaning the paper is rough and textured) Watercolor Paper, 140lb/300 gsm ———> My watercolor teacher said this stuff was garbage, but...I don't really care! It is DIRT CHEAP and YES it buckles a little despite being thick, and YES it feels like cardboard in your hand, and YES it ONLY comes in coldpress, but the texture is grainy and even and nice... and like. when I say dirt cheap I mean dirt cheap. I used to get the 6"/9" 30 page pad for like 6 or 7 bucks. [Example]

—Arches Watercolor Pad/Block, Hot Press, 140lb/300 gsm ———> This is that expensive shit. I got a pad of it for a class back in college, and I dip into it now and again—I also bought a little bit more when there was a sale recently, a 12 page. It's 100% cotton, and it takes pigment based watercolor REALLY well, but it's not so good about dye based (I'll discuss the difference between those later) [Example]

🎨 WATERCOLORS: 🎨

DYE BASED:

Dye based watercolors, because they are based in dyes instead of pigments, are not lightfast. They are not archival. If you expose them to sunlight, they will begin to fade, and some will fade rapidly. That said, if you hoard your art in a dark place once you've documented, go hog wild! The fact that they're all liquid already makes them really easy to use.

—Ecoline Watercolor [Liquid] ———> These are a little watery, but they are cheap and easy, and I used them for the majority of my early watercolor art on this blog!

— Dr. Ph. Martin's Radiant Concentrated Watercolors [Liquid] ———> They are expensive, and sold in small quantities. They are, however very bright, like that label isn't lying! They're super concentrated! I have not actually run out of any of the ones that I bought (at a store closing sale bc otherwise they're too expensive lol) because they only use a small amount at a time

— Dr. Ph. Martin's Synchromatic Transparent Watercolors [Liquid] ———> They are also expensive, and also sold in small quantities. They aren't really made for paper either. They're fine. Probably not worth it though!

PIGMENT BASED:

—Black Sheep Art Supply's Pans And Half Pans! [solid watercolor] ———> These have been very enjoyable for me to work with!! They're very bright, affordably priced, and the paints are from a small business, as well as being handmade and from the first Black-owned art supply store. I've had wonderful experiences ordering from this store, and I wholeheartedly recommend them!

[EDIT: apparently the shop is on a break or something! oh well]

—Dr. Ph. Martin's Hydrus [liquid watercolor] ———> These are liquid watercolors, like the dyes, but they are archival and somewhat light-fast, which means they can be exposed to moderate amounts of sunlight without fading. I haven't gotten to use them much yet, but they seem fine. You do have to shake them a lot to mix the pigment in. They can also be a little difficult to rewet, and may appear somewhat flaky.

—Turner Professional Artists' Watercolors [tube/semi liquid] ———> These are watercolors stored in tubes, you know, the traditional way! I used these for class, back in college. They're cheap, but well pigmented as far as cheap watercolors go. If you're really on a tight budget, this is probably the best pick.

—Holbein Artist' Water Color [tube/semi liquid] ———> My best friend (the one who got me into naruto!) gave these to me! Usually they can be very expensive. They're very high quality, and gorgeous. I'm so enamored with them and touched by the gesture that I use them very rarely, I don't want to lose them! They're special to me!

✒️ INKS: 🖋️

I only use permanent inks which will not bleed (much) when water is applied, due to working in watercolor. This list will reflect that

—Dr. Ph. Martin's Bombay Black India Ink ———> I use this the most frequently. It's a little shiny, but not too bad, and it is completely waterproof once dried. Of the Ph. Martin inks, it's the cheapest by far, and a 1oz bottle (which lasts me months) can be found for about $5. —Dr. Ph. Martin's Black Star (Matte) Ink ———> Very waterproof, does not shine much at all. If you record your art with photography rather than scanning, this may be useful to you! Unfortunately, it's about $10 a bottle. —Dr. Ph. Martin's Black Star (Hi-Carb) Ink ———> Very waterproof, very shiny. I don't use this much because I don't like my ink to shine, but it can be very nice with the right application. Unfortunately, it's also about $10 a bottle.

—Yatsumoto Sumi Ink ———> you can get this stuff cheap. Like, you could get a 12oz bottle of it for like $12. That's very cheap. Unfortunately it's not completely waterproof, and if you agitate (rub the brush vigorously) over the ink, it may seep into the watercolors. If you're careful though, this won't be a huge problem. It's also good for ink-only work.

—Liquitex Acrylic Ink ———> This is also very waterproof, but it also takes longer to dry than the other inks, so I find myself smudging it a lot. It's also about $7 for a 1oz bottle, but about $20 for a 5oz bottle, so if you're committed to the ink, it can be cheap to buy in larger sizes.

—Diamine Registrar's Blue-Black Ink ———> Expensive. Really more of an interesting find than a practical ink for me. This is mostly waterproof, but a very thin ink, and you can feel the nib get scratchier when drawing with it. That's not a bad thing, it's just a textural thing. It's produced in a similar way to medieval inks, with iron and oak-galls, and because of this it has some interesting properties: When first applied to paper, it's a pale or sky blue, but it darkens rapidly as it dries, becoming almost black over time. It runs the rusk of corroding metal pen nibs due to its chemical makeup, and so nibs which use this must be washed extra thoroughly.

✍️ PEN NIB HOLDERS: ✍️

—Speedball Sketching Pen Set: ———> Easiest to get your hands on. Comes with two nib-holders and 6 different nibs to try out, available at most art stores, and usually around $10. It's also not bad quality—I don't use the tiny little nib-holder any more, but I use the standard black one all the time.

—Tachikawa Comic Pen Nib Holder, Model 40/ Model 36 ———> My Favorite. Thank god it has a little rubbery thing around it, because I grip pens hard 😭. It is able to hold standard-size AND small-size nibs. Occasionally, I find that some "standard-size" nibs might not fit, but I've never had this issue with the small size nibs.

Honestly, those are my favorites, but it's really hard to go wrong with pen nib holders. If they fit comfortably in your hand, and they hold a nib, they're good!

🖋 NIBS: ✒️

Nibs are difficult to acquire. They can be expensive too.

— Speedball ———> If you want to get a variety of nibs to experiment, this is my first recommendation. They have a wide variety of nibs to experiment, and find out what your favorites are.

—Tachikawa Pen Nibs ———> They've got less robust options than Speedball, and a little more expensive too, but they're very good nibs! The G-Nib is the standard nib used in comic making, and especially for lettering. It's a very stiff little nib, so it doesn't flex too much. This makes it pretty reliable, and especially good for lettering/writing.

—Manuscript Leonardt Pen Nibs ———> A lot of options for everything from caligraphy to cartography to sketching, also a little expensive—what is notable is that their pen nibs tend to be on the more flexible side, allowing the artist to get a lot of line weight variance. This is bad for lettering, but fun for drawing! They also have pens shaped like hands. Neat.

—Brause Pen Nibs ———> These were always super expensive where I was. I got a few. They come in this dorky plastic case with a sliding top, and I kinda wish they didn't bc that's a whole lotta plastic for something that coulda been stored in cardboard or paper, lol. I now use the cases to hold perfume samples. They're good pens, they're just expensive and the packaging is dumb.

—Whatever the hell is on Etsy. ———> People love to sell vintage things on etsy, and pen nibs are no exception. Often, you can find random samplers of pen nibs, or collections of pen nibs for sale. Sometimes you can find a whole box of one kind of pen nib, often times with a lot of nibs in it. I once bought one of these for like $45 and i don't even regret it because it's got a shitton of nibs and I realllly like using them. It will literally last me the rest of my life.

🖌 Brushes: 🖌

I don't have a lot to say about brushes! Ultimately, if it makes a mark on paper, and you like the mark it makes...I think that's a good brush.

I've been told you should go for ones which hold a shape, I think, and don't spread out in a big puff. Ones which use animal hairs are apparently best, but they are also very expensive. Generally, with watercolors, you will want to use "round" brushes, especially for beginners. If you want to experiment, I recommend Filberts, but there are also sword/dagger brushes if you're painting something like grass. Mostly I use:

—Creative Mark Mimik Kolinsky: ———> As the name implies, these are meant to mimic (synthetically) brushes made from Kolinsky fur. These are nice and I like them. They're cheap, but hold their shape well, and feel good in the hand. —Creative Mark Mimik High Performance Synthetic Squirrel Hair Watercolor Brushes: ———> What a name. I find these to be just as good for me as the Mimik Kolinsky, but a little bit cheaper. As long as ur careful not to treat them too roughly you'll be fine.

—Princeton Watercolor Brushes ———> Good. Expensive, but good. They have a variety of synthetic + natural materials, they are well made, if you have a little money to throw around + want a brush which will preform very well but will not destroy your bank, this is a solid brand. I've used ones from their Velvetouch, Mini-Detailer, and Heritage collections before, and enjoyed them all very much.

Additional Supplies:

—Porcelain Palette ———> I highly recommend using a porcelain palette instead of a plastic palette, both because I like to cut down on plastic when I can, and because the porcelain palettes are just....so much more convenient. The glass-like coating means that they will be easier to clean, whereas all of my plastic palettes over the years have gotten permanent stains. They're a little harder to accidentally knock around because they're heavier, which probably isn't a problem for most people, but I can be kinda clumsy. I can't tell u the number of times I've sent a full plastic circle-palette of watercolors flying lol

[birbcat]

Some headcanon info dump for Dislyte Chai, Javid and Jin Qiu.

More will probably be added on, so this will be updated whenever I think of more stuff to add.

**updated (4/19)

** updated (5/10)

* Chai being a hybrid (mountain lion/wolf) she's sheds a lot during spring time, which means a lot of grooming, to which she despises but Javid and Jin hold her down and do it for her because they hate all the fur (I would assume JQ sheds but not as much).

* Since all three have claws, claws covers are a common item as to try not to tear up bedding and such (tho all 3 hate it but also don't like constantly buying new bed sheets).

* Chai being more of a tomboy, she isn't one for girly stuff, but she is more than willing to help Javid (or JQ) with their hygiene and appearance

* Chai and JQ have similar chaotic energy while Javid is calmer. Javid is the referee for the two when they get into heated arguments and resolve by fighting it out (hand to hand, no weapons).

* Chai and Javid have more of a romantic relationship. Chai and JQ are more 'friends with benefits' relationship, but they do have their tender moments. Javid and Chai will purposely get all mushy in front of JQ as it annoys him.

* All three do engage in sexual threesomes

* Chai being part wolf, she does have some characteristics, such as having a strong sense of smell and excellent hearing. This annoys the boys as she over hears their convos and can tell when they are cooking what ingredients they should add

* Chai having huge fangs, she has to wear 'fang cushions' while sleeping

* The food truck Chai owns and operates is more stationary than movable. She operates in her backyard , which she turned into an outdoor restaurant (covers, heaters and such are available so she can operate in all weather). It can be moved but it's a hassle.

* Javid and Chai both love to BBQ so they each encourage the other while also taking turns cooking.

* Chai does hunt, so whenever hunting season is open, she will leave to hunt what she can. Her food truck is Mexican style but with a twist depending on the type of meat she can hunt (elk, deer, bear, duck, fish, etc.). She does offer carne asada, chicken and pork but it's the other meat that draws people in.

* Height in order goes: Javid, Chai then JQ.

* Javid and JQ have strength advantage, Chai is built for speed.

* Chai is extremely ticklish, and the boys know this, so unfortunately, Chai tends to lose wrestle fights due to this disadvantage.

* Chai is a stoner (4/20 all the way) and using Marijuana as a way to relax. Javid and JQ aren't fond of the smell but understand how it helps her.

* All three do sleep together. Imagine 3 big cats curled up with one another.

* Chai enjoys fall and winter so she is outside more often during those seasons. She has the fur to withstand the cold and snow. Javid can't really stand the cold, while JQ kinda can but doesn't like it.

* All 3 can hold their alcohol pretty well.

* Chai does have 2 older brothers and a mother. Her father passed away when she was twelve. Her brothers do have families of their own, so she is also an auntie.

* Chai, unfortunately, can't reproduce. Before she gained her esper powers, she had a life-threatening medical emergency that involved a hysterectomy and her ovaries being removed.

**updated (4/19)**

*Chai has recently had to wear glasses. It runs in her family so it's genetic. She isn't a fan and the boys each have their own opinion about her glasses. Javid think she looks cute, JQ makes fun of her.

*JQ and Chai are a dangerous combo. JQ having some loose screws and Chai having a rebellious side, the two together bring stupidity to another level. Poor Javid has to deal with this chaotic combo.

*Chai and Javid love language is very tender and sweet. From hand holding, random pecks of kisses, and cuddling. For them, it's the small gestures that mean a lot more than words.

* Chai and JQ have more of a tease type relationship. They are always annoying each other, critiquing, poking fun, and calling each other names. Others might think they are being mean to each other, but it's quite the opposite.

*Flirting is different between all three. JQ is EXTREMELY flirtatious to both Javid and Chai, and it works. Javid is more action over words flirting. Chai is a combo of both.

*All three can cook, each having their own specialties. Javid is more BBQ, open fire/grill. JQ is more seafood/Asian cuisine. Chai can cook pretty much anything, but she can't bake to save her life.

*Proper visual aid to show height differences between all three

**updated 5/10**

"Death Cat" form

*Death Cat form is a transformation that turns Chai into a monster like creature (all black, skull head, ribs poking out)

*She can only transform with strong emotions (it's hard for her to do so willing)

*She is technically blind while in this form but can 'see' divine power auras and blood

*Her making her enemies bleed is essential (this helps her in certain situations; she can smell blood, so if she loses her glasses/contacts, she can sniff someout out)

*Chai can only last in this form for 10 minutes. Going over will cause her esper sync rate to rise, and she has a high chance of going insane and can't revert back

*While transforming requires strong emotions (more so anger), she needs to calm down before being able to revert back. She has found familiar smells can bring her to her senses, so she relies a lot on Javid and JQ to help her

[strike-another-match]

List 5 things that make you happy, then put this in the askbox for the last 10 people who liked or reblogged something from you! Get to know your mutuals and followers ^.^

this is such a sweet ask omg. i'm gonna list the last 5 things that made me happy

1. watching one of my fave shows online with a friend until like 4am despite both of us knowing we had to get up early in the morning but we were having too much fun to stop until we were literally falling asleep

2. seeing updates on donation campaigns that i've contributed to where the recievers say that they've been able to afford what they needed thanks to our donations. it keeps me going honestly bc i struggle so much to do things for myself but i'll put in the effort to stay employed if that gives me the means to be able to help others

3. cooking a meal at lunch time and eating it and not getting a tummy ache or extreme fatigue or any other kind of debuff. just the human body working as intended god bless (<- rare event)

4. drawing my friends' OCs interacting with my OCs or other friends' OCs and seeing their reaction when i show the drawing to them. again i draw so few finished pieces for myself but i'm soooo motivated when it's about drawing gifts for others bc i know it will make them happy, and looking at those drawings afterwards is free serotonin for me too

5. working on coding projects... i get so fired up when i can work on a personal project specially if it's 8pm on a friday or saturday because i know i'm gonna have so much fun without worrying about work in the morning it's what keeps me alive fr. as long as i can type on a terminal i'll be alright

[bazyboo13]

Boxy boo ref (my au)

I like him alot, the character that is, my drawing is good (I guess...)

Info:

Name: Boxy boo

Old name: Thomas Jones

Experiment name: Experiment 1028

Pronouns: he/him

Personally (au): a prankster, not a fan of confrontation, sneaky as hell, carefree, fun loving, chill

Pre transformation story: he was a teen named Thomas Jones, he was just living his life when something happened to his parents, suspiciously he was put in the playcare not even a week after. it was strange, a teen, in PLAYCARE!? It was confusing for the staff, the other orphans, and Thomas. Then he was taken to a testing room, he was knocked out quickly after entering. when he awoke he looked completely different. From his perspective he looked like a monster...

Post transformation story: the first toy made for the Bigger Bodies Initiative, he was more of a test run (hence the reason he was a teen when the Bigger Bodies Initiative takes the workers). the higher ups didn't expect this test run to work, however against all common knowledge it worked on the first try. After his testing period he was put to work, he was the executioner, one of his victims (and the one he feels the guiltiest about) was one Rowan Stoll. When everything at Playtime co. went to shit he finally snapped after all the forced labor, the trauma of both the events that lead up to his new form and the executions he had to commit as well as the false hope of escaping, he claimed a bunch of bodies, mostly revenge kills from those who were responsible for his new form. After trying over and over he eventually gave up on his hope of escape, Mommy Long legs always tried to convince Boxy Boo to not leave. now he roams the factory trying to live his life, trying to live the life that was taken from him...

Danger level: extremely dangerous

Best defense against him: be extremely aware of your environment

Abilities: high jump, stretchy (not as good as Mommy Long legs), sharp claws, can camouflage into their environment, their box is like armor

Relationships: Huggy Wuggy (friends), Kissy Missy (neutral), Mommy Long legs (intense distrust), Bunzo Bunny (friends), PJ Pug-a-pillar (neutral), Boxshe Boo (neutral)

Misc: has his full memory

I will make the others eventually

(updates will be made)

[hoardlikegoldenirises]

Just updated Naomi's costume post with these images as I came to a realization this morning, but thought I'd post them on their own—hey, gloves!

closeups and reasoning:

See, the thing is, the whooooole reason I wanted to give Naomi full-fingered gloves (and shoes) in the first place, for her advanced suit made of special materials, was very simply: to protect her fingers from the cold. Even in California, if she's climbing high enough, she's going to wind up in the cold, and having her fingers and toes out in the cold seems like a bad idea.

She climbs with van der Waals forces, aka the same thing a gecko uses, with setae (modified hairs) in her fingertips and toes (and also her soles/palms), so her handmade costume obv has those fingerless gloves and easily removable shoes with stirrup tights. So the whole thing with the exotic suits is that they use carbon nanotubes and/or comic book science mumbo jumbo to let her completely cover up her hands and feet and still stick. Side effect of this is that actually she would be able to use these gloves and shoes to climb even without powers lol.

But then when I was working on her costumes I couldn't help thinking that he powerset really made her kind of... well... not useless but not really a character who'd be capable of holding her own in, for example, a fight. Recon, stealth, yes, all that, but she had absolutely no offensive measures, no weapon, no super-strength—nothing.

So it was at that point of course that I decided to ask friends and acquaintances for ideas to get me rolling on how to make a 100 lb wall-crawler viable in a fight, and where that ended up was like, two or three different people saying, hey, what if poison? And that made me go, o-ho-ho what if poison indeed! So naturally, me being me, I proceeded to spend at LEAST an hour if not much longer reading about venoms, poisons, and eventually gila monsters and beaded lizards, whose venom is delightfully neither lethal (at least, not in the quantities a lizard bite delivers) AND apparently cause some of the most painful envenomations known to man lol so I thought that would be verrrry fun.

The only question then was like, me wondering how she would deliver the venom at all, you know? Biting requires such close quarters (but hey, mask is open; I am 100% tucking "venomous bite" into my back pocket), and most of the poisons from poisonous amphibians are like. extremely deadly (lol) and seem to also be diet-based, rather than made by the animal, which would not be workable here—and also her powerset is reptilian, not amphibious, so obviously I had scrapped the idea of poisons via absorption already by that point.

Anyway, I'm rambling. My solution, as you can see, was to use her already-existing modified hairs to my advantage and add a bonus, other kind of modified hair related to her setae, which is hollow needle that shoots out of the follicle to inject her painful non-lethal venom into the skin of a potential foe/victim/attacker.

Which... requires fingerless gloves. That was easy, I just drew some fingers on and called it good, not really thinking about the whole reason I went for full gloves in the first place.

Of course, this morning, I suddenly realized, oh fuck, her fingers would fall off in the cold 😂 Luckily I did literally draw the fingers in a separate folder above the gloves so I have both versions ready to go at all times (hm, good thinking, past me) so I decided to slap this image together and show the full gloves and fingerless gloves side-by-side, with the thinking that, much like helmets and masks and the initial magical girl-esque transformation that all of these characters use to suit up in the first place (just to make my life easier lol), she can probably just transform her gloves between fingered and fingerless whenever she wants. easy.

And it kind of fits with the reptile theme. You know, changing the appearance—like a chameleon. (camouflage also a possible power but not 100% for sure yet. it's on my list though)

[pine-niidles]

January Project Updates

I'm going to start this by pretending I'm not posting this a week into February, and you're going to go along with me, ok? Ok! 

Well January sure went by quick! My update last time was pretty hesitant, but I think I am properly getting back into things. On top of that I finally got a reply on my visa and I'm flying back to Scotland at the end of the month 🎉 Very excited to be home! I'm looking forward to seeing my girlfriend and friends again and being back in a space I've designed to work for me. Now, onto what I've been up to:

2023 sketchbook

Part two of attempting to document my art: I put together scans of my physical sketchbook with a bunch of digital drawings from last year. The pdf is pretty much complete, I've just been putting off figuring out the cover and writing a quick intro & outro.  

I guess I'm also kind of hesitant to put a price on it since 60% of it is stuff I've posted publically, but I keep telling myself it's worth it anyway. And it's nice to see all that art in one place rather than lost to void of social media.

Stickers

I got myself some sticker paper and have been doing a bunch of test prints to get to know it (and my printer). I'm really happy with how they're turning out! It's extremely satisfying to print out my art and hold it in my hands.

I plan to set up an online shop sometime after I get back to Scotland, I'll probably open it in March. Sticker packs will be up for sale there alongside zines & prints 🌟

Commissions

Perhaps this is more of a February update but by the time the month is over it'll be too late to let you know! I opened regular commission slots and alongside them I made a fun valentines YCH, only slightly vampire themed. Very self-indulgent but I hope you'll like them it too.

I'll probably only take one more slot before closing both the forms :)

February Plans

- Hourly comics day was the 1st of February. I'm pretending this is just a January update, so I won't go too far into it right now. I did finish it, and I'm formatting the comics to make into a zine!

- Sketchbooking - I'm finally returning to drawing in my physical sketchbook again, I'll start posting scans again as soon as I have ~10 pages done

- Impractical but Extremely Cool Fantasy Swords zine, I have (almost) all the swords finished I just need to put it all together

- and gotta focus on finishing those commissions ofc <3

[hey-sherry]

Sherlock Holmes The Awakened Demo Thinky Thoughts

A bit late, but I wanted to share my first reaction to the Awakened demo! This is essentially an expanded version of what I wrote on the FW discord, with screenshots edited to look nicer for tumblr. I will do a separate post on the extra stuff that is normally inaccessible without Ansel. [Extra stuff post here]

So: spoilers ahead + keep in mind that the game is darker and moodier, I edited some of the screenshots so that they are clearer on tumblr/mobile view.

Sweet sweet concept art, gorgeous intro music, yay! The main theme is atmospheric and dark, giving me very slight vibes of the Sarif HQ track from DX:HR... I mean this in a good way, not in a “they copied it” way. It’s that sort of nostalgic ambience, but deeper and darker. One day I’ll stop drawing parallels to Deus Ex, but today is not that day.

The intro cinematic is pre-rendered and really good; I liked Sherlock's narration and the implication it's all in Watson's/players' hands now... He sounds more authoritative and distant than in CO.

I really liked the visual with the fly caught in the cobweb.

I did not expect this! It's a really fun title sequence and wow, we’re being thrown straight into chapter 3. I too thought it would be London but this is great 😄

WATSON!!! At this point I’m thinking, “Oooh we're gonna play as Watson, they probably don’t want to show Sherlock just yet, I know someone who's gonna be very happy about this o,o” (ahem hem, @lucere-aeresta​) I like long dialogues/cinematics so this intro was a treat. I'll have to replay of course but it felt very satisfying to see a chunk of the story here and be introduced to the new characters. There’s a lot going on!

The receptionist

Dr. Gygax!

You can walk around a little and talk to a couple of NPCs. There’s this easter egg - it’s a Lovecraft easter egg (thanks for figuring that one out, Lucere!) The paper itself is straight from Cordona. :D

You cannot pick this letter up, but the message is very clear. May be a clue in the final game.

Who’s there...? BTW this is the exact face Sherlock gives Jon when he plays the guitar too loudly in the CO seance scene :D

OH NO. LMAO! This had me in stitches, and of course I lied. Nice American accent, you dork. The subsequent journal entry essentially saying "Watson tried to act, I guess" gave me a chuckle. I tried!  So hard! And in the en-- moving on...

Here’s how the journal looks like now. The clues have updated icons and you can toggle to sort them by type (document, conversation, item, etc.) or the order in which you found them.

So yeah, Sherlock shows up in disguise and a terrible American accent, says the iconic “Guten day,” and then he gets sedated because Watson cannot lie to save his life.

Of course. OF COURSE. Now I know someone who's going to be a bit disappointed we don’t spend much time as Watson, but that's not me. 😂 My first thought -> they heard us cry and wail about the stubble and said "We're gonna make you beg to have the stubble back" Ok, ok, you win. I'm sorry. 😭

(insert half an hour of zooming around with Ansel instead of playing the damn game) This is how the game levels look when you go out of bounds!

Found some of you in the back! And in the cells! :3 (There’s a wall with photographs of the Kickstarter backers, and a row of cells with names and custom faces - although you cannot see the characters very well at this point.)

Right, I should play. The lockpicking puzzles were fun, but I'll admit I found both of them extremely easy. But I am a seasoned adventure game fan and it's a nice little thing to do for that feeling of escaping the cells. The “Mycroft” (custom) difficulty setting does let you change the puzzle difficulty, so we are probably going to face a bigger challenge in the finished game. The settings don’t make a difference in the demo, though.

SHERLOCK. NO. PUT IT DOWN.

PUT THOSE DOWN OH MY GOD

So yeah, I think it’s safe to say he’s a full blown addict by now. Vogel, what have you done?

Ran into the guard three times, got a game over 😎 Confirmation that yeah Sherlock is still afraid of water! I bet he's gonna love the trip to America and boating around the swamps. What could go wrong.

FYI, there's a guard that you need to figure out how to get past. It's not a sneaking sequence, but you need some items. If he notices you 3 times he rings the alarm, and the game reloads

At this point I'm having fun just investigating stuff and admiring the new journal etc., it's all very nicely designed. It's awesome that we can sort evidence by type now! The mind palace facelift is so good and feels more involved than before.

Back to the game... I SQUEALED!!! 😄 duhhh

And again! Two back to back CO references, yay ♥

Well I am a smart detective and deal with the guard with my brain and not my fists. Time to yoink all of his clothes. Where did his body go? We don't ask such questions around here...

HEEEEEEEEELLLLLLL YEAAAAAAAH

ANSEL PHYSICS RESET MY BELOVED ♥♥ never fix this please never ever

(cue another photoshoot) 

The biggest tease in all of the demo: THAT EXCLAMATION MARK. Let... me... see... outfits! 😂 Lovingggg the updated outfit screen, so happy there's some gorgeous lighting in there. It looked kinda bad in CO.

Okay, back to playing the game! I LIED, more photoshoots as the inmates scream, cry, and wail all around me. Sucks to be them, I guess.

Okay, Gerda! I LOVE her new design, and her voice actress too! She was so great.

Gerda is the second inmate that we meet. She wants her friend Heidi back and until then she will not talk. The first inmate that we meet is Mauricio Napoleon, it is just a short but entertaining conversation/cinematic. We don’t talk to him any more in the demo.

He does that lil smile as she spits the worst threats at him, it's glorious

Something something Silent Hill 3 (Gorgeous!)

I try to play the mountain goat in every game and the absence of the jump button will not stop me

So I didn't take screenshots of the quite meaty gameplay surrounding getting Heidi back and figuring out what's going on, so here's some thoughts: - The updated crime scene investigation looks fantastic! The smokey green aesthetics are fitting and everything is much clearer than it was in CO. I like that we can see how many variations there are for each 'node'. The only thing I'm not sure about is the first person perspective - Sherlock's close focus mode - because I had trouble seeing what's different in the variations, and sometimes the models would push me back a little bit when they loaded. I'd move away from the node just by trying to see things and had trouble re-positioning... not a great deal of trouble, of course, but it is a downgrade from SHCO. I think the 3rd person mode like with Jon in CO works much better. This is my biggest criticism of the demo. - There was a tad too much running back and forth just to seemingly fetch a few items... this may be polished further, I don't know. It gave me old adventure game vibes where you kinda run back and forth for a few small things lol. - I wished we could use the items more directly and/or assemble things, not just have them as text in the inventory... but I understand that making a new puzzle feature may be too much work at this point - The "three clues" dialogue confused me for a moment, but so it did in CO as well so this may be a ‘me’ problem 😂 I keep forgetting that there are 3 different questions to answer, not that I need to present 3 accurate clues... hahah. - The darker overtones are soooo up my alley! When I figured out what had happened to one of the people in the casket... ooof anyway, time to find and assemble Heidi!

Him <3

Awww, isn't it cute?

BUT IT'S WRONG

Oh so wrong 😂 I did NOTTTT expect this ahahahahhhh Hands down the best part of the demo The mental health aspect of the remake was what had me a little worried, but you know what, I think it's gonna be fine 😂 Heidi is one bad bench, and Sherlock just ACCEPTING he's now talking to a demonic doll and making the most of it is just chef's kiss Love, love, love. We're all mad here.

I unlocked a reward, and what a sweet one it is! Sadly, you cannot change your clothes in the demo. The updated physics make his chain and bag go bouncing like crazy, haha.

And thank

you

for reading! Feel free to send me an ask if you have any questions.