#trying to figure out how to get this preset to look good

[futurelabs]

still birthday mode 🎂

[marblerose-rue]

ermmmm (sneak peek)

[feverish-dove]

Sun Kissed Science

Having to rebuild humanity means having to re-invent pretty much everything from the ground up. Unfortunately for you this includes protection from the big, angry ball of sunshine in the sky. Maybe try staying in the shade? Senku Ishigami x Reader warnings: reader has a preset appearence trait, reader uses she/her pronouns, oneshot, fluff word count: 1,059 cross posted on ao3

The Stone World had its fair share of inconveniences, but for you, the biggest one had been discovered almost immediately. The first time you spent an entire afternoon under the sun, helping Kohaku gather food near the river, your skin had turned an angry shade of red.

It was ridiculous, really. The others had laughed, assuming it was a temporary reaction. But by the next morning your shoulders ached, your cheeks stung, and you could barely move your arms without feeling like your skin was being set on fire.

It hadn’t taken Senku long to realize what was happening.

“You’re a redhead,” he’d mused, watching you wince as Kohaku helped apply wet cloths to your burned skin. “And not just that—pale skin, American origin… You don’t have the melanin to handle this kind of prolonged UV exposure.”

Kohaku had tilted her head. “Melanin?”

“Basically, her skin is really bad at handling sunlight. People with darker pigmentation have natural protection, but she’s the kind of person who would have had sunscreen in the old world,” Senku explained, arms crossed as he analyzed you like a particularly interesting science experiment.

You had groaned, half-exasperated and half in pain. “And, let me guess, there’s no sunscreen in the Stone World?”

“Obviously not.”

That was three days ago. Since then, Senku had gone strangely quiet on the matter, which meant one of two things: either he didn’t think sunscreen was possible, or he was busy figuring out how to make it himself.

And knowing Senku Ishigami, it was probably the latter.

You sigh, watching the sun hover high in the sky as you sit under the shade of a large tree near the village. Kohaku had flat-out refused to let you work again until the burn healed, and while you appreciated the concern, you couldn’t shake the uselessness weighing on your shoulders.

“Getting restless?”

Senku’s voice pulls you from your thoughts, and you look up to see him standing over you, his usual smug grin in place. His makeshift clothing flutters slightly in the breeze, and he’s holding a wooden bowl filled with a strange, pale paste.

You raise an eyebrow. “What is that?”

“Your new best friend,” he says, crouching in front of you. “Took me a few days to work out the formula, but I think this’ll do the trick.”

Your eyes widen. “Wait—no way. Is that… sunscreen?”

“Damn right it is.”

Your heart leaps. “Senku, that’s amazing!”

He chuckles, pulling off his bandage-sleeves. “Of course it is. Science is amazing.” Then, without warning, he dips two fingers into the mixture and reaches for your arm.

You flinch instinctively. “Hey—wait, what are you—”

“Relax,” he says, rolling his eyes. “You’re just gonna make a mess if you do this yourself.”

You huff but don’t argue as he starts applying the homemade sunscreen to your arms. The paste is cool against your still-healing skin, and you let out an involuntary sigh of relief.

Senku smirks. “Feels good, huh?”

“Yeah,” you admit, cheeks warming. “What’s in this stuff, anyway?”

“Zinc oxide, primarily. It’s one of the most effective UV blockers. I had to make it by roasting zinc ore until it oxidized—pain in the ass, by the way—but once I had that, it was just a matter of mixing it with some animal fat and plant oils for consistency.”

You blink, impressed. “You figured all that out in three days?”

“Tch. If I had the proper equipment, I’d have done it in three hours.”

You laugh, watching as he carefully spreads the mixture over your skin. Despite his usual cocky attitude, his touch is surprisingly gentle. He works with quiet precision, ensuring every inch of exposed skin is covered.

It’s… nice.

The realization hits you like a stone to the head. Senku is always so focused on science, so analytical, that it’s easy to forget he’s also incredibly thoughtful in his own way. He hadn’t just made sunscreen because it was an interesting challenge—he’d done it for you.

Your gaze softens. “Thanks, Senku. Seriously.”

He pauses for half a second before smirking. “Don’t mention it. Can’t have you turning into a boiled lobster every time you step outside.”

You groan. “Oh my god, I will actually push you into the river.”

Senku chuckles, clearly pleased with himself. “Not before I finish applying this.”

He moves on to your shoulders, rubbing the sunscreen in slow, even motions. The casual intimacy of it makes your face heat up, and you pointedly look away, hoping he doesn’t notice.

“By the way,” he says, breaking the silence, “this isn’t a one-time fix. You’ll have to reapply it regularly, especially after swimming or sweating too much.”

You nod. “Got it.”

“And you still need to stay in the shade when you can. This isn’t as strong as modern sunscreen, so don’t go getting cocky.”

You smirk. “Me? Cocky? I think you’re projecting.”

He snorts. “Says the girl who thought she could work all day in the sun without consequences.”

You glare at him playfully, and he just grins in return. The warmth in your chest spreads.

After a few more minutes, he finishes applying the sunscreen and sits back, wiping his hands on a cloth. “Alright. That should do it.”

You stretch your arms, already feeling better now that your skin isn’t exposed and burning. “You’re a lifesaver.”

“No, I’m a scientist,” he corrects. “There’s a difference.”

You roll your eyes, but you can’t stop the smile that tugs at your lips.

Just then, Kohaku appears, arms crossed. “Are you two done with whatever weird thing this is?”

You blink. “It’s not weird, it’s science.”

She squints. “Sure. Science.”

You glance at Senku, who just smirks knowingly, and suddenly, you’re very aware of how close the two of you had been moments ago.

Kohaku raises an eyebrow. “Well, whatever. If you’re feeling better, you can come help me now.”

You glance at Senku. He shrugs. “You should be fine for a while. Just don’t roll around in the dirt too much.”

You huff. “I’ll try to restrain myself.”

As you follow Kohaku, you steal one last glance at Senku. He’s already moved on to another project, but there’s a tiny, almost imperceptible smile on his lips.

Your heart does a little flip.

Yeah. Maybe the Stone World wasn’t so bad after all.

[nsves]

(ts4) cc making testing guide

we've been making cc for a longg time and figured it would be good to share how we test our own cc and make sure it works for as many sims as possible! the guide will be based on a loose understanding already of s4s.

remove the original shadow, specular, and normal maps!!! a lot of the base items you start on do have their own speculars (what makes it shiny), shadow maps (false shadows to make it look better), and normal maps (extra details outside the plain texture). very rarely those will work exactly with what new item you're making, so be sure to REMOVE them! double triple check that they're empty by clicking "Make Blank" in s4s. if your mesh is shiny even after removing the specular and there's already no normal, you need to upload just a blank 1024x2048 png to it to remove the shininess.

having weight transfer issues? try subdivision! sometimes when using "nearest vertex" weight transfers your CC can well.. goof up in CAS and be reallyyy spiky. those are the vertices that have screwed weights and smoothing out the weight transfer by subdividing it will help tremendously. subdividing will just double the amount of poly you have - imagine you're folding a piece of paper. your UV is small if you just fold your paper 4 times thus not much room for morphing wiggle room in your weights. fold that paper 16 times? that's a lot more coverage and wiggle room for morphs!

test on multiple sims - maxis defaults, cc presets, skintones, etc! more the merrier! just remember that everyone's sim is not like the standard female/male sim bases a lot of cc making is done on. you'll want to check how it looks on larger sims, different skintones (not just white to tan!), the opposite body frames, even on CC presets to see how well the weights are working. not everyone uses the same CC, so take it as a bouncing off point on what needs to be adjusted to work as best as possible. not everything is going to work perfectly! there's a lot of different mods that can make extreme changes you just can't account for if you're going for a general audience. it also helps to load different sims to try your CC on. sometimes you get a red herring where it works on the first sim you load up! all of the sudden everyone loads it up and it's not working at all. that's just ts4 for you, so watch out!

update your CC's tags! go through each and every category of your package to make sure it aligns to what it even is! make sure it appears in the right outfit category, not meant for kids, whether it should be on in the shower or not, and TAKE THAT ALLOW FOR RANDOM TICK OFF! not everyone knows how to use s4s and shouldn't be expected to go through all their CC to fix the tags so it works properly for your game

don't just stand there, make them walk! a lot of CC can look perfectly fine on a still model, but you can find a LOT of issues just by loading a walk cycle in CAS to see if there's any weight issues, clipping, or anything really odd that shouldn't be happening. people who use CC in their gameplay will be having their sims walk, talk, sit, and animate, so be sure they're just not gonna flash everybody or got some polygons stuck in their teeth!

exporting a s4s mesh? let's clean it up! for some reason when you export a s4s mesh, there will be extra polygons that can easily be removed in blender. in this tutorial, we'll be using 2.7. this really helps on high poly meshes and remove any conflicting UVs that can make clipping issues.

we hope that helps! this is based on our private guide for people who test our own CC, which you should definitely try to reach out to others to test it out. each computer is unique and something can pop up you wouldn't ever come across - it doesn't hurt to try work out all the kinks before publishing! if you need some more help or starting point, we even have our own resource pack that has great references and items that will make your process go easier. good luck to your CC making journey <3

[quitealotofsodapop]

I decided to just post as is legit could not think past thay part.

It was late when the knock came. Wukong frowned as he looked up from the movie he was watching, some action film based on Erlang of all beings he was only a quarter invested in and was more simply using ot for background noise while he laid on his beat up old couch. It was well past midnight and he definitely wasn't expecting any company. Cautious, he groaned as he stood up, tail flicking as the knock came again, much more loud and aggressive this time.

"Alright, alright! It's well past midnight, you better have a the hell of a good reason for banging on... my.... door." Wukong grumbled loud enough for his impatient guest to hear, all but tearing the door off his hinges in his frustration as he aired his grievances, only to trail off into shocked silence when he sees exactly who his unwanted visitor was.

Wukong blinked twice at the sight of the figure shadowing his doorstep, not quite believing his eyes. He pinched himself and even flashed his Eyes of Truth to ensure it wasn't a dream or illusion. The dark furred monkey with a red butterfly eye marking did not disappear from sight or suddenly transform into something else. In fact, his already sharp grin became even more pointed and wide once he noticed Wukong had opened the door.

Wukong slammed the door shut, pressing his back against the wood as his heart began to race, knowing that the barrier of wood between him and the other monkey would do absolutely nothing to keep him out. How the hell- why is Macaque there!? What did he want!? Even as the thought crossed the former king's mind he knew the answer. Macaque was there for him!

Thinking quickly, he locked the door, activating the barrier spell he'd preset on the door years ago, and began turning every light he could on as he locked it and then fled to his bedroom, closing the blinds and trying to prevent as many shadows as possible. It was a foolishness endeavor, this house lighting was a few dim bulbs, one for each room, and the one above the front door always flickered. At most it'd buy him a precious few seconds... at worst it'd be a waste of time and those precious seconds used to turn the lights in could have been put to better use getting as far from the door as possible or escaping. Either way, Wukong knew one thing. He did not want to know what the shadow monkey wanted with him!

In his haste he slammed to hard against the corner of that hallway that led to his room, knocking a picture from the wall with a crash as at the frame shattered. He didn't have time to pick it up, choosing instead to run through the broken glass and ignore the sting and the bloody footprints left behind as noticed the shadows at the entrance begin to darken, trying to to think about the content kf the photo and how MK's graduation photo would now probably be ruined and covered in blood. A sharp sting to Wukong's power reserves told him that the barrier had easily been torn through, and now Macaque was in his home. It was a weak little thing, meant moreso to keep mortal thieves out than to prevent anyone with any real power from entering, Wukong hadn't thought he'd need something stronger.

After all, a simple mechanic would have no need for a guardian level barrier spell on his door.

'Then again,' Wukong had a hysterical thought as he all but burst down his bedroom door and flew across the room, rummaging under his bed for his bolt bag, 'Most simple mechanics aren't actually demon gods in disguise!'

Cursing as he wiggled under the bed, regretting that he kept it so far into the corner that he had to practically shove his entire body under the small space to reach it, he could sense the area around him getting cooler and his ears flicked back and forth as a reverberating laugh began to bounce off the walls around him. He's out of time!

His heart was bearing so fast he could hear it in his own ears, and so he knew his unwelcome guest could hear it, as he resched as far as he could and just barely managed to snag a claw on the beat up old bag's strap. He smiled at that, a small flame of hope beginning to burn in his chest only to be swiftly snuffed out as he felt something grab his leg. With the yelp, he was pulled from under the bed, stars exploding from behind his eyes as the harsh tug caused him to bang his head on the wooden frame as he was exposed and made vulnerable before his pursuer. Dazed, he could feel himself being turned over onto his back as something dark and heavy grabbed at his wrists and pinned them adjacent to his head, the straddling his stomach as he leaned over him, face inches from his own.

"Hey there, You're Majesty!~" Macaque's dark, silky voice purred out, his breath against Wukong's ear as he finally blinked the spots away and took in his position. "You are not an easy person to find, you know that!?"

In another life, Wukong might have felt agitated and annoyed by Macaque's tone, might have mocked him and pointed out that that had been the whole point of taking on a new identity. He might have fought back or slammed him against the wall, demand he leave his home and go skulk off somewhere else. Shown him the power of the Great Sage Equal to Heaven as he chased him away from this very realm. But this isn't that life. Wukong isn't that person anymore, he hasn't been for many, many years.

He didn't ever want to be that person anymore.

"No matter, I found you in the end." The Macaque continued, realizing the king wasn't going to speak, "Bit of a dump, huh? What sort of place you running here, Wukong!? This is far from your usual grandeur and wealth. If you hadn't been so bold and attention seeking during New Years I might never have found you!"

That's because Wukong isn't a king anymore. He gave up his crown centuries ago, and now he is a simple mechanic living in the upper apartment of his garage. He turned his head, not able to find the words to explain to him that this is his own way of protecting everyone. That the Monkey King is no more, that what happened on New Years had been a fluke, a that the Spider Queen had forced his hand. Sun Wukong was, as far as Wukong himself was concerned, supposed to be dead and buried. It was safer for everyone that way, where the monster in China's history is forgotten and faded into nothing more than myth and legend where he can't hurt anyone ever again.

"Well!? Aren't you going to say anything!?" Macaque demanded, growing frustrated at Wukong's perceived disinterest in him, his hands releasing the golden monkey's wrist, grabbing at the front of his filthy tank top instead to slam him against the ground. The metallic taste of blood hit his tongue as one of his sharp fangs nicked the inside of his mouth. Wukong reflexively squeezing his eyes shut as the wind escaped his lungs and his head banged once more against a solid surface, this time the slightly softer thin carpet of his floor. "Where's your silver tongue, now!? No excuse? No comeback!? What the hell is wrong with you!?"

Miscommunication, thy name is Shadowpeach.

Wukong is convinced that Macaque is there to try and kill him. And why shouldn't he?!

Ignores even his own injury from trying to run just to put more distance between them.

And Macaque is angry. Not just because of their fight and his death. But mainly because Wukong seems So... Not Wukong! This isn't the prideful King he knew and fell for all those centuries ago! Where is he?!

Wukong is trying to stop himself from saying that his mate is "As beautiful as the day I lost you." between desperate pleas that Macaque just stop and leave him to his mortal existence.

Eventually the shadow monkey gives up, and seeing Wukong "like an idiot" ran through broken glass; decides to start grooming and tending to him. Wukong is so puzzled and tired that he just rolls with it.

Wukong awakes to a bandaged foot, the smell of breakfast, and a super protective jealous not-ex-anymore husband in his kitchen cleaning up the shop like it's their new nest.

[all-purpose-dish-soap]

🍓!

Very sorry if this anon has been taken ( ;´ - `;)

Okay, so— I don’t have a very defined going out aesthetic but I do switch between these preset outfits from time to time (a. A nice soft artsy girl look with baggy pants and a green cardigan, b. baggy cargo pants with all the pockets you could ever need and more and a size large shirt I hand-cropped) very loose, I like using mismatched socks and worn black shoes. I always come with my backpack strapped to my back and old friendship bracelets around my wrist.

I’m a loser (╥﹏╥) so I don’t have much experience picking up.. uh, lads…? But I would probably rizz via small thoughtful gifts I hand made or probably remember them by. Maybe if I draw us together often and gift it to him it might give him a clue (ᵕ—ᴗ—) I would probably blabber about small things I notice about them, “Looking sharp!” “Every time I see you I remind myself to get shades, you’re so bright.” “Smile more often, I love seeing you happy.” “What’s wrong? You’ve been frowning…” Use a cheesy pick up line or two, laugh it off.

Text them at random showing them things I find (“look at this bottle cap. think I’m gonna keep it”) or am doing (“tell me the correct ways to use a power drill or I might blow a hole into my walls”), slide in an ask to hang out again. Gift them a pink camellia (roses are probably too forward) every once and while because men also deserve flowers. Try to get close but back off if I see even an inch on uncomfortability, hugs, tugs, silly hand reading, light touches here and there. Honestly I think I would snap and ask them out first.

Sorry if this is too long! Thank you and have a good day or night, feel free to ignore (´ε｀ )♡!

you sound cute as hell tbqh. (ⓛ ω ⓛ)

here's how this actually goes down: at first you're down bad for Soap. he knows it; his buddies know it. but you're soft and shy enough that he can pretend with plausible deniability he doesn't notice. you figure he's gonna overlook you for not being gf material--however. Gaz notices you are a catch and steals you right out from under him.

Soap totally strings you along. totally content biding his time until he can be bothered to get you alone and seal the deal. like, corrupt you.

but no rush. he figures he's got plenty of time. you're so hung up on him; you're not about to go chasing after some other guy.

nobody ever accused you of being a great judge of character where your romantic interest is concerned.

"every time i see you," you tell him, "i remind myself to get shades. because you're so bright."

ah. soap smirks. flattery will get you everywhere. "if i'm blindin' ya so bad, stop starin' so much."

he loves being chased, so what's wrong with a little teasing?

and since you're inexperienced with flirting, how are you gonna say no?

but then Gaz looks over Soap's shoulder and sees one too many of the cute little texts you send him. he scoffs at first at the game-playing of it all. but then he notices as you slowly start to leave Soap little gifts, flowers--trinkets that remind you of him, you say. it drives Gaz out of his mind. he gets this weird feeling that you're perfect, you're gonna make someone so happy, and you're being wasted on some dude who won't even take you out on a date.

Gaz also knows better than to tell you outright how Soap's a prick. you're too nice; you'll just defend him. justify his behavior. your crush on him blinds you. 

so instead, Gaz sits down silently next to you one day and watches you sketch. your attention to detail is impressive. loving, even. a spiral of envy squeezes his heart. Gaz tries to tell himself it's pity instead. Soap is a lucky bastard. doesn't know what he's got, clearly.

then, Gaz offers you one surefire way to get Soap's attention.

"it's easy," he tells you, silver-tongued. "man's a peacock. best way to his heart is through his pride." when you don't catch on, he nudges you with his shoulder. "make him jealous."

immediately he has you, hook line and sinker. that's all you really want, right? Soap's attention. 

fake dating Gaz. what could go wrong. 

naturally it's not long before Gaz is the one who has you wrapped around his finger instead. he's the better choice for you anyway <3

Soap still pesters Gaz from time to time to send him a picture or two of you. insists you've got to be sending them somewhere since you're not hitting him up anymore. he steals Gaz's phone to get a better look at the spicy ones

more Gaz / more Soap / masterlist

[abbysimsfun]

Sims In Bloom: Generation 2 Pt. 108 (New Year, New Friends...)

New Year's Day. A time of hope and renewal: this is how Heather and Conrad chose to meet the changing year. Unfortunately, a new year still meant trying new foods with Lavender was a chore, but this morning, Conrad forged ahead with a jar of peas.

Outside, Heather worked away at an easel she'd always ignored. But Ash's interest in art, and her friend Spencer's recent raves about the pastime, must have encouraged her to give the artistic outlet a try.

Before she left with Neal to return to Henford, Daisy checked in with her daughter while she painted what looked a little like an abstract olive.

"How have things been for you and Conrad lately?"

"They've been good," she said, but a hint of trepidation marked her voice. "He's still stressed, but the police detail's doing their job discreetly enough Ash hasn't noticed them - even after that prank call."

"Conrad will figure it out. Something will crack the case open. New year, new hope. Right?"

Heather nodded. "Right."

Inside, Lavender glanced up at her father with betrayal after they both learned she disliked mushy peas, so he switched to a more reliable plate of Oaty-O's - which she got all over her face, instead.

"You're a mess," he laughed, lifting her from her high chair to clean her up.

That evening, Ash returned home from San Myshuno, and he answered the door for a local boy doing a town survey for a school project. His name was Isaac Harms and he was much bigger, but Ash was outgoing, and he answered the boy's questions about local activities for kids until his parents called him inside to get ready for bed. Ash had school in the morning, and the young genius needed a good night's sleep before he returned to school with his friends on Deadgrass Isle.

(Isaac glitched out using an adult tablet totally autonomously and I wanted to share it because it's so weird, but I'm treating it as canon because he's five or six years older than Ash and I wish we could have kids who grew taller over time, or just a preteen stage. But I recently downloaded redheadsims preteen body preset so we'll see how that works out when I have sims the right age.)

In Henford-on-Bagley, Heather's sister Hazel greeted the new year alone at the Gnome's Arms. Her wife, Nicola, had gone to bed early after grading papers all night, but they'd spent most of the holidays together - and hated it. Hazel needed a night out.

Without her.

She ordered a screwdriver from the pub owner and bartender, contemplating her life as she thumbed the rim of the glass.

"Is this stool taken?"

A pretty blonde smiled when Hazel snapped out of her ennui. "No. No one's sitting there," she stammered, as the blonde held out her hand.

"My name's Suri. Suri Romeo."

"Hazel Nesbitt." (It's actually Moody-Nesbitt but oh.)

Suri glanced at her ring finger. "Is your wife here tonight?"

"No...She's sort of a homebody."

"And you're more of a...body magnet?"

Hazel nearly spit out her drink as her lips curled into a foppish grin. "You're not from around here, are you, Suri."

"I'm from San Myshuno, but my mother was from Henford and I moved here recently to learn how to be a great chef from my grandmother Clara."

Hazel perked up. "Clara Bjergsen? My parents took me and my siblings to her farm-to-table bakery after each one of our graduations. It was tradition."

Suri smiled. "I'm sorry I never met you there. I came out to stay with them and work a few summers while I decided being a chef was my calling."

Hazel laughed. A calling. Suri seemed young - twenty-one. Hazel was only 24, but at Suri's age she'd just started at the mayor's office. She was a newlywed and the rest of her life seemed so exciting. But it hadn't panned out as she imagined, and now she was here, sitting in a bar imagining what it would feel like to pin Suri against the wall and- ...She stopped herself.

"I hope this doesn't seem too forward, but I'd like to give you my number. Maybe you could show me around Henford sometime. As a friend."

Hazel smiled, and they exchanged numbers just as she spotted the local reverend and her sister's old friend, Everett Pancakes, come in from the cold. "Hey Laura! Got any leftover cottage pies for the church bake sale tomorrow?"

The bartender finished mixing a drink and smiled. "I'll give you three cottage pies if you'll also take this fish pie off my hands. I'll never say no to a Finchwick Favour, but I'll never eat one of those pies, either."

Everett laughed. "Hand it over. If nothing else, we'll feed it to the llama."

With Suri's number in her phone, what would be unhappy Hazel's next move? ->

<- Previous Chapter | Gen 2 Start | Gen 2.1 Summary

Gen 1 Start | Gen 1 Summary

NOTE: Hazel's next move will have to wait for the Cozy Celebrations posts. Originally planned them for one day on Christmas Eve, it's now three days long instead of too much at once, and starts on Sunday! We're hanging with the Nesbitt-Gordons for the rest of the week. Tomorrow is reserved for Lavender to become a toddler, and Conrad gets a phone call...

TOWNIE TREE NOTES: Sofia Bjergsen says hi! Suri's mom was actually at the Gnome's Arms this same night and I pretended she wasn't. But Suri is the daughter of Sofia and Sergio Romeo, granddaughter of Bjorn and Clara, niece of Elsa. The Bjergsens have been in the save this whole time and, until now, haven't crossed paths with the Nesbitts.

Sofia moved from Henford to San Myshuno as soon as she graduated high school but never quite made it. But she's happy, and raised three children with Sergio in an apartment in the Fashion District. She and Sergio are nearly empty nesters now, with Malachi graduating high school soon-ish; Suri is the middle child, sandwiched by brothers Camden and Malachi.

[charbies]

I love your coloring style! I struggle so much with painting color, do you have any advice for cohesive color schemes, or how you go about picking what colors and values to use? Do you always use references?

Yes!!! Ok so for a long time I struggled with color too, I would get stuck and give up on whatever I was working on because color just didn't make any sense

truth is, I don't think you can get very far with figuring out color without first figuring out VALUES

So when we color first and then desaturate the left pic, we get a very boring, flat pic, limited values. Middle pic and right pic are 2 examples of grouping values by foreground, midground, and background to create more contast & dynamic layouts.

Case in point; contrast shows our eyes where to go. Our eyeballs like having clear focal points, it makes a good drawing that much more satisfying to look at within its borders.

2 layouts for values that I personally like are dark foreground on light background, and light/dark foreground on midtone background.

once I have a value study I like, I start laying color in by applying a gradient map. Drawing programs will have presets, but I highly recommend learning to build your own gradient maps. From there I'll tweak the hue around until I find undertones I like (more on that later)

NOW LETS TALK LOCAL COLOR. I define local color, aka "flats" as the color your character is "made out of." Basically ask yourself what colors are your character, if your character was sucked into a vacuum where there was no organic source of light/shadow/sun/etc that would influence the local colors.

Once I have local colors, I use a new layer set to overlay and "lay" the local colors over the gradient. Local colors we want + gradient undertones + dynamic values = cohesive colorssssss

Now one thing I want to mention about color in general is, when I started doing digital art, my brain would "icon-ify" colors and pick colors based on an object's "information" (e.g. frogs are green). As a result, I'd pick a lot of saturated colors in the upper right quad of my color picker, and this would limit my color pallets quite a bit.

Now that I'm more well-versed with values, I've intuitively gotten better at picking local colors in other quads and on parts of the color wheel that go against object "info." In general, I like picking local colors that are warm & earthy.

Additionally, you can always use overlay to create cohesion if you're trying to go for a certain look/feel that's tricky to manually pick out on the color wheel!

Last 2 things I'll mention are I avoid using a large amount of default digital "white" in artwork. This white literally does not exist in nature, it's like a vacuum to the point where these "clouds" just look like holes in the pictures here. I highly recommend looking at examples of traditional underpainting & using undertones, this was a gamechanger for me since I learned how to carry a traditional technique into digital art and it greatly improved my digital art

References I always use references, for 2 reasons: 1) I have a tough time conceptualizing whole ideas in my head and can't draw most things from memory (womp womp). 2) I legit do not practice anything ever, oops, I am usually learning at least 1 new thing every time I draw, so basically it'll be like "ok time to learn how wolves work" and this requires references lol. I'll use photos or hostages (ie my partner lol) for anatomy & poses, pinterest & posemaniacs are fantastic for this.

Anyway that's every silly little thing I could think of to say lol. I've done digital art for 10ish years, I'm fully self-taught, take that as you will lol. Thanks for asking this, hope it was helpful! :+)

[eliluvschan]

Blame it on the Mistletoe

pairing: bang chan x reader

word count: 904

warnings: -

genre: fluff

a/n: Merry Christmas everyone <3

i stormed out of my house and into my car after a bad fight with my boyfriend, Sung-ho. i am furious at him. he comes home very late, every night, drunk as hell. then shouts at me for nothing in the morning, and other than that i'm gonna break up with him anyway, because i think i'm in love with someone else. but that someone doesn't know i like him and as far as i know, he doesn't like me back either.

i slammed the door shut and drove over to Bang Chan's house. my best friend for over fifteen years. he's been by my side since we met and probably cares about me more than that piece of shit known as my so-called boyfriend.

we met when we went to the same elementary school until he moved to Korea when he was thirteen and always comes back to Australia around Christmas to be with his family.

i parked my car in the driveway and got out, breathing in the cold air, and then shivering. i grabbed my present from the backseat and tightened my muffler from around my neck. i made my way to the front door and knocked. he invited me to Christmas dinner with his dongsaengs. like every year. the door opened, revealing Hannah.

she smiled at me, before he attacked me in a hug. ''Y/n! i missed you so much!'' he squeaked out. ''i missed you too, Han. how have you been?''

''good, i just debuted and i'm excited for what's more to come!'' she says as we walk further into the house. we talk some more as she takes my coat and we walk through the hallway to the living room.

i follow him to see a beautiful tree decorated with everything. it looked perfect. except the golden star at the top was missing. and under the tree stood Chan himself. one hand on his hip and the other holding the star as he looked up.

''Channie!'' i called. he turned around, smiled hugely and scooped me into his arms. ''i missed you!'' he said. ''i missed you too! 4 months went by too slow!'' i pout as he laughs. i smile at his adorable laugh and his beautiful brown eyes sparkled. in case you haven't figured out, Chan is the person i'm in love with.

''Hey, Y/n!''

i turn around and hug the rest of the Bang's. they are like family to me and i love them all so damn much. Chan turned to me. ''hey, can you help me with this?'' he held up the last piece of decor. the star.

''sure, what do you want me to do?''

''get on my shoulders and put this up please?'' he asked.

i looked at him. ''o- okay.'' i said reluctantly taking the star from his hand. he grabbed my waist and lifted me on his shoulders. i felt a chill run down my spine as his chin brushed against my thigh. i put the star up as Hannah and Lucas cheered.

he put me down and thanked me. i smiled at him and went to help Mama Bang set up dinner.

—❀— 

Jack, Jessica, Lucas and Hannah were still in the kitchen. doing the dishes, putting stuff back whatever. Chan and i were sitting in the lounge, staring at the tree.

''i'm gonna break it with Sung-ho.'' i told him.

''really?'' is it just me or did i really hear hope in his voice. ''why?''

''he- he treats me like shit. comes home drunk every night, shouts, and does a lot of other things.''

''he doesn't hit you does he?'' he picked up my preset from under the tree.

''nope. not yet anyway.'' i told him as he shook it, trying to figure out what it was.

he opened it, and took the beanie i had gotten for him. he made a duck face. ''yeah, i like it too.'' i laughed. ''where's mine dork?''

he put a finger on his lips. ''shh.''

we sat in silence for a while.

''Y/n?''

''hmm?''

''come here.'' he said standing up and bringing me close to the tree. ''make a wish?''

i looked up at him. ''what?'' he asked. ''hey, it's Christmas. don't be a joy-killer.''

i shrugged and closed my eyes. 'i wish the idiot next to me would like me more than a friend'.

i opened my eyes to see Chan standing very close to me, smiling softly. he pulled me closer to him by the waist and backed into the wall behind me. he smiled at the ceiling. i looked up and saw it as well. mistletoe.

i smiled back at him and then i don't know what made me do it, but i leaned on my toes and pressed my lips to his. i slowly kissed back, pulling me closer to him. i pulled away and rested my head in his neck. he rested on top of mine.

''i love you, Y/n.'' he whispered quietly. i just smiled and kissed his cheek. who knew wishes came true this soon? he kissed my forehead. ''what are we gonna tell the others?''

''i, uh.'' he looked around, we were still pressed against the wall. he looked up to where the mistletoe was hung and his expression cleared. he looked down at me.

''we'll blame it on the mistletoe.''

~

[bloomingkyras]

Hello! I’m a long time follower and I noticed that your screenshots got better in terms of quality! 😁 Did you get a new PC? And do you have any tips on how to take better gameplay screenies/editing? Thanks! Hope you have a lovely day 💕

Hi Noni and thanks. Hope u have a lovely day where ever u are too ❤

Btw, I recently answer the same or might be slightly same as this ask and also I include some tips how I take my screenshot. Its still the same method I use but here are more related what u ask or u can just refer both.

1st, I have a laptop and a PC (my husband gave me his old PC and upgrade it for me). If I'm at home, I will use my PC more then my laptop cause recently I did upgrade my graphic card for both Laptop and PC for my IRL work, also I use DX11 for the sims and I recently use re shade in my game that why my screenshot look better quality but I'm not really call my screenshot look that better, I'm still play around with taking screenshot here and there or don't be shy to ask other simmers their tips too and I upgrade my sims camera overhaul. I have a few part of how I have a better screenshot, since I'm too perfectionist and sometime I do have "Jealousy" in me, when I see other simmers have more better quality of screenshot 😅. So this is what I call "what works for me" and hope it's work for u too.

Choosing the right Re shade / G-Shade Preset

Choosing the right re shade / gshade are the second most important for me or maybe every one will agrees with me and not every reshade preset suit your style. I've try a lot of preset and end up stick with what i'm currently use. So choose wisely.

Gameplay, Build, Interior and Exteriors screen shot:

Recently there's a rain in the house bug that haven't being fix yet, so I use UI cheat to clear the sky cause it will effect my screenshot and the screenshot will look not good for me. I don't really edit my gameplay screenshot. It's all from my re shade that I use (u can check my previous ask regarding this). I only edit my screenshot when the picture look dark or enhance it but so far I already love what my re shade gave. And last I don't really play with my sims in their house, i use to bring them out to a community lot or somewhere that have an outdoor light and play with in game time too. I already explain this in the previous ask post.

Cas screenshot for Sims submission / intro post / Look book

I only use SRWE to take cas screenshot and my setting size are 2000 X 1500 or 3000 x 2500 (this will make your screenshot more HD or sharpen look).

What I use for editing my post.

I use Canva and Pixlr for editing cause its have everything and easy for me if i need anything from template to editing. I'm not use to PSD since it's give me alot of time to figure out 😅.

and that it from me and hope this tips work with u and thanks for noticing my changes of my screenshot 💜

[trickstersaint]

Screaminggg saint person I just read your apple taste in the throat as sin poem and I love it so I have a childhood experience to share bc I think the vague themes will make you writhe

So! Ever since I was a child I thought The Fruit™ was a fig! And I felt probably the same way you did whenever you ate an apple as when i ate fig newton's bc of this at like 6🤷 tasty but also [grows up in the church].

Anyway, that one lil story in the bible with the fig tree where jesus is having a very human moment and got caught in 4k withering the tree out of hanger then covered his ass with bravado+temple talk had stuck with little me from this, so to ramble: the life and death that goes into a figs growth and how even in paradise there was hunger, how it exists even among the divine, and that you have to give yourself whole to it like a fig wasp (it will kill you in the end) (or do you choose to die for it) (was there ever really a choice or is it nature to find something bigger than yourself and sacrifice your life for it) and that religion only lives on bc we do but who is to separate the temple from the tree thats barren that will outlast us like a legacy to all we could've been if not withered before its fruiting season? And what of the tiny wasps when the time comes to pollinate but the tree is gone, what of the next generation that burrowed their way out of the fig/divine and what life cycle is there to choose after? Were you born into it all or is it only where your mother died? andandand?? Screams I hope this gives you inspo for more writing or that you at least enjoyed the vibes of me being insane abt figs and what it means to take of the forbidden fruit and the withering of the fig tree lol

Also princess Diana and Gerard as a saint has been rattling around in my brain and I'm going nuts plz elaborate on what they mean to you I'm dying to hear ur thoughts in depth on that

my friend is also really into the fig tree story... beginning to think that raised-christian people only have a few preset bible concepts that they come preloaded with obsessions around. the two genders... fig and apple... anyway saying that even in paradise there was hunger is crazy. i need to write more about adam and eve they drive me insane. y'all ever think about this line from an article about adam and eve that i was reading for a research project a year ago and only posted on my main account where almost none of you guys would have seen it

she is trying desperately to encase herself within the divine framework... jack katz "The Social Psychology of Adam and Eve" save me. save me... anyway...

mmmm on princess diana and gerard way as saints. i find it interesting the way that people idolize her both as an icon of kindness and charity and also as a martyr; for the people who are really caught up in the image of her, i feel like it's absolutely as much about the fact that she died as it is about the good things that she did. not to say that people make her a christ figure lmao but if you REALLY wanted to get into it you could draw some parallels between the way that people talk about jesus interacting with the lepers and diana shaking the hand of someone with aids. and then to take this figure that you are idolizing for their selflessness and good works and to say that she was murdered is like. very evocative of martyrdom i think. these are not personal beliefs of mine i just find it very interesting to look at how people talk about her. personally i think the cultural obsessions around figures like princess diana and marilyn monroe, especially because they're women, are only ever going to grow parasocial and focus around the image or the idea of a person rather than fostering an interest in a historical figure. which. i mean. hey. me and saint sebastian for real :|

um. and then to further implicate myself in this social phenomenon. i am a freak about gerard way and i am not to be trusted around images of them in joan of arc armor or a cheerleader dress. liable to burst into tears or start speaking in tongues i think. i've been too transgender and too into my chemical romance for too long to be anything near normal about that particular person. seeing them in the joan of arc costume made me feel so crazyinsane about religion for so long that i sat down and wrote that first saints quiz. um. and you know actually i do have a poem about the way that it makes me feel so you can just go read that before i say something that's going to make me sound like i have a genuine religious fixation on that guy with like. a wife and kids. see also: trickstersaint poem "there's this feeling i get that i can't describe".

[aching-joints]

i had an ask that i already answered privately, but i thought it'd touch base on this, i guess, if u have questions, lmk

if you've ever wondered what mincing through s4s files looks like to me when trying find the right files for anything ever, it's pretty much this:

you can do it category by category or any other way you want, really, having a notepad open is handy to keep track of things that catch your attention, because you can usually find what they are, at least loosely (i use notepad++ because i like the ability to switch between different files at once, but honestly, good old microsoft notepad is more than enough, even word works, excel? no problem, whatever you want to use, honestly)

once you get used to it, you'll know more or less where to find what and where to look for that, certain categories aren't even necessary to consider looking at

for anyone actually wanting to learn about this, the best advice i can offers it to: make a fresh mods folder (rename your old one, don't delete it, lol), make some overrides/default replacements of simple things in-game

you can do something simple - brushes, or you can do something more complex and build a package file of whatever tickles your fancy, i don't know, the files are your oyster, there's a lot of them

when i started out, i kind of went into it blind because 1) i didn't know what i was looking for 2) there were no tutorials for making pet brushes back then 3) it was oddly satisfying being able to say "hey, i did this cool little thing" (and that was insanely rewarding but also led to burnout because I kept pushing myself to do more and more until i crashed like a wooden house on fire)

just because you try once and it doesn't work out - that's okay, you can remake the package, check whether you're missing files, it's a guessing game, really, some packages are insanely large (like for example, the horse coat presets, they're a pain to put together depending on just how many layers you have, the more layers you have, the more you have to keep track of)

there's a lot of cool things you can do here, and if you're someone who likes figuring things out, it's great, it's very satisfying and rewarding (imho)

[vaggieslefteye]

hi! your gifsets are so beautiful, but do you mind if i ask HOW? how are they sooo sharp and clean and unfuzzy? i'm so discouraged about making gifs becos mine always end up looking like they were recorded with a potato :(

I sold my soul in exchange for powers To sum it up very quickly, I basically sharpen and denoise my screengrabs while they're still videos. I render them with those new filters applied before putting them in photoshop to turn them into gifs. Once they're in Photoshop I just ensure that my coloring is bright yet there's not too many colors going on in the color table, otherwise the diffusion makes them look terrible. I also use the Smart Sharpen feature when sharpening my gifs. I'll have a longer explanation under the cut.

I will say it took me a while to figure out what works for me here. Before I even posted my first ever gifs I spent a Not Normal amount of hours for an entire week before just trying to get them to look decent and not so washed out and grainy and sad.

I can be bad at explaining things so I will do my best. It's basically a combo of 4 things. I got a high quality torrent of Hazbin at 1080p. For Helluva, I actually screen record the episodes myself, and the recent episodes actually come out the best since they release them in 1440p. Having the highest quality base video is very important.

I get my screengrabs in Vegas Pro 18 using the torrents/videos, I have been using Vegas to make videos and edits as a hobby for years, so it's what I'm most used to using. I also have the Boris FX Continuum pluggins.

First, after I crop and neatly place all the clips I wanna use in a set together, I apply the pluggin's Sharpen feature.

After that, its Denoise feature.

I have presets I use for those but I tend to have to manually adjust them every time depending on the scene, which probably does not do much in the end but I am a stickler for little details. Once I am happy with how they look I render them, then import them to Photoshop. This helps the most, I think. I'm still learning but from what I was looking up, every gifmaker giving advice always said it's most important to have the clearest and highest quality starting vid before importing into Photoshop or your program of choice to make gifs.

Once they're in Photoshop the things that help me the most, I have found, is:

Smart Sharpen

Good coloring

I like the way Smart Sharpen works as opposed to the standard Sharpen feature. But I always sharpen at the very end of the process, right before exporting gifs. And with coloring I just try to make sure that the color palette doesn't have too many different colors going on, otherwise the diffusion makes it look SO, so grainy. I use a combo of different filters every time but I recently figured out how to use Selective Color and that one is really good at adjusting the finer details of certain areas.

There are a couple other small things I do but I'm gonna be a lil selfish and keep those magic tricks to myself, teehee. What I explained here is the bulk of it, honestly.

[eldritchsurveys]

1216.

Is your closet disorganized? >> It's not disorganised, it's very organised, it just looks chaotic because it's a small wooden wardrobe that I have to somehow fit all of my clothes into. I can't figure out a way to make it look any better than it does. Have you ever been to Times Square? >> Many, many times. I have fond memories of being there in the wee hours of the morning with the crew. We were all so far removed from what is considered "normal" life, including "normal" reckoning of time... it is enviable. Being domesticated may indeed be safer and healthier, and I don't think I want to go back to that urban-wildling lifestyle (I don't even think I could, I'm not suited for it anymore, and so much of it depended on frequent drug use which I definitely cannot do anymore, physically and otherwise), but sometimes... sometimes, the nostalgia and the complicated grief that perpetuates it is overpowering.

Do you like to cuddle with your S.O. or do you prefer your space? .

What TV shows do you watch on a regular basis? >> Nothing that is currently airing, but I'm leisurely making my way through about 10 shows right now -- Riverdale, Stargate SG-1, Twin Peaks, Person of Interest, The Wire, Frasier, Vanitas no Carte, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Fruits Basket. Oh, that's 9 shows.

Have you ever accidentally left something valuable at a shop before? >> Not in recent memory.

Does it make someone a racist if they’re not attracted to a specific race? >> That is not how I understand racism. Attraction can indeed be informed by one's prejudices, but on the flip side, there are plenty of bigots who are also very into the idea of fucking the people they're bigoted towards. Who someone wants to fuck is not at all a reliable litmus test for whether they respect those same people and the cultures they belong to.

What makes your life remarkable? >> I don't know. The fact that I exist at all, I guess.

Are you putting off doing anything that you really need to get done? >> Not right now. I'm actually kind of shit at procrastination, sitting in that state of anxiety and dread is actually more painful than just doing the thing.

What is the last thing you scribbled down on a Post-It note? .

What are you currently listening to? >> A MyNoise preset to block out upstairs noise.

How would you react in discovering your best friend was seriously obsessed with you? >> I don't have one of those, but in general, I'd need more information than this. What connotation of "obsessed" is being used here? For example, if by "obsessed" you mean they're just super into me in a way that is more on the limerence/romantic ideation side of things, that's fine, I suppose. We'd have to talk about what that means for our relationship, and it could either be a good or bad thing, depending on how I feel about them and how well they manage complicated feelings, I guess. But if by "obsessed" you mean they want to eat my organs, well.............. honestly, that's not a dealbreaker either, I wouldn't entirely mind being part of a Hannibal/Will type dynamic-- My point is, context matters. Also I may end up setting myself up to be serial killed one day.

Do you care if your produce is organic or not? >> I don't, except in the sense that I don't want to buy organic products because they cost more.

Do you have any children? If so, how old were you when you had them? If not, do you think you ever will? >> I do not and I never will.

Do you eat meat? >> Infrequently, but yes.

Do you get enough calcium? >> I don't know. I haven't had labs done in a long time.

Do you think before you act or speak? >> For the most part. Sometimes my responses come from a deeper place than my cognition.

Do you have a SwagBucks account? >> I do, because shit like that is my only source of money.

Are you nosy? >> I can be. I like knowing things. Not even for the sake of using the information for anything, I'm just a curious motherfucker.

Do you always try on clothes before purchasing them? >> I hate doing it but I have to. Off-the-rack clothing is my enemy. Is there anything in your closet with the tags still on? >> There is not.

Are you happy with the size of your bedroom? >> I am very happy with it, it's so big.

Do you add people you don’t actually know on Facebook? >> I don't do that.

What’s your favorite condiment? >> Hmm. Hot honey, maybe. Or umami seasoning. I put those on almost everything. Honourable mention to chili crunch oil.

Would you even want to know how much of your life has been spent online? >> As mentioned, I am always curious about things so sure why not, but I don't think this information would be useful in any way. Do you shop at American Eagle? >> I do not.

List 5 things you’re afraid of: >> Incarceration, prolonged terminal illness, idk.

Have you forgotten anything important recently? >> I completely forgot that I saw a whole ass ballet earlier this year. This is really becoming a running theme.

Would you say you’re an honest person? >> I would say that I am much more likely to be honest than I am to be deceitful, mainly because there's rarely times when being deceitful would be of greater benefit to me. However, it would be a mistake to assume that I will always be honest about everything, ever.

The last Facebook message you received from the opposite sex, what did it say? .

What does the nicest message in your Facebook inbox say? .

Is your best friend single? .

What color was the ink of the last pen you wrote with? >> Black. What does your pencil-case look like? .

Where was the last place you went that was totally new to you, as in, it was the first time you’d been there? >> Hmm... the food pantry I started going to, maybe?

When was the last time you used someone else’s computer? >> February, when I built Sparrow's PC.

Who do you dislike the most? Explain what you dislike about that person. .

What’s the longest you’ve liked someone without doing anything about it? .

Do you use straightening irons on your hair? What brand? >> I do not.

What’s the relationship status of the last person you talked to? .

Is there anything you would like to complain about? >> Not right now. What’s the first line of the last song you listened to? >> "Two hands on the back wall, we're going through your mind." (Royal Thunder, Floor) Think of the person from your past that hurt you the most. Is there anything you would like to say to that person? .

Does your mom like the last person you kissed? .

Now your cell phone, what color is it? >> Black.

Last text? Who was it from? .

Do you use your speed dials? >> I do not.

What was so special about today? >> Nothing.

If somebody tried to steal your best friend’s boyfriend/girlfriend, what would you do? .

What was the last thing you said to your mother? .

When was the last time you cried? >> This morning? Literally, I cry so often that I can't even keep track anymore. Wait, I think it was last night, actually.

Has anyone made you upset lately? >> No.

What are you looking forward to? >> Uh... hmm. Nothing, I guess. Various video game releases, maybe? But not really, because I just think about how I can't afford them and I'm like "oh yeah".

Does anyone completely understand you? >> Can Calah does.

Ever stayed up all night on the phone? >> I have not.

Do you miss your past? >> See my answer to the second question for a glimpse into how I feel about times long gone.

Do you have a reason to smile right now? >> Sure.

Are you a forgiving person? >> *shrug*

Do you say sorry first? >> I don’t apologise at all. If I’m inclined to be contrite about something, then I’ll show it another way.

Do you like cats? >> Not as a rule. The general obsession with cats irritates me on a visceral level, which I can't explain but I just have to live with. There is sometimes an individual cat that I will like -- Sparrow's parents have a cat named Sophia who is my bestie. (She's a calico, I tend to vibe with calicos. Similar temperaments, you know.) Has someone promised you something and broke it? >> Probably.

Did you kiss or hug anyone today? >> Well, there was Can Calah, as usual. Does your phone ring in the middle of the night? >> Even if I were to get some sort of midnight robocall, the fact that my phone is set on perma-Do Not Disturb would prevent me from knowing until the morning. Is there anybody you’re really disappointed in right now? >> There is not.

Have you ever lost someone you wish you didn’t? >> I’ve been upset about a person’s death in the past. But I’m not entirely sure I wanted him to not be dead. I just needed to adjust to the fact that it happened. Are you anything like you were a year ago? >> I’m something like I was a year ago, sure.

Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom? >> That'd be a fair description.

Would you rather spend a day outside with friends or inside alone? >> So, only one of these is an option for me--

Think back to this time last year, were you happy? >> I was whatever I was.

Has anyone upset you in the last week? >> No.

What should you be doing? >> There’s nothing specific I should be doing right now.

Describe how you feel right now in one word. >> Neutral.

What would you do if you found out one of your friends was going for the person you liked? . Do you prefer drinking water from a bottle or a sink? >> Tap water is free, I prefer the free water.

Will you ever run away and get married in Las Vegas with no notifications to either of your families? >> We did not do that. Well, I mean, I don't have a family, but Sparrow's family was definitely present at the wedding, which was incidentally in a different popular wedding destination (New Orleans).

Have you ever thrown your iPod in anger? >> Back when I had iPods, possibly. I definitely did it with CD players.

Who did you last have a heart-to-heart conversation with? >> God, I would love to have something like this. Besides my dialogues with Can Calah, which are always heart-to-heart.

Do you believe that there’s good in everybody? >> This good/evil concept is of no interest to me.

Has anything happened to you within the past month that has made you mad? >> Possibly?

Would you ever get a tattoo? >> I have three, so the answer is obviously yes. I would also get more if I could.

[doshi-sukiru]

What program do you use to paint? Looks cool!

I currently use Krita!

It's a free art program that you can download, and you can also make animations on there as well (I would recommend looking at a video to understand how that works bc I couldn't at first)

In all honesty it reminds me of the Microsoft art program they used to have back in the early 2000's when computers were big and chunky-

There are a lot of features you can use on here to help yourself learn the basics on here (again, highly recommend watching different videos for support bc some of these things I couldn't understand myself-)

A good example would be one of the lucifer pics I made a month ago with my current workspace-

Each layer shown has it's own place to make that glorious man, from lineart to simple colors to highlights and shadows and even my signature (still trying to figure out how to make a brush for that-)

overview is a good thing for me because I am always doing something wacky or different out of curiosity and usually it never turns out that great, so I use it often to be sure whether or not it looks good.

Brush presets (which I can't remember if that's in the default or not-) are very helpful, especially when you want to use different brush packs from the default set and/or you want to add new brushes to use. e.g. I use the first brush (the one in blue) as my sketching brush, and the other brush (The one that's white) as my lineart tool. These are below:

You can download these brush packs as well as other kinds of brush packs if you search krita brushes (Do note some are paid brushes so check beforehand!)

To get this program you can just search up krita program, and you'll find the download option on the first link:

If you have any questions you can ask me!

[specialagentlokitty]

Mr Evershed x student!reader - ghost

Please can we have a part two of ghost? 👻❤️ - Anon💜

Part two:

You wondered to school the next day, hands in your pockets and you looked at the police car parked in the parking lot and you smirked to yourself.

“Didn’t think he’d have the balls to do it.” You whispered.

“Think they’ll figure it out?” Sam whispered.

You glanced to your friend and shook your head.

“Nah, they’re still trying to figure out whether ghost is a teenager or not. I’ve been keeping up to date on the investigation since it started.”

She nodded her head and you two carried on walking towards the school only to be stopped just before walking in.

“I’m just grabbing students as they walk by for a chat, so you mind?” The officer asked.

“No sir.”

He smiled and gestured for you both to follow him and you lingered back and leant towards Sam.

“Play it cool.”

“What do I say?!” She hissed.

“Just follow me lead, okay? I got this Sam.”

She nodded and you both walked into the conference room, taking a seat next to one another, opposite Mr Evershed and other two officers.

The one that led you in stood by the door.

“Good morning Sam, (Y/N).” Mr Evershed smiled.

“Morning Sir.” You both replied.

“I’m detective Jones, these are officers Johnson and Ryan, do you mind if we ask you both a few questions? You are free to say no if you want to.” The woman smiled.

“That’s fine Ma’am.” You politely replied.

“Yeah that’s cool.” Sam said.

She nodded and pulled out a notepad.

“So, can you both tell me where you were two nights ago?” Jones asked.

“We were at my flat, doing some homework.” You said.

“What kind of homework.”

“Maths, it’s due in today.” Sam said.

“Can we have a look?”

You both pulled out your homework sheets and Jones took them and looked at them.

“They’re the exact same.” She said.

“I may have copied Sam, I’m not good at math.” You grinned sheepishly.

The woman laughed softly and handed them both back and wrote a few things down on her notepad.

“Do you two know anything about the party?” Mr Evershed asked.

“No sir.” Sam said.

He looked at you and you shook your head and he sighed a little bit.

“You’re not going to be in trouble if you do, I just need to know who organised it.”

You shrugged a little.

“We don’t know. Like I said, we were at mine.”

“Do you mind if we contact your parents and ask them?” Jones asked.

You hummed a little.

“You can but I’m not sure you’ll get very far. They both work out of town during the week, so usually it’s just me. Sometimes the little old lady next door comes by, but she doesn’t know how to work a phone, I don’t even think she has one.”

The detective nodded her head and they asked you a few more questions.

“If you hear anything will you please let me know you two?” Mr Evershed asked.

“Of course sir. You smiled.

He nodded and dismissed the pair of you and you walked out, and Sam grabbed your hand, pulling you down the hallway and out of view.

“I really think someone’s going to say something, you’ll get into load of trouble.”

“Sam, relax. This isn’t my first run around, alright? I’ve done it before.”

“You have?”

“Course I have, why you think am so good at it.” You snickered.

She grinned a little and you both went about your day, and you watched as the officers wondered the schools during break and lunch talking to people.

They were still there when you finished, and you decided to leave them a little preset.

Walking past Mr Evershed and officer Johnson, you brushed the fingers of your left hand against the door as you passed.

“See you Monday!” You beamed.

“Have a good weekend (Y/N).”

You wondered over to the gate and did the same thing to the gate and they carried on watching as the students left.

“Unfortunately we don’t have anything to go on. We’ve spoken to most of the students and no one is telling us anything.” Officer Ryan said.

Detective Jones walked over and she stopped, taking a step back as she looked down at the door.

“Someone’s definitely saying something.”

She gestured to the little sticker and Mr Evershed frowned.

“They walked right past us?” He asked.

“We’ve had access to a few files of the mystery party thrower, Ghost likes to taunt. It’s like a game to them. Completely harmless but a nuisance to say the least.”

“Can’t you get prints from it or anything?” The headteacher asked.

She shook her head.

“They’re smart, there’s going to be no prints there. Maybe we can look at the camera footage.”

So they did, but they still didn’t see anything even after watching it a few times.

You grinned to yourself as you stretched a little, grabbing your spare bag, you stuffed some cans into it and pulled the black hoodie over your head.

You kept the mask around your neck as you swung the back over your shoulder and walked through the building until you were outside and you looked around before pulling it up.

Jogging down the street, you took a few shortcuts and found the wall you were looking for and you set your bag down, pulling the cans out you gave them a shake and quickly got to work.

Mr Evershed was driving home when he noticed the figure spray painting the wall and he slowed his car to a quiet halt.

You weren’t stupid, you knew he was there, you saw him out the corner of your eye driving past.

Stuffing the rest of the cans into your bag, you closed it and tossed it on and turned around.

Mr Evershed froze slightly and you shuffled a few steps to the side.

“Right, enough games. Who are you?” He asked.

You said nothing and you ducked under his arm, still spray painting as you dodged his attempts to stop you.

Once you were done you ran around him to confused him and hopped up a fence, using it to climb onto a higher wall and you crouched down as you looked at him.

You rested your arms on your knees as you both stared at one another.

“I’ll call the police again!”

You shrugged a little.

“Do you know me?” He asked.

You thought for a minute before nodding your head.

“Do I know you?”

You grinned a little more under the mask and slowly nodded your head.

“Why are you answering my questions?”

You didn’t reply to him.

“Is this a game to you?”

You nodded.

He sighed, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked up at you.

You stood up, copying his stance.

“You’re a student aren’t you?”

You gave a another nod of your head and he furrowed his brows a little as he looked up at you.

You stood up and gave him a bow, then you looked behind you before looking at him again, giving him a little salute as you tossed the empty can to him and jumped down on the other side.

Spinning around you jogged away with a grin on your face and he picked up the empty can and looked at the massive ghost art on the wall.

Sighing, he got back into his car.

The whole weekend he tried to figure out who it was, but he couldn’t. And he couldn’t just jump to conclusions about who it would be.

Going in on Monday, he made his way straight to his office to find Mrs Carter waiting for him.

“Mandy? Everything alright?”

“I heard you have a bit of a ghost raver problem.”

“Do you know who it is?” He sighed.

“No idea. But I’ve had a few run ins with them before, mainly them running away from someone. All I can tell you is that they’re a nuisance, they’re not a threat though. They’re no way dangerous.”

“How can you be so sure if you don’t know who it is.”

Mrs Carter sighed a little as she sat down and he did the same thing.

“I’ve been keeping up to date on the investigation, they probably have too.”

“I swear they’re taunting me Mandy, it’s a student at this school.”

“How can you be sure?”

He frowned a little.

“I can’t be sure, but I think it is. And they’re mocking us all.”

“Have you thought maybe they’re doing this for attention? Maybe it’s a cry for help? Maybe it’s just a little bit of entertainment for them. They’re just a masked person who throws parties, nothing more.”

With that, she left and he frowned as he carried on trying to wrack his brain for any idea on who it could be.

He didn’t know any student that would do something like this but could also be so careful and smart about it all at the same time.

Most of his students lashed out in anger, or withdrew from everyone. He had never had to handle something like this before.

You on the other hand walked into the school, hands stuffed into the pockets of your jeans as you smiled at the officer stood at the front.

“They don’t seem like school regulation.” He said.

“You don’t seem like a teacher.” You mused.

“Well, im sure she’ll say the same thing.”

He pointed behind and you looked at Mrs Carter, giving her a half wave and she rolled her eyes a little at you.

“You know the drill (Y/N).”

“Of course I do Miss, im going. Good to see you again!”

You headed to the office and knocked on the door waiting to be invited in.

“(Y/N)?”

“Wearing jeans.” Was all you said.

“Have a seat.”

You nodded and sat down and he carried on scrolling through his computer for a few minutes and you scrolled through your phone as you waited for him.

You scrolled past a news article about your artwork and you smirked a little bit, something that didn’t go unnoticed by Mr Evershed as he caught a glimpse of the artwork on your screen before you quickly locked your phone