#what 3 years of digital art can't do for you am I right

[weaponizedmoth]

New and improved Hex Girls poster redraw! I decided to change the color significantly, so it looks more like my art. Yay! I'll put it up as a print on inprnt, etc. ko-fi | inprnt | commissions

[pien-art]

-FAQ-

Hello! I've gained a whole bunch of followers lately and I've been getting a lot of questions about commissions, what my setup is, what brushes I use, etc, so I thought I'd make a post about it to answer everyone's questions at once !

Putting them under the cut <3

Commissions:

Commission prices are listed in my pinned post. You can send me a private message about your commission idea and we can get to talking :) It is helpful to have enough references handy (character, outfit, descriptions etc)

I am generally a fast drawer but I also have a job and a physical disability so there might be moments I can't work on your commission. But that is never longer than a few days at most.

Payment is upfront, the full amount and via paypal only. I know this might seem a bit scary but unfortunately there are a lot of people who end up not paying for commissions and I want to avoid that.

During the process I will send you frequent updates and will ask for input, to see if it is going in the direction you want. You can ask for changes during the sketching progress but once I've started on line-art and coloring, no big changes will happen. (You can for example ask for a different color for a shirt etc, but not for a different prop or pose or expression)

When it is completed, I will send the drawing to you via email. The drawing will remain mine and it is not to be sold or profited of by the person who commissioned me. If the commission is for something commercial/for selling, that needs to be discussed. I prefer to do drawings only for personal use!

For more questions, my dms/asks are open :)

How long have I been doing digital art:

I've been drawing digitally for about 5 years now i think? But before that I've been drawing and painting traditionally literally since the moment I could pick up a pencil.

Set-up:

It's just me and my ipad and apple pencil laying on my bed. I wouldn't even know where to begin for those whole multi-monitor/screen setups ;-; I draw only with Procreate

Brushes:

I tend to play with different brushes from time to time to get different textures, but generally i use the same few for most of my drawings/styles. My favorite one is the Peppermint Brush, for sketching. I use it in every drawing i make! I always sketch with it, and often do the line-art with it as well! And it makes for a nice textured brush for rendering as well! (i used it for a lot of rendering of the armor in this drawing)

The (procreate) brushes i use a lot are

for medieval style: inking - Ink Bleed (for line-art) artistic - Quoll (for coloring)

for general style: calligraphy - Chalk (coloring/rendering) sketching - Peppermint (line-art/sketching)

for realism: calligraphy - Shale Brush (full rendering) Also using the shale brush for smudging and erasing when drawing realistic

for lineart: smooth pencil from this pack by Heygiudi

How/why do you choose a base color:

I tend to look at a few different things when deciding on a base color/color palette.

the overall color of the reference pic

the color i associate with who or what i am drawing

the feeling/vibe i want to give off with that drawing

color has a BIG impact on the vibe of a drawing, so it is something i keep in mind when im drawing.

Using a color as a base to start, helps a lot with my drawing process. It helps me pick out other colors so they match better. It helps me get light/dark values right. And the chalk brush i use, has gaps between the strokes, so the base color will always come through a little. Having the same color come through in the entire drawing, helps pull all the colors together if that makes sense? I always start with a solid base color when i am painting traditionally as well!

Advice:

PRACTICE!!! just keep drawing and practice. I know this is such generic advice but truly practice is The Way. Learn from other artists but don't compare yourself to them. Everyone's artistic journey is different and there's no "good" or "bad". And most importantly make sure that you have fun when you're making stuff :3

I also learn a lot by studying art I admire and love. Figuring out what it is I like about it. (for example, the line thickness or the shapes or texture etc), and try to incorporate that in my own style in a way that is not directly copying or stealing.

[pixelatedraindrops]

Hello everyone!! Today I grow a year older :3 (and I hate it lmao) FEEL FREE TO REPLY BIRTHDAY WISHES IF YOU WANT :3

So, over the time I've come back here, I've become pretty confident and proud of my once hidden passion about sick characters, sickfics and sick comfort/whump... 🌡️

And you all have been so supportive and sweet despite my weirdness so I thank you for that. You helped me feel more confident in my otherwise weird fixation <3 So, for my birthday I thought I'd try and make up a little drawing challenge for anyone who wants to give it a try... There are soo many talented artists on this site (and in this fandom)

So... It's your turn to target your faves now. You will see how fun it is and hopefully understand why I love doing it so much. 😈🌡️

(plus it's my birthday and I require some sustenance LMAO JKJK)

But yeah anyone can join in. This is just for fun though! You don't have to if you don't want to! I think its okay to ask for some food on my birthday though...right?? X'D So if you wanna do sth for my birthday...then... 👉👈 💦

CHALLENGE BELOW~

DRAW YOUR FAVE ON A SICK DAY CHALLENGE🌡️😷🥵🤧

~~~~

(Mmmmkay, I am lying to myself when I say this isn't mostly aimed at the RainCode community... X'D Can't help myself. But anyone can join regardless of the fandom!!)

So here's the challenge and the rules!! (featuring my two main lil targets ofc :3)

Regardless of who it is, put your fave through some sickness hell >:3c I'd love to see it! Make em' as miserable as you want!

destroy them 😈 jkjk XD

If you're in the RainCode community you can target anyone, but as you know, my main targets are Yuma and Makoto. If they're also your faves and who you decide to use, that will make me extra happy!

Some tips for anyone new to drawing a sick day scenario art. A few things that make it look convincing are the following:

Pajamas or Loungewear

Messy Bed Hair

Fever flushed face w sweat or at least a red nose

Tired Eye bags

Shivery body

Ice Pack or a Compress on the head

Thermometer sticking from their mouth

LOTS OF BLANKETS

Tissues or medicine surrounding them

Tea or Soup (or both)

Those are just to name some from the top of my head. If you'd like some pointers on how to make a character look ill, check out my Fever Coloring Guide. This is for digital artists but traditional artists can try it too!

You can add injury or angst to the scene but I'd like illness to be the main focus of it.

The scene can be anything you want to, it can be fluffy and wholesome (with a caretaker) it can be angsty, or it can be silly. Its all up to you! Do it for the sake of fluff! Caretaking scenes are the best for any kind of relationship >w<

Either way, have fun with it!! I look forward to see what people make if they decide to give it a try! It doesn't even have to be a full on picture! Doodles and sketches are fine too! Just show me something >w<

(feel free to tag me and say happy b-day and mention my challenge, I am proud to be known for this and would love for many to participate :3) I wanna see you take a go at it :3 Show me your style! :D

~

~~~

(wow look at me misspelling the word writing on text when I did it fine with my own hands lol)

Now, I know not everyone can draw...

Well never fear! I accept writing as well! ✍️✍️✍️

(hi vivia lol sorry for giving you a cold, at least you have an excuse to read and do nothing now haha x3)

Sickfics are one of the biggest things I live for! Any little drabbles or full fics with more than one chapter are welcome! Again target who you want any fandom you want, but I'll def be super happy if you make a RainCode fic. And even happier if you target my faves as well, but again, anything will do! Just make a cute story about your fave being miserable and being tended to! Trust me, it's super fun!

You can add injury or angst to the scene but I'd like illness to be the main focus of it.

Feel free to post your writing here and tag me or mention my AO3!

If you need a start to your fic, look on my blog for illness prompts! Maybe it can help give you a good start or give some inspiration! (thats why I share 'em :3)

I look forward to anything you try to write!

~

That's about all!! I hope you decide to participate! ✨

Good luck, have fun, and godspeed you future whumpers! 😈

(nah jk XD)

AGAIN THIS IS FOR FUN! NO PRRSSURE IF YOU DON'T WANT TO!

[plasticbeachdatingsim]

We're making a Plastic Beach dating simulator!

Because of this, keep an eye out for polls! Your votes in these, along with other suggestions, will influence the game.

The game is still in early concepting, meaning we are taking advice and suggestions through the askbox.

Blog Rules

Violating any of the rules beginning in red is an immediate block. Rules in green are strongly encouraged. All others are clarification.

Do not make romantic or sexual comments or gestures to either mod. We have been happily with each other for 4 years.

Do not use any concept, idea, or piece of the game we share, in part or whole, for anything you are working on that will be posted publicly if credit isnt directly and clearly given. We reserve all rights.

Do send advice and suggestions as long as you do so in a constructive manner.

Do let us know if you've found concrete evidence that we characterized somebody incorrectly.

Do tell us if any gesture, visual, or piece of dialogue in the game is in any way offensive. We can't always catch everything, so do not assume we know.

We encourage you to send asks instead of DMs for non-sensitive or personal questions. This is to ensure that we dont get multiple DMs asking the same question, and that as much information as possible is kept public and not exclusive to one person.

If you have a sensitive or personal question, just send your question to the askbox but let us know youd like your answer private in some way and we will answer you in DMs without posting the ask.

Mods

Elliot

he/him

I will answer asks, reblog and post in purple.

I'm responsible for the writing, sound design, and concept art for the game. I'll be answering any questions about these things.

Dagger

Any pronouns

I will answer asks, reblog and post in pink.

I am responsible for the programming and creation of the game mechanics, as well as digitalizing concept art. I'll be answering any inquiries having to do with these.

FAQs

Any asks or messages we get asking these questions will be ignored, unless it is for more clarification.

Where is the game at right now?

It is still in concepting.

What platforms will it be available on?

We are still novice developers with no budget, so don't expect it on any consoles. It will most likely go on itch.io and/or gamejolt, but we will know more when we're further in development

Will it cost money?

It will most likely be a name your price game, but if we decide to go with a fixed price it will not be more than $2 or $3, so don't expect to break the bank.

[verkomy]

i love your art style! any tips for beginner artists?

thank you so much!! here're a few that popped into my head:

always use references! if you don't know how to draw something - look it up on the internet or (even better!) take a picture of yourself and draw it. drawing things from photos and nature will help you improve much faster than trying to draw everything from imagination and memory. ps. try not to use references drawn by someone else in the beginning because then you'll most definitely duplicate someone else's possible mistakes and we don't want that.

don't focus too much on finding your own art style. learn the rules first so you can break them later and apply them to your drawings. I can't count how many times I was angry that each of my drawings looked different until I realized that this is also a part of the whole "finding my own art style" process, so look for interesting styles and be inspired by artists you like.

and I don't know if this is a tip but I feel like I need to say this - it's okay to be inspired by someone else's art style. my art for a very long time was inspired by burdgebug (raise your hand if she was your art style goddess too) and many times I even copied her drawings too, and that is fine HOWEVER I never posted them anywhere and signed them as my own. and my point is - study art styles that you want your own style to be based on but never copy or trace someone else's drawings and post them as your own. AND if you draw something inspired by your favorite artist - tag them! I'm sure they'll be thrilled to see that their work has inspired someone. :)

digital art and tablets are great but don't forget about sketchbooks! using different types of media, from pencils to paints, give you freedom that no screen can. and if you're posting your art on social media - don't feel pressure to post every sketch online, not everything you draw has to be content.

also not everything you draw has to be perfect, let yourself experiment and learn from it!

if you're drawing digitally remember to flip your canvas! and if you're drawing traditionally you can look at your drawing in the mirror or take photo of it and flip it in the photo editing app.

don't shade with black! it will make your drawing look mudy.

I really like to draw studies from my favorite movies or tv shows because they allow me to learn how the light and shadow work in different setups so I recommend you doing that too!

I know it sounds scary but try to draw full bodies and backgrounds too and not only portraits (but they're so fun to draw right?!) so you'll improve all of these three things at the same rate. I was teriffied of drawing feet for a very long time and look where I am now - still can't draw them, why do people even need feet...

and what is most important - have fun! draw what you want, experiment, use defferent medias and art styles and find what suits you best. it's a very long road, a lifelong even, so don't be upset at first if something doesn't look the way you wanted it to (it hardly ever does even if you're on the higher level in being an artist). someday you'll be able to draw something that you've imagined for years and it's the greatest feeling in the whole world! just be patient and try to enjoy the road you're on instead of looking at the final destination.

bonus tip or more of a uplift for begginer artist that post their drawings on social media: YOU ARE AWESOME AND YOU DESERVE EVERY RECOGNISION, try not to pay attention to engagement and numbers on your posts because they can ruin your motivation like nobody's business, and remember that you are what you create and not how your art performs on the internet. <3

that's a long ass post, but I hope it's somehow helpful! I could make a post with useful resources (mostly for digital art) so let me know if you'd be interesed in that~!

[icedmetaltea]

I've been feeling discouraged about my art recently. Could you possibly give me some tips?

Ok I wanna preface this by saying I am by no means a professional or even "good" artist, BUT I shall try!

These are all tips by a digital artist so I can't help much when it comes to other forms

This got long so under the cut, 20 ART TIPS TIME LETS GOOO

1.Try to draw most days, or at least once a week. The more often the better BUT I don't mean like hardcore, a complex drawing every single day (recipe for burnout right there). I mean like even just 30 seconds of SOMETHING. You can draw shapes, maybe fill a page with circles. There are programs u can find online that give you like a min to sketch something and challenge yourself in a really short time frame. Guess what?? When you draw often you're building those neural pathways (I think) and the more you do it the easier it'll get

2. Don't obsess over making stuff look perfect on the first draft... or at all. I recommend making a "draft" layer or 2... or 3 over the initial sketch. The more you go over it and change stuff, the better it'll be. Also, If you spend hours on it and still hate it?? Who cares! You put in the work and now you have an idea out on paper that you can go over some time in the future and improve if you chose to.

3. DON'T DELETE STUFF!!! Unless it's literally just mindless scribbles, save everything you draw. Like I said, you can go over it again and improve it someday. You can also look back at it in like a year and compare your art to see where you've improved! I deleted all my old art from beyond like a year ago and regret it so much. Don't berate yourself for the stuff you need to work on, be proud of what improvements you've still made

USE REFERENCES!!!!!!! Please just do it, I know it's annoying but I promise it helps so so much

4. Invest drawing tablet, preferably one with buttons that you can map to undo, sketch, fill and such. This will make drawing sooooo much easier (and faster). My quality of art has improved just from drawing the same thing and redoing it like 20 times at a time, and it takes way less time when I can just click a button to do that. It might seem daunting at first but it quickly becomes instinctual. This is the one I got and I'm quite happy with it! It's got good sensitivity, a pen you don't have to replace batteries for or even recharge, and it's mid-range so not wayy too expensive. However, if you're just starting out, I'd recommend this (I got the corded version but I assume it's about the same) since it's small, cheap and you can focus on just learning basics like improving lines n such.

5. Use a bigger canvas size. I started out with 1000x1000, and that's still fine for smaller stuff and doodles, for better quality I recommend bigger sizes. If it's too small it'll look all weird and pixel-y

6. THERE ARE LITERALLY SO MANY FORMS OF ART, maybe the one you're trying just isn't something you vibe with! There's mosaics, digital, traditional (and all the many sub-categories of that), sculpture, photography, etc. All are equally valid and you will improve in your craft if you choose something that 1. you enjoy, 2. are consistent with it!

7. SEGEMENT OUT THE LIMBS drawing DCA stuff for over a year has helped me improve on anatomy sooo much literally just because it forced me to think of each part of a limb in terms of segments, shapes- for instance, instead of an upper arm, I think of a tube which connects to a circle that allows it to rotate and another tube... followed by a weird shape for a hand that connects 5 smaller tubes, whiCH ARE THEN SEPERATED IN TO 3 TUBES EACH. Yes it sounds confusing but breaking it down like that instead of just trying to figure things out helped an absolute shitton

8. Have some kinda hobby that makes you draw frequently. For instance I have a discord sona I draw a new pfp for every month or so. It's a simple design and since the pfp won't show many flaws I can pump out lots of art for it in a small timeframe and I find it relaxing. I've actually improved a shitton just drawing pfps This is one of my first pfps from maybe 2 yrs ago compared with one of my most recent ones

(yes I'm a bit of a furry deal with it) It's cute, there's nothing wrong at all with it! However, you can see how things have changed.

See how the lines are a lot more even, less jagged? The proportions of the shoulders are much wider, the ears aren't just popping out of the hair, the shading makes a bit more sense and isn't just thrown around at random. There's also a broader range of color, with a few bright highlights to catch the eye, colored shading I think as well. The former is just like 3 simple colors. These are all things I learned from drawing pfps consistently.

9. CONSISTENCY IS KEY!! And FUN, if you have fun drawing it'll be a lot easier to do frequently

10. Whether it's drawing pfps, blorbos or landscapes, find something that brings you joy and it'll be MUCH easier to stick to. Draw, draw a lot, do not worry about "good" art and "bad" art cause there's literally no such thing. Compare what you draw now with what you do in like a year or two from now and I promise, if you're consistent, use references and are patient, you WILL amaze yourself with how much you improve.

11. Challenge yourself! Join secret santas (assuming you know you can complete it within the allotted timeframe), draw your friends' sona/ocs (if they're cool with it), do palette challenges, do monthly stuff like drawtober or whatever it's called (BUT I don't recommend doing something every single day for a month cause again, gonna cause mega burnout)

12. Draw when the inspiration comes, it will move your hand. These days I make much better quality art that I'm proud of when I just let inspiration flow through me instead of begrudgingly making myself draw. You shouldn't be forcing yourself!! If you are, you probably are burned out by either drawing too much, feeling a lack of confidence or some other stuff going on irl. Inspiration comes naturally, and when it doesn't it's prolly your mind trying to communicate that something's up. If resting a week or two doesn't help, take a deeper look at your life and see if the artblock is a symptom of something else (for me it's most often depression).

13. At the same time, sometimes you just need to start. Kinda on the previous point of lacking confidence, often we scare ourselves out of even trying. It might feel insurmountable. Nah, try. If all you can do is a wobbly, vague sketch?? You got the idea out!! Start drawing fuckin eyeballs or something, just start. Sometimes the hardest part is just facing a blank canvas and putting a couple lines on it

14. Not all brushes are equal. Some just make drawing easier- at least for me. I dunno the science behind it but when I use my sketch brush (it's got a similar look to pencil) rather than my lineart brush it makes drawings just... look better. Also using thicker lines in general helps. Why?? NO CLUE, maybe thinner ones just show flaws easier or intersect better or something.

15. Music or some other distraction can help, idk why. Some days I like to have a movie/show/podcast going in the background for a mild distraction that keeps me slightly stimulated on other stuff even as I draw- maybe it increases brain activity or??? No idea. Sometimes just listening to music. Sometimes I need total silence. Do what works for you! Give lots of different stuff a try, you may love drawing while listening to a podcast in the background

16. Take breaks!! The pomodoro method works with art as well. Every 25 mins or so, take a 5 min break. Get up, stretch, get some water, maybe watch a yt vid. Call ur friend and tell them you love and cherish them. Then get back to it and you will feel oh so refreshed. After maybe 3 rounds take a 15 min or longer break and then repeat if you still feel like it

17. SLEEP IS INCREDIBLY FUCKING IMPORTANT you will see a deep decline in the quality of your art when you're tired, plus you just feel like shit and art is about feeling good and expressing yourself. Sleep is important, even tho yes I stay up too late drawing most nights, I do my absolute best to get at least 7 hours of sleep every night, as should you!!

18. DO NOT BE SCARED OF STICK FIGURES AND MESSY SKETCHES, they're actually the best way to start bc 1. it's a quick way to get an idea out before you forget it 2. the finished piece will actually look a lot more fluid since you weren't spending all that time obsessing over making the first draft look perfect- which often just makes it look stiff. You can do a whole lot with stick figures. Focus on that good ol' line of action.

19. Random but when drawing the face, I like to first make a circle and then like a "mask" over it for the actual face. For me it just makes sense. Then two lines, one up/down and one left, right, it'll make it easier to align the eyes and ears. In general, the ears usually go where the "mask" begins and just below the left/right line

20. Finally surround yourself with people who encourage you. I grew up in an environment where people would gawk at stuff my sibling drew and ignore me bc they were ~naturally talented~ and it made me not want to draw at all.

Well guess what?? Now that I spend time with people who encourage me and genuinely care about my interest in art I've improved a lot bc I have the motivation, the joy of showing ppl who care about me new pieces. If people in your life aren't encouraging you, or gods forbid insulting your art (excluding constructive criticism that you've explicitly asked for) then TOSS EM OVERBOARD THE BOAT OF LIFE and find people who will treat you with the love and respect you deserve

P.S

This isn't a tip, just a recommendation: Chicory, a colorful tale. It's a game where u play as a cute lil dog who gets a magical paintbrush that lets you color the world. The only issue? You have no ~talent~. My gods, this game struck a cord with me.

Feeling like you don't have any talents that come naturally to you. Being overlooked even when you try your best. Feeling like a complete joke when you try to pick up the brush (or in this case stylus) because there are so many "real" artists and you're not one of them.

Also the things people say and how they can affect you even when not intentional. Damn. It's just a beautiful game. It's made by the same people who made Wandersong, another absolute banger game with a character who is seen as a joke and I cannot recommend them enough.

bonus tip bc why the fuck not: OVERLAYS!!!!!!! In clip paint studio you have all these layer options, I can never memorize what they all do so I just make like an ombre color layer over my base colors and try all of them to see what looks cool

[idontfeellikeit]

HI

I'm Ehtomloo or idontfeellikeit and I am OFFICIALLY taking art commissions for EXPOSURE

(request by DMing me, but first please finish reading)

and I know what your thinking "but your art is so cool and awsome and great you can't just give it way"

and I completely agree, my arts gonna be expensive when I get to it

but as of right now I litteraly have no way to get money from one place to my wallet so we're just gonna deal with that later

(this also means you shouldn't feel bad for not giving me money, I get it)

anyway onto MY SELLING POINTS

1 ● I'M GOOD AT IT

as you can see I know what a stylus is (I think??) also if you would like reference as to my animatic making you can go to my YouTube @Ehtomloo or ask (dm or make an ask)

2 ● I'LL DO JUST ABOUT ANY KIND OF DIGITAL ART

character art, character design, character sheets, scenes, comics, animations, THE LIST MAY OR MAY NOT GO ON.

I will say that my limit on that are going to be 3D modeling or any 3D related stuff.

I also wont be doing any animation over 3 minutes as well as comics over 3 pages, this is because I'm litteraly doing this for free and I'm not gonna put up with that.

RULES:

1● NO 18+ REQUESTS

please please I'm twelve I'm a twelve year old boy

thats a lie I just genuinely don't know how to draw that stuff

2● NO ART THAT WOULD HURT A SPICIFIC GROUP OF PEOPLE (racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, antisemitic, etc)

yall know why thats a rule I don't need to explain myself

HOW TO GIVE ME EXPOSURE:

I'm not gonna lie I don't completely know, so I guess it's up to you, you can post the art, shout me out somehow, I think we can talk about it while I'm making your art.

thats it, have fun, go have a great day weather you decide to take my stuff or not

toodles!!

[kashuan]

Hi I love your art style! Especially how dynamic your poses and how distinct and expressive your faces are.

For somebody currently struggling with their own style, do you mind sharing how you got to where you got? Probably lots of studies, right? 😅

Did you focus on realism and built your more stylized take on that? I'm mostly a digital artist but I have heard that practicing a lot with pencil and paper may help, do you have any experiences with that?

I'd love to hear if you have any advice <3

Hey! First of all, thanks so much! ♥

In terms of stylization, aiming for and sticking to a single style is something I've heard that some people do, but was never something I really thought about too much myself. I started by just copying the artists I liked, so in the beginning I was just mimicking another's style 1:1 for the most part. After doing that with several artists, the styles naturally started to blend together, until I was eventually able to develop a more conscious sensibility of what I did/didn't want to include, which just comes through a lot of the practice. Over the years my style has been really all over the place, from Extremely anime influenced, to western comic book style and cartoonish, to fairly strict realism, to where I am now which I think is something like stylized realism. It's inevitable that you'll go through a few styles as you grow as an artist, even if you're only sticking to one genre, and I believe it's important to allow that to happen, rather than trying to strictly force yourself to stick to one in specific. I don't draw in the styles I used to, but I think little touches of it still remain in my current one, which I think helps give it a little bit of uniqueness. In regard to my current style though, yes, I do studies from life almost every day to help me keep a strong grasp on realistic anatomy as well as to continue to grow my understanding of it. I use references too with almost all my drawings, but then I add stylization on top of it, which is something I wasn't able to do with much success until I had been practicing for years, so don't be discouraged if this is a struggle. I will say though as soon as I began to do studies regularly, my improvement went like 500% faster than it had before; just about the only thing I wish I'd done differently on my journey with art would have been to start doing studies from life sooner. So if stylized realism is a style you're interested in, I can't recommend that enough! And even for more cartoonish styles, the better your understanding of forms and anatomy, the easier time you'll have exaggerating it confidently, tbh. Re: digital versus pen and paper, this isn't so much related to style specifically, but even as a primarily digital artist myself, I highly recommend getting in some practice with real media too. It forces you to be more deliberate and decisive with your mark making, especially if you're using something like pen-- once the line is made, you can't erase it-- and that skill carries over to how you draw your lines digitally. I still try to do pen studies at least once a month and I think it definitely influences the confidence of my digital lines. Lastly, I'd also say keeping some sort of inspiration board is a great tool. I have a side blog for saving pieces that I see which I would like to incorporate elements of into my own style, whether because I liked the way the figure was posed, the expressions, the artist's mark making, the composition, the interaction between the subjects, etc. There's so much like that which all goes into influencing an artist's specific style and it's really interesting to think about when you consider what you want from your own! Whenever I'm feeling a little dry on inspiration I look through my dash over there or in the folder of inspiration I've saved and it almost always helps get some new ideas flowing. Like I said, I don't think it's necessarily a good idea to focus in on just one specific style and constrain yourself that way, but to instead consider how you'd like to use bits and pieces of many styles can be very helpful to growing your own. There's a whole lot more than can be said on this subject, but I hope this much is of some help to you ♥♥

[ahiddenpath]

Writing News

You might have noticed that I launched a new fic recently called Infinite Possibilities! I think it's really interesting, and not the sort of fic I see often. It's (what I hope is) a realistic look at the difficulties of digimon living on earth as more people find their digimon partners and have access to the Digital World via their digivices, from several perspectives (Chosen, partner digimon, non-Chosen, non-partner digimon, the Bureau, Yggdrasil, Homeostatis, etc). The setting is canon in the Adventure world, but of course my thoughts on the topic are speculative/head canon. The fic opens before the events of Kizuna, so most of the Chosen are college age.

That's the big thing, but I have a lot more details and thoughts about the future of my fics beneath the cut.

I've been talking lately about being unsure of sharing my work, due to various threats (AI, stolen content, book binding of fanworks, etc) accompanied by a general decrease in engagement across social media in general, and especially in old fandoms like digimon specifically.

I still feel that way, frankly. But I have also noticed that if I don't share my fandom work, I tweak it forever. I can only grow as writer if I practice producing finished works; fussily editing a few chapters indefinitely won't teach me a damned thing.

So, I will be sharing Infinite Possibilities, and probably trying to complete my other open fics, too. There may be some changes, though. For example, I will not be drawing art routinely for IP (it may happen sometimes if I get the urge, but it won't be a chapter expectation). I will also shift to using screen grabs from Tri to promote Tri: Integrity Lens when I post for that, and only drawing if I really want to, rather than using the art as a mandatory promotional tool.

Future fics

Currently, my plan is to not launch any more longfics. I can't say at this time if that means forever or until I complete one or two longfics. It will likely take me a few years to knock out my open longfics, so it's better not to speculate that far out.

I may, however, launch the occasional oneshot or short fic. I actually have a short fic (about 3-5 chapters) in the works right now. It's an explicit sex story, and it's a bit chaotic. It explores various sexualities and lifestyles in a safe, accepting, patient environment. I'd have to say that it's... definitely the most, just, blatantly sexy thing I've written.

Here is the status of my current open fics and my plans for them:

Puits d'Amour

I've been struggling for months with the next art for Puits d'Amour, and I don't want art struggles to hold me back from completing my writing. I will eventually share the next chapter of PdA, and the half chapter that exists after that (I am unsure if I will add more to it or just post a shorter chapter). After that, there is no more existing content, so there will be a pause as I figure out my next steps.

Tri: Integrity Lens

I am going to cut down on artwork and utilize more screenshots. There are currently about three chapters written that could be published without too much intensive effort, so I imagine you will see these after I post the remaining PdA chapters. They're quite good/exciting/interesting, too!

After those are shared, I will need to sit down and figure out what gets worked on next.

Four Years

There is no material waiting in the wings for this one. I still need to sit down and plan how I will handle the rest of the story. I would also like to get back into editing the old chapters, and hopefully book binding the edited version.

I've never done art for this fic, and it's going to stay that way, with wiggle room for an occasional "I must draw this!".

Infinite Possibilities

Currently has about 10 written chapters waiting, but I do need to add in scenes, so they aren't "ready to go." Most upcoming updates will be for this fic until I get through the existing material. I will be using the commissioned cover art when I announce new chapters, so art won't slow me down, although I may draw on occasion if I really want to show you something.

Practice

This is the current title for my sexy fic, but I am hoping to come up with something better. I could start sharing it soon, but I'd like to finish the whole piece and use that to cover about two months' worth of updates, while I work on other fics. No art for this one, except maybe a cover piece.

[highly-opinionated-art]

I wanna share with you guys some traditional art I've been making recently- since November I've been doing this album-of-the-week thing, and a few weeks into the year I started picking out my favorite line from the album of the week and doing a little illustration for it. If you can call it that- they're just quick, rough little pictures, more experimental than polished. Some are better than others. But I have some watercolors and acrylic paints that I never used before this project, and a hell of a lot of markers and gel pens and colored pencils that need to be used, too. I've been learning a lot and getting some use out of what I have at the same time, so that's good enough for me! Here's the first quarter of 2024 done:

Albums/artists/lyrics under the cut, plus some additional commentary because why not.

(2024 part 2) (2024 part 3)

Week 1: "I wanna be what my body wants me to be" is from the song Townie, from the album bury me at makeout creek by mitski. I actually kinda hated this whole album, but Townie is a tolerable song.

Week 2: "it never hurts to give thanks to the local gods, you never know who might be hungry" is from the song Younger, from the album In League With Dragons, by the Mountain Goats. Mixed feelings about the album. Mostly just mad that I can't just put a mostly transparent blue layer over everything when I want it to look like night with watercolor the way I can with digital art.

Week 3: "that we won't run, and we won't run, and we won't run" is from the song King And Lionheart, from the album My Head Is An Animal by Of Monsters And Men, which is a meh album but I love this song.

Week 4: "Make it a dirt dance floor again" is from the song Bleed It Out, from the album Minutes to Midnight by Linkin Park. GREAT album. The art looks just like poop but I swear the paint came out of the tube like that, I didn't mix it with anything or anything!

Week 5: "gotta be more to life than just try, try, try" from the song Half A Mile Away, from the album 52nd Street by Billy Joel. This was actually the first one I made, I went back and did the first 4 a little later.

Week 6: "I'm gonna keep on dancing" is from the song Pink Pony Club, from the album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess by Chappell Roan. The album is ok, I guess? Not my favorite but this track is a really good one.

Week 7: "maybe they'll love me when I finally get out of this town" is from the song Made For This, from the album Built To Last, by Arrows in Action, which is a FANTASTIC album, like DAMN.

Week 8: "together, Wendy, we can live with the sadness, I love you with all the madness in my soul" is from the song Born To Run, by the album of the same name by Bruce Springsteen. It was really hard to get a picture of this one for some reason. Metallic gel pen might have something to do with it.

Week 9: "inside, everybody's hiding something" is from the song Slide, from the album No Angel by Dido. I LOVE Dido. I meant to add more masks in the picture, ok. I got lazy. I should have just made the other ones bigger...

Week 10: "tomorrow's just another day" is from the song Don't Cry 2020 (which was released in 2017), from the album How Will You Know If You Never Try by the band COIN. Forgettable album, but the art is of my room, but I didn't get up and walk 10 steps to get a reference, just did it from memory. The window is too small and not in the right place, and I just changed up the patterns on the blanket because I didn't feel like checking.

Week 11: "if it's ever gonna happen, it's gotta happen here I am" (which seems like it should be missing a comma, but it's like that on purpose) is from the song Shine On Me, from the album Pure Fiction by Eric Hutchinson (not his best work I fear).

Week 12: "make new symbols, make new signs" is from the title track from the album New Beginning, by Tracy Chapman. AMAZING album, I loved it. I'm completely pissed that I messed up the art, though. I thought I had it going for me. Boo.

Week 13: "I don't look important, so they're telling me to wait" is from the song WaldorfWorldwide, from Good Charlotte's self titled debut album. Self portrait of me, a teacher, being mistaken for a student at an event, which is a frequent and frustrating occurrence. This album is ok, but I think they were pretty clearly still developing at this point in their career.

[nachfo]

ok time to ask you the same question you asked me, and don’t fuck up this time /j

When did you decide to get serious with art? did you ever expect to in the first place.

I’d also would love to know more about the OCs you shared, is there anything you could tell about their story, it looks so interesting and cool!

"sob sob" Forgive me 🥺🥺🥺 My brain is smooth and I have only 3 brain cells left. This shouldn't have taken me so long to answer.

I think I decided to get serious with it when I got my drawing tablet. That was in the pandemic and since then I've been improving. before I would just make little doodles on exam papers or sometimes I would do little comics. One time I gave one of my comics to a friend so that they could borrow it and they never returned it. I remember I would make like 5 - 6 pages of a comic and then grapple them together. One time my cousin helped me digitalize one of them. I still have that comic (it's horrible). I always looked up to my cousin because she was really good at digital art and she was studying that. So now that I am following her same steps, she gives me tips and classes which we sometimes stream on younow. We have very similar interests and we get along really well. She is the only person in my family I get really well with. Also, my brother was a big part of why I decided to start drawing because he also drew but in traditional.

To answer the other question I'd say no, I never would have imagined I would be doing this and be actually good. I never thought of pursuing art as an actual career and studying it. But look at me now! Before art, I was more into video editing and today I still enjoy it, but now it has passed to be more of a hobby than something serious.

Oc lore under cut :3

Okay, so you remember the characters I drew before? The boy is Anthony, and the car girl, oh shit, I still don't have a name for her. I need to come up with one.

So Anthony is part of a band with his friends (I still don't have names for them, damn it). So in the band there is Anthony, his childhood friend, his brother, his brother's girlfriend, and like two more unimportant people to the story (and by that, I mean I haven't developed them).

So they have a consert, and when they get there, Anthony's friend has a panic attack right before they get on the stage and runs from the building, and Anthony follows him. They decide to cancel the concert, and Anthony calls his mom to pick them up. But it was raining really hard, and while going, Anthony's mother crashes and dies. Just before, his mother gave him a pendant that contained a yellow gem.

Anthony now blames and has hatred for his friend. He isolates himself from everyone, and this has a big effect on the group. 2 years later, and Anthony still can't let it go yet, so in an effort to set things right, they all go on a camping trip. At night, they are all around a campfire, and they start talking and having fun, all but Anthony, who doesn't want to talk to anyone. Then his friend says something about his mom, Anthony gets angry, they have an argument, the argument turns into a fight, and Anthony breaks his friend's guitar in a flash of rage. Anthony realizes what he has done and runs into the woods. They all go after him. Anthony stumbles upon a big door made of rocks with a little hole in the middle to insert something. Anthony's pendant starts glowing, and he places the pendant in the hole that opens the door.

there is nothing but pich dark inside. In desperation, Anthony crosses the door without hesitation and keeps walking. It seems like it never ends until he sees stars all around him. All of different colors. He sees a light on the other side and starts running towards it. And gets to the light…

And thats all you are getting. Now that I am writing this, I realize it is very cringy oh god. This looks so much better in my head. I need to rework this a lot. Oh god this is so horrible. Well this might seem cringy because this is just surface level and i haven't talked about a lot of important things about characters and their personalities. I'll expand more of the story another time. I still need to talk about the cat girl, and there is a whole other world. It's a lot, it really is. This would be like the start of the story, and it is the only thing that I have completely planned out in my head.

[cheeriochat]

Hiii guys!!!! Um I'm just doing a quick life update to let you guys know what's happening in my life right now since I feel like I haven't posted anything substantial in awhile.

1. Had my first mocklaw trial! We lost the case (aka our team (prosecution) didn't get a guilty verdict) but we won the overall night (got more point than the other team) which was cool since a lot of us were beginners and we were facing off against a prestigious private school.

2. My mental health has been a bit iffy lately. Not horrible like it was last year but school isn't helping me feel any better. Not quite diagnosed OCD has been running rampant and been causing me some issues, but im trying to slowly break my patterns down so they are easier to manage. Anxiety has also been bad but hey, can't do much on that

3. This is very personal so I won't get into it but a family member is unwell right now so I've been focusing on that.

4. I haven't really been drawing traditionally much. I'm just about to switch over to a new sketchbook so all my old drawings need to be photographed and posted before I can do anything, and ive been working on some digital pieces (and a secret project) and they typically take longer for me to do. (Miss Brittany Broski and her podcast has been getting me though it so hopefully I'll be done once I glaze and nightshade stuff)

5. Just, haven't been motivated. I've got pretty bad fatigue at times due to low blood pressure and odd iron levels (as well as the mental health issues) so finding the energy to put into anything has been hard. I haven't been playing my favourite games lately due to no energy (got super burnt out from genshin, stop starting my son of sparda dmc5 playthrough, getting stuck in bg3, crying over ace attorney) and I haven't had the energy to really post anything.

I know I am not obligated to justify why I haven't been posting and I know this won't get much attention but I thought I would let those who care about my art and stuff know why I kind of just disappeared.

Don't worry, some dmc, elden ring (and a super secret project) stuff will be coming soon-ish. Hope you guys aren't too mad ^^'

Plus: my cat! Who has been an old shit but otherwise helpful <3

[usamamoweek]

Meet the Creators - Kaito Scarlett

What username(s) and platform(s) can folx find you on? (Please include links!)

Kaito Scarlett on FFnet, Ao3 and Tumblr (@kaitoscarlett) :)

(Fun Fact) What is your favorite kind of potato?

Tough question! I can't live without potatoes <3 Hm...I'd say the usual ones as fries or chips. Preferably spicy and crispy. I could write an essay, but I'll just leave it like that.

How long have you been creating works in fandom spaces? How long have you been active in the SM fandom?

Hm... When I was younger I drew pictures of my favorite characters, but just for myself. Does that count? But I posted my first (still unfinished) Sailor Moon fic in July 2021. It's actually the first fan fiction I have ever written and I never thought I would write one myself. But here I am :)

What type(s) of creative works do you usually make? (fanfics, digital art, cosplay)

Fanfics, but I do occasionally draw.

What do you enjoy about creating for the SM fandom?

Another tough question! Maybe because I still love the characters and while I re-read and re-watched the manga and anime as a grown-up, I kind of felt a connection to especially Usagi, that was very different from when I was a kid. And Sailor Moon will always a have a special place in my heart. It's so cool to see so many other creators who feel the same and get inspired to create wonderful stories and art.

Are you strictly UsaMamo or do you create for other pairings as well?

For now, yes I am. And I don't think it's going to change. I'm a sucker for their relationship (:

What inspires you to create works for Usagi and Mamoru?

It all started, because I dove back into fan fiction after rewatching the anime and I just couldn't get enough. So I scrolled through fan fiction and became a little bit obsessed with so many great stories. Especially the ones in which the characters are grown-up. I've often thought about writing myself, but starting to write is kind of hard. I get inspired when I read other stories or an idea suddenly enters my mind.

But lately life has been quite stressful and I lost my writing groove. We'll see when I get it back.

Do you tend to work on multiple projects (WIPs) simultaneously or try to finish one at a time?

Since I have three unfinished fics at the moment, I'd say I work on multiple projects simultaneously. But I try to concentrate on one at a time. That's why I haven't updated my first fic for over a year.

Do you prefer large projects (chaptered fics, webtoons/zines, highly detailed art) or small projects (one-shots or simple art)?

Hm...I do like to read multi-chapter fics or a long one-shot. I enjoy the excitement of waiting for a new chapter. As for writing myself. I haven't written a one-shot, yet. So I'd say I prefer larger projects. That way I can write a shorter chapter and publish it instead of writing one long story, that I would probably never see the light of day, because I'm a lazy writer.

Are there any common themes, situations, tropes, or mediums in your work?

Maybe a bit of angst? Self-worth is a big topic, I would say. Struggles with adulthood? But I havent't analyzed my fics enough to say there are common themes. Though I'd say the start situation of our beloved couple in my fics is mostly the same/ very similar.

Is there anything you haven’t explored artistically and would like to try?

I want to draw more. And write a fake-dating-trope-story. Nothing else comes to my mind right now :)

[ralexsol]

HELLO EVERYONE! IT IS TIME FOR MY ANNUAL ART RECAP!!

This year, a lot of my art was not shared online. I did a lot of sketching, and the digital art I did do was often new designs for npcs in the Call of Cthulhu oneshot I wrote (which I am keeping mostly to myself for the time being). So while it may seem that I didn't do too much this year, I think it's safe to say I did my best to grow when I was able to!

All the same, there was some art I DID share with you all, the best of which have been collected here. 4 of these were projects for the digital art class I took this past Fall semester at school, 4 are Slime Story pictures, and 4 are PD pieces. I honestly don't know how it ended up that way, I guess I just love drawing the PD! And the Slime Story ones are a given, because I just LOVE THEM SO MUCH.

I remember the process for each of these pieces so clearly. All of them required hours upon hours of work - even the Fresh!Ink one, his design is so fucking complicated. But I'm so glad I was able to be patient and finish every single one of them. The craziest thing is that I can see the progression of my art skills even just through this year - comparing the 1st PD piece to the Loki animation is astounding. I have been feeling a little more insecure about my art lately, so it's reassuring to see that I haven't been entirely stagnant.

And most importantly, I DID 2 ANIMATIONS?? IN A WEEK??? Yes, one was a looping 12 frames and the other was just 3 seconds, but still??? Real animation, and it looks good!! It may not be the 3-minute PD animation I've been wanting to work on for over a year, but it's a start for certain. My dream of becoming an animator had died briefly in favor of the idea of majoring in comics, but now I don't know! Seeing characters come to life, and that being my doing? It's awe-inspiring. I just love it so much. So, we'll see what animation projects I attempt next!

I can't wait to conquer future challenges in my art journey. I hope to open commissions in a few months and to actually get clients, but we'll see how that goes! I'm definitely not as skilled as a lot of aspiring artists my age, so it may take another couple years to really be able to pull in customers. As for right now, I'll continue sketching little guys and relearning how to draw hands :)

[shynetyme06]

1 - 23 :3

cracks knuckles okay

1. how would you describe your art style? uhhhhhhhh, maybe "safe" is the word rn. whenever I think of my art style, what comes to mind is just how little I've been pushing things with it. I wanna change that ;D

2. what's your favorite thing about your style? I realize I like to use semi-realistic proportions, its cool how comfortable I've gotten with drawing faces and bodies

3. what's your least favorite thing about your style? It's so static man. same thing I said for the first question, I don't think anything really looks bad, but it just is lacking in creativity in comparison to the older art that should be looking worse than what I do now. I prefer my older stuff ;D (looking at you inktobertale2021.. where did it all go wrong)

4. favorite thing to draw? regular ol people. human characters are def more in my comfort zone, which explains why I keep hitting skeletons with the humanization ray (also I prefer to draw feminine characters)

5. least favorite thing to draw? I can't even say I rlly dislike it cuz of how rarely I even do it, but I am procrastinating so hard on learning backgrounds..

6. warm colors or cool colors? cool colors are my fav, but i find it easier to work with warm ones (I used to put a cool overlay over all my warm toned drawings hgdhfg)

7. show us a WIP behold, the wip ever. this drawing... was supposed to be posted on august 2022. and then, it was supposed to be posted on dec 21st, dream and nightmares birthday. (atp if I do end up wanting to finish this idea again, I'll probably just scrap it and start over)

8. what's the most fun and least fun parts about your process? most fun is flat color and rendering. (though I rarely do the latter anymore) and for least fun, tbh a lot of the sketching part tends to be difficult for me, sometimes its cool tho

9. show us a finished piece alongside the original sketch example from when sketching was fun

10. how many different sketches do you usually have until your piece is finished? I think I do need to make more of at least thumbnail sketches tbh.. I usually just make one and keep editing it, trusting the process. (and that fails like 70% of the time. woww wonder why sketching isnt fun for me-) 11. show us the last thing you drew, be it a finished piece or a small doodle can this count,,

12. show us an old drawing first deltarune drawing. here's the redraw I later made of this :3 (also old hsgdhgf)

13. how long do you usually take one a piece? depends. I'll have like 276478923 wips started, and then I get a random idea that I just have to do right at that moment, and I'll get it done in like 1-4 hours. meanwhile old sketches start to rot and maybe if its lucky I'll revisit it before my motivation dies and my style is too different to wanna continue from where I left off 14. digital or traditional? digital all the way, i've gotten too dependent on the transform tool + liquefy ;D (and many other things tbh but I'd be here all day if I tried comparing them more jhdjdf)

15. if digital, what program do you use? procreate, the layouts on other drawing programs scare me

16. favorite media to work with when drawing traditionally pen on paper (am I understanding this right wdym media-)

17. what do you love getting compliments about? I like when people enjoy the humanizations I come up with, and also original designs in general 18. are you satisfied with the attention your art usually gets? hmmm yeah

19. how often do you draw? very often, I just don't have finished things to share most days

20. a piece from this year that you're really proud of :3

21. something you would like to improve on the dynamicness (well, the lack of it) of everything, as said before

22. what inspires you? Ink sans and a ton of creators in this fandom (also animated shows and movies, I love animation)

23. what's something you hope people notice when looking at your art? idk tbh, just notice it at all and I'm happy :>

[hammerhead-jpg]

Born to "Hiiiiii :3" forced to "What's up" (about me post)

About me page I'm so nervooouussd

I very much wanted to post things for fun and figured I would do it on Tumblr since it seems like a chill place where likes and follows don't matter and also my friends and family (which I'm not out to yet) follow me on every single social media and I do not want them stalking me when I post about who knows what

That being said, I do not come from the golden age of Tumblr or any age really but I do watch Strange Æons religiously so I'm not completely clueless ig, but if I break some sort of unspoken rule it wasn't me

All that unnecessary text aside, hi, my name is Kristian (although that name is not set in stone because I'm indecisive just trans things am I right) and I go by Kris, but you can also call me Hammerhead or Moonshine/Moon

I am a digital artist and have been drawing for like forever and my dream is to one day turn the story I'm currently working on into a visual novel/webcomic

(edit:) I'm sorry if I don't reblog a ton of posts, I know some people view not reposting posts as rude but it's just that I'm not used to being on social media that has a repost feature so I don't have the reflex to repost things

I'm queer and also transmasc <3

(also edit:) sorry if I don't respond to your comments complementing my art, it's just that I get nervous/don't know what to respond with, I assure you the complements are very appreciated and people who like/comment on/reblog my art have a special place in my heart

(also also edit) you can tag me in "tag x people" and tag chains and stuff but I probably won't continue the chain as I probably don't have enough people I would comfortably tag and even in that "would comfortably tag" group I am probably still too shy to tag them, and one or more of those people in that group are usually the ones that tagged me in the first place so it's not really like I could tag the person that tagged me in the tag chain??? Is anything I'm saying making sense???

My current fixations/ the fandoms I'm in are:

Redacted Audio (proud Cutie, Vega n Christian apologist RAAAAHHHHH 🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅/j)(also proud Lasko stan and 7eleven trio shipper)

Bungou stray dogs (biggest Sigma stan)

MHA (although I'm kind of out of it, I'm mostly just silently keeping up with the manga but I am still kinda obsessed with mha ocs) (if you hate mha ocs or really any fan ocs DNI because I have like 40 of them) (no I am not a 30 yr. old woman shipping her self insert with Bakugo leave me alone)

Don't hug me I'm scared (not rlly in the fandom)

Chainsaw man (not rlly in the fandom)

Fear and Hunger aka Funger and Gunger (I can't say I'm really in the fandom and can't say I'm that involved into the game it's too big brain for me so I just observe it from afar and laugh at the memes)

DNI lists are kinda useless but racism, sexism, abelism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia ect is not tolerated here but also like if you're one of those people who are really ticked off when they see a minor talking about NSFW stuff and act all wise sage I suggest you DNI because I assure you your rambling and skull emojis are not going to prevent me from developing hypersexuality, you are like 11 years late to that my friend (or if you're just uncomfortable hearing a minor talk about nsfw that's cool too)

And also fuck off if you think sexualizing minors (fictional or not) is okay

This is a xenopronouns/neopronouns, xenogender, furry, therian safe space, I really don't judge

I think this goes without saying but cringe culture is dead, if you get pissy about things being cringy please don't come to the person who's internet alias is literally a Penelope Scott song, other alias is a reference to a gay ship from my hero academia and the person who named themselves "Kristian" because they thought that naming themselves (the atheist) a name that means "God's follower" was hilarious, but again this is tumblr so I expect most people here are cringelords

Anyways, fuck you Adam you can go suck my long horse weewee, Moon x supremacy always

Also if I tell anyone to kts I was just joking PLEASE