#yeah i'm still struggling with the pose for an art idea

[randomgentlefolk]

Da boys :)

Haha I'm just kidding

[simplepotatofarmer]

please share some of your c!dream design ideas!!

okay okay here's some of my very favorite ideas:

-- rabbit dream! specifically a fawn colored flemish giant. i have a rabbit and the thing is, they are strong. they are determined. they can jump really high and are fast and also throw tantrums. plus anyone who has a rabbit knows they are haunted by the horrors (knowing their place on the food chain and struggling against it).

-- hare dream. same as above but with even more horrors! but still, big ears, strong legs. parkour king, you get me?

-- ball head. make him like one of those art pose dolls. he has joints. you slap his head and it goes boing.

-- CHICKEN DREAM. not to be confused with my idea of c!dream literally just being a chicken. i'm talking chicken hybrid. he has a comb (check out chickens with v combs, they'd look like horns!) personally i like the appenzeller spitzhauben because of its personality and appearance. you have to understand that chickens are fierce, they're stubborn and sometimes full of malice and willing to kill and also protective of their flock. (i also have this emotion about 'hope is a thing with feathers' and how the thing remaining in pandora's box was hope and i just really feel like dream should have feathers and i feel like it should be chicken feathers.)

-- axolotl dream. the face looks like the face of his mask.

-- i really love the idea that c!dream is just some sort of creature. he's covered with green fur, the same color as the minecraft skin, except for a white belly and under arms and legs. no one knows where his eyes are. he's so very off-putting.

-- even MORE creature. he’d be like a fucked up green rabbit. put him in a vat of radioactive sludge. give him a long tail and long ears. a cute little bunny nose above a too wide mouth full of teeth. he has claws and a white underbelly. when someone scares him, his fur sticks up. kinda like this but actually just have green fur all over his back.

-- dream but he's literally just a chicken.

-- any dream that has snake like features. or look up yuan-ti because yeah, that's it, especially the purebloods or halfbloods. coloration of a emerald tree boa, i think. or a white ball python morph but with bright green eyes.

ALSO and this is critical, this is the most important thing: give your dream a prosthetic. i'm a fan of giving him a prosthetic leg because i feel like that's definitely something that would've happened in prison. but you gotta give him clear trauma. they used the word maim. cut off some fingers. take an arm or a leg. i'm beggin'!

[psi-hate]

diana, this might sound like a weird question, but how do you draw boobs/gock/vaginas and anatomy in general? i wanna improve my art and you seem to have a lot of experience with it

-alice in anon because im embarrassed lol

hmm good question! im gonna be honest i don't really use references most the time, and i recommend you absolutely use references very often when drawing something you're not the most confident in.

for anatomy, it sorta comes down to me focusing on how other artists draw specific parts of anatomy and getting a good feel of how they generally look enough to know what looks wrong in my own attempt so i can continue adjusting it. it's a shitty bruteforce method but for me i sorta just osmosis it from exposure. in general i have a decently trained eye in 3d space on account of my 3D modeling experience, so coming up with shapes at particular angles is a little less of a headache i imagine some others would deal with at my skill level. i still struggle with posing which is something i really gotta practice more. i know it'd be faster if i used references for practice but my art process is a bit too casual out of stubborness... but i will do what i can to improve my workflow at some point!

regarding stuff like sexual anatomy or what have you, i actually pull up a few different artist's works, specifically those who draw shapes i find most appealing, and apply their concepts to my own attempt. it's sorta hit or miss atm, i'm still very new to drawing sexual anatomy. at the very least, i try and draw bodies as they are. what i mean is, a chubbier body is going to have more pockets of fat pulling some parts down, and comparing with my own body and those whom i've been with, i just try and capture the practical "flaws" and do my best not to polish them out of the equation. sunken eyes, messy hair, folds of skin, muscle definition, wrinkles, hair, etc it's all very pretty and more than anything i want to appreciate those bodies.

use references, look at your own body and try and plan out angles and poses before you get too deep into the drawing! my biggest flaw at the moment is lack of forethought going into a piece which can make a lot of my art much more stiff because an idea i wanted occurs halfway through the drawing and retroactively adjusting things is just not gonna work and it'll look stilted. come up with your idea and sketch a very simple example so you know what you're aiming for the entire time instead of me who habitually draws heads and facial features long before deciding how i want the rest of the body, usually locking me into the same perspective and angle as always lol. i have been fixing this most of the time now and i hope that is more apparent in some of my recent works.

sorta just rambling, but yeah! the most simple way for me to tl;dr this is that i recommend using irl examples for references for poses or how particular pieces of the body are structured in 3D space, and looking at other's art for ideas or inspiration, reverse engineer their process and practice it until you feel satisfied it makes sense in the context of your drawing. take special attention of smaller details of the body and don't be afraid of making something look "unappealing" if you want to portray a specific feature. you might not draw something the way that looks good to you, but the most important thing is learning what it is that does look good in your opinion, and reviewing what you could do to help draw more like that.

i'm really sorry if this is far too convoluted and not great advice, i'm the literal embodiment of "fake it till you make it" and any skill i've learned is simply because i am stubborn and bruteforcing it till i accomplished whatever it is that i wanted. for someone who is more interested in learning and improving the "right way", i tried to offer some more rational strategies to what i do in hopes that it makes sense in helping better lol. hope this helps!

[nohtora]

process stages & comments below

( original painting )

process: i did 70% of this (up to img #6) on my samsung tablet, on my train commutes, battling motion sickness & neck pain lmao

drawing on my tablet is still a lot harder & feels more restrictive for me bc i'm limited by unfamiliar software (still learning CSP) and lack of keyboard shortcuts (my digital art workflow for years). i also struggle with starting / continuing artworks on my tablet unless i've already planned / sketched most of the composition on my PC. likely because 90% of the time when i'm drawing on the tablet, it's on the train. hard to get in the zone as it turns out lol

this is the first full painting i've started and made substantial progress on purely with my samsung tab, so i'm happy it's starting to feel a bit more natural.

also first time i've tried doing a funky gradient map as a colour base. then applied colour on top with multiply blending mode. 10/10 would use fun gradient maps again - helped me introduce more colour variation bc i feel like my colours are usually quite flat by comparison

given the nature of the fucking bumpy melbourne trains & my broken commutes, i can still only do so much rendering on my tablet. the more refined painting will probably always happen using photoshop on my PC bc that's where i feel i have the most control

i tried not to overwork / overpaint it too much as i often tend to do, and kept the brush strokes rough and loose as much as possible. made sure my brush wasn't set smaller than a certain size so i wasn't tempted to go into fine detail. you can see i didn't refine harry's form/clothes much beyond img #4 because i didn't want to lose the soft/loose quality of the clothing folds. pretty damn proud of that shoe though. but then i posted it before i realised i forgot to paint in his fucking tie lmaoooo

but yeah, i got my tablet as a secondary drawing device to help me draw more often so i'm gonna keep trying to get the hang of it !!

composition/concept: the pose was referenced from this shot of arthur in peaky blinders and i had a vision of HDB slumped over in his kitchen like this

the composition was built around that, and i had the idea of framing it him in shadow and having a strip of light from a doorway illuminating his body. evidence of his drinking and smoking are kept in the shadows.

the original idea was to have a silhouette of someone standing in the doorway (likely jean finding him), but it didn't work with the overall balance & i felt like it interrupted the shape of the light too much / wasn't very legible at that angle. kitchen design was inspired by soviet & post-soviet era style kitchens.

*** feel free to send in an ask if you actually want me to explain how i did things in more detail. these are mostly thoughts for my personal reference

[fae-iii]

Pixel Art 12/13/23 - Sneasel

Seasonally appropriate, being an ice/dark type. Like, it's colder and the days are shorter, y'know? I used to think Sneasel was at least half bug type as a kid, idk why. Maybe because I thought of it rhyming more with weevil than weasel? Who knows.

I think the shading here could be a little better... maybe the right leg is a little far over too? Super happy with how the rest turned out! It's a similar pose to my previous Hisuian Sneasel, but the shape of everything looks much better. I think the scale of the tail and legs are better here, the arms look less floppy, claws and chest gem are better-placed, lots of small nitpicks I had there are corrected here.

I wish I could say I'm back in the groove with this piece, but I'm really struggling right now with it still; so I'm abandoning the project entirely!

Don't worry though! I'm replacing it with an even bigger, more exiting project! Introducing: The re;Weasel Wednesdays 2: The New Batch; Revengeance² +Bowser's Minions DX for WiiU: Definitive Edition Episode 3; or, This Part of the Title is Kinda a Riff on Those Fantasy Anime's that I've Personally Never Watched Cuz I'm Not Really Into Anime or RPG's in a Broad Sense But I'm Open to the Idea if You Have Any Reccs But Honestly I Already Have a Backlog of Other Games So They Better Be Good The Squeakquel Part 5 + Weasel Wedneday I: Anniversary Edition Double Pack. And it just so happens this Sneasel's the first piece in that project, not my previous (boring, bad) project!

Yeah, that oughta do it. Wow. Yeah, already feeling that energy. Hahahaha! YES!!! Ok, no, it's still gonna feel a bit rough until I'm hit with another random burst of focus + creative energy, which might be soon, maybe. I'm due another one, as a treat. Maybe I'll do some other non-Weasel piece if I feel like it. See you next Wednesday and probably not sooner!

[animehouse-moe]

The Illustrated Guide To Monster Girls Volume 1: Humorous Horror

Monsters, school girls, and outright dumb humor. What could go wrong? Surprisingly, not too much. Straddling the edge of being a "too simple" concept, The Illustrated Guide To Monster Girls offers a solid twist on the day-to-day humor featured in many comedy series, giving me quite a bit to chat about thankfully.

So, where to begin? Maybe an explanation? This is a manga following a group of monster girls at the bottom of the ladder in Monster school: Class Z. The group is headed up by the Jiangshi (featured front and center on the cover) Ichika. Together, the class struggles to keep it together each day and not cave into their own shenanigans.

It's a fun concept, but might seem a little narrow at first like I had said, yeah?

Well, believe it or not there is a story-slash-goal to this series: pass school.... finally. Not anything grand by any means, but it gives the story a direction, and allows Suzu to introduce some well needed variance down the road. After all, there's only so many girls in class Z.

Speaking on that, let's talk about the girls. They're fun, varied, and creative. The existence of a straight man in the humor isn't guaranteed, so the skits can easily veer out of control and really stretch the fabric of itself. Definitely not a bad thing, and it's a solid idea to compartmentalize the approaches to humor within the various girls. Being a small class, it allows them to explore funny moments on a more granular scale where you can pair up characters to create different vibes as they lead the classroom on an unsanctioned adventure, or a duo off.... enjoying a break from class.

Well, I've made it this far without mentioning art, but I'm going to do it now. It's... alright. It's inoffensive. It's sharp. It's unique. But it doesn't have much life in most scenes. The characters very often come out stiff, and it feels like their range of facial expressions is rather narrow. It's like Zombieland Saga but VTubers almost. Which is quite the shame when the mangaka can really turn it on in certain moments to drive home the horror of the monster girls. It's far more expressive and detailed, making the gap between it and the usual style that much more apparent.

Just take a look at this page, the creepy parts come out with so much more life than what Ichika's expression and pose can offer in comparison.

And then this spread from the volume as well. The difference between these and the usual moments is just so night and day that it can hamper your enjoyment/perception of the usual art.

If I was to provide a single remark or statement for the art/paneling/etc, it's that there's undeniable potential. Suzu certainly has an eye for horror so I'd be interested to see how they'd do with it, but they really need to work on the stiffness of their usual designs, and potentially put some more effort into layouts. But still, largely speaking it's good. It's just that those great moments may start to make you think otherwise.

So what's the deal, is it good? I'd probably say so, yeah. If you want a humorous series and think exploring the potential comedy involving monster girls is something you might be interested in, you'll probably like it. It's not a smash hit from the first page, but it's surprisingly consistent with getting a laugh out of readers.

[downfallofi]

That doesn't sound bad. That's only disappointing if it disappoints you. What kind of stuff do you tend to sketch if I may ask? Also might've been low key seeing if you play video games that I could invite you to play.

Ah, you know, thank you for this. 🥹 they are my hobbies, and I need to learn not to minimize them or apologize for liking them. (Old habits, it comes with growing up the way I did and being told that liking comic books and Star Wars and "living in a fantasy world" was making me weak) But yeah I mean. It's not disappointing to like reading, or art, or video games, nor does it make someone a loser.

(I need to remember that)

I love to draw all kinds of things, I have a sketchpad filled with stuff from reference/still life, I like practicing drawing flowers, I actually sometimes like drawing smut/ shibari and if I ever actually posted that online I'd tag the models I referenced... not even in a horny way but there's something wonderful I find in shibari or fetish stuff artists that they challenge you, in drawing in a pen and ink medium, to workshop how you adapt poses, musculature, lighting, all that stuff.

And I have a lot of superheroes.

When I was a kid, all the way up to about 17, I wanted to be a graphic novelist, make my own comics that were like just my teenaged brain firing off ideas I'd sponged up from a lot of X-Men and a LOT of Toonami. I didnt go on to become a comics artist, in fact, due to being discouraged by my dad and others (...but, well, my dad) I sort of came to the conclusion it was childish ("cute lil cartoons," they were derisively called) and let my gift atrophy. I drew nothing.

So in coming back to it, slowly over the last... ten years? Ive gotten back in to art.

It's not the same as it was. Sadly, it can't be, that fire I had when I was young was well. Stomped out.

So I cant make panels, and I struggle with transition and movement from one panel to the next to make a story flow, and sometimes it feels like I draw OTHER people's heroes like Spider-Man like I'm a fucking cover band at a dive bar playing KISS.

But I've still worked on it, and grown a lot over those last ten years, and found a peace in it that yeah, idk, maybe it isnt what I wanted to be when I was young but it's still art, dammit.

So yeah, sorry. Im wordy and it was complicated to answer but you kind of put a dime in and got me talking about it so. My sketchbook has lots of microliner ink drawing, some flowers and still life, some smut, some X-Men cover band stuff, just stuff I want to challenge myself to draw.

I'm also determined to experiment more with color like my copic markers this year so.

Video games I play are really a lot of single player open world stuff, Im currently grinding on um.

...fallout4 OKAY DONT JUDGE ME, I am of the specific brand of gamer that finds some peace and comfort in going back to Skyrim and Fallout from time to time...

I would love to get in to games with other people but I wouldnt know where to start, or what to pick up, frankly, but that is a kind offer and one I'd be interested in maybe perhaps at some point

I take it back... I did have a coop farm in Stardew Valley I played sorta multiplayer with my friend from CO but... our friendship sort of died off and we dont Stardew together anymore... fuck Im sad now.

Sincerely, thank you for the asks and the kindness and if you made it through reading ALL of that shit you are a fucking G and I respect and love you so much

[insertsomthinawesome]

For the artist ask,

4. Fav character/subject that's a bitch to draw

7. A medium of art you don't work in but appreciate

8. What's an old project idea that you've lost interest in

?

Oooooh You picked some of the fun ones right off the bat >:D 4.

OH MAN. UH. Can i say everything SDFJSDLKGJSDLGKSDGSG NO BUT FOR REAL I feel like I'm struggling with everything recently xD I can say I feel like im fistfighting him every time I sit down and draw Wolfwood 😔 I think he's so neat but I have no idea how to draw him. AS for subjects. Hands and Mechanical items tend to always be a struggle for me. I feel i've improved VASTLY over the years. But I still end up feeling like I'm going insane sometimes when drawing both. Poses that include bending down/curling up/just a lot of torso bend or inward curl DESTROY ME. I have NO IDEA WHAT I'M DOING. I feel like I struggle with those A LOT. I should do some studies on them I think that could really help. Also Knees. What is wrong with knees. 7.

OOooooh. Oooh that's a tough one. I have a few!! I love the look of watercolors. Specifically I love watercolor fanart? Usually it looks like its mixed with Inkpens for outlines/lineart. RESIN. RESIN IS SO COOL LOOKING AND SO VERSATILE. I however Have No Space For That Kind Of Project ^^;; I've worked a little bit with clay? But I love watching people make like. Custom clay models for stuff. I haven't gotten into doing that YET but I hope to in the future. 8. Reading this question made me realize how many projects I haven't touched in ages, but if i had time and enthusiasm i'd love to come back to ;;v;; But if I had to name a few it'd be most of my ideas related to RWBY. For people who've been following since early Deviant Art days I was doing a series of RWBY crossed over with Sonic? That project had at least 3 more images left in it (i think more) and I honestly don't really see myself going back and finishing it 😔 I tend to say "Never say Never" because I've proven myself wrong a LOT. But I do feel like its unlikely. Most projects tho I can't say I'm not interested. because yeah the likelihood that I have the time to go back to them is low given how much i keep getting IN to. But the idea of finishing them or coming back to them? I'm not against it! :D

[tepperz]

i didnt think about it before now either xD

i know lol 20,000+ is too much, i keep getting distracted XDD I'm also always saving morrrrrrreeeeeeeee. Pixiv in particular is sooo bad for that -- if you have a subscription to it, it just keeps recommending you good art after good art. and it's like! aaaaa! I can't keep up with how many amazing works there are! (screaming)

"The example and your analysis of it are really interesting! You’re right about the unique highlights and warm color drawing attention there. I hadn’t noticed until you pointed them out! Even just the one “simple” artwork had a lot of valuable details."

You get it you totally get it!!!!!! Yeah, exactly!!! Like I get its easy to gloss over as a picture but it actually has soooo much unique value! I really like that kind of thing!! I'm a super nerd when it comes to seeing the unique value of artworks ><. I feel like most artwork has its own appeal. Not to sound weird or anything, but besides saving sooo many artworks, I sometimes also go through the manga I own too and try to write down what I think the mangaka has done super well with paneling/screentones/ect, and what I think they could improve on. It's super useful for reference, as someone who's trying to make comics! Even manga I don't like have good points that are worth learning from!

So how would you categorize something like that?? @@ I get how just one doesn’t encompass all that now!

I think i'd put that picture into "portrait - no background" and also save a copy of it into my "texture" folder? hmmmmm. dang, i should have sorted it while I was looking at it earlier!!!!!! i forgor LOL

I’d love to see how these details are translated into your own works.

I legitimately thought of drawing something new with that pic as inspiration, but im in an art block right now so I can't u_u; But! I will go find a work that I had inspiration for!

so in this one I was trying to give the atmosphere of someone with low contrast dark blue, sort of a creepy mood. The unnaturally still pose in the photo with the low contrast of the anime picture. I don't think it worked out this time, but it is an example of me pulling from other works.

oh! heres another one

that was last year so im trying to remember what aspects I pulled from. the chibis are my character references, the photo is his eye color... and from top to bottom... I think the top white drawing is his face shape? And below that is his hair color. Below that, the low saturation is inspiration, and the bottom reference is... i have no idea. Vibe? lmao. But yeah, my point is not all my references are masterpieces but I try to cobble them together like some goblin quilt lol

(asldfdsaklj I see you show your art with references later on bless you~)

heehee. I like seeing yours too ^^

Oh yeah, all the poses and expressions even in those portraits do have something that makes them stand out! Even art without backgrounds has to have good balance and use of negative space.

yeah! Exactly! Since organizing and seeing similar pieces together Im really starting to understand some patterns. It's good to learn.

A Clothing folder is sooo useful for cool details or cuts, but also the fabric types and specific folds. I struggle a lot with designing outfits so any help is lifesaving orz

8U I should do that. Have you tried pintrest? I have a lot of cool clothes saved on pinterest. I know it's kinda cliche to turn to pinterest for ideas but it always gets my mind twirling when I see the different types of aesthetics. I know you didn't ask and feel free not to bother clicking it, but if you want inspiration with clothes, heres a link to a pinterest board I use specifically for super interesting clothes: xxx

It’s been so many years since I started this organization system now… I think my Pictures folder just got too disorganized so I separated poses, and then just kept separating as the need arose. Haha letting the folder decide must speed things up a lot though! No worrying about which reference has been waiting for years to be used, just following the mood~

Wish... i wish i'd done that xD You realized the benefits of organizing a lot sooner then me. I watched a video lately about how people who are really good at drawing know what references to use in any particular situation (I think it was this one: xxx) and it sort of hit me how I was holding myself back by not being able to sort what I liked and why. It's really cool to see what pictures you chose and how they work together (with the middle distance and long distance backgrounds folders). I can definitely see the impact it has on your work already!! In my opinion I think you're very good at middle distance shots, so I can see how you'd be inspired by those works! And the interesting angles in your references and big shapes translates into your art as well, I believe ^^

I’m down for trading tutorials for sure! o// Anything to do with light or clothes would be treasured forever~ Are there specific tutorials you’d like? (And ones you’d recommend?)

Ohhh yeah let me get together a bundle for you! Here! I hope this helps! https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1yGCOUpPunk038by_ztRgELAWLRgmxEVK?usp=share_link ^^

as for me, if you find any tutorials on backgrounds or gesture, I'd love it if you threw them my way! no pressure thuogh.

Man, it’s so cool seeing the references near your art. They all came together and made something with the feeling but new. Loving the moodboard lol!! xD Once they’re on your canvas, then you don’t have to go digging through folders any more, I see I see! :3c

heehee, thank you! I'm glad that comes through!! Exactly, I feel like digging through files gets me out of the flow so I just throw them all on my canvas. i dont mean to make moodboards but it does end up working for me!

Watercolor has a distinctive transparent look so it’s easy for me to tell apart at least! Gouache is a bit harder because it can look like acrylic but they can be used the same way so it’s okay if some get mixed in… (I honestly can’t tell the difference between mediums like oil and acrylics though!! I don’t use them so their nuances are mysteries~) 

ohhhhhh. i guess thats true, watercolor really does have a texture. Gouache I just recently got some this week for the first time. Did you know that they're basically watercolors??? It's wild. But when I see good gouache it reminds me a lot of hard shading, like in anime. Oil I feel like also has a texture, kind of... thick? I have literally no idea about acrylics though. All I know is I like to watch people on youtube use them to relax.

And sometimes I’ll find inspiration in an unexpected folder– It’s tiny but the pic on the bottom right was the biggest influence on this piece! I loved the strong shadows and greenish tint!

i know this is the last thing in this huge bleeping wall of text but its literally so cool to see your inspiration and the final piece. I can totally see where you're coming from with the blues and greens and it's really interesting to see the correlation. Thats why I wanted to put some of my finished works and references in this post too. I love seeing those kinds of things. If you want to share more, I wouldn't mind.

Anyway, thanks for chatting with me!

How did you learn to draw so well? Like was it from classes or a book on fundamentals or just trial and error?

//// thanks for the kind question!

I guarantee you I would have improved faster if I’d taken a class, but I hope some of the materials I’ve used over the years can be of use to you too:

Andrew Loomis’ books - I never made it past the first chapters, but those had some great advice.

Youtube - Proko’s bean method. Figure drawing references will greatly improve anatomy and “drawing what you see”. It’s boring imo, so doing just 5-10 minutes a day can keep one from burning out while still seeing improvement. Speed painting videos are a nice way to relax and study.

Will Terrell’s People Drawing series - He’s a humble man with personal advice for artists. I watch his videos when I feel discouraged or lost.

Art, art, art - Whenever I see an artwork that I like, I figure out exactly what pleases me: line thickness, nose shape, finger positions, composition, the way the hair bends in the wind, etc. Then I try to incorporate that specific characteristic into my own art.

I have growing folders of (I’m a bit embarrassed) almost 8,000 pictures, organized by characteristics, for the sole purpose of studying their prettiness. Sometimes we don’t need a tutorial to spell everything out, just an example can help us envision our own works’ potential. Also, staring at pictures is a relaxing way to study too!

And of course, trial and error~ I don’t post my sad, failed paintings or all the weird sketches I make, but they exist and teach a lot!

[feathered-serpents]

So. I’m just gonna do some musings really quick about art 

Earlier this year I posted a (now deleted) post about how I’d been gifted a fancy draw on the screen drawing tablet for Christmas and I couldn’t bring myself to touch it because my art was just so bad and using a tablet like that was so humiliating knowing that it was made for “good artists” and I had no business using a tool like that even knowing the tool itself is inanimate and doesn’t care. 

Those were very real feelings at the time and I don’t want to shit on my past self too much for it. The sight of it made me feel guilty because I knew it was expensive but I couldn’t bring myself to draw on it because I legitimately just felt that I had not deserved it, and I’d be... I don’t know... bringing shame onto art if a lowly scribbler such as I tried to use such a tool 

It’s a Huion btw. Not even a Cintiq. Really it’s a very dramatic response 

BUT this year after I got on Adderall and Prozac I did eventually force myself to draw on it, which reminded me oh yeah! I love drawing! And eventually, lead to a change in how I view art

See, I realized that until now I'd been looking at art as this... unobtainable thing. I'd see beautiful drawings or paintings and think "I wish I could do that" and genuinely believe that I couldn't, which was true in the moment, but what I meant was I believed I was incapable of it. That art was some mystical skill I simply didn't have. Again, dramatic, but it's true, I really did believe that

I don't know what exactly flipped the switch, but one day I just sorta realized... art is a skill. There's nothing inherently special about it. It's a skill just like cooking or furniture building or I don't know plumbing. It's not special just because it's "art." It's a skill, which means it can be learned

The person who drew one of my favorite pieces of art didn't just do it, they learned it, there is a way to do what they do, and if there is a way, then I can learn it. I can learn how to color, I can learn how to draw faces from that angle, I can learn how to draw fucking hands even if I'm still struggling because hands just suck so much. There's still a way to do it, if other people can do it, so can I.

And I've grown a lot just in the past few weeks after I realized that, it's making me excited!

("Aren't these the same two character-" SHHHHHH they're fun to draw let me have my moment)

The minute I thought "Oh wait I can learn how to do this" I did, and I've made strides! It's nice to look at a pose or come up with an idea and instead of thinking "I wish I could draw that" think "I want to try and draw that" That's really all it took, a switch from "I wish I could" to "I want to try"

I'm not a great artist, I'm really REALLY unsure about calling myself an artist or any of the above art. But I'm glad I can finally allow myself to try and learn and grow. I'm glad I'm having fun. I'm just happy.

2022 has been the worst year of my life but I somehow managed to do this despite it all, I'm proud of that. I don't want to stop, and if I don't, I'm excited to see where I'll be art-wise this time next year

[chimchiri]

art anon - you’re right, if it’s for everyone and to help others than id be glad to ask! ofc i probably can’t even begin to ask everyone’s questions, i don’t mind getting the ball rolling (didn’t mean to make it seem like i was trying to hoard the secret crabby patty formula shdkdkdnf) um ig first question is your sketching? like how you start your rough start? your anatomy is really good to me and consistent too! and do you use procreate or any other online art app? (i use procreate)

No worries, didn't think that was your intention but publicly answering still just feels better for me :>

(Also please keep in mind I'm a self learned and not a professional artist)

I guess I'm gonna show you some current WIPs, some uhhh rather lemon-y lmao

Because I usually don't keep my very rough sketches on a separate layer and just draw over them. So it's not easy to show them later on lol.

Usually I've got a specific idea in mind. Either a pose, a vibe or something so I know what I want in the end. It's important to me to get it down with the first, rough sketch. The first rough draft is usually done with very lose, soft and rounded lines. The second sketch on top is usually to clear up any anatomical mistakes and adding in clothes, faces, details etc. Then finally, linework.

For example I wanted to draw Sal in lingerie below. It's all very rough, with few and usually rounded lines to get the whole body in place. Anatomy doesn't really matter at this point, what matters to me is the vibe and body movement. Also I still do the + cross on the face and usually chest as you can see below lol. Gives a good idea of the angle.

Another example for the rough idea (placement of hands, feet etc.). Body shapes are kinda wobbly lines, all pretty soft except for few sharp edges (knees for example).

Another rough example with more details filled in already. Still very rough, like Larry's hair. I wanted a swoosh kinda feeling?? Lmao, just like softly falling. (Also as you can see: when I'm feeling like filling in some details I just do that and will finish the other body parts later. This doesn't always work out though lol and ends in much work later on. Don't recommend it. But it's fun.)

If I'm struggling with something I will usually just add another layer on top and try try try until I kinda like the rough look of it. For example, I was really struggling with Larrys legs in this piece and it took quite a few tries until I got what I wanted (didn't find a ref I liked). Same with the hand.

Then usually I will do second sketch. (If I'm having a very good flow and day I usually can use the first sketch immediately but it's rarely the case). The point now is to fill in hair, faces, clothes, details and get the whole anatomy right. On the left I also moved part around as you can see because I didn't like the position. Also did quite some corrections for the second sketch on the right. (Looking at it now the anatomy still is kinda eh... but way better than the initial sketch)

And then sketching is done and I will probably go to linework.

Also as for your second question: yeah, I do all my artwork in Procreate. Some color correction is done on Clip Studio Pro on the PC because the colors on the PC don't match the colors on the iPad usually.

[infrequent-creator]

From the list, #19 w/ Ojiro and Midoriya? 🥺💖

Summary: Midoriya noticed Ojiro is having some trouble practicing his dojo moves, so he offers some help.

A/N: Ahhh I'm finally over my wicked sinus infection, so back to work I go friends! Hope you like it!

((Also pls check the sneaky link at the end 😉 @boku-no-t-academia is the author of the linked story in green))

Word Count: 1,322

<3

"Are you hiding from me?"

"Huh?" The tail hero looked slightly confused cocking his head like a pup. “I haven’t seen you all day Ojiro. Are you doing alright?” “I’m sorry Midoriya, I’ve got a tournament coming up. I’ve just been very busy with all the practicing.” “Oh yeah, you do martial arts on the weekends! I’ve always been interested in that. My mom and I loved ninja movies, especially All Might’s ninja movie: Blade of Justice!” He struck a ninja pose, the same as the one on the All Might movie cover. He return to a regular stance as he laughed softly at the fond memories. “Yeah I do, and I’ve got semi-finals for nationals coming up. I still can’t land a couple of my moves.” “Oh I’m sorry to hear that. Maybe I could help you.” Izuku suggested.

"You know, that's not a bad idea. How about you meet me tomorrow at my dojo. I'll give you the address."

"Perfect! I'll see you tomorrow."

“Wow! This dojo is so cool!” All these photos of students! Aww Ojiro, is that you? You’re so little!” Izuku cooed at the photo.

“Oh god, that’s so embarrassing. It was the first time I won a tournament. I just turned 7.” He had dashed over to try to hide the picture. It was him as a kid , smiling ear to ear. There was a gold medal around his neck, and a trophy balanced on his tail. He was also missing a couple of his baby teeth in the front.

“No, it’s adorable. You look so happy! I’m glad you love this so much.”

“Yeah, it’s really fun.” He tossed his bag down on the edge of the large floor mat.

“Are you ready? Just take your shoes off before you come on the mat.” He reminded his excited friend.

“Of course, I’m coming.” He giggled, getting one last look at the picture before going to stand in the middle of the mat with Ojiro.

<3

The two boys tussing around on the mat, Midoriya being gently thrown around by his friend.

"You holding up alright?" Ojiro bend down to look at Izuku, who was giggling flat on his back.

“Yeah this is nothing compared to training with Kacchan. He throws me way harder, thanks for being so gentle.” He smiled sweetly up at Ojiro.

“Oh of course! What kind of hero would I be if I hurt my fellow heroes?” He chuckled, using his tail to poke playfully at Izuku’s middle. The shorter boy let out a surprise yelp and swatted lightly at his friend’s tail.

“Haha, sorry Mashirao, j-just a little…well…” As Izuku stuttered, his cheeks started to heat up noticeably.

“Ticklish?”

“A-Ah! M-More like sensitive but…yes.” He couldn’t look at the blonde still standing over him.

“Haha, it’s ok Midoriya, let’s do one more move before we head home. It’s just an easy takedown move.” He held out a hand to help up his friend. Izuku smiled and hopped to his feet.

“No problem. Let’s do it!” He nodded in excitement.

“Ok, so I’m basically just going to tackle you, pinning you with my elbows against your ribs & hips. It won’t hurt, it’s just going to hold you against the mat.” He explained, gesturing to the back of his upper arm.

“Sounds good.” He nodded again, getting in a weak defense stance, pretending to be an opponent.

Ojiro bowed, taking an offensive stance. In an i stand, he tackled Midoriya. Ojiro’s body curled around his opponent’s middle. His arms exactly where he said they’d be, both the blonde’s knees were against the other side of his ribs & hips. Neither hurt, but he was definitely not going anywhere.

“Wow, this is a pretty good hold.” Izuku giggled, looking at Ojiro’s face.

“Yeah, hey do you think you could try to struggle a bit? I want to make sure I have a good form.”

“Oh sure no problem.” With that, the little hero started to wiggle and thrash with all his might to try and escape. No such luck, he was indeed stuck.

“Haha no can do man. You got me pretty good here.” He chuckled, resting his arms out on the mat.

“Cant get out at all?” The blonde double checked.

“Nope.” He shook his head no.

“Good.” With that, Ojiro moved his elbow out to hold Midoriya’s left out and away from his ribs, leaving his whole left side exposed. The blonde playfully started pinching and poking at Izuku’s side.

“AHAHA! W-Whahahaha Ojir-ohohoho!” The green haired boy squealed, struggling to get away from the sensation sending Izuku into hysterics.

“Aww what’s the matter? Your little sensitivity wouldn’t happen to mean you’re ticklish, would it?” Ojiro teases, both hands now squeezing up and down the green haired hero’s sides and lower. Poor defenseless Midoriya erupted into sweet laughter

“EHEHEHEHE NAHAhahahahhaa! Nononohoho!” His feet kicking against the mat as he tried to protect his sensitive torso.

“Really? It doesn’t? Then why are you so giggly, Izuku?~” The blonde’s quick fingers migrated to Midoriya’s tummy, already playing with the new ticklish territory.

“ snort EEP! Ohohohojiroooohoho!” Izuku started to push against his friend’s back

“Oh god did you snort? That’s adorable Midoriya!” His hands slowing down a little to utilize his secret weapon…

“EHEHE hehehey! No tahahahail! Nohoho tahaha-AHAH!” Ojiro’s mischievous tail launched an attack on Izuku’s poor neck, ears, even his chin. The squealing greenette thread this fingers through the hair on Mashirao’s tail. The action did tickle on Ojiro’s end, but not enough to deter him from his objective: making Izuku Midoriya scream with laughter.

“Nohow, let’s see where your death spohot.” The blonde giggled through his statement.

“I dohohon’t have ohohone!” He whined through tittering giggles.

“You know, you’re a pretty bad liar De-ku~” emphasizing the nickname with a poke to each of his slender hipbones.

“AHAHA WAHAHAIT NOHOHOHONONONO! PLEHEHEASE NAHAHAHT THEHERE!” He bucked harder than ever before trying to shake his evil tormenter.

“Oh no, I believe I’ve just won. What do you think, Izuku~” Ojiro teased, rubbing his thumbs deem into the grips of his hips.

��NAHAHAHAHHAHAA YEHEHEHEHES YEHEHES! YOU WIHIHIHIHIN NO MOHOHOHORE!” His hand repeatedly slapping the mat as a tap out. His round cheeks bright red with laughter and embarrassment.

Ojiro took that as a sign to stop. He sat back on his butt to watched Midoriya wind down from his laugh attack and ghost tickles.

“You ok buddy? I wasn’t too rough, was I?” He checked, helping the smaller boy sit up slowly.

“Y-Yeah, phew. Just a little tihired.” He was still twitching with adorable soft giggles.

“Those hips are pretty bad, arent they?”

“Yehes.” He instinctively covered them, suddenly the phantom tickles hit him there.

“Here. Let me carry you back. Thanks for all your help Midoriya, I really just needed to blow off some steam and have fun.”

“No problem buddy.” He yawned, nuzzled his head into Mashirao’s fluffy collar. His arms were lazily wrapped around the blonde’s neck.

“Man, you got tired quick..” he chuckled softly, no response. The only thing he heard was soft breathing.

“Goodnight, Izuku~” he shook his head as he walked them both back to the dorm.

[beelzeebub]

your art is so gorgeous omfg

i was wondering if you maybe had any tips on how to improve colouring and/or anatomy? <3

Hello! First of all, thank you so much!!! ❤

Honestly, anatomy and colouring are things I still very much struggle with and still trying to improve in. Nonetheless, I'm going to list here a couple of tips, websites and softwares that might help you improve your skills (I already know this is gonna be a long ass post, sorry about that).

Sooo, anatomy first:

Tips:

USE REFERENCES! There are people out there who still think of using references as cheating, which is ridiculous. Even the greatest, most skilled artists still use references to improve their art. Google and Pinterest are my go to websites to search things I need.

Too much relying on correct anatomy can sometimes harm the vibe you're trying to convey with your art (does that make sense? my english is not working today). Sometimes your drawing can end up looking stiff or ... kinda soulless. Beware of that.

Practice (but make it interesting). Okay, so every artist's advice on how to improve your anatomy skills is to practice poses. And I did try to do that but found it super boring. One thing that helped me personaly is to draw poses but make them look like my favorite characters and OC's. That way I start to care about what's going on in that pose and it just ends up looking better? Is that weird???

Websites:

Sketchfab - This is a great site I've only discovered recently, it contains 3D models of all sorts of things, most importantly models of human bodies and human body parts.

Justsketchme - This site allows you to pose multiple figures, so you can create your very own poses.

Animationscreencaps - This site contains screencaps from various animated movies. I use it to practice facial expressions. Facial expressions on animated characters are much clearer than on real people which makes them a great tool for studying and learning.

Unsplash & Pexels - Image websites with thousands of beautiful photos of everything. Perfect for anatomy references but also color or shading ideas. 

Deviantart Stock & Poses accounts - senshistock , themalenudestock, faestock, null-entity, neostockz (there are probably many more, these are just an example)

Generatedphotos - Photo gallery of faces created by AI. It has a great search system so it might help if you’re looking for a particular feature. It can also help out when creating an OC.

Softwares:

DesignDoll - Figure posing software (costs $79). It does the same thing as Sketchfab but it offers multiple adjusting options. I almost never use it, because creating a pose takes too much time. 

And now for coloring I guess.

Listen, if you understand color theory, power to you but we are not the same. I have spent years trying to learn how colors work but it’s just too much for my dumbass brain. 

Still though, here’s a couple of tips:

Color theory can only do so much. I have seen art with colors that, in theory, shouldn’t work but somehow they do and make the art beautiful and unique.

Use any colors you feel like (yeah, that’s it, that’s my advice :)

Study how your favorite artists use colors. I’m sure we all have artists we admire. Maybe you can put some of their art to Photoshop and use color picker to see which particular colors they have used.

You don’t have to start your painting with perfect colors, use the ones that feel most appropriate and adjust them later on with color adjusting tools.

Watch speedpaint videos on Youtube.

Just in case my tips are worthless and unusable, here are some actual color theory tutorial videos :  Understanding Color, Color Theory for Noobs, Colour Harmony

[lucky-draws]

also ok i promise i'll shut up after this and go to bed but i'm trying to post more wips and process photos etc in case ppl are interested so,, here's a wip from today of big blorbo and zero

and like one thing i'm still struggling with a lot rn is hands like i rly can't imagine how they should look sometimes esp when holding stuff or whatever so like sometimes i will literally just take a photo of my own hands in the mirror in a rough mimic of the pose i need,, which is what i did for this lol:

sometimes i get annoyed that i have to rely on references for a lot of things and can't just magically pluck an idea straight from my brain and splat it onto the paper instantly but then i calm down and remember literally all artists ever do this and it can take a lifetime to understand anatomy enough to be able to draw every kind of pose from scratch so yeah. #motivational

UM anyway.

oh and here's the very first sketch i did for this, it's on a separate page and a lot smaller, done without any references it's just a rough sketch to start deciding on the poses/composition etc

lately i think i've got slightly more comfortable with backgrounds or like interiors and objects etc...perspective is still an iffy area like furniture often looks very wonky... but there is progress happening

ALSO erm. i don't want to like. hm. make it seem from my ramble posts like this that u know. art has always got to be a skill you work at and get better at bc obviously it's fine to do art for fun regardless of what it looks like and whether ppl would consider it "good" or "technically competent" BUT. this is just like my goal personally in that like i really do want to keep getting better idk im just very conscious all the time of what aspects look bad or need work and i guess i don't even mean that in a negative "i hate my art" way i mean like it's just what keeps me motivated u know??? like i enjoy aiming to work towards being able to do stuff i'm happy/happier with u kno.. anyway.

this has been a 2am (where i am) waffle post perhaps it was interesting or perhaps it sent you to sleep or perhaps nobody is reading this but either way. i need to go to beddie bies myself so i will shut up now... o/

[sittingoverheredreaming]

If you've finished the Age of Calamity game, then please will you share with me your detailed opinion on the story? I am a little bit salty about it but I'm not so sure why I feel this way

Oh man yeah, I’m pretty salty about it, and I’m happy to get into it.

Spoilers, of course, for Age of Calamity, and also disclaimer that this is just my opinion.

I think a big problem I have with the game is how it was framed by the trailers. Even if it was never stated to be a true prequel (as I’ve seen said again and again), it wasn’t shown to be a time travel story. So I got excited for a game that was very different from the one that actually came out. I was excited for a game that was a tragedy, a game that adhered to the story of BotW and showed the real cost of the battle with the Calamity. Whereas I think if the trailers were framed around the idea of changing history, or gave some clear indication of time travel, while I might have personally been a touch less excited, I would have definitely still been hyped and would have gone into the game with more appropriate expectations. The time travel is revealed within the first five minutes, if that, so I don’t think it’s fair to call it a twist that had to be kept secret (the new Champions being brought in from the future IS a twist and actually a fantastic one, THAT’S the thing to keep out of the trailers). Even just a shot of Terrako jumping through the time portal and then a cut to it on the grass surrounded by butterflies would have been enough of a visual hint for, say, the first trailer, to suggest the game’s real premise. But Terrako isn’t shown at all in the first trailer apart from the cover art at the end. It’s barely shown in any of the trailers at all, and is never a focus. 

And that leads into a second disappointment I had about the game, which was the questions posed around it were far more interesting than the answers the game gave, if there were answers at all. Terrako isn’t the biggest offender of this, though I do think it was set up to seem more mysterious than Zelda’s childhood toy (or pet?) that wants to save her. Astor is EASILY the biggest example though, because he was set up so pointedly and then we find out nothing about him apart from that he’s “from a certain small village.” It’s not even outright confirmed if he’s the fortune teller who convinced the king to dig up the Divine Beasts, which still wouldn’t be satisfying without any other information but would be SOMETHING. 

Apart from that, there isn’t really much new information. While there are some cute moments for the champions, we aren’t given more context for them, which is what I was hoping for. Apart from Mipha (who I think did get done very well in Age of Calamity, I really loved her story bits), we don’t see any of the champion’s families or any significant interactions with their own people. I think Age of Calamity built upon a few things that were established in Breath of the Wild, but didn’t put forward anything new or expansive. Even like, Link eating rocks is lifted from Daruk’s Training Journal in the Champion’s Ballad DLC. But at the same time, they also contradict information from Breath of the Wild plenty (see that same entry in Daruk’s journal that shows he met Link before Zelda, which maybe is explained away by the time travel but is really unclear, or another entry that states Daruk struggled to be able to control Rudania with the same ease as the other Champions, while in this game he just hops right in a takes down monsters with ease). One of the biggest changes from Breath of the Wild to Age of Calamity that threw me was how easily Link and Zelda get along. There’s the one moment where Zelda’s insecurities are addressed with Urbosa, but there’s none of the resentment we saw in Breath of the Wild flashbacks, and in turn it’s never clear why she ends up feeling so strongly about him in this timeline. (I also think Impa’s presence for things like visits to the Springs doesn’t help, there’s a certain extent to which BotW sells the Zelda/Link bond by having him be the only one privy to a lot of her darkest moments. I love Impa, and I 100% understand her inclusion, but I don’t think her presence makes a lot of sense with the BotW story.) It feels like everything was sort of simplified, everything's a little smoothed over and there’s not the same struggles that BotW showed in its flashbacks.

Overall, I think it does just boil down to having different expectations for the game than what it turned out to be. I totally understand why that was a positive for some people. For me, though, it’s hard to see past the excitement that first trailer gave me, and all the story possibilities I thought I was leading to.

[thiswreckageivebecome]

The Winter Soldier is Still Here (Part 25 - “Hail Hydra”) (Bucky/Winter Soldier x reader)

Description: You’re working at the local farmers market when you meet Bucky and catch his eye, not only because you’re the only one who sells plums, but because you treat him like a normal person. As a friendship begins to bloom, it quickly grows into a relationship and you learn that life with Bucky isn’t as easy it originally seemed. I SUCK AT DESCRIPTIONS!

Word count: 2044....a short one, I'm sorry, but I thought a short update might be better than none. In the words of Peggy, “It’s been so long.”

Warnings: Language.

Author’s Note: I don't own art.

---------------------------------------------------

READER POV

__________

I stared in disgusted awe at Jake. This...this was not happening. He was...

"Jake, " I asked almost silently. "Who are y-? Why? What is going on?" He scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"Oh please, " he now spoke with a heavy Russian accent, "don't even start with dramatics and hysterics. None of that will help you. Nothing will, really. Oh, the Asset thinks he will save you. Hell, he probably believes he'll sacrifice himself for you, but no. He has no idea the storm that will soon hit him."

"But, Jake....you're...you're... what about the hospital? The hike? Our relationship."

"Oh, you thought that was real," Jake questioned in the voice I recognized. Then he laughed aloud. "Woman, you're a fool. The Asset really fucked you up, didn't he? You fell so easily into the trap. You've been the easiest target we've ever had. If you had left him be you'd have never become involved, yet here you are, still pining for him in New York."

I attempted to get up but the threatening tone that propelled itself at me stopped me cold.

"Don't dare fucking move, you bitch."

"I just, I don't understand. Any of it."

"Боже. ты идиот, но теперь долго, маленькая сука. Look, you're pathetic so I'm going to tell you this and then it's lights out. I'm not Jake. I wouldn't have such a trashy American name. You were the target to get to Barnes. Soon enough he won't remember you and you'll have no way of remembering him. Therefore, rest well knowing that you're the reason he will be serving Hydra once again."

As promised I was unconscious in the next second. The last thing I remembered was his cold hands around my throat and the room slowly dimming until there was nothing but pitch black.

BUCKY POV

___________

I ran to the weaponry faster than I had run in quite some time. I had to get to (y/n) soon. If I didn't get there quick enough, they'd kill her just for spite. As I got to the vault, a message came through on Steve's phone which I would have to steal. It was a location: Jumping Jack Powerplant. While the actual location of this plant had been erased from public record, I knew it well as the hideout Hydra had used when it was after Nick Fury and after its full control attempt at overtaking S.H.I.E.L.D. The location had to be close enough to D.C. to arrive in a short time yet far enough so that it was off of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s radar. I quickly grabbed all of my usual choices: Gerber Yari ll Tanto, SIG-Sauer P220ST, and Vz.61 Skorpion. To be honest, I didn't plan to put up much of a fight unless that's what it took to free (y/n) and get her to safety. Otherwise, I was planning to do what they asked but it was best not to go empty-handed. I closed the vault quickly and as I turned around Natasha was standing in front of me.

"Barnes, what's going on?" The tone of her voice told me she already had a clue.

"Nothing, Natasha. Don't tell anyone I'm gone. I have to go." I pushed past her but she quickly caught up.

"It's Hydra isn't it," she asked as she followed me down the steps. I'd make it downstairs quicker that way.

"Natasha," I called over my shoulder, "please, just go back and pretend you never saw me."

"No," she wouldn't leave me. I halted and turned to her quickly but before I could speak, she figured it out.

"They've got her, don't they?" Her words hit me again like a fresh ton of bricks, the reality sinking in more than it already had. I halted for a second to stop myself from stumbling as the weight on my chest began to cave in. I began to continue my descent but she didn't move.

"They're just trying to get to you, Barnes. They only want you."

"You think I don't know that? I don't care. I can't let her die on my account."

"Just so we're clear."

She quickly caught up with me and actually passed me. By the time I made it down she already had the vehicle pulled to the door.

"Get in." After I was in and the door just shut, "where to," she asked.

"Jumping Jack Powerplant. It's North o-"

"Of D.C. Yeah, I remember." I simply nodded. We rode in silence for quite some time. When we were about 15 minutes out, she broke the silence. "So what's the plan when we get in." I remained silent. "You do have a plan, right," she asked worriedly.

"Yeah. Kill anyone who gets in my way to (y/n)."

READER POV

————————

I awoke with bright lights shining in my eyes, lights so bright that I immediately had to squint. There was a beeping noise. It started to speed up and then I realized it must have been a heart monitor.

"The stupid princess awakes," Jake...or whatever his name was...spat. "The asset isn't here yet so you might as well calm down. No use in screaming either, no one will ever hear you and we made it where you can't reach your full voice anyway."

I tried to speak but no sound came out. I began to panic. What had he done to me? He smiled.

"You're one of the most stubborn women I've ever met. I just told you-you cannot reach your full voice, yet what is the first thing you try to do? You won't be able to scream or even speak for a while. You might as well calm down, otherwise, I'll put you back under." I attempted to calm down. I needed to be as aware of everything he would do as I possibly could. I tried to lie still and keep my face even and emotionless. After a few moments of this, he commented on it. "Hmm, maybe there's a reason you and the Asset got along so well. You're both able to turn off your emotion so well. Granted I'm sure the serum helps." I had to stop my eyes from growing and becoming restless again as he got ready to continue.

"You know, this little serum right here," he held up a syringe that held an almost clear, slightly blue-tinted liquid inside, "took us many years to perfect but once we did, we made vats of it. We keep it stored safely away in a top secret location, of course. I can't wait to use it on you. The ladies always have the best reaction," he finished explaining eerily. He began wrapping an elastic band around my arm and I couldn't remain calm any longer. I started to try and shake the table straps loose so that I could, in turn, get away. I knew it was useless but I had to fight. If nothing else, maybe I could keep him from getting whatever serum he was so in love with, within my body. I couldn't scream but that didn't stop me from trying. I could feel the tight sinched air attempting to scratch its way out into the warehouse but it wasn't going far. I didn't struggle for long. He stuck a different syringe quickly in my arm and there was the darkness that immediately surrounded me.

BUCKY POV

———————-

Natasha parked far enough away that we wouldn't be detected and I got into the driver's seat and drove slowly up to the building, on high alert for any sneak attacks. I knew Natasha wouldn't be far behind me, probably already making her way into the building before I pulled up and parked outside of the locked fence. After I took a quick observance of my surroundings, I got ready to jump the fence when the gate to my right began to open. They knew I was here. They had learned how to hide their cameras better than they had in the past.

I entered the grounds, even more, hyperaware of the fact that they had eyes on me even though I didn't have my own on them than I was before. After I had walked about 15 feet I saw them, I saw him. I recognized him immediately which was surprising considering I couldn't remember much else. As soon as he spoke I knew this was the man who had posed as Jake.

"Charscovsky."

"Soldier."

"What an honor that you'd meet me at the entrance, " I attempted not to sneer. All he did was smile mischievously.

"Oh, come now, Soldier. You act as though we weren't close once."

"You and I have very different definitions of 'close' then."

The eerie smile never left his face. He turned on his heel and began to leisurely lead the way into the building. As he led me in I noticed just the faintest blur of red hair to my left before I entered and I was grateful in that moment that Natasha had refused to be left behind.

"(Y/n) has had such wonderful things to say about you."

"Take me to her."

"Oh, now, now, Soldier. You'll be reunited soon enough. First, we need to discuss a few things."

"We don't need to discuss anything except you telling me where (Y/n) is. Once she's out of here we'll discuss whatever you like."

"You see, that was a huge problem that we never did perfect with the soldier serum."

He waited for me to respond but I refused. He stopped at a door and turned to look at me.

"You're not curious, huh? I suppose I'll say it anyway. It'll be valuable information to you very soon."

He paused again waiting for a response but when he realized I wasn't going to, that smile he had held for the entirety of the time since our eyes had met, began to fade which almost brought one to my face.

"Whether you're curious or not, Soldier, what I'm referring to is the ability to negotiate. You see, we didn't think about that at the time. Elimination and defense were the prime qualities we wanted but now, looking back, I can see it is something we will need to work on in the future. I imagine you'll soon wish we would have too." He arrived at a door and stopped. Four guards stepped between us as he leaned down and pressed his face to a retinal recognition. I suppose they knew I would be tempted to attack and dissemble in order to get to her if he were left unprotected. I heard the door unlock before opening into darkness. My body tensed as I didn't know what this meant. He waved off the guards so that they walked behind us and he led the way into the dark.

I then heard two thumps on each side of me. I turned, fully alert, ready for a fight, but instead, I saw nothing but as the room lit, a dash of red flew past me and took down Charscovsky, pinning him to the floor.

"Oh," he smirked, "Ms. Romanoff, what a pleasant surprise."

"Where is she?" Natasha sneered.

"Oh yes, you have become fond of her too, haven't you?" Natasha pushed down against his throat more, so that he had to put more effort into continuing, "не волнуйся, ты скоро ее увидишь." He smiled again, mischief playing happily across his eyes. Natasha stood and jerked him up along with her. I stepped to him, toe-to-toe. "Where the hell is she?" I was now snarling. He smiled and remained silent a moment. He was clearly enjoying himself.

"Oh, зимняя принцесса," he said louder as if he was calling to someone else.

"What?" Natasha quickly questioned.

"No," I said, not wanting to believe what he was saying. Fear and anger took me over. My vision blurred. "No!" I exclaimed, pushing him into the wall to my left. My left hand grasped his throat, the metal plates of my arm shifting to strengthen my grip. All the while he smiled.

"Bucky, what is it? What's he saying?" Natasha asked, worry filling her tone. She didn't have to wait long to find out.