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As a teenager, I was really into the anime Fruits Basket. Sōma Yuki was pretty much my favourite. So after a completely unrelated deep-dive into the Chinese zodiac that reminded me of the anime, I made this grey-haired girl inspired by Yuki (TBH, she vaguely resembles what my teenage self hoped to look like... especially the grogeous grey hair...)

Speaking of Fruits Basket, can you believe they made a remake of it in 2019? I had no idea until recently and I am SHOOK! 😱 My inner anime fan girl is screaming with excitement and I can't wait to binge-watch the entire series like a pro 📺🍿

So, for the 5 random and lovely people who follow this account, if you don't hear from me for the next few days, you'll know where to find me - in front of my screen, reliving my teenage dreams. 😂🙌

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Okay, I have a confession to make. My secret vice is art supplies. I just can't help myself! I love buying new markers, pencils, and paints, even though I mainly do digital art. It's like a compulsion, but a really fun one!

This week, I went on a bit of a bender and bought the Faber Castell Polychromos. It's been a good ten years since I last used coloured pencils, and let's just say that my skills were a bit...rusty. I had the precision of a toddler with a crayon, but hey, I had a blast anyway!

Sure, some people might call me a hoarder for having a whole room dedicated to art supplies when I literarily use an IPad 90% of the time, but I prefer to think of it as a museum of creativity. Each tool is like a piece of art waiting to be made. And who knows, maybe someday I'll even use all of them!

So, if you see me lurking in the art supply store, clutching my Faber Castell Polychromos and muttering to myself, just know that I'm not crazy. I'm a girl on a mission, and I won't stop until I have every color in the rainbow. Or until my bank account hits zero. Whichever comes first.

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Obligatory Cheesy Caption: Who needs makeup when you can just get splashed with paint? 🎨🤪

Fun fact about paint:

Did you know that before the invention of synthetic pigments, the colour blue was one of the most expensive colours to produce, as it was derived from lapis lazuli, a semi-precious stone found only in a few regions of the world. In fact, some famous paintings such as "The Virgin and Child with St. Anne" by Leonardo da Vinci, were so costly to produce due to their blue hues, that they bankrupted the artists or the patrons who commissioned them.

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This is such a great picture it deserves some context, in case you’re new to 20th Century art.

Who are these people? One is Salvador Dali: the wild and flamboyant surrealist painter ( of melting clocks fame). The other one, perhaps less known, is Marcel Duchamp, a conceptual artist who made a name for himself by putting a urinal in a museum.

At first glance, the two artists seem like polar opposites: Dali, known for his flamboyant personality and surreal paintings, and Duchamp, the enigmatic conceptual artist who often eschewed traditional art forms. Yet, despite their differences, the two men shared a deep respect for each other's work and formed a bond that lasted for decades.

Their friendship was born out of a shared fascination with the subconscious mind and a desire to push the boundaries of what was possible in the world of art.

One of their most famous collaborations was the creation of "Rainy Taxi" for the 1938 International Surrealist Exhibition in Paris. The installation featured a taxicab filled with mannequins and a live snail, and was meant to challenge traditional notions of art and beauty.

Their friendship inspired each other's work in very interesting ways. Duchamp's readymades challenged traditional notions of art, and Dali took that inspiration to experiment with new forms of artistic expression. In turn, Dali's surreal paintings inspired Duchamp to keep pushing the boundaries of conceptual art.

Duchamp and Dali playing chess during filming for A Soft Self-Portrait, 1966 Photo by Robert Descharnes and Paul Averty. ©Descharnes & Descharnes sarl 2016. Archivo Fotografico Pere Vehi, Cadaques

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Sunflowers

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Magician Tower by Maxime Desmettre

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Study 2022

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In today's "History Meets Art" .... *drumroll* the amazing queen of the Nile, Cleopatra herself!

Cleopatra VII was the embodiment of badassery in ancient times. She was a true force to be reckoned with, using her razor-sharp intellect and magnetic personality to seduce and outsmart the most powerful men of her era, including Julius Caesar and Mark Antony.

Cleopatra wasn't just a pretty face either - she was a warrior queen who led her armies into battle, risking everything for her kingdom and her people. In addition to her military prowess, she was also a scientist, a scholar, and a patron of the arts, making Alexandria a hub of intellectual and cultural richness that remains unrivaled to this day.

Cleopatra's legend has endured over the centuries, inspiring countless stories, works of art, and even perfumes. And it's not just because she was a beauty, but because she was a true badass who proved that women can be just as powerful and influential as any man.

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There is a moment in spring when the world seems to come alive with color and light. The air is crisp and fresh, and the scent of blooming flowers wafts through the streets. And in the midst of this beauty and serenity, there is one sight that truly captures the heart and imagination: the cherry blossom. With their delicate petals and soft pink hues, cherry blossoms are a breathtaking sight to behold. They seem to dance on the breeze, creating a canopy of pink and white that awakens the senses and soothes the soul.

For me, there is something almost otherworldly about the beauty of cherry blossoms, and I have always been fascinated by their history and lore. In particular, I am drawn to the ties between cherry blossoms and the samurai, and how these warriors were inspired by the delicate yet powerful nature of these flowers.

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For this one, the symmetry tool in Procreate was a lifesaver, the eyes are a bit dodgy and I have to admit, I originally planned an intricate kimono pattern but got bored halfway through... I still wanted to post it because not everything *has to be perfect* and I really really like how the simple purple kimono turned out...

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Being alone in a crowded city can be a surreal experience. Surrounded by throngs of people rushing about their day, you can feel both a part of the energy and disconnected from it at the same time. The noises of cars, chatter, and footsteps blend together into a symphony of sound that can be both overwhelming and oddly comforting. You can feel small and insignificant, yet oddly liberated, as you move through the crowds, unnoticed and unencumbered. While it can be a jarring feeling at first, being alone in a crowded city can be a time for reflection and introspection, a moment to slow down and take in the world around you.

For a glimpse of the drawing process, take a look below:

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When history and art collide 🤴 After a deep-dive into the Yuan dynasty while reading "She Who Became the Sun," I present my (highly stylized) version of Kublai Khan, the charismatic emperor who conquered half the world. 😜

As the grandson of Genghis Khan and the ruler of the Mongol Empire, Kublai Khan was no stranger to war and conquest. He was known for his ruthless tactics and military prowess, and he used these skills to conquer the Song dynasty in China, establishing the Yuan dynasty in 1271. While his reign was marked by his military conquests, Kublai Khan was also known for his policies of religious tolerance and cultural exchange, as well as his patronage of the arts, literature, and science. Despite his reputation for ruthlessness, Kublai Khan was a charismatic leader who left a lasting legacy in Chinese history as a conqueror, patron, and visionary ruler.

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Ah, the perfect image of a couple - the dreamy smiles, the picturesque background, and the perfect lighting. It's enough to make anyone swoon, isn't it? But let's be real, just because a couple can nail the perfect Instagram-worthy shot doesn't mean they have a perfect relationship. For all we know, they could have been bickering just moments before, or maybe they're only staying together for the likes and follows.

Pro Tip: let's not be fooled by the filtered and curated images we see online, because behind the scenes, things might not be as picture-perfect as they seem.

[mufmufart]

When your eyes do all the talking, but the rest of your face is like 'I'm just here for the ride 🚗💨