#(and i'm like... 80% sure i can source the art i've used for most if not all of them--)

[rain-filled-garden]

[maple-rose]

So when I was drawing Ryoma's birthday picture, I wanted to put the Raijinto in the background, but like, displayed. I wanted to know how it should be displayed, like if there are any rules or such. And I fell into a bit of a rabbit hole.

Basically you're supposed to display katanas the same way as they're worn. Most sources say this means with the edge facing up. However, Ryoma wears the Raijinto with the blade facing down, because he wears samurai armor rather than a kimono.

Instead of tucking the sword into his belt, it's attached to his waist by the clasps. And because it's attached like this, and because he has shoulder armor, the blade should be facing down in order to draw it correctly. I've come across an article about this previously.

So then... should he display Raijinto with the blade facing down?

Legendary Ryoma's Meet the Heroes page actually has a image of the Raijinto on display

Here you can see the blade is facing up. So... which one is it?

It turns out that it depends on what type of katana the Raijinto is.

You see, the term "katana" (刀) is kind of an umbrella term for Japanese style swords. Within the classification, there are different types. Fates actually kinda uses this, for example, the Kodachi and Wakizaki are different types of katana.

The kind of "katana" Fates uses for the generic weapons, such as the "Steel Katana", is actually called "Uchigatana" (打刀). This type of katana are generally shorter, straighter, and used by infantry. You would tuck an Uchigatana into your belt, with the blade facing up. In fact we see this in Hana's art (and it's pretty consistent between her FEH art, her Fates portrait, and My Room model)

There's another type of katana, the "Tachi" (太刀), that tends to be longer, more curved, and worn by samurai with the edge facing down (actually as an aside, the "kodachi" = small tachi; basically a tachi that's shorter, guess Fates adapted that into a 2-range sword)

We can see that the Raijinto is a fairly long sword. In this official art, the blade is almost half Ryoma's height. Ryoma is ~183cm (6ft), which makes the blade like 80-90cm. It's also quite curved.

Another distinctive feature is that the sheath tends to be more ornate, and has these clasps that attach to the user's belt with strings

So yeah, I'm pretty sure the Raijinto is a Tachi, not a Uchigatana. Which means it should be displayed with the blade facing up

(images from https://romanceofmen.com/blogs/katana-info/difference-between-katana-and-tachi , which is also the article that I learned a lot of this from)

Then what's up with the Meet the Heroes image? ... I guess I'll chalk it up to "Sharena" not knowing the difference I guess.

Oh btw, a katana is supposed to be displayed with the handle facing left during peace times, to show it doesn't need to be drawn so easily (since most people are right-handed)

Another interesting thing about Tachi is that they were actually designed to be used on horseback (whereas the Uchigatana is more for infantry). It has a longer reach, is lighter (so you can wield it with one hand), and drawn blade down so the horse doesn't get spooked. (more about the Tachi: https://romanceofmen.com/blogs/katana-info/what-is-tachi-sword )

Ryoma is an infantry unit in Fates and FEH, perhaps due to gameplay reasons? (for example Hoshidan classes don't actually have one that uses a horse). His armor design is based on a period where samurai would do combat on horseback though.

So maybe it's not so weird for legendary Ryoma in FEH to be mounted, since his sword is actually supposed to be used for mounted combat! (you know, even aside from all the lightning it can shoot)

[see-arcane]

Do you have any tips on digitally coloring art that you have sketched traditionally?

Oof, I'm still extremely novice if I'm being honest. I won't call them tips, but a few things I like to do when adding color lately:

Playing with color-tinted lighting. By which I mean first coloring everything in as it'd be in plain white lighting, then going back in with decreased opacity paint bucket tool to tinker with a shade to match the actual light source. I've used moonlight in a lot of my Dracula stuff, usually with a non-black night backdrop, whether it's subtle:

Or rich:

that extra hue gives things a more ~dramatic~ lens than having everything starkly base-colored, I think.

Next, picking and playing with a specific palette. Black-red-white is a favorite for the peak edgy horror-gothic stuff

but really I just like latching onto A Color and hopping around its gradients to fill a piece in. One of my favorites is '80's Fantasy Purple':

Speaking of fantasy! I am occasionally a sucker for lots of pretty pretty glitter and sheer for extra dreamy/pulp cover looks

And with the flimsier stuff above ^^^ I just play around with opacity until I'm happy with the fill-in, followed by going over the edges with the blur tool until it looks nice and gauzy

Back to lighting, one of my most beloved (and admittedly bare bones) tricks is using a combo of one 0% Hardness blotch of color--read: a very fuzzy-hazy spot--followed by one 100% Hardness spot--read: a normal paint spot--to create the illusion of extremely intense glowing. That could be for something as simple as glowing eyes...

(Her eyes and the moon were done the same way, hazy purple spot first, smaller sharper white spot on top ^^^)

...or doing both of these, placed on top of a radiating gradient effect. Such as:

(One of my favorite color combos is 'bloody sunset' when the sun goes down extra golden molten and makes the sky look like it's burning. Deep yellow + an intense red-to-black gradient = Most Dramatic Lighting Possible)

And, very last note, which you can probably spy above--fog! Love me some billowy theatrical fog! Again, it's just an opacity trick and making sure the paintbrush is on its lowest hardness setting before whirling the brush around into lumps.

That's about all I can think of off the top of my head for now

[flintyfae]

Hii there!

I hope you're having a lovely day so far 🌺

I just gotta say, I'm a huge fan of what you do and I've been wanting to come to one of your "queer collage nights" for forever!!

As someone that does collage, what you do is incredibly inspirational, the vulnerability in your art always makes me very emotional, thank you for sharing glimpses of yourself.

Okay, back to what I came here to say. I'm an artist and looking to get into making prints and such. Do you have any recommendations in terms of what you use for your art (scanners, printers, etc.)

(I'm in the same city as you if ever you recs are local, it also works!)

No worries if you don't have the energy for this, I was simply curious 💖

- Léa

oh wow! thank you so much 🥹 i source most of my materials from thrift stores!! theyre great places for physical materials like magazines and the dollarstore has a lot of embellishments for cheap in their craft section!

if you want good equipement for print production id suggest investing in a flatbed scanner so you scan bigger pieces, i have an all in one printer that is helpful but i mostly only use it as a scanner lol. i only use it to print script if im too lazy to cut out the words i want to use. ive been using a canon printer and like it a lot better than hp but it was more expensive.

i source my prints from staples!! if you choose cardstock its like 80 cents a paper for really good quality color prints! thats why i didnt really invest in my printer since i dont use it to make prints but if you want to do prints at home make sure your printer can handle cardstock!

i hope this answered some of your questions!! if you need more info feel free to ask!

-tj❣️

[rovingwren]

fellow central floridian! I've seen you at a market before, and I wanted to ask you something.

I've been wanting to start selling prints of my digital art, as well as custom items that I decorate with drawn on flowers.

How do you get into fairs and markets? How do you start a small art business?

I live near Lake and Sumter county, Lake County being where I saw you at a market. Is there any resources you can point me too? Bare bones, what would I need for a stall? How much does it cost on average? Do you need a business license or anything? Help.

Oh hello friend!!

Here are some things I found in my experiences with markets!

One way you can get into fairs and markets is by joining groups on Facebook that put out regular calls for vendors. The one I'm in is "Central Florida Markets & Craft Shows Vendor Group". You would just let them know what you make when you apply to the calls that are put out there. If you can, try to apply to markets related to what you are producing, but if nothing is a great fit, just apply to everything and see which ones you like best.

Markets are tough! You will be in the hole before you start, just be aware of that. Focus on tables, signage, simple decor, and display/holders for your wares first. Try to source your booth from borrowing stuff at first and decorate it with paint/paper/tablecloths/fabric etc to make it look cohesive. Hunt out deals on folding tables and a canopy at places like Ollie's or other surplus stores. Thrift as much as you can to save your initial costs until you know how well you're gonna do. You don't **need** a canopy except I'm sure you know the capriciousness of Florida weather. If you aren't in a good spot to get a canopy, try to aim for indoor spots or design your booth to be quick to get to cover if it rains.

Also when designing your booth, make sure people can see everything! Height is good, and if you saw my booth in Howey, you know I hung things everywhere to make the most of my vertical space. Most of the time, you will get a 10x10 area but confirm that when you apply. Draw mockups early on so you can keep an eye out for things that will work for you while thrifting. Also you can do some window shopping online to create a budget for these things if you were to buy them new, and you'll know when you find a deal on a used thing that way.

Entry fees are anywhere between $30-$80 per booth in my experience. They charge more for the ones with higher traffic, but they are thinking you'll make more because of that, to offset the cost. Definitely check out The Goblin Market in Oviedo (not the restaurant in Mount Dora lol) because they are big on the handmade and indie artist scene. I don't know what they charge per booth, though :(

If at all possible, find a friend or another trustworthy creator who wouldn't mind splitting the booth with you! This helps with the load of watching the booth and draws more people in with more variety. I teamed up with a local ceramicist and it was a game changer!

Definitely be prepared to accept cash or card payments, including making change. Square is probably the easiest one to get started with, but spend some time researching the options for what works best for you. I've heard ok things about Shopify, and there may be other services that let you use tap with your phone.

And finally! The big one. A business license.

I would look up the Florida IRS information on Hobbies and making money from them. There is a cutoff for how much you can make before you have to pay taxes on it. Imo, try out a few markets, see how it goes. If it catches on and you are hugely successful, then my advice would be to consult a CPA for next steps. It is worth it to invest in a professional in that case! If you want to be absolutely sure before you go in, do the CPA bit first.

That's a lot of information, I kept thinking of other things to add!!! Please let me know if you'd like more information or clarification on any of this. I wish you the absolute best of luck on this venture and I hope you have some fun with it!!!

[dojae-huh]

[I'm gonna take a shot at your post asking for people's opinions on "J"!]

I was pleasantly surprised. Jaehyun showed us so many different elements of himself and I feel like I have a more accurate perception of him as an artist and a human being now that we've gotten to see where his mind goes when he's given the opportunity to express himself outside of 127

My parents raised me on 80s and 90s Soul and R&B and I was impressed by how well he was able to portray these styles of music despite not having the same level of familiarity with it as an American around his age would. However, I 100% agree with you and your recent anon about how he lacked direction. He had a vision and deep passion but it wasn't enough. The album wasn't well-defined

I don't fault him for it because, again, he's coming at it from the angle of a Korean with limited exposure, but it's something that I definitely noticed. I'm sure that as time goes on, he'll discover precisely what direction he wants to take his music in, he'll learn how to communicate his ideas consistently from start to finish, and he'll decide whether or not he wishes to keep sharpening the skills required to create R&B/Soul that is more faithful to the source but still unique to him

I haven't been keeping up with most of the pre- and post-release promotion & activities because I've been busy with work, so I unfortunately don't have much to say on that front

All in all, I deeply enjoyed what he gave us and I look forward to his future output! He has so much potential and I hope it materializes into something incredible

Oh! Another thing that I came to realize while listening is that Jaehyun is not as strong a vocalist as I initially believed him to be. In 127, it wasn't noticeable to me because their vocal coaches spend great effort ensuring that each member has parts that compliment their strengths and minimize their weaknesses. His voice is gorgeous, but when he has to carry an entire song by himself, his lack of skill in some areas becomes apparent. I experienced a similar thing when Ten's mini album came out

I asked my little sister about it (she's been following & listening to NCT since pre-debut) and she was like, "well...yeah. You haven't t noticed yet? He's never been the strongest singer, lol" I still love him, though 😅

I like your point about the lack of exposure. Or, maybe, in his case a lack of background and history associated with each subgenre of r'n'b (as he can listen to practically any song from any era now on streaming platforms). You know, how I complained about the mix of images in Smoke's concept. To break the rules one needs to perfectly know the basics first to know what to deconstract, what can be changed, what not.

(Pablo Picasso's art evolution)

Jaehyun is 27, however he doesn't have years of musical education, he explained himself he had to carve moments out of his busy schedule to songwrite and learn music composion software. So, really, can't blame him for having passion but not a clear vision. "Juvenile" is not a bad description, just a description of the first attempt. "J" is a chick, heh. There is room to grow.

Jaehyun evidently gravitates towards non-Korean music (and his best friends are all foreigners, he drank too much of that Connecticut milk, I fear), therefore we can expect him to continue the r'n'b route. Although, I think he will be more inclined to go for newer, more modern sound (further from Can't get you and closer to Horizon).

About the voice. Really? Technically, range vise or emotionally? "Completely" aside, it was out of his comfort zone. However, I think he did a good job on the rest (we are not comparing him with Do, there is a change of level, naturally). I do think his musicality is underdeveloped, but he knows (or can try and achieve) how to produce a nice fitting sound. I think his delivery makes "Easy".

[dragonladies]

last chapter you mentioned val dressing in the crownlands style instead of the riverlands style. can you elaborate on that?

context because this ask has been sitting in my inbox for a couple months -- this ask was sent in regards to chapter 36:

in general, a lot of my asoiaf clothing headcanons are just. ideas that @15-lizards has posted about. so that's our jumping off point. go read their posts if you haven't yet, they're very fun

(i've tried to find sources for all of the images i've used, but most of them are from pinterest!)

in my mind, the silhouette of the gothic fitted gown/kirtle/cotehardie, or whatever other term you want to use, best fits the vibes of the riverlands. so like, close fitted bodice, big skirts, big flowy sleeves. they appear a lot in art from the 1300s to 1400s, so late medieval/early ren.

but i especially like big sleeves. dagged sleeves appear a lot in my outfit descriptions

moving away from strictly historical inspirations for a second, i've said before that my ideal asoiaf adaption is like. cheesy 80s dark fantasy. if they aren't running around looking like they're in a renfaire, i don't want it. closer inspirations for what im imagining include the costumes from lord of the rings, and other sort of medievalist fantasy stuff. kind of ironic, but alicent's costumes in season 2 are SOOO riverlands to me.

other inspirations include pre raphaelite painters. esp edmund leighton bc his work is like. formative to me idk.

also a lot of padme's costumes have that really flowy silhouette that i have in mind. also the prequel triology's costumes are just. so beautiful i could stare at pictures for hours and hours. but these are more vibe based, bc a lot of them are off the shoulder/halter necks and that wouldn't fly in westeros i don't think. mostly just her nightwear tbh

MEANWHILE for the crownlands, i picture stuff that is more structured and obviously ostentatious. not that the riverlands costumes aren't like fine and expensive -- there's plenty of opportunity for embroidery, beadwork, gems added, etc. but the crownlands are more obvious in how they're like. look at us we live at court we're rich.

in my mind its kind of a mix between high renaissance styles and regency styles, maybe with a little bit of tudor in there. i just love tudor bodices. i can mix periods i wrote a thesis about sumptuary laws so i know my shit. i'm allowed to.

think the borgias but also emma 2020. high waist lines, puffy sleeves. lots of decorations:

image sources!

Jost Haller's Tempelhof Altarpiece, 1445

Andrea Bonaiuti's The Way of Salvation fresco, 1365

i THINK this is from Roman de la Rose based on the little watermark at the bottom, a manuscript from 1340-1350, but the only digitized version I could find, from the Morgan Library, unfortunately does not have folio 5r up, only 4v and then 5v, so i can't verify :(

eowyn's coronation gown from return of the king. i sourced this pic from this tweet. this website has more pics of different angles/details

arwen's blue and silver gown that she wears throughout most of return of the king. from what i've seen fans call it the requiem gown, but im not entirely sure why? im not a huge fan of the overdress's sleeves but i loooove the neckline and the silhouette overall. i found this pic on pinterest

this is a more recent show, the decameron on netflix from i think last year, maybe 2023? it's on my watchlist bc a friend liked it. this costume came up for me a bit ago on pinterest and i immediately saved it as inspo bc. that's such a val dress

The Princess Bride (1987). again a lot of buttercup's costumes have that sort of non-descript, sort of medieval silhouette. schlocky medievalist fantasy vibes everywhere PLEASE!!!

Edmund Leighton's The Accolade, 1901

-- God Speed!, 1900

-- The Dedication, 1908

-- The Shadow, 1909

Padme's lake country gown from Attack of the Clones. this is my FAVEEEE padme costume EVERRR

Her like. meadow dress? mostly i just love the hair. Also from AOC

She wears this nightgown at some point in AOC but i can't remember which scene

HER WEDDING DRESSSSS i wish there were more angles i love this dress so much

Padme wears this in a deleted scene in Revenge of the Sith I THINK. she has the hood up in most screenshots

A nightgown she wears in ROS during the attack on the Jedi temple. LOVEEE the sleeves.

The Borgias. Pretty sure this is from season 1 episode 2? Maybe 3?

The Borgias, season 1 episode 6

Season 1 episode 1? I think? I'm pretty sure it's a screencap from when Lucrezia meets Giulia Farnese for the first time, which is almost definitely in the first episode.

Emma (2020). I'm pretty sure most of the costumes were recreations of actual extant garments. This one is at the V&A.

Emma (2020). i really like Mrs. Elton's costumes in this movie. they're so fun

[ailec-12]

For shit to ask people who write

So… well you know I am damn curious therefore

well I am interested in 4, 5, 18, 19, 22, 25

but as this is quite a list feel free to just pick 2 or three of those that you are willing to share with us…

No worries, I wouldn't have reblogged that post if I hadn't wanted people to ask stuff. Thanks so much for dropping by!

4. What are some of examples of storytelling that inspires you outside of books?

Art, songs, little scenes my friends tell me on WA, news. In the case of fanfiction, fanvids and gifs are also an important source of inspiration for me.

5. What is the plot bunny you’ve been carrying the longest? Optional bonus question: do you ever wonder why you haven’t written it yet and experience deep existential dread?

A sci-fi original story that's been living rent-free in my head for almost a decade. It used to make me experience deep existential dread because I'm not sure I'll ever be able to write it —it's a very complex concept that needs lots of time, research and skill—, but not anymore. I'd still like to write it but it's no great loss if I don't, since I'm the only person invested in it and I can always daydream about it.

18. Tell us about a character who’s very different from you who you love a whole lot.

Most of the characters I love are very different from me, hahaha. Peggy Carter comes to mind right now.

19. What’s something neat you’ve learned while doing research for something you were writing? Also, how much do you worry about doing research in general?

I admit it's been a long while since I've done serious research. I don't always bother when I'm writing fanfiction, though I do remember learning microwaves were common in the UK in the late 70s/early 80s.

22. Talk about a writing experience that has pleasantly surprised you. Or talk about several. Seriously, writing is cool. You’re making up whole stories out of your brain, revel in that shit.

Writing is the coolest! My favourite experience is when the story seems to write itself, when the characters act on their own (but without getting themselves into trouble I can't get them out of) and the whole thing just flows. You never know where you're going to end up and I find it impossible to actually explain the way I feel at moments like this because people tend to think it's an exaggeration. But no, on those occasions I'm just the person holding the pen, writing down someone else's story.

25. Hey - what are you working on right now?

The next chapter of House Potter. ^-^ I've written a little over 1000 words so far.

Shit to ask writers

[samtheflamingomain]

pens v. fake wrestling

I buy a lot of shit on Amazon. I've never spent more than like $80 on a purchase with a few exceptions. Many of my recent products came in slim envelopes.

I've always been this way, but it gets worse when I'm manic. Last time, I blew almost 2 grand on art journal stuff.

But here's my point: I hate, so much, when people comment on my purchases. Started with my dad. I know I can't afford a lot of what I buy - but I'd say that the majority of my purchases are "things I need" for my art projects. And I need to do my projects to enjoy my life even just a bit.

I have a roommate who's particularly bad about it, but usually thinks he's being funny and lighthearted. It makes me feel awful. Ex. I ordered $15 in product but all were for some reason in their own envelopes, so like 6 in one day, which looks like I'm splurging.

I'm dirt poor. But when I get into a hyperfocus on online shopping I've been known to have 50+ items in the cart amounting to thousands.

But then I delete. A lot. I once went from $2400 in a cart to $18. I'll just add whatever and later hone it down to what I really want.

But at the end of the day, he's right, I shouldn't be buying anything - I'm close to abject poverty. But... it's my avocado toast, buying a set of pens/pencils/markers here and there.

One day, Critical Roommate helped me bring in a bunch of packages, with a comment noting that I couldn't be as poor as he thought, just phrased in the perfect way to make me snap.

I got Big Mad. This particular assortment was cat food, litter, coffee, coffee mate, sugar, a few other dry goods, and one was a pack of interesting pens. He was particularly bitchy - all along I'd been like, "yep needed that" and "cheaper than the grocery store!" and as he watched me unload it all, when I got to the pens, he said "And why are THOSE necessary?"

They're not. But it was I think around Feb 20. I told him, this is the only thing I've bought myself this month. I will use them. It will bring me happiness to see these very interesting pens at work.

It's so hard for me not to blast him for spending hundreds a month to watch fake fights and hundreds more to keep all his stupid games active every month. Add in the fact he's "renting furniture and TV" and paying 30% interest, minimum $50 a month on Tim's, and he also drinks, orders food, and just bought a $150 cat box that "cleans itself". But you still gotta scoop, and none of them do. If I go upstairs it's always a struggle not to instantly go to that box and clean it for those poor cats. 3 people, never seen a clean box. But yeah, shame me for an $8 set of pens.

This sequence of mania is different from the last, when I had a credit card and just bought anything that my eyes liked. Now I buy things for art forms I already engage in, that will be used.

But my biggest source of salt is that... he spent $170 on a game. "It includes any future DLC and skins and and and" bitch, those pens were EIGHT DOLLARS. And you roasted me for them, then drop this info as if it's totally normal. UFC aint real, it's not worth a video game let alone the super cool skins that would make your shorts a different color. Sure, it's something he's very into - but the fact that he sees that as a completely rational purchase while my pens are frivolous makes me want to scream.

I think it ultimately comes down to the fact that most people don't respect my art. I like recreating from original medium to another. This is a guy who literally owns every single version of The NHL Hockey Game. Like, how different can they all be? But that's his hobby. I can, ultimately, respect it. I've paid hundreds in Sims packs.

But the idea that he doesn't see him paying $170 on a game that doesn't even exist yet while criticizing my $8 pens will just never cease to infuriate me.

To be a real bitch, I'm going to create something new and interesting. He's going to pretend to pretend to pretend to wrestle. 6m from now. And literally no one will ever consider his $170 purchase to be rational.

Stay Greater

[fainthedcherry]

3 hrs spent total for sketching - and skipping my pizza time for this xD

I'm VERY happy to say, that I had a lot of fun trying to come up with some alt-designs!!!

I got the idea to draw these doodles from a blog I really like, from @shoechoe !! (sorry if you hate tags, just wanted to credit back to you and also reblog the source of inspo!!!)

I've never drawn Doppio NOR Diavolo ever before, plus I mainly draw anthros in my free time, so I put some extra effort into these in trying to make these look appealing despite my obvious time-crunch LOL!

Since unfortunately I have to go to work in order to feed myself LOL, that means I couldn't of spend the rest of my midnight on this, so this looks REALLY rough and ofc some anatomy-mistakes were ignored, but yeah! For 3 hrs, I'm p OK w/ the results!!! :o;

RAMBLE SECTION ABT ART/DESIGN PROCESS BELOW;

Hope any fans out there enjoy my weird ideas I had design-wise. xD

Diavolo was giving very oldhead punk - maybe even the gatekeepy types KLFGSDLKGDS, but I also thought about "OOH he'd probably LOVE glam-punk. Somewhere around his era too w/ 80s-90s dude probably musta LOVED David Bowie!!" So I've drawn one with glam-punk influences, the other just freely off the top of my head, on what I consider something more punk-ish xD

Oh, also I sliiightly dulled the colours,, just sliightly. If the colours look off in some way, blame my program, that prevents me from getting migraines due to bluelight. I have a filter, that sets my screen to a certain % of orange, so if colours look colder than they're supposed to...It was bc of that. xD It's 3AM here in Germany, as I write this!! :>

That was my main thought-process,,, then last second I thought "omg I also need to throw Doppio in here bc I love him too who WOULDN'T" - soO here we have emo-Doppio!! or...Emoppio I guess. xD You think his band-kid energy would've been SO off the charts, that Abbacchio could've gotten to him first instead of the other way around? ;T /hj

Honestly tho...I think bandkid Doppio and Risotto could've gotten along better than what we got. xD I can dream I guess. 😌

(JIC that joke about Korn is very specific, I know that Korn is more nu-metal and stuff pls don't behead me fellow Korn fans for a joke, Diavolo fans pls don't behead me for making a joke about KC's genera intelligence to know what music-genres are, my acoustic arse wants to make sure, to clarify it in case someone might think I wrote that down in a serious manner, I am just a court-jester throwinf tomatoes at the king basically CKSKDJ)

IMA KEEP THIS SHORT BC I GOTTA SLEEP OBV. LATE SHIFT WILL ABSOLUTELY BODY ME IN TERMS OF CONTRACTS I GOTTA WORK ON LATELY.

I'll do my best to try and catch every Dia and Doppi tag sdfjksklg, I am notoriously AWFUL at tagging my posts no matter on what platform xD

I hope I'm fine to use a fanart tag tbh I'm kinda scared bc I never draw fanart as most of my friends know,, ovo;: I am SO new to drawing fanart man. xD

I hope to Abbacchio-post some day too,, I thought of a funny comic but it's gonna take a GOOD while to draw ofc ><

i can never get over diavolo being canonically punk

[josephbr911]

Build Something!

As many of you know, woodworking is one of my hobbies (chores if my wife makes me do it). In the grand scheme I'd say I'm certainly an amateur, but I've still built things that I'm proud of. And whatever your skill level may be, it can be such a rewarding endeavor (not to mention a money saver). Anyone's who's relished in the sweet smell of fresh cut cedar or had their eyes open wide when they apply that first coat of stain and watch that grain come to life knows what I mean. It just makes you want to make more. Whether they're trinkets or decorations or furniture, my house or other people’s homes are starting to get littered with products of my wood shop (garage).

Whenever I build something new, I inevitably get asked from others one of two, if not both questions:

1. Can you make me one? (Quick answer: Yes, if you help out, supply (or pay for) materials, and provide the beer.

2. How did you get started doing this (and how can I start doing this)?

I'll use this post to answer question 2 and hopefully get you on the path of making some sweet sawdust of your own!

A. Get some tools and supplies. When possible, get power tools. Power makes the world go round. NOTE: I'm only going to list building tools and supplies. Finishing supplies is a whole other can of worms.

Mandatory:

Wood -- Duh. I have found that all kinds of beautiful things can be made out of cheap construction timbers (knotty pine) with a little finesse.  Birch plywood is great for large panels and looks beautiful with stain.  MDF is also a great material for large panels, but you can’t stain it (gotta paint it), you better pre-drill your screw holes, and it makes a awful mess when you cut it.  Cut it outside and wear a mask.  Beyond that, you can spend as much as you want on higher end boards like poplar, oak, maple, walnut, cherry, etc... but prepare for a little sticker shock if you need several board feet.

Tape measure and speed square -- these will let you accurately measure out and mark cut lines. The speed square can also be used as a handy fence to make quick and straight cross cuts with a circular saw.

Hammer and rubber mallet -- uses of the hammer are obvious. The rubber mallet is very handy for "coaxing" tight pieces into place without marring them.

Safety glasses, ear protection, and shop apron -- self explanatory.

Clamps, clamps, and more clamps -- a woodworker can never have enough clamps. You can get a lot done with a variety of sizes of bar clamps, C clamps, and spring clamps. To save some dough, pick up the cheapies at Harbor Freight. I've got tons of them and they've served me well. Seriously, get a lot of clamps.

A supply of wood glue and nails/fasteners -- TiteBond II is the glue you want. Just always have some on hand. The fasteners will accumulate as you buy more for specific projects.

Cordless Drill/driver -- Any homeowner should already own a decent one. Bonus point if you pick up an impact driver. While not necessary, an impact driver makes driving large screws a breeze and makes stripped out heads a thing if the past. Once I used one I wondered how I lived without it.  Of course with these tools you'll need an assortment of drill bits and driving bits. They can be bought in affordable kits. In my experience, Ryobi bits suck.

Circular saw or Jig Saw -- A circular saw (go corded to start out) is very versatile and can perform a variety of cuts... except curved cuts. A jig saw excels in making curved cuts in thinner materials and smaller, more intricate cuts (good for arts and crafts). I'd start out with a circular saw and perhaps add the jig saw as funds become available.

Power Sander -- Some may argue this is optional, but F that. Life is too short to sand shit by hand. Get either a pad sander or random orbital sander and a variety of sanding disks or paper. 80, 150, and 220 grit (or close to those numbers) should cover 98% of your sanding needs.

Cold beer and tunes -- what fun is working in the garage without a pop and Metallica in the background?

Optional:

Kreg Pocket Hole Jig -- I suppose this is one of the "optional" items, but seriously, just spend $100 and buy the K4 system. It is basically "wood joints for dummies". Ask anyone who owns one and they'll echo my sentiments. I wish I'd have known about it when I started woodworking. it allows you to easily fasten pieces together with a fairly strong joint while skipping complex wood joining methods.  Buy it.

Miter saw AKA chop saw -- A chop saw will make fast, accurate, and repeatable cross cuts all day long. It can also make angled cuts (either miters or bevels, and both at once). Most simple 10" saws will cleanly cut up to 2x6s and 4x4s, but you'll need a 12" or sliding saw to cut larger pieces. I have a 10" and it's plenty for 95% of what I want to do. While very handy, I would not get only a chop saw and skip the circular saw. Get the circ saw first (it can perform more tasks) and add a chop saw when your ready.

Router and variety of bits -- a router is what can really take your finished projects to professional looking. While a router can perform many tasks, I mostly use it to put a decorative profile on the edge of pieces, like a table top. A simple round over or chamfered edge make your projects look finished. While you can buy a fire-breathing router with a table, I've been plenty satisfied with a "trim router" that accepts 1/4" collet bits. Getting a plunge base with it will further enhance its abilities.

Shop vacuum -- Cutting wood makes a damn mess. If you want, I suppose you could get by with a broom and dust pan, but a capable shop vac makes life easier. But which one? My answer is simple. When you're browsing the selection at your local Home Depot or Lowes, get the one that costs $100.00.

Nail Gun -- If you already have an air compressor at home (for filling tires, basketballs, blowing things off, etc...) you’re halfway there.  I picked up an open-box 18ga brad nailer off of Amazon a while ago.  It is awesome for tacking on small trim pieces and barely leaves a nail hole.  Highly recommended if you can swing it.

Advanced:

Table saw -- while many say that a table saw is the heart of any wood shop, for most of us it isn't going to be an early purchase or practical. I've been fortunate enough to have anytime access to one thanks to my neighbor (thanks Lloyd!) and recently picked up a small one from a garage sale. They excel at rip cuts and are extremely versatile. With certain sleds and accessories, you can do almost anything on a table saw. But they can be pricey and can take up a lot of room.  If you have extensive rip cuts that you need done but don’t have a table saw or they may be too big a task for your circular saw, ask the friendly faces at Home Depot or Lowes to make a cut for you.  When you buy lumber you’re allowed two free cuts per, and you can usually sweet talk them into more.  Just leave them a nice review.

Planer -- This machine let's you control the thickness of your materials. Very nice for if you're making a table top out of multiple boards and want to ensure they're all the exact same thickness, among other things. They can also remove surface imperfections and leave the planed surface clean and almost finish-ready. They also make one HELL of a mess. Use it in your driveway with your shop vac on hand.

There are of course more advanced tools you will see in professional wood shops, but I'm not trying to cover that full scope. This is for the hobbyist.

B. Get a plan. Some people are good at throwing caution to the wind and cutting wood and slapping shit together. I am not one of those people. Thankfully we live in the age of YouTube, Pinterest, and websites like Ana-white.com and rogueengineer.com . There are all kinds of plans and projects on these sources with materials lists, cut lists, finishing tips, etc... Even if the project isn't to your scale, you can always crunch the numbers and adjust to your needs. Brush up on your fractions. I have a little notebook where each page is grid paper. I like to sketch out projects to double check my measurements and make sure the math adds up.

C.  Don't be afraid to make a mistake. You learn by doing and you learn from your mistakes. I get better with each project by learning from my previous mistakes. And for the most part, wood is cheap. Of course, by this I don’t mean throw caution to the wind when it comes to safety, which brings us to...

D.  BE CAREFUL!  Power tools are dangerous.  Hell, regular hand tools can be dangerous.  I have a few scars to prove that, but thankfully still have all my fingers.  In my opinion, two tools you should have a healthy fear of are the table saw and the router.

E. A few tips I’ve learned over the years:

“A little putty and paint makes a carpenter what he ain’t”.  A sander, some putty or filler, and some paint can fix a lot of boo boos.

A sharp knife is a safe knife.  Too true.  If you try to force work pieces against dull blades, you are greatly increasing the risk of something slipping and sending that blade into your fingers.  Keep your tools sharp.

If you have access to some of the advanced tools like a planer and table saw, you can make good use of salvaged wood (just watch for nails!).  For example, the trestle coffee table pictured towards the top of this post was make exclusively from wood I found behind a dumpster.  That's right, I was dumpster diving.

Work with a friend or neighbor if possible.  It will lessen the physical load, give you another set of hands, and put two brains together when trying to solve a problem.  Besides, who likes drinking woodworking alone?

That's all for now.  Have fun making sawdust!

-JR