#I have a drawing class this semester and I actually want to show some work from it so I will be doing that soon eventually :)

[nightjar-jack]

An brief comment on my executive dysfunction.

I don't normally do vent art, but this weeks been a lot and it's only wednesday captain and and and—

"That horrid thin line. splitting my page. Charcoal dust stuck between its seam. I hate you. All open space and nothing."

"I'm going to drive myself into a breakdown and all I can do is hate you."

[lochlogie]

Another fic idea 😩

So Lochy's in college, and he's taking an art class. It's just an elective, though he's still not sure what he wants his major to be. Most of the other students in this class are women. It's a seminar on sketching the nude form. Lochy thinks it's a little salacious, he hopes he doesn't sound too lewd when he asks one of his classmates if they're going to be drawing naked girls every day.

She laughs, not at all suspecting he's anything but gay. "This semester it's a male model, actually." Oh... well that works too, doesn't it? And Lochy blushes slightly, because the prospect of drawing a hot naked man is kind of exciting.

But when Lochy shows up for the first session, who should be situated in the middle of the room, posing and honest to God preening, but Saxon.

Lochy almost runs out of the room right then and there. But Saxon beats him to it, as in, he grabs Lochy by the arm and pulls him outside.

"Did you sign up for this class on purpose?" Saxon hisses, and yeah he didn't put on any underwear so his dick is swinging around and thank God nobody's around to see this.

"What? No! I didn't even- since when do you model?" Lochy can't remember the last time he's been so flustered, hates that Saxon can undo so many months of progress with that stupid big dick just out in the air, those stupid oiled up muscles that Lochy wants to run his hands over, that stupid judgmental face that Lochy wants to kiss.

And it was maybe the wrong idea for Saxon to drag Lochy out with hushed whispering because now all the girls in the class know they know each other. One of them later asks Lochy with a smirk "Is he your boyfriend or something?" and a few of the other girls titter, because isn't the model just so handsome and dreamy? Have you ever seen muscles so rippling and perfect? And his penis... wow! Lochy you're so lucky to be sleeping with a guy like that!

And Lochy doesn't know if he should admit "Worse, he's my brother," or if he should just lie and go with it. Because it would be weird that he hasn't dropped the class, wouldn't it? If everyone knew the model is his brother? It would also be a little hard to explain why he's so good at drawing Saxon's penis, how he can get every detail, every vein, how he just instinctively knows the way it droops... and he doesn't even look at it for more than a few seconds.

It's kind of erotic too... keeping the secret, while he gets to stare at Saxon every day and draw every inch of his gorgeous body. And Saxon struggles not to get hard, knowing Lochy's eyes are raking over him, and his slender fingers are working away at the easel, capturing his form in immortal charcoal.

Do they fuck after class because the tension becomes too much to bare? I don't know, the girls in class seem to think so. The instructor even seems to think so (she has to know they both have the same last name too, so her wry smirks every time Saxon and Lochy leave class walking in the same direction... are a bit revealing. Maybe she's into it, just like Chloe was.

Lochy presents Saxon his final sketch at the end of the semester, as a kind of gift. Saxon blushes. "Is this how you see me?" he asks, afraid to smudge his likeness. Lochy nods, his own blush rising to his cheeks. "You're beautiful," he says dumbly. Saxon can't respond by doing anything but kissing him tenderly.

And no matter what happens next, where they go from here, what woman Saxon marries and has a hollow imitation of a life with, that framed picture of him that Lochy drew is proudly displayed on a mantlepiece or a side table. And everyone who ever sees it is a little perturbed Saxon has a naked portrait of himself, but they always compliment the artistry itself. Saxon just smiles, says someone special made it for him.

Oh did I forget to mention that for all of Saxon's initial accusations it was Saxon who volunteered to model for the class when he found out Lochy was going to take it? In fact, he may have even pulled some strings to get the original guy to suddenly drop out 😶

[1979semifinalist]

Hi Kelly! Love all your stuff! I was reading Absolute Wonder Woman and thinking back to your run of Black Widow (which is fantastic btw) and I was just wondering, what made you want to write comics? How did you get started?

I have wanted to write since I was little -- some of my earliest memories are around trying to not only write and draw but create physical objects that people could read. And though I loved Archie Comics when I was little (they were my first exposure to comics) -- I didn’t really know or understand there was a whole big world of comics -- they were just these cool books I used to beg my mom for at the grocery store check out line. But when I was a teenager my younger brothers Scott and Dave and I (though Dave was more casual with it) discovered comics and became huge obsessed fans. And it was then that I realized that comics were maybe this perfect merging of the things I loved -- words and pictures. Initially I definitely wanted to write and draw, but I eventually gave up the draw part (not good enough, not willing to devote the time to get better, impatient, blah blah blah). But I was very sure “making comics” was the thing I wanted to do -- comics and making them became my #1 hobby.

When it came time to go away to college I picked a truly baffling choice (don’t ask) and was thinking I’d probably study English and/or Art. English fell apart right away in my first semester (a bland uninspiring teacher who was equally uninspired with me). Art in the second semester was more promising (but I still knew I did not have what it takes to be excellent in that field). In my sophmore year I had been considering a transfer to an art school (SCAD was at the top of my list since they were the only college at that time that had an actual Sequential Art Degree). And some interesting things happened in my second year at college that really showed me that I was on the wrong path and that I should at least give SCAD a try, because maybe THAT would be the right path. So I left school at the end of my sophomore year, moved home, took a year off to work and earn some money for school and a car, and to take some additional classes at the community college that I knew would transfer to SCAD. And then applied and got a (very small) scholarship. And that was it. I loved it there. Whereas I had ached to be home with my family most of the time that I was at my first college, I loved this so much I didn’t even come home over the summer anymore. It was the first time I felt like I was finding my place in the world and maybe would do something interesting.

But I do things slow.

So after I graduated I took a normal day job and just tried to work on my stuff on the side. I did that for years and eventually... like 10 years later (oof).. it started to become something.

I don’t know if you’re trying to break in, or thinking about trying to do something really hard, but in case you are, here are my advice bits:

1. Everyone hates this advice, but it’s the advice everyone gives it because it’s true: To get noticed and get paid to make comics, you first have to make some comics. You have to show people you can do this, that you have something to say, and the only way to do that is to make some comics.

2. And this: Don’t give up until you’ve succeeded. Trite, but also true.

3. And this one is tough but: Finish your project. An 80% finished project is nothing. A 100% finished project is everything. Getting to the finish line is the hardest part, but if you can manage that you’ll be ahead of almost everyone. Which is encouraging... in its way.

If you are indeed trying to do something, whatever it is... good luck, and don’t give up!

[masonmyluv]

Part 1

A/N: I really hope you will all like this story. It’s my first pretty long story (it will have around 10 parts, so stay tuned ;) ) that I’m posting here. You can also find the story on my wattpad account (username: tmrxlover_writer).

Pictures are from Pinterest, the filter is Cinnamon on Polarr.

Warnings: none

︵✦⋆₊°˖︵‿₊

Another day at Uni after he just scored his first La Liga goal . He was buzzing, but had to be on time for classes. He was sure the whole university will congratulate him. Being famous was difficult when you just wanted to be a normal student.

"Our boy Fermin is back!"

You looked up from your notes to see Fermin being congratulated by the whole class. People hugging him, patting him on the back. "Thanks man" he kept saying, trying to make his way to his place. He just wanted the class to begin so everyone could leave him alone. "Hey" he said, sitting next to you. "Hi" you replied quietly. Being the shy nerdy girl was bad enough when you were sitting near the hot athletic guy. You asked yourself multiple times why did he choose to sit near you in the first year. There were a lot of empty places, but he chose the second row in the front, exactly near you. "Anything that I missed?" He asked, looking at your notes. He always admired your beautiful handwriting and how organised you were, so he knew where to choose to sit at your first class together. Surely not the guy with only a piece of paper and a pen, but rather the girl surrounded by books, coloured pencils and a cup of coffee. He didn't have the balls to ask you to get coffee in the morning, even though he wasn't drinking it, he would offer to come along with you.

"Erm...not really. We talked about more practical stuff. I made some notes if you want to take a picture or something" you offered shyly. You never ever gave your notes to anyone because they were just some lazy asses who didn't care about anything, but you were here to learn. You wanted to be a physiotherapist. They were here just to get a diploma. Not Fermin though. He was passionate about the subject, even though he missed a lot of classes because of his packed schedule. You were willing to help him because he showed interest. And appreciated your work too.

"Thanks. Actually I had an idea, I mean a proposal" he said. "I'm quite behind with everything, so I was wondering if you'd like to meet somewhere and help me catch up? It's okay if you don't want to" he said nervously. Why the heck was he nervous? He scored his first goal in freaking La Liga and was nervous talking to a girl he's seen almost every day in 3 years. You thought about his idea, you wanted to help him, but you weren't the person to meet up in random places to study. You liked the confined space of your room and desk, and maybe the library or the coffee shop, when you had to do computer work.

"I don't want to sound... uhh... like I'm inviting myself" he said blushing as if reading your mind. "But I can come to your place, if that's okay with you". "I... uhh" you rambled on, but the professor was already in class, ready to read one of his boring presentations for 2 hours. You barely paid attention to what he was saying, debating whether to accept Fermin's idea or not, while drawing random patterns on your copybook. Fermin noticed you zooming out so he scribbled something down on his own copybook. He nudged you so you could read what he wrote.

It's okay. It was just an idea :)

You shook your head, writing under his: we talk after the class.

For the rest of the class, you took notes, while Fermin tried paying attention, but his mind kept drifting off somewhere else. What if he overstepped with all this I-can-come-to-your-place-to-study thing and you would think he's weird? He face palmed himself for that, but you were his only hope to pass the exams this semester. The professor finally ended the class and you started packing your bag. Neither of you spoke until you were out of the class.

"Listen I—"

"It's okay if—"

You both stopped mid sentence and chuckled. "You first" he encouraged. "So, I think it's okay for you to come. I live alone anyway. Just tell me when it's okay with you". Fermin couldn't believe what he was hearing. You never ever invited someone over and he could respect that it was your safe place and he didn't want to intrude. "Are you sure it's okay?" He asked and you nodded. "Okay, let me see. Actually I'll text you the day before because I'll have some recovery trainings and I'll be free to come" he said. "I know it's difficult to put up with me" he chuckled nervously. "It's okay. It's not like I'm a party animal or anything" you said. "Okay... I'll let you know soon. Bye. And thank you" he said, climbing into his car. He thought of offering you a car ride, but maybe it was too much overstepping in one day, so he just waved at you and you waved back to him.

When you arrived home, you thought about this day. What the heck was today? Of course you gave him your notes pretty often, but him to come here to study? That was a whole new level.

︵✦⋆₊°˖︵‿₊

Hope you like it 🤍

Feedback is appreciated 😊

[re-re-redline]

On a certain day in May…

Thankfully it was a dream.

Woooooo. Guess whose semester just ended? Mine!

I have finally been liberated of my shackles! …Until summer ends. But! I will be making the most of this time I now have to actually get to my to-do list and to finish what I’ve been working on. Speaking of, I’m in the processing of rewriting Constantine’s section because, reading back through it, it’s way too depressing for celebratory purposes. Almost to the point of making me cringe when I was editing a month later after I had finished. Currently debating if I should post the OG onto Ao3 for archival purposes.

In other Redline news, thanks to Class Score coming out and the boons that came with it, I finally maxed out Rikyu’s command cards AND 2k’d her along with Yamanami. Constantine just needs his quick card maxed out and he’ll be done. Hajime-chan is Bond 13. Also, I’m not sure if I’ve already mentioned it, but Rikyu and Sannan are bond 10 along with my favorite bench warmer, Nobukatsu. Constantine clutched the Kijyo Koyo AQ when Komahime and Percival folded too early in the comp (Constantine’s a great servant when you don’t have a bitch in your ear telling you he sucks.) I somehow got NP4 Duryodhana via 2 10 pulls, so he’ll make a fine substitute for Rikyu/Komahime when they’re both suffering the Quick Curse, I just need to get him grailed (the Nagakura funds are going swimmingly, btw). Oh, and I hate farming for phoenix feathers now.

Hm. Maybe I should make a few pieces about my LB7 experience back when that came out (haven’t finished Paper Moon yet), some of those fights were a bit too close.

Now for the part you’ve been waiting for. I’m going to get into what this post is actually about, May 29th.

This is basically Constantine having a nightmare about his final moments and being woken up to then pretend like he’s fine. That’s what I was going for.

I wanted it to look as desolate as it probably was for him at the time, so I avoided having much ‘light’ in the sense of levity in the piece, with the light source being blinding and harsh. I also wanted to show how utterly exhausted Constantine was at the time, so I drew a close up of his eye and thought: ‘hey, wouldn’t it be sick if I animated this so I can show that better?’ And that’s exactly what I did.

I have to say, not bad for my first time animating! The trembling effect really makes it for me, in my opinion.

Now. I wanted to have him blink. But, I quickly realized that I was going to have to redraw the same eye at least 42 times, and that’s if I reused frames. I was already losing my sanity at the 14th frame, 2 hours into animating and 4 hours accumulative. Hence I cut it up into three gifs.

Now, as for that bright white picture. That is none other than a young Constantine and… George! Micheal convinced George to draw on a wall and George chose to draw the ocean, though it wasn’t nearly as vivid as the image may suggest, of course. It is just a dying gent’s last thought. …Wonder what that says about Constantine…

Oh! And here’s the cleared up image to get a better look at them both without the effects.

Boom.

I blame Duvet (boa) being on repeat for the reason why this one looks this way.

I got the ‘fade into white effect’ by adding 1% of Bloom and duplicating it until the whole piece faded into white. Sounds simple, was tedious. I tried doing different effects to make this gif look cooler but nothing stuck for me at all and just looked way too lame. One of my attempt at distortion was using Liquify a bit for every frame but it was… ugh. Thank goodness I scrapped that idea.

Hmm… I think that’s all I have to say on this. So, I’ll leave you all with one question if you’ve read this far.

Why do you think the 1st picture is the only depiction of Constantine in my blog that has brown eyes?

Anywho, I hope you all have a great night. I’ll be typing away in the meantime, but don’t hesitate to ask questions or chat me up!

— Redline, over and out!

[thatbennybee]

hi benny! love your work. miss your rewinding your fate au, such a good fic. just wanted to ask some things:

can we please have JD wanting to visit his sister in law in your chord stricker au! it'll be hilarious, since he missed the broppy wedding and i dunno how branch would react to see him.

can we get, like, a drawing of the moment c!poppy realizes she's falling for branch? ONLY IF YOU WANT TO/HAVE THE TIME! i just think i'll be a really cute moment. like, he's doing some acts of service thing (bc he's totally an acts of service kind of guy) for her and she's just...stunned. and doesn't know what to do with that but he's just confused. lmao.

also, when does c!branch started to fall for poppy. i gather he already found her attractive the first time they met "oh no, she's hot!" kind of moment. but when did it clicked for him. who fell first in this au?

can't wait to read your comic :)

also, good luck on your animation courses. (sorry if i stalked your blog, i love your drawings) i study animation as well and goddamn! is taking my soul out of my body in a bad way, i might drop out bc art schools are a scam and i feel way safer learning online.

some unsolicitaded but needed advice: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE SLEEP YOUR PROPER HOURS, do any kind of excercise, always eat well and DO NOT OVERCOMMIT! no class or grade is worth your emotional well being. take care of yourself first so that you can do the work second.

love your work.

Oh my gosh I love getting big asks they're sm fun hehe

Okay so

1. SInce everyone did enjoy or would like the inclusion of JD learning about Branch getting married, I will think about how I want to do that and get back to you. I know people haven't seen any of the writing progress for ChordStriker, but I am challenging myself to do that mostly traditionally as a way to keep those physical writing skills more sharp, and offline, so that way I can work on something creative even when Im not by technology! Promise I have PLENTY written. Hopefully with my summer classes being mostly online, I can work on and catch up on all the stuff I had to put on the back burner last semester.

I have like a journal and a half full!! LOL

2. I did actually plan and want to draw the moment she does fall for him, but i dont know if I want to show it right now... hm I'll have to think on it..

Branch does have a little crush on her from the start, but is very cautious not to fall for her or let her catch on that he actually enjoys her flirtations (at least in the beginning), as it becomes obvious to him that Poppy is a bit of a player/heartbreaker and he has no intentions of making a fool of himself.

He's not someone who's unaware of his emotions, he just doesn't let them lead his new life. He's much more interested in making friends of his own and finding who he is first and foremost. But Broppy being in close proximity to each other most of the time (living together) is bound to lead to a closer connection between the two. (Much to Creek's dismay)

Branch tries to act as annoyed about it as possible when asked about their connection, even though he knows how he personally feels about Poppy. He makes sure that their public interactions are no different than how he interacts with the rest of the Rat Pack. Nonchalant yknow? Doesn't want rumors when he's just trying to start a new way of life.

The Rat Pack is more convinced that Poppy likes Branch more than they suspect Branch liking Poppy, if that makes sense.

I definitely think Poppy would be enamored by Branch and his love language being acts of service, remembering and keeping track of what things she does and doesn't like. She's just not sure why it feels different when he does those things. It takes her breath away and it makes her really nervous and her chest tight!! >_< 💕‼️‼️

---

When they do start dating, he's much more self assured and is more self assured than poppy is about it because of how differently Poppy handles serious issues compared to canon Poppy did.

(Also I appreciate the concern about my classes, but I'm just in a really good community college that has animation degrees, I'm not sure if I'll go to an actual art college again! Regardless, I'll be alright. Thanks ☺️💛)

Can't wait to start getting the comics drawn for y'all! 💛💛💛

[paracosmicka]

Hey! I love your art so much 💖 I wanted to ask what program you use for 3D modelling?

aw thank you!! :3

and to answer your question i’m going to warn you this is going to be kinda long because i’m gonna use this post as an excuse to show my 3D models that aren’t awful (sorry lol).

i actually use two different programs, both for different purposes, but you don’t need to get both, it really depends on which kind of modeling you want to do.

1) the first is called Nomad Sculpt on the iPad, you do have to pay for it unfortunately but it’s definitely one of the best modeling apps for the iPad. i know Blender is free but my computer is really old and doesn’t run the program very well, and at this point i’ve already gotten used to nomad sculpt.

anyway tho, i use it for art-related things like the obvious 3D models, but recently i’ve been playing around with just making scenes to use as references for my drawings. they’re not anything impressive, most of the time i actually use it to make little figurines to print and turn into earrings/little friends that sit in my room just for fun.

i’m gonna show this first bc they look cooler once they’re printed and colored (also you can tell i printed mini crowley and aziraphale when my sonadow hyperfixation started bc i never actually painted crowley) (he’s just kinda sitting there oops).

the little red guys are actually my favorite bugs (goliath beetles), i made them about a year ago but i still wear them like every day.

and here’s what they look like in the app, it’s a little intimidating but once you get used to it it’s actually kinda fun just playing around and seeing what you can do.

2) the second program i use is Shapr3D (also for the iPad, but i think they made an update where you can run it on windows/mac). you also have to pay for this as a subscription which sucks, i’m only able to use it since the engineering program i’m in pays for it.

Shapr3D is one of the many CAD software programs out there, but it’s nice bc it’s very beginner friendly and very easy to use. CAD is mainly for architecture/engineering but i honestly think more 3D artists should give it a try. it’s really nice once you get the hang of it and (i’m probably biased bc i’m a student) i honestly prefer it over just normal modeling software because i feel like you can be a lot more creative with it.

right now for my engineering class, our semester final is to design and present something that’s functional, and we can either explain the math behind it or just 3D print it and demonstrate how it works, and i’m making a functional mini model of “the rack” trap from Saw III (i’m not psychotic i swear i’ve just had a Saw hyperfixation for 5 years).

i’m definitely gonna post it when it’s finished just bc i’m already excited with how it’s turning out, but for now here’s a couple at-home projects i’ve done:

(above) i have a bunch of wet liners and i designed a stackable holder thingy with bolts between the shelves and a little cute star screw to fasten it at the top.

(above) i also made a few rotating brush holders at home (bc the ones that actually rotate are like $40 for some reason) by buying a set of small sphere bearings at home depot for like $5 (that’s what those little metal things are inside the third one, i took it apart bc i don’t know how to put a video and a picture in the same post) (just pretend they’re spinning rn).

anyway that’s all!! if you actually read this whole thing i love you so much bc engineering and design is one of my special interests so thanks for letting me tell you about the silly things i’ve made :3

[dangerouslyintofictionalloves]

Finale - Part Four: “You Don’t Get to Talk About Him Like That”

Pairing: Yeonjun × Liliy

Setting: Art Academy / Spring Semester

Vibes: Defending his honor 💅 | Protective gf energy 🐯 | Vulnerable bf 🥺 | Post-Enemies Comfort™ 🤍

Part One | Part Two | Part Three - Previous

It started with a stupid comment.

Liliy was just passing by the sculpture lab to drop off her paint samples when she heard it.

“Yeonjun? Please. He’s only top of the class because he’s a walking aesthetic. Pretty boy privilege, that’s all.”

Liliy stopped. Froze.

“Oh, come on,” another voice chimed in. “He flirts his way through critiques. Bet he couldn’t hold a brush straight if it wasn’t for his perfect little fan club."

They laughed.

She did not.

Liliy turned the corner slowly, heels echoing like warning shots on the linoleum.

“Say that again,” she said, tone sugar-sweet and poisonous underneath.

The two juniors stiffened.

“W-What?”

She stepped forward, eyes burning with something dangerous. “Say it again. Say that the boy who spends every lunch in the studio repainting layers because they’re not expressive enough is just coasting on his looks.”

They stared at her, mouths open.

“I’ve watched him sketch until his hands cramped. He gets insecure about everything he makes, but he still shows up and gives more heart than anyone in this building.”

She smiled. Not kindly.

“You think he flirts through critiques? Maybe he’s charming because he actually respects people’s art. Not everyone needs to be bitter to sound smart.”

She tilted her head. “So unless you’re bringing his level of talent and soul to the table—don’t talk about Yeonjun. Ever.”

They mumbled apologies and scrambled away.

Liliy stood there, hands balled into fists, heart pounding.

---

She found him later—sitting outside under the cherry blossom trees behind the studio building, sketchbook in his lap, headphones in, eyes distant.

He didn’t notice her until she sat beside him.

“Oh—hey,” he said, surprised. “I thought you were doing paint trials.”

“I was,” she said simply. “Got distracted.”

Yeonjun gave a half smile. “What happened?”

She didn’t answer at first. Just looked at him. His lashes were soft against his cheek, the sun giving his skin a glow that made her stomach feel like watercolor—warm and spreading.

“…Do you ever feel like people don’t see you for you?” she asked.

Yeonjun blinked, looking startled by the question.

“All the time,” he admitted softly. “They see what I look like. Or the drama. Or the confidence. Not the panic attacks at midnight because I don’t think I’m good enough.”

Liliy’s heart cracked open.

“I heard what some people were saying today,” she said. “And I told them off.”

Yeonjun turned to her sharply. “You… what?”

“I defended you,” she said. “Because they were wrong. And cruel. And they don’t get to talk about you like that. Not when you work so hard. Not when you care so much.”

He was silent.

“…You didn’t have to,” he whispered.

She leaned her head against his shoulder. “But I wanted to.”

His breath hitched. “I’ve never had anyone do that for me before.”

Liliy reached for his hand and laced their fingers together. “You have me now.”

---

Later That Night — Yeonjun’s Studio

He pulled her into his art nook at dusk, fairy lights glowing around them. His sketchbook was open to a soft charcoal drawing of her—laughing, head tilted, stars sketched in her eyes.

“You made that?” she whispered.

He nodded, nervous. “I draw you when I don’t know how to breathe.”

“…Yeonjun.”

He held her face with paint-stained fingers. “You scare me.”

Her brows furrowed. “Why?”

“Because you see right through me,” he said, voice cracking. “And instead of leaving, you stay.”

She kissed him then—soft and slow, like sealing a promise.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

He kissed her back with years of unsaid feelings tucked between their lips.

---

The Final Scene — A Week Later

Someone pinned a sticky note next to Yeonjun’s painting during a new gallery exhibit.

“Pretty boy art. All style, no soul.”

Liliy didn’t need to do anything.

This time, half the class defended him. His best friend sprayed glitter on the sticky note and wrote “✨Try harder✨” underneath. The art director scolded the class about jealousy.

And Yeonjun?

He turned to her, laced their fingers together, and smiled.

“Guess I don’t need to fight alone anymore.”

She bumped her shoulder into his. “Nope. You’ve got a girlfriend now. Enemies to lovers edition.”

Yeonjun beamed. “Best plot twist of my life.”

[luvrodite]

helloooo aurore sweetheart how are you today?? i’m humbly sneaking up for some rosoap crumbs and thoughts tehehe

so earlier i was passing by and saw an interesting show playing on the tv. there was this doctor whose patient was a guy quite annoying who seemed to be a bit too intrusive and comfortable around and one day she just comes and well he left suddenly (thank god). but then while she’s checking his file she discovers that he left a gorgeoussss drawing of her on the back of his diagnosis paper (and she tells herself that he’s a weirdo but she actually keeps the drawing lawl). literally a couple of nights later she spots him at a club while she’s dancing and he’s just watching her and for some reason the next day she decides to visit him (he lives in a tent and the only valuable thing he owns is a motorcycle) and discovers that he’s a traveler that has been kind of everywhere so she asks him to help her translate some books (specifically about her trauma) and the next day he’s over at her house helping her out over some wine. one thing leads to another and now he’s in her swimming pool and she’s screaming at him that they’re not done yet but they just end up fucking in it lmaooo and then scene shifts to her resting after their banter and he’s just laying behind her drawing her naked form (his notebook is full of sketches of her) before he decides to squeeze closer to find out that she’s actually crying and he just holds her close and soothes her with kisses :((( i couldn’t help but think of rosoap and it got me thinking!!! you’ve mentioned before that one thing that makes you realize how serious and deep john’s love for you is is actually how many detailed drawings he has of you, do you think that this passion of his holds a big symbolic significance in your relationship? like do you think it evolves into a subtle way for him to communicate some of his thoughts and feelings to you, almost like a love language? love u mwahhh

ariel, my angel! hi darling, i'm tired today but it's beautiful out so i'm sitting in a sunspot and trying to do some work! (trying = getting my laptop out lol). this show sounds so interesting, and the characters seem so incredibly like ro soap to a tee!!

oh my gosh, i think 100% yes and i hadn't considered that it would have a bigger role in our relationship before but, thinking about it, i would say yes.

i think his art is something that's not inherently really personal to him but still special when shared, if that makes sense? like i don't think he'd go out of his way to hide his sketchbooks and if i found it for the first time and was flipping through it, i think he'd be the type to sneak up to me and act very normal about it. says something while peering over my shoulder like, och that one's no good, dinnae pay it any mind, lass – this one's better. and laughs a little when i jump because i hadn't heard him enter the room.

but i think the more our relationship evolves and the more he draws me in, i imagine there are moments when the both of us are doing our own things in my flat or his and sometimes i'll come and just peer over his shoulder at what he's drawing this time. he grumbles a bit about that, but it doesn't have any real heat to it – 'f ye wanted tae look just say so, woman. and i'll sit with him and flip through the pages of his recent pieces. i think my favourite thing about his drawings is the attention to detail. he's got a sharp eye for that sort of thing, and it always lodges the cupid's arrow in my heart a little deeper every time we share that.

i also think there's a lot that goes unsaid with visual art that it's up to us to parse out. with his drawings of me specifically, it just echoes what he already claims to feel (that i more often than not brush off because it's difficult to believe) but like. quieter? idk if that makes sense but it just reaffirms what's being said and it feels more credible ?

in one of my classes this semester we're learning about the kinds of evidence that are admissible in a court of law and i think the best way i can describe it is like. his words are hearsay (not admissible but with exceptions) but the drawings are real documentary evidence that satisfy the other rules of evidence (would be admissible and would be used to make your argument and carry a LOT of weight). it's the kind of stuff that you can't really argue with - you can resist it but it's quite simply a Fact.

i rambled a lot but it's definitely a love language i think and it's one of those things that bolsters his case that he is serious about me, that it goes beyond wanting what he can't have and surface level, shallow obsession. that there's substance to his feelings. anyway. thank you for asking me this, beloved :( i hope you are so so well <3

[r3dblccd]

GETTING TO KNOW YOU !

respond to the following prompts. include as much or as little as you want; you don't have to answer them all !

tagged by: @rainyearning

tagging: @luneblush, @moonpierces, @formorethananame, @weedzkiller, @dozenrozez, @wcvensouls, @honeycoded, @cherridream, @caelcstis, @blondiexbiites

name / alias. Rose

birthday. 12 February

zodiac sign. Aquarius

height. 150 cm (as mentioned sometimes before, I bite ankles)

hobbies. Listening to music, reading, writing, drawing, journaling, dancing, biting ankles, having existential crisis

favorite color. Red

favorite book. It's so hard to pick though! I'd say maybe the Rat trilogy by Haruki Murakami

last show. I honestly don't remember. I think it was the short series Choco Milk Shake. Idk what I'm gonna watch next, there are so many I still have to catch up on like WWDITS, My Beautiful Man, Our Flag Mean Death, Good Omens, Yellowjackets, Alice in Borderland, and now Sweet Home season 2.

sources of inspiration. I draw inspiration and ideas from various sources, be it movies, tv series, books, webtoons, video games, music, what have you.

story behind url. It's taken from the bridge of Enhypen's Given-Taken. Most of you all probably probably already know, but I just love vampires and everything magical and supernatural and wonderful and terrifying. And it just made sense with the majority of the muses that I have for the url to be this.

recent read. I moved this here for last so you can skip reading me ramble if you want. (I tell you, it's long, don't say I didn't warn you)

There have been so many things I've read in the past few months for my classic literature discipline in uni, mainly classic Greek literature and theatre, we've only recently dived in early roman literature and works from the Western European Middle Ages, our professor is kicking our asses off, but honestly these are one of my favourite classes out of the whole semester. But anyway, I actually just now finished reading The Romance of Tristan and Iseult by Joseph Bedier. Not bad, I must say. It has never been really my cup of tea to read romance stories, but at least it was much more interesting to read that than to read The Golden Ass (that one wasn't bad either, if we overlook some parts of it, yeah, I admit, but it was so unnecessary long in my opinion, I was literally falling asleep while reading it). If I had to pick which of the works I've read so far is my favourite, I'd have to say I really liked the tragedy Medea by Euripides (our professor once told us a story how she watched it being played out for the only time at the theatre in the city that we call our cultural center and how suddenly it started to rain and there was a thunder during the monologue of Medea and how it felt like nature was out there for the heroine and as if it was listening to her and answering her word, and the actress just kept playing her role in the water and when she was done, the rain suddenly stopped as if on cue and the sky was suddenly as clear as day again, and damn, I wish I was there to see it myself, I don't even care if I got drenched, I got chills just listening to that story. That was basically a once in a lifetime experience. But ANYWAY! The story itself is great, I really loved it.) and I also liked the comedy Frogs by Aristophanes, despite the message that the author was trying to convey at that time period.

As for my free time, I'm still reading The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams and I'm pretty close to finishing the second book from the whole series (The Restaurant at The End of The Universe), probably in a week or two I'll start the third book Life, the Universe and Everything. And I really love it so far. There so many funny and straight up absurd moment in the story and I love the group of main characters in it. My heart goes out to the robot Marvin, idk if I will see you again in the following books, Marvin, but you're a big mood, I feel you.

As for my annual update on Webtoons I am reading! Right now I'm reading Everything Is Fine, Homesick, Never-Ending Darling, Omniscient Reader, My S-Class Hunter, ZOMGAN, There Are No Demons (the art style for this series is very uncanny valley but in a cool way, I love it), Nocturne, The Guy Upstairs, Lore Olympus and Zombie X Slasher (and interesting way to take the zombie genre and create a story, I must say, I don't think I've seen anyone do this before, I look forward to what the author can offer). And I recently finished Surivival Diary, Dark Moon: The Blood Altar, The Star Seekers, Crimson Heart and soon I'll be finishing Dark Moon: The Grey City Too.

And a webtoon I recently finished too was Survival Romance and I just gotta give a shoutout to it. That webtoon took me completely by surprise. It wasn't the cute art style that made it unique, there are many stories that look cute on the outside that hide something dark and sinister underneath (like Everything Is Fine, for example). I knew this webtoon is horror, so at first I expected maybe one of the characters would be a yandere or something like that and the MC would be trying to escape that. And yes, there is one side character that could be considered obsessive in a way in parts of the webtoon, but the story wasn't about that at all. The author just took the romance and horror genres and turned them on their heads. The whole story isn't all that much about romance at all, actually, it's about forming friendships and bonds with people and having the will to keep pushing forward despite all the struggles you might be going through. The plot twists were SO GOOD, even though some could have been quite easy to predict. I also loved that the author put some meta and breaking the forth wall moments (Doki Doki Literature Club style is the closest association I could think of for this webtoon, kind of) and by the end all the characters [REDACTED, NO SPOILERS, GO READ IT YOURSELF IF YOU'RE CURIOUS]. The message is also very nice, the closing words in the epilogue honestly hit quite close to home and made me bawl my eyes out. The story also has zombies in a quite a unique way in my opinion. So if like dark stories with twists and turns and a meaningful message, and if in any way I piqued you're interest, go and check it out. I'm sure you won't be left disappointed. I could honestly write way more about this webtoon, but I already wrote a lot, so I'm gonna stop here.

[daincrediblegg]

Hello ❤️ Book ask game!

1, 10, 11, 48 👀👀

1.what is the best book you have ever read? So listen. Listen to me. I have been plugging The Vampire Tapestry to literally anyone who will listen to me ever since I read it. And I will do it again. I cannot express how hard to put down this book was for me (and for someone who is primarily a film/television consumer and an adhd bitch to boot? that says a lot). There are so many things about this book that make my brain go brrr from the atypical vampire narrative (featuring a dilf vampire- and you don't see a lot of those-whose condition is more biological than fantastical, but is nonetheless a complicated mess of a creature), to a really clever drawing back of the curtain and critique of the very genre it's meant to portray, and I literally don't think I'll ever be over it. I almost wanted to kiss my professor on the mouth for assigning this book (but I didn't). I still think about it constantly and I will never stop.

10. what book are you reading right now? I'm... actually reading several in a very asynchronous way. Of course I'm about 100 pages deep into the terror rn, I'm also working my way through May We Be Spared to Meet On Earth (collection of correspondence from members of the franklin expedition- which I'm certain was study material for some of the actors bc I feel like a lot of the letters in that are so clearly reflected in the characters on the show moreso than they are in the book- and honestly every single fucking letter from Francis Crozier is a heartwarming delight deadass). I'm not reading so much this semester but I'll be reading throughout the semester Miyazakiworld: A Life in Art (and it's had some really fascinating little anecdotes so far).

11. what book do you want to read but haven't? I honestly want to read more stuff from Miss Charnas. She fucking understood the assignment on so many levels with Vampire Tapestry that I really want to look into more of her. Ofc I have a ton of Jane Austen and Jane Eyre that are burning a hole in my bookshelf, and a little volume of the Lais of Marie de France that I want to take a more proper gander at. These. And so. SO. Many more. OH AND I FORGOT I also have been dipping my toes into historical erotica like Fanny Hall and it’s been tons of fun (and if anyone has some specific victorian recommendations I would LOVE to receive them- it’s VERY important lady terror research 😉).

48. what book would you give someone if they wanted a glimpse into your psyche? I really do hate to answer Edgar Allan Poe again BUT!!! in specific- I think anyone who wants to understand me and my approach to my writing and stuff? Look no further than The Philosophy of Composition. You wouldn't expect EAP to be such a brilliant essayist as he is but jesus christ I still think it may be the most fascinating and engaging essay I've ever read in my life. He articulates his points so poetically and so well and honestly? There's not a word in that essay that doesn't ring true for me to a lot of how I process things myself in my own writing- and things that are generally just great writing practice- like when I read it for the first time a few years ago I literally went "he's just like me fr" and I've felt soul bonded to the thing ever since. I also gave a presentation on it in my Gothic Lit class last semester that everybody really really liked (and of course. because I really REALLY fucking love this essay and this dude). And honestly I'd love to give that lecture again and I hope I get to.

BOOK ASK BAIT

[mellonhead58]

rules: shuffle your repeat playlist and post the first ten tracks, then tag ten people (or don’t, do whatever you want)

tagged by @that-edgy-ahole (who had some solid picks)

gonna just post the first ten on the playlist because it's already kind of shuffled and honestly that gives a better sense of what I listen to

Tears - Boy Harsher

Sudno - Molchat Doma

Blue Monday - New Order

Goatmeal - LustSickPuppy

Motion - Boy Harsher

Billie Toppy - Men I Trust

Vagabond - Greenskeepers

The Battle of the Locusts - Aphrodite's Child

Give Me a Reason - Boy Harsher

Calling It - Automatic

Fun li'l tag game and I'm gonna go ahead and tag @honey-stick and nobody else because I don't know anyone here yet :') but if you see this feel free to pretend I tagged you.

Now for the fun part, I'm gonna go through the list and offer further info for whomsoever gives a fuck

Tears is possibly my favorite song of all time, at least for the time being. It's one of those songs I got obsessed with one day and assumed I would eventually get bored of it but it's been a year give or take and I'm still fucking crazy for it. I have a lot of Boy Harsher on my list and I adore just about all of their work, but Tears hits me in a way I'm not sure any of their other songs do. I strongly recommend the album Careful to damn near everyone, just about every track is amazing. Also if you listen carefully I'm very close to certain that a discord ping is sampled at the 2:15 mark (at the start of "body" in the sixth repetition of "hate body"). I want to bleed high proof blood to this song.

Sudno is a pretty well known song by now, and I can't say I like it for any reasons other than what the general populace has. It rocks, it bops, and I'm a slut for post-punk

Blue Monday is just a classic, and it's the song I credit with launching me into my current music taste. I specifically remember seeing the video psa: galant around the time I started college and feeling a compulsion to listen to Blue Monday on repeat, and I still love New Order immensely. I highly recommend everyone listens to the album Power, Corruption, and Lies.

This song just kind of showed up because it's been on my spotify recommended and while I don't hate it I don't love it either? Just kind of the luck of the draw. Still a solid listen if you like high-tempo high-intensity music.

Another Boy Harsher song go figure. This one I like a lot, and it actually was inspiration for the final story in a short story class in my last semester of college. I was incredibly sleep deprived and I wrote a shitty story about a guy delivering for an app, but I still like the song.

Billie Toppy has been on my radar a lot recently, it's just an awesome sounding song with great pacing and mixing. I also have a kink for electric bass played at higher keys which helps out here.

Good driving song. DrunkRock plus decent synths.

Just a fun guitar solo as its own song. Feels a little psychedelic to me but I don't listen to psychedelic stuff so who knows.

Another Boy Harsher song because Boy Harsher

Calling It is a solid kind of post punk song, but I recommend even more strongly Too Much Money by Automatic.

Thanks for reading, have a beautiful day!

[ninjagoliathproductions]

A little about myself: I am SanchEZ, an aspiring artist/film maker who has been passionate about art and film since childhood. When I was a kid, I used to pretend that I had my own TV channel; everything that I watched on TV or that I played out with my toys was the "programming" on my channel. The name of the channel? "Crybaby Crybaby". I don't know why I called it that. 😳 My whole life I have wanted to make movies and TV shows.

As I grew up, I got better at drawing and began drawing comic book stories. It was the only way at that time that I could get my ideas out and made into something "real". I drew Ghostbusters comics, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics, Superman and Batman comics, and eventually comics of my own creations.

During high school I began drawing "movie comics", basically they were graphic novels. It took about six to nine months to finish these, and I usually was able to complete one page a day. Some people read them and liked them, so that was encouraging. Once I graduated high school, I never made a movie comic again. I began writing short stories instead.

You may be wondering, did I even try to make movies back then? I mean I made plans, I wrote scripts; but I never had a video camera. My dad had a video camera, but he never let me use it (actually only once; I had to make a music video in my theater class). In my middle school and high school years me and my brother were friends with two brothers who were into the same stuff as we were. We were all into Hong Kong martial arts movies, and we'd choreograph fight scenes together. Never had a camera to film ourselves, though. On my last day of high school, those two brothers; our best friends, moved away. Never had a best friend or even a close friend since then...

I worked (destroying my health in the process; I am type 1 diabetic and physical work destroys me) and bought myself a camera. Waste of money, unfortunately. All I had to film was myself, and that was not interesting to me. I need at least three people, two people to act and one to direct/operate the camera. I prefer to be the director.

After many years, I went to college. Originally I was studying to be a paralegal, but I later decided to change my major to film making. Though it was tough, those were some of the best years of my life. I was finally doing what I was meant to do. Though I was with people who had the same goals and motivations as me, I did not make any friends there. I was the odd man out, as usual. Everybody there was only interested in Marvel, Star Wars, and horror movies while I am into Asian cinema, world cinema, and DC comics movies. Plus the fact that I am not cool in the slightest. During my last semester I got severe writers block (and I was probably depressed), so lost my passion for writing.

So here I am, several years post-graduation, without a film credit to my name. I have many ideas for movie scripts, for comics, for TV shows, and even for video games. Since I have very little support, I'm going it alone (for the most part). Ninja Goliath Productions restarts here.

[magpiemirroring]

We were living in a golden age of accessible and democratic art before AI and still are. AI didn't make that happen.

The links above are a small fraction of what's available out there in terms of digital tools for making and learning about art. The internet has provided unprecedented access to art.

You want to look at some art? Art museums have websites. A lot of high res images of art are on wikipedia. Many living artists maintain a website or social media presence. There are websites curating collections of pictures of work by dead artists! Going to a museum and seeing art in person is an experience I hope everyone is lucky enough to have, but you can look at so many images of art to learn from and be inspired by online.

You want to learn to draw or paint? So many tutorials out there for free by generous humans who are excited to share what they know about art and teach you how to make it! If one person's teaching method, doesn't click for you, you can try another!

Need more direction and feedback? There's communities you can join for that, and online classes available for much, much less than the cost of a semester at art school!

Need a tool for it? There's a lot of great free or cheap digital art tools these days, but you can learn to draw on scrap paper with a cheap pen or pencil if that's what you've got!

What does AI actually offer?

AI offers the ability to skip actually learning how art works, how it communicates ideas. It's a ton of mathematical data about what color pixels show up where in what frequency according to associated keywords. AI makes the decisions for you, and simply allows you to pick from it's offerings. If your goal is to make a lot of product images very quickly and you care little about what you're making, AI is ideal. If you want to express yourself and view art as a process more than a product, AI is frustrating and limiting and always will be because the whole point of AI is to cut you out of the process.

When you learn to draw and paint, you learn to control the process. All the power is in your hands at every stage.

And frankly, that sounds a lot more democratic and accessible to me.

Can't afford art school?

After seeing post like this 👇

And this gem 👇

As well as countless of others from the AI generator community. Just talking about how "inaccessible art" is, I decided why not show how wrong these guys are while also helping anyone who actually wants to learn.

Here is the first one ART TEACHERS! There are plenty online and in places like youtube.

📺Here is my list:

Proko (Free)

Marc Brunet (Free but he does have other classes for a cheap price. Use to work for Blizzard)

Aaron Rutten (free)

BoroCG (free)

Jesse J. Jones (free, talks about animating)

Jesus Conde (free)

Mohammed Agbadi (free, he gives some advice in some videos and talks about art)

Ross Draws (free, he does have other classes for a good price)

SamDoesArts (free, gives good advice and critiques)

Drawfee Show (free, they do give some good advice and great inspiration)

The Art of Aaron Blaise ( useful tips for digital art and animation. Was an animator for Disney)

Bobby Chiu ( useful tips and interviews with artist who are in the industry or making a living as artist)

Second part BOOKS, I have collected some books that have helped me and might help others.

📚Here is my list:

The "how to draw manga" series produced by Graphic-sha. These are for manga artist but they give great advice and information.

"Creating characters with personality" by Tom Bancroft. A great book that can help not just people who draw cartoons but also realistic ones. As it helps you with facial ques and how to make a character interesting.

"Albinus on anatomy" by Robert Beverly Hale and Terence Coyle. Great book to help someone learn basic anatomy.

"Artistic Anatomy" by Dr. Paul Richer and Robert Beverly Hale. A good book if you want to go further in-depth with anatomy.

"Directing the story" by Francis Glebas. A good book if you want to Story board or make comics.

"Animal Anatomy for Artists" by Eliot Goldfinger. A good book for if you want to draw animals or creatures.

"Constructive Anatomy: with almost 500 illustrations" by George B. Bridgman. A great book to help you block out shadows in your figures and see them in a more 3 diamantine way.

"Dynamic Anatomy: Revised and expand" by Burne Hogarth. A book that shows how to block out shapes and easily understand what you are looking out. When it comes to human subjects.

"An Atlas of animal anatomy for artist" by W. Ellenberger and H. Dittrich and H. Baum. This is another good one for people who want to draw animals or creatures.

Etherington Brothers, they make books and have a free blog with art tips.

As for Supplies, I recommend starting out cheap, buying Pencils and art paper at dollar tree or 5 below. For digital art, I recommend not starting with a screen art drawing tablet as they are more expensive.

For the Best art Tablet I recommend either Xp-pen, Bamboo or Huion. Some can range from about 40$ to the thousands.

💻As for art programs here is a list of Free to pay.

Clip Studio paint ( you can choose to pay once or sub and get updates)

Procreate ( pay once for $9.99)

Blender (for 3D modules/sculpting, ect Free)

PaintTool SAI (pay but has a 31 day free trail)

Krita (Free)

mypaint (free)

FireAlpaca (free)

Libresprite (free, for pixel art)

Those are the ones I can recall.

So do with this information as you will but as you can tell there are ways to learn how to become an artist, without breaking the bank. The only thing that might be stopping YOU from using any of these things, is YOU.

I have made time to learn to draw and many artist have too. Either in-between working two jobs or taking care of your family and a job or regular school and chores. YOU just have to take the time or use some time management, it really doesn't take long to practice for like an hour or less. YOU also don't have to do it every day, just once or three times a week is fine.

Hope this was helpful and have a great day.

[therandomavenger]

New Beginnings

               This is a big week for me. On Tuesday, the Spring Semester starts, and I will find myself a full-time student again for the first time in 13 years. This will not be my first experience as a ‘non-traditional’ student. In 2009, at the age of thirty-six, I went back to school to get a CIS degree. But that was while I was raising young children full time and trying to materially and emotionally support a spouse with a full-time teaching career. It was a lot. But I did well, even if I ran out of steam and fell about three credits shy of getting my AA.

               I think this experience will be different. I don’t have kids at home anymore, and my current partner is also a student, so we will be able to support each other. We’re even taking an ASL class together. No, this should be a completely different experience, though I know it won’t be stress-free. Also, I’m no longer singularly responsible for planning and cooking all our meals, and doing all the housework, the way I was before. My current partnership is much more equal than my last one was.

               I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous, though. I’m older than I was, even if I’m just as healthy, I think. In the intervening years, I’ve done a deep dive into how my brain works, and I know how to be productive. Over the past couple of years, I’ve been getting a lot of stuff done, both housework and writing and reading and other stuff. So, I know I can do it. It’s going to be an adjustment, however, having someone else’s external schedule imposed over mine. I’m going to have to get up on time every day (which means breaking my addiction to the snooze alarm, which is already in progress). I’m taking sixteen units, which is kind of a lot. Only one of those classes is online.

               The subject matter is different from anything I’ve ever studied before. I’m going back to earn a certificate in Digital Art and Design, so I’ll be in a lot of Art classes. Starting with line drawing and beginning design, as well as intro to digital art. That’s just this semester. Halfway through, I’ll be adding an Adobe Suite online tutorial class. I’m hoping this will give me a new set of skills that I can use to support my writing career. But this is an entirely new area for me.

               I spent most of my teenage years obsessively drawing, and I loved doing it, even if the art I produced was terrible. I knew nothing about anatomy, or design principles. S put some nice pictures together but had no hope of making most of my projects match the image I had in my head. Through all those years, I never took an art class. So, getting back to this now, at 51, feels like a return to an old vision of myself that was never quite able to develop. Will I be any better with formal training? I’d almost have to be.

               Future classes will take me further into design skills, including graphic design, as well as digital photography, animation, and web design. I’m excited to learn about all of it. My goal is to be able to gain proficiency at formatting my own books and designing my own book covers, and maybe, if I get good enough, earning some extra money by doing that for other people.

               But even as I add this new challenge, I’m not abandoning my writing goals. I still plan to produce 30,000 words a month. I have been on my new writing schedule for the last two weeks, just to make sure it’s realistic. 2-4 on Wednesday and Fridays, 11-2 on Saturdays. I need to produce 7500 words in those three days, and I’ve met or exceeded that in the first two weeks. So, I know this is doable. I also need to work in time for editing and other publishing-related tasks. I want to release three books this year.

               I think it’s important, as we get older, not to settle into old patterns, but to stretch and grow and learn new things, and expand into new areas. It keeps you young, and studies show it can actually extend your life and help stave off dementia. I’m definitely doing that.

               Am I afraid I might suck at this? Absolutely! But really, if I try this, and fail, then I really haven’t lost much. I lose more by never trying, and always wondering if I could have been successful.

               So, this week is a new beginning. I’m really looking forward to it. I feel like I am at the cusp of an entire new life, and I welcome its unfolding.

[k00296066]

Disrupt

to me, disrupt referred to the disruptions that i had witnessed in my college accommodation. moving from a very small village in roscommon to a populated area like limerick was a huge change. i went from living with my parents and my dog to living with a group of students whom i had never even met before. i found that solid and lasting friendships could be made but disagreements were unavoidable. a lot of things happened in the first semester that really showed that we all were young and prone to making mistakes. some things caused more of an issue than others like when my housemates friends destroyed our house and slept in my bed without permission. some things were much more personal like the comments one of my housemates made about me that were really unkind and his throwing out of some of my pieces of art. however, i acknowledge that i, too, was part of the problem at times like when my friends would take drinks from the kitchen that belonged to others.

i began my project exploring the disruptions of peoples features hoping to learn more about the art of caricatures and cartoon-esque drawing. yet i felt this aspect wasn’t really inspiring me and i kept getting stuck in a rut. i took a risk and looked at other avenues. i thought about how i was trying to draw those around me, the people i lived with, and then i thought about how they could be disruptive instead of me disrupting them. i think we can all agree that a house full of 17, 18, and 19 year olds is truly a house of disruption.

the idea to create road signs with cautions based on the disruptions in our house came to me just after my birthday party. there was an incident in the house where our couch was used in a way that none of us wanted it to. one of my housemates joked, saying “we need to find a way to stop this from happening again” and i answered “i should make a sign”. my housemates agreed that it would be very funny and useful if there was a sign and i thought it would be a perfect way to take my project to the next level.

my favourite sector of art would have to be typography. i remember beginning to learn about it in art class in secondary school and immediately falling in love. i’ve always loved recreating fonts and even making new ones. i knew signage was a great route for me as it had an aspect of language and typography with the phrases written. i really enjoyed trying to replicate the writing on signs and seeing what different fonts looked like on a regular sign.

i spent a lot of time looking at road signage from driving almost 3 hours down to college every weekend and also going on walks, photographing what i’d see. i loved the vibrant and contrasting colours and how they created a striking image in a landscape. i used my photographs to help me when i’d make a sign to make sure it would look realistic. at one point me and my friends tried to acquire a real sign from the side of the road but unfortunately our heist was cut short because the boot of my car was not big enough. this actually led to me playing with scale and making a 3D sign out of cardboard that was actually taller than me. it was really interesting seeing what a sign would look like in such a large scale when i compared it to the smaller signs i had made. i thought about the meaning and how maybe bigger signs could mean there was a bigger problem.

i looked at a lot of different artists and designers to help with my work like kathy predergast, margaret calvert, and tracey emin. i felt that i really related to the work of these artists and found similarities between the meanings of our work. margaret calvert proved to be a huge help as she was credited with creating most road signs. i also found a lot of inspiration from books in the library. i checked out many on colour and on international forms of signage. they were very interesting and provided a basis for my sign work.

in conclusion, disrupt became almost a self reflection for me. i was able to see what me and my housemates were doing wrong and try to rectify it in a comical way. i really enjoyed creating these signs and learning about how original road signage was made. if i had more time i think i would try levelling up my signage and possibly creating metal ones with vinyl on top. i think vinyl printing would be an interesting skill to learn. id also like to look more into photography and expressing my artistic view through photos of the disruptions in my house. i would also try to almost interview other people and see what the disruptions of their college accommodation would be. i found a lot of people felt my project was actually quite relatable. it would be interesting to see which accommodation has the most disruptions, and possibly make a map of the worst spots, similar to kathy predergast’s ‘lost’.