dreamautonomy

[dreamautonomy]

You probably get asked this a lot, but how do you draw hands? Even when I'm tracing, they look so weird 🙃

I could probably go on and on and on about hands, but here are some key points I compiled! I LOVE drawing hands, and I never hesitate to use my own as a reference

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bro im gonna CRY i didnt know this 🥺

[dreamautonomy]

プリント

Whilst looking for things to help my son with Japanese, I came across this print maker:

You can use it to make worksheets (プリント) for hiragana, katakana, kanji, calendar dates, line drawing (for younger children), etc.

You can also (for some unknown reason?) use it to practice the kanji used for 「ビャンビャン麺」 which is the extremely large stroke number kanji 𰻞.

Instructions are all in Japanese but if you click around you should be able to figure it out for the most part.

Enjoy!

[dreamautonomy]

dam…….. that website “you feel like shit” (it’s like a questionnaire / troubleshooting guide for when you feel like shit) really works………………….. im not even all the way thru it and i even half-assed a lot of the suggestions and i already feel loads better

[dreamautonomy]

in third grade on the swing with my friend i announced “i figured it out” and my friend said “figured what out” and i said “the meaning of life!” and being third graders this was very exciting so she leaned in and i whispered in her ear “it’s to have fun” and i don’t remember her reaction but i remember how i felt and how i knew so clearly that was the answer. how my small mind was beaming and shimmering with this answer that makes me scoff today but i know that they were right. i was right

[dreamautonomy]

[dreamautonomy]

Since productivity and time management is important for artists, I made a printable to help my fellow artists with habit tracking.

Click the link to see the free PDF download link, it’s hosted on google drive with no ads. 

If you use this, please share it with your friends! There is no branding on it, and it’s minimal. 

Further Reading

Masterpost of Wonderful High Quality Art Supplies

Beginner’s Guide to Digital Art

A Collection of Great iOS Apps for Artists

Recent Posts

Help a university student keep Art-Res running for years to come: become a patreon  / donate / sponsor or purchase a paid art feature / shop

[dreamautonomy]

Using fandom for language learning

If there's something that has helped me with picking up Japanese faster and was much more motivating than forcing myself to take a class to study consistently, it was joining the Japanese side of the fandom. This is especially a great idea if you've noticed that you're starting to plateau or, you have been plateauing for a while and haven't been sure how to overcome it!

Pick a fandom! Any fandom!

Participate in it

Step 1 is the simplest part: pick a fandom. Any fandom you want. A lot of Japanese learners, myself included, want to learn Japanese in order to watch anime or read manga without subtitles/translations. And whether it's in English, Spanish, Portuguese, most languages tend to have a community of fans that congregate together to discuss said animanga, video games, movie series, etc. Japanese is no different. So pick whichever one you like.

A series you're hyperfixating on, a new series that you're about to get into, it doesn't really matter as long as it is a series you're interested in or know you will be interested in. In my case, I chose One Piece, a classic and long-time fave especially since I had gotten back into it.

Step 2, participate in it. This comes in a variety of different ways from commenting on art/fics to potentially producing content of your own. And of course, it's the more nervewracking of the steps, especially when you may feel your skills aren't at an adequate level yet. But trust me, the persistence will go a long way.

I would also recommend familiarizing yourself with Japanese fandom culture before participating in it so you don't accidentally ruffle any feathers. How ship names operate, what may be okay to comment in your culture that isn't okay to comment in theirs, etc.

With that being said, here are some things I did!

Join a Japanese discord server

Follow your fandom's official social media

Comment on things in Japanese

Participate in Japanese fandom events

Read fanfiction in Japanese

Write fanfiction in Japanese

Listen to Japanese radio shows

For further details, look below the cut!

Join a Japanese discord server. Not a server for learning Japanese but a discord server ran in Japanese, created by native speakers, about the fandom you're interested in. This way the language is inescapable because the channels are all in Japanese, the server rules are all in Japanese and of course, everyone will be speaking in Japanese.

It'll be nerve wracking interacting with L1 speakers of Japanese when you're not used to it, but do it anyway. Write in the channels and definitely participate in the voice channels when given the opportunity. Just tell them you're still studying, trust me when I say they'll be very understanding about your skill levels and be patient.

Not to mention, with this being a server built on a common interest, you'll have plenty to talk about. In my case, I joined a LuSan server.

Follow your fandom's official social media. This could be the mangaka's official twitter/bluesky/instagram account, the official account for the anime, the movie promotional material, games, it doesn't matter. Follow them all. You'll get a steady flow of content in Japanese about your fandom.

Comment on things in Japanese. Fics, art, the like. Not only because it lets the person who made it know you liked it, but it serves as writing practice.

Participate in Japanese fandom events (or follow fan events to check out the creations). The LuSan server I joined was dedicated to a ship week/ship day thing that I found by scrolling through the event's "official?" twitter. And if you're up to producing content of your own in the language, even if it just the length of a page, then I recommend doing it. You get to see awesome fanwork and you get to try it out yourself. I would just recommend starting early.

Read fanfiction in Japanese. You'll be impressed with what new vocabulary you'll learn with reading fanfiction. Of course, you can default to websites like AO3 or FFN and the language options hosted on those sites, but most Japanese fanfiction will be found on their sites for hosting fanfiction. I recommend using Pixiv!

Click on the 'novel' tab and you'll see all the fanfiction your heart desires.

Write fanfiction in Japanese. I found this a lot more motivating to do rather than say, writing essays for a Japanese class. Hell, I find writing anything for creative purposes easier and more fun than essays even in my native language. You don't even need to write new fanfiction in Japanese either, you can start with simply translating some of your already published fics into Japanese and posting them on a Japanese fic hosting site.

If you write shipping content, then I especially urge you to familiarize yourself with the Japanese ship names and how you order them. In western fandoms, the name is just a name. Usually whatever sounds nice or flows best and that's it, there's no further implications than that. Ship names in Japanese fandom, however, are based on who tops in the relationship. I'm not saying that's great or bad, but that is how it operates even in non-sexual content in Japanese fandom.

But if you are writing explicit fanfic and you, for example, put LawSan as a tag but the fic/art in question is one where Sanji is topping, that will ruffle feathers because that wasn't the dynamic the viewer was expecting. They'll probably even tell you to retag it properly. This can be circumvented by tagging both LawSan and SanLaw, tagging LawSanLaw and simply putting your bio that you like having the characters switch.

It's pretty organized or systematic? in that way. The LuZo shippers that don't like switching stay in their lane, the ZoLu shippers that don't like switching stay in theirs. Which sounds pretty crazy from the perspective of western shippers because, you know, it's like "we all like the same characters as a couple together, so who cares who is topping?" But the way you would expect someone to respect your culture if they're trying to participate in it, you gotta respect theirs. I'm not saying you have to agree with it, just respect it.

Also if you're a multishipper like myself, I recommend putting in your bio 他CP要素もあるアカウントですので観覧ご注意頂ければと思います (this stands for 'coupling', not the other thing) to let people know they'll see other ships on your account and if they aren't comfortable with that, this isn't the account for them to view content on.

Listen to radio shows in Japanese. Japanese seiyuus tend to do radio showers/after shows during the airing of the season. Of course, these radio shows tend to only be available for broadcast in Japan, but there are going to be reuploaders of said shows on youtube.

Just copy and paste the name of the radio show into the youtube search bar in Japanese and plenty of channels will come up. A friend of my recently shared a Mugiwara Space reuploading channel to me, it's a life saver. Even if you don't understand what all is being said to start, slowly but surely as you build your vocabulary your comprehension will increase as well.

[dreamautonomy]

bro i LOVE indigenous fusion music i love it when indigenous people take traditional practices and language and apply them in new cool ways i love the slow decay and decolonisation of the modern music industry

[dreamautonomy]

hello friends!!! i’m a language enthusiast (+ a language minor in college hehe). originally i was gonna make a post of all languages, but that already exists + i don’t want to reiterate + i have SO many french resources and that’s my second primary language so i thought i’d focus on that??? 

general language

big subject masterpost by @chemlstry

how to learn a new language by @studiyng

learning languages without actually studying them by @insomniac-arrest

things i learnt regarding learning languages by @star-study

100 perfect songs for traveling from around the world by @polyglottraveler

ap exams masterpost by @sootudying

tips to learn a new language by @darasteine

learning a language on your own by @sootudying

links for improving your vocabulary by @portiastudies

grammar resources yay! by @giuliaslangblr

speaking up more in class by @emmastudies

tips for foreign language writing assessments by @moonstruckstudies

helpful books to learn languages by @les-langues-sont-ma-vie

linguti by @teacupful-of-languages

general french

folder w/ beginner’s courses, grammar, etc. by @lovelybluepanda

french tips for beginners by @studyspirits

everything i use to make learning french fun by @jeparletoutesleslangues

a french masterpost by @organisaticns

how to sound more natural in french by @crookedlanguagestudent

learning french on your own by @wonderful-language-sounds

speaking on the AP french exam by @ap-french

lesser seen french tips by @francetrash

random little french facts

french resources masterpost by @highschoolering

studying/learning a foreign language by @emmastudies

french resources masterpost by @nathalliastudies

french masterpost by @bonbonlanguage

dear french community, listen up! by @studyblr-bri

french resources list by @openstudynotes

french writing and speaking cheat sheet by @hstudies

verb conjugation sheets by @apamexico

french vocab

vegetables in french by @goldstueck

everyday activities by @language-minded

back-to-school by yours truly @phctcsynthesis

when things are pointless by @lucylangblr

mental health by @lemonadeandlanguages

unrequited love by @word-stuck

ways to say yes by @language2go

langblr french masterpost (vocab only) by @study-katherine

french idiom masterpost by @revisionandtea

la rentree du petit nicolas by @frenchaise

describing your place by @pancake-studying

french tenses

the french imperative by @bonbonlanguage

top 100 most common french verbs by @colonelstudy​

french verb masterpost by @studypuddles

french verbs by @languageramblings

the verb penser by @all-things-francais

subjunctive or indicative? by @language-renard​

the verb ‘to return’ by @bonjourfrench

the french conditional by @languesetmoi

commonly used reflexive verbs by @bonjourfrench

le conjugueur by @jaimetalangue

verbs taking à, de, or no preposition by @bonjourfrench

the future proche by @futurefrenchprof

the subjunctive by @futurefrenchprof

participes passés by @anonimasulsublime

conjugating the subjunctive by @whosaprettypolyglot

using the passé simple by @crookedlanguagestudent

french grammar

french linking words by @frenchaise

french punctuation by @ladybaguette

variations in french pronunciation by @maptitude1

teen french expressions by @studyingharder

how to guess the gender of most french nouns by @frenchaise

asking questions in french by @frenchaise

relative pronouns by @kalenaslangblr

essay phrases by @llenguas

french homophones and how to tell them apart by @lemonadeandlanguages

writing essays in french part 1 by @french-ement-votre

french literature, film, + music

french women write classics, too by @antigonick

french animation recommendations

the classics by @ap-french

french book PDFs by @lovelybluepanda

easy french reading by @ap-french

francophone comic books by @languagesarebeautiful

french youtubers + singers/songs by @theperksofbeingstudying

french music recommendations by @seriouslystudying

french music by @studyplants

french music you should listen to by @teabeforeten

french listening by @ap-french

french movie night by @ap-french

[dreamautonomy]

I highly recommend following not only artists you aspire to be one day, not only highest quality of skill pros, but also beginner artists, and artists of intermediate level. Being witness to other people's growth and art journey is the best motivator for myself to keep going on.

I used to follow only the most popular artists the internet had to offer, and within weeks of being bombarded of skill level unachievable to me at the time I started feeling frustrated and angry, like my own art made no difference, had no sense. It felt like I'd never improve or reach any skill-level success. Like I'll never get better, because my art was nowhere near what I was aspiring to and surrounding myself with (exclusively).

By following artists on similar level to yours, and beginner artists, you not only get a chance to support them just how you were being supported when you were there/are now, you also remind yourself you're not alone on that art journey.

It just feels less lonely you know 🥹

[dreamautonomy]

sweet beep boop

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Shop , Patreon , Books and Cards , Mailing List

[dreamautonomy]

You were the answer to every question I had. I would ask why the sky was blue And you would ask what blue was And we would make a story About the color that became blue, How it climbed into the white sky, Made it blush the shade of the sun And how blue was born that day.

And I ask how you died, and fucking why! And they all offer answers, stories That make no sense at all. I know If you were here we’d make a story About how you died and your funeral. And I would have said: “How did you die?” And you’d have asked me: “How did I live?”

[dreamautonomy]

Finally a first language laddering post! In the near future I hope to start posting updates to my personal studying, maybe accompanied by study materials for others to use if I have the time! But first, I wanted to post an introduction.

Transcript of the images below the cut!

Language Laddering!

An Overview

I recently made a post asking about interest in me posting my personal Japanese -> Korean language laddering study journey and resources. And a lot of people seemed interested! Let's start off with an introduction to language laddering itself, since people may not have heard of it, or may not recognize this name for it! For my own personal stuff, I hope to post updates to my studies along with some resources as regularly as I can manage!

What is Language Laddering?

Language laddering, as I'm using the term, is a method of language study in which you use one target language (TL1) to learn a second target language (TL2). Basically, you cut your native language out of the equation and study in a target language!

How I Ladder

There are several methods you can use that I'd say count as language laddering, but I'm only going to go super in-depth into the methods I personally use!

If you study this way and have a specific method you love that I didn't mention, please mention it in a comment or reblog! I'd love to hear more methods.

Reading Japanese textbooks for Korean

Getting access to resources in Japanese is definitely harder because of international shipping, but I'm able to find store listings that offer sample pages! I've been using these until I can get the money to actually buy them.

In the meantime as I wait to get fully Japanese texts, I use the speaking pen from Learn Korean With BTS, haha- the speaking pen reads the book in four languages, and Japanese is one of them! So I just listen to it like an audiobook instead of reading the English!

Using apps and websites made by and for Japanese learners

While my Japanese dictionaries and apps are all in English, my Korean dictionaries and apps are all in Japanese!

I use an online Japanese-Korean dictionary on my phone, and when I practice grammar and other concepts in Korean, I use Japanese websites for Korean learners.

Recently, I've been using the site ハングルの森 to review basic grammar. I've been getting a pretty strong hold on Japanese grammar terms, too, which is exciting for more fully laddering!

Laddering languages in the way I choose to can be a very fun way to learn a new language and study one you've already been working on, but it doesn't work for everyone!

People who enjoy learning grammar and reading about how language works may enjoy it because they can learn grammar the way it's taught in their target language rather than how it's taught in their native language! This can be exciting, it's interesting to see how different languages teach concepts and learning grammar terms in a TL can open grammar-related doors! If you're a linguistics nerd like me, grammar-related doors are super exciting.

However, if you struggle a lot with understanding language instruction, and classroom language learning is really difficult for you, then it may only make things harder to try and use your TL's classroom language learning material for a new TL.

And that's okay! Not every learning method is for everyone. Learning through immersion may be easier and less frustrating if you struggle with classroom learning!

And guess what?

You can still ladder languages when doing immersion learning! Watching something in your new TL with subtitles for your stronger TL is one good way you can combine immersion learning with laddering!

I hope to post more about language laddering, although it will probably be pretty catered to my own personal study! People can feel free to send asks about anything specific they'd like to know! (Although I certainly am not an expert, so I can't answer everything)

Also, I know this post was SUPER text heavy, so thank you for making it to the end! I hope it wasn't too droning to read ^-^ Good luck with language laddering if you decide to try it!

[dreamautonomy]

I feel like the last few years have been a lot of change for me. I didn't realize how much I had grown until I looked back, so our little ghostie friend is here to remind us.

Chibird store | Positive pin club | Instagram

[dreamautonomy]

Good news, fellow artists! Nightshade has finally been released by the UChicago team! If you aren't aware of what Nightshade is, it's a tool that helps poison AI datasets so that the model "sees" something different from what an image actually depicts. It's the same team that released Glaze, which helps protect art against style mimicry (aka those finetuned models that try to rip off a specific artist). As they show in their paper, even a hundred poisoned concepts make a huge difference.

(Reminder that glazing your art is more important than nighshading it, as they mention in their tweets above, so when you're uploading your art, try to glaze it at the very least.)