serafisolaris

[serafisolaris]

Hiii, I was just wandering if you wouldn’t mind blabbing about the symbolism and stuff behind some of your design choices with the horse men that you might not have mentioned. Like with pestilence and death specifically I feel like there’s a lot of symbolism I’m picking up on without fully understanding. Like with Death’s sickle, both a homage to the classic scythe and a nod to the “reaping/harvesting” of souls. And with pestilence I feel like there’s something that I’m skirting around without grasping. The multiple legs strike me as a deliberate similarity to insects, and if I’m right I think that the rider is bound in a body bag type deal, similar to how disease and pestilence is so often both spread through the improper disposal of body’s, and how wide spread pestilence leads to mass graves filled with disease and the horrible anonymity that comes with being just one face in a pit of hundreds etc? All of this is, ofc, to say that I’ve adored your series of the horsemen so far and would go absolutely rabid for some insight on some of your design choices<3

My horsemen of the apocalypse! I will add the original commentary and some extras, less about the symbolism and more about what brought me to design them the way I did.

The symbolism is for you to chose, there is no wrong answer.

WAR

I can't bring myself to represent war with a cool knight. It's horror. War is a bound child crowned with shrapnel, tied to a wounded horse that is being pulled forward by unseen people.

I've read a handful of books regarding war. A lost quote said that it should be shown as horror, it should make generals vomit, it should make you sick. I haven't seen war but my family has.

It was the first horseman I've designed, and it was in my sketchbook for months (maybe over a year, maybe even more) before I had the courage to draw it. I was really scared about how people would react to a mutilated child.

Recommended reading: The Red Crown - Mikhail Bulgakov, a short story about a man coping with the loss of his brother in the war

FAMINE

Someone who lived thro a famine shared that their head was only occupied with thoughts of food. Famine consumes your mind. All animals were eaten. Neighbors gave their pets away cuz they couldn't do it themselves. People walked around town as if in a dazed dream, slowly

Recommended reading: The Last Witnesses - Svetlana Alexievitch, a collection of testimonials of people who were children when WW2 began. Some quotes below;

'''A cat! A cat!' Other children saw it and started chasing it. The educators were local habitants, looked at us as if we were insane. In Leningrad there were no living cats left...A living cat was a dream. Food for one month...We talked about it, but they didn't believe us.''

''During the first year of evacuation, we didn't notice nature, everything that was nature provoked in us only one desire - taste to see if it's edible. Only a year later I noticed the beauty of the Urals''

''I dreamt of catching a sparrow and eating it...''

''A candle burns and the shopgirl cuts the bread pieces. People follow her with their gaze. Her every movement...with burning eyes...crazed...and all that in silence.''

''People walked slowly through the city like shadows. Like in a dream...a deep dream...As in, you see it, but you think you're seeing a dream. Those sluggish movements...floating...As if a person walked on water and not on land.''

''In Leningrad there are a lot of monuments, but one is missing that should exist. They forgot about it. The monument to the dogs of the seige. Dear doggy, forgive me...''

I don't like talking about it. It made no sense to draw Famine with a horse.

PESTILENCE

Based on the notes of a doctor who said the most frightening thing about viral disease was how it didn’t frighten. People didn’t know or didn't care. They lived and spread until it was too late and they became another name on the record

The clothing being made out of shredding plastic is no coincidence; pollution is a form of pestilence too

Recommended reading: Notes from a Countryside Doctor - Mikhail Bulgakov. Roughly translated quote below;

''Ah, I verified that here syphilis was frightening precisely because it did not frighten. That was why I evoked that women.* I remembered her with a kind of affectionate respect: because she had been afraid. But she was the only one!''

*Early in the chapter, doctor mentions a woman that appeared in the clinic with a letter from her soldier husband, where he wrote that he had syphilis and told her she should go to the doctor too.

DEATH

Recommended reading: Voices of Chernobyl - Svetlana Alexievitch. The Death of Ivan Ilitch - Lev Tolstoi

“Death is the fairest thing in the world. No one's ever gotten out of it. The earth takes everyone - the kind, the cruel, the sinners. Aside from that, there's no fairness on earth.”

Death is the only horseman that doesn’t need to mount their horse; they will reach everyone eventually. Who is the saddle for then? Open ended question because this one you have to figure out personally

Many people pointed out how the horse is a Clydesdale. Good eyes! I purposefully asked a friend to guide me towards what type of horses are the sturdiest and most-friendly looking. I drew the horse grazing. It's not injured, it doesn't gallop. It's grazing peacefully because life moves on.

This is the only design that had a painting serve as a base - The Reaper, by Alexey Venetsianov. Not much or nothing at all is written about, I saw it in a book. It is a literal reaper but it haunted me, as if it's portraying more than a person.

The choice to make it a woman was due to a book about a crematory (Smoke Gets in Your Eyes - Caitlin Doughty) that connected women to death because everyone born is bound to die.

Ahhh, I don't want to give it all away. It's fun to figure things out. About them all. From the enviroment, to the movement, to the horses themselves. Many people even mentioned details that I did not notice and didn't add purposefully that were so inspired and amazing. I truly mean that the interpretations of the public enrich the works even more than my own words. And it's an honor to share that work with everyone.

Thank you anon!

[serafisolaris]

My mom left an eviction notice for the carpenter bees burrowing into our porch

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三门海sanmenhai, guangxi province in china

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🌔🌔🌔

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Four horsemen of the apocalypse - death

Death is the only horseman that doesn’t need to mount their horse; they will reach everyone eventually. Who is the saddle for then?

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Hm. i forgot his pants.

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my beautiful wife, severe thunderstorm warning, is texting me 😌😚😍😍

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she crushed me and my ashes are in that cigar btw

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holds the mic really close to your mouth 🎤

what was your oc’s first impressions of the touchstarved love interests? and any additional personal thoughts after getting to know each of them?

*spitting on the mic* This one’s gonna be long so let’s get to it~! Dksksklsaaslsl

Kuras - OC was off put by him, has an overwhelming radiance and comes off too trustworthy. The fact that he could attach her arm back on was strange enough but he’s tall and looming… cloaked in white so he stands out, yet doesn’t want anyone getting too close to him. OC definitely had the impression he was twisting truths to get information in a way that felt natural. Kind enough for her to be interested in the story he’s waiting to tell. Wants to examine the scar on his palm.

Leander - Immediately backs up when he gets too close. Reeks of manipulation, OC denies his flowers every time he offers. Has a cold air about him, his gaze gives him away and his crossed arms oppose how open he claims to be. OC thinks Leander’s tactics are obvious and in poor taste just like his drinks. In between dislike and like, he’s consistent in his endeavors and gets under OC’s skin to provoke her in a way that benefits him. Does not feel an interest to see what’s in Leander’s closet… Only drinks water at The Wet Wick.

Vere - Alarms and bells going off in her head!! OC’s eyes darted to his ears the moment he appeared. She enjoyed the back and forth that lead to the fear of being eaten. Vere’s flat eyes reveal his hand and OC wants to uncover that weakness he so readily shows. Finds him to be the second most honest among the Touchstarved cast. OC hopes Vere will keep her on her toes - has a brooding aura masked by perverse humor, it shields him from a past few know.

Ais - Intimidated upon first meeting, easily the most comfortable to have a conversation with. He’s so quiet OC just spills information to him, gets the feeling he tells just enough to scrape by when they speak to each other. His brute force only makes her more curious about him since he comes off as someone who has a lot of patience. Wonders if she could beat him at thumb war…

Mhin - They’re so fucking sassy. Why does everything they say feel like being hit by a curled up newspaper?? Stares into their eyes way too often. OC has a difficult time reading them. Mhin is vague and misleading but OC isn’t offended by the way they dodge questions. A little comforted by the fact that they also shy away from Leander. OC wants to go on a patrol with them, just to see what they get up to in the middle of the night… No other reason!

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laughing as I type this would you rather: marry leander (no divorce ALLOWED❗️) or kill mhin (I will never forgive you) no pressure though 🥰

This is the worst lmao…. Ugh…. I don’t wanna kill Mhin so I’d rather marry Leander and suffer 🫠

[serafisolaris]

so i had this assigment for uni. and i totally didnt manipulate the task to make sure i can draw kuras.

the premise was to interpret 'idol' howerver we want. so i did. uwu

under the cut is a speedpaint if anyone's interested

i hoped to catch that... vintage silent era actor photos vibe

not sure it its 100% in line but i'm still happy with it

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your favorite mythical creature? 🎤 🎤 🎤

Banshee always kinda piqued my interest… ummmm mermaid and phoenix are runner ups! Do I have a theme??? I can’t tell if I’m being predictable again lol

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Four horsemen of the apocalypse - pestilence

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your minato art is so beautiful it has been saved to my minato folder of 5 years thank you for your service o7

Akajdnfkdjdjjdja thank you so much!! 💖 I’ll try to draw more of him in the future so your folder can fill up anon 🫡