#(first time sketching in like 5 years + first time with these markers)

[kiki-eng]

Please enjoy this poor drawing of Dan gazing adoringly at Phil, confused muppet with birthday cake.

[orikixx]

Blueprints & Heartbeats

Part: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Featuring: Nanami Kento

Warnings: slight angst, wc 1.5k, part 2 will be a smau!

Summary: academic rivals to lovers! a mixup in the architecture group project forces you to team up with Nanami Kento, the serious and stoic student. But maybe, he isn’t as brooding as you thought?

Author's note: I feel like I’m trying a new style and this is kinda scary lol. I hope you guys like it!🫶

There he was.

As you walked into the classroom, you saw him. The man you’ve heard all too much about, yet never got the chance to talk to. Well, it’s not like you didn’t get the chance, Nanami Kento just flat out ignored you.

At first, you thought he hasn’t heard you. He couldn’t have been ignoring you on purpose, right? So you tried again, and again, until eventually giving up because clearly, he had no interest in talking to his classmate.

You two share the same major, but that doesn’t seem to matter to him. Despite being in the same classes and even the same study groups, Nanami always finds a way to avoid interacting with you. It’s frustrating, to say the least, especially when can’t understand why. Maybe it’s your personality?

It cannot be the fact that you’re an annoying person, because you aren’t. There’s no denying that people definitely find you loud and bubbly, but no one would actually describe you as an annoying person, since you almost manage to brighten everyone’s mood. Or almost everyone, in that case. The problem could be Nanami, perhaps he just hates everything that’s not beige, boring and brooding, just the way he is. Or maybe there was something else, something deeper, that made him keep his distance. He definitely strikes you as the antisocial, loner wolf type. Either way, it was clear that Nanami Kento wasn’t interested in getting to know you.

You sat down next to Satoru, a friend you’ve met through the architecture course, and immediately felt at ease, with the help of his non stop babbling about some movie he’s watched with his girlfriend over the weekend. Zoning out a little, the hum of conversations fills the room, Satoru’s voice drowning in the background as you observe the walls of your lecture hall. The walls are lined with endless sketches, and the faint scent of ink lingered in the air. The harsh fluorescent lights made you dizzy, which brought you back to the fact that your professor has just walked in.

You quickly hush Satoru, and look at your professor. She’s known for being very harsh on students, so you always try your best to leave a good impression on her. She starts talking, something about another group project. It wasn’t an uncommon occurrence to have to work in groups, but it felt like such a hassle for you. Having a very different way of working than the other students, it sometimes caused clashes within the group. They were eventually solved by getting to a compromise, but it was noticeable that it happened every single time you were in the group.

While most students meticulously planned their designs with rulers and perfectly aligned sketches, your workspace always looked like controlled chaos. Bold, colorful markers and loose sheets of paper filled with quick sketches and half-formed ideas were scattered across your desk. You thrived on spontaneity, letting inspiration strike in bursts, while others preferred methodical precision.

Your designs were vibrant, full of life and energy, much like you. They weren't always perfect, but they stood out. Other students often seemed to be skeptical about your work, yet they agreed that your flashy ideas were always the cherry on top of their mundane, strictly planned designs.

The professor starts reading out the names for the group projects, which are in duos for the first time in the entire year and a half you’ve spent at the course already. She reads name after name, and when satoru is paired with some other student instead of you, the both of you silently groan. You wait as the list goes on, until eventually you’re paired with… Nanami.

Before you can even process what your professor said, someone’s coughing loudly, and you turn around to see that it’s no other than the man himself. You turn back bashfully, ears red with embarrassment. The fact he looks terrified out of his mind at the thought of working with you bothers you, but what can you really do at this point.

When class ends, you and satoru go your separate ways. He went to talk to his teammate, and you were intending to do the same, or at least try to, because when you search around the class for Nanami, he’s already standing by the professor, seemingly.. arguing with her? You get closer, trying to subtly eavesdrop on whatever they were not so calmly discussing.

“There must be something you can do to change the groups!”

Oh.

You stop in your tracks, feeling like a beat down puppy. You don’t even move away, inevitably listening to the rest of their conversation as the other students’ conversations buzz around you.

“I’m sorry Nanami, I’ve already submitted your names to the administration, there’s nothing I can do to change the situation.”

There’s a burn in your chest, slowly spreading until you feel your neck heating, until your face is red, and you’re suddenly filled with such utter despair, because how the hell are you supposed to work on a project with someone who hates you without even knowing you?

You weren’t intending to be dramatic, but you know you can’t handle him right now. Before either of them could turn around and notice you, you just left class. Not discussing even the simplest details with him felt wrong, but you can try doing that later, when you’re calmer, if he’ll deem you as worthy enough to talk to.

As you were walking through the campus, your mind clouded with anger, you tried deciding how to deal with the situation.

You could text him, though with the way he’s treated you so far, he might as well just block you. You don’t actually believe he’d to that, since he cares too much about his grades, yet he’s definitely going to be so unpleasant to you.

…………

Nanami might as well have buried himself 6 feet deep at this point. Not only he got paired with the one person in the entire class that could beat his grade on every single assignment, but she also had the audacity to be so effortlessly unbothered and vibrant about it. Her carefree attitude, her ability to come up with ideas on the spot, and the way she never seems to second guess herself, it irritates him in ways he can’t quite explain.

He knows he won’t be able to function.. normally, if he had to work with her alone. It’s not like he hates y/n, because no one could hate her. He just lets his ego get to him, and he doesn’t know what to say when she comes by, trying to talk to him. As he sees it, she might as well wave a huge flag that says “look at me! I’m better than you!”. He knows it’s stupid, but that’s just the way he is. So when the professor tells him she can’t change his teammate, he feels defeated.

He turns around, contemplating if he should search for y/n in the classroom.

He scans the room , yet he can’t spot her anywhere. She usually hangs out with gojo, but the white haired man is now talking to his own teammate, and y/n’s bubbly voice isn’t heard throughout the place.

Nanami’s phone buzzes in his pocket, and he swiftly takes it out, curious about who even has his number saved.

Unknown number: hi Nanami, it’s y/n from the architecture course. Would you like to meet up tomorrow and start working on our project?

Nanami stares at the screen, unexpectedly dumbfounded. How did she manage to beat him even at texting?

Nanami: meet me tomorrow at the café near the lecture hall at 11:00.

He knows he could’ve been nicer to her, but honestly it doesn’t bother him at the moment since all he can think about is how he’s gonna spend the rest of the semester with y/n as his teammate.

She doesn’t reply to him, just leaves the text on read. He shouldn’t be surprised, or feel anything considering the fact he’s been anything but nice to her, but he feels like it doesn’t fit her personality. Maybe he hadn’t talked to her even once, but he’s been watching her.

A lot.

He knows which students get on her nerves, and he can recognize the look on her face when she tries to hold her laugh in during a lecture. The fact he even knows anything about her irritates him, but if he doesn't observe her to learn and improve himself, what other option does he have?

Nanami sighs, shoving the phone back into his pocket before leaving the hall. As he walks across the campus, in the direction of his dorm, he notices y/n. She was sitting on the grass with her friends, the sun shining on her figure, and she looked so…. He doesn’t want to finish that thought.

Her hands move in an almost animated manner, one he often sees in class. He has to tear his eyes away from the sight, fastening his pace.

Still, even as he tried to stop it, the image of her lingered in his mind, unbidden and unwelcome.

divider credit: @soulari

taglist: @yourname-exee @realalpacorn @zayuriluvs @galactacium

[hearteyespierce]

Hello, I'm from Gaza

My name is Farah

Can you please help me to study at the university

Me and my family have lost our home, our car, and our dream to study

I hope just to help me to start my education

I was in my first year at university in Gaza but after the war, I lost everything my dream and my education 💔

Hope you really can help with anything

Thank you in advance

https://gofund.me/7417ca2b

https://gofund.me/0974b65e

Hi y'all! Check out Farah's GoFundMe here - she is from Gaza and has dreams to go to university to become a pharmacist! She has lost everything, including the university she planned to study at, which has been bombed by the IOF. She and her family have made it to Egypt, but she is trying to start over and is raising money to be able to begin her education. Her €8,000 goal is to pay for her first year's tuition!

As of the time I post this, she is €7,840 away from her goal - I am an artist and if you DM me proof of a donation of any amount to Farah's campaign, I will do a sfw pencil sketch of one character/subject of your choice (but happy to discuss more for larger donations, read on and send me your receipt, we'll chat!)! I've never done commissions before whether for profit or donations so bear with me, I'm figuring it out as I go!

Let's help Farah get a new start on her dreams and on her way to university!

If you can't donate, you can still help by please please please reblogging! I don't have very many followers, so I don't have a lot of reach.

I linked my art tag previously, but here it is again, and here are a few examples of my pencil work:

if you are interested in donating more for colors/more characters/etc, you can see more of my non sketch work in my tag (i work in various mediums like colored pencils, markers, watercolors, gouache, oil pastels, digital, etc).

vague pricing structure + more information below the cut!

'prices':

Going to set a vague 'pricing' structure (in euros since that's the currency the GoFundMe is in) - these are based on roughly how time consuming each medium is for me, but like I said previously, if you can't donate quite enough for a specific thing, reach out to me. I know a lot of us on tumblr (my recently unemployed self included) don't have a ton of money and the top priority is reaching Farah's goal!

For all of the below, you will receive a digital scan of the original work (if traditional medium) or a high res file from procreate (if digital).

Pencil sketch of one subject, bust up: Any donation amount

Pencil sketch of two or more subjects and/or full body sketch: ~€15, +€5/each additional character past two)

One subject + colored pencils or markers: ~€20

Two subjects + colored pencils or markers: ~€25

Watercolor and/or gouache painting: ~€35 for one character, +€10/additional character

Digital: ~€40+ for one character, +€10/additional character (re: '+', level of detail can vary on these, reach out and we'll chat!)

Oil pastel painting: ~€50 for one character, +€15/additional character

If you are requesting a traditional medium and would like to receive the original work in the mail, let me know ahead of time and we can discuss 'price' for this.

To reiterate: all 'prices' are for donations to Farah's GoFundMe Campaign! I will not be collecting any profit from this.

wills/won'ts + fandoms / etc:

what do I like to draw?

I love drawing people, portraits especially, but I also enjoy drawing animals. characters from fandoms, portraits of family/friends/pets/etc are all a-okay! I'm a multishipper so very few ships are a problem for me - what I will draw is pretty flexible aside from what is listed in the following 'what will I not draw?' section. For the purpose of this fundraiser, all art will be safe for work.

what will I not draw?

While I'm happy to draw real people, be they yourself/friends/family/a celebrity you like/etc, I won't do ship art of real people (art of a couple in your real life is fine, but ship art of celebrities, for example, is something I am not comfortable with). I also will not draw age gap relationships wherein the younger character is a minor. No gore/graphic violence - though canon typical bloodiness (MASH characters in the OR for example), is fine. I will not be drawing nsfw art of any ship for this fundraiser.

The above is what I can think of right now, though I reserve the right to turn down a concept should something come up that I didn't think of right now. Should that be the case, I will work with you to determine a different subject/concept.

fandoms?

Lastly, if you're curious about my fandoms, I've included a non-comprehensive list here, but as long as reference images are available for characters/people/pets I am not familiar with and they do not cross the limits listed above, I am okay with drawing for fandoms I am not familiar with/people in your life.

MASH (TV - current hyperfixation)

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (BBCA)

Star Trek (TOS, TNG, DS9, & Lower Decks)

The X-Files

Good Omens

Our Flag Means Death

Buffy the Vampire Slayer / Angel: The Series

The Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit

Twin Peaks

Dimension 20/Dropout in general

Les Miserables

Merlin (BBC)

Firefly

The Adventure Zone: Balance & Amnesty, not caught up otherwise

Princess Tutu

The Prisoner (1967)

There's definitely more that I'm forgetting, I've been rattling around fandom spaces for 20 years now, but like I said, it's a non-comprehensive list!

If you've read this far, thank you again! Please reblog to help Farah's fundraiser reach more people, and send me your receipt if you donate!

[sincerelyamee]

[How I imagine Gojo teaching 5-year-old Megumi about his Ten Shadows technique aka recipe for disaster]

Most sorcerers with flashy innate techniques typically awake their powers around five or six years old - right around the same magnificent age they discover crayons are wonderfully effective for decorating more than just coloring books (RIP white walls everywhere).

Innate techniques in particular have a mind of their own, essentially “calling” to their user like an overly eager pet begging for treats and attention. One day, baby sorcerers just wake up, and bam - suddenly shadows are tugging at their skin or flames are sparking from their fingers, no warning or parental consent form required.

Little Megumi has been feeling the very first stirrings of his Ten Shadows for weeks now. Random surges of cursed energy that are definitely not just from sneaking extra pudding cups. Mysterious but insistent tugging sensations from the shadows, like ghostly hands trying to initiate a game of tag.

So, it’s time he gets some pointers on it, right? At least, that’s what Gojo decided.

On one peaceful morning, Gojo whisks out a whiteboard and markers from… somewhere. With such theatrical showmanship, one would think he was auditioning for Broadway itself. Yet the children serve as the ultimate tough crowd, responding only with raised eyebrows and curious glances.

Still, Gojo strikes a scholarly pose.

“Alright, my star pupil - Today’s lesson is on your badass upcoming technique!” Gojo announces, gesturing for Megumi to sit front and center.

As Megumi hesitantly takes his place, Nanako leans over to Mimiko. “How come he just happens to have a random whiteboard ready? Where does that even come from?” She whispers. Mimiko just shakes her head, too busy stuffing her mouth with chips.

“To start, your very first summons will be these adorable Divine Dogs!” Gojo proclaims enthusiastically. “Though at first, they’re more like Divine Pups…”

His marker zig-zags wildly as he tries sketching two majestic wolves. Emphasis on tries. The end results look something akin to a pair of mutant chickens wearing tutus. That elicits poorly contained giggles from the girls. Megumi simply stares, somehow experiencing all seven stages of grief simultaneously.

“Those are some weird chickens, nii-chan.” Tsumiki blurts out with all the sophistication of a future art critic.

“They look like they survived a nuclear blast,” Nanako adds.

Why does she even know what a nuclear blast is? Kids these days. Gojo makes a mental note to berate Geto later for letting the devil’s spawns watch too much TV. But since he’s Gojo, he forgets about it immediately. For now, he blinks down at his drawings, then back at the giggling, unimpressed kids.

“Clearly you heathens lack the artistic vision to appreciate my creative genius.” Gojo huffs before erasing his previous attempts in stunned outrage.

But Gojo Satoru isn’t one to give up easily, or ever.

Like a runaway freight train, Gojo charges full steam ahead. His Louvre-worthy artistic visions expand stranger the longer the ridiculous lesson continues. With each stroke of the marker, Gojo’s illustrations venture further into worlds unknown by man or beast. Eldritch creatures populate the poor whiteboard as head scratching and sideways glances spread among the children.

Megumi watches in dismay as the hours tick painfully on, the squeaking hamster powering his brain throwing itself from the rusty wheel. The last of his sanity packs its bags and flees into the abyss rather than witnessing more of Gojo’s artistic assaults against nature. At the rate this is going, he half expects his first summon to be a potato with Gojo’s face haphazardly drawn on it.

A glaring oversight dawns on the boy - for all Gojo’s useless prattling and monstrous drawings, explaining the actual summoning process appears a mere afterthought, if the man is even capable of actual thoughts at all. When asked, he simply waves off the question with a dodgy uh-huh. Just as effective as inquiring an orange tabby on quantum physics.

“It’s not that hard.” Gojo shrugs dismissively. “You’ll figure it out.”

Megumi rubs his temples, contemplating if it’s too late to grab Tsumiki and flee this madhouse, perhaps taking the twins as well. No one deserves such ruthless torture. Gojo may be well on his way to becoming another villain overlord with questionable artistic skills, but this? This right here marks Fushiguro Megumi’s very own villain origin story.

Staring blankly ahead in post-traumatic shock, Megumi knows one truth with the certainty of death itself - never, ever again will he make the fatal error of taking a lesson from Gojo. No, he must figure out this Ten Shadows technique solo going forward. Though now Megumi ponders whether deliberately summoning all those nightmarish abominations is something best avoided altogether.

read the whole thing here on Ao3: A Family of Villains - A wacky villain origin story/Kinda a slice-of-life fic exploring the logistics of 18-year-old sashisu being the greatest villains in the jujutsu world while on the run and raising 4 kids. Mostly fluff and humor of course.

[merricat-apologist]

Been meaning to do this for a while but finally: the full(ish) set of the drawings I did for Mab Graves' Drawlloween challenge in October 2024. In no particular order; technically I think about 5 are missing? Two are larger drawings I'm still working on, two are more just sketches, and one I just, uh, really don't like and doesn't really fit because I did it in marker and all these are in graphite. I tried to include all the prompts/days in the image descriptions.

I've participated in Drawlloween before, but this was the first year I actually tried to do every single day of the full list. I was able to prepare 5-6 drawings in advance, but I quickly went through those and was drawing and uploading in the same day about halfway through the month, I want to say. I'm a bit of two minds about the experience-- I liked that it really forced me to make time to draw and forced me to pick subjects that I don't usually tackle, but it was a bit stressful in that I felt pressure to post and shame and disappointment when my engagement dropped a lot in the second week. A good personal challenge perhaps, but if I do participate next year I'll definitely try and have more done beforehand and try and be a bit more detached from the social media side of things....

Anyway sorry for the long post, these are all done in graphite and some with graphite powder and/or chalk pastel. Ok byeeee

[silvershadow1711]

"I knew that in truth, these fruits

Are that bear’s treasures..."

My first attempt at using alcohol markers! I didn't want to waste time and effort making a fancy new drawing to potentially screw up, so I tried them on an old pen sketch from a few years ago. I only have 5 and all in shades of gray, so it was moreso testing how they feel to control and blend. And... I don't care for them? Much less messy than painting with ink, but too hard to blend. I'm sure it gets easier with practice, but like... I hate practice 🥲

(Silbur not make Evillious Chronicles/Gunter crossover art challenge: IMPOSSIBLE)

[counterintuitivecomics]

[VD: Comics, zines, and anthologies by Kimball and Laurel cover a dark table. K (pale hands, orange nails) and L (smaller pale hands) leaf through 8 comics/zines and 2 anthologies. End VD]

My partner @earnestattempts (Kimball Anderson) and I (Laurel Lynn Leake) are queer and disabled comics creators, and we want to share our work with you!

We made a short video showing off our weird artsy comics, and talking about stories that honor marginalized lives as inherently meaningful. Also about committing to disability justice and making more of our work free and accessible! To that end, we're offering some limited discounted slots for the pricier tiers too.

🌿 Kimball &/or Laurel Posts Tier: Never miss either of our behind-the-scenes posts, unless you only like one of us! We don't mind :P You also get access to an ever-increasingly captioned archive.

💭 Counterintuitive Releases: We mail you 4-6 printed comics every year, and share digital releases with you first. Plus posts!

📮 Monthly Mailers: Kimball sends you an exclusive experimental zine in the mail every month, plus you get the Counterintuitive Releases.

🐚 our free patreon post tag 🌱 my tumblr comics page & comics tag 🎐 kimball's tumblr comics tag 🎨 kimball's website 🐌 my digital shop 🍃 kimball's digital shop 👾 my comics shop 🦉 kimball's comics shop

Thanks for reading/watching! 🧡 Longer vid description under the cut.

[Longer VD: Comic books cover a dark table, while Kimball (pale hands, orange nails) and Laurel (smaller pale hands) point to their own names. They both do a silly finger wiggle as their voiceover introduces “Counterintuitive Comics”. L leafs through “Me Me Me”, where a noodle-armed Poly Morphous sobs against lush watercolors. K shows "Unfolding", a large greyscale comic featuring paper folded to reveal text and paintings. L flips through roughly sketched diagrams in her “Super Secret Mock-up COVID-19 info zine”. K shows “Holding Out”: Social Security letters, wobbly colored pencil forms resting in bed. L opens metallic “Suspension” to show scifi trappings and character focus. K pages through small, wide zine “Winter”, with a character walking in darkness. L opens artsy risograph-blue “L3no2”: comics about anxiety and depression paired with scrawled, smeared text. K opens anthology “CBA: Uncomics” to their section: broken pencil panels and halting words floating over digital, painterly textures. Then L’s: colored pencil and marker abstractions of magazine layouts melting into unparsable forms. L opens K’s anthology “Inaction Comics” to K’s pages: soft digital figures seeking reassurance and reclining on a couch. A sharp-toothed watercolor version of L writhes in self-hatred on her pages. Finally L flips through “Poly Morphous #5: Sick of Being Sick” (mini with teal cover, pink pages, pencilled comics). She makes a heart shape with her hands. End VD.]

This is our first time figuring out video descriptions - we welcome feedback!

[nayialovecat]

The Ink Demonth 2023 - Day 20. Factory

Day 20. Factory Crossover: Death and Taxes You can feel frustrated when, day after day, you see on your desk a profile of the same person whom you remember having sentenced to death the previous day.

YOU CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE HOW HARD THIS INK DEMONTH ENTRY WAS TO MAKE! Starting from the difficulty with the font (I had to do a lot of fiddling to make it look like the original one), through arranging things on the desk and replacing the appropriate elements... Oh, horror. I probably took 20 screenshots from the game, sometimes only for one small element (e.g. the number 5). I struggled with this for several hours. Editing screenshots is much more time-consuming and tiring than drawing everything from scratch, really. But I wanted it to look like a screenshot from the game, so I only have myself to blame... Interesting facts: this is my first Ink Demonth ever made entirely on a computer (without a sketch on paper)! And no, I don't use tablet, only mouse... I also had some trouble figuring out Henry's age - because honestly, I never figured out how old Henry was when he started the Studio with Joey - or what year exactly the SATIM story takes place. Additionally, I didn't know whether I should count Henry's age from his birthday or the age he had when he was stuck in the time loop? So his age is very indicative here (in my calculations I was between 56 and 64 years old).

By the way, I would like to thank two people who helped me a lot with this entry. The first is my one proofreader, Ozi, who found the right font for me. The second is my second proofreader, Titatotrix, who wrote me a short biography of Henry in Polish. You may not know this - but I have a hell of a problem with short forms. When I started writing a summary of my Henry's life, I had about 5 sentences and I hadn't even gotten to the point of being trapped in a time loop… So thanks to you two, dear friends and proofreaders!

Well, maybe being a Grim Reaper isn't exactly working in a factory, but anyone who has played the game knows that there is something in the routine of office work as a Grim that can be associated with the word "factory", especially when your boss' orders take away any decision-making power from you (e.g. kill everyone in the bottom row). Besides, if you follow the orders strictly, you are repeatedly called a "mindless drone" and a "soulless machine" in the game.

I like this game, although it is a bit depressing and quite tiring in the long run. Someday I have to play as an absolute rebel, doing everything as I see fit - and see if I get fired (killed) or something else happens :]

PS. Originally, the Factory theme was supposed to be Entrapta and her robots from "She-Ra and the Princesses of Power", but I really didn't feel like drawing it. And when it turned out that I remembered wrongly and in "Death and Taxes" we don't use Pen, but Marker of Death, I started rotating the entries, Clover ended up in Pen, Bluey appeared in Creation, and She-Ra was completely dropped from the list. It's a pity, but… it's supposed to be fun, first of all, for me - I don't want to get tired of drawing something that isn't fun for me to draw.

Bendy and the Ink Machine (c) Joey Drew Studios Inc. Death and Taxes (c) Placeholder Gameworks Sammy and the Ink Machine (c) Nayia Lovecat

[godtier]

any advices for a beginner artist pls?

hi there!

i guess it would depend on the medium you're working with or what kinds of things you'd like to do. i'll try to give some general tips that can be applied broadly!

disclaimer: a lot of "beginner" tips are going to be really, REALLY boring. developing an art style relies heavily on patience and repetition. it can get very boring and you will feel like you're not improving. but the more you do it, the more you will improve. that's what everyone says, but it's 100% true.

tip #1: start basic

if you're a super-duper beginner, you could start by taking stock photos of people and tracing over them in an art program. you could also do this on paper if you have any magazines lying around, but i know that's probs less common nowadays lol.

tracing over a human body can give you an idea of what the human form looks like and how it operates. i wouldn't recommend always doing this, of course. this is for practicing purposes if you're super new to drawing.

you could also set up the stock photo side-by-side in a canvas on a drawing program and try to copy it as closely as possible. this is what i'd recommend after tracing. you don't generally want to rely on tracing all the time since that can make your style look super stiff, so trying to copy something freehand develops your drawing style bit by bit.

if you are inclined to look through some books about figure drawing, i would highly recommend books by andrew loomis. they are from the 50s or so, but the methods and recommendations are timeless. the books are still in print for a reason.

tip #2: get a foundational understanding of the human form

another tip that a lot of people kinda roll their eyes at is the whole "get a foundation in anatomy/real figures before trying to draw stylized stuff." people don't want to hear that because, again, it's boring! but it's true: if you have a foundation in how real people look, you can easily apply that to a stylized drawing and have it look nice. beginners who don't develop a foundation can instead lean into mistakes from other artists and it can screw up their entire drawing ability. that's what i did; it took me years to undo a lot of the stuff i learned as a beginner from copying anime and manga because i didn't have the foundations of real figure drawing and i was too stubborn/bored/ADHD-brained to focus on the boring stuff first.

you can also try beginner landscapes to get and idea of perspective and form. again, another super boring tip, but it does genuinely help when it comes to figure placement in a scene and making the background not look like it's on a different plane of existence than the figure that's supposed to be in it.

tip #3: don't splurge on really expensive equipment/art supplies when you're just starting out

this is a big one. a lot of beginner artists (myself included when i was young) think that in order to make great art, they have to buy the most expensive, industry-grade equipment or art supplies. this isn't true. when you are just starting out, using basic stuff is fine to get the foundations down. i still don't use expensive pencils for my sketches! I USE TICONDEROGAS, THE BEST PENCIL EVER MADE (not sponsored).

what matters more than the utensils when you're just starting out is the paper you're using. i wouldn't use printer paper, for example, but sketch paper. here's a pretty cheap and good quality sketch book for pencil work. if you want to use other mediums, like markers, strathmore also sells good quality marker paper for cheap. is this like, PROFESSIONAL GRADE? no, not really. but you don't need professional grade to start with.

and i can say all of that, but why is that the case? well, mostly because when you're first starting out, you're going to make mistakes. a lot of mistakes. and expensive equipment and/or supplies are going to add up fast. do you want to use up all the ink on a 30 dollar set of 5 copic markers because you don't know the proper inking techniques? or do you want to use a 100 color set of crayola sketch markers to get a foundation down of how colors interact with each other for roughly the same price? (granted, copics are alcohol based and crayolas are water based. if you want to try alcohol based markers first, ohuhu makes a 48 color set for around the same price.)

tip #4: don't stress about being the best, just experiment and have fun

this is probably the BIGGEST one. you are not going to be great right away. that's just a fact. don't get hung up on how your art looks just starting out. just keep doing it. draw whatever you want. share with others or keep it to yourself. don't look at your art and give up because it's not an immediate masterpiece. just do whatever you think is most interesting and experiment!

tip #5: don't get offended by good-natured and genuine critique

last tip for today, and it's very important, just about as important as #4. there's a difference between criticizing to bring someone down and providing constructive criticism. if you ask someone who is also an artist to look at your art and have them tell you what they think, don't get upset if they tell you what they think. most artists have been in this situation. most of them are going to try to give you a "compliment sandwich:" start with a compliment, then provide critique, then end with a compliment. this is a pretty standard way of providing criticism because people will generally respond better when the positives of their attempt are highlighted first.

however, some artists or teachers might just come out the gate with criticisms. this doesn't mean they think your art is shite, but that they see potential. the worst thing for an artist is for them to surround themselves with yes-men who only praise them. that gives an artist, especially a beginner, a false sense of their current skill and can be detrimental to improvement.

if you are sharing a piece and for whatever reason don't want critique? just start with that. "i worked on this for x amount of hours and i don't want critique right now, thanks" is usually enough. but don't hide behind that. hiding from critique will make your art incredibly slow to improve.

and that's what i got for now! sorry for the massive response, but i tried to give some really basic concepts for beginners. if this ain't helpful or if you have something more specific, you can send me another ask! i'm happy to help!

[catastrfy]

Do you know about the Sarah A Thomas grave on the oregon trail? i didn't until i saw this video last week https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Om9fazTIbEA

as i watched it i kept thinking the story of her dying sounded familiar -- except i'd never known where the grave WAS. but i'd heard about bill thomas' grandmother sarah who died on the way to california. my late grampa told me about it, and he'd heard it from either his father or his grandfather, who'd known bill thomas.

the part in the video that blew that up in my mind is when randy said it was believed a family member came to the grave in the 1920s and put a new marker there. i never heard about a marker, but the story WAS that bill had gone thru the records his grandfather (and who bill was named for) which included descriptions and sketches, and gone out and found his grandmother's grave in the ealry 1900s. (if the story had a closer year, i don't remember it). but also, as a genealogist who likes proof vs hearsay, what i remember is just hearsay; it's not documentation.

i decided to see if i could find anything. randy said in the video they'd never been able to find anything, so i didn't thnk it was likely, but i LOVED tracking down storme delarverie, so this was another challenge. (plus, despite my body failing, genealogy research online is soothing and doesn't use any spoons at all. and my pattern recognition is ridiculously good)

i started by i looked for a family in 1850 that had a sarah a. thomas w/i 5 years of the age of 22 (which is on the sarah a thomas grave)

the best hit was in linn county, iowa. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZ4N-97F

on the 1850 census of linn county taken in october 1850, sarah a thomas is 19, william is 30, and their first son john c is 1. sarah and william were born in ohio & their son was born in iowa. they are not in iowa on the 1860 census. & they have a marriage record! 18 yo sarah ann campbell (a maiden name!) married 28 yo william a. thomas on 15 Sep 1848 in linn county, iowa. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XJKR-RTL

(yes, the age is a year off between the two records. this was not uncommon at the time, ime)

i couldn't find sarah anywhere in 1860, but i found a w.a. thomas in sacramento, california, age 40, born ohio. a wife ursula, age 40, born ny. mary j, age 14, born ohio (not listed as a daughter, but the sons are listed as sons either. i haven't been able to find anything else about her.). john c, age 11, born iowa!! and lee d, age 9, also born iowa. https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/sources/GLZF-1FK

then i found a marriage record for mrs w blakely and w.a. thomas in sacto county 15 Apr 1860. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XLDK-261

the thomases werne't in sacto in 1870, but i found william, ursula, and lee in smithville (now loomis) in placer county. william has a grocery and dry goods store and lee works in it. (william's age is off, but ursula's and lee's fit; john is not living with the family) https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MN62-32N

i also found william on the 1866 great register of california, full name william alexander thomas. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VNNC-XQS

so next i headed to the california digital newspaper california, which has scans of a lot of old newspapers and looked him up. and i found both a brief obit in the auburn journal and a longer one in the placer argus. here's the placer argus one -- and it names his first wife as sarah ann campbell, which matches the linn co family in iowa! and it says his wife died on the way to california, but doesn't have a date or place beyond 1854 on the oregon trail

but still -- *a* 22 year old sarah a thomas dying on the oregon trail in 1854. yes, ABSOLUTELY there could be more than one, but i was getting excited anyway. and about 6 a.m., i found something else. it's in the press-tribune and dated 14 august 1962. so it's 108 years after sarah's death, but still, LOOK!

it says "mrs thomas died at south pass in the rockies en route to california on july 3, 1854" well, that date is off by 4 days after the date on the sarah a thomas gravestone. (this article also says william and sarah married in 1854 when they married in 1848). and it says "at south pass". sarah a thomas' grave isn't on the south pass section of the oregon trail -- but it's not far away, maybe 12 miles further east. according to https://www.geowyo.com/south-pass.html, the south pass section of the oregon trail starts at burnt ranch and goes west. here's a google map lined up as well as possible with the seminoe cutoff map from the video, and below it an inset section of the top map over google earth. for the 12 mile guess that was t rying to measure across my monitor. my hands are shaky, so it could be 10-14 miles

to me it seems unlikely that two 22 year old women named sarah a thomas died 4 days and 12ish miles apart, especially since i can't find any other thomas family in california that matches william with some john c (the fmaily in roseville DOES match william a who married sarah ann campbell and is on the marriage record and 1850 census; william's obit names her and says they married in linn county) but stilll... anyway, i emailed randy wise @ the museum andincluded the newspaper clippings and what i'd found on the sarah ann campbell and william alexander thomas family, and i hope it's helpful. i wish i knew more about bill thomas, but he died in 1940. i've reached out to the roseville historical society and the concord ditto to see if there are any known descendents. ANYway, that was my fun thing to do the past week except let my eyes and brain put pieces together <3 <3

[fainthedcherry]

MY ARTFIGHT ATTACKS OF THIS YEAR SO FAR!!!! I planned to attack more but...This is the first year I actually like- actively am getting attacked OUTSIDE of my mutuals! Which IS exciting but- at the same time as you can tell...I don't have time to attack people in result omg xD

The first drawing, the character Natsuki, belongs to YoyoyoRiooo on Insta and AF!

The second drawing, the Zora Legzonie, belongs to @meatdog on AF and Tumblr here! (I believe this is their tumblr as the link was scuffed on AF and had to retype it properly and hope this IS their blog LOL) (BTW, this drawing was referenced off weird stock images.)

The graph-paper'd doodles, Calypso, Hazel, Sunflower ALL belong to Luna-Lazuli on DA, TH and AF!!!

I've been revenge-chaining like 4 diff users with no joke, so I got 0 time to think of what to type here otherwise LMFAO

I don't wanna yap too much in this desc, as I'm mega-busy and trying to avenge 4 diff drawings in under 3 days isn't easy for me xD. The 2nd attack here of the zora, was an attack I've drawn tuesday I think, and then wednesday-friday I got 4 ATTACKS AGAIN- SO YEAH I'M AS WE SPEAK SKETCHING THE 4TH REVENGE DRAWING (final one actually for said Yoyoyo person, as it'll be the only characters left, that I haven't drawn of theirs!)

BUT- I can mention, that I loved doing something new again via combining pencils and markers!! I didn't really- like do it “symbiotically” if that makes sense? But yeah, in these drawings the pencils played a much more active role in me pulling off some things with shading or reflections! I got more polychromos, which means, I can combine more and more of the 2 in the future! I can't wait to have more time to draw traditionally though...I might crank back on revenges next year bc I just this year simply had so little time for it

I STILL wish for a 300-Ohuhu set to magically appear in front of my doorstep though some day. A delulu guy can dream! 🥴

BUT YEAH!!! HERE'S PROOF THAT I STILL EXIST!!!! I SHALL SCHEDULE A POST FOR TOMORROW,, WHERE YOU CAN SEE MY 4 REVENGES,,, AND IF I FINISH IN TIME I'LL ADD THE OTHER 4.

YES THIS IS THE 2ND TIME I'M DRAWING 4 REVENGES. THAT MAKES 8 REVENGES. 5 ATTACKS THIS YEAR. I'M TBH PROUD OF MY RATIO THO. I for YEARS wanted to make 10 drawings in the time of AF. BC I'm such a slow artist, this is actually a MASSIVE achievement for me. 😭✨

I HOPE TO PROPERLY CATCH UP ON MY SOCIAL MEDIA SOON THOUGH. I have SO much crap to reply to and SO much to respond to and do in GENERAL with my social medias. I made a Cara acc to get off Insta as an artist officially, so YEAH....Praying things work out and I stay off any social medias planning to use AI algos that feed off posts. We as artists are not safe anymore everywhere unfortunately.. :")

But I'm hopeful, this'll die out in a few years...

[md3artjournal]

Ah, Copic markers😅

The more time passes, the more i feel like the rare few who got Copics, then tried digital art, didn't like it, and returned to Copics.😅

I was into other traditional mediums then got into Copics. I tried to get into digital art, only in recent years, and it's not going well. Too much friction in the process. I don't think I'll ever really get comfortable drawing on a screen. I've actually been getting more into traditional materials instead, by getting into fountain pens and dip pens. lol I went from 3 ink bottles to 10+. 😂

Yet my traditional drawings still don't look as good as the few digital drawings i struggled to complete.🪦👻

The funny thing is, when i got into artist's alcohol markers, it DID feel like magic. Before i got into Copics, i was super cheap with all my art supplies: Crayola markers, Crayola watercolors, color pencils (gift), ballpoint pens, hoarded cardboard, scratch paper, fabric scraps, etc. First thing I did out of art school, was buy hardware store paints, and make mini canvases out of old T-shirts and popsicle sticks, just to cleanse myself of all the wasteful guilt i had during classes, required to use high end painting supplies. I felt too uncomfortable trying to make art with expensive supplies. But then, one Comic Con, all the panels i wanted to attend, filled up, so i wandered into the one thing i could get into: a Prismacolor Premier workshop. They gave out a free marker and had us test out their other supplies too. And after years of streak marks with Crayola Super Tips (which if you learn to work with, can incorporate nice strokes into drawings), i was flabbergasted when those Prismacolor Premier marker strokes just melted into each other and disappeared!🤯

After that panel, I immediately went to exhibit hall to buy alcohol markers. And back then, i always attended Anime Expo, which almost always has a booth selling Copic Sketch makers for only $5. Every year, I'd buy Copics at Anime Expo. I tried their Gasenfude and got into brush pens. To this day, i still have my brother who still attends AX, pick up some Copics for me almost every year. And I've finally started buying Copics online, getting to know stores with frequent sales. I thought i might leave Copics for some other mediums (like ink, or learn digital, or return to watercolors), but Copics are still the fastest, best look for my work flow. I actually timed it, and when i use other mediums, a drawing takes me FIVE times longer. So i think I'm sticking with Copics.💕 (I don't have the money for this💸😅)

[escapedartgeek]

3-5 things associated with your muse.

emotions / feelings:

01. determination

02. exhaustion

03. self-reflection.

greetings:

01. "how's it going?"

02. "anything new?"

03. "hey, hey - been a minute."

colors:

01. lavender, but they do reach into the darker purples as well

02. black

03. one would be surprised by how much orange/pink shows up sometimes

scents:

01. there's some kind of tea tree or something akin to that oil in either their hair care or lotions. so that's a baseline smell.

02. there's a slightly .. artificial smell, especially if they are just working on a project. so marker, paint smells are not uncommon with them.

03. sometimes like coffee. especially a mocha in the morning.

clothing:

01. button-ups with rolled up sleeves, jeans and long sweaters.

02. custom made band tees or other designs with flowing mid knee skirts and boots. sometimes with a bomber jacket.

03. if they must dress up more - striped pants, or tops with solid bottoms- dark purple, black or richer red colors with silver accents.

objects:

01. sketchbook, probably several - to keep track of drafts and ideas that they are jetting down while out and about.

02. set of pens, markers, pencils. to help jot down different visuals or sketches.

03. phone to keep track of who they are meeting with, and where they are going in a given day.

vices / bad habits:

01. a lot of withdrawal. if they kind of suspect that they don't really have a place with someone, it's often easier for them to just leave people alone than to return. they have tried to get better at asking before they just disappear on someone over the years but that is something they have struggled with.

02. overworking - they do get especially dedicated to getting things done and because they know they have a higher capacity than most, they try to make the most of that often to their own detriment. and then get annoyed when people try to take advantage of them like.. you've got to take the pauses first to enforce pauses you demand from other people.

03. there is a mischievous streak that shows up for them, especially if they have been exasperated throughout a day. so they will just .. lightly toy with people's perceptions the next time they get tried - just for a little bit of catharsis.

body language:

01. they tap their toes or drum their fingers on nearby surfaces. sometimes they have a specific song in mind that the rhythm to which may come out as they do so.

02. they use their eyes in very expressive ways - like a good look at them will give you a sense of how they are going to respond even before they say a word. and that is even if they choose to talk at all.

03. they do fiddle with the bottom of their jackets, shirts. or they will toy with one of their curls if they are waiting and feeling a bit distracted.

aesthetics:

01. very afrosurreal - always on the fringes - incorporating multiple influences from history, current styles and space into their being. on the move, there's a casual rhythm ease - with a certain lurking tension beneath that people aren't sure exactly what that's about. but there's always... something. i'm a virgo actually captures the vibe quite a bit.

02. deserts. having grown up in a strange small town in the middle of the desert, you can really never get that sense for the dry heat and all the bold colors that they had seen out of them. there's a hardiness, a willingness and ability to survive on very little or the unexpected.

03. zine making, collages - putting together a lot of disparate pieces and imagery to make something new out of it. i suppose the process of making a mixtape can play into this too.

songs (in no order):

01. lonnie liston smith - expansions

02. big joanie - what are you waiting for?

03. roy ayers - searching

tagged by: @samuhelll tagging: @temporalobjects [ for muse of choice], @bewitchingbaker @hellfollowed [for muse of choice]

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Wednesday, January 3

WILLOW: I think dummies are cute. You don't? BUFFY: Uuuhhh. They give me the wig. Ever since I was little. WILLOW: What happened? BUFFY: I saw a dummy, It gave me the wig. There really wasn't a story there.

~~BtVS 1x09 “The Puppet Show”~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Rebel (Willow, Willow’s Mom, PG) by badly_knitted

No Boring Rules (Spike, Dawn, PG-13) by veronyxk84

Conversations with the Past (Xander, Assassin's Creed xover, T) by arcanedreamer

Clarity (Buffy/Spike, T) by cawthraven

getting all french with it (Giles/Jenny/Ethan, M) by The_Eclectic_Bookworm

Carrot and Stick (Angelus, William the Bloody, E) by vampbrat

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year (Spike/Drusilla, G) by EustasiaVye13

Blind love (Spike/reader, unrated) by way2geeky

Consequences of a Spring Fling (Giles/Jenny, K) by Bobbie23

[Chaptered Fiction]

Back to the Beginning, Chapter 1/? (Angel/Cordelia, G) by imaginationofadreamer

Under the Water, Chapter 16/30 (Willow/Oz, M) by dwinchester

Divide & Conquer, Chapter 58/60 (Buffy/Giles, E) by Removes_and_Cleans_Glasses_00

a demigods fate, part 3 (Giles/teen!reader, unrated) by specialagentlokitty

a demigods fate, part 4 (Giles/teen!reader, unrated) by specialagentlokitty

a demigods fate, part 5 (Giles/teen!reader, unrated) by specialagentlokitty

Please Don’t Leave Me, Chapter 4 (Buffy/Spike, M) by JM89

The Greatest Love of All, Chapter 1 (Buffy, ensemble, K+) by Aristocrat Writer

[French language] Les deux Phénix, Chapter 5 (Buffy/Faith, M) by Friday Queen

Surviving Together, Chapter 12 (Buffy/Spike, Adult Only) by ionlylikebadboys

Pack My Box with Five Dozen Liquor Jugs, Chapter 3 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by honeygirl51885

A Waxy Gent Chuckled Over My Fab Jazzy Quips, Chapter 3 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by violettathepiratequeen

Three Little Words, Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, Adult Only) by Maxineeden

Cherry On Top, Chapter 23 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Maxineeden

Love Ridden, Chapter 2 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by scratchmeout

There are No Epilogues When You Live Forever (Love from the Other Side of the Apocalypse), Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by Asokatanos

Truth Hurts, Chapter 2 (Buffy/Spike, R) by Geliot99

Pack My Box with Five Dozen Liquor Jugs, Chapter 3 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by honeygirl51885

A Waxy Gent Chuckled Over My Fab Jazzy Quips, Chapter 3 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by violettathepiratequeen

Love Ridden, Chapter 2 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by scratchmeout

Blood and Dust, Chapter 13 (Buffy/Spike, M) Complete! by Blackoberst

Stomping on butterflies, Chapters 1-2 (Buffy/Spike, T) by Blackoberst

[Images, Audio & Video]

Artwork: buffy for the outfit meme (worksafe) by genericaces

Manip: GYEONGSEONG CREATURE (but spuffy-fied) (worksafe) by kaizsche

Manip: A gift for all Spuffy Shippers this holiday season! (worksafe) by pass-the-dyanmite

Artwork: Alcohol marker portrait of a photoshoot picture of Sarah Michelle Gellar (slightly spooky, worksafe) by m-mangan-art

Artwork: Some ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ sketches (Ensemble, worksafe) by m-mangan-art

Comic art: Another sneak peek at my Buffyverse slams fist first into the Good Omens Gaimanverse comic (worksafe) by gleafer

Artwork: xanya! they feel like a matching clothes couple (worksafe) by genericaces

Artwork: 5x07 Fool for Love / 6x07 Once More With Feeling (Buffy/Spike, worksafe) by though-you-try

Comic art (3 panels): Who got Buffy in my Good Omens??! (worksafe) by gleafer

Toast, Chapters 1-6 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) Complete! by Dynamite

Spuffy Visions, Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by bewildered

A Real Good Day (Buffy/Spike, G) Complete! by though_you_try

Some Aspects Of Spuffy, Chapters 1-3 (Buffy/Spike, R) by Lmrln

[Reviews & Recaps]

PODCAST: HELLMOUTH HOMOS: Doppelgangland by Fear Queers

[Community Announcements]

Jan 2024 Prompt and Pairing by btvscrackships

Buffyverse Fandom: Otherworldly Chemistry Presents: Flash Fiction January and Febraury 2024 via fanwork-exchange-promos

[Fandom Discussions]

[Jenny Calendar deserved better meta; commentary in the tags] by snails-in-my-mouth

s6, aka “what if everyone just ignored each other because they all just need so much fucking therapy it’s unreal” [commentary in the tags] by twicedeath

I’m not an Angel hater by any means however I do think Spike should get to be as big of a dick to him as he wants to be [commentary in the tags] by horsegirlhob

Day 2: Favorite Supporting Character. Tara McLay by k0nstantly-tragic

I love the idea of wlw/mlm solidarity with Willow and Oz but I also absolutely love the idea of Willow being Bi and being poly with Oz and Tara. by swarm-of-bees67

[anon ask] Hi! Do you prefer Fred/Wesley, Fred/Gunn or both?! answered by keylimequeen

Detective Lockley: How would you bring her back into the fold by NyleveEiram

What character from another universe would you want to drop into the Buffyverse? by Babettesgnomes

How old is Ben? by Few_Improvement_6357

One of the saddest parts about the end of "Chosen"... (MAJOR SPOILERS INSIDE) by jdpm1991

Just finished Buffy for the first time and I’VE GOT QUESTIONS by clarry1888

Spike - The Doctor is in… not the evil doctor episode Rather Spike as the guy who tells it like it is by AlkahestGem

Is there a song that makes you think of Buffy that wasn’t on the show? by buffy_slays

Submit a link to be included in the newsletter!

Join the editor team :)

[aruyear2]

Animation Practice: Life drawing, Weeks 4-8

For one part of our trimester, we were assigned to do some life drawing, both in our own time frame and in our four allocated time slots over four weeks. For our life drawing sessions, we mixed drawing nude and clothed with drawing in motion and still life. My primary mediums that I had chosen were charcoal, pencils and inks with my paintbrushes.

For the first lesson, we had a fully-clothed model in I did a variety of black, white and coloured studies using the specified mediums above. This lesson was also based of motion and gravity in clothes so we had to keep in mind how the clothes folded around the body. I struggled the most with the turnaround that we did, I wasn't used to doing full body in the time period of 5 minutes, so I was very nervous and doubted my own ability in the circuit. I feel like I also made some really good work in my 10 and 20 minute durations as well.

Going into my second lesson, we went into our first nude male model, during this session have a greater focus on chalk pastels and charcoal to work with the shadow and texture but also had worked with some quick sketches and my turn around in pencil as well. The one piece that I had liked the most out of the session was my 30 minute circuit at the end of class; I really enjoyed how I depicted light and shadow with my charcoal and all the creases in his clothes. The worst I feel like would probably one of my 5 minute circuits, I feel like I hadn't fully fleshed it out as best as I could before the time was up and that was more to not managing time.

In our third session, we went back to our model from the first week but we were drawing her in motion of her in dance uniform. It was really nice to see the movements of dance again after not dancing myself in 5 years due to COVID so it was exciting to see the different positions. With this session I ended up going back to my original setup of using inks, charcoal and pencils. I definitely could see some improvement from the first session to my current session with how fast I worked but it still could be improved. My favourite part was drawing the different stages of a plié and I felt like that was one of my better

Finally, we ended up having a session of drawing each other. Sadly, our model hadn't arrived in this session, but it was a fun way to draw our peers and teacher. Working off each other was a good way to work with different media. I branched away a little with my pencils using markers and watercolour pens, which I also enjoyed. I feel like my best work from that session was my drawing of one of my close friends using a grey marker for the silhouette and a pencil for the line art. I still feel like I could work on my time management and not work on specific areas for too long, but I thought I had improved by the end of the sessions.

[ragekerot]

Lady Blue

school project (2 weeks)

We were asked to come up with a concept for a video exploring the theme regarding the color Blue. Specifically the blue made from the flowers of the woad plant in the city of Toulouse.

Pitch of the idea

"Anny, a 27-year-old woman, had been living with her partner Elena for 5 years after they moved to the town of Trenville. Elena recently passed away, leaving a void in Anny's life, who is struggling to recover from the pain she felt for the death of her beloved. Anny's day is marked by a hidden pain that at times seems to fade and then returns like a floating sea. She wakes up in the morning, gets ready for the day, waits for the bus at the usual stop to go to work, goes out with her friends to spend the afternoon and then has to go home. When she gets home, everything reminds her of Elena, the pain gets the better of her and she feels drowned in sadness until she is forced to clash with her own pain."

Moodboard to prepare and present my idea to my professors. Itook reference from Arcane for his symbolism and camerawork as seen in Jinx's shot, and the italian short film "Mani Rosse" (red hands) for my use of the color blue.

Character Design

Here I uploaded the character desigh of the protagonist Anny, I decided to Sketch the ideas quickly of paper with pens and markers due to the short timeline the project had. I decided to represent her grief as long Blue lines on her face similar to the effect made by mascara running while crying.

Storyboard Sketch

A first thumbnail of the storyboard to better prepare my shots.

Animatic

This was the video I ended up submitting as they didn't required us to send a full animation but a concept of a video of at least 1 minute