#2 sona designs i hope it shows haha

[suenitos]

dtblrlove hq @wwwkissu

[coagulatedink]

Thoughts on my 1st* Art Fight!

Thought it might be helpful to write up what my (*mostly) first experience with Art Fight was like! Those who have participated in multiple years of AF may not find this helpful and thats ok! This will be going over my Goals, my Final Stats, why I tried AF and why you might enjoy it, who might not enjoy it, and any other final thoughts. If you're looking for more insight into the art I created (and everything related to that) you'll want to check out a future post that will be linked here! Now! Onto the words!

My Goals for AF 2024

As someone who very often takes projects and runs with them once I get momentum, I knew it was important to try to enforce (keyword try) some sort of limitations with AF. The hope was if I kept to these "rules" or limits, I wouldn't end up biting off more than I could chew and avoid burnout n bad feelings! My goals/limits ended up being;

Choose characters that seem fun

Don't start art without a concept

Some aspect must be experimental

Attempt to finish art in under 3 hours!!

No re-dos! Go with the flow!

Try to submit a total of 30 attacks

Attempt at least 1 revenge

Dang! That sure is a whole lot to keep in mind and work towards!! My logic behind "fun characters" and "no concept no art" was this; if I can't enjoy myself while drawing the character there isn't a good reason to be drawing them. This doesn't mean the character design is poor or boring- it just means that based on my restrictions already listed I needed to make sure I also was having a good time! Having a concept, even if it was just an idea, also guaranteed that I'd draw something vs nothin! Overall these goals/limits felt manageable and I'm glad I went with them. Now! How did it all go?

- - - - - -

My 2024 AF Outcome!

Here are my final stats as of August 3rd 2024 when AF closed its submissions (I'll update this post with any changes in the future);

Points: 1008.5 -- Attacks: 14 -- Friendly Fire: 2 -- Defenses: 7

As you can see; I didn't reach my goal of 30 attacks. 😔 I know, I too..think that was too high of a number LOL! When I wrote it down I think I thought I'd be doing simpler, smaller, less time consuming submissions! I also thought I'd be doing a lot of single character illustrations with minimal bgs, so composition and consideration of flow for a larger cast didn't enter my mind (at the time). Aaannndd then I came up with multiple concepts for art that had many many characters and that plan went out the window haha!! Even though I didn't submit 30 attacks, I did end up;

Fully rendering art of 27(28?) characters that weren't my own!

Drawing my new sona Guy twice!

Designed a whole new sona during AF!!!

Came up with roughly 20 concepts all together (5 did not get finished in time)!

Getting some AMAZING defenses/revenges from some lovely artists!!

Had all 5 of my characters drawn!!!

Spoke to/found a love of amazing artists I wouldn't have met/seen otherwise!!

Stayed true to the majority of my goals/limits!

Again, I'll go into the art side of everything in another post (with pictures) but I will say I love everything I made for AF. Its a very nice feeling to set goal and surpass them- esp after a very long period of art block/fatigue! I went in expecting 0 revenges or attacks/defenses and was delighted at what I ended up reviving. To those of you who drew me something- thank you! If I get your permission I would love to show off your art here as additional thanks!! So, after all that- was it worth it? - - - - - -

Was Art Fight "Worth it" to me?

Yes. LOL! Art Fight was def "worth it" to me. Sorry to jump to the end of it haha- let me go into it a little more like I said I would!

I joined Art Fight the second week of July- partly bc I wasn't sure if I really wanted to take part. As I mentioned, I had attempted to take part in Art Fight in the past! The first time I completed 2 attacks, but never ended up posting ether (if memory serves) or writing down the artists name (so I dont even know who they belong to). A couple of years ago I tried again, but those attacks were aimed at my partner at the time and mostly just an excuse to draw something for them-- it wasn't really made in the "spirit of Art Fight". In both cases I wasn't very familiar with the interface, the point system, the submission system- you get the idea. So when I started fresh and began the process of uploading characters, and later attacks, I was pleasantly surprised! Everything was simple enough and the things I was unsure about (mainly how to rate my works) had articles or answers on the official Art Fight Tumblr that helped a ton! These factors + the encouragement from friends who had already taken part gave me the push to set my goals/limits and give it a try!

At first I was a little discouraged- I didn't think anyone would like my characters or my artwork. I worried I was creating for no one but myself, which isn't bad!!! HOWEVER! This can feel isolating when you're submitting it to a place they're literally a hive of active artists, and as someone who hasn't posted a whole lot of art publicly in the last two-three years I was nervous to put myself out there!! Thankfully I got a lot of love and kind comments from friends, mutuals' and even complete strangers! It was immensely gratifying!!! My submissions were a little sporadic the rest of AF- if I felt up to working on something I'd work on it. If I didn't..I didn't! That did mean there was a lot of last minute attacks haha, especially after going over the top with a sona-centric illustration. Still! In 22 days I managed to make 16 fully rendered works- each one unique in its own way! Thats great!!

My reasoning for taking part in Art Fight is pretty simple; I enjoy drawing other folks characters and I love to experiment with my artwork. When I was younger I spent a lot of time on Deviant Art, specifically in clubs/groups. It was always fun to flip through groups and see all the different character designs, all the different styles and settings, and soak it all in. Now-a-days art based RP groups aren't really a thing, and finding places where you can easily flip through a varying range of artists and hobbiests works isn't as easy as it used to be. AF brings back a touch of nostalgia and a lot of good vibes from me! Its nice to feel like you're not only being acknowledged, but seen as an artists, esp online where its so easy to get lost in the massive sea of creators. To me AF didn't feel like I was going against anyone, but working alongside a ton of creatives- and that is an amazing feeling!! Its the same feeling I got from those old DA groups, from working on zines and even the fabled OCTs. Collaboration is beautiful and amazing and I hope other folks left Art Fight feeling as good as I did!

- - - - - -

Should YOU try Art Fight?

Are you older? Younger? New at art? Been doing art for a while? Tall? Short? An alien? Well! Art Fight may just be for you! No but seriously, AF isn't just for teens or people in their early 20s- its for everyone at every skill level. When I looked for characters I wasn't thinking "oh how talented is this artist" I was thinking "would this character be fun to draw". If you can approach AF like that you will most likely have a lot of fun! Well that and making sure you set yourself up for success. For those who have never taken part, or took part but feel like you had too much slack/creative freedom I suggest the following (in no particular order);

Use the tag system and find types of characters you KNOW you will enjoy drawing. If you love clowns look for clowns! If you would prefer object heads look for object heads! The tagging system is new, and I encourage everyone to use it, so it won't have EVERYONE but it will have options! This can help narrow down your choices vs just looking at the newly submitted or random characters.

See if any artists you admire/are friends with/are mutuals with are taking part! Sometimes the total unknown can be daunting! It can be easier to draw art for a friend, or someone you admire- and it gives you an excuse to do so.

Give yourself a limitation of materials you will use! Maybe you'll only use color pencils, or GIMP, or everything can only be down with blue ink- limitations like that can help establish a through-line through your submissions that can add a little stability.

Pick a theme for your attacks- maybe the first week everyone is drawn as Spooky Monsters, and the next week everyone is painted like they're from a Picasso painting. Just make sure to respect any character rules listed on character profiles!!

Stick to characters who have rules and suggestions! Personally I found these characters to be much more appealing (or unappealing) bc it automatically told me what I could or couldn't do from the start. If it felt too restrictive I'd say "no thanks" and keep looking! And if they had prompts I was more likely to use them bc it gave me a jumping off point.

Set a time limit. This can be the amount of time you will allow yourself to work on an attack, or it could be how much of Art Fight you're willing to take part in! Its ok if you say "I'm only going to work on weekends in July" or "I'm only going to attack the second week and thats it" ect! You do not need to take part every day! Do what works well for you!! Its your time and you should be having fun!

Art Fight should be FUN and if its not fun for you I'd suggest stepping away and doing something else that will bring you joy. My biggest suggestion for anyone who wants to try it out is to go in with low expectations and do what feeling good to you. If you have a hard time with any sort of competitive atmosphere, major anxiety about time restrictions, or just don't enjoy showing you art publicly, you most likely won't enjoy Art Fight. This doesn't mean you can't try!!! You can!! It just might not end up being your cup of tea.

- - - - - -

Final Thoughts (I promise I'm almost done)

Art Fight is, to me, what you make it. Setting limits, creating prompts, "gamifying" the event; that made taking part manageable even with everything else I need to juggle on a day-to-day schedule in my personal and work life. I think not taking too much of it too personally also helped- and I did struggle with this at the start! But then I saw I could draw a literal sock and was like "I think maybe I should just have fun" LOL! And I super did!! Drawing that sock was fun! Drawing a lot of what I made for AF was fun- I'm sad I didn't get to finish everything but I'm glad I was able to share my art with new people and get some cute stuff in return. I feel like I keep repeating myself with my positive comments, and I probs am, but I can't help it! The internet gave me a cool thing! And it ended well! Thats the total opposite of what I've experienced online LOL!!! To see people come together, see them create and gush and just be full of mirth n joy is very VERY nice during these not so nice times. I'm not sure if I'll be able to take part in next years AF, if I can though I totally will! Thanks for taking the time to read my lengthy write up! Did you take part in Art Fight? If so, what did you think? Would setting limits for yourself help you out, or would you prefer going loose-goosey? If you haven't tried might you attempt next year? Lemme know! I'm curious!!

Till next year-- Happy Art Fight yall!!!

[spearxwind]

OOF... i dont even have a theme for the major extinction characters sjlklfdhk. i dont.. i dont have most minor characters planned out even 

I WILL GIVE YOU HOWEVER, a song that’s been inspiring me for certain worldbuilding things (though i cant say much bc idk if itll end up showing in the story at all but you can have it!) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XciV8HuNQLw  [it’s realm breaker, by mechina]

Oh man, im influenced by a bunch of art and comics but i couldnt pin down specific inspirations for those haha

as for the more broad sense, i also have a bunch of things! significantly, physics and space. it might not look like it but i think a lot about the logistics of things and whatever rules would exist in my universes etc. it does suck sometimes bc it prevents me from doing things just for the hell of it, but i love applying knowledge to things. and space has always been something really close to me, my dad’s an astrophysicist so ive been exposed to all sorts of cool knowledge about it since i was a wee bab 

i also really really love metaphors and symbolism, but rather than take inspiration from things i just use my own personal symbolism x) i put a lot of myself in what i do. which.. i guess could be said for many artists too so its not too special haha

and also as with many other artists, i AM fueled by spite significantly. specifically 1. for the people who once thought or who still think id never be good to do art, or that id never get better at what i do. 2. for people who draw wings wrong (especially professional people? what’s wrong with you. im begging you to look at a bird) 3. for people and companies that make terrible designs with terrible decisions (they fuel me to do better than them) 4. for people who believe that the only way to be good at art and design is to make overly complex and visually charged, detailed designs with many colors/hues (all my ocs are fairly simple and have the most limited colors kffhk) 

im sure there’s a lot more but ive spent a lot of time writing this out already and i cant really think of anything else so i hope this is a good enough answer!! 

god i do NOT have enough knowledge for this but what the fuck was up with the volturi lol. like fuckin, vampire goth club over there did nothing to change over hundreds of years, all of them still stuck in their medieval ways. i remember a plot point that was touched upon was that they had a specific person lure in a bunch of lost tourists through the sewer entrance so that the volturi could drink them and like ?? bro. how is this not investigated at any point, ever. like a shit ton of tourists just disappear ??? all the time?? and no one gives a fuck?? no investigation?? what do they do with the bodies?????

also, they were willing to blast the carlisle family into fucking orbit over Turning A Child (tm) into a vampire, but they had absolutely no qualms about vampire wars/soldiers where a lot of people were irresponsibly turned into neophytes for their strength (like jasper) or people who turned others just for the fuck of it or bc theyd have sickass powers (like benjamin. that was the sole reason for benjamin being turned. bc the dude could feel that benj would have cool powers and he absolutely did... he was a fucking avatar. controller of the elements. and he did absolutely jack shit in the books. im still so mad) 

but yeah anyway the volturi are big hypocrites. got nothing to say about their lifestyle and aesthetic tho bc italians just be like that

his horns and the spikes on his forearms and tail are rly solid and rly pointy so theyre about as dangerous as a solid, pointy big thing can be

the spikes on his neck and back are a lot softer though. theyre flat scales and are probably bendy, but still sturdy. they don’t have edges or anything so you wont be sliced up if you touch them but touching them is probably not too comfortable

alex would probably be a crocodile tbh! it’s one of the things i based his dragon form off of for the latest iteration, and i just think it fits him a lot (also its funny that crocodiles are water creatures but alex has a Big Dislike of water)

also i literally cannot see adri as anything other than a snake sklhfsdk. its what he is!! this is like asking someone’s favorite color but not letting them choose their actual favorite. do you want me to lie? do you want me to say something not true??

Honestly i always loved deer but refused to acknowledge it, especially to myself, and much less thought about having one as a sona bc “prey animals are lame” was rly prevalent in my circles for the longest time. everyone was a dragon or a wolf etc bc they wanted to be cool and so did i but i never vibed with it it took me a rly long time to just accept that i rly liked deer haha and i think what made me decide on it in the end was ‘well i can make a deer more monstery if i wanted to, i have that power’ and so i did  then later i tied the whole ‘wrong deer’ aesthetic to my own personal symbolism of always being picked on by many until i got sick of it and learned to stand up for myself. my sona is something that’s not for people to prey on anymore, and so am i c:

honestly? ive never thought about it. im not too knowledgeable about dnd still so i dont think id be able to do them justice

ive thought about making dnd encounters based off of my ocs thought (like, how their powers would work turn/mechanic wise) but if i ever did i dont think id use them or talk about them :’) 

jkdg gosh thats so sweet thank you sm!! im so happy you enjoy my stuff :’DDDD 

WELL, in no particular order: 

1. several glass bottles 2. bei’s pet golem sierra (they got her back though) 3. a knife or two probably 4. an air conditioning remote 5. do sewer rats count? sewer rats. besides all the other rats i mean 6. homeless man who tried to rob his store at gunpoint 7. the gun  8. drank a bottle of cyanide once 9. a motorcycle (as collateral damage) 10. tbh he will eat any creature he finds while walking around that’s small enough to fit in his mouth and no one can rly stop him

DISGOSTING!!! not even bc of the flavor i rly dont care abt that but bc like... warm pineapple... that’s the real crime 

oh my gosh that’d be an honor tbh!! I’m not sure if i’d be a big help since i might be tied with school stuff at the time, but id definitely love to try!! ty!! 

[cryptidships]

Hi! I like you! [ Shows you my in.side j.ob self insert ]

All you need to know is they used to be a secret agent but after an accident in the field which is why they’re invisible - They were taken out the game and sold put into the exchange programme and now work at Cogn.ito Inc! I’m still working out the reasons they were there but they are and they’re extremely grumpy about it whenever it’s brought up while out of spite, they refuse to get “ cured “ for their invisibility because they want to prove they’re still capable enough to do stuff. Also they’re such a simp for Raegan, Everyone but her picks up on it, much to their dismay because they’re trying so hard to drop hints but too scared to directly say anything - everyone probably makes bets about what they’re gonna do next. Because after that one dating episode, Are you really surprised Also they have some weird LED glasses to help them emote because I thought it would be funny and cool and maybe made by Raegan so they’re like “ these are the most important things to me. ever. “

Hoping to draw cute little ship art later because I do what I want hehehe. Some stuff on my sona may change though depending on how I go about it. 

Sona design plans so far - Might change a bit in future though when it’s more like. Finalized. I just like sharing progress ehbaiuf

Spoilers below for Ins.ide J.ob episode stuff - I’d recommend it but the show has very adult humour so please make sure to look into it before watching incase somehow it’d make you uncomfortable. Just leaving this as a heads-up :)

Y’know the secret agent guy? Ra.fe Mas.ters? Yeah, They used to be rivals when they were a secret agent. Not saying but I feel they were somehow involved in the accident which made them invisible and they’re super pissy about it. And then when he’s with Raegan? They already know what he’s like so they're already like “ uh oh.... You’re fucked lmao “ and kinda annoyed cause “ why does it have to be him? Why couldn’t it have been anyone BUT him??? “ type vibes. Same thing happens with Brian. Except they were just happy for her, although heart broken. They were just happy she could find someone that made her happy. Until they hear they broke up then they feel bad but also “ yes! haha! I have a chance-”

Rand definitely hates them and when they’re around, he’s glaring daggers into the back of their head and subtly threatening them because no one is getting in the way of his plans. They used to be somewhat trying to make a good impression because he is Raegan’s dad but after a while of his bullshit, they’ve given up because 1) Treats Raegan horribly and that’s not okay and 2) If he’s so hellbent on disliking them, then they’re gonna give them a reason. So now they’re like “ haha... I have no respect for you. Fuck off. “ they’ve totally gotten into a fist fight before at least twice and for obvious reasons: Terry won both

Head of the field agents / stealth department aka recovery / evac people since they have A LOT experience in the field as well as being able to pick good candidates and help train them. Good and dedicated to their job but also maybe a bit too nice cause they constantly check on how everyone’s doing and if they need anything ( within reason ), they’ll get it for them. Probably works closely with Glenn since he's in charge of the arsenal. So they need to be on the same page for stuff, which is obviously hilarious since they’re opposites when it comes to most things. Que arguments and tomfoolery ensuing.

As for “ the Br.ett.fast Club “ episode - I think Brett would be like “ You can be the queer coded friend that has nothing better to do but hang around our house “ and they’re like “ Y’know what, I’ll take it. “- and I’m basing their outfit of the Lo.st Bo.ys because they are both queer coded while also having rocking style okay? It’s also one of my favourite films so fuck you, I’m doing WHAT I want. 

Also is definitely being fucked over by Rand next season. Like, You bet your ass they are SO being tortured at work now because just firing them would be TOO good for them ehuuisehfh. 

[sellbotfactory]

saw @emotoonal ‘s TT meme thingie and wanted to fill it out...

1: What’s your name? Do you have a few other names you go by, whether its your name IRL or an alias?

myyyy name is V! but ive also been known as Brownster/Brownie and Milkshake in the TT fandom. V stands for many things but its the initial of my legal middle name ~

2: What is your gender and/or the pronouns you use?

im nonbinary! i consider myself to have no gender and be null/void in that sense. i use they/them exclusively

3: What is your main toon you play as (or whatever your most developed is)? Is it an OC? A sona? Your toon from Toontown Online all those years ago? Where are you in the game? (playground,gag,suit-wise). What game do you play (Rewritten, Fellowship, Offline?) Feel free to tell as much about them as you want and even include pictures if you can/want!

my main toon i play on is Brownie Fudge Sundae on TTR! she was a combination of my two TTO toons (Brownie from the US server and Milkshake from the UK server). she’s become her own OC in my little toonworld. she’s currently 112 laff, dropless, and im working on maxing cash+sell. i hope to max her sometime as it was always my dream to max on TTO!

4: What type of blogger are you/do you consider yourself? Someone who makes fanworks of your ocs or others’? Someone who just reblogs what they think is interesting? Someone who posts fun/dumb screencaps? A person who develops entire stories/headcanons/lore with their own toontown characters/fan ideas? Or something else entirely?

i just draw haha. i love to create stories/lore w my characters too so i try to illustrate this! i also love drawing for other people. this blog is a bit of a break from my job which is freelance illustration, i draw a lot of complicated things so drawing TT helps me destress and keep my art loose and expressive.

5: What is your favorite toon species?

cats, im biased... but i also love crocs, rabbits, deer and mice.

6: Your favorite cog?

regular cog: LOAN SHARK and boss: it’s a tie between VP and CFO for me. i was obsessed with VP growing up but ive come to appreciate CFO in my older age. he’s hardcore, man.

7: Your favorite HQ and/or playground?

favourite HQ by design alone is LBHQ for sure... those marbled floors still amaze me. favourite playground by design.... probably TTC or DDL.

8: What about cog boss fight? Which one is the most fun to you?

CFO is my favourite boss fight! its really fun and not as grindy as the others. i enjoy the concept of CJ and CEO a lot but feel they drag on too much. VP is VP, i like taking little toons in VP so thats fun.

9: How long have you been playing? Have you been here all the way back from Toontown Online’s original release up until its closure? Did you just start playing recently?

i started playing in 2005, 2 years after TTO’s release! i couldnt play all the time due to money constraints but i played both the US and UK server.

10: What is your favorite gag?

probably birthday cake or TNT lmao...

11: What stuff do you like besides Toontown? Other fandoms you’re in? Hobbies? Bands/music artists? Whatever you can think of.

my main fandom is Transformers! i also have a great interest in other cartoon-based stuff like Disney, Cuphead and BATIM. 

12: Do/Did you play any other MMO’s/MMORPG’s/Other Multiplayer games?

a LOT.... maplestory, latale, WoW, trickster online, and many others i cannot remember the names of

13: Do you consider yourself social?

im pretty social! im not the best with hardcore one-on-one communication and tend to reserve that for my fiance, but i like meeting new people and try to be as friendly as i can.

14: Do you play Toontown frequently?

at the moment as my health has improved tremendously (new meds boiz), i’m playing it daily!

15: What’s your favorite thing to do in Toontown? (try to max your toons, play trolley games, talk to people, do fashion shows/parties, help new users, ect. ect.)

im focusing on maxing right now but i love talking to people and helping new users... i also love making new outfits and trying new strategies!

16: What’s the funniest thing that’s happened to you in the game?

unfortunately my memory is too bad for this </3

17: Is there anything that really annoys you that happens/people do in the game?

greening always angers me, but that’s a given. i also can’t stand people who leave halfway through factories because they missed ONE battle. not many other things bother me though. im a very live and let live sort of toon.

18: Not Toontown related, but usually this tells a lot about a person- what’s your favorite fictional character(s), if any?

...............Starscream from... Transformers....

i have narcissistic personality disorder dont look at me

19: What’s your favorite thing about Toonblr?

honestly i love how friendly and communicative everyone is!!! almost everyone adds tags to my art and comments on my stuff and its super friendly, i adore it!

20: Anything else you’d like to share? Your main blog/other blogs you run? Fun facts about you? What you ate for breakfast? Go wild

i ate.........bagels for breakfast. also i want to make a million loan sharks someone stop me