#Also remember I am not an artist

[blackbirdffxiv]

So I got this ask in my inbox, and though I was going to answer it in my asks, I think a little, actual post-tutorial would be best. But first, a disclaimer, as I like to cover my bases:

By no means am I an artist; my process is very much a case-by-case basis, and I edit as I need to for each picture that I do end up editing. My method is far from perfect but it is one that works for me for -my character-, so you may have to experiment on your own using these tips to find a method that suits your wants.

This little guide is using ClipStudio Paint, but you can get the same/similar results with really any photo editing program you choose that has brushes (GIMP, PaintTool Sai, Photoshop, Photopea (which is free), etc)

I'm going to use a painted over face texture as an example (basically a face diffuse I just painted over with it's base skintone), versus a full-on gpose shot (this way I can get a good swatch/an approximate measure of what skintone I'm used to working on).

Big Tip: ALWAYS WORK IN LAYERS, this way you can adjust everything accordingly without going back a million steps.

Use a basic soft-spray brush for your base, and pick a color a few shades lighter than the skintone you're working on (use your color-picking tool, it is your best friend). Set your first work layer to "add (glow), and make a little splotch like this. You can either leave it as is or blur it out/adjust the layer opacity if you desire, but again, it all depends on the state of your gpose/where you're adding it. I often blur out the edges to help blend it into the skin more naturally, on a low setting as to not erase it completely.

Before & after adjusting blur/opacity:

Next, you'll want a basic shimmer brush; there are dozens of free ones out there, so look around and experiment! Just like before, you're gonna want to make another layer, but this time, set it to white (or gold/copper if your character has medium/darker skintones, as it flatters them more and doesn't wash them out where as white is more for fair skintones).

Unfortunately, I can't seem to find the source of the shimmer brush I use, but what works for me may not work for you so it would be best to look at what's available and what suits your tastes more.

Now, working in layers using the "add (glow)" effect, slowly build up the shimmer, first, adding a quick couple swipes, then build it up. Once you're satisfied, focus more on the center

TIP: If you want to make it look more natural, when building your layers, blur out the edges a small bit to hide any possible lines and creases.

And that's pretty much it! Adding shimmer effects is all about trial and error, and just simply adding shimmer where your character catches the light.

I'd post examples but a lot of my shimmer examples are on very much lewd gposes and I'm not trying to get tumblr staff mad at me.

And again, another disclaimer: this is not a one-size-fits-all-guide, I seriously cannot emphasize enough that the best thing for you to do is just EXPERIMENT, this is merely a guideline to give you a lil push in the right direction. Editing gposes is supposed to be fun, and the best way to get experience is to simply practice and learn your tools with your own hands.

I hope this helps, and have fun gposing!

[omaano]

Rex has a new workout buddy

Silly little companion (in spirit, if not in writing - but a man can dream) to The Art of Losing (Is Hard to Master) by the amazing @insertmeaningfulusername, the second chapter of which has just gone up this week! the little fluffball finally has a name!! :3

[sysig]

Good skeles, like you lots (Patreon)

[ratotoing]

o Sol e a Lua

[linipik]

okay, but what do you consider just plain annoying from an artist on here?

not "what makes you outrage or unfollw them forever", just... annoying enough to stop interacting with their posts in the long run.

reblogs are appreciated since my own blog has a limited reach. Thanks!

[anonymouscheeses]

Big fckn redesigns here. Well mostly Charlie but Vaggie somewhat too 🥰🥰

Blue fits Charlie soooo much and I cease to see that many redesigns with this color. I still want red to be used in most of their designs because well. They are in hell, but not too present so to make way for other unique colors. Charlie has several physical traits from her parents but also she has some details in her clothes that match with them. When I uhh, introduce their designs you'll see lmao. I also tried to make her have a more roundish design, I jst LOVE those typ of designs omg. I just want the characters with not too many sharp corners pls Viv bro... 😔 oh yeah she's mixed cuz her mom's are darker in their redesigns. Alot of their genetics went down to Charlie so she doesn't look like an exact copy of Lucifer, I kind of hate that trend with hh and hb characters, like did the moxxies dad give birth to him bro 😭 also I kept her bow because it looks so cute and silly on her it just fits, I wish they made it bigger in her show design because it would fit her silliness so much. She has a cape with stars because morningSTAR smh why didnt they do something fun with that, missed potential but whatevs yknow I still love og designs no matter what anyone sayss. Did you know I love Charlie, I could ramble for days. I think I love Charlie guys. Maybe jst a hunch idk... also... s-snake fangs.. jeepers anddd..... snake tongue.... shiver me timberz

The wife ever. I had animation in mind more when I designed her, not like in a "How easy or hard would this be to animate" way. But I like to imagine when she's shocked her hair kind of fluffs out plus her actual fluff, when she's mad her bow turns into kind of horns and then her jacket expands like wings. Gave her a more hotel like outfit, she likes to work for fun (ew). Her socks are socks but she has some fluff under them she just tries to cover it up because she hates herself 🤪 (she doesn't hate her bigger body she actually feels much more comfortable chubby than when she was skinny with Adam. She was burdened with the weight of Adam's image of women... In this sorta rewrite she gained weight when she goes to the hotel because she's more happy. I'm dying I love chub Vaggie so much guys please) headcanon: she kind of likes fashion, it's like a fun hobby of hers to stitch together clothing and go out and buy clothes she'll never wear. She taught Charlie how to stitch and she SUCKS so you can jst see it on Charlie's pants.

Second outfits! Charlie's hotel uniform for. Well. Hotel stuff. She usually only wears it when new people come to the hotel, which.... isn't often, if at all. She still likes to keep it just in case. Also she goes really cartoonish when it happens, she does the looney tunes run and changes into her clothes in like 2 seconds. Can you see my vision? 😭😭

Vaggie's is in her armor. She has several pairs of armor lying around in the hotel in completely hidden spots. It's kind of surprising uhh. Yeah she wears it alot more than Charlie wears her alt uniform but still rare to find her in it. I don't get the whole thing with the exterminators and them not being able to fight according to Carmilla. Which is kinda stupid, I'm not gonna lie. So, instead of that, Vaggie has just let her guard down and has gotten much more comfortable in her surroundings so she feels like she doesn't need to fight anymore, she's just gotten rusty 's what I'm sayin. I have no idea how to draw armor. You can tell...

Extra below cut vvvv

BABY CHARLIE!!! With the heads of my redesigns for Luci, Eve, and Lillith. Haha you still cant see them. Uhh, ill definitely finish the thing one day. Its not even that big of a project thing, i think i jst keep going to other drawings so im like not focusing on one thing lmao. Lucifer has heterochromia because he was cursed to forever be reminded of his betrayal. I only explained that because Charlie has it too, it's kind of a curse on the entire blood line where at least one eye is red. This is like. Slightly older Charlie than the baby Charlie in show? I jst wanted to put her in overalls cuz omg that's jst so cute ughhh 😭😭

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

hold on, late night fantasy au snippet (its short, emphasis on this factoid). context: early days of the neighborhood, most of them are still getting to know each other. frank has a crush <3

~

“So,” Eddie says conversationally, “and let me know if I’m overstepping, but how did you get that scar? I confess, it’s been eatin’ at me for days. There must be some sorta story behind it.”

In a heartbeat, Frank lists the qualities of the man in front of him. 

Handsome.

Incredibly sweet.

Too sweet, easy to take advantage of.

Charming accent.

Handsome.

A man of honor and righteousness. 

Handsome.

The only logical conclusion? Impress him.

“It’s not all that interesting,” Frank says. He shrugs in a way that he hopes comes off as nonchalant, but not aloof. “[INSERT GRAPHIC WAY OF SCAR-GAINING HERE]”

There, now Eddie will surely be impressed, and perhaps even in awe of - oh no. He looks sad. Why does he look sad?

“That’s terrible,” Eddie says with upturned brows and soft, shiny doe eyes. “That really happened to you?”

Frank’s brain says, No, of course not. That was a lie to impress you. I actually got this scar from an exceptionally sharp - and heavy - book falling off of a library shelf. It landed directly on my face and knocked me out instantaneously.  

Frank’s mouth says, “Not all of us had a happy childhood.”

That was, evidently, the wrong thing to say. Eddie’s melancholy expression turns stricken and ashamed, and Frank is keenly aware that he just dashed any hope he had of this beautiful person ever liking him.

“You were a kid?” Eddie nearly whispers. Real, honest tears gather on his ridiculously full lashes. “I’m so sorry, that’s… that’s just awful.”

Frank doesn’t know what to say to that. It’s far too late to tell the truth, but anything he says further would just deepen the hole he’s landed himself in. Luckily - or unluckily, it’s hard to say - Eddie doesn’t seem to expect him to say anything else.

He mumbles another guilt-ridden sorry and faces front again, staring mournfully at the ground and radiating discomfort. Frank has a feeling that he’s projecting more of the same. 

Curse this man’s sensitive nature - Frank’s varying tales of how he got his facial scar always garner sounds of amazement or astonishment. Of course Eddie, handsome sweet Eddie, would find the story horrifying. Frank doesn’t want to imagine how he’ll react if he found out that his tearful response was unwarranted. Here’s hoping that never happens.

~

bonus commentary:

[bpdohwhatajoy]

BPD IS SOOOO SILLY with how quickly you can get attached to someone. Like what do you MEANNNNN I’m attached to my tattoo artist who I knew for 3 hours and got salty that he has other clients????

[ganondoodle]

i dont like making art tutorials, not just bc my way of drawing and my knowledge about it changes daily but mostly bc i know saying sth wrong can do quite a bit of damage too, even if it was well meant its been many years by now but i once saw an art tutorial that said characters CANNOT have a certain body shape bc its unnatural (false) and will inevitably make them look bloated/pregnant and its put fear in my head that still lingers in my mind whenever i draw fat characters even tho i know better by now

[wybienova]

i better get my head in the right place!

[satorugojoswiife]

What do you think about gojo ships

I feel like I'm pretty indifferent to most of them. This is super cringe of me, but whenever I fall super in love with a character I don't often like shipping them romantically with anyone. 💀 (im delusional I know)

It doesn't help that for some reason the jjk fandom (especially twt) is weirdly aggressive about ships. I know it isn't all the shippers and it's mostly just the loud minority, but seeing so much of the discourse has kinda put me off and I don't really engage much with the ships in the fandom except for rarepairs and selfships bc alot of the time those communities are more wholesome and cozy (if that makes sense LOL)

[thebrainrotsreal]

I. NEED HELP--

YOU ARE A VERY GOOD ARTIST WHO HAS DRAWN MARK MANY TIMES. HOW DO YOU DRAW HIS HAIR

I've been trying for SO LONG but I just can't??? Why's it built like that

Okay, look, I got very excited on making a tutorial that this kinda got,,, long. I promise I tried to make it succinct. I rlly hope this helps!!! I included how to draw him Mask On, How I Do IT, and The Canon Way.

Yeah, uh, I went a little ham. This was very fun, though. I like his character a totally normal amount (<- lies, I only draw this mf.)

[chodzacaparodia]

I secretly hope that Rin has some German insults up his sleeve for Kaiser, because I want to believe that his emo ass knows Tokyo Hotel (when this band was still emo) and thanks to them he learned some of the language.

… or just in case, he learned a few insults in the most popular languages, because you never know what nationality the person he will hate will be.

[lindalofbroome]

presenting update on the deltora dnd party im spectating <3

it is chaos and i love them :')

[pendr4gonz]

sure. whatever. yuri chaeya dressed as shuake. okay.

[rukafais]

always fucks me up (positive) when i realise there’s folks out there who look at my art and are like “this is inspirational to me”, just wanna stare at the ceiling for hours about it