#Artistic skills for starters

[wisdomandroyalty]

7 Essential Drawing Tips for Novice Creators

Unlock your inner artist with these essential drawing tips for beginners! 🎨✏️ Learn fundamental techniques and build your creative confidence. #DrawingTips #ArtForBeginners #WizBlog #Art

Oh, the absolute joy when a child picks up a pencil and starts scribbling away! It’s truly heartwarming to see them trying their best to express themselves through their drawings. Drawing is an incredibly enjoyable and accessible skill that brings so much fun and happiness. And the best part? It doesn’t have to cost a fortune – it’s an affordable hobby that can be enjoyed by all! – Forget fancy…

[sleepyspiderart]

Hopping on the trend 😁 this was a challenge for me but I’m glad I gave it a shot.

[caprenoctem]

I drew my besties and their starter packs:)

bonus:

That one time when we went to a mario movie and i wore pink to match princess Peach and she had the audacity to refuse to wear a fake mustache

[hermitadaymay]

WELCOME TO HERMIT-A-DAY MAY 2025!

Another year, another Hermit-a-Day May! I'm so thrilled to be able to bring this event to you all for the third year in a row.

THE RULES: 1. Any type of fanwork is welcome so long as it features, or is otherwise inspired by, the Hermit of the day. 2. Tag #hermitaday to have your fanwork reblogged, or submit it directly to the blog (Please note that while we recognize the value of fanworks involving more mature themes, and they can certainly count toward challenge completion if you're keeping track for yourself, content on this blog will be kept "PG-13" so that all may enjoy.). 3. Fanworks for one Hermit posted after the day rolls over to another Hermit's day (per the US Central time zone) will be reblogged in one big queue in June. 4. Traced or stolen work is NOT welcome. If we discover you have posted traced or stolen work, you will be given one chance to delete it and apologize, or you will be blacklisted from the blog. AI-generated/assisted pieces are similarly unwelcome and will not be featured on the blog. 5. We are not interested in seeing captions or tags in which you disparage your art/skills, and will not be reblogging posts where this happens. We're all improving all the time. Be kind to yourselves. 6. Technically not a rule, but we strongly recommend adding alt text or description to all images. Click here to learn more about writing alt text - it's pretty easy!

WHY SHOULD I PARTICIPATE? To show love to every Hermit, from the most to least subscribed, from those who have been on the server from day one to those who only joined this season! And because challenges are fun! And because we are once again out here for a good cause: we're running another fundraiser for Gamers Outreach, featuring art incentives by nine amazing artists. Learn more about our incentives in these posts:

MILESTONE REWARD POST

INDIVIDUAL REWARD POST

RAFFLE POST

WHO’S RUNNING THIS? Hi! My name is Luna! You can use ze/hir, she/her, he/him, or ro/ros/roseself pronouns for me. My main blog is @as-if-unreal. Helping me out this year is the incredible Mod Sky ( @skyspersonalhell ), who uses any pronouns!

BONUS DAY PROMPTS EXPLAINED UNDER THE CUT

FAVORITE "ALT" HERMIT - May 4th HoTGuY and Poultry-Man. Helsknight and Evil Xisuma. Renbob and - look, you get the idea. This server is full of theater kids ready to toss on an alternate skin and play into a brand new character at the drop of a hat. Who's your favorite?

OUTFIT SWAP - May 9th What would Doc look like in Cleo's Life Series leotard? How would Cub fare in Wels's armor? What laundry day mishap could lead Mumbo's suit to lose its sleeves like Skizz's? Only hilarity can come from this...

GROUPS AND COLLABS - May 14th This month is all about one Hermit a day... but what we really love is when they interact with each other. What does your favorite duo or group of Hermits get up to together?

FAVORITE BUILD - May 18th The Hermits have put thousands of hours into their builds, from cozy starter bases to the sprawling halls of Deepfrost Citadel, from idyllic natural landscapes to machines the size of mountains. Which builds have inspired you?

TFC - May 23rd While he may no longer be with us physically, TFC left behind him a legacy of quiet care and good humor, and Hermitcraft would not have been the same without him.

FRIENDS OF HERMITCRAFT - May 28th There are plenty of shows, podcasts, competitions, other servers, and more woven into the internet ecosystem around Hermitcraft, and plenty more people involved in them. Today is for celebrating all of those who, while they may not be Hermits themselves, exist and entertain in proximity to them.

[tsururoach]

Hi, back with more recs now that I'm going through my old playlists; putting them under the cut

I love Yanhe and Oliver, and this song was kind of a staple for me when I was younger! Mimiproductions I believe have one other Oliver original; but I don't know beyond that

50mang is crazy 2 me I love their works. Oliver's used in this one! And he sounds really good. that being said. Please. PLEASE listen to Salieri for me.

Oliver sounds sooooo crazy good in this song, but Compasscat in general is sooo good!!!!!!! Also if you're familiar with the internet back then when Seeu and Oliver were both popular at the same time there was quite a bit of fanworks depicting them together! They sound really good together!!!!

I don't believe this producer ever did anything with Oliver other than that, but he sounds amazing paired with Prima, and the song is stunning!

There's actually a lot of Oliver works on bilibili that aren't available elsewhere, so if you're really interested you should look for yourself! He's really popular in China from what I remember. I remember really liking some covers on there but this isn't cover recs.

This specific song was such a staple to me that I still actually remember some of the lyrics to this song despite not listening in years.

10 years................. But I really like this song, whose to say if you'll like it too.

There's also this song which is extremely different from Oliver's Typical usage

these are just some that I remember, I actually don't keep too up to date on originals unless its someone I'm already following

EXCUSE ME I RECENTLY DISCOVERED VOCALOIDS AND IMMEDIATELY FELL IN LOVE WITH OLIVER /p

thank you for blessing us with ur Oliver art <3 he needs more love fr. and more happy songs.

i just got here so im not sure if you've mentioned it before, but do you have a fav Oliver song? :3

I'm glad you like my art of him! I've been drawing him for 9-ish years now, but it's always nice to hear other fans of his also like my art! I don't actually talk to a lot of Oliver fans haha.

I always really really admired Dappleback/Lawlietlk's designing skill, and I had a whole presentation how much I appreciated his character design and how it lead back into why I think as a vocaloid he has one of the best designs.

Like don't get me wrong, Vocaloid (and other synths) have really good designs, just sometimes they aren't necessarily as good as Vocaloid designs y'know?

Like hear me out, I feel like the biggest appeal of vocaloid mascots is this: They can be whatever you want. Now on one hand you can argue that 'no mascot' is even Moreso freedom and should have worked better than mascot, but what's missing is the intrigue. There is a breeding ground of creativity hidden beneath restriction.

Like, often enough what people need most in order to create something is just a guideline, and for me that's what Oliver offers. Like, sometimes, too much canon is a bad thing, and people need to remember that.

The #1 selling point of Oliver's design is the intrigue his design offers. There's so much of it that once changed loses that 'space of expression.' And yet, no matter how much you are able to change, he also is able to maintain that 'constant' that lets you know that yes, that is still him, even if you change it. I don't have it anymore but it's been years, but I had a whole chart explaining it.

Over the years Oliver has gotten a lot of motifs and concepts assigned to him, that only derive from smaller aspects of his designs, for example: His bandages.

While you may argue it's not entirely unique, that is exactly the beauty of it. It's because of that so many different concepts stem from it.

One of the biggest themes correlated with Oliver is a monster/horror theme and you have the bandages to thank for it. The amount of concepts I've seen born from the sheer mystery of his bandages were so vast it's crazy. Whether it's because he's a cryptid/monster/cursed or otherwise, people are forced to make an effort to use that "why?"

And on the flip side, there is other mysteries people find from his bandages that aren't horror, they're instead going for something else: A poor waif, a vigilante, a witch, and etc. Through the simple [why], Oliver becomes limitless.

And while we're still discussing his bandages, there is elsewhere you can find beauty in his design. I know a lot of his fans are or were children when they became fans of him, and I know for a fact that some of them related to his design. It's not like he had much to go against them in thinking that-- and it's not just because of his song. For me as a child I projected onto him as a (character) as someone I could relate to. That's uh, probably why a lot of people tend to use him for horror or darker stuff. I know that some people are... unsavory, but that's why I don't really like when people hate on horror content made from him. I know a lot of people are weird about him, but it's a form of self-expression all the same.

Even aside from his bandages, his design still manages to offer intrigue. While Miku allows herself to be a blank canvas (being a mascot with very little ties, a digital idol who represents exactly that) Oliver is more like... a puzzle? Except there is no wrong answer and every time you put it together, it's always different.

There was a lot of misconceptions around his design, but Oliver was based off choirboy outfits-- not that everyone knew that. A lot of people interpreted it as a sailor outfit with nautical themes. That's why you can often see Oliver with sea-themed artworks or songs and/or if it's still around, sea-side waif depictions of him. But on the other side, there were quite a few interpretations of Oliver as a time-traveler- a noble- or hell: a literal bird boy.

Had he been given a more generic design, a more modern one, a more idol-esque version of himself, most of these interpretations of him would not exist. There would be less incentive for people to create that answer without the "why."

I don't really have a proper ranking on a more 'objective' ranking of designs as vocaloid specific mascot designs, but I feel like it's somewhat similar to... actual popularity?

Like... If i had to separate them, there's three categories in a venn diagram: Just straight up Good design (though I'd argue a lot of the other two would still fit in here), Fill-in the blank design, and blank canvas design.

I would say the OG Miku fits in all 3 categories but has been erring into just good design or her own category: too engrained into pop culture to fail.

Fukase is a good example of a Fill-in design, because he also has the classic "why" to his design. (Why is his coat like that? why does he have scars? is he human? is he a robot? Is he circus themed? Who knows?) You can see a lot of exploration of his character through that.

Vflower I feel like is primarily in the blank canvas design, because she more-so encompasses a certain fashion style and is able to attract the blank canvas of gender expression as well.

At the moment, to be honest, I can't really think of someone who only fit's in the straight up good character design but doesn't offer any mystery or fluidity, but that might just be my personality.

To be entirely clear, this venn diagram is probably closer to just a single circle instead of 3, but I'm mostly talking about which part of their design they align most with. (and the most common consensus of how to interpret them.

To be honest this is probably why I feel a bit like a Fake Oliver fan, bc I care more about his design more than his voicebank itself. (Sweats as I look at the vocaloid editor on my computer)

Man. Favorite Oliver song is tough.

Favorite Usage

I'll only be mentioning the publicly released songs using him, since it's a bit unfair if I recommend you something you either have no access to or I'm unable to find again.

To be honest I'm not a huge fan of some of Oliver's most known producers, mostly because I know they're not great people and refuse to support them. It's none of my business if you still listen to them, but I'd rather not. But, It's nice going down my old masterlist of Oliver originals.

I really like Rawbeans-P, if you ever heard her usage of Oliver, it's crazy stunning. Probably some of the best usage of him you'll ever hear.

Cat in a raincloud I know is relatively popular among my friends that I've pushed Robyn's music onto.

I feel like high up there is also Corasundae, who is honestly has a pretty refreshing (?) song-making style. I'm really not a music guy- meaning I never learnt a lot of terms properly and can't describe a lot of things to you, but I really like the general sound that corasundae uses in her works.

I think T.V.V.S is a pretty iconic song, but I'm emotionally attached to Other Side.

One of the songs I see people rarely talking about is Requiescat in Pace- I get it's probably because it's an older song, but I've always liked how it sounded and was a staple for me as a kid (and still fairly fresh into Vocaloid.) I don't think PARADIGM really released much else, but this song is sooo cool, I think about it a lot!

I'm not sure if you don't like horror, or just disappointed that it's a majority of his songs, but I don't think it's leaning too much into horror? It's really good though!

Another one of my favorite Vocaloid producers (the one I bought a keychain from as well!) is Veran Kuriensu! I found them originally from their original Lay, and it's possibly still one of my favorite Vocaloid Oliver Originals still to this day. While it's my favorite, I do know that they've improved drastically and their other works with Oliver is crazy good, but Lay has a special spot to me and makes me feel especially Nostalgic.

I've always liked how the lyrics sounded as well. I think otherwise my second favorite song from them is 星をあつめに. It's really good I Promise. Please please do give their stuff a chance!!

I feel like another producer I'd recommend for similar reasons to Rawbeans-P is Baggagelizard. He's always forever been kind of a legend to me! He's a super cool guy, and he has really good usage of Oliver's voicebank as well. One of my favorite songs he's done is Song for the forgotten, which was even my Oliver Collab piece back in like... 2016? That's honestly a bit crazy to me seeing how long it's been.

Baggagelizard tends to have such a special sound to the music he makes, I think it's kind of... a morose wistfulness? If you're into this one, I genuinely hope you check out his other works as well!

Actually I'm adding this one, because I really like the atmosphere of it! It's called Tavern and it's a really fun song using Big Al, Oliver, and Kaito and I think it's such a fun song! Apparently other Oliver fans I've recommended it said it wasn't their cup of tea though (′д｀σ)σ.

OH and how could I forget: Childhood Bye-Bye is honestly borderline a classic for me! I think it's a really iconic song, but it always surprises me that it's not as popular as I think it is. The producers other works are also really good!

Oooh, another Producer I can recommend is Compasscat! They use Uni, SeeU, and sometimes Oliver (maybe other vocaloids but I'm actually writing this in class (lol). You should try checking them out! I think I enjoyed it but I've been told the things I like are... different from how other people like things.

Actually, on the thought of not-so dark songs using Oliver, I hardly see any Oliver fans (or Yohioloid) fans talking about Yellow Card. I hadn't listened to it for years, but I still think it's pretty fun to this day, you could try checking it out if you feel like it. While we're at it, I'll add a bunch of special mentions for songs I knew were fairly liked enough when I was deeper into vocaloid but never see people talk about anymore as well. To be honest, I'd have a lot more to add to this list, but a lot of Oliver Originals I really liked are deleted or missing.... I understand it's at the producer's own discretion, but it's a little sad.

Unfortunately, A lot of the Bilibili/Niconico songs that I really liked were deleted or really really hard to access/find, but I'll reblog if I find them again.

[diz-eaze]

; yandere modern au aventurine thoughts

; soft yandere, half silly half serious, not proofread, he's a silly goober, simp aven?

modern au aventurine, who, during breaktime, overhears some of his work subordinates standing around the office's water dispenser gossiping as usual. it's a typical routine for the workers, but what makes him drop his cup of water is them giggling and cooing about an interaction you had with another co-worker. slapping each other on the shoulders, leaning in to whisper, smiling wide and bright as if they're getting paid to squeal over their co-workers' interactions... it grinds his gears, he'll admit. from what he could gather, the department is in disarray because a kdrama-worthy moment happened with you and a faceless accountant. something something catching your fall by wrapping his arms around your waist like some savior something something you thanking him. ok. whatever. he'll deal with that can of worms in the privacy of his room by tweaking out later. but what irks him even more is that he recognizes those gossiping workers as the same people who love to spread rumors and gossip about you possibly dating him, and he eats it up !! encourages the rumors, even !! so like woah... pause. rewind. what happened to his loyal fanbase of aven(y/n) shippers?? why are they switching sides? all for one interaction with a rando when you have a well-established friendship with him that's been known by the entire department for months now??? people these days truly aren't loyal anymore, wow :( and this isn't even funny at all to him. he can't even crack a smile. not even a haha. his day is ruined by these office workers shipping you with someone that isn't him. when he settles back into his desk, he has to take several deep breaths to reel himself in. it's not that deep, oh but it is !! very much so. he'll have to look into that guy's identity, good thing he's a department head :)))

modern au aventurine always has a ritual every time he sees you post on Instagram. if it's a silly photo, he puts his phone down to audibly laugh for a good minute, uncaring if you're not even there to witness it, before sending you a laughing emoji. just to drive the point across <3. should it be some scenic photo you took, he'll clap and cheer before replying to it with a compliment - it's a good conversation starter with you, too! he even notes down the places you've put in your story for future references, he can't have you going on a vacation with him to a place you've already been to, after all :((. and if it's a selfie or group photo that includes you... oh aeons, please have mercy on his soul. he'll close his phone before jumping on his bed in utmost joy, even doing 4 backflips before running around his penthouse several times like he has the zoomies. when he returns to his bedroom, he'll unlock his phone and finally heart your story :) of course, he adds in a long compliment to ensure you don't go by a day wherein you're not worshipped like the deity that you are. live laugh love your co-worker, everyone <3

modern au aventurine loves commissioning artists to draw you with him :)) who is he, if not a patron of the arts? he'd always tell the artists that you're his lover 😭, and his commissioned artworks often depict the two of you in domestic settings, such as living together, visiting other countries, or just being at work with each other. maybe even add in a few commissioned goon artworks <333 though, sometimes the commissions take too long, and that's okay ! but in his desperate times, he'll crack his knuckles, open up photoshop, and put in the work there. his editing skills are, erm, lacking, but he'll do anything to scratch the constant itch in his brain that always seem to yearn for you. so he photoshops your face and his onto stock images of couples :D maybe in the future, he'll lock in and take up one of those photoshop classes. though, by his estimations, you'll be officially his in like, 3 months <3 he prays to any aeon that you'll never see the commissions he put or the photoshopped images he created, however.

modern au aventurine is somehow always wherever you are outside of work. wow, you didn't tell him that you submitted a paid leave for your solo trip in paris !! :DD what a coincidence that he's also here for a solo trip, too !! why not just make it a duo trip since you're both here ? ☺️ but he literally knew all of this since he's your department head. you'll see him in the cafe near your apartment, at the park just down the IPC building's block, at the house next to your family home, at the daycare while you're picking up your niece. but he's so persuasive that he has you thinking it's a red string of fate tying you to him that explains the constant coincidences. like no, it's not a string given by fate he tied that shit himself 😭. he's just some obsessive freak who spends every free time he has on you :/.

modern au aventurine, who somewhere down the line, finally gets into an official relationship with you. the moment you leave his penthouse after making things official, he's whipping out his phone at great speed to change your contact name and contact picture into cheesy, lovey dovey ones. he sets his ringtone to your laugh (which he recorded during work), sets his wallpaper and lockscreen to selfies you've taken, and changes all his social media bios into having mentions of you in some way, shape, or form. he'll change his profile pictures soon too, after he's taken a shared selfie with you :).

[bweirdart]

#mARTch 2024

text version (with more info!) under the readmore! please check it out if you're confused about anything <3

F.A.Q

do i have to draw every day? no!!!! there are skippable days built into the event, please use them whenever you need them! i really don't want anyone getting a wrist injury!

can you share my art? yep! i try to share entries to @bweirdevents daily during the event!! the tags can get busy tho so i might miss some posts OTL sorry

what are the tags? #mARTch is the main tag, but this year you might find posts in #mARTch2024 too!

wait, i'm confused about a prompt... full breakdown of all the prompts below ↓ with helpful hints if you're stuck!

_____

INTRO WEEK

this week is all about your artistic identity ... technically, you don't have to draw anything new this week if you have some art that already fits. the starter days are:

1 ⭐ self portrait who are you? it doesn't have to be you IRL .. if you feel more comfortable drawing a fursona or mascot, that's fine too! if you don't wanna draw, you can also just share old self portraits today and talk about why you drew yourself that way!

2 🤍 inspirations see how this day doesn't have a star? that means it's optional and you don't have to do it at all! but if you really wanna- tell us all about what inspires you to create art! this could be anything from the people that inspire you, the shows you like, the pins on your big messy pinterest board, or concepts that you're drawn to! you can draw something about it, talk about it, or just post your inspirations! anything is fine

3 ⭐ fav thing to draw what do you like drawing most? backgrounds? animals? one specific animal? bust of your oc facing left? cars? the same anime boy over and over and over? no judgement!! show us :)

_____

STUDY WEEK

this is the week we actually start drawing from reference! polished art is not required at all, quick sketch studies are fine! please don't burn yourself out

4 🤍 plant

5 🤍 body

6 ⭐ animal

7 🤍 object

8 🤍 food

9 🤍 face

10 ⭐ hand

these ones are pretty self explanatory! you can do them as realistic studies, or adapt them into your own art style, it's all fine! you can reference from your own photos or from resources on the web.. have fun!

_____

COLOUR WEEK

this is the week for playing with palettes and working on your colour theory skills! if you're really struggling with these ones, don't worry about drawing scenes or characters, you can just have fun splashing colours around on an abstract canvas!

11 🤍 RGB a set or primary colours typically used in digital/screen art - red, green and blue!

12 🤍 CMYK a set of primary colours typically used in traditional/print art - cyan, magenta, yellow ... and key (black!)

for both of these days ↑ you can add in black and white. and feel free to combine the two days into one, if you're struggling with a three-colour palette! use all six!

13 ⭐ WARM COLOURS the warm side of the colour wheel, reds oranges and yellows!

14 🤍 MONOCHROME monochrome doesn't mean black and white ... it means one colour! that can be any colour at all- shades of red, shades of purple, shades of green .. or yeah, grey if you really want!

15 🤍 COMPLIMENTARY complimentary colours are the ones opposite each other on the colour wheel! they're kinda married

16 🤍 YOUR FAV COLOURS pick any palette that works for you! where's your comfort zone? what looks nice to you? what colour combos do you always go back to?

17 ⭐ COOL COLOURS the cool side of the colour wheel, purples, blues and greens!

_____

CREATIVITY WEEK

this week is all about vibes! try to create something that matches the mood of the prompt .. they're vague on purpose! don't overthink it, just draw from the heart!

18 🤍 SMALL you could draw something that's really small, like an ant .. or draw on a canvas that's really small .. or use a really small brush .. get creative with it!

19 🤍 DANGER try to capture the adrenaline .. the rush .. the fear that you associate with the word danger!

20 ⭐ SOFT soft colours, soft textures, soft vibes ... whatever makes you comfy!

21 🤍 MIDNIGHT darkness and secrecy .. spooky witchy vibes .. the tranquility of a forest at night .. the fun of a late-night party .. there's lots of ways you can take this!

22 🤍 POWER what does this word make you think about? superpowers? control and oppression? literal electrical power? something else?

23 🤍 CHILL chill as in calm? or chill as in cold? who knows .. it's up to YOU!

24 ⭐ LOUD try to draw something that feels LOUD! BRASH! IN YOUR FACE! how can you convey sound through art?

_____

FUN + GAMES WEEK

this week is just for enjoying yourself! take it easy and have fun! also .. another reminder! there are skippable prompts! if you're tired and struggling to get to the finish line, please don't hesitate to skip a day!!! or multiple days!! as many as you need!!!

25 🤍 TRY A NEW ART STYLE copy the art style of a show you like, ask a friend if you can try their style, draw the eyes a new way, develop a totally new style on the spot... whatever you want!

26 🤍 DRAW WITH YOUR NON-DOMINANT HAND righties, draw with your left! lefties, draw with your right! ambidextrous nation ... our time to show off!

27 ⭐ DRAW WITH YOUR EYES CLOSED don't peek! try to draw something without looking! if you really want, you can colour it with your eyes open after you draw the lines/sketch with your eyes closed... but please try not to cheat with the actual drawing part!

28 🤍 RE-DRAW SOMETHING OLD find some old artwork you like, or something you feel like you can do better on now, and give it another go!

29 🤍 RE-DRAW A MEME find a silly picture on the internet to redraw .. do you have any in-jokes with your besties?

30 🤍 DRAW A GIFT FOR A FRIEND create something for someone you love <3

31 ⭐ FREE CHOICE final day! you can draw anything you want today! show off your skills! draw something you've been meaning to draw! whatever!

_____

please refrain from reblogging this post after march ends - next year's prompts will be different, thank you! if you have any additional questions, don't hesitate to shoot me an ask!

[ghostgirl87]

ghost type ask game

i figured making something like this would be fun, so here it is.

some of these get a little personal, so for askers and answerers... be nice to each other. if somebody doesn't want to answer, don't pressure them.

mismagius: if you have pokémon, which was your starter? how did the two of you meet? if you don't have a pokémon, which is your favorite/one you would want in the future or in different circumstances?

typhlosion: is there anyone in your life you'd consider your best friend? if so, tell us about them.

cursola: what's something you would change about the world if you could? do you think this change will ever happen?

banette: do you have any plush toys? if so, where did you get them? feel free to share pictures if you have them.

dusknoir: what's your preferred method of communication? what about communication device? why?

cofagrigus: are you forgetful? have you ever forgotten something important? are you forgetting something right now?

polteageist: what's your most valued possession? why is it meaningful to you?

houndstone: have you ever made a mistake you still regret? what was it?

gholdengo: what's a dream that you have? do you think you'll ever achieve it? why or why not?

gengar: what's your favorite joke?

drifblim: are you more of a homebody or a drifter? what does the concept of home mean to you?

spiritomb: what's something people often get wrong about you?

chandelure: have you ever gotten lost somewhere? how did you find your way home--if you did?

trevenant: how much time do you spend in nature? are you more of an indoors or outdoors kind of person?

gourgeist: what's your favorite food? what's a food that you can't stand?

oricorio: do you like to dance? are you any good at it? what's your favorite kind of dance to do?

palossand: do you like to create things? would you consider yourself an artist? what's your favorite medium to work in?

mimikyu: have you ever tried to be something or someone you're not? how did that go? why did you do that?

dhelmise: what's something you're better at than other people? how did you learn that skill and why?

marowak: what does the concept of family mean to you? is there anyone in your life you would consider family?

shedinja: what's something that makes you unique?

sableye: do you like collecting things? what's your favorite thing to collect? feel free to share pictures of your cool stuff if you have them.

froslass: what does gender mean to you? is it something that's central to your life, or do you not think about it very often?

rotom: have you ever been wrong about something? what was it? what changed your mind?

runerigus: have you ever done something with malicious intent? if so, what was it and why?

zoroark: would you say that you're a "people person"? why or why not? does it ever depend on the person?

jellicent: do people ever underestimate you? why or why not?

golurk: how loyal are you? is loyalty important to you? how loyal do you expect your friends to be to you?

aegislash: is there any topic you're of two minds about? what is it?

decidueye: are you more relaxed or anxious? if you're more relaxed, what's something that causes you anxiety? if you're more anxious, what's something that relaxes you?

dragapult: if you could go anywhere else in the world/universe/multiverse right now, where would it be? why would you go there? what would you do?

basculegeion: how important is the support of your friends/family/loved ones? do you often need their help, or are you more independent?

skeledirge: do you like to sing? are you any good at it? what's your favorite song to sing along with?

ceruledge: did you have an "edgy teen phase"? if yes, did you ever grow out of it? (i didn't.)

brambleghast: how adaptable are you? do big changes overwhelm you? why or why not?

annihilape: what's your anger level like? do you ever get angry when you shouldn't? are you ever passive when you should stand up for yourself?

sinistcha: what's your beverage of choice and why?

spectrier: can you ride on any of your pokémon, if you have them? if you don't, have you ever ridden on a pokémon? what's your favorite to travel on?

hoopa: if you got three wishes, what would they be and why?

lunala: have you ever been deeply disappointed by something? does it still bother you? why or why not?

marshadow: would you describe yourself as cowardly or brave? what's something that frightens you? what's something that steels your resolve?

giratina: if you could do one thing in your past differently, what would it be? how do you think it would have changed things?

[cyten0]

Dragonfable was a big influence, but would you recommend playing it now?

Yes, absolutely, positively, 100%.

The game is constantly getting updates. Like. Once a week. It's got a really neat world and story and just about everything if I'm being perfectly honest. ESPECIALLY for what you would expect from what started as a 2006 free-to-play flash game. Like. Leagues better. Hell, it's better then a lot of games out there.

And unlike other Artix entertainment titles, it focuses a lot on actually staying a good game, and not just chunking out new content meaninglessly. (Looks at AQW. I love you Elegy of Madness but you are trapped in such a shit game)

Fuck, I gotta rant about it a bit.

Okay, for starters, the devs clearly CARE about the game being nice to play. I mentioned it has weekly updates, but not all of those are new quests or stuff, but quality of life or balance changes to keep the game interesting and fun. Like, they are even going back and revamping the original questlines just to add a bit more polish, like adding music to stuff from before music was even in the engine, or cleaning up dialogue. They make nice interfaces to help you find your way around the story, they give exploration, they ease the player into the complexities of the battle system, ect.

And it's also very friendly in other ways. LGTBQ+ friendly, and they mean it. Pride stuff up always, gender changes easily accessible and including NB options (not body types YET but considering they would have to make a new variation for every single armor type in the game to do so I don't blame them). Very accepting, nice community from what I've seen, both in and out of studio.

And the story. GODS I love the story. And the world. You start out as a fairly classic hero, saving the world from the evil bad guy, with prophecy on your side (Kind of?), things are a lovely mix of serious and silly that hits just right.... And then, after you've won? It keeps going. Because the world wasn't magically fixed. Because the battle has consequences, on both you and the world. What was once a playground becomes obviously more serious BECAUSE you won. The world is fleshed out, always HAS been, but your character never payed attention to it before things fall apart and running along with prophecy and skill no longer cuts it.

And god that's not even going into the absolute JOY of how it handles it's tie in's with other games. You don't NEED to play the other games but... Short answer is that the game is technically a form of post apocalypse from the Sci-fi spacefaring game, because you RESET REALITY and you start Dragonfable technically thousands of years after that one, in a whole other reality, and THE INSTANT AFTER IT ENDED. All at once. And it's not entirely gone. It's kinda still there. And you... you were the hero of that one too, and you don't remember. (Or do you? some things feel... familiar...)

Also it's art SLAPS. Both it's visuals (a 2-d sidescrolling game on a small crew is normally hard to pull off but Dragonfable is fucking beautiful) and it's music. I use dragonfable music for Symphony in Crimson for a REASON. There's SO MUCH OF It, and it's a lovely music of royalty free stuff from good artists, and in house music made across the entire Artix entertainment studio. And 90% of the time, Dragonfable uses it the best, across the various games.

Now, it IS technically a free to play game. and that comes with some connotations. But uh. I've really never seen a game handle it better then them? Free version covers the entire story and 83% of the gameplay, the 'full' version is a one time $20 purchase, and it's paid currency is mostly for cosmetics. Honestly? I wouldn't be surprised if the game is barely kept afloat with how generous it is. You can beat endgame bosses without paying a penny.

Overall, Dragonfable is one of those games that... feels like it would have died out years ago. Or wouldn't be able to exist in the modern market. But it's not, it's still here, and better, and gives me just... that little bit of hope? for stories and games and everything.

And again. It's story and world is wonderful. I cannot recommend it enough.

[storytellerwhims]

Never Get Bored Legacy Challenge Modded Version❌😴 Created by: Storytellerwhims

This is the official graphics for The Never Get Bored Legacy Challenge Modded Version! If you play and share the legacy challenge. Please use the hashtag #sims4nevergetboredlegacy and tag me @storytellerwhims 🩵🤍💚

I made a small change to Gen.3 I'm waiting for my graphics artist. To change it on the graphic.💖🔞

💖Make money from the Hoe it up mod by Prostitution.

💖You can earn fame from streaming dancing on a drone or use the video station recording fashion videos. (Get Famous Pack)

I will be adjusting or changing goals. If I need too as I playthrough this on my YouTube Channel!✅

(📝Note: If you want to get a better idea of each generation. You can go to the original rules to read the storyline for each gen! The original rules are linked down below!!❗)

If you want to see my playthrough of the Never Get Bored Legacy Challenge! You can check out my YouTube Channel! I also have a non-modded version and sims 3 version. If you'd prefer to play those for this challenge!!🥰

___________________________________________

Never Fall in Love Legacy Challenge💔👑 Created by: Storytellerwhims

Sequel to Never Get Bored Legacy Challenge

Have you ever wondered what would happen? If love never existed where you can only be platonic. No marriage, no commitment or no till death do us part. This legacy challenge is about battles of the heart. Why we have love and why some choose to never fall in love! 

⚠️DISCLAIMER⚠️

This legacy challenge covers some disturbing and heavy realistic fiction topics. That may make some players uncomfortable or triggered. So be aware of that!

Requirements:

You can choose to play Never Get Bored Legacy Challenge first. Just play this one, or both the choice is yours! This legacy is a modded legacy challenge but there will be an unmodded version. Also, most of the packs are used in this legacy.

Required Mods:

MC Command Center 

Wicked Whims (18+)

Basemental Drugs (18+)

Kiarasims4 Mods Traits, Careers, Activities etc. 

Adeepindigo Mods

SNB Mods

Rules:

You can play on any lifespan you want, Normal or Long is advised!

Feel free to skip any parts that include packs you don’t have! 

Each gen has a story, try to follow that story but of course do your own take. Get creative, do not shelter your imagination. This legacy is meant to make you enjoy the sims!

No cheating money etc. unless stated by the rules for that gen!

If you feel triggered by any of the topics. Please take care of yourself!

If you play this legacy challenge tag me @storytellerwhims and use the hashtag #sims4neverfallinlovelegacy 

Enjoy the legacy challenge!

Start out living with your royal family. Have a negative relationship with your parents.

Live in a castle till you run away 

Start out with 5oK simoleons and take 10K when you run away to another world. 

Goals: 

Get engaged to someone who has the Materialistic or Evil trait.

Be a runaway Bride or Groom on your wedding day don’t get married. 

Move to Henford on Bagley or Chestnut Ridge

Develop the Outdoorsy Lifestyle

Have a big beautiful garden full of flowers, fruits and vegetables. Sell your harvestables at a stand.

Make pottery and sell it at a stand

Max the Gardening and Pottery Skills

Never Marry 

Adopt or have a child by science

Goals:

Move out and sell your parents farm/ranch home. Move to Del Sol Valley into a starter home.

Start singing on the streets with your guitar

Once you're a One Star Celebrity. Join the Singer career and reach level 10 of the career. (Singer career by: Kiarasims4 Mods)

Do at least 5 Singing Gig Events (Singing Gig Event by: Kiarasims4 Mods)

Become a Three Star Celebrity 

Max the Singing and Guitar Skills

Once you're a Three Star, buy a bigger home or renovate your current house.

Have an affair with someone famous and get pregnant.

Be neglectful and have a bad relationship with your child/children.

Never Marry 

Plant roses at your house in memory of your parent.

Goals:

Live with your neglectful parent have a negative relationship and distant family dynamic.

Have an A in High School to stay in sports.

Max the Athletic Skill

Make two enemies with people from High School.

Seduce a Young Adult who is in the Athletic career. (For story purposes, that's your coach.)

Be on the Soccer Team in High School. After you seduce your coach. (Soccer Team Mod by: Kiarasims4 Mods)

As a Young Adult join the Professional Athlete career 

Never Marry 

Have a child from a threeway. (Wicked Whims Mod Required)

Be an okay parent and have a good relationship with your child/children.

Goals: 

Live in Evergreen Harbor or San Myshuno in a Business/Residential Lot.

Have your sim have Hypertension and Anxiety (Cheat this with the Adeepindigo mod for story purposes.)

Max the Tattooing Skill 

Get robbed and marry that person to get money.

Have a baby with the robber once they move in.

Have at least one child

Have a bad relationship with your Robber spouse.

Have at least three tattoos

Goals:

Live in Oasis Springs or Strangerville

Be in University in any degree you want. Go to college while living at home. 

Join the Fast Food Employee Part Time Job

Fall in love with a sim with the Clubber Trait.

Drink and Smoke with your partner. (Basemental Drugs Required)

Drop out of University

Reach Level 5 of the Cooking Skill.

Have issues and break up with your partner. Switch Lovebug Trait to Gloomy. 

Go to Rehab for your smoking and drinking. (Basemental Drugs Required) 

Develop the Single and Loving it Lifestyle

Have a baby by science or adopt.

___________________________________________

More generations are coming for Never Fall in Love Legacy Challenge!💔👑

[blossom-sims]

Elemental Legacy Challenge for TS3

Hi all, this is my first Sims 3 legacy challenge I've made myself, it is a result of my boredom on a Saturday evening but it was a lot of fun, so I'll throw this at you ☺

This elemental legacy challenge is for The Sims 3 and spans 9 Generations. It is inspired by the Chinese Zodaic Elements and also inspiration from my favourite JRPG's which utlise a lot of elemental themed magic. It has guided ideas and generational requirements with story themes throughout. Feel free to tag me if you have a go at this ✨

Rules:

I have listed the intended requirements for each generation, move on to the next generation once the requirements are complete or the next heir becomes a young adult

I have listed some guidance on careers, lifetime wishes and traits. I recommend taking 2-3 of the traits listed but they aren't mandatory

You can use money cheats if you wish, I've tried to write the generational order to put you in the desired financial spot for storytelling, but please just have fun with it

Please do alter and play this how you wish & how your stories pan out, the guidance is just there for ideas and isn't meant to limit you

Generation 1 - Earth

Child of earth, you are grounded and resillient. Your goal is to provide your family with solid foundations for the generations to come. You are selfless, stubborn and driven. You know what you want and will work your upmost to achieve it. Your ambitious and frugal nature can get on other's nerves and prompts the question: with so much planning for the future, are you really taking time to enjoy your own life?

Traits: Ambitious, Frugal, Natural Cook, Snob, Workaholic

Job: Medical Career

LTW: World Renowned Surgeon

Requirments:

Begin in a starter house. You should not move lots or houses this Generation and instead add extensions onto your house when needed

Master the cooking and nectar making skills

Fall in love and marry one person in your lifetime

Do not have children until you reach level 8 of your career

Save 20,000 for the next generation

Generation 2 - Water

Child of water, thanks to your parents hardwork, you had a carefree childhood and now plenty of savings behind you. You are a calm free spirit that lets the oceans currents carry you to your next adventure. You are in no rush to settle in one place just yet, why rush when you are having such fun? Your time for settling down will come evetually. Whatever will be will be.

Traits: Adventurous, Loves to swim, Commitment Issues, Easily Impressed, Athletic

LTW: Seaside Saviour/Seasoned Traveler/Deep Sea Diver

Job: Lifeguard

Requirements:

Travel to 3 different destinations

Do not get married and settle down until adulthood

Have at least 3 children with 3 different people you meet in your travels

Master the diving skill

Own a boat or live in a houseboat

Generation 3 - Fire

Child of fire, you are passionate and hot-headed, throwing yourself headfirst into your work and relationships with a grandeur flair. You wear your heart on your sleeve, making many flock to you for friendship or more. Your self-awareness around your temper certainly helps your popularity as you channel your temper into your physical fitness. You certainly aren't burning out anytime soon!

Traits: Social Butterfly, Hot-Headed, Artistic, Loves the Heat, Flirty

LTW: Super Popular

Job: Self-employed Painter

Requirements:

Master the painting and martial arts skills

Have at least 20 friends and maintain friendships until you are an elder or the next generation takes over

Have 3 passionate lovers in your lifetime

Throw a party once per week

Woohoo once per week

Generation 4 - Grass

Child of grass, you just can't get enough of babies, especially your own! Your family and their wellbeing are your whole world. You live to nourish, protect and teach your loved ones. However, you have been told on one or more occasions that you can be overbearing...a helicopter parent perhaps? Don't they know you only want what is best for them?

Traits: Nurturing, Perfectionist, Loves the Outdoors, Family Orientated, Green Thumb,

LTW: Surrounded by Family/The Perfect Garden

Job: Daycare

Requirements:

Have a garden and live off the land, using your grown produce for meals

Max the gardening skill

Fall in love and marry your childhood sweetheart

Have 5 children and a bad relationship with at least one

Teach all of your children their toddler skills

Live within your means in a small-medium house - never have more than 10,000 in household funds

Generation 5 - Ice

Child of ice, your parents doting nature only added onto your pressure. You never felt like you fit in with your family, never felt understood. They were all so extroverted and loud whilst you much preferred your quiet isolation. Perhaps that's why you prefer animals over people. You have a lot of love to give, I can only hope you will find someone to share that with (who is not one of your many pets).

Traits: Shy, Animal Lover, Hates the Outdoors, Savvy Sculptor, Loves the cold

LTW: Descendant of Da Vinci

Jobs: Self employed Sculptor/Painter/Inventor

Requirements:

Have a poor relatioship with your parents and siblings, you will leave your childhood family home as soon as you age into a young adult

Have 3 pets at one time

Only leave your house when necessary

Meet your lover through online dating

Master the sculpting and inventing skills

Have a child through the time machine

Generation 6 - Electricity

Child of electricity, you sure are a shocker! You thrive in the spotlight and want all eyes on you, for better or worse. You would never miss an opportunity to make a good story for the headlines. Rumours have been circulating that your appearances are a rouse: you're broke, narcissistic and even miserable! They're just jealous of your fame and fortune...right?

Traits: Inappropriate, Star Quality, Charismatic, Daredevil, Irresistible

LTW: Superstar Actor/Rock Star/Vocal Legend

Job: Actor/Musician/Singer

Requirements:

Reach Celebrity Level 5

Reach Level 10 of your chosen career

Have 3 negative scandals in your lifetime

Act inappropriately once per week

Live beyond your means - live in a large mansion and keep your household funds below 5,000. Spend any additional income on items, spa treatments and activities

Have a fall from grace and leave your children with nothing

Generation 7 - Metal

Child of metal, you know what it's like to be at rock bottom. Due to your parents neglect and carelessness, you taught yourself all you know to get by and find your next meal, even if you aren't proud of it. You are stubborn, self-reliant and one hell of an evil genius. You won't hit rock bottom again. Ever.

Traits: Evil, Kleptomaniac, Genius, Night Owl, Rebellious

LTW: Become a Master Thief

Job: Criminal Career

Requirements:

As a teen: consistently maintain D's at school, skip school, pull pranks and steal from neighbours

Work for tips as a mixologist in your young adulthood

Master the mixologist skill and learn every drink recipe

Have a found family

Steal an item every week

Never fall below 2,000 simoleons when you are independant. If you do or are about to, start doing whatever is necessary. We will never hit rock bottom

Marry a rich sim, have a child with them and kill your partner off

Generation 8 - Air

Child of air, your life so far has been turbulent and chaotic. Your parents death has scarred you and you have floated through life lost. You try to travel on the right path for your late parent, but you can't help but feel there is more to life than what meets the eye. There are sounds at night that wake you, unexplained foresight into future events and a pull to the paranormal. Perhaps it is time to stop fighting this unknown path and instead let the winds carry you to where you are meant to be.

Traits: Good, Light Sleeper, Unlucky, Over-Emotional, Neurotic

LTW: Master of Mysticism/Paranormal Profiteer

Job: Fortune Teller/Ghost Hunter

Requirements:

Join a base game job in young adulthood. Quit once you reach level 3

Reach level 10 of your chosen career

Donate money to charity every week to honour your late parent

Marry a supernatural or one of your clients

Do one exceptionally good thing in your lifetime (examples include: cure a supernatural, adopt a child, revive a dead sim)

Have a close relationship with your children

Generation 9 - Space

Child of space, you certainly are special. With your parents holding a unique view on the world and the afterlife, you grew up with an open mind and childlike awe of life's wonders and mysteries. Your parents advocated for you to question the world, and question you did! You excelled in your studies and took a particular interest in space. Is it true you become a star if you die?

Traits: Genius, Childish, Athletic, Slob, Ambitious

LTW: Perfect Student

Job: Military

Requirements:

Keep straight A's throughout school

Go to university and achieve a perfect GPA

Master the logic skill

Reach space by becoming an astronaut (Reach level 10 of the military career)

Have an alien baby

[judgeanon]

Beyond Secret Origins - Batgirl #8 Review

So last week Brombal and guest artist Isaac Goodhart completed their definitive take on Lady Shiva's origin in BATGIRL #8. But did they really?

Here's some late night thoughts on it, reposted from a different site. The short of it is that, although this is a very enjoyable issue on the surface, the more I think about it, the more I think it just hurts Shiva in the long run. And the ending in particular really pissed me off. Why? Well...

For starters, this issue moves at a briskier pace than the last one, showing Ming and Mei travelling the world, honing their skills in preparation for their bloody revenge on their shithead uncle. Shiva's monologue grows a little too flowery, but I appreciate the way the panels visualize Mei's drifting thoughts. While Ming is focused purely on past tragedies and training for vengeance, Mei can be seen more concerned with looking to the future, to the flow of water, and of course, to her own sister.

And just in case they were being too subtle about it, the next page has Shiva straight-up point out that she was training for revenge, while her sister trained for her salvation. Mei, not without reason, worries that her sister will become something terrible, but we haven't seen her act on it yet.

The setting changes to (sigh) Detroit, where things further pick up with the appearances of MY BOYS, Richard and Ben, looking straight out of Streets of Rage as they sign up for an exhibition match with "The Deadly Woosan Sisters". See, in one of the other small goals of this origin, Brombal establishes that the last name Woosan is "nonsense", a fake name just like Sandra and Carolyn, chose to reinvent themselves in the US. There's even a fun little nod at how the name Woosan shifted to Wu-San over the years, with the ring announcer immediately messing it up:

(Also, I admit, it did give me some slight PTSD to see Shiva in a fighting ring again, but mercifully things go a lot better here)

The four kung-fu fighters have a duel, where it's revealed that they all trained under the O-Sensei, and after the sisters make short work of the fellas, they all strike a quick friendship. Mostly thanks to Carolyn, who takes a shine to Ben Turner because, I mean, who wouldn't? They next head to a restaurant, where Sandra's intensity gets the better of her and she basically trauma dumps on the guys the way only a deadly martial artist can. And in private, Carolyn outright suggests that they abandon their vengeance and become something more heroic.

Sandra reluctantly agrees, and we get to the most delightful part of the issue, as Brombal and Goodhart insert Carolyn into a handful of moments taking straight out of the original RICHARD DRAGON, KUNG-FU FIGHTER, including an appearance by the PREYING MANTIS from #9, the ski assassins from #16, and a bit more. It is an absolute blast of a montage, beautifully rendered by Goodhart and Spicer, and I never would've expected them to go this hard on homaging Shiva's early years.

But once the initial blast has passed, a nasty problem emerges: in this new version of her story, this is no longer Lady Shiva's early years. This is now Sandra and Carolyn Woosan's adventure years. This retcon puts everything that happened in that original run before Shiva was even Shiva. And while giving Carolyn more characterization and a bigger role in Sandra's life beyond just being the object of her revenge is a very laudable goal, it unfortunately sacrifices Sandra's own characterization in the process.

Because the whole reason why Sandra joins the Kung Fu Fighters in this version of the origin is because Carolyn is actively trying to prevent her from becoming Shiva. And that, in a way, turns Sandra into a passenger in her own origin story. It turns a character who, in the original KFF run, was fiercely independent and on her own journey of self-discovery into her sister's sidekick following her lead at all times while snarling and yelling about how much she wants a revenge that she seems reluctant to act upon.

As cute as it is to revisit all those old KFF moments, this version of Shiva's origin taints them by implying that all her adventuring was less about trying to find what to do with herself after attaining her revenge, and more about just making her doomed sister happy.

Furthermore, there's a one-page scene where Sandra gets a very striking vision of Mahakala that seems to frame her eventual transformation into Lady Shiva as both inevitable and abominable, a tragic fate that only Carolyn's kindness is keeping at bay.

And I think that may be one of the purest forms of one of the things I've most hated about any and all attempts at retconning Shiva's origin: the idea that her turning into Shiva was her destiny rather than her own choice.

If you assume that both Sandra and Carolyn were completely normal girls in the original KFF run, and there's nothing in there to really suggest otherwise, then there's a thousand different ways Sandra could've chosen to enact her revenge on Richard Dragon for Carolyn's death. But she made two very important choices. The first was to become a better fighter than Richard to get her revenge. The second was to remain Lady Shiva once the score was settled.

Now, you could very effectively argue that becoming Lady Shiva was a terrible coping mechanism, since she herself admitted that without danger, her life was empty. But it was still her choice, and we know that eventually, it led to her being able to find peace. I'm not going to say that becoming an invincible amoral kung fu mercenary was the best way to deal with her sister's death, but that was how Sandra chose to deal with it, and to turn that into a creeping horror that she's destined to become feels like robbing her of that choice.

It's one thing to have Carolyn express that fear, but the vision in this issue is purely from Sandra's perspective, and that takes away almost any ambiguity. It presents her transformation as a purely tragic event, but to me, the tragedy of Shiva was never Sandra becoming Shiva. The real tragedy in Sandra's life is Carolyn's death. Becoming Lady Shiva and then staying Lady Shiva is how Sandra chose to deal with that death.

And speaking of which, the last portion of the issue is dedicated to Sandra's first encounter with David Cain, and it goes about as well as you would expect. David, who here has been stalking them for years, makes his pitch: to help Sandra reach the perfection and vengeance she craves. The only price being bearing his kid. Sandra rejects him, only for David to reveal that he's already killed Carolyn in her sleep, and then the issue just... ends.

It just ends.

That, to me, is the other glaring problem with this issue. To sell this mini arc as the definitive absolute complete origin of Lady Shiva and then end it *literally on the exact moment where Sandra becomes Shiva* feels like getting violently short-changed. Sure, there's some teasing at the end that Shiva intends Cass to carry on her mission of revenge somehow, so obviously there'll be more to this, but if that's really where they're going, that's just further stealing agency from Shiva's own origin.

If we take this tease at pure face value, it means in the last fifty years we'll have gone from "Shiva gets her revenge and has to decide what to do with herself afterwards" to "Actually Shiva never got her revenge at all, on either Cain or her uncle, and she's going to get her daughter to do it for her". Which sucks for a myriad of reasons. If the whole point of this origin is going to be Shiva passing on the buck of a revenge she had years to fulfill over to her daughter, it just makes Shiva a lazy asshole. Not to mention that it's a quest destined to fail because, c'mon, really? Cass is gonna take revenge? Cass?

Look, it's already a hard sell for me to put this much effort into an origin that I don't think Shiva actually ever needed in order to have good stories. But to spend this long meandering around it while also chipping away at all the most unique things about Shiva's journey without really adding anything better to it, and then to have the absolute gall to not even reach a conclusion in the same arc, it's some insult to injury shit. We'll need to see where it goes but it really doesn't sound like it's gonna go anywhere nearly as interesting as Shiva's original journey.

What's strange is that, in a lot of ways, #8 is the most purely entertaining issue of the whole run so far. It's visually gorgeous, packed with cool action, brimming with fanservice and at its peak, it's a breath of fresh air after the constant dread and grimness of the previous arc.

But at the end of the day, with each re-read of this issue, all I can see is a bunch of really good intentions taking Shiva down some very bland, lame paths without even having the courtesy to take it all the way to the end of the line. As much as this new origin tries to correct a lot of mistakes with Shiva's backstory and development, it ends up falling into a lot of the same potholes that Gabrych fell into regarding Shiva's agency.

There's more revelations coming, for sure, but so far, I just don't think this all-new, all-encompassing origin does nearly as much good to Shiva as it seems like at first sight.

[snakeguy999]

Hello ! You are such an amazing artist I really love your art style

Sorry if this may sound annoying to you, but do you have any tips how to get better/draw anatomy

You have such a beautiful/accurate way of drawing it

❤️❤️❤️Tyy!! I am happy to be considered an artist. I'm still at the beginning of my journey into art, so my 'knowledge' is limited! Ouf

Prepare for quite some text

Nr 1 tip is to draw from reference seriously, like actually trying to follow it precisely, not stylising it too wildly(this is for studies, which require that you let go of your comfort); you have a ref and you try your hardest to put it accurately on your paper

Tip nr 2 would be to think critically of the subject, you shouldn't draw just what you see, but instead be aware of its presence in space as a 3d object with faces which are hidden to you by the front

Here are some of my juvenile attempts at the skull, simplified in the style of bammes(anatomy prof you can find his books and drawings online for free, invaluable resources). Here i try my best to understand the *whole* of the object, not just the planes that face me.

the core 3d objects(spheres, cubes, cylinders, cones, alla those) are used to construct, in drawing, anything which exists in our world

An antlion larva is a collection of flattened or sharp cylinders for example

Everything is comprised of simpler shapes, you just gotta develop your eye to find them and your mind to see them as they really are(cubes are a collection of squares in space, cylinders are elipses connected, a cone is just a dot connecting above a circle with its edges)

Tip nr 3 I hated to hear this constantly as I struggled to grasp anatomy(and still do), but:

You gotta start with the skeleton because otherwise any muscles you add to a nebulous puppet will look like nothing. You gotta learn, memorise, and internalise the proportions of the bones, of the body. You gotta learn the way the skeleton looks and acts, the most important being the skull

And it will take a lifetime if you wanna do it right fr but for starters, you can learn it simplified(search up bammes skull and drawings that as many times as you need) and then...

Nr 4: add simplified muscle groups

Nr 5 keep the shapes big, don't get into details when trying to understand the biological body

And the last tip...most important...

Have fun!

Anatomy isn't the sole focus of your skill acquisition, you're not a 'bad' artist for not knowing anatomy yet, it comes with time and a lot of it and a lot a lot a lot of exercise, so don't beat yourself up over it

If you really want it, and with each drawing, you try harder than the last to get things right then anatomy will come to you. So just play around when studying, look up how Kim Jung Gi treats bodies in perspective, and how he puts them in little boxes.

Never forget to flip your canvas(or point your drawing in the mirror) and to take visual breaks from every once in a while or else you won't see the mistakes

Yea! This subject is immense i haven't even scratched the surface but the more you work on your anatomy, the more there'll be to learn

So enjoy your exploring!

[softplumbs]

Ellie hasn't explored much of Strangerville, or anywhere else honestly, but she's completely fallen in love with pumpkins. She has a pumpkin farm that she tends and talks to daily, and a little carving station where she explores her torture artistic skills!! Aside from that she's also building up her ... hat .. collection. Truly a conversation starter! If you or anyone you know is missing random items.. no you don't.

[helene-bianchi-illustrator]

Hey, it’s a “me” starter pack (no AI)!

I’ve decided to add my contribution to this counter trend launched by @patouret on Instagram.

Huge shoutout to all the amazing artists who’ve joined in so far!

It’s so satisfying to create something using your own skills and pour your soul into it!

Find me on Instagram:

@helene_bianchi_illustrator

[dailyrothko]

Hi! I’m already drawn to Rothko’s art so much just by looking at his paintings on my tiny phone screen. But it is quite unlikely that I’ll get to see his paintings irl, at least not for a few years. Would you mind sharing your experience of looking at a Rothko? Thank you for putting in the work on this blog :)

Hi, I'm sorry I didn't answer this sooner but Tumblr has not been notified me that I have messages and I forgot to check. I've had a coupled of weeks of insomnia so you may have to forgive some languid prose.

In my early viewings of Rothko, I think my reactions were fairly standard exchanges with modern art when you're getting acclimated. Among these, were how big the paintings were, and I duplicated this surprise in my viewings of a couple of other abstract, expressionist painters, notably in my mind, Franz Kline, Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner along with Rothko.

I think there's a hand in the hand reaction about the size that then you are aware the paintings are not hard edged, the way, say an Ellsworth Kelly painting would be. There's a plastic look effective in pop-art that Rothko strenuously avoided. They are undeniably sensual, almost romantic.

Once you get the size, you can really appreciate this because when you read art monographs or look at the internet, the lens is so reduced, one tends to get a constricted notion of color squares like you would see in a color theory book. However, the face-to-face confrontation reveals quite the opposite feeling of that kind of art.

It's a little hard to describe, but it's not that the paintings are completely soft. They have a lot of minor details, brushstrokes, stray lines and bits of splattered paint, but none of those colliding forces interfere with an overall limitless impression of the form that makes it very different from hard edge or gestural painting (like de Kooning). Part of what's hard to describe, is how it is not soft, but rather translucent, not vague, but flowering out to infinity.

I find with Rothko in particular that when you start looking, you want to keep looking. I suppose one of his detractors might say you're doing it because you're looking for something where there is nothing, but my experience with art is that, where there is nothing you quickly move on. Rothko might be equated in some minds with an Antonioni movie (Certainly Antonioni himself thought this) where it has a quality of nothingness but not one of no meaning. We read meaning into everything we are exposed to, it's part of how our brains process things, but perhaps Rothko's great skill is inviting you to look. i would not be the first to think so.

My tendency to invest in things I like leads me to unconsciously test myself as if from the outside, making sure that I am not fooling myself as to the merit of it (who wants to be a sucker, right?) and, I've seen a couple over the years that I felt didn't age well, maybe, something about them didn't look as alive, not the color combinations, but possibly something with the paint dulling overtime. I don't think galleries like to talk about it because the artist so valuable as an investment, but you do see, if rarely, paintings would you feel maybe age got the better of. Much of this, though can be attributed to the way light works with Rothko. The public tends to gripe when a gallery is not brightly lit, but Rothkos tend to wilt under bright lights and lose depth. This has a lot to do with the fact that Rothko painted in dim light like El Greco, and voiced his paintings to speak this way.

When they do work, which is quite often, it's pretty vivid, and I feel, entrancing. When I first got really interested in Rothko in my late teenage years, I did not know a single person who was interested in it among my group of friends and I bought a poster from the cover of Bonnie Clearwater's works on paper book and I hung it on my wall. It was a conversation starter because nobody liked it! I suppose that's the age where some people are geared towards something more classically punchy.

My feeling of the paintings, especially early in my life, remind me of an effect one might feel from music that you've never heard before, much like the response I had from the early rural blues music of the late 1920s. I didn't know how much I loved it exactly, I only knew that it was powerfully beckoning me to return. And, as one returns, you participate in a communion. You relax into it and the feelings you have rise to the surface, sometimes framing emotionally charged interchange between you and the art. I think that's a lovely thing to get from whatever kind of art you like.

Now, I am kind of an old hand at seeing Rothko paintings, but I rarely cease to be surprised by them and that maybe that is their finest attribute.

I can't imagine this helps much, but I hope that when you do see one in person, you will write and share your impressions, because after all, they are the ones that count