#Canva Pro features

[golden42]

Lazy Loading Page Speed Optimization: Efficient Practices & Tips

Key Takeaways

Lazy loading can significantly improve page speed by loading only necessary content initially, reducing initial load times.

Implementing lazy loading can save bandwidth, which is crucial for users on limited data plans.

This technique enhances user experience by ensuring faster interactions and smoother scrolling.

SEO can benefit from lazy loading as search engines prefer faster websites, potentially improving rankings.

To effectively implement lazy loading, use browser-native features and ensure compatibility across different devices.

Enhancing Web Performance with Lazy Loading

In today's fast-paced digital world, web performance is more critical than ever. Slow websites can drive users away, impacting engagement and conversions. One powerful technique to boost performance is lazy loading. By understanding and implementing lazy loading, you can optimize your website's speed and efficiency, keeping your visitors engaged and satisfied.

Understanding the Need for Speed

Users expect websites to load quickly and efficiently.

Slow loading times can lead to higher bounce rates.

Improved speed enhances user satisfaction and retention.

Most importantly, speed is not just a luxury; it's a necessity. Users are increasingly impatient, and a delay of even a few seconds can cause them to abandon your site. Therefore, ensuring that your site loads swiftly is crucial for maintaining user interest and engagement.

Lazy loading offers a solution by optimizing the loading process. Instead of loading every element of a page at once, lazy loading prioritizes essential content and defers non-essential elements. This approach can make a dramatic difference in how quickly your site feels to users.

Lazy Loading: A Game Changer for Web Efficiency

Lazy loading is more than just a buzzword; it's a transformative technique for web optimization. By deferring the loading of non-essential elements, such as images and videos, until they are needed, lazy loading reduces the initial load time of a webpage.

Images and videos load only when they enter the viewport.

Reduces server requests, enhancing page speed.

Particularly beneficial for mobile users with limited bandwidth.

Besides that, lazy loading helps in conserving resources, which is particularly beneficial for mobile users who might be on limited data plans. By only loading what's necessary, users experience faster interactions and smoother scrolling, which can significantly improve their overall experience.

Eager Loading: When Immediate Isn't Ideal

Eager loading, the opposite of lazy loading, involves loading all page elements at once. While this approach might seem straightforward, it can lead to longer initial load times, especially on content-heavy pages. Therefore, eager loading is not always the best choice, particularly when dealing with large images or videos.

Lazy loading, on the other hand, ensures that your website delivers essential content swiftly, making it an ideal choice for optimizing page speed and improving user experience.

Benefits of Lazy Loading

Lazy loading isn't just about speed; it's about creating a seamless and efficient user experience. Let's delve into the various benefits it offers.

Faster Initial Load Times

By loading only the necessary elements initially, lazy loading significantly reduces the time it takes for a page to become interactive. Users can start engaging with the content almost immediately, without waiting for all elements to load.

This immediate engagement is crucial in retaining user interest. For instance, if your homepage loads quickly, users are more likely to explore further, increasing the chances of conversion.

Additionally, faster load times can have a positive impact on your website's bounce rate. Users are less likely to leave if they don't have to wait for content to load, which can improve your site's overall performance metrics.

Loading Images Efficiently

Images often account for the majority of a webpage's load time. By implementing lazy loading for images, you can significantly improve your page speed. This involves loading images only when they are about to enter the viewport. As a result, users won't have to wait for all images to load before they can interact with your content.

To do this effectively, you can use the loading="lazy" attribute in your image tags. This attribute tells the browser to defer loading the image until it is close to being visible. Additionally, consider using responsive image techniques to serve different image sizes based on the user's device, further optimizing load times.

Handling Videos and Media Content

Videos and other media content can be resource-intensive, causing significant delays in load times if not managed properly. Lazy loading can also be applied to these elements. By embedding videos with lazy loading techniques, you ensure they only load when a user scrolls to them.

For example, instead of directly embedding a video, use a thumbnail image with a play button overlay. When the user clicks the play button, the video loads and plays. This not only saves bandwidth but also improves the initial loading speed of the page.

JavaScript and CSS Deferred Loading

JavaScript and CSS files are essential for modern web applications, but they can also be a bottleneck if not handled correctly. Lazy loading these resources involves deferring their loading until they are needed. This can be achieved using the defer and async attributes for JavaScript files.

The defer attribute ensures that the script is executed after the HTML document has been parsed, while the async attribute allows the script to be executed as soon as it's available. For CSS, consider using media queries to load stylesheets conditionally based on the user's device or viewport size.

Tips for Optimizing Lazy Loading

Implementing lazy loading is just the beginning. To truly optimize your website's performance, follow these additional tips and best practices.

Use Browser Native Features

Modern browsers offer native support for lazy loading, making it easier than ever to implement this technique. By using native features, you can ensure compatibility and reduce the need for third-party libraries, which can add unnecessary overhead.

To take advantage of these features, simply add the loading="lazy" attribute to your image and iframe tags. This simple addition can have a significant impact on your page speed, especially for image-heavy sites.

Besides, using native features ensures that your site remains future-proof, as browsers continue to enhance their support for lazy loading and other performance optimizations.

Minimize Default Image Size

Before applying lazy loading, it's crucial to optimize your images for size. Large images can still slow down load times, even with lazy loading. Use image compression tools to reduce file sizes without sacrificing quality.

Optimize Animations

Animations can enhance user experience, but they can also impact performance if not optimized. Use CSS animations instead of JavaScript whenever possible, as they are more efficient and can be hardware-accelerated by the browser.

Ensure that animations are smooth and don't cause layout shifts, which can negatively affect user experience. Test your animations on different devices to ensure they perform well across the board.

Remember, the goal is to create a seamless experience for your users. By optimizing animations, you can enhance the visual appeal of your site without compromising performance.

Test Across Multiple Devices

It's essential to test your website on a variety of devices and screen sizes. What works well on a desktop might not perform the same on a mobile device. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to analyze your site's performance and identify areas for improvement.

Regular testing ensures that your lazy loading implementation works as intended across different platforms, providing a consistent experience for all users.

Overcoming Common Lazy Loading Challenges

While lazy loading offers numerous benefits, it's not without its challenges. Addressing these issues ensures that your implementation is successful and doesn't negatively impact your site.

Dealing with SEO Concerns

Lazy loading can sometimes interfere with search engine indexing if not implemented correctly. To ensure your content is indexed, use server-side rendering or provide fallbacks for search engines that may not execute JavaScript. For more insights, check out how lazy loading decreases load time and increases engagement.

Ensure all critical content is available without JavaScript.

Use structured data to help search engines understand your content.

Regularly monitor your site's indexing status in Google Search Console.

These strategies help maintain your site's visibility in search engine results, ensuring that lazy loading doesn't negatively impact your SEO efforts.

Addressing Browser Compatibility Issues

While most modern browsers support lazy loading, some older versions may not. To ensure compatibility, consider using a polyfill or fallback solutions for browsers that don't support lazy loading natively.

By addressing these compatibility issues, you can provide a consistent experience for all users, regardless of their browser choice. Regularly updating your site and testing on different browsers can help you identify and resolve any issues that arise.

Troubleshooting Loading Delays

Even with lazy loading implemented, you might encounter loading delays. This often happens when elements are not optimized or when there are too many third-party scripts running on your site. To troubleshoot these issues, start by identifying the elements that are causing delays. Use tools like Google Chrome's Developer Tools to pinpoint these elements and analyze their loading times.

Once you've identified the culprits, consider compressing images, deferring non-essential scripts, and minimizing the use of third-party plugins. By doing so, you can significantly reduce loading times and improve the overall performance of your website.

The Future of Lazy Loading in Web Development

Lazy loading is set to become an integral part of web development as websites continue to grow in complexity and size. With the increasing demand for faster and more efficient websites, lazy loading offers a practical solution to enhance user experience without compromising on content richness.

"Lazy loading is not just a trend; it's a necessity for modern web development. As websites evolve, so do the techniques we use to optimize them."

As more developers recognize the benefits of lazy loading, we can expect to see advancements in browser support and new tools that make implementation even easier. This evolution will ensure that lazy loading remains a vital component of web optimization strategies.

Emerging Technologies that Support Lazy Loading

Several emerging technologies are poised to enhance lazy loading capabilities. For instance, progressive web apps (PWAs) and server-side rendering (SSR) can work alongside lazy loading to deliver content more efficiently. PWAs offer offline capabilities and faster load times, while SSR ensures that content is rendered on the server, reducing the load on the client's device.

Additionally, advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning could further optimize lazy loading by predicting user behavior and preloading content accordingly. These technologies have the potential to revolutionize how we approach web performance optimization.

The Growing Importance of Mobile Optimization

As mobile usage continues to rise, optimizing websites for mobile devices has become more critical than ever. Lazy loading plays a crucial role in this optimization by reducing data usage and improving load times on mobile networks.

By implementing lazy loading, you can ensure that your mobile users have a seamless experience, regardless of their network conditions. This is particularly important for users in regions with slower internet speeds, where every byte counts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Lazy loading is a powerful tool, but it can also raise questions for those unfamiliar with its implementation. Here are some common questions and answers to help you better understand lazy loading and its impact on your website.

These insights will help you make informed decisions about implementing lazy loading on your site and address any concerns you may have.

"Lazy loading can seem daunting at first, but with the right guidance, it becomes an invaluable asset for web optimization."

What is lazy loading and how does it work?

Lazy loading is a technique that defers the loading of non-essential elements, such as images and videos, until they are needed. This reduces the initial load time of a webpage, allowing users to interact with the content more quickly. By only loading elements when they enter the viewport, lazy loading conserves resources and improves performance.

How does lazy loading affect page speed and SEO?

Lazy loading can significantly enhance page speed by reducing the number of elements that need to be loaded initially. This not only improves user experience but also positively impacts SEO. Search engines favor faster websites, which can lead to improved rankings.

However, it's essential to ensure that lazy loading is implemented correctly to avoid any negative impact on SEO. This includes providing fallbacks for search engines that may not execute JavaScript and ensuring that all critical content is accessible without JavaScript. For more insights, check out this beginner's guide to lazy loading.

By addressing these considerations, you can harness the benefits of lazy loading without compromising your site's visibility in search engine results.

"Faster websites are favored by both users and search engines, making lazy loading a win-win for performance and SEO."

Therefore, lazy loading is an effective strategy for enhancing both user experience and search engine rankings.

What types of content should be lazy loaded?

Lazy loading is particularly beneficial for large images, videos, and other media content that can slow down a webpage. By deferring these elements, you can ensure that users only load what they need, when they need it.

Additionally, lazy loading can be applied to JavaScript and CSS files, further optimizing load times. By prioritizing essential content and deferring non-essential elements, you can create a more efficient and user-friendly website.

Are there any drawbacks to implementing lazy loading?

While lazy loading offers numerous benefits, it does have some potential drawbacks. If not implemented correctly, it can interfere with search engine indexing and result in missing or delayed content. To mitigate these risks, ensure that your lazy loading implementation is compatible with search engines and provides fallbacks for non-JavaScript environments. For more insights, check out Boost Your Website Speed With Lazy Loading.

How do I verify if lazy loading is working on my site?

To verify that lazy loading is working, use browser developer tools to inspect the network activity. Check if images and other media elements are loading only when they enter the viewport. Additionally, tools like Google PageSpeed Insights can help you analyze your site's performance and confirm that lazy loading is functioning as intended.

By regularly monitoring your site's performance and addressing any issues that arise, you can ensure that lazy loading continues to enhance your website's speed and user experience.

[cookiesnerd]

Canva is a user-friendly online design platform that enables individuals and businesses to create a wide array of visual content, including social media graphics, presentations, posters, and more. It offers an extensive library of templates, images, and fonts, making it accessible to users without prior design experience. Canva's intuitive drag-and-drop interface simplifies the design process, allowing users to produce professional-quality visuals efficiently.

Canva provides a free version that includes a substantial range of features suitable for most design needs. Users can access thousands of templates and a vast selection of photos and graphics at no cost. For those seeking advanced functionalities, Canva offers premium plans like Canva Pro and Canva Teams, which include additional tools, assets, and collaboration capabilities. These paid options are designed to cater to more complex design requirements and team-based projects.

[steakhousesims]

I love the new pack's business branding feature with logos to choose from, but the options are soooo limited, whereas the possibilities are endless with the new mechanics. Zerbu added his icons for the small businesses, but I think the icons don't fit the "logo" language even though I use them for clubs and holidays.

Huge credit to Zerbu because I played with his more icons file to figure out how to do this on my own in a separate package.

If you use Zerbu's more icons mod, you have to remove the small businesses tuning from the package file (unless he has a without logos option, idk).

I am not the 100% original creator for some of these logos and illustrations. They are from Canva Pro, and all credit goes to their respective designers.

It won't work if you have or use other cc that adds custom logos for small businesses.

I've tested this in my game and have been playing with these since the release. I haven't run into any issues. Lmk if you encounter something

Requires the Businesses and Hobbies expansion pack. DOWNLOAD (FREE) @ My Patreon

[fairykukla]

Why "Universal" means "Equally bad."

So you go to the store to buy needles for your sewing machine. You are going to find one of two things: a few "Universal" needles, or a large section with dozens of needle types.

"None of these say my machine brand on them," you think. "What do these numbers mean?"

I'm here to help you out!

It turns out that needles for sewing machines have amazing specialties to help make the work easier.

Ball point/Jersey: these needles have a rounded 'ball' point so that they don't accidentally cut the threads in a knit fabric. Ever cut a thread in a sweater? We don't want that to happen in a knit fabric either. Knits are used for t-shirts, Sweatshirts and the like.

Sharp/Microtex Sharp: My Beloved. If you sew on any woven fabric, and see "puckers" along your seam, you're not using a Sharp needle. Developed for micro-textiles, these are brilliant for printed quilting cotton, satin, woven silk, and the like.

Jeans/Denim: larger eye, bladed tip. The Sharp is a stiletto; a Denim needle is a sword. The bladed tip makes it easier for your machine to power through densely woven fabrics like canvas, upholstery fabrics, brocade, and old-fashioned denim.

Stretch: this needle is designed to sew on Elastic fabrics with minimal skipped stitches. Spandex and Lycra can stretch so well that they're carried by the needle into the bobbin area of the machine, preventing the stitch from completing. Stretch needles pass through the fabric easier without punching holes.

Quilting: Yep! There's a needle for this! Great for piecing, these really shine while sewing through the layers of fabric and batting. They make free lotion quilting a lot easier, and you won't have to fiddle with the tensions as much!

Leather: perfect for Vinyl, pleather 'vegan' leather, actual leather, and suede, this needle is like a Denim needle with a twist; a twisted blade, that is. It makes a perfectly round hole to prevent the dreaded "Tear along the dotted line" effect.

Metallic: yes, all needles are made of metal, but this type is gentle to metallic threads for decorative work.

Topstitch: this needle has an extra large eye and groove to accommodate heavier threads. Great for high-contrast visible topstitching with heavier threads.

There are others, but this is a good place to start. "Universal" needles don't have any of the specialized features listed above. They aren't sharp, aren't ball-pointed either. They have an average sized eye and groove.

They will sew. They will form a stitch, and they can be a lifesaver when you're not sure what kind of needle to use because you're sewing with more than one challenging fabric simultaneously. However, they aren't "good at" anything. They're kind of "equally bad" at everything.

Do yourself and your sewing machine a favor: Use the right needle for the right project.

One final pro tip: change your needle every 8 hours or so of actual sewing, or at the beginning of every major project.

[alaniesims]

Storytelling/Sims 4 UI Templates (Canva) 🖼️

This one’s a bit more detailed than the previous ones so needs a bit more canva proficiency. You can find some instructions below or on the first page. But you can always send me a message on my socials if you’re having issues 🫶🏽

I will also likely be taking a small break from releasing templates after this so I can focus fully on my gameplay (and on life lol). But I’m still open to suggestions for new possible templates for whenever I get back into it.

Anyway, back to the template that’s released now:

What’s in this version?

- transportation graphics - music graphics - miscellaneous graphics, i.e. simlingo, cooking, workout, property listing - traits, needs, funds, to-do list graphics - email, phone call, FaceTime graphics - weather and calendar graphics - social events graphics - wide camera templates, recording templates

IMPORTANT: You don't need Canva Pro to use my templates, they're made using Canva free features.

Use them for your storytelling, sims pictures, and everything in between. And tag me cause giving credit is good essential, and cause I enjoy seeing what people do with the templates anyway.

Lastly, please respect my TOU

- do not claim them as yours 💀

- do not reupload them elsewhere 💀

Download here 🩵

Instructions

Previews

[remidiy]

We Don't Gatekeep Art Resources | A Comprehensive List

Here's a list of some of the tools/sites I currently use or have used previously for works/studies. I'll separate it into Software/Utility, Reference, and 'Other' which will be just general things that could help you map out things for your experience with art. **[Free highlighted in pink, paid highlighted in green. Blue is variable/both. Prices Listed in USD]**

Software/Utility:

2D

Krita Painting app (PC) (my main digital art software on PC for 5+ yrs)

Clip Studio Paint [PC] [CSP 2.0+ allows for 3d modelling within the painting app and a lot of other cool features] [apparently allows up to 6 months free trial]

Procreate (12.99) [iPad/iPad Pro] (the GOAT)

Artstudio Pro [iPad/iPad Pro] (An alternative to Procreate if you enjoy the more traditional art app layout) -- I find this app handy when Procreate is lacking a feature I need, or vice versa. (you can easily transfer files between the two, but keep in mind Procreate's layer limit)

2D "Collaborative Painting/Drawing apps"

Magma Studio

Drawpile

Discord Whiteboard

Gartic Phone (Pretty decent for 2d animation practice, but has a hard limit on frames)

3D

Blender [3D Modelling, Sculpting + Layout] (PC)

Sculptris [PC] (it's an old unsupported version of Zbrush, but can help to get ideas out, and functions better than browser sculpting apps

Nomad Sculpt [iPad/iPad Pro] ($20) Works pretty well if you prefer a mobile setup, but it is a bit intense on the battery life and takes some getting used to

References + Study

Magic Poser [ PC and Mobile ] Has both free and paid versions, I've made do with just the lite version before

Artpose ($9.99) [Iphone + Steam]

Head Model Studio [IPhone] A 3D head, with both a basic blockout version for angles, and a paid version with more detail

Cubebrush [simply search "[keyword] pose reference pack"], they usually have good results + they frequently have sales!

Line of Action [Good for Gesture practice + daily sketching], also has other resources built in.

Quickposes Similar to Line of action, more geared toward anatomy

Drawabox | Perspective Fundamentals Improvement modules (Suggested by @taffingspy )

Sketchfab, this skull in particular is useful, but there is other models that can help you study anatomy as well.

Pinterest can be good, you just have to be careful, usually you're better off just finding reference pack if you have the money, sometimes certain creators have freebies as well

Artstation Marketplace can be decent [make sure to turn on the Aye-Eye filter so it doesn't feed you trash], a colleague of mine recommended this head model for practicing facial blocking, there is also this free version without lighting.

Local Art Museums [Unironically good for studying old "master work" if you're into that, or even just getting some inspiration]

Brushes + Other Useful software:

I personally have used both of these brush packs before making my own

(I actually don't know how to share my daily brush set because I frequently switch between Krita, Procreate, and ASP, but once I figure that out I'll be sure to do that lol)

Marc Brunet's Starter brush pack [Technically free but supporting him for this if you like it is ideal, there's some good brushes]

Dave Greco Brush Pack [$3]

Gumroad in general is a good place to find brushes and art resources. *Note; for Krita specifically, brush packs are a bit weird, so it may require you to find different packs, or import them in a particular way

PureRef [PC] - Reference Compiler/Moodboarding

VizRef ($3.99) [iPad] - Moodboarding/Reference Compiler

Artist Youtubers/Creators that helped me improve/guide me along as a self-taught artist from when I first started digital art to where I am today:

Proko

Marco Bucci

Sinix Design

Sycra

Hardy Fowler

Lighting Mentor

Winged Canvas

Moderndayjames

Swatches

Chommang_drawing

Marc Brunet (YTartschool)

+ Observing a lot of speedpaint art by people whose work I enjoy on social media/youtube, trying to dissect their processes

If you've gotten this far, first of all, congrats, you can read a lot, and second of all, thank you for reading and I hope this helps! I'll continue to come back and update this if I find any new resources in the future, or if my processes change :)

Much Love,

-Remidiy

[garoujo]

✩ ˛˚ . NAGI SEISHIRO ; — your facetime calls with nagi always have you wishing he’d come home sooner.

ஜ ˖ ࣪࿐ྂ warnings! fluff, all characters written 22+, nagi is written as a pro player, hes overseas for an away game, cute facetime calls. ♡ ˖ ࣪࿐ྂ note! this idea was v much stuck in my head so i had to sob, he’s the best <3

“seishiro, what’re you looking at?” your voice is soft as you watch your boyfriend nagi jostle slightly on your phone screen, grumbling before he’s smooshing his cheek against his forearm where they fold on the desk infront of him. its morning where you are although the suns long set where he is — you can tell by the hues of the sky behind him, but he still blinks up at you like he’s staring at the moon.

“nothing.” he tries to play off the fact that he’s just been memorising, missing your features over your facetime call despite the way his voice seems to fade into something dreamier at the end as he gives you a drowsy blink and a pout. his sleepy gaze moves softly from corner to corner of his screen and he seems to soften with his next breath, he’s looking at you.

“you’re staring.”

“am not.” nagi replies again as he sighs and you watch the way his back moves under the fabric of his hoodie as he shifts — snowy bangs falling over his features and the urge to reach forward and brush them from his gaze like you normally would has your heart squeezing a little.

you let the silence hang in the place where you both take a breath as you lean back against your pillow, grabbing your phone to prop it up on the plushie that your boyfriend made sure to buy you to keep you company — even though he assured you you’d have choki incase you needed someone to talk to while he was gone. you watch his head fall to the side slightly and it makes you giggle at the way he’s still so committed to calling you despite how tired he is.

“seishiro..” you drawl and you don’t miss the way nagi’s eyes seem to flutter closed at the smooth call of his name, like a lullaby that he’s longed to hear. you’re well aware he misses you as much as you miss him.

“are you asleep?” your words are a whisper, soft enough not to startle the sleepy striker but still enough to make him grumble as he peeks up at you through his messy bangs.

“nah, ‘m awake. not being with you is such a pain though.” nagi’s voice is lower this time, slightly buried into his sleeve before he’s pushing himself back in his chair to stretch — grumbling as he reaches under the hem of his hoodie to scratch at his stomach. your eyes follow his movements and he picks up on it as his brows raise, head tilting to the side as he lets out a little yawn that makes you laugh softly.

“how’s practice? you better not be slacking off because i’m not there to watch.” you tease as you watch the drowsiness creep onto your boyfriends naturally soft features, his lips resting into another tight lipped pout as he pinches at the hair that rests across the bridge of his nose.

“eh, i just wanna be done already. then i can come back home and play games again.”

“you can play games there though.”

“eh, but it’s no fun without you now, ‘ts a bother.” his words are meant literally but they make you giggle, you always loved how straight forward he was despite the way that he still liked sneaking in glances towards you like he was afraid you’d catch him. but you think nagi seishiro looks his brightest under the moon, and he thinks you look your prettiest when you’re caught somewhere between a smile and a laugh.

“you’ll be home soon though.” the smile on your face is maintained as you relax again and you watch the way he fiddles with the drawstrings of his sweats as he tries to busy his hands — too used to tapping away at the screen of his phone but he still gives you his full attention everytime you speak. he flicks his eyes between the sky outside and the phone screen and you think you prefer the way the sky looks through his canvas of grey as you watch him.

“yeah but the flights so bothersome, want you here now.” nagi settles in his seat before he breathes and it’s like his sort of love is woven into the silence, because he never had to say much to remind you that he loved you.

“one more week, i’ll even buy you lemon tea.” he seems to perk up at that as he shoves his hands into the pockets of his hoodie and you tilt your head to the side when he shrugs a few moments later.

“but that makes me wanna leave and come home now.” you know this isn’t a conversation you can win when it comes to nagi, and you’d be lying if you said you didn’t miss the quiet of your mornings with him with your sheets pulled up to your chin and his face resting in your neck. you look around your jostled sheets, a bed made for two that’s only occupied by one right now before you’re looking back at him and you smile when you realise he’s staring again, and suddenly the start of your day is already easy despite the missing piece.

“you should sleep, sei. i don’t wanna get you in trouble when you have dark circles on tv.” your words make him hum at first before he’s back to resting over his table with folded arms, his sleepy state evident on his features and you swear he stifles a yawn before he speaks.

“eh, but i don’t wanna go yet.. ‘m not even tired.” you think it’s charming the way nagi seems to try to fake being any sort of rested, his tone shifting into something a little faster than his usual drawl as he gives you a wide-eyed blink, like he’s trying to convince you to stay with him, just for a while.

“sei.” but you see right through him and with that he huffs before he’s letting his eyes rest closed once more, like a little sign of defeat despite the way he still makes you soften.

“no fair, jus’ wanna talk to you a lil while longer, jus’ til i fall asleep, please.” nagi drawls, a little lighter and whinier than his usual lower tone that’s almost like a sleepy plea. but when it’s accompanied by a slow drowsy blink as he gazes up at you— you know you can’t say no anyway.

“fine.. just ‘til you fall asleep.”

© 2023 GAROUJO. please do not copy any of my layouts or writing and translate or repost onto any other sites.

[saphushia]

clip studio is 60% off for the next 36 hours!

for $21.60 USD you can get csp pro 3.0, the same version i currently use, which lets you do stuff like-

pose and arrange 3d characters and object models right on your canvas!

apply colors to your art based on value with gradient maps!

record timelapses/speedpaints without any recording software!

it auto tracks the time spent actively working on your canvas, pausing the timer when you aren't actively working on it, even if it's open/in focus!

download basically anything you could want from the asset store! custom brushes, 3d models, color sets, auto poses for character models, textures for backgrounds/overlays, a lot of which are free! you can upload your own custom materials too!

and lots more! these are just some of my favorite features ^-^

the perpetual license gives you permanent access to csp 3.0, no subscription necessary <3

[linkablewritingadvice]

How much should it cost to be a writer?

It depends what route you’re taking. If you are planning to go for traditional publishing, which looks like you finishing a manuscript and then querying agents who will then take your book to publishers, you should be paying for basically nothing. One exception would be if you decide to hire an editor to get a pass over your manuscript and/or query package before sending it off, but this is not required.

If you are in the process of trying to get your manuscript traditionally published, you may be approached by a “publisher” offering to publish your manuscript for a fee. THIS IS A SCAM! An author should never be paying for “publishing services.” Anyone asking you to pay for your own printing, marketing, etc. costs is taking advantage of you. These are called vanity publishers and they will not turn you a profit, help you attract readers, or provide you the prestige of being published. 

Always check on Writer Beware - search for the name of the person or company. You can also just google that name along with the word “scam” or “reviews.” In general, don’t let yourself be blinded by dreams, or let yourself be convinced that something is a good idea because you really want it to be true. Never, ever, ever pay a publisher.

If you are going the self-publishing route, you will be paying for certain things, but none of those should be payment to be published. You are the publisher. Uploading your manuscript to Amazon or other marketplaces is free. However, you will be paying for things that a publisher typically pays for. This could include:

-Cover art - you could do this yourself, though this isn't recommended. A good cover is key to a book's success, so budget to purchase a pre-made book cover, or hire a professional cover artist.

To find pre-made book covers, you can just Google "premade book covers," or check one of these sites: BookCoverZone RockingBookCovers Beetiful

And here's a list of places to buy both custom and pre-made cover designs that's a good start. You can also check Reedsy and Etsy for people listing cover design services. If there is a self-pubbed author whose covers you love, try asking them what artist they use.

-Formatting - you could do this yourself using a formatting program like Atticus, or you could hire someone who does professional e-book formatting.

Here's an article on the turbo-DIY route. Here's a list of formatting programs you can use. To hire someone, you can simply search for book formatting services or look at places where people list such services for hire, like Reedsy, Fiverr, or certain Reddit boards.

-Ad campaigns - you may want to pay for ad campaigns on platforms like Meta or Amazon. More niche, author-specific platforms like BookBub, Book Funnel, or Book Sirens also come with certain costs. 

-Author services - you may wish to hire an expert in things like marketing, blurb copy, social media metrics, newsletter management, etc. You can find information on that here.

Be aware that scam publishers might try to pitch themselves as "author services" - you should be paying someone to help you with specific aspects of your self publishing work, NOT paying to be published.

-Software and platforms - whether it's a subscription to Duotrope, a paid Scribophile account, access to pro Canva features, etc. you may decide to pay for tools that you will use to do your work well.

-Expert advice - some people offer courses, books, or other resources on how to do specific things like write a compelling blurb or run an effective ad campaign. You may notice that a lot of the links I shared here will include upsells from people doing exactly this!

Be very cautious about this, as most of these people claim that they make tons of money on their self published books, but really, they make their money selling this stuff to people like you. Always check out a person’s free resources first, and wait to invest in this sort of thing until you have a specific question you need answered or are trying to do a very particular thing that you need granular guidance on. 

One thing you should NOT pay for is a review, feature, or interview. Self-published authors will be approached by a lot of scammers who claim that, for a nominal fee, they will share information about your book to their huge audiences. These are completely useless and a waste of money. Never spend money on this.

Always keep track of what you are spending on all of this. You may be able to deduct it from taxes you pay on your income from writing, and you will want to really understand what your profit margins look like.

[lazylittledragon]

ok nobody cares but here's my review of procreate dreams after using it for an hour

pros:

you can use all your normal brushes which is GREAT because your animation still looks like your own art

the UI isn't that difficult to navigate once you know where everything is (i don't think it's much harder than learning any other new software)

motion tweening!!!!! i just like that a lot

the fact that you can just make a fully finished animation on your ipad is very cool to me

it has that feature where you can draw outside of the canvas so your lines don't get cut off when you move things around

it's expensive for an app BUT it's a one-time purchase and not a subscription

cons:

the timeline takes up a lot of space on the screen and you can't change it (other than hiding it completely) but that's just a me problem

obviously since it's so fresh it's missing some tools like select+transform (which is VERY annoying)

tl:dr - i think it's ok!! i'll probably use other software for storyboarding because i don't think it's the best for just getting stuff down quickly but i'll definitely use it for finished projects.

[tteokdoroki]

sucking and marking kiri’s neck for your own pleasure not his and leaving purply marks all over him.

૮ ͈>◡< ͈ა warnings — please read + mdni ! characters aged up to 20s, established relationship, suggestive, dry humping, jealousy, possession, excessive marking, hickies, hair pulling, pro hero!kirishima, gn!reader - not beta read !

walk with me nonnie, can you imagine like marking the shit out of kiri’s chest and neck after watching one of his post-rescue interviews— the damsel in distress having thrown themselves all over him on national TV.

he’ll come home tired after his patrol and the agency work— flopping down on the couch to curl into you and while you flick through channels, giving eijirou the unknown silent treatment. the news will flash with the report of his brave work, the girl clinging to him for dear life and looking up at your boyfriend with bright, twinkling eyes as she purposefully drags her words so kiri will pay extra attention to her.

you thought that by the time eijirou came home you’d be completely calm, over it but then just the sight of him getting all flustered rewatching the clip — asking if his arms look to big or if he should have been a little more humble. you can’t even fault kirishima because he’s just too nice to realise when other people are crossing an invisible line. even sitting next to him, you feel like you can smell her all over him and see exactly where she put her hands on him.

so after a few more moments of ignoring the big guy, you haul yourself into his lap — not kissing the way surprise spreads over eijirou’s handsome features before his large hands settle on the dips in your waist. his red eyes darkening with amusement.

“well, hello there, gorgeous.”

“shut up.” the way you latch onto his thick neck could be compared to that of a vampire — sinking your teeth into the golden hue of his skin, nibbling on the flesh until a purple-like bruise rises to the surface. “‘m mad at you,” you whisper, voice basking in a huskiness that empties eijirou’s brain. he’s too slow, too sweet to catch onto what’s happening.

instead he twitches and rumbles and whines underneath you as you use his chest and neck like a canvas. you aggressively paint shades of blue, burgundy and purple across eijirou’s skin, slowly but surely turning him into a needy mess. he chases a friction that you don’t give to him even while perched pretty in his lap. he whines like an angel’s song as you tongue the marks you’ve given him, lapping at the sensitive areas on your boyfriend’s collar bones while you debate on covering them up with more.

having this amount of control and possession over such a big and strong pro hero sends loved up and hormones shooting across your brain and right around your body. it makes you feel good knowing that red riot lets you have him like this, let’s you do these things to him. even though you both know he could very well turn this situation around.

“please, honey. i just wanna…god let me feel you. please?” kirishima pleads and begs as you litter him with enough love bites to last a life time. you know it feels good for him, but for you it’s better. like taking a shot of whatever alcohol you desire — it gives you a buzz. makes you hyperaware that everyone will see your claim in eijirou peeking out of his hero costume.

“baby,” he tries again, breathless and bucking his hips up into yours, anything to soothe the aching, leaking hard-on he sports. “god, i know i’ve got some teeth on me…but you’re really tearin’ a guy up here. please give me more… s’frustrating.” kirishima mewls weakly but lets you grab the black roots of his hair, tugging his head back so you can expose more of his unmarred flesh to your ravenous mouth.

you have an appetite for ruining him, blessing every inch of his sensitive skin with your bite marks. “you know what’s really frustrating, eijirou?” you mumble after sucking on a spot just under his ear — one of those spots that makes his huge body convulse under a simple touch. “watching your boyfriend let some girl put her hands all over him. watching him do nothing about it too.” he groans low and sexy at what you say, hiccuping between the open mouthed kisses you trail down to his plush chest. “it’s like you wanted to make me mad on purpose, red.”

“maybe…fuck… maybe i did.” kirishima sighs, back arching from the couch when you wrap your wet mouth around his juicy peck — biting down on his pebbled nipples before you move to leave teeth marks all across them. “if it gets you like this.”

you lick, you suck, you bite and teeth and bring red riot crumbling down to the ground. by the time you’re done, his chest, neck and tits are sore with midnight purple marks you’ve left all over them and kirishima lets you kiss every single one to soothe him.

it’s safe to say that the headlines reporting in red riot change over the next few days — most of them highly focused on the aftermath of your jealousy he wears proudly on his exposed chest.

[rollingtablesiguess]

Random things to see on night watch

Night Watch Incidents Rolling Table

Here are some mostly non-combat encounters for a night watch. Because sometimes we just all need to chill. But I'll be back at some point with a more combat-centric night watch incidents table.

We also got some ✨crispy✨ quality on this one because my free trial to Canva Pro is up (both fonts are pro features). Because this specific table is so long, I have to splice together two screen "snips," thus, crunchy quality lol.

[eksentrismi]

Really random, but here's some tips for starting out drawing for those who wanna start drawing and making arts, but perhaps don't know how

These tips coming from somebody who's been drawing pretty my entire lifetime and started drawing "proper" digital arts ever since around ages 11-12, lmao

Find inspiration! What would you like to draw? People, landscapes, animals, objects? Anything! Let your imagination go wild! Feel free to create characters, stories, environments..... it's like playing with toys tbh! Go absolutely wild!

Get some art equipment; do you wanna make traditional or digital art? Maybe sculpting or other forms of art? Photography even? Yet again, do research and pick what's best for you. And remember that expensive equipment isn't necessary, you can make art with any sorts of equipments, even the cheapest pencils and notebooks! You don't need the latest Wacom Cintiq or a super expensive iPad to draw "good" art. Seriously, I've seen few people online making art with some of the most obscure yet cool tools ever; like an elderly man making paintings with Microsoft Excel. Or somebody hitting a bunch of nails with a hammer onto an empty canvas, making portraits with those nails. Seriously, you can do any kind of art and it's still art. It's still beautiful in its own way and you don't have to strive for uniqueness. Your art, whatever it is, is already unique on its own. Because you are unique.

Can't draw something specific? Look for online tutorials on the Internet, YouTube, Tumblr etc. There's plenty of cool useful tutorials online guiding and helping out with drawing specific stuff, like eg. eyes, face, bodies etc. If you struggle with poses, there's a bunch of cool pose references online available for drawing purposes. And cool sites like Posemaniacs, DesignDoll (program for PC's actually) etc. Just do research, go find tutorials that you find helpful and useful!

Some useful tools for digital arts especially, that I have used and enjoy a lot: PureRef (for holding your reference images so you can glance at them while drawing); Clip Studio Paint (the main drawing-program I use all the time for every drawing of mine, it costs money, but it's super worth it imo and has many useful features, despite a steep learning curve!); Medibang Paint Pro (a free drawing-program, that's got some neat features too! Haven't used it in a long while, but it used to be my go-to program before CSP); Krita (the most popular free drawing-program iirc, with so many neat features as well!); ntsc-rs (for adding cool VHS-effects on images and videos; if you've seen my VHS-looking screenshots, that's what I use for them); Blender (for creating 3D models and animations etc. Really neat and there's cool online tutorials for it) and many more... yet again, do research online and go wild!

Having an art block? I know, it's tough and it sucks a ton. It happens! Don't worry, you're certainly not the only one who gets them. It's that sort of "gosh, I wanna draw but I don't have energy/motivation, and I have no ideas what to draw!". You feel really stuck, so to speak. But it's okay! Art blocks come and go, and every artist definitely goes through them; even the most skilled professional artists out there. I've known people who have paused drawing altogether for years, but ended up picking it up again after a long time! So take as long of a break as you want and relax, don't become too stressed over the art block. Try to find some inspiration perhaps; watch a series or a movie, do some quick doodles into notebooks etc (it can be anything, even just shapes! Just some random doodles), go for a walk/go outside, play some video games... basically do something that you like and what usually brings you inspiration to draw stuff!

Have fun! The most important part in making art is the fun of it! Having skill isn't the most important part, nor is also time constraints, equipment etc.... no! The most important part in making art is having fun!

[genericpuff]

Hey! Okay so what are your favorite art programs to play with? Don't care about platform, just wanna know what you have fun with!

Clip Studio Paint is my go-to for my comics, the PRO version alone comes with loads of features and tools that are great for both illustrating and making comics! (and the software goes on sale usually at least twice a year so there's always an opportunity to grab a perpetual license for a very reasonable price if you're willing to play the waiting game)

When I'm on my iPad (usually at work where I'm away from my PC setup) I bounce between the mobile version of Clip Studio and Procreate, the latter of which I really like using for doing my tattoo designs and otherwise just designing simple stuff on the go.

I'm also currently falling massively in love with Realistic Paint Studio, though I will express it's less of art software and more like an interactive art 'game', in the sense that it's built around offering an immersive space for creating traditional art with an interactive UI and tools. I personally wouldn't use it to create any of my actual professional works or comics as it's limited in its canvas sizes and doesn't offer any of the more advanced tools that art software like Clip Studio and Photoshop would offer, BUT it's a load of fun to play with and build sketches and illustration ideas through, especially if you're like me and get anxious about working with traditional paints out of fear of "wasting" them. It's actually helped make watercolor make a LOT more sense to my brain and I'm hoping that'll transfer to real life if I ever decide to take up watercolor again!

[alaniesims]

iPhone Templates Rerelease (Canva)📱🎉

Hi lovelies! 🩷

To celebrate hitting 400 followers on Twitter (thank you all so much for your support! 🥰), I’m rereleasing my first iPhone Templates: here and here, with some new updates!

What’s Included in This Rerelease: - Updated templates for Lock Screens and Home Screens - iMessage scenarios (We all love being left on delivered, right?) - FaceTime calls (Group & Single) - Phone calls and call logs

Please remember:

Always credit me when using these templates 🩷

Don’t claim them as your own work 💀

Don’t redistribute or re-upload them anywhere else 💀

Because I want to keep my Canva templates accessible to everyone—especially those without Canva Pro, I recreate all the icons for apps and other iPhone features myself. This means lots of searching and tweaking to make everything work and look as close to real as possible, so please respect the time and effort I put into this work. 

IMPORTANT: Credit me as the creator whenever you use these templates! It’s really important to me, and I’ve seen too many people forget or not credit at all. Please respect my work and give credit when using these.

If you have suggestions for future templates you'd like to see, I’m always open to hearing them! I love getting feedback from all of you, and I’m always looking to create new things for sims stories! ✨

Download here 🩵

Once again, thank you for all your love and support! I can’t wait to see how you use these templates in your stories! 🩷

Previews

[saradika-graphics]

Hello! I luvvv your dividers and it has inspired me to start doing them for fun. But I don't know how to make the background transparent and I was wondering if you could please teach me how??

Thank you ✨💓💓 Please keep creating those amazing art!!

hi, that is so awesome!! I am so happy you like them and that is so cool you’ve been taking your own!! 💖 I have a quick tutorial here, if you are using canva then unfortunately downloading with a transparent background is a canva pro feature.

the best way around that is to sign up for the free trial and then download them (you could make dividers in advance or try to make future ones you’ll use, to maximize the trial time), or use another site that removes backgrounds