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I tend to forget how much I love traditional art until I see someone highly skilled doing it in person
#there were so many people at the con today drawing/sketching and so much of it was so stunning#makes me want to practice more and also actually learn how to draw manga like 13 year old me wanted to#I just always see so much digital art everywhere and I do not have digital art tech or skills#but I will try and replicate those styles with pencils and it never really works out#and traditional art never seem to get as much boost online which is a bummer#idk. it just feels like everyone does digital art and sometimes it gets to me and makes me think that's how I Have to draw#or that if I had digital materials I would draw more or be better or something#even though I've always just really loved pencil and pen art#also watercolors. but that's a whole other skill lmao
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Lost in the Remaster: Star Trek, Vintage Special Effects, and the Charm of Old Media
by Ren Basel renbasel.com
Originally created by Gene Roddenberry, Star Trek is a franchise that spans decades. From the original series of 1966 to current shows such as Lower Decks, it stands as a titan of television and pop culture. The real world has undergone incredible change since Star Trek’s first appearance, yet nerds everywhere still find entertainment, inspiration, and hope in its classic episodes. Recently, along with my husband and best friend, I decided I wanted to attempt the gauntlet of watching the entire franchise from beginning to end, revisiting favorites and finally checking out the ones I missed. Media and fandom studies are my passion, after all, and Star Trek is a foundational part of modern American nerd culture.
Starting with the original series proved more difficult than expected. Living in a tiny apartment, we don’t have much space for DVDs, so Star Trek wasn’t in our existing collection. The local public library didn’t have copies, either, and putting in a purchase request doesn’t guarantee it will be made available. My family doesn’t have the funds to pay for every single streaming service on the market, and Star Trek isn’t available on any we do have access to. Piracy was starting to look like the only option, but even that fell flat when we couldn’t find a version with subtitles. Finally we dug it up officially and with subtitles, for free via PlutoTV, but there were still limitations: PlutoTV only streams season one, and season one is only available in the remastered edition that replaced the original special effects with new visuals.
It wasn’t ideal, but, hey, it was Star Trek.
Watching just one episode a week gave us enough time to scrape together savings to get what we really wanted for seasons two and three: the official BluRay release, which includes both remastered and original-release versions of each episode. The remasters are fine, but as a lover of media history and practical effects, I’m always disappointed to lose a chance to appreciate the originals. It doesn’t matter how good it might look, remasters are never as much fun to me as matte paintings, camera tricks, and whatever the prop department could pull off with ten dollars and some glue.
Finally having the BluRays in hand for season two only affirmed my love of vintage practical effects. Seeing the Enterprise in her original glory, before she was ever rendered in digital form, felt like opening a time capsule. I love time capsules. My favorite pieces of media are always those which capture a moment in time, showcasing the aesthetics, concerns, and culture of the time and place they were created. Star Trek: the Original Series is rooted in the late sixties, when mainstream culture in the United States was experiencing immense upheaval and social change. That context is written all over the show. The vintage effects add to it, grounding it in a very specific time and place. Updating the show’s effects takes away some of that 60s aesthetic, and while some may see it as making the show more timeless, I don’t care for it. To me, seeing what they could pull off before modern technology is half the fun of watching old shows. The ingenuity and creativity of propmakers, makeup artists, and set designers working on shoestring budgets is unparalleled.
To be clear, digital effects are also done by skilled professionals who deserve much more respect and many more labor protections. There are some truly stunning works created with digital tools. That said, I hate when digital effects are used to cover up the practical effects that came before. It feels disrespectful to the original artists, as if telling them their work wasn’t good enough; as if their work was just a placeholder until something better could come along and fix it. Practical effects aren’t a placeholder, they’re an art form in their own right, and that art form is one for which I have deep appreciation.
It frustrates me that the original, non-remastered episodes were such a pain for us to access, but I’m very glad to have added them to my personal media collection. No matter what future tweaks Star Trek’s rights holders might make, I can always pop in our personal copies to enjoy the Enterprise and her crew in all their vintage, “outdated” glory. If you’re also too young to remember the show’s original airing, and you have the opportunity to watch the unedited version, I highly suggest you do. Watching the version that aired in 1966 gives the show a charm that no amount of remastering can ever match.
_
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#original post#original essays#star trek#the original series#star trek: the original series#star trek tos
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Sometimes I think Tumblr shows some of the best of humanity. Not everywhere, obviously - there are always assholes - but ... I mean, come on. Our daily lives demand that we be ... flat. Incurious, unmoved by anything but the need to survive. To those who run the world, we're cogs in a machine and the only time we should appreciate anything that isn't "I have a job so I won't starve this month" is when they want to sell us something, and we should appreciate that without question. It's the worst bits of Brave New World and the worst bits of 1984, all in one.
But here? Here we tell each other stories. We create art just because. We watch the wonders of the natural world through digital windows, and we are awed and fascinated and our brains are alive for a minute. The adorable, the desirable, the awe-inspiring, the sexy - they're what we decide they are, not what someone wants to sell us.
We teach each other. We entertain each other. We inspire each other. We cheer each other on. We remind people all over the world to take their meds, to hydrate, to hang in there because there is beauty in the world. We live in a world where there are adorable little octopi and baby horseshoe crabs and little frogs that sleep in flowers. We live in a world where someone in another country wants to teach us how to crochet, or cook, or do home improvement stuff. We have experts - qualified or not - in every field, willing to teach us what school systems won't.
Yeah, of course there are assholes. Unfortunately, there always are. But I read through your posts, all of you, and I see a world that doesn't just want me to work until I die. I see a world that wants me to live, and most of all to enjoy living. I honestly hope the weird and funny and beautiful things I fill my own queue with help you all do the same. Everyone deserves to remember that the world is more than work-eat-sleep.
So thank you for the beautiful art, and the awesome writing, and the flowers, and the "It's Gonna Be Okay" posts, and all the trivia (even the kangaroo penis thing). Thanks for reminding me how much bigger the world is than some people want us to realise.
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Shags get obsessed with a girl that works at an art store where he gets his supplies. She's laid back and chit-chats with him about any projects he's working on.
[Okay but what if you had a really strange thing going on?]
You like this little freak.
Yeah, okay, that's a bit of a mean thing to say. But can you be blamed? There's no word that fits him more aptly than freak. Not even in the physical sense, there's a lot of variety in mushroom monsters, you know some of them can be tall and gangly like Shags. He's just bizarre.
The way he speaks, moves, conducts himself. You swear, not a single mannerism this monster makes feels natural or reflexive. Even the way he seems to intensely wait and make himself an obstacle until you initiate conversation with him... God, even the fucking topics of conversation, it's like he makes an effort to speak in riddles.
In this rather boring dead-end of a job, seeing this weirdo bend and squeeze through the doors like Samara about to crawl out of the TV is the highlight of your shift.
That's why he's your favorite client.
He's been standing still in the same supplies isle for too long, you already know what he wants.
" Having trouble finding something, Mr Shags? "
As if, he probably knows this store better than yourself.
In fact, he outright told you he used to be a client before you started working here.
He murmurs a response too quietly to interpret, forcing you to come closer. And, predictably, as soon as you are within grabbing distance (not hard to achieve when you're a lamppost of a monster featuring branch-like arms), a spider hand slithers onto your shoulder. It's cold, he's always a little cold.
You're urged in front of a shelf, his head looming over yours.
" Ahh, I need your honest opinion on something... If you don't mind? "
This is the paints section, a mural of hues that hurt the eyes.
" Sure. "
" What shade of orange do you think I should get? "
You love these questions. Because never once does he elaborate on what he's creating or why he wants you to choose. It's happened many times before. What size of canvas should I get? What pen should I get? What sketch books should I get?
You like the strange autonomy of getting to pick, offering him the same level of context he does to you.
Absolutely none.
" Alloy. " You point.
Shags reaches towards it with little effort, snagging several little containers with his root-like digits. The hand on your shoulders tightens.
" What a choice. Thank you very much, my dear. "
" No problem. "
It takes a bit of shifting before the hand on your skin is lifted.
You stroll back to the cash register with a small smile and occasionally observe the monster in the same way you'd study an animal at the zoo.
It's strange how little he moves sometimes. Initially, you thought it was just so he wouldn't drip ink everywhere, but it seems to be a part of him now. Blending in with all his other vaguely creepy mannerisms. Mr Shags gets all his items at a snail's torturous pace and finally, finally approaches you.
" How are the latest projects going, Mr Shags? " You start while scanning the paints first.
The shroom actually seems to frown for a second. Fingers busy on the balcony. " Not as smoothly as I wished... "
Tap tap tap.
" My latest muse and I, our chemistry, I'm afraid it has no substance. "
" Oh? " Your eyes deviate to his face for a moment.
" Yes... Something tells me it's time to move on. But I do want to honor our time together with one last, preserving piece. "
Tap tap tap.
" Mhm. Sounds good, I hope the next one works out. " Frankly, you're not sure what he's talking about, but you usually never are to begin with.
" Me too. " Then he smiles again, and you get the distinct feeling his stare has turned into a more scrutinizing one.
Far from the first time, it doesn't scare you like it did initially.
It's pretty funny, actually. You started out thinking this guy was some kind of loser looking to harass you, to intentionally make you uncomfortable. Nowadays he's more of an entertaining almost-friend.
Tap tap tap.
" Will that be all, Mr Shags? "
" Shags. "
He's told you to call him just by his name a couple of times. You always ignore it, but he keeps trying anyway.
There's a silent beat.
During your first years of work, the lack of action would have made you antsy enough to break the silence, which is what you know he wants you to do. But now, you have no trouble staring back placidly until he continues the conversation.
Apparently, the shroom enjoys that continuous challenge, because his grin widens slowly.
" You have a peculiar facial definition. " He eventually rasps.
A nothing statement, not quite a compliment, not quite an insult, definitely said to confuse and prompt a question. One you don't give him the satisfaction of hearing.
" Thanks. " The customer service smile has an edge of playful smarm this time.
Tap tap tap.
" ... I would enjoy sketching you sometime. Your facial expressions are intriguing. "
This is essentially his way of asking you out, you presume.
" You've drawn me before. "
He's even given you the pages, pencil depictions of you caught in a selection of moments. Mostly bored to tears and staring at the little universe between the cracks in aged walls.
Shags tuts. " It's quite different when the muse in question is part of the experience. I much prefer it that way. "
You can't help the hint of a snicker that tugs at the corners of your lips as you bag his items to hurry things along. Not that there's anyone else inside right now.
" Mm. And what if we don't have good chemistry? "
The shroom monster hands you his card, not even caring about hearing the total.
" I think we both know that wouldn't be the case. "
Tap tap tap.
It's only a few moments of intentionally creating suspense until you hand him all his new belongings and card.
" See you soon, Mr Shags. "
His grin only twitches for a delightful glimpse of a second before he carefully takes his possessions and leaves.
Playing with fire is fun.
One day, you'll get burned.
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23 Asks :)))
Google says that means Hunger in Spanish soooo
Eat up my child
I feel like it would be really hard to mistake Foxy for a dog. "Foxy the pirate Fox" posters are everywhere. Foxy is bright red and has a obviously fox like tail. His name is Foxy.
But there's always bound to be that one parent who doesn't get it, "Sweetie go play with the big dog :}}" But no one would throw a bone at him because they think he's a dog. That wouldn't happen-
Once I'm free from this big project I would like to draw some digital circus. But who knows, my interest in it could die out before the project is done-
@professional-idiocy
Uhg. Always super frustrating. Thanks for letting me know. 👍
Google says that's an economy/nation question. I don't talk bout that stuff here sooo... sorry-
My main headcannon for Sunny is that he is also Moony. He is 1 animatronic with no split personalities. Sunny and Moony are the same animatronic with 1 personality, wearing 2 different costumes.
I don't think taking inspiration would be much of an issue. Just stay away from straight up taking my idea word for word and doing the exact same thing as me. And don't take my idea word for word, add a bit to it and then call it yours.
And as for the offline stuff. Going against artists wishes is still wrong even if I cant see it.
If people seriously cannot interact with me without going against my wishes. Please block me. Stay as far away from my content as possible. That would be more respectful to me and yourself.
@mysteriousl0ser
YEEEAAAAHH!! All good characters. I like Caine for his unique design, plus he's really funny. Same with Kinger, I like his design and he's really funny to me XD Perfectly cut screams are my weakness.
@beryl-shade
Yes! And in the true swap its Bonnie! :}}
@shawnmlinsitly08
Thank you so much! I hope you like the rest of the artwork I have to offer! :}}}
@abaroo
I haven't planned for Seam to get his eye back, no.. <:/
Also-
WAAAA THANK YOU SO MUCH!! 😭😭😭
I remember reading about that style of line art and how it was "bad". "Chicken scratching" I think its called. And how people said that its not a proper way to draw and makes the art look bad. But it DOESN'T!!
Controlling lines and getting the perfect shapes is so much easier with chicken scratching. And if you know how to control it and clean it up, its not as messing looking as people think!
I've used chicken scratching for line art becuase its much easier and not as messy as people think. I'm so glad you noticed my line art and I'm honored that you would incorporate it into your artwork! I hopes it helps you as much as it helped me! :}}}
@pinkbomb08
I'm sure Seam and the others would devour anything you gave them. Even if they didn't like the taste. Beggars cant be choosers!
Also thank you so much! I'll do my best! :))
Maybe.? I could see them applying ointment to rags and carefully slipping them under and at first it feels nice.. But then having to take the rags out to apply more ointment could cause more pain and irratation..
There's also this property to the chains where they can get tighter at times.. maybe they'd have rags under the chains occasionally. But due to the tightening and irritation maybe they can only do it for a short time. As to not cause Seam any more discomfort..
@chickenmilk120
I've been hanging in there! :')
Thank you, and I'll do my best! :}
Oh yeah, there would definitely be this "cool down time" after every mirror where Jevil is wiped out and needs time to get his strength back. The natures of these mirrors is still a bit unknown, even to Jevil. So the first time he collapsed out of exhaustion must have been pretty scary for Seam.. who knows what was wrong with him..
As for the darkener thing, my AU functions off of my bizarre headcannon.
In my AUs, Darkeners, lighteners, and Undertale Monsters and humans.. are 4 separate beings with different properties.
A Deltarune Human is different from an Undertale Human. And a Undertale Monster is not a darkener, or a lightener. They are their own category. Not saying I believe any of this is canon to the games, its likely not. This is just the structure my AU is built on.
And I had this idea that Deltarune and Undertale stuff.. doesn't really mix. Or at least it rarely does. The idea is that the magic that makes up these 4 beings are all different. They don't mix usually, they just clash together.
Asgore cant heal Spamton becuase his magic is sooo different from the magic in Deltarune. Spamton's body just rejects this magic because of how foreign/different it is. A darkener could maybe heal him. And perhaps a Lightener could heal him.? But no one originating from Undertale can give their magic to him. They are just completely different.
Its the same when it comes to food. Some food is universal. Its so simple that nearly any kind of magic can break it down. But a lot of the times the darkeners bodies just, cant absorb Undertale foods. They're so different..
As for advantages or disadvantages.. maybe? There could be a case where a powerful Undertale monster tries to hurt Jevil. But his magic is just, structured sooo differently its basically ineffective. It could also work the other way. Maybe Seam is trying to step up and protect himself. And he only has to use a tiny amount to blow the Undertale opponent away. Its because his magic is so different it pierced right through his foe. Maybe stuff like that.? :0
That is an interesting question.. I'd say it kind'a depends on the AU.?
And like, none of my AUs are actually completed. None of them. Things are always changing or I'm always adding more too it and the story never ends. But still I develop them at different speeds depending on the AU..
For example. My Welcome home AU. The structure for that AU and basic plot was thought up in like 3 days. Same thing with my Digital Circus AU actually,
But my FNAF AU? It took WEEKS to sift through all the games and pick everything apart and carefully construct my own timeline and think of a story for every single animatronic and have it all line up and-
Then there's my Deltarune AU. The basic idea of a traveling Jevil was thought up and constructed in like a day. But the rest of the au is weeks in the making. And its constantly changing and I'm always adding stuff and rearranging things GRAHHH!
It really depends <XD
And some ideas do go unwanted/unused overtime. But mostly I overwrite my own ideas with new ones. I think of a cool idea and I push everything in the AU aside to make it work. Even if the structure of my AU suffers a bit. <XD
Yeah! Its good to see those guys out and about. And hey Green Truck's ok! He just has a strange way of starting up. It means that he's harder to steal now XDD
@beryl-shade
Yes! Her voice box doesn't work if its not attached to her Jaw. Same with the all the other diner animatronics :0
I pictured Seam being MUCH younger. I thought of King and Queen being like Asgore and Toriel. Being these powerful boss monsters that live for 100s of years.
So while King and Queen are 100s of years old. Seam is like.. in his 50s or something <XD
@crimson-thinker
WAAA THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! THAT MEANS THE WORLD TO ME!!😭😭💗💞😭🍤💕
Thank you! Also after googling it, I kind'a see the resemblance XD
ALSKAKD GREG BEAR XDD That's perfect!!
Also thank you so much! Same to you! :D
@lathan-chillyfilm
I've never played Dr. Mario & Dr. Luigi so any elements from that game were not added to my AU.. :(
But Mario and Luigi bringing foreign bacteria and illnesses could be an issue.. or it might not! :0 After all I don't know if human viruses can be dangerous to fungal people <XD
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See below for how I made this, if you are interested.
I call this Five's WTF face, and it's the same one I had this morning when someone sent me an ASK, not specifying one particular post I have done, with one word that said, "AI." See below if you want to see how I made this. (not AI 😉)
Link to my other Tumblr art and story posts
Disclaimer: I am not a professional artist. My background is in painting, and I started sketching people a little over a year ago, and I have a post on A03 (Link to that) to show my progression with that to this based on the lovey character of Five.
I just do this for fun and I haven't found my style yet, other than I like to try everything. I use Procreate digital drawing app, not AI for my art or the stories I post.
I have done things for other people on occasion that use a photo filter-like to dress up a pic for them or for a cover or something, but that's about as AI as I get.
I totally understand the AI question because it's out there everywhere, so I figured since I got 'asked,' I'd show how I do things this time.
This one above was done with a painting style, but the process is very similar for the more cartoonish/anime or sketch/line art I have done.
Here is the picture I looked at. (I always use a picture or several pictures or models as reference.)
This next one is my step one, which is getting the main lines right, and in this case, not much detail because it's for a painting. For this, I like to use the studio pen tool. (Looks very bad at this point. Sorry, Five. 😆)
This next one is the start of me adding colors and messing around with where shadows and highlights will be, but very little blending yet, and I am only using the basic 'soft brush' tool and smudger.
For the next step, I just keep going, adding more color and try to get things looking closer to the actual photo, but I also start using the wet acrylic brush and the dry acrylic brush-nothing fancy.
After that, it's what we get at the top of my post, with simply finishing it by adding more and more paint until I get it dark enough in the darkest spots and then I get to play with lighter colors on top again. I also go back and use my studio pen to darken areas and correct the sharper lines that got painted over.
~So that's it. If anyone ever wants to know how I do something, never hesitate to ask; I am an open book.
As a final note. Thank you to all who have liked and reblogged my art and my stories, and for all the people/artists/writers/meme makers on here just trying to make stuff because they like to. I adore you all. 💕
#number five fanart#five hargreeves fanart#tua fanart#number five#number 5#my process#kaybreezy-on-a03#procreate#digital painting#digital art#tua#five hargreeves#tua 3#wtf#AI or not AI-apparently that was the question or accusation so here is the answer 👍#artists on tumblr#digital drawing
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hi :) so i saw u were doing the match up request things and wanted to try one! could it be for ninjago, i like men (unfortunately). lets see, soo..i’m a girl, half porto rican-half white (i was raised bilingual i know Spanish and english) have a little bit more curvy pear shaped figure, a few freckles on my cheeks, bigger lips/smaller nose, i have brown curly hair, my smile is squinty, and i have central heterochromia (the much more common, kinda lame version of having two different color eyes) where the outside of my eye is green and a sharp ring around my iris is yellow (my mom calls them my stars<3) and, yeah for appearance ig thats it. as far as personality, i’m really just like if loralai Gilmore from Gilmore girls didn’t like coffee. i love photography, art, nature, cats, i collect old post cards/old photographs, i have an old 2003 digital camera i thrifted that i bring everywhere, my favorite colors are green/pink, i love taylor swift and mitski and alex g, i read comics, i take pictures of every tree andddd… lots of other stuff but i ramble haha anyways have a wonderful day<3<3 to infinity and beyond, mars ⭐️
From one central heterochromia haver to another (yours sound so pretty tho,,)… I match you with:
Lloyd Garmadon!!
A few headcanons:
He thinks it’s so cool that you know English and Spanish
He’ll ask you how to say something in Spanish, then proceed to repeat it in the most American accent you’ve ever heard
He’s trying tho :(
You guys bond over your love of nature and comics
Lloyd loves to go on hikes/nature walks with you, and he’ll help you find neat things to take pictures of
On that note, he 100% supports your photography hobby
His room is gradually overtaken by photos you’ve given him
He’s not complaining though; he adores each and every one
As for your love of comics, you guys give each other recommendations and swap issues
You love to gush about your favorites and predict what will happen future issues
You absolutely lose your minds when you end up being right
If/when you move in together, you adopt a cat
You’re both huge cat people, so that little fuzzball gets treated like your biological child
You always speak super affectionately about it when in public, so people actually assume that it is a human baby
They’re so confused when they find out it’s a cat
This becomes a bit of an inside joke between you two
Lloyd likes to call you “dear,” “love,” and “bright eyes”
(He loves your eyes so much)
He likes to be called “baby,” “honey,” and “sweetie”
A drabble!
You smiled to yourself as you snapped a picture of a grove of aspens, their leaves tainted a sophisticated gold that was complimented excellently by the afternoon sunshine.
“Over here!” You heard Lloyd beckon, making your head snap over in his direction.
Moving away from the aspens, you came to a gnarled old tree. Lloyd was standing proudly in front of it, pointing to it with a huge grin. “Isn’t it cool?”
You nodded eagerly, readying your camera already. A few seconds passed, and the little click never came. You pursed your lips, disgruntled. “I can’t get a good angle.”
Lloyd frowned, his brow furrowing in contemplation as he stared at the tree. Then, with a sudden light in his eyes, he stepped closer to you and dropped to his knees.
“Get on my shoulders.”
You hesitated, but decided that the picture would be worth the effort. You squealed as he practically jumped to his feet, jostling you perilously.
You finally snapped the perfect picture. Grinning at your camera, you rubbed Lloyd’s head affectionately.
“Thanks, sweetie. You can put me down now.”
Lloyd hummed in thought, drumming his hands on your knees for a moment before continuing down the trail with you still on his shoulders.
“Lloyd! Put me down!” You laughed, playfully smacking his head.
“No.” You could hear the smile in his voice.
It wasn’t until you completed your walk that Lloyd finally relented and put you down.
“Finally! You rascal,” you giggled, shoving him lightly.
“Hey, you got some good pictures, didn’t you?”
You huffed. “Okay, I will admit that.”
Lloyd winked with a good-natured grin. “Glad I could help.” He kissed your cheek, grasping your hand before continuing on your path home.
And a song!
My Love Mine All Mine (Mitski)
'Cause my love is mine, all mine
I love, my, my, mine
Nothing in the world belongs to me
But my love, mine, all mine, all mine
…
My baby here on earth
Showed me what my heart was worth
So, when it comes to be my turn
Could you shine it down here for her?
Thank you for your support! You truly do mean so so much to me <33 I hope this was okay!
(divider by saradika)
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TLG: As You Move Forward
So I went a few months thinking about how I'd forgotten to include Makini to my past depictions of Kion's Guard as adults (1, 2), so I decided to celebrate the 4th anniversary (albeit 2 days late :p) of the Journey of Memories episode by finally showing off the adult design I have for her!
Because I'm still salty about TLG's last-minute decision in making Makini the Mjuzi of the Night Pride instead of Kiara's bestie like Season 2 hyped her up to be, I made a compromise by headcanoning that she frequently journeys back-and-forth between the Pridelands and the Tree of Life, especially when she's called over by each land for a ceremony of some kind.
Design Process:
To avoid making her look too much like a clone of her mother Fikiri, I figured that Makini would develop her dad Kitendo's features as she grew older (I think she's about 20-something in this image). It's kind of a thing for TLG to erroneously depict animals without their distinct sexual dimorphism (see: Mbuni the ostrich), but this time, I felt like embracing Makini's unusual bright colors for a female mandrill and make her look a little androgynous. I feel like it would fit her role as a Mjuzi for some reason lol
I figured the Bakora Staff she received at the Tree of Life would be her last new one as she's since learned to keep better track of it. I like to think that it symbolizes not only growth and learning, but it coming from the Tree of Life symbolizing that her true place is there.
In all that time she's owned it, being the crafty artist she is, she's put years of customization and souvenirs from her back-and-forth Pridelands/Tree of Life adventures into her decorating her staff, selecting just about every pretty flower and naturally-occurring bead she saw. I mainly sought out the idea of people bedazzling their canes for reference, she seems like the type to do that, making just about anything she owns pretty lol
Drawing Process:
ngl I got to work on this very much like that episode where Makini procrastinated on getting started on her portrait of Simba's family. I just, like... really struggled with the composition until I was hit with sudden inspiration to just go wherever my hand took me.
I grabbed a thumbnail sketch of my adult Makini design that I was the most happy with and rendered it digitally and was happy that it got me somewhere... then I ran into the background that I didn't put any thought into.
Because of the cropping and composition I already had going on with Makini's standalone model, it was very hard to come up with something she could be surrounded by, until I decided to insert some headcanons about a certain new TLG-related short Disney released. Basically: I headcanon Makini made those Circle of Life paintings that Kion shows to those younger cubs as I think the style they used in those paintings looks WAY different from Rafiki's (I mean the whole video looks different from the whole TLK art style). You can't tell me those purple pigments and cutesy flowers aren't something Makini would draw everywhere lol
Sources of Inspiration:
Sadly not pictured due to the angle and cropping is the headcanon that she paints her nails all the time, and she's always trying different color combos basically every week lol. I adopted that headcanon from iceflowerglow, who depicts Makini with painted nails in their comic "Shining Above Your Head". Other artists I drew inspiration from were Vtoony's "TLG: Kion's Guard" and tango_fizz.le's "Where'd all the time go?" when it came to designing her fully-developed mane.
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LCDrarry 2023 Master List Part 2: Fic
Dear lovely Participants, Creators, Alpha and Beta Readers, Cheerleaders, Readers and Fans of this fest,
The 5th installment of LCDrarry has come to an end, and I'd like to thank you all for taking part in this fest, for creating so many amazing new Drarry works for us all to enjoy, for commenting on your favourite creations, for sharing and recommending the LCDrarry gems with your friends and blog followers, and for making this fest another amazing experience for everybody!
Fests would not exist without their participants or readers! You're all amazing! And I'm so happy that you chose this fest in the vast and wonderful offerings of HP and Drarry events.
You can find out under the cut who created what ;D
~Your LCDrarry Mod Tami (@celilasart)
PS: Please have a look at the author notes and tags on AO3 for additional information and more detailed warnings. Thank you! PPS: As always, reblogs are very much appreciated! PPPS: If you're interested in fest statistics, have a look at the Fest Wrap-Up Post. PPPPS: You can find all the lovely podfics and art works in the 1st part of our LCDrarry 2023 Master List.
Enjoy!
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Fic and Art
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Brighton
Prompt: "San Junipero" (episode) from "Black Mirror", 2016 Author: Sniper_Jade Word Count: 24,156 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: BDSM Scene, Shibari, Voyeurism, Alcohol
Summary: Harry Potter finds Draco Malfoy somewhere he never would have expected. It leads him to question everything he has ever thought about himself and his life in the hopes for something better. Something that he never knew he wanted and now can’t seem to live without.
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The Flame Between Us
Prompt: “Lady Chatterley’s Lover”, 2022, Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre Author: AvenueofESC Artist: Bubblegumhead Word Count: 33,060 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: marriage of convenience, open marriage, consensual infidelity, D/s undertones, terminal illness, blood curse, implied mpreg, canonical character death, angst with a happy ending
Summary: The rumoured engagement of one Mister Draco Lucius Malfoy and Lady Astoria Sofia Greengrass has been the talk of Wizarding Society. My dear reader, this author can confirm that the rumours are true.
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This Life Now
Prompt: "Sweet Home Alabama", 2002, Andy Tennant Author: palendrome Artist: S3anchaidh Word Count: 38,295 words Art Medium: Digital Rating: Mature Warnings: Explicit Sexual Content, Mentions of Divorce, Alcohol, Minor Draco Malfoy/Blaise Zabini, Minor Pansy Parkinson/Ginny Weasley, Harry Potter & OMC Friendship, Draco is involved with/engaged to Blaise while separated from but still legally married to Harry
Summary: This close up, Draco can see the differences that have occurred over the years. Harry's hair is longer, although it's as unruly as ever; his forearms are well-muscled and decorated with ink; and there are small lines by his eyes that look like they would crinkle if he were smiling. Which, at this moment, he most definitely is not. He looks like he's worn the same clothes for three days and just rolled out of bed, yet Harry's so unfairly gorgeous it makes Draco's heart ache. "What do you want, Draco?" Harry asks, his voice resigned. The question snaps Draco out of his reverie. "A divorce," he proclaims as he opens his bag.
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Fic
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Do I Know You?
Prompt: "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", 1997, Episode "Tabula Rasa" Author: use_it_well Word Count: 13,488 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: Explicit Sexual Content, Memory Loss, Light Dom/Sub
Summary: Harry knew better than most just how many dangerous items one could come across at Hogwarts.
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Of Stars in Infinite Universes
Prompt: "Everything Everywhere All At Once", 2022, Dan Kwan & Daniel Scheinert Author: lily_winterwood Word Count: 21,792 words Rating: Teen and up Warnings: Suicide ideation, passive-aggressive homophobia (aka not explicit hatred, just concern-trolling about ~continuing the family line~), mild body horror
Summary: Harry Potter is asked to find a missing Draco Malfoy. (Or: Draco Malfoy is hiding from an omniversal entity. In searching for him through their other lifetimes together, Harry Potter begins to wonder what his former archenemy truly means to him.) (An Everything Everywhere All At Once AU.)
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see the steeple (trace to the spire)
Prompt: "God's own country", 2017, Francis Lee Author: Olena Word Count: 33,857 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: None
Summary: Harry’s sure about it being Draco’s fault, just like he’s been sure of any other part of his life. Harry wants to spend a week assisting with the birth of a rare magical creature. He doesn’t want to spend a week at Malfoy Manor assisting Draco with said birth. It’s been seven years since Draco was sentenced to house arrest without magic and now he’s running a farm. A week isn’t a long time, but Harry finds himself distracted by this Draco who is so different from the one he used to know.
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The Piano
Prompt: "The Piano", 1993, Jane Campion Author: shushu_yaoi_lj Word Count: 37,585 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: angst with a happy ending, elective mute Draco, PTSD, mention of canonical child neglect, mpreg
Summary: He arrives on a boat during a particularly stormy day. Harry knew Astoria Greengrass had sent for a husband, someone to keep her company on the particularly dreary and dark winter days on this remote island. Harry didn’t know who it was she had arranged to be sent here. All he knew was that the weather was horrid today, and the Portkeys had never properly worked in this remote corner of the North Sea. The island was special, its magic working in odd and surprising ways. The last person Harry expects to find on the beach is Draco Malfoy.
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Peep Show
Prompt: "Friends", 1994, TV Series Author: kbrick Length: 10,120 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: None
Summary: Auror trainees Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy are maybe-possibly-sort-of friends. When Harry moves into the building next to Draco's, they become neighbors, too. Actually, Harry can see directly into Draco's flat from his window. And as it turns out, Draco gets up to some interesting things at night.
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Let it in
Prompt: "Cherry Magic! Thirty years of virginity can make you a wizard?!", TV Series/Show Author: deliciousblizzardshark Word Count: 11,654 words Rating: Teen and up Warnings: None
Summary: "Thirty, huh?" Pansy asked. “My cousin told me that Japan there’s this urban legend called ‘cherry magic’. It’s basically that if you turn thirty without, you know, popping your cherry, you get magical powers.” “Pans, I don’t know how to put this to you, but we already have magical powers,” Draco said. Pansy laughed. “No, you dolt. New ones. Apparently the legend goes that you become a mind reader.” Draco shivered. “Sounds awful.” “Anyway, it won’t happen to you, will it?” she asked. Draco shifted a little uncomfortably. “Of course it won’t,” he said. “Because you just said it’s an urban legend.” “I meant, it won’t happen to you because you’re not a virgin.” Draco laughed.
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Harry Potter vs the World
Prompt: "Scott Pilgrim", 2010, Edgar Wright Author: zeddmarker Word Count: 13,943 words Rating: Teen and up Warnings: Canon-Typical Violence, Cheating/Infidelity, Relationship between a 21 year old and a 17 year old (not endgame)
Summary: A year after the worst breakup of his life, some could argue that Harry is still struggling—dating his best friend's ex-girlfriend's sister. But when Draco Malfoy appears in a dream and then corporeally in front of him, Harry's life is turned upside down. The only thing standing in between Harry and the literal man of his dreams are seven people out to destroy him.
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Hole to Feed
Prompt: "The Menu", 2022, Mark Mylod Author: newskyillusion Word Count: 34,436 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: Self-Harm, Blood and Injury, Fiendfyre, Explicit Sex
Summary: Draco tunes them all out, watching as they fly through the water, when familiarity on his glass catches his eyes. The writing – because it’s writing, he realises, when he brings the glass closer – is barely there, blink and you'd miss it. But he would never miss it: the writing is in his dreams, under his fingernails, in his blood. It’s runes. OR The Malfoy-Black Foundation is celebrating its 25th anniversary. But why does the whole staff consist of Hogwarts graduates? And why does Chef Evans seem familiar? Harry Potter meets The Menu (2022)
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Through His Eyes (I Am Set Free)
Prompt: "In Your Eyes", 2014, Brin Hill Author: Shewhxmustnxtbenamed Word Count: 134,034 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: Threesome, vouyerism, minor character death
Summary: Harry and Draco have a telepathic connection that remains unexplained in both the Muggle and wizarding worlds. Draco is assigned a mission by Voldemort to locate and capture the Boy Who Lived-- the trouble is that they don't know anything about him. While Draco struggles to gather information on this mysteriously absent hero, he and Harry start communicating again for the first time since they were kids. Harry continues life as normal until he discovers information compels him to abandon his ordinary Muggle life with the endeavor to rescue and emancipate his only friend-- even if that means bartering with his own life.
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The Breakfast Club
Prompt: "The Breakfast Club", 1985, John Hughes Author: peachpety Length: 7,827 words Rating: Teen and up Warnings: None
Summary: Draco Malfoy is forced to endure a Saturday detention with four other students, including the Golden Bad Boy himself, Harry Potter. Over the course of the day, and under the watchful eye of Filch, the seemingly disparate group form a budding alliance and discovers that they have a great deal more in common than they thought. And Draco discovers that sometimes, he can not only get what he needs, but he just might also get what he wants.
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The Rifts that Reveal Us
Prompt: "The Notebook", 2004, Nick Cassvettes Author: bluesyquill Word Count: 8,539 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: None
Summary: Harry wrote to him. For 365 days. Today, Draco visits him. But learning why Draco didn't write back is just the beginning.
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A Different Kind Of Attention
Prompt: “Yuri on Ice!”, 2016, TV Series/Show Author: Clueless_Pigeons Word Count: 10,706 words Rating: Mature Warnings: Alcohol Use, Drunkenness, Off-screen Pet Loss
Summary: Last year's Grand Prix Final hadn't been easy for Harry. And France's top skater, Draco Malfoy, hadn't made it any easier. This year, however, Harry is determined. He wants that gold medal! But things don't ever go to plan if it comes to Harry James Potter, do they?
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Deep Dive
Prompt: "Heartstopper", 2022, TV Show Author: chxrlieweaslxy Word Count: 13,448 words Rating: General audiences Warnings: None
Summary: When fourteen-year-old Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts for his fourth year, he learns that the school will be hosting the first-ever European Wizarding Student Cup. He is excited for a year of just Quidditch, without Voldemort or any mortal danger. But it doesn’t take long before an unexpected connection with a competitor complicates what was meant to be a worry-free year.
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I Couldn't Love You More
Prompt: "P.S. I Love You", 2007, Richard LaGravenese Author: Ladderofyears Word Count: 73,706 words Rating: Mature Warnings: MCD, grief, mourning, AU- No Voldemort, drinking alcohol, brain tumor, five stages of grief, dead dove don't eat, sex toys, sad moments, unrequited love (not Draco), Draco shares brief kiss with another man, bars and pubs, Harry is dead before the fic begins, he doesn't come back to life.
Summary: Their plan had been a simple one: to stay together for the rest of their lives. When Harry and Draco met, their attraction was instantaneous. They couldn't be without each other and eloped to marry as soon as they could. They wore each other's clothes. Finished each other's sentences. They were going to be together until they were old and grey. None of their friends could imagine one without the other. But, on Valentine's Day, 2010, Harry died. Draco was left devastated. The only light in the darkness is ten letters that Harry has left, labelled with the remaining months of the year. As the letters are opened, Harry shows Draco that life goes on and that he is much stronger than he ever knew. With a lot of help from his friends. Draco realises that, while his life might be very different from what he'd planned, it can still be special.
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0 + 0 = 1
Prompt: "Taskmaster", 2015, TV Show Author: Albuss Word Count: 2,895 words Rating: General audiences Warnings: None
Summary: Harry and Draco go on Taskmaster. That's it. That's the plot.
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A Boesky, A Jim Brown, and the biggest Leon Spinks ever.
Prompt: "Ocean's Eleven", 2001, Steven Soderbergh Author: tsundanire Word Count: 12,030 words Rating: Teen and up Warnings: None
Summary: Harry and his group of friends formulate a rather ambitious plan to re-acquire a rare diamond from the clutches of an old enemy—Theo Nott. Along the way, he's hoping to catch the attention of his ex—Draco Malfoy—who is now dating Theo. “What have you heard?” Harry half-whispered. “Rumours are going around that it’s the Starlight Diamond.” The guest half-whispered in reply, excitement practically vibrating out of the man’s pores. “Starlight Diamond?” He feigned ignorance, flicking his glance between the guest and Ginny. “Oh, right, I’m so sorry Mr. Potter. I often forget you didn’t grow up in our world.” Harry twitched, fist clenched. In another life, he probably would have decked the guy for being a prick, but that was the kind of person this sort of event attracted. The old money and the nouveau riche, both looking to flaunt their means and gossip.
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Welcome to Kreb
Prompt: “How to Train Your Dragon”, 2010, Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois Author: Nelween Word Count: 24,037 words Rating: Mature Warnings: injuries, broken bones, vomiting, killing
Summary: Harry had always been obsessed with dragons. It was one of the reason he had studied them. And when the opportunity came to study draconic creatures in the wild on a deserted magical island with his mentor Charlie Weasley and his friend Neville Longbottom, why wouldn't he take it? If only he knew what he would encounter on his journey...
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The Decision
Prompt: “Fleabag”, 2019, TV Series Author: MurderGrandma Word Count: 5,369 words Rating: Mature Warnings: transphobic slur but don't worry she gets revenge, miscarriage, general horrible person
Summary: Love is awful. Draco Malfoy is dreading helping Pansy Parkinson plan her wedding. That's something horrible people dread, and perhaps that makes her a horrible person. She's determined to behave, until old connections and an increasingly surreal and intolerable dinner party get the better of her.
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The Dying of the Light
Prompt: “Dead Like Me”, 2003, TV Series Author: camomiletea Word Count: 20,078 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: Death themes, Implied Infidelity (not between Harry/Draco), Angst, Hurt/Comfort
Notes: “Life sucks, and then you die… And then it still sucks.” – Georgia Lass, Dead Like Me. The biggest thank you to our fabulous Mods for LCDrarry 2023! This community has been an absolute joy to be a part of and I couldn’t recommend it enough to others. And to my beta (R) who (once again) aided my whale call for assistance in the very final stages of submission. This fic would be a mess without you. You're the absolute best. x
Summary: Everyone dies. That’s just the way it is. And then there are the unfortunate few who get promoted.
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Palm Springs
Prompt: "Palm Springs", 2020, Max Barbakow Author: Kittycargo Word Count: 20,137 words Rating: Mature Warnings: Major Character Death, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Time Loop, Angst with a Happy Ending
Summary: Harry collapsed into the chair next to him. “What is happening?” “One of those infinite time loop situations.” “What?!” “You know. Yesterday is today. Today is today, tomorrow is today.” “But how do I stop it? I don’t want tomorrow to be today. I want tomorrow to be tomorrow!” “Yeah, that’s understandable.” Malfoy said calmly. “Do you like tacos?”
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Double Trouble
Prompt: "Alias", 2001-2006, TV Series Author: multiverse_of_fanfic Word Count: 57,440 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: possible tw for torture (non-graphic incarcerous)
Summary: Four years after the War, Draco is stuck in a dead-end job, paper-pushing his life away. Until one day, after a security breach in the Ministry, he receives an offer he can’t refuse. Thrown back into a world he thought he’d left behind, Draco must wrestle with his Death Eater past as well as his inconvenient — and forbidden — feelings for an annoyingly level-headed Harry Potter. Will he manage to come out unscathed like he has most of his life, or will it all come crashing down?
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An Angel, A Demon, and The End of The World
Prompt: “Good Omens”, 2019, TV Series Author: DrWhoIsGinnyHolmes Word Count: 3,844 words Rating: Teen and up Audiences Warnings: Religious imagery and references
Summary: Armageddon has come to Earth and enemies Demon Harry and Angel Draco are forced to come together to figure out how to halt it. They had become rather fond of Earth in all their years upon it, and don't wish it a tragic end. Plus, oh dear, the Antichrist has gone missing.
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Champions of Karlstad
Prompt: "Borg v McEnroe", 2017, Janus Metz Author: Dexiha Word Count: 18,310 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: mention of blood, injuries and ice hockey-typcial in-game violence
Summary: Draco signs a contract with Färjestad BK, one of the top ice hockey clubs in Sweden. Draco's long-time rival, Harry Potter, refuses to play with Draco, but still chooses to follow him to Sweden, signing with another Swedish club. Is screwing with Draco's life all that Potter really cares about, or is there some other intent behind his annoying behaviour?
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A Mist That Appears (For a Little Time)
Prompt: "Sweet November", 2001, Pat O'Connor Author: DodgerKedavra Word Count: 22,490 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: This is a sickfic with mild blood and sickness!
Summary: “Give me November, and I’ll teach you to be happy. There’s only one condition. You must swear on your magic that you won’t fall in love with me.” Harry’s so tired. His whole body hurts. If Malfoy can teach him how to be happy, then... “Okay.” Harry is working himself to death. Draco only has November to help him. Falling in love is strictly against the rules.
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You've Got Owl Post
Prompt: "You've Got Mail", 1998, Nora Ephron Author: slyth_princess Word Count: 50,407 words Rating: Mature Warnings: Questionable Use of Canon
Summary: After discovering muggle romantic comedies during winter break, Pansy Parkinson and Luna Lovegood decide to launch an ambitious project called You've Got Owl Post which matches up students through an enchanted notebook so they can send letters to each other without knowing who is at the other end. It is an instant hit. Harry, without his friends knowing, is one of the first to join. And he rapidly finds a kindred soul on the other side of the pages. In real life, however, he is once again plagued by Draco Malfoy. After fighting in class, McGonagall has had enough. So, as punishment and a lesson, she assigns them the running of that years dueling club. Everyone, including Harry and Draco, assumes it will be a disaster. However, sometimes the people you think you know the best are the ones who can surprise you the most. A story of letters, bets, friendship, love, forgiveness, and discovering who you really are.
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You can find all the lovely podfics and art in the 1st part of our LCDrarry 2023 Master List.
As always, reblogs here on tumblr are very much appreciated to promote all the wonderful works of LCDrarry. But of course, please also shower our creators with comments and kudos on AO3 ;D Thank you! Read you next year ;)
#lcdrarry 2023 masterlist#lcdrarry masterlist#lcdrarry 2023#lights camera drarry 2023#lights camera drarry#lcdrarry#drarry#drarry squad#drarry fic#drarry fic rec#draco malfoy#harry potter#draco x harry#harry x draco#harry potter fanfic#drarry fanfic#drarry fanart#drarry art#hp art#hp fic recs#drarry fic recs#drarry crossover#enjoy!! :))#so sorry that things have to be posted in two parts this year#30 images - even linked - are a hard limit for tumblr now#*cries in fest mod*
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Heyo, it's the fool who wants to make a comic with zero experience in drawing or finishing stories again. A lot of people, including you, I think, mentioned that "Your first work will be bad". Any tips how…not to do that? I don't expect it to be a magnum opus or smth, but I at least want to make something people would genuinely unironically enjoy, and "first story is always not good" notion everywhere is very discouraging
It's not like I never tried anything creative ever, but this is my first attempt of putting it down on paper with intention of completing it, instead of having vague ideas of "I know what would be so cool when I make it a thing" in my head for months without acting upon any of these ideas
It's definitely a disheartening adage, even if it's supposed to take the pressure off young creators.
Unfortunately, no matter how good your starting point gets - and you can get it very good, don't get me wrong - you are still going to find it unbearably bad when you look back on it with experienced eyes. You might eventually circle back around to finding it impressive, considering it was your absolute first starting point and you had no experience, but you still won't be able to see its merit the way your audience will.
The thing is, your first project is going to teach you a lot of things you couldn't have known you needed to learn beforehand. This means everything you make after learning those things is going to be smoother in process and better in result. There's also just the fact that the more you do this sort of thing the more practiced you'll get at the mechanical side of it, making it faster and easier for you and leaving you with more energy to punch things up. Compare the Big Fight Scene from chapter 3 with the one from chapter 17 in terms of visual complexity:
Particle effects, ambient glow, soft lighting, atmospheric depth, metallic effects, light and shadow. The seeds of these ideas are present in the earlier shot, but executed in a much clumsier way. Fourteen chapters of gradually increasing complexity and just raw practice got me to the point where drawing that second panel was fun rather than exhausting. If I'd tried that in the first chapter I would've probably been so worn out just trying to finish the lineart that the quality of the rest of the image would've suffered from sheer exhaustion.
And even before that, those first chapters only flowed as well as they did because I'd been drawing hundreds and hundreds of video frames for years at this point, which had gotten my lineart muscle memory polished enough that I wasn't agonizing over every single stroke.
I was absolutely determined to start this comic off at the best level of quality I could, and that determination kept me kicking the can down the road for a decade. I think this was a good thing; if I'd started it any earlier I think I would've been a slow enough learner that the quality increase over those first few chapters wouldn't have been as steep as it was. And that first chapter was as good as I could've made it at the time; I didn't take any shortcuts or laze around, and I used every skill I'd learned over the previous decade of physical and digital art. Of course, if I knew then what I knew now there's loads of stuff I'd have changed about the way I handled the intro. In fact, I'm going to break my One Rule about "never going back or redoing things" and I'm going to walk you all through chapter 1 and what I would change/fix if I was drawing it now.
Remove the outline on the background mountains, add color variance to the further mountains so they appear farther in the background, un-muddy the color of the sky and make those clouds a little more impressive; this could've looked like a full glorious noonday sun. The forest was drawn with an experimental brush I'd created for foliage that I ended up deciding didn't produce the effect I wanted; I'd probably go through and use the technique I developed for Gleicann's forest to cel shade blocks of foliage.
Add at least the bare hint of buildings behind the sword pedestal - just gradient outlines would be fine, similar to the extended backgrounds in Zuurith. Also slap some blue cinder-y particle effects coming up off the sword. Clean up the shading layer so there aren't as many holes. Add metallic shine to the blade and marbling/stone texture to the pedestal.
Un-muddy the colors on this background; they match The Collector's color palette but that matters less than looking nice. The background needs something - speed lines, the implication of foliage - etc. The poses could also be more dynamic and drawn with more confidence. To show the power behind the blows, re-choreographs the fight to show more of the damage it does to the environment - the sword carving through rocks, ploughing furrows into the ground, starting to spark with starfire, etc.
Same problem with the foliage; the special brush adds too much detail, drawing the eye away from the important parts of the scene, and the colors are muddy to cover that up. Brighter greens and cel-shaded layers would produce the effect I actually wanted and be faster than hand-drawing every treetrunk and then shading them so they're indistinguishable anyway. Also, more intense shading on the foreground figure - a neutral tan shadow layer is functional, but it could look a lot more dramatic, and he's shaded much more lightly than the extremely muddied background is.
Of course, "if I knew then what I know now" is a meaningless turn of phrase. I needed to draw these pages this way in order to learn what I know now. If I had jumped straight into the shortcuts I've painstakingly developed without having had that intervening practice, the end result would've been just as bad - if not worse, because it would've been executed shakily, without the confidence that accompanies muscle memory. The techniques I used in this first chapter had served me well up til that point. The techniques I use now were built on these foundations. Lamenting that I could've done it better if I'd started now is like saying the pyramids would be so much taller if they'd laid the foundations at the top part instead.
There's a degree to which this work is sisyphusian. You do your best, you push yourself, and then your "best" gets better. At some point you have to accept that what was your best is still okay, even if you can't see it that way.
When I was working on this comic in the pre-actually-drawing-it years, I came to a realization that helped me get unstuck: "good enough" is a mask that "perfect" wears. Striving for perfection is a pointless task, and this is pretty well known, but it seems a lot more reasonable to just try to get "good enough" at art to guarantee that your work will be good enough. But if you unpack that concept, you likely find that your definition of "good enough" is basically "without flaws." Which is "perfect." Which is, as mentioned, unattainable. Those pages are as good as I could've possibly made them at the time, and they aren't perfect, and I never thought they were perfect, because I knew if I waited for them to be perfect in my eyes I'd never make them. I just had to grit my teeth, make them public and hope that people got something out of them that I couldn't.
There is a baseline level of artistic skill and preparation that I do recommend cultivating - figure and life drawing, anatomy studies, landscapes, reading Scott McCloud's "Understanding Comics" cover to cover - but there is no hardline starting point at which you are guaranteed to be good enough to make the story and art good. This is because "good" is subjective, and as long as you are improving as an artist, your own perspective on your old work will never be that it is "good." You have to trust that the audience that likes your story likes it for their own valid reasons.
The thing is, I know this is a bummer. This whole thing is a bummer perspective. Artists want to make good art and the nature of artistic creation is being unable to see your own art as good for long. If you believe that your art must be a certain baseline level of Good to be worthy of existing, this truth seems to be a condemnation to an eternal and pointless purgatorial struggle.
The most valuable skill an artist can develop at this stage is strangling that insecurity with their bare hands.
Trust your audience! Trust that they enjoy what they enjoy, and trust that they see something in your art, even if all you can see are the critiques you'd use to polish it! "Perfect" and "good enough" will tell you that your creation will always be hideously unlovable and must be hidden from scrutiny until it's "ready", but like all insecurities, underpinning this is the axiom that anyone who likes you or your work is lying. Strangle this falsehood, trust freely and openly that your audience is being honest with you, and while you work to improve on the creation side of things, trust that in the eyes of the people who like your work, it is Good Enough.
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I remember seeing a post of yours talking about how you have a degree(?) In creative writing. I just wanted to day that I've always loved writing stories but everyone always puts my stories down, saying they suck. They probably do but that's not the point. Did you face that kind of dismissal of your work from others?
Oh yeah for sure. That’s honestly a pretty common thing for a lot of people, which sucks so bad, but the reality is that it doesn’t matter what those people think…if people that don’t write are putting your stories down, they clearly don’t know the effort it takes to even write one at all. And if these people are also writers and are dismissing your work, then they’re simply not very good people. Personally I believe that if somebody doesn’t ask for criticism, you shouldn��t give it to them. There’s a difference between being genuinely constructive when appropriate and just being an asshole. I’m sorry people are putting down your work—that’s just a shitty thing to do, and if anything, you deserve encouragement and support! Writing is such a joy and by engaging in it, you are adding art into the world. Your art is valuable despite what those losers think. I know it’s difficult to remember that when all you experience is negativity, but remember that it’s true—you’re an artist, and while you don’t need to prove your worth to the world, it’s still nice to be reminded that you have it. And so I want to say to you: you’re doing wonderful. Keep going.
There are always going to be people who think that the arts are a waste of time, and to that I say: they simply don’t know the beauty of art as a whole and how important it is to the world. Those TV shows and movies you watch? They started out as scripts on a page. Someone had to write those. Those books you love to read? Someone had to write those. That video game dialogue in the games you play? Someone had to write that too. I think a lot of people forget that so much of today’s media starts out as words on a page. Storytelling is everywhere, and you usually have to start out on paper first. I hope the people diminishing your writing can one day dig into their tiny minds and understand that.
What helped me personally was finding a community of likeminded people who I could talk about writing with. This is a bit easier said than done, but searching for people who value the same things as you is oftentimes reassuring. Whether it be digital, like a Discord channel or a Tumblr community, or an in-person thing like a writing group that meets every other week, or even a creative writing class at your local community college, fostering a community where you can all grow together is something that might encourage you a lot! (Again, easier said than done, but you deserve that support!)
And you know what else? Your stories don’t suck! The fact that you put your time and effort into creating something from nothing? How could that suck! That’s beautiful! Yes, with more practice you can become better and better, but you can also appreciate the skills you have now—because chances are you’re better than you were a year or even a couple months ago. The fact that you’re writing at all is something to be proud of. There’s no such thing as “bad” writing—the only “bad” writing is the ones that go unwritten. You’re a wonderful artist with so much to say, and so you should say it. Give yourself grace and allow yourself to be proud of you for getting this far at all despite what other people say. Having the bravery to write is already enough.
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Heya! I just wanna first say I REALLY like your writing and it's so so cool to see some TD stuff on tumblr TwT the community is so small still so you are doing gods work here!!
I'm interested in a TD match up (possibly OM too if ur up to it!! either way idm<33)
- Name: Jay (nicknames: Bread, bug, jäyssi)
- pronouns: They/them
- sexuality: still figurin it out but I lean more towards men but also sometimes find women attractive too, non binary ppl are always a yes
- Zodiac/mbti: Cancer, ISFP-T
- appearance: 165cm tall, brunette ass lenght hair I usually just slick back using my headphones as a hairband. Always wearing noise cancelling headphones and prefer a more alternative style, almost also teetering to a 90's jock vibes :P small round sunglasses my beloved. Big love to suede leather bomber jackets and ripped jeans.
- Personality: Very empathetic, more of a listener than talker (unless it comes to my interests in which case I yap!!) Can come off as a bit monotone (I have alexithymia which causes emotions to be hard for me). I'm told I'm super approachable and comforting ^^" I get very excited over the little things and can be quite optimistic. I react quite badly to rejection or even the smallest failures.
- likes and dislikes: I LOVE snails, dandelions(my fav flower<33), anything mango flavored winter, art, everything and anything fluffy and listenin to music! I DISLIKE almost all fruits, summer, blood/gore (hemofobia), cooking (cooking anxiety), worded instructions.
- hobbies: I draw/paint digitally and traditionally. I always carry a sketchbook around everywhere :] I also really like going on easy hikes on forest trails as well as amateur photography!!
- extra info: I have autism/ADD so social stuff might suck and I can be very slow at times when it comes to learning stuff.
(If you're not currently doing matchups, please feel free to ignore this <3)
Hi Jay! Thank you for your request! Sorry it took a while. I hope you like your matchups!
In Tokyo Debunker, I match you with...
You and Towa make a good combination since you’re both good listeners and talkative at different times. When one of you is talking, the other is listening intently.
You like dandelions? Oh, Towa’s perfect for you! He’s always bringing you dandelions whenever he visits and plants them nearby so he has a constant supply.
I see him as someone who’s a fan of summer as well. He likes the feeling of the sun on his skin and enjoys going on walks through the Jabberwock fields with you.
He thinks it’s really cute that you have a fondness for fluffy things. There are plenty of those around Jabberwock and he’ll happily show them to you, as long as you show him some affection as well. His hair’s pretty fluffy after all…
Towa also thinks it’s really cute that you get so excited over little things. He thinks that sort of enthusiasm is much needed in the world and it’s lovely being around you.
In Obey Me, I match you with...
Simeon was first drawn to you because of your comforting presence. And the more time he spent with you, the more he fell for you.
Much like Towa, Simeon thinks it’s sweet how excited you get over little things. He feels he doesn’t have to hide his own excitement when he’s around you.
He’s a very creative person himself so he loves sitting by you when you paint or draw. He likes being around the creative process since it makes him feel inspired as well.
I can definitely see him as someone who likes photography and would really enjoy going on walks with you where you each take a camera and compare photos when you get back.
Simeon’s pretty good in the kitchen himself so as long as you don’t mind the company, he’d love to join you. If you prefer cooking by yourself, he’ll happily just have some of whatever delicious food you’ve whipped up.
#writing#fanfic#matchup#matchup request#request#tokyo debunker#towa otonashi#obey me#obey me shall we date#obey me nightbringer#simeon
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HII i was the anon asking for a matchup hehe (both bots and cons, literally anyone) im just so interested and excited abt the matchup since its my first time doing one :DDD
Im quite short, around (5'6), i have a darker shade of green eyes (w long lashes) and long black hair with pink highlights that end around my mid back, (it's quite curly too); im very pale, and i mean "the first time they see me they tell me im a vampire" kind of pale, i have plump lips that are pink, kinda like a blushy pink! I have an ear piercing, and some snakebites, tho it's not pierced, its those ones where you can hook them on, ive also got a thing for silver rings (one is vine like and the other is a silver snake that goes up halfway on my pointer finger [i love snakes]; on my right hand tho is a single gold ring)
On how i dress, i usually do not give any fucks- literally, i just throw anything on (my usual fit is a black shirt, and some soft pants)
I'm an INTP (for some reference since i really suck at describing things) Me as i describe myself, am a very quiet person, quiet as in "my friends forgot i was in the backseat" kind of quiet, im usually a homebody, literally, another reason why i get called a vampire is that i hate sunlight, alot, i dont like going out as much as my friends do, since i hate loud and public places tho i would really be down to hangout with them whenever. I always keep to myself and refrain from ever speaking out, always observing, and just listening; but when i get closer to someone and get to know them more i usually get loud and very talkative. Even tho im always patient doesn't mean i wouldn't punch someone if they mess w me or my friends, as i could really have a high temper; on a side note, im very patient! Really im not even kidding i literally put up with someone's shit for 3 years and still going.
Hobbies or things i generally like/ like to do is art!! Mostly digital art, you'll always see me with my tablet everywhere i go, and i rarely share them as i have absolutely zero confidence, i also love to read! (Fav being tolkien books, both LoTR and TH) i also write my own stories and could be so into world building, its taking me 3 years to actually build my world properly. I love music like its not even funny; aside from seeing me w my tablet, i guarantee you'll always see me wearing earphones and jamming, im a sucker for roadtrips while i gaze outside just daydreaming and forgetting about reality (im a hardcore daydreamer). I really dont have a certain music taste since i just play whatever sounds good!!
Hello anon! I’ll match you up with TFA Prowl!
Prowl is fascinated by your piercings. How do you get one? Does it cause daily issues? How do you take care of them? What are the other kinds (He'll keep these questions to himself though, but he will encourage you if you start rambling about it or want to talk about it)?
He's also very quiet compared to the other bots, and he'd prefer to have a 'home date' or just hang out with you somewhere outside in a quiet and shady area.
Prowl is glad you get talkative when you two are alone, because he really won't speak up about anything unless it's dire or bothering him an insane amount.
He is very interested in your digital art process, he'd love to watch you draw if you'd let him.
You'll have to introduce you to your favorite authors and books if you want him to understand a specific reference/joke.
He's amazed that you had taken three years to... make a world? He doesn't completely understand but, tell him about it, please, he'd love to hear about it.
If he sees you wearing headphones/earbuds, he'll ask what song or what artist you're listening to, especially if you look like you're enjoying it.
#micro matchups#very sorry if this wasn't the continuity you wanted :/#transformers animated#tfa#tfa x reader#transformers animated x reader#prowl#tfa prowl#prowl x reader#tfa prowl x reader
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Very old PAW Patrol coloring book pages I did
I did all these way back in 2014, with crayon, in my first PAW Patrol coloring book I ever got. I tried to make them all look as accurate to the show as possible, but some of the colors weren't possible to get with any of the crayons I had. The lighting makes Chase's lighter fur look way more yellow than it actually is, it's much more show accurate when not on camera. The coloring job isn't the best by any means because I've always been kinda bad at coloring, so you'll see there's parts that are out of the lines and there's also quite a bit of white still showing through in the colored parts because thoroughly covering every area with its respective color is just too hard for me, even now, which is why I don't color my traditional art, only the digital stuff.
And for comparison to my current coloring skills here's a Chase I did for a coloring game I made up when my brothers and I were bored and had nothing to do, it was fun but we only played it once unfortunately. This Chase is colored in with colored pencils since I don't use crayons anymore, they're too messy and smudge everywhere, especially since I'm left handed. Plus colored pencils have more variety in terms of colors, so that makes it easier to get all the colors I need for a picture.
This one is more in the lines because it's nice and big, but I still can't thoroughly color everything, so there's still a lot of white.
It's almost 3:30 AM, I need sleep. Till next time, Marshall out! ✌️
#paw patrol#paw patrol coloring books#paw patrol coloring pages#a bunch of my old coloring work#and a more recent one for comparison#i struggle with coloring#why is coloring so hard?!#marshall talks
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Do u have any social and tips on drawing?
Not sure what ya mean on 'social' but I do have drawing tips!
-Practice! This is probably the tip you will hear from ANY and EVERY artist, but it really is true. You will not improve if you do not practice. When I say 'practice' what I mean is this: Draw as much as you can when you can. If you only draw for 5-minutes once a month, you're not going to improve like someone who draws daily. How much and often you practice will also be determined by your lifestyle. Work, school, social life, other hobbies ect are important as well, so remember your balance. Also, PLEASE use references. No, using references is not and will never be cheating. Anyone who tells you otherwise is full of it. Also, draw as much variety as you can as well. Always be willing to work out of your comfort zone, but also don't feel as though you have to force yourself to draw things you don't want to all the time. Balance. When practicing, utilize tutorials that you can find literally everywhere and try watching speedpaints/draws. They help me a lot!
-Learn your anatomy! Your art will improve so much quicker when you take time to learn anatomy. For some, learning anatomy in art is fun while for others, it's a bit of a drag. However, it's super important. Once you know your anatomy, you can push things in terms or art style because as the saying goes 'You have to know the rules to break them'. So before you go all cartoony and wobbly with your anatomy for a style, try to know the actual anatomy first. it helps!
-Artist > Tools! No, you don't need an expensive tablet or art program or marker set or brush set ect, ect. The tools do not make the art, the artist does. Yes, tools can make things easier and can be fun to experiment with and eventually everyone finds what they prefer more, but the more expensive your art equipment is doesn't mean that your work will turn out better. If you're a beginner artist, play with cheap mediums first. Crayola crayons and MS Paint can still make art. Only put money into supplies, tools, and programs that you know you will utilize to its worth. If you're brand-new to digital art, for example, don't go looking into a tablet that costs hundreds of dollars. I started digital art with Gimp (a free art program) and my computer mouse. I've used a mouse longer than I've used my tablet so far and even though I've traded in my mouse days for my tablet, I was still able to make some good art with the mouse.
-Get Inspired By Others, But Don't Compare! Every artist, big and small has looked at someone else's work and told themselves "Why can't I draw like that? My work isn't as good as theirs.". This is a good way to put yourself down and to take the fun out of your art along with turning a blind eye to the progress you have actually made. Instead, look at other people's work and inspire yourself. What about their work do you like? Is there any technique that they do that you can try out? Break down how they put their art together and maybe you can learn from it. Of course, never copy a person's artwork or directly steal, but take away inspiration. Do you like how they do facial expressions? Do you like they way they do anatomy? Do you like how their lineart looks? Do you like how they color? What about someone else's art do you love, and take inspiration. Take it from multiple sources and you'll find all sorts of unique ways people make art that you can try out for yourself!
-KEEP YOUR OLD ART! Especially if you're a beginner at art, this is important. It's super easy to look at your art and go 'ew', before deleting it or throwing it in the trash. Don't do that. Your future self will thank you for hanging onto all of your old art so you can go back and see just how much you've truly improved. Also, it's fun to go back and redraw old art!
These are just some tips I have and I do hope they help!
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Submitted propaganda under the cut
Wren - 1
fuckin okay i get Save The Planet is noble or whatever but do you understand i'm MAYBE tired of being told to change Everything abt how I live when everything i could ever do is a drop in the ocean compared to corporations and i dont want to micromanage my entire life for the sake of the planet and its ALWAYS the leftist youtubers shilling it as The Best Most Selfless Thing you can do. like. dude. i am tired. i dont get paid enough to have the energy to care.
RAID shadow legends - 22
I caved and downloaded the app, played three levels and holy shit it’s so boring
I don't think I need to explain myself here.
Every Youtuber has been sponsored by them at some point and they are infuriating
It’s everywhere and it’s a shitty game that feels like the kind of low quality shit you’d see in a mobile add, because that’s exactly what it is
I have not seen a single sponsorship that makes this game sound like anything but a waste of time. Plus, their sponsorships are always sooooo long lol. At least a full minute, sometimes two.
the sponsorships and ads are everywhere yet ive never actually seen anyone outside of the ads enjoying it or even talking about it
They say the exact same thing every time so much that it's become a memorized phrase used as a meme
the art is mid, but not only that, but none of the characteers were designed by someone truly unhinged and horny. giving out that many free summons just makes them look like a scam, like those scammy crap gacha games with promo codes that have one digit repeated (example: 1111, 777, 888, and so on). there's nothing you can do there that other games haven't done better, and there's no overlying premise that draws in fans of stories (talk all the crap you like about food fantasy, at least the lore was fucking WILD). raid shadow legends is like fruit gushers in that it's massively mediocre and wildly overhyped. sure, you *COULD* inflict it upon yourself without hurting too badly, but why would you want to?
You KNOW why
Infamous
gaming.
Annoying, constant, bs, dumb, pay to play, badgering, I hate them. My friend ended up spending over a hundred dollars on this game bc their advertising occasionally works, and when it does, that's not great!
You KNOW WHY.
They don't pay the fucking people they ask to talk about them half the time. Also the game is ugly.
scammy as hell wtf is that game
Do I even need to explain? It's not a helpful product, it's just a dumb mobile game no one needs in their lives.
It’s bad
Everyone’s heard of it. Nobody likes it.
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