#I just care a lot about tumblr custom blogs

[thatlethalsoul]

New Users: How to view a custom blog theme (on desktop)

Right click on a user's icon ➡ open link in a new tab or window or Right click on a user's icon ➡ Copy Link ➡ Paste into URL and hit enter

What does NOT allow you to view a custom blog theme

Copy link to post ➡ Paste into URL and hit enter Share post ➡ copy link ➡ Paste into URL and hit enter

Note: Links look different when you are about to view a post on the dashboard vs on the user's blog directly

https://www.tumblr .com/(USER NAME) = View post on dashboard https://(USER NAME).tumblr .com/ = View post directly on user blog

On desktop you can quickly find a user's blog by typing their tumblr name into the above template, including your own!

I don't have one of these! How do I make a custom blog?

Simple! You just need to meet a few account privacy parameters and you're ready to go!

Visit your account settings

Click on the blog you want to make a custom theme for

Scroll down and activate "Enable custom theme"

MAKE SURE YOUR BLOG IS NOT HIDDEN. - If your blog is "Hidden from people without an account" and/or "hidden from search results", you can edit your blog's code all you want but you will be unable to visit it on desktop. - If these visibility requirements are not met, your blog will only be accessible through the dashboard to all tumblr users.

Why do I need to know this?

You don't! But it's worth knowing for those that care.

HTML custom blogs have been a staple of the tumblr ecosphere since the beginning of the website. Many users (especially legacy users, artists, and roleplay blogs) put a lot of time, effort, and care into their custom blogs to either express their individuality and creativity, make their portfolios easier to navigate, or both!

Part of what makes tumblr, well, tumblr, is and always has been the ability to create a custom blog that expresses who you are. Tumblr's one of the last bastions of social media that allows for this form of creativity, and there's an entire market of prefab blog themes made by tumblr both for free and purchase, as well as a whole community of users that make their own code for tumblr blogs if you search for it either in the tumblr search or on a search engine.

You don't even have to know HTML or CSS in order to get started because of how many people already make custom blog codes, free to use! But if you want to learn how to do it yourself, you can use it as a playground to spread your wings. If your code doesn't work, tumblr users can always still access your blog through the dashboard anyway, so there's little to no risk involved!

TLDR; Tumblr is one of the only places left on the internet that allows you freedom of individuality, so express yourself! Join the thousands of other tumblr bloggers that already have their own custom themes, and take a look around to see what others have made!

[azuremist]

A message to Twitter users coming to tumblr: a message from your local duel-hellsite citizen

So, I’ve seen a ton of Twitter users talking about making and sharing their new tumblr blogs, to escape Elon Musk’s “anti censorship” bullshittery. First of all: welcome! I know it’s looking bleak over there; especially for trans people. But, now that you’re here, I’m here to tell you all about tumblr etiquette, how this website works, and how it’s different from Twitter. Because you can’t come onto here acting like it’s Twitter, lest The Beast get to you.

First, here are a small handful of tips and tumblr facts!

Your likes and who you are following are automatically set to public. You can make them private in your settings!

You can block tags from the settings, too.

There are lots of bots on here. If you’re not careful, you could be mistaken for one! The main way you can avoid this is changing your icon and header from the defaults. Adding a bio helps too!

You can queue and schedule posts so that your account posts throughout the day.

Like Twitter, tumblr has a radical feminist and TERF problem. However, they’re pretty easy to spot. There are lots of guides out there to help you learn how to spot tumblr TERFs!

Tumblr, for the most part, does not have any celebrity or brand accounts.

Your tumblr follower count is private.

You can have multiple accounts with the same email, and they’re very easy to switch between! These are called “sideblogs”.

Your main page is not a “timeline”. It is a “dashboard”!

You can have a custom desktop theme using HTML! Think like ye olde MySpace days. There are tons of pre-made tumblr themes available, if you’re not already proficient in HTML; including free ones!

Now, let’s talk tumblr etiquette and how it’s different from Twitter. You’re a tumblr user now! It’s time to start acting like it!

Don’t just like posts. They don’t increase visibility whatsoever. The way that you can help posts that you like is reblogging them to your blog. Especially for art!

We don’t say “oomfs” or “oomfies”. Just “mutuals” is fine, thanks!

Adding onto a post with pointless comments is frowned upon. If all you have to say is “this is so true,” or something else to that effect, you should put that in the tags of your reblog.

Most people don’t have carrds or rentries on here. Some of us do, but it’s not an obligation like it is for Twitter.

Similarly, we don’t censor words like “die” and “death”. Posts about wanting to brutally murder people in power go viral all the time, and it’s completely allowed. I’m serious! Enjoy your newfound freedom!

Blocking isn’t a big deal here. Get rid of any weird notion you have that morality is linked to blocking certain people.

But lastly, and most importantly:

Drop your discourse at the door.

If you try to post about most of the things that Twitter users discourse about, you will be laughed off the site. Especially Twitter LGBT+ discourse. Posts actively mocking topics of Twitter discourse go viral on here regularly.

Tumblr has mostly healed since its discourse-ridden days, and it’s now much more chill. Of course, discourse still happens, but it is so easy to avoid now. For a lot of us, tumblr is the last pleasant social media site left, so don’t ruin it.

Here is a list of discourse-related things that tumblr users don’t do:

Most of us don’t do callout posts, unless it’s something actually serious (like that one blog that had a human slave).

Everything that you heard on Twitter was “exclusive” to certain LGBT+ groups is used by just about everyone on here. Bi women use the double venus symbol on here. You’ll just have to learn to live with that.

In particular, I want to emphasize how much we don’t do flag discourse. To the point that somebody caring about flag discourse of any kind is how we tend to identify an ex-Twitter user.

On here, you will never have to see another slur discourse post again, unless you actively seek it out.

You’re free.

You’re welcome. And enjoy your time on here! If you have the time, please consider watching StrangeÆons’ Tumblr Etiquette Manual on YouTube, as well.

[itspyon]

how to adapt into dtblr culture for twitter refugees

so you've decided to move here from twitter. welcome and congratulations. this post is basically a big warning that goes THIS ISN'T TWITTER, DON'T BEHAVE LIKE IT IS, LEAVE THAT AT THE DOOR

i'll be teaching you two things, how the site works, and how to adapt your behavior to tumblr ( and really, normal human being ) culture. believe me, it's not that hard and it will actually feel very productive

let's start with the basics and frequent questions

your username can be anything, don't stress about it

your picture can be anything. a lot of us don't even have dteam related stuff up on our profile

your display name doesn't have to be your name. nobody is going to see it when you post, only usernames are visible

check your settings. do it. get familiar with them. turning on and off asks, turning anon off, turning submissions off. click on your blog, go to blog settings, check things there, go to account, your muted things will be there, go to dashboard and customize that. use your settings !!!

yes, pinned posts are fairly important and they tend to be pretty extensive. name age what you post about ( a lot of people here are multifandom !), just don't overshare ( no locations no trigger lists i beg you ). they also usually have a breakdown of your tags at the end

tags

it's a whole thing. some are actually useful. some are just passive commentary

the tags you put on posts ( both when you made the post and when you're reblogging something ) are both global and hosted on your profile. it's why you'll see things like "nameofperson art" rather than just "art". using just "art" will put you in the promoted tag, in this case

you can use spaces on your tags

usually you will tag what type of post you're making ( art, text post, ask post ), and then the contents keep in mind this is how people often mute things, some people tag the current situation, people use and mute ship tags. but this is also how people find things, like the specific asks from one person to another, so "username ask" is commonly used, "irl person ( dream, dnf, etc )" is also seen a lot just watch how others tag things and copy them. nobody will get offended you took their tag formatting, most of us will appreciate properly tagged posts

you do tag when you reblog people. you use tags to comment on things. don't really use replies unless you're, saying thank you to someone or pointing out a spell mistake or asking to add an option to a poll, etc. we don't do replies, just rb your reply

quick reblog and like deets

post popularity is measured in "notes" which is the sum of replies, reblogs and likes. we don't really care much about numbers here and if you start getting crazy about it people will not like it. this is more of a talking and showing site

you can reblog without tags, feel free to

you can hide your likes. you can and should like as many things as you want. they don't alter any algorithm, since there's none. a like is a "i saw this post" notification to the poster

actually posting

people talk a lot. a fucking lot, and it's something you will have to get used to, because it's very different from twitter

there are no qrts. callouts are looked down upon. breathe. if you don't like something MUTE IT DON'T POST ABOUT IT, because no one is going to listen to any callouts. you will have to learn to live with the fact people like things you don't. this will, with time, make you feel very free

the bulk of posting here is asks, as you might notice soon. asks are fun and encouraged. just don't name drop if you're talking about drama please ?

don't be scared to send asks off anon, this is how people will find you and get to know you really. people are also more likely to reply to you

block bait anons. yes you can block anons. yes it will block every blog they make

culture time

i've said this. tumblr is unserious. drama here is approached very differently and with several less layers of panic. you will see death threats. you will see slurs ( said in non derogatory ways ). you will see jokes about serious topics. you will see people say "i didn't like this" and nobody will care

tumblr is a community of individualism. you will like your own things within the thing we share we like. you might not like dream's music, you might not find irl streams entertaining, as long as you're fucking normal about it ? nobody will care and you're free to express your opinions. people will even come ask you about it and just have a chat. we're here for the same content to some degree

tumblr is also a bunch of people who understand they like another bunch of people. that none of the streamers have stopped being human. so you might see people defend things that, maybe, you'd not have thought to defend before. maybe you're even uncomfortable seeing them defending it. this is something you will experience a lot, and you'll learn to properly deal with it as time passes

because again. no one does callouts here unless it is extremely bad. no one cares if you don't really like them. and they also accept people might and will not like them. and that is fine. and that doesn't make either person horrible. you're just different people. and you don't even have to interact

you want to make friends ? ask people things, compliment people's work, genuinely attempt to make conversation. this is not an impersonal website the way twitter is. people don't care about your opinions because they care about you, and you are more than what you don't like

the more positive and jokey and interactive you are the more people will talk to you. there's no "hitting the algorithm", there's no "engagement", it's just people talking to people. so don't be a neg posting bot, and be a person

you will learn to be less miserable. you learn to stop giving a shit and just do what makes you happy. they cannot get you here. there's no qrts. the few antis you'll find can be blocked and you'll never have to directly interact with one. don't be mean to the people in your own community, even if you disagree

again, you are more than what you don't like. learn to be what you like instead. and leave the dooming at the door

[brittle-doughie]

Hello!! Im new to this blog and I really wanna interact ;3

So, I kinda remembering this request....

So I was thinking,

What if the (other) Ancients (and maybe even legendaries) also break/took off pieces of their body to make the desert and gave it to Y/N too?

You can do this if you want of course!! :3 (I hope Tumblr doesn't eat my request AGAIN)

Dessert Report (The Ancient Cookies)

Warning: Cookie Cannibalism

Customer: Pure Vanilla Cookie

Treat Gift: A cake slice dabbled with vanilla frosting.

Result: Portions of hair missing, hat has to be angled to hide the missing parts.

Pure Vanilla entered the cake shop one afternoon after leaving with White Lily Cookie the other day. He talked about seeing White Lily’s gift to Y/N Cookie and thought it was a wonderful idea. Questions raised about his odd hat angled were dodged or given no answer, unusual for the Ancient.

What Y/N Cookie doesn’t know won’t hurt them, right? They would still be close to Pure Vanilla no matter what, right?

Customer: Hollyberry Cookie

Treat Gift: Berry cluster cookies.

Result: Parts of the arms missing, outfit helps to obscure the cracks.

Hollyberry was among the first of the Ancients to give a tasty delight to her very good friend, Y/N Cookie. But just any dessert wouldn’t do for Hollyberry’s liking. It had to mean something, that it truly came from the bottom of her heart. She had an idea…

Y/N Cookie will surely love it…..

They would surely love her….

Customer: Dark Cacao Cookie

Treat Gift: Box of chocolates made from pure cacao.

Result: Missing small extremities such as parts of the hands or legs. Like with Hollyberry, his outfit can cover up the missing portions.

Loyalty, something that is earned and deeply valued to Dark Cacao Cookie. Y/N Cookie’s loyalty to him as an ally means a lot to the king. Dark Cacao Cookie felt like he needed to return the favor to Y/N Cookie, to show how much he valued their relationship.

No length is too great for the sake of those you care about, as he entered the cake shop with the chocolates showed…

Customer: Golden Cheese Cookie

Treat Gift: An array of cheeses with a cheesecake made by Golden Cheese herself.

Result: Portions of the arms and legs missing. Bandages are used to hide the missing parts, excused as just her protecting her dough from getting too stale.

Golden Cheese was never the same after the fall of her kingdom. She held onto anything she held dear, fearing they’ll crumble to dust before her eyes. Y/N Cookie was one major example, she treated them as if she’s known them all her life..and someone she wishes to know for the rest of her life.

She wants to live knowing that a part of her will always remain within Y/N Cookie forever when she floated through that cake shop door…

Customer: White Lily Cookie

Treat Gift: Lily Cobbler.

Result: The loss of the lower arms, part of the waist, and small portions of the head and hair. The cobbler had traces of a powder-like substance emanating from it.

White Lily Cookie cared about Y/N Cookie. She cared about them very much. She feels like they understand her more the average cookie, it’s no surprise why she’ll often seek their company. When she spotted them enjoying a gifted treat one day, she had a wonderful idea on how she wanted to express her feelings to them.

It was quite the extensive process, but she was able to complete her gift. The loss of her parts can grow back, it would all be worth it when Y/N Cookie enjoyed the cobbler, with White Lily knowing that a part of her will always be with Y/N Cookie.

White Lily went further than Golden Cheese though. More than just physical pieces of dessert that will eventually disappear in time. White Lily placed a little more thought into her treat…

Life Powder, what makes up a cookie’s soul…

A part of her will always be with Y/N Cookie…

[daytaker]

The Gang's Tumblr Pages

Inspired by this and my own reaction to it.

Lucifer

Perfectly curated, perfectly formatted, and whenever there's a major change to the tumblr format, he simply leaves the website altogether in a huff of peacock feathers.

Lots of HD photography of nature getting reblogged.

Has an extremely complicated and specific list of tags he uses for every single post.

He only reblogs text posts that are sufficiently visually appealing. Very few meet his high standards.

You could look through his entire blog and not learn one single thing about him except that he's a perfectionist to the point of neurosis.

He has a lot of professional art blogs following him.

Mammon

Oversharing oversharing oversharing!!!!

He regularly gets himself in trouble by shouting about the shit he's done into the void of the internet.

Tried to have a tagging system but forgets about 7/10 times.

Reblogs himself all the time to say "AND ANOTHER THING!!!"

He hates looking at the actual blog pages. The text is always so tiny and some of them start playing music and changing his mouse into a weird shape? No thank you.

He has very few followers and he doesn't really care. Who goes on tumblr for the social element? Weirdos, that's who.

He's insanely easy to troll with anonymous asks. Everyone has done it. Even Lucifer, though he wouldn't admit it.

Some of his best asks:

"did u just post that you're okay with the idea of ponies and unicorns breeding. like no shade on that conceptually but why."

"If you reblog another 'reblog this for good luck' post, I will personally break down your door and steal your skin."

"ur ugly" "yeah-huh" "ugly" "no i won't 'come off anon and fight u' whhy don't you come ON anon and fight me?" "'i don't know how' sounds like something a chicken would say"

Leviathan

He just makes a blog like one of us. Fandom stuff.

Except he's multifandom to the extreme. It's impossible to keep track of his interests because he always has so many simultaneously.

He has the most followers of the brothers just because he gets so deep into so many fandoms that they come rolling in.

He has blocked all of his brothers except for the twins. They're okay.

His blog is a chaotic mess but there is order within the madness. He has a masterpost of tags that explains everything if you care to look at it. (I don't recommend it.)

Satan

It feels stupid to even put this in writing but...cat pics. Endless cat pics. That's like 90% of his blog.

The other 10% is a mixture of book recommendations and analysis, Lucifer shade, and a comprehensive, ever-expanding list of shit Lucifer has done to make Satan angry. It's a very long list. It's organized by theme.

"Lucifer inflicts unjust punishments." "Lucifer makes unnecessary snide remarks." "Lucifer simping for Diavolo and MC (pathetic)."

His blog itself is very minimalist and clean.

He's another fastidious tagger. He tags the cat pics by color, breed, age, number of cats, setting...

Asmodeus

He's not very into tumblr. It's like Devilgram but more complicated and less popular.

Sometimes he'll post or reblog 'aesthetic' things. Moodboards and the like.

In general though, he doesn't really 'get' tumblr.

People don't post selfies very often. Weird.

Beelzebub

Food blog.

Just food.

Reblogging hot dogs.

Reblogging nachos.

Reblogging ice cream.

Nothing else. Ever.

Belphegor

"This minimalist Tumblr has no posts."

No posts.

Default profile picture.

Sometimes he'll like something.

Usually he just looks at it.

Diavolo

There is no order. Only chaos.

He hardly ever uses it, then he'll come online and reblog a million things that have nothing to do with each other. Then he'll go silent again.

He has no tagging system.

He has no custom theme.

He is very friendly to all anonymous askers though.

Barbatos

Barbatos would never have a tumblr. Don't be ridiculous.

Solomon

He only posts very rarely. He prefers to lurk.

When he does post, it's something weird as fuck, like reblogging statistics about owl pellet contents.

He likes to keep people on their toes.

Simeon

Reblogging inspirational quotes, pictures of nature, and general positivity.

That is, once he figures out how the website works.

That takes a really long time.

What is a queue? What are tags? Why is it called a "reblog"? How does he track activity? How does he navigate the homepage? Why does it post things in such a strange order? What is a "Blaze"? What is a draft? Custom URL? Custom Theme? Sideblogs? Mass Post Editor?

Someone please help him.

Solomon probably does that.

Luke

Baking.

He uses tumblr for recipes and images of baked goods.

But tumblr isn't even the best place to go for that, so he isn't on very often.

He sometimes likes Simeon's posts, just as a show of support since he knows how hard Simeon works to post anything anywhere.

[sakrafka]

you know what, here's some tumblr tips from a veteran :)

if you use desktop, you can customize your theme as much as you want! this isn't as hard as it sounds, due to the fact that NUMEROUS people make themes for free use. theme-hunter is a good starting point, if you wanna do that

blocking and filtering is a god sent. you can filter tags under settings, specifically filtered tags, or filtered post content. the first filters by tag only, the second by post content (so if someone doesn't tag a certain word, that'll catch it)

there's honestly not really any rules to tumblr? if you wanna reblog a bunch, go for it! if you wanna keep that to a sideblog, and only post art here, go ahead! your blog is pretty much for you. so post whatever you want!

blocking people. good

there's no real follow back thing, which i know was huuuuge on twitter. so if someone starts posting stuff you don't want to see, you can just unfollow them! people do not care

if you want to follow more people, i highly recommend doing some tag scrolling! just search for something you're into (a fandom, art, cooking, etc etc) and check out a bunch of blogs! personally, i love scrolling the tags, though i can be a real hazard- but! that's where tag filtering comes in too

you can turn off anon, or just asks in general, as you want. you can also turn them back on! basically, if people starts being dicks, you can just remove their ability to do so at you entirely

don't censor words! this is both because that makes it harder for people to filter them, and also because a lot of us finds it super silly

however!! tumblr's search function is. pretty broken, so if you complain about a ship, or groups of people, it's probably a good idea to censor it in some form. especially with ships, because the post will then show up in the ship's tag, which. not what anyone wants!

the original poster of a post can see anything you add to their post. this includes tags. so while it's generally a good idea not to be a jerk in the tags, they are also for your benefit, and is generally used as a mix of comment section and organization tool. though even that is up to the individual

honestly, tumblr is super laid back and really customizable. you aren't forced to see anything you don't want, and you're entirely in control of your experience here! the best way to keep in touch with the 'community' as a whole is what's on trending, but even that is easy to avoid, if that's what you want

basically, just post what you want, tag it if you want people to see, and vibe! unlike twitter, this is more of a fan space, so while there's no real way to like, make business connections, it's a lot more chill

hope you enjoy your stay, and that at least one of these tips will be helpful! ( •̀ ω •́ )✧

Sharing this coz I find it really useful, thank you so much anon!

[sugajimin]

unhelpful tips and resources for gifs&gfxs

Hi everyone, I don’t know how useful this post will be but I wanted to share some of the things I learned through the years of creating content for tumblr and also new information I find every now and then. I see lot of new people who start creating content here and I want to help with what I know.

Note: I won’t upload any tutorial of mine or anything because I believe the resources I will link here will be more useful than just a tutorial that I won’t be able to explain well because English is not my first language. Let’s start!

First of all, few words about tumblr and how it works. Tumblr is a site with many communities. Every user has its own blog that can post many kinds of content, including a text,photo,video,audio,art etc. When you first join the site it might be overwhelming but in reality, it is not (*whispers* I personally find instagram harder to understand how it works). 

Like every site tumblr has its own search bar, tags, likes, reblogs(share on fb,rt on twitter),and follows. When you search a blog to follow and you see their posts you can like their post by tapping on the heart and share(reblog) by clicking on the two arrows button that looks like the recycle icon. 

What does reblog mean and do? 

Reblog is as we said the “share the post” of facebook, with reblog you don’t repost someone’s content but you share it with your followers and help it to be seen bymore people that way you actually help the creator to promote their creations. 

Likes

Unlike, instagram,twitter and facebook, when you like something the website doesn’t recommend the post to your followers unless they go to your blog via their phone and go to your likes page, if you have it unlocked, so basically, likes don’t help with supporting creators as much as reblog does. 

Tags

Tagging system on tumblr, in my opinion, is pretty fun both for the op of a post and for the reblogger. With tagging you can organize all the posts on your blog by anything you like. For example, if you tag artworks as #art and you want to find a certain artwork you reblogged a time ago you can just go to the tag and find it. 

For op you can use tags the same way as other sites to promote your work, as I remember the first 5 tags will be shown on the general tag like if you search on tumblr #artwork and you have the tag #artwork on the first 5 it will be shown there.. but I am not sure if this changed.

Creating a post 

As you can see from your dashboard(timeline on twitter) you have the option to create a text form post, a photo form post.. etc. You can experiment with all of these, don’t be afraid. I will focus on photo form posts because we will talk about gifs and gfxs.

The photo form(with the camera icon) post, is what most content creators use to post their creations like designs/graphics,art/fanart/photography, and gifs.

The site allows you to post 10 photos(if you want to post more I think Text form allows more). 

The size of your photos and gifs must be under 20mb for photos and under 10mb for gifs. 

As for dimension, tumblr has its own dimension but you can always post whichever you want, the bad thing is that the quality will be reduced on the dashboard and the viewer will have to click on every single photo in order to see the original quality. Here are the dimensions:

For a single photo/gif per columna it is 540px horizonatally

For 2 photos/gifs per columna it is 268px x 268px

For 3 photos/gifs per columna it is 177px x 178px x 177px (be careful the middle one always has to be 178px)

Themes

When you feel comfortable with using tumblr, you can customize your blog with beautiful themes that talented people have shared here! 

You can find and learn about themes here: @/theme-hunter

Gifs/gfxs

In this part, I will provide links and tutorials for gifs and graphics, But first of all you need a program for content creation. The most common one is Photoshop, you can buy a subscription from Adobe(it is expensive) or you can find crack version on the internet.  

Chaoticresource has a whole tag for photoshop and many more programs for you to start with photoshop. Not only that they have a whole list of resources for both giffing and graphic making. You can find their tag list with everything you need to here.

Here are some tutorials on how to make a gif

Tutorial by: misty-quigley

Tutorial by: kylos

Tutorial by: hayaosmiyazaki

Tutorial by: cal-kestis

Tutorial by: gr-ogu

Tutorial by: misfitsexual

Tutorial by: unbrokencolorings

Tutorial by: josefnewgayden (also has many resources)

Tutorial by: dunkzilladaddy

Tutorial by: theedorksinlove

Tutorial by: ashleysolsen (with more resources)

As you can see there are many different ways to gif, experiment with as many as you like and choose one you feel more comfortable with.

Usergif and deenafier  and cillianmurphy have collected many tutorials in their page/posts so I recommend reading them. 

Some random yet helpful tutorials I have and I find myself going back here and there are: 

The coloring tutorial by @/ daisylouisejohnson

The coloring tutorial by @/magnusedom

The color table tutorial by @/ggroupsdaily

The coloring tutorial by @/lee-haechan here and here

Coloring tutorial by @/binariesuns

Layer mask tutorial by @/daisylouisejohnson

Transition tutorial by @/fionagallaqher (and coloring tutorial)

Blending tutorial by @/linda-darnell

Blending tutorial by: @/morningstr

Channel Mixer tutorial (REALLY IMPORTANT IMO) by @/zoyanazyalensky

Glitch effect tutorial by @/nobodynocrime

Glitch tutorial by @/sarah-snook

How to fix orange-washed characters by @/zoyanazyalensky

Colored background tutorial by @/rafael-silva

Sharpenning gifs by @/joelmillrr

Coloring tutorial by @/yelenafbelova

Coloring tutorial by @/yenvengerberg

Don’t be afraid to experiment with gifs, try different styles and most important have fun!! I know thereis a lot to learn but trust me, it can be pretty fun! Good luck!

Now for graphics.. all I have to say is just have fun and experiment, experiment and experiment more! Here is a list ofresources I have collected that helped me improve my skills and find resources.

Where to find fonts/textures/vectors/mockups.

deviantart (everything)

unsplash (photos)

pixeden (mockups,photos)

graphicburger (mostly mockups)

freedesignresources (everything)

spoongraphics (mock ups)

graphicgoogle

rawpixel (photos)

digitalbrushes (brushes)

zippypixels (mockups)

dafont (fonts)

fonts by google

behance( under the tag freebie)

pinterest

fonts.ilovetypography (fonts)

gvfxarmy on twitter did an amazing job collecting resources.. you can find them here

List of youtube channels that will help you with tutorials and educational information on graphic design

Envato Tuts

Madia Designer

elliotisacoolguy

Brad Colbow

LearningScreen

PiXimperfect

The Futur

The Futur Academy

Jeremy Mura

Blue Lightning TV Photoshop

Nemanja Sekulic

Digital Art Creation

Will Paterson

Nobu Design

Satori Graphics

Logo Design Ideas

Adobe Creative Cloud (recommend to watch some of the livestreams they are interesting)

Gareth David Studio

Spoon Graphics

PSD Box Official

creatnprocess

Jamie Windsor

Dansky

Daily Photoshop Tutorials

How to Graphic Design

Photoshop Tutorials - PSt

Yes I'm a Designer 

Photoshop Tutorials

PHLEARN

Some other sites and links that i find interesting:

designbolts

thefutur free resources

The most important compositional principles in graphic design(article but check the site too)

The power of color (article, check the site too)

bezier.method (site to practice the pen tool)

aiga

httpster.net (site for inspiration)

access.mymind (color inspiration)

How to design a logo (article)

How to design a logo (article 2)

The Importance of Branding in 21st Century (article)

Color combinations

Lastly here you will find books and more resources for graphic deisgn! Thanks to @/isaaczara_ on twitter

That’s it! Hope you find this post helpful! I tried my best to not forget anything! 

Have fun on tumblr and on creating your content! Don’t give up and have fun creating!

[institute-of-dolls]

what are dolls? and the institute? i’m interested but i don’t understand what’s going on !!

Hello! Sorry for the long reply, its been a hectic few weeks and I put a lot of time to thinking about how to explain.

So the first thing i think its that *what* are dolls? And this is were things immediatly get complicated but ill start by trying to define the main concept of a doll.

I defined it as "an entity created or recreated to serve a purpose or role, often by a dollmaker, who defines them and cares for them"

When I asked one of my Dolls for its answer it gave me this: "Doll: Any being that defines itself by simplicity of thought, yet untempered by the "feral" aspects of an animal. Most keep themselves through dedication to an "owner", "creator", or a single task or goal."

Defining dollhood and doll spaces is harder then just that though, because dollhood means a different things to many people. For some dollhood is a form of identity or way of exploring identity. A way of exploring the self and personhood through a lense of control and self determination. Of exploring the impact trauma and upbringing has on the sense of self. It Can be a way of exploring dynamics and forms of relationship, often through a lenses that de-focuses gender, and focuses on the exchange of self. For others its a way of exploring species and the definition of humanity, often attached to the alterhumanity/otherkin community. For others its a way of exploring expression, aesthetics and how you display yourself to others. For others its a form of creativity and expression. A way of expressing themselves through writing, art and creation. In exploring themes of humanity and the self, discussing trauma and de-personalization. Of creation and recreation, of hope and family. And sometimes its just about cool mechs in fucked up situations, and thats wonderful too. You can look at the Empty Spaces community, but ill touch on that later. See again for others dolls and creativity is about literal dolls, there is a decent sized scene of people who buy, sell, trade and customize dolls. From toy dolls to antiques, from just fixing them up to completely redesigning them from the ground up. Ill try to find some examples of some people to share sometimes because they do great things. And I think finally, for others its about community. whether that be the before mentioned Empty Spaces, a shared community of writers and artists that created a space to write about shared themes and emotions, a place where they can be with people who want to explore the same pain and themes together and give each-other a place of belonging. Or the even early mentioned doll otherkin, creating a space to explore identity and person-hood, trauma and the de-personalization that comes with it. Of exploring the self in a place of like-minded people who can understand each-other. Or so many other aspects of community, from kink and dynamics, to hope and family, from person-hood and authority and care to unperson-hood and service and devotion. For many its about the people that accept them and the lives they build together.

As for The Institute? Well it mostly is just a fun creative name and theme for my blog. Just a unique expression of doll exploration themed around a scientific institute who's tasked with the research and discovery of dolls and how best to treat, manage, and care for them. When I started the blog the doll community on tumblr wasn't all that large or active, it existed, but its strongest presence was on other platforms. There a lot of dolls in dollspaces, but less creators and caretakers, and even less "organizations", so its manage to stick out as a theme even as the community here has grown, and gratefully it has grown a lot. Its much less lonely now then it was when started. And the themes become less of just a theme as well! Me- The Director, and my staff, the Dollmaker and the Engineer, are all genuinely quiet devoted to studying dolls, as defined by people who identify as much, the communities around them, and were deeply invested in learning the best ways to help them, care for them, and manage them. so there you, not so shortly, have it. Dollhood is a form of self identification, but also a form of self expression, creativity, and community. And The Institute is a fictional organization dedicated to the science and discovery of dollhood, used as a theme for a blog, run by people actually invested in learning about and connecting the communities of doll-hood and the identity of those in it, and how to care for them.

[mhbcaps]

pinned post

hi I'm mhb and this is jackass my cyberpunk 2077 blog! you will find virtually nothing else here and I don't tag my reblogs except to hoot and holler about the content.

about me

I'm over 21 and I live in the USA where I work in a school and play d&d a lot. I also draw, and once in a blue moon I write.

you won't find me in virtually any other 2077 spaces besides tumblr - if you want to hit me up, send me a message here 😄

my ocs

David “V” Lozano: (he/him) my canon V, a born-and-bred Heywood brawler who never really cared about being famous but god Jackie made it sound so good. He doesn’t think he can make a difference and he doesn’t really try to. It’s all about survival, and corps can wipe you out in the blink of an eye. He would’ve minded his damn business after the heist if it hadn’t been for Johnny.

He used to date Kerry but they broke up and now he's with Angel.

Sanctuary Zelenko: (they/them) Medtech washout, ex-Scav, currently a ripperdoc in Northside. They’re eccentric, they’re enigmatic, they’re downright creepy sometimes. Their friends tell people they’re harmless, but no one knows for sure. Best not to find out.

Joey Armas: (he/him) Scav who grew up homeless in Pacifica. His brother was killed in front of him by some trust fund kid testing out their new combat-grade implants--that’s probably what set him down the path that led to the cyberware and organ black market.

They're dating each other.

Viggo “Gogo” Day: (they/them) a Static of the Kessler clan along with their three brothers and a sister. They’re David’s best friend, a bright and cheerful foil to his taciturn toughness. The city hasn’t beaten the optimism out of them yet, and they have a lot of friends in surprising places who’d like to keep it that way.

Brother "Bea" Calloway: (she/her) a statuesque netrunner that’s earned herself a spot in the Afterlife’s back booths. She’s highly focused and more than a little intimidating when she’s working, but in her personal life she tends to be quite demure in contrast.

Brother is dating Gogo's older brother Augie, and Gogo is dating River.

for the others, see the full catalog here!

NPVs and presets

There are NPVs available for David and Gogo (Sanctuary is coming soon) - you can message me here or on Discord if you'd like me to send them to you! (I don't give out my Discord - that's just for anyone who shares the one 2077 server I'm in and wants to contact me there.) I do not share presets outside of Discord.

technical information (& transparency)

GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660S (I use a prebuilt that I bought from Costco in 2020, don't come at me)

I use AMM and the game's photomode to take my screenshots, along with this effect replacer mod and a modified version of this reshade preset. Facial expressions are mods by pinkydude or xbaebsae. Except for some tattoos and Sanctuary's eyes, I only use publicly available mods - anything you see in my screenshots, you can also grab for yourself. If you need help finding it don't be afraid to ask (the sims community calls this "WCIF friendly").

I occasionally will edit screenshots after the fact, usually to add text or reduce clipping but not much else. If I really fucked up the lights on one shot in a story, I'll fiddle with the color levels to match it to the others as best I can. Most of the screenshots I post are dragged straight from the folder to tumblr.

I think sometimes VP seems intimidating or impossible because it can be hard to figure out how some people get their shots looking like custom Blender setups or near-photorealistic. The answer is usually hotsampling, high-end GPUs, Otiscam, 4k texture mods, and photo editing software - sometimes all together, sometimes not. Not to say that these things are cheats or somehow invalidate the artistry behind the VP, but it IS to say that anyone can do it if they learn the tools, and those tools aren't even required. I don't use any of them. That's why I'm including this section - hopefully I can demystify VP a little. An artist's tools are only part of how they make art: having the same tools as someone else doesn't mean you'll magically make art just like them, and not having the same tools as someone else doesn't mean you'll automatically be worse at making art. At the end of the day the only thing that matters is that you love your blorbos and you think they look good.

anyway

thanks for reading

happy [day of the week]!

[xitsensunmoon]

Main FAQ

First of all, let's make it clear - this blog is my home. You're not a "customer" and you're not "always right", you are a guest. If you don't like anything that happens here, just leave, scroll away or block. I will not change anything just because you don't like it.

Before sending an ask, please also check my bio. Surprisingly a lot of people don't do even that. Let's go.

Can I use your work for a profile picture/wallpaper on my device? Can I print your stuff?

You can take my work for personal use if you don't get any profit from it. If it's online - credit me.

Can I dub/translate your comics?

Yes but with few conditions.

1. You credit me as an original creator. If it's a video you put the credits in the video, not in the description. If it's a post you put them in the post itself, not in the comments.

2. You do not put your watermark on my work/do not erase my watermark. You also don't colour it/don't "fix" it. It's my work and my work alone.

3. You do not change the dialogue/add phrases that weren't said by the characters. Again, it is my work, it's my interpretation and I will not tolerate you taking my work and changing it to your liking.

4. If you want to profit from my work - you don't have my permission.

5. You take down videos/posts with my work if I ask you to.

If any of these don't suit you - you don't have my permission.

Can I make an AI bot of your character?

Hard no. Roleplay bots are almost always using public fanfiction without the consent of the authors, not paying for their hard work but using it for profit, it's theft and I'm not going to contribute to that. I'm already considering removing my own bots from Character AI, as ch.ai still doesn't tell the public how they're training their bots so we'll see about that.

Anything that is absolutely off the table when sending an ask?

- Please don't vent to me. I'm not a professional phycologist and I never agreed to play the role of one. I also avoid questions like "I had a bad day, can you draw[ ]?" because after them my inbox becomes a venting place. Please seek professional help if you feel like every day is worse than the previous.

- Please do not send me anything NS///FW. As much as I can support suggestive content, explicit stuff will be immediately deleted and if you make me uncomfortable I probably will block you. No hard feelings but Tumblr is an SFW place for me. If you see me reblog something not SFW, it was probably made by my friend or with previous discussion and proper mature labels for everything.

Can I send you a DM, not an ask?

After some not-very-pleasant experiences that made me uncomfortable, I closed my DM's for everyone except my mutuals. But you're still free to send me asks about anything(within reasonable limits ofc).

Can I write a fic based on your art? Can I use your ideas in my works?

About ideas - ask first. I can get protective over one idea but completely don't care about the other one. If I said yes, credit me as an original source.

Can I draw a fanart/write you a fic?

Of course!! I'm absolutely happy to see anything! Also please tag me when you're done. If it's one of my au's - use specific tags for fanart so even if dumb Tumblr doesn't send me your tag, I will eventually bump into it browsing the tag!<3 (you can also tag me again if you think I didn't see your fan work, I absolutely don't mind!!) Also, feel free to drop an ask with a link too!

Can I tag you in other stuff?

As I already said you can absolutely tag me for any type of fan content(it doesn't even need to be yours). Memes are fine too, just don't do it every day alright?

Why don’t you answer my ask?

It can be one of these reasons:

1. I want to answer your ask with an art piece/comic. It takes time.

2. Your question contains spoilers so I'm keeping it for later when the truth can be revealed =]

3. I'm busy. Yeah.

4. I've already answered something similar/I don't want to answer your question so your ask got deleted.

When will you continue working on [insert whatever]?

When I can. I'm not pausing my things just to spite you. Most of the time I'm just busy or I simply don't have the energy to do anything. To everyone who says stuff like "oh well we've been waiting for a few months already!!" - I'm not here to entertain you. I'm here to have fun and share it with other people and you're currently ruining it. I will block anyone who is doing this continuously.

Can you draw my characters?

For free? No, I don't accept requests like that. You can commission me though. When my commissions are open of course. I will open DMs when it happens.

What content are you okay/not okay with?

Admiring of any of these in real life: terrorism, racism, rape, war, sexism, misogyny, transphobia, homo/queerphobia, pedophilia, sex trafficking, mental illnesses. If the content tries to show how terrible these things are I am mostly okay with it.

Is there anything I should watch out for on your page?

Dark themes, suggestive themes, and sometimes negative ones. I'm not afraid to draw violence, blood and gore. Dark humour. In general, I don't recommend anyone who's under 16 to be here but it's always your responsibility for what you're about to see.

In your bio, it says russians DNI? Is it about every russian or only those who support the war?

I don't care if you're a good russian or not, I don't care about your opinions and worldview. I don't want you in here. I have no time nor desire to try and understand how good you are. As a Ukrainian, I have all the right to tell all russians and people who admire anything connected to them to go fuck yourself. It's my safe place and I don't feel safe with zz's in it. Do you feel like I'm being "too categorical"? Don't make it my problem and leave. End of conversation.

Even WITHOUT war context (which I actually huge and should NOT be ignored) this post explains pretty well why this boundary exists.

What is your stance on reposting your artwork/fics?

The only cases when I allow reposting are dubs/translations with credits and all the other rules that I mentioned earlier. In other cases, no, do not repost my artwork. Doesn’t matter if you credit, I said no.

I saw your art somewhere but I'm sure you weren't the one to post it.

I post on Tumblr and Tiktok, my nickname always contains "xitsen" in it. You also could possibly see the dubs of my stuff on YouTube, as I allow these. Please send me an ask with a link to the repost if it's somewhere else. I will try to solve the situation myself.

Can I use your work as a reference? Can I trace/copy it?

Reference? Yes. If it's very obvious - credit me too. Trace/copy? No. No. And no. It's straight-up stealing.

What pronouns do you use?

She/they. Please don't refer to me in masculine terms.

What art program(s) do you use? Drawing tablet? Brushes?

For art pieces 90% of the time it's Paint Tool Sai 2, sometimes Photoshop and Krita. For animations, it's rather Toon Boom Premium or Krita.

My tablet is fucking 6 years old, Wacom something. They don't sell these anymore so I couldn't even find the model lmao.

Brushes - standard SAI brushes, watercolour for shading and brush for line art. If it's textured I use my custom one, you can create it yourself if you use SAI.

Don't mind the text quality please lmao. I literally had to copy it from Google for English translation. But the settings are mine yeah

Your "r" looks like "z"-

I know. Just let me be with my handwriting please lmao.

If you struggle with reading it this post with my alphabet can help you.

Why do you call [character] a whore??

It's an inside joke that suddenly became bigger than we expected. A silly, a funny, a goofy. It's not slut shaming if you thought it was. I love to joke about characters being whores in the most affectionate and lighthearted way possible even when the character clearly has no bitches. It even doesn't need to be sexual. Just a hee-hee ha-ha.

Probably gonna update it in future because I'm fucking sure I forgor something.

[nordickies]

I'm usually quite a ghost on tumblr (pretty much anywhere, actually) but I was so glad to see your art pop up again on my dash and fav tags that I thought I should leave a little something in your askbox. I always loved your colours, so vivid and refreshing to my eyes, and also the way you draw and colour eyes and hair. I would be very bad at explaining why exactly, but yeah, it soothes this tired soul of mine to see your art 😌 Also, I don't know if I should ask for some art or not? I just thought of the message actually 😅 Plus, you already drew Norway a lot. Maybe people would like to see someone else. Hmm... What about your take on Faroe if you got any?

Oh my, I am also a shy ghost, so I know it takes a lot to go and leave a message to creators- This is so incredibly touching. Thank you!! Truly, I appreciate it. It means a lot to me!

To answer your question: Yes, I do have a take on our boy Føroyar… kind of. And on Åland too! They would be part of the Nordic family, and I have some ideas for them! They aren't that well-developed (I have my hands full reimagining the canon as it is), and I don't know are OCs really something people care about, so I have never talked about them in my blog. But I am always super excited to see other people's takes on these characters! They shift the family dynamic in such fun ways.

Greenland and Sápmi exist as well, but they don't interact with the family as much as these two. Denmark is Greenland's guardian by legality, but they live on the other side of the Arctic Circle. Sápmi is a close family friend, interacting with Norway, Sweden, and Finland. I have always adored @saltlakris's take on Sápmi!

Say halló to the Faroe Islands! He's Norway's and Iceland's half-brother (the other part comes from the Celts), but Denmark operates as his guardian. Growing up, he and Iceland were inseparable, and they're best friends to this day. Faroe is an overall kind and well-behaving kid, but he tests Denmark occasionally with his weirdness. Faroe likes to keep to himself, and others don't see him that often.

Much like Iceland, he's actually a daredevil and adrenaline seeker. He likes working at the Sea to provide for his people. He has more of an active approach to life in general and likes doing physical work. Faroe is relatively passive and known to be fair and reasonable. He's polite and can't seem to hold grudges against people, so sometimes he doesn't know how to stand his ground. He doesn't like to tattle and takes the blame just because he's non-confrontational. However, growing up with the rest of Western Nordics, Faroe can be very pigheaded. He's also moody, speaks loudly, and curses like a sailor. He's a bit slow in the sense that he's out of the loop with trends, and he's usually the last one to laugh at jokes. But when others interpret this as him being dumb, it infuriates him. He might not be book-smart, but he has invaluable practical wisdom. He's skilled and efficient. He still has a lot of maturing to do and should start taking some responsibility. Speaking of which, he's notoriously reckless. He's very relaxed and trusting, so he never locks his doors (which he forgets to do in Denmark's place). He also comes and goes as he pleases, rarely informing anyone in advance. If you're Faroe's friend, don't be surprised to see him standing in your living room unannounced. He's known to be always late, having the worst organizational skills, and he's terrible at calling people back. He doesn't want to cause problems, it's just the way he does things - living in the moment.

He has a heavy accent when talking with others, but he adorably speaks in an old-timey fashion that can sound retro to mainlanders (gøtudanskt). Besides the way he speaks, Faroe also acts old-fashioned, as he's well-mannered and thoughtful with other people. Faroe can also appear more traditional than the rest of the Nordics and values his customs. He lived with Denmark for a long time, almost losing his roots, so he's very protective of his practices and freedom nowadays. He still has his own room in Denmark's place, but he lives on his own most of the time. You'd think Faroe is outdoorsy, but his climate is unwelcoming and harsh on the next level. He has gotten used to it and loves his home, but he doesn't get to host garden parties. Charmingly, he gets excited over common natural sights, such as forests and lakes. While the climate might be unwelcoming, the people are the opposite - That's what he loves about his place, its small communal feel, and lovely people, and that's what he values more than anything.

Being in his late teens, Faroe is at that wonderful age when everything your parent does is embarrassing and annoying, and they just don't get you. He gets annoyed with Denmark all the time, so Faroe storms into his bedroom (softly closing the door), quietly punching the air and finally silently screaming into the pillow. Then he crawls back an hour later when he's called for dinner, acting all normal again. Faroe is such an easy kid that he often gets forgotten by Denmark, who focuses more on repairing his relationship with Iceland and Greenland. Faroe is totally happy to be left on his own. Who would want… attention… or validation from Denmark anyway? Faroe adores Norway and looks up to him, but Norway never seems to have time for him exclusively. Besides Iceland, he gets along nicely with Åland, a fellow seafarer nation. They're both self-governmental islands that get overshadowed by their more prominent family members, so they often exchange those "I know how you feel" looks at the dinner table.

The Faroe Islands and Iceland would consider each other best friends! Besides being related, they have pretty similar cultures and upbringings. They're both young, rural, and have a strange sense of fun - to others' their games and jokes just seem horrifying! Growing up, outsiders thought they were twins; that's how inseparable they were. Younger Iceland would devise harmless pranks and ways to be mischievous, and he'd drag the gullible Faroe with him. Poor Faroe always got the blame and lecturing. After Iceland's independence, their relationship started drifting, and Iceland is now making other friends. Sometimes Faroe gets upset by this, but he's too nervous to say anything. He's happy about his brother's success, but he can get quite lonely in his place. Occasionally he longs for those moments when the whole family lived under the same roof, though he would never admit it. Then he visits Denmark for one week, and all those thoughts are thrown out the window! The longer the distance between him and Denmark, the better!

Anyway, he's an adorable guy, and I am happy to finally introduce him in my Nationverse <3

[riality-check]

Advice for New Fans

AKA: Things I Wish I Knew When I First Started Out

Disclaimers

I’m by no means an expert. 

This list is not comprehensive. Please add your own thoughts to it!

I’m approaching this from a lurker/fic writer perspective, so artists/gifmakers etc. might have different perspectives. 

I’m also really only on tumblr and ao3, so different advice might apply to different sites. 

This advice will not apply in every single case; it is just broad generalization that I have found to work most of the time.

General

Protect your personal information! I’m going to sound like my mother for a minute, but be aware of how much you’re sharing online. Don’t make yourself easier to dox by sharing personal information like names, locations, etc. Be careful. The internet is more good than bad, but bad still exists. Please protect yourself, especially if you’re a minor.

Respect people’s boundaries! For example, if accounts say “minors do not interact,” don’t interact if you’re underage. It sucks (I’ve been here personally), but it’s better for everyone if you scroll away. Boundaries like that are in place for people to curate their own online experiences for whatever reason they see fit. You don’t have to understand a boundary, but you do have to respect it. Be mature.

Don’t be afraid to create! If you’re debating over whether or not to hit the post button, do it. Just do it. If you had fun making whatever your creation is, and you want to share it with people, DO IT. This kind of stuff is supposed to be fun, and it’s all about collaboration. There’s an audience for everything, so someone will absolutely see what you put out and love it, even if you just made it for yourself.

Don’t feel ashamed for not creating! If you’re nervous or unsure about making something, but still want to participate, that’s totally fine! There are so many ways to do that, and I’ll talk about them later in this post. But even if you’re not creating, you’re still a vital participant in fandom (I remember all of my regular commenters!)

Two cakes! Just because it’s been done before doesn’t mean it’s been done by you. No one can make what you make in the way you make it, so even if it is similar to something that already exists, go for it! Chances are, people want more of that thing and will be happy to see it.

Don’t be afraid to join fandom spaces! If you see a link for a Discord server you’re interested in (and you meet requirements set by the mods), join it! If you see an event you want to participate in, participate in it! Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and talk to people. More often than not, you’ll make really awesome friends, and you’ll have a lot of fun. We’re all just people, there’s nothing to be afraid of.

Tumblr

Don’t be afraid to change up your blog! I’m going to be honest: most people won’t care about your blog title. Make it as silly as you want and change it on your own time. Your url isn’t permanent (though it is more recognizable), so feel free to change it whenever and however you see fit. Icon, layout, anything else, change it up. Nothing here is set in stone, so make it what you want!

Curate your experience! “Unfollow” and “block” should be your best friends. Don’t like something? Unfollow. Still keep seeing it? Block. Poof, all gone, you’re done. Don’t pick fights. Don’t waste time energy on fighting when you could be making something or doing something that makes you happy. Follow who you want, like what makes you happy, and, most importantly, REBLOG.

Reblog, reblog, reblog! You gotta do it. It’s how this site works. If you enjoy something enough that you want to show another person, hit that reblog button. It’s how more people see the post, and it makes creatives super happy to see. Likes are for storage, reblogs are for sharing.

Tag your stuff! I really, really wish someone had told me this earlier because now my blog is an absolute wreck. Use tags to make your life easier and your blog more filterable. They don’t have to be funky custom tags like some people use. Fandom tags are a good place to start, and then you can add character, ship, and personal tags if you’re feeling fancy. But please, please, please, tag your stuff, it’s going to make it easier to find it all in the long run. You’ll thank me later.

Talk in the tags! In addition to being organizational, the tags are a fun little place for you to share your thoughts, and only OP (original poster) and the person you reblogged it from. As a writer, I love seeing people’s thoughts in the tags, so don’t be afraid to share them, weird or incoherent or long as they may be!

Yes, and! tumblr has a really, really cool “yes, and” culture. Meaning, if you see a cool little post and have your own ideas that you want other people to see, reblog and add on to it! Just go for it. You’re not stealing anyone’s post or ideas, you’re adding your own thoughts, and, chances are, other people are going to find that pretty cool (and may even add some thoughts on your thoughts, and down the line it goes!)

Post your stuff! I seriously wish I had done this earlier. For a long time, I only posted on ao3 and didn’t really bother with tumblr, which I kind of regret. For example, have you written a snippet you can’t fit into your fic? Post it! Posting to tumblr is a really fun way to get engagement on stuff you may not be ready to post to other sites, like ao3, or it is the final site you had in mind. Whatever the case, go for it! Tag with your fandom, characters, ships, any personal or additional tags, and send it out into the world. More people are going to love it than you think, I promise.

AO3

Titles! Don’t sweat the title too much. Most people don’t read it. They’re going to pay a lot more attention to the summary and tags of your fic. If you are struggling with a title, I recommend song lyrics or a phrase you really like from your fic.

Summaries! This is what’s going to draw your reader into your fic. Don’t just say “I’m bad at summaries,” that’s not going to interest people. Either summarize your fic in one sentence or take an engaging excerpt from it and copy it into the summary box. No matter how bad you think that is, it’s better than no summary at all.

Tagging! Honestly, same principle as tumblr, but for a different reason. Tag your stuff so that people know exactly what’s happening in your fic. Most people filter by tags, meaning that what you put ensures that they get the best reading experience possible. Best advice I can give: tag major romantic and platonic relationships, characters, dynamics (ex: Steve Harrington Has a Crush on Eddie Munson), and themes of the fic (ex: fluff, angst, pwp, etc.). Better advice: go find the fics you like that are similar to what you’re writing and see how they tag.

Format! This is the biggest one, and it’s the thing that made me want to create this post in the first place. Please, do not give me a wall of text to read when I click the link to what looks like an amazing fic. It hurts my soul. The best advice I have for format is to read actual books and see how they’re formatted. Briefer, more simplistic advice: start a new paragraph every time someone new speaks or the focus changes. You also don’t have to indent on ao3, and if you’re in Rich Text, it’ll put spaces between paragraphs for you. Also, there’s a horizontal line button in rich text, so you don’t have to spam the underscore key to manually create one.

Comment! I personally have to get better at this, but comment! If you liked the fic, share your thoughts, even if it’s just a little heart emoji! Writers spend so much time on their fics, and they love feedback that’s a little more in depth than a kudo (although kudos are always appreciated)! If you’re able to, comment. You’ll make a writer’s day, I promise. If you’re a writer, don’t feel pressured to respond to every comment. If you want to, go for it! If you don’t, that’s okay, too. You’re all good either way.

Conclusion

Please add on to this with whatever you wish you were told when you were first starting out! And new fans, welcome! We’re happy to have you here, and we hope you have fun!

[dimensionsfae]

Hello! Because of the new TikTok ban scare alota people might come here in another exodus(it’s like the 3rd or 4th). It’s probably not gonna get banned but I would like to tell any new comers about Tumblr etiquette anyways! TLDR at bottom!

Ive been here since the quarantine(this is just a new account) so I know a bit(I’m also an internet history nerd so that helps). If any veteran tumblr users wanna chime in feel free to do so! Also please ask questions if you’re confused about wording or anything.

1. Porn bots:

This site has been plagued with porn bots for a long time but during an exodus you’re gonna see a lot of them. There accounts that are mostly empty for a while but then out of nowhere start posting porn and links to very sketchy sites and clog up tags. They’re very annoying to deal with and most users will end up blocking and reporting empty accounts and moving on. Unfortunately new users get caught in the crossfire and will get blocked and reported. Unlike sites like Twitter and TikTok were you can just not post and no one will bat an eye, people will see an empty blog start spam like posts and block them. You absolutely cannot have an empty blog. What you wanna do is fill your blog with posts related to your interests and reblog post you like. Not only is it helping you find your niche of weirdos but also signaling you’re not a bot. The most common first posts I’ve seen are intro posts and art dumps! Also decoration and blog customization also tells people you’re not a bot. Simply changein the pfp and header is enough for most of us tho.

2. Competition vr collaboration:

Unlike most socials tumblr is a collaborative site that loves creative bits and adding onto jokes rather than competition. It’s actually one of the main reasons tumblr and reddit are so intertwined. Competition and followers are not gonna get you anywhere. You’re better off finding a group of weirdos you like and befriending them. If people like you they’ll find you naturally. Also being tumblr famous is like getting buried alive. You don’t want to get famous here, the hate mail game is insane. Quick tip! Turn off annon asks if you don’t want some insane shit in your ask box or are more sensitive to weirdos. I have it on because I’m brave. The SCP community and other collaborative communities and fandoms all thrive here.

3. Tags:

I’ve seen newer users complain about “stolen tags”. You have never been able to “steal” a tag on any social media site I don’t know what they’re talking about. But anyways! Tags are one of the main ways you communicate on this site. Puns, comments, conversation, and more happen in the tags. It’s no longer a system of just finding posts you like. You wanna add something to a post but it doesn’t fit with the rest of it? Add it to tags. You wanna continue a bit or conversation? Tags. You just wanna goof off? Tags baby. It’s not the only communication of course but you will see conversations in the tags. Another tip! Tags will bleed into each other when looking for a super niche topic. Example: The Dr Glass, Glass Doctors, Dr Who, and Glasses tags will all bleed into each other but only when you are specifically looking for new Dr Glass content.

4. Ai:

Here Ai is very frowned upon unless under specific circumstances. Like reclaiming Ai adopts, actively mocking it, and chat bots. If you do post Ai “art” be cautious but you will end up getting mass blocked if we find you.

5. Fandom:

Like I’ve stated before this a collaborative site and as such you’re gonna see a lot of fandom here. Please be careful because mis info, interpretation, and bad faith spread like wildfire.

6. Don’t interact lists:

If you’re not aware a Do Not Interact list(DNI) is a list of groups or people who you don’t want interacting with your blog(s). It depends on the user but the most common ones in the lists are Homo/transphobes, Pedos, racists, sexists, and generally bigots. But remember for the life of however long your on this site not everyone is gonna listen to your DNI and they will interact anyways. It’s just as simple as blocking someone you don’t like.

TLDR:

No empty blogs, you don’t compete you collaborate, tags are important, Ai is generally frowned upon, fandom gets wild, and a don’t interact list won’t always work and just block people you don’t like.

I hope this helps anybody new or returning and please ask questions or chime in if you need to!

-Lynn

[novelmachine]

Been looking for Twitter alternatives, and other social media sites in general. I'm on the waitlist for Bluesky. No idea when I'll see that, and I haven't heard much about it either. I signed up for CuriousCat for funsies, but I don't think it's what I was looking for. I likely won't use it much. Now on to the juicy stuff.

Last night I signed up for Threads and I already don't like it. Right now, there are zero ways to control your dashboard. Or much of anything, really. Just the basic functions of Instagram, but with words. I'll see one or two posts from people I follow before an endless stream of thoughts from people I don't know or care about. Seeing the 4,508,877th member badge on my Insta page, as it relates to Threads, just hammers home how we're all just pieces of data to get swallowed up by the conglomerate. Not even bothering to hide the fact that it's all a numbers game. The app itself is clunky, lacking soul and personality. It's so boring to look at. A lifeless machine, and all 30+ million users and growing are the franticly spinning cogs.

I've signed up for Pilowfort a little while ago and I like it so far. Its closer to Tumblr. Given that Tumblr is always on the brink of disappearing, it wouldn't hurt to have a back-up. There are posts for everyone to see that live on your blog, but there are also individual communities that act as forums. Posts can have individual comment sections, which I guess helps keep things on-topic. I'm going to slowly transition to cross-posting both old and new posts there. It seems promising, and the interactions I've had with other users thus far have been pleasant. I've already seen a few guides and helpful tips for the internet refugees.

Then there's Spoutible. It was touted as black-owned, having no algorithm, and having mods that handled hate speech and bigots swiftly and appropriately. Those are some green flags. They also have a cute little whale mascot, so all that combined had me. It is the closest to a Twitter clone I've come across so far. The interface is easy to understand and navigate. Posts are limited to 300 characters, and can include pictures, gifs, videos, and polls. There are a lot of safety measures for you to customize your experience to avoid malicious accounts. One being a rating system ranging from Normal to Problematic to help distinguish normies from bots. To post something is to "Spout Off." The trending topics page is titled "Making Waves." I like the vibes, and I believe this app has a lot of promise.

The truth is I've been kind of ambivalent to Twitter, even years before the Elon fiasco. When I first joined, it was for following my middle school and high school friends. After I graduated, those relationships fell off one by one. My dashboard morphed into a cascade of influencer updates and artist promotions. All I could offer was superficial consumption and meaningless life updates. Posting became a competition of who could be the funniest or who had the hottest take, and your whole psyche takes a hit when you just can't hack it. Maybe a restart was inevitable, and necessary for all of our sakes. I'll be taking Twitter off of my Linktree and other socials for the time being, and I don't see the point in linking any of these new socials until I've had enough time to play with them and figure things out.

TLDR: I'm not a tech genius. I simply operate on vibes. Bluesky is mysterious, more data needed. Threads is bloated and leans heavily on the algorithm. Pillowfort is a nice comfy space, just need to get used to it. Spoutible has potential and immaculate vibes.