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ronwae · 3 years

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childhood au

so i'll try to reconstruct what Ralphies life as a kid was

a few facts from the game that we know:

* is younger than Nicky ( if Nicky is about 28/27 i imagine Ralph to be about 25/24 ) meaning that if Nicky immigrated w his relatives as a young child Ralph was probably already born in the US.( this could be the reason why in ch.1 he talks about being a real newyorker and makes fun of mc about it)

* Was abused (probably for the entirety of his childhood) by his alcoholic mother

* His father left him ( he says :" he went to get a pack pf smokes one day and never came back" this gives me the feeling that he would be at least 5/6+ years when that happened.

* Got into street fights and probably lost since once again he says " beat me up as bad as the boys" meaning that he was THE VICTIM HELLOO??

* there is also a small dialogue in ch.1 where it's mentioned that he always skipped school and probs stopped going there pretty early

* it's obvious that he lived in some gutter idk how to rephrase this

* was always close to nicky from the early childhood " we were the closest"

* one memory that Nicky narrates to us is making paper boats for Ralph and letting them sail on rainy days

* in spite of this we are told that Nicky never showed Ralph much affection, for example when Nicky is being sweet to mc he replies with "i've never seen him act like this"

* and in another line he says " i don't need nobody to stick their neck out for me" so yeah, he's been left alone and neglected for a while

Actual Childhood

i will compare Ralph with Nicky throughout this whole text and make a point about being very different.

1. His relationship with his mother

As long as Nicky had part of a more loving(normal) mom, Ralph clearly was less lucky. Literally being on his own with an alcoholic. Which resulted in him feeling unloved and running from home and getting into gang stuff. By always being belittled and beat by his parent, this usually results with the person later in life having big problems with aggression, this explaining why he likes being a criminal and jokes about others dying( this being a possibility to release all that anger from his childhood).

At the same time another prominent characteristic of his is the thing where he always does what he's told. We see this when he says that "Nicky taught him this and that" and also in that scene where he & Floyd sign documents. And there Ralph was right about not wanting to sign the deed to the speakeasy, but under Floyds pressure he literally breaks in less than a second. I explained this behaviour not by being simply " weak of spirit" or simply a loser, but the desire for approval, recognition and literally being patted on the shoulder for doing good. Since he's never been shown any kind of affection, he desperately tries to subconsciously earn it.

I think i should also add that by Freud( hate on me but this guy made a few good points) a mans relationship with his partner corelates with his relationship with his mother ( vice versa for women), so it makes sense why Nicky - with a loving mom found his soulmate, and Ralph didn't. ( i assume that he never had a long term relationship ). ( this is my personal theory)

2. His relationship with his dad

none🤥🤥🤥🤥🤥🤥🤥

3. His relationship with Nicky

now this one is just a continuation of point 1.

I've always felt some part of jealousy for Nicky. Maybe he got into crime because he always wanted to be like Nicky and even talked about living in Nicky's mansion after he takes his role. Im sure that he love's Nicky and feels bad for betraying him, but i understand why he'd do that. Maybe he tried to subconsciously prove to himself that he can make his own decisions but that turned out... well... bad.

But i imagine them both having a really good relationship, good un their own way.

And that point where they both mentioned that Nicky tried to prevent Ralph from joining the mafia, if i put myself in his shoes i would take that not as a way to keep me safe but a way to keep me from succeeding or always remaining in Nicky's shadow.

okay now for the actual actual childhood headcanons

* I feel like Ralph would be actually a pretty smart child. Besides being curious i feel that he'd say smart,correct and deep thoughts and not even realise that.

* He'd still have problems spelling and understanding basic math:/

* lived admiring rich people on the covers of magazines or in the movies

* was pretty much of a loner as a child and didn't have many friend except Nicky

* while Nicky was the lively, active and charismatic one, Ralphie would be the quiet kid until 12/13 yrs

* that meaning that he would usually be made fun of or beaten by older kids

* i don't think he'd fight back much, not with bare hands at least

* in general i think he'd despise actual fights, more of a gun/knife guy

* disliked Nicky's dog, or any four legged animal ( doesn't hate them but doesn't love either)

* birds on the other hand

* they always gave him hope and the desire to just be free and escape his home and everyone he knew. the same with sailing, loved the idea of just leaving alone into the open ocean

* irrational fear of death

* if there is a living creature that he loves more that birds it would be butterflies

* but no one knows that since he's embarrassed to admit it

* would create many problems as a child

* starting with the basic running from school up to setting someones hair on fire with a lighter

* mentioning the lighter, tried smoking at about 14 but nearly choked to death because of his asthma

* and because of asthma i think there would be multiple times where he almost died

* as a kid probably lived near a garage and spent most of his free time watching men repairing cars

* car obsession phase

* even started drawing them at some point and got pretty good at mechanical drawings

* dreamed of becoming a racer

* once told that to a girl he liked in like grade 4 and almost died of pride when she applauded him for his ambitions

* and his ambitions were always high

* the second he'd see or hear about something grand or fancy he'd add it to his mental list of wishes

* made friends with some local old guy who was very sarcastic and nihilistic and literally based his personality on that

* would have to get around life on his own and by that i mean that he sew his own clothes, made his own food, when he got lost -spent hours walking around new york until he found his street without asking anyone for directions

* at some point picked up smoking because even though at first it was death threatening

* at about 16/17 totally found himself in the "wiseguy" persona and at this point there wasn't a returning point

* had a couple of girlfriends but dated them for a month at best

YES I LIKE PSYCHOLOGY YES I WANT TO BECOME A PSYCHIATRIST AND I LOVE CHARACTER ANALYSIS

#tatw #fictif #fictif tatw #two against the world #fictif ralph #nicky valentino #ralph della rosa #fictif nicky #tatw ralph della rosa #two against the world ralph #headcanon tatw #headcanons ralph della rosa #nyx hidra tatw #nyx hydra fictif #nyx hydra #ralph fictif #ralph headcanons

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spiffyworks · 6 years

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Artist’s Software Surfing P1 - Sketching

SSSo recently, after finishing (an admittedly long-overdue) a piece, I decided to download a trial of the new Corel Painter 2019. I hadn’t used Painter since my old DeviantArt days (circa 2005) and wanted to see how it felt with more digital art-veteran hands. Loaded it up, started sketching my default doodle-muse and wow, that “Real 2B” pencil feels great. I loved it so much, and wondered why.

That’s the story that is spawning this weird personal series of Software Surfing. I wanted to write little notes to future-me on how it felt using my favorite sketching tools in each program I have, and after the sixth one I thought it might be a good idea to check out inking, colouring, painting, etc. and writing those down as well.

So I’m writing this series for myself, but making it available in case anyone else can benefit as well. Thanks for sticking with the intro, let’s get into it.

Artist’s Software Surfing P1 - Sketching Artist’s Software Surfing P2 - Inking Artist’s Software Surfing P3 - Colouring Artist’s Software Surfing P4 - Painting

There are many ways to sketch, but this is specifically the classic “pencil” or “drawing” form using the tools with the program’s default settings.

As an introduction, this is my doodle-muse, Cloey. She was my first original character, and though I don’t usually share my anthro art on here (I know that’s not everyone’s thing) I do have a separate blog for that stuff that you can find here if you’re so inclined. If you’re familiar with Artgerm (and you should be), she’s basically my Pepper.

Corel Painter’s “Real 2B”:

The one that started it all. The pencil just GLIDES, and I’ve always loved when you can tilt a pencil tool and it will shade just like tilting a real-life pencil. The only thing I want from a program now is to be able to bind touch to blenders so I can use my finger to smudge-blend the scribbling. (I tried drawing that fist so many times /fume)

Likes: Tilt functionality, line width variance, stroke speed, eraser Dislikes: Rebinding Rotate Canvas tool was a pain. I like Shift+Space, and that key combo is reflected in the shortcut panel, but it just continued to pan. Never worked for me, and rotating or flipping the page quickly is crucial for my sketching process. Also sometimes if I quickly resize the eraser and mash it down to use, it won’t detect any input.

Photoshop, Kyle Webster’s “2B” & “Animator Pencil”:

**Disclaimer** Firstly, I’ve used Photoshop for over 15 years now, and it’s a great digital art tool, but for drawing and painting I find it’s sorely lacking. It’s slow, expensive, and unintuitive. That being said, there are some things this program does exclusive to others so I’m still clinging to it (desperately) and while I would definitely recommend something else for budding digital artists, I have to supplement my misgivings by purchasing additional plugins and tools, such as the famed Kyle T Webster’s Ultimate Megapack for Photoshop (

which is now complementary with Photoshop CC, damnit

). Unless otherwise noted, all the brushes I use in Photoshop will be from that pack. **End Disclaimer**

Following off the heels of Corel, I remembered messing around with another “2B” (which btw is my personal favorite traditional pencil to sketch with) in Kyle Webster’s Drawing Box in Photoshop. It felt a bit similar, but with no tilt functionality and it really lacked the chunky-thickness (a scientific term) I enjoyed with Painter’s pencil. I switched to my favorite (and the favorite of MANY digital artists btw) his “Animator’s Pencil”. So chunky, but the ability to shade lightly... It’s really a fun brush to use for sketching digitally. Still one of my absolute favorites.

Animator Pencil Likes: Line width variance, texture fills in and scales perfectly Dislikes: It’s a photoshop exclusive, a program that for some reason you can’t bind shortcuts to whatever you please, takes forever to load, and WAY too often suffers input lag while drawing. Also no tilt shading, :’( aw

Paintstorm’s “Textured Pencil” & “Pencil Tilt”

As a bit of an aside, I love Paintstorm, Paintstorm is what got me back into digital drawing and painting after doing 3D and game design for 7 years. I bought it for the very low price of entry (2 licenses for $30) and was impressed by its ability to customize literally anything in the program. You can create your own tool/brush boxes, bind any shortcut to any key combination, and every single brush tool adjustment comes with the most customization control of any program I’ve come across since Photoshop set the bar way back in the day. Out of the box a lot of the basic brushes have that old OpenCanvas or PaintTool Sai feel, but more recently they’ve added some very textured default brushes you can play around with. It’s also hands-down the FASTEST program I’ve ever worked in. I highly recommend giving it a try, it’s great for learning and experimentation. I grew a lot working in Paintstorm.

The Textured Pencil is a fun sketching brush, you can get as think or thick as you’d want and it keeps a clean outline. The Pencil Tilt really blew my mind the first time I used it. YOU CAN SHADE! It was the first time I had ever seen a program do that. The tilt has a great texture, fantastic control, and gets just as dark as you’d need. I’d recommend using them both, the Textured Pencil for a cleaner sketch, and the Pencil Tilt for something more expressive or loose.

Krita’s Ink-Tilt & “Sketch”:

I’ll be honest, I have almost no experience in Krita despite having downloaded and given it a try back in 2014. It was a hell of a time to figure out how to rebind my usual shortcuts (flip horz, rotate canvas). I couldn’t even rebind colour grab/eyedropper. Yikes. I opened up the “Sketching” brush box and there were only two options, made worse as one was a sketch pen... That lacked the flexibility of ballpoint.

First I grabbed the pencil dubbed “Sketch” and was bewildered why the size of the circle was so large compared to the mark it made. Very confusing. Feeling intimidated, I abandoned it immediately to try out the “ink_tilt” (which by the way there’s no tilt functionality??) and hated it. I reluctantly went back to the pencil and just started trying to make marks. Wow. It’s weird, but surprisingly fun. You have to be willing to relinquish a LOT of control, but the shapes the brush makes while moving and tilting during a stroke can yield some really interesting and suggestive shapes. I would say great for early concepting or making something really loose and expressive. Fun to play with, but not really practical.

Clip Studio Paint’s Real Pencil & Rough Pencil

I’ve been wholly immersed in CSP since I purchased the program back in late 2016. It goes on sale often, so you can pick up a nice fully featured program for ~$35. I’d had my eye on it for a while and still really want to get into self-publishing comics, so I picked it up, bought a couple of brush packs for it (it’s pretty lacking in default painting tools) and I’ve been illustrating in it ever since. The brush creation isn’t as fun as Paintstorm, but brushes are quite customizable. I usually like to use the “Rough Pencil” if I want just a little texture and line variance, or the “Darker Pencil” for something cleaner. Trying to be different, I just jotted out a couple heads in ones I don’t normally use, the Real Pencil and Design Pencil. The Real Pencil has a lot of texture, but for some reason in CSP the textures don’t seem to scale with the brush, so I tend to avoid using it in most cases. I hate the design pencil, I just could never get dark enough. I guess that’s probably the point, though.

Well, that definitely wraps this digest up. I feel refreshed after trying out a lot of new digital sketching brushes. I was really reminded of how much I enjoyed drawing in Paintstorm. I hope someone other than me found this useful or otherwise inspiring! Sometimes, especially if you’re stuck in some art blockage, it’s a good idea to try something new, and for me digitally that’s hopping programs and trying new brushes.

I’m thinking about doing inks, colours, and painting at some point. Let me know if anyone’s interested in those! I’m planning on doing some for myself eventually, but I might expedite a post if anyone is interested. o/ Take it easy, y’all.

Artist’s Software Surfing P1 - Sketching Artist’s Software Surfing P2 - Inking Artist’s Software Surfing P3 - Colouring Artist’s Software Surfing P4 - Painting

#process #sketching #software #guide

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blaqueandstuff · 6 years

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Creating the Forest-Killer

Yet another “how I made it” post.

This was a bit of a different project. It came about when I was a bit on an artist block and a friend gave me a bit of an idea of drawing something based on how art notes for Magic tend to be done. I’m told also it has an L5R reference in there also, but since I don’t know that setting I’ll go with what I had. Here was the original description:

Color: White creature

Location: Not important. Perhaps a village, grassy plain, or woodland scene.

Action: Show a confident-looking male samurai in a dark green kimono with both swords drawn, ready to strike. His opponent is irrelevant but can also be included. His hair should be long but controlled, perhaps tied up in a tail. His forearms, if visible, should be tattooed to look like fish scales. His back, if visible, has this character in whichever color you like:毘.

Focus: The samurai.

Mood: Self-assured confidence.

For this one, I thought to take the bits that stood out: Battle with a grassy plain seemed cool; I wanted to show off the tattoos and the confidence. I decided to show that with the samurai being relaxed with not so relaxed soldiers, and even framing the image in context of said soldiers to put focus on the samurai.

I first tried to do this picture in Corel Painter. I sketched it, laid it out and such in my usual steps, but I found that something about how I had grown inexperienced with the program and the more “sketch paint” style I use to do was making it take longer than I think I’d have liked. But for now, here’s the sketch, ink, and the last paint scene. I think a big thing is I got lost on where the edges should be and where lighting could have been.

So, I scrapped this project for a while and let it sit for a few months, before deciding to restart it from scratch. This time, I decided to try something different. Push the “cartoony” look I have been cultivating of late, and see how that goes. And, maybe push the layout more with framing. In hindsight if I would have done something extra, I’d of tilted the “camera” a bit more, but overall this looked more dynamic than the original, even though we don’t see the samurai’s face.

I used a lot of pattern brushes to figure out things like the tattoos and the sword handles. Overall, I think this had a better sense of depth and I went with it.

Due to how many characters there were, I wanted to be sure where I wanted shading to be. I decided instead of an evening scene, to stick to the “white” theme from Magic and do something more daytime, but with a kind of overcast feel to it instead. This also let me push things like color depth of field, with the soldiers in the back being much lighter/paler color wise than the foreground and I would make the samurai’s outfit the brightest colored thing in the picture to draw focus to him. To kind of setup my values, I found the silhouettes of the four characters and played around a bit to be sure I had the right idea.

I decided to put in the kanji here and wanted to do something to make the samurai feel less like he was blending in. I messed with the horizon line a bit and came up with this.

Then, I started adding flats, and I felt something was missing.

The samurai felt too static and there wasn’t a sense of distance I think. I wanted the characters to seem more on the same plane. I forced the issue by adding a plane, representing grass. This did a lot I think to add more depth to the drawing and clarify who’s where in relation to each other.

I then used a grass brush to put in the actual grass. I did it in a few layers, one in front of the samurai, one between him and the soldiers and a final background one, using various selection and fill stuff to make things brighter and smaller the further back they were. The gradient helped add depth to the drawing, and I really liked the way it makes the top part of the illustration seem more important. Note I also redrew the tattoos. The original pattern just didn’t look right, and I ended up having to draw them from scratch, which I think made it look better anyhow.

I don’t have a complete “shading no gradients” picture sadly, but mostly blocked in colors. Simple cell-shading look here to get a sense of where’s dark and light. Note I also redrew from scratch his left sword handle at this point, but kept the pattern for the right one.

When I do backlight shading, what I often do is use a very soft airbrush of the flat color in the shading. It helps a lot to keep things coherent I find and to get something more metallic, you crank up the contrast of bits. At this point, I’m trying to do the overcast sky and use a watercolor brush for that. I also use some airbrush effects to blur the grass a bit, making like there’s more atmosphere around.

More highlights, this time focusing on an overpaint layer that makes things pop more. I’m using an airbrush mostly to get a nice “glare” effect on the metal and edges, using a Glow layer in spots to get it to pop more.

Finally, to bring things together, I decide to introduce some “sunbeam” effects. This took some try, but I eventually settled on this. I think it helps ground the light source, and fits with the bright glare in some parts and deep shades in others.

I think if I were to do some things different, I’d of used the “colored outline” thing in some spots, namely the samurai’s swords and tattoos. There’s also a bit where the glare on the shield is off, but I think overall this was an enjoyable drawing to work on. I learned a lot and I will try to push things more on stuff like this in the future.

Hope you enjoy folks. Be sure to check-out the full resolution version over on my DeviantArt page here.

Thanks for reading as always.

And stuff.

#digital art #art commisions #clip studio paint #anime art #samurai #fantasy #process

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turtleparadise · 3 years

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[ ~ One ~ Two ~ Three ~ Four ~ Five ~ Six ~ Seven ~ ]

[ I thought I was pretty much done pouring out my heart for the moment, but... Nope. Enjoy. ]

3. You Run Like A River

"Okay, who's in charge around here?"

Several worn-out adults turned their heads in the direction of the young ninja who had come walking into North Corel like she owned the place.

"We ain't got government around here," one of them said. "But if you're lookin' for some kinda leader, it's me."

"Vaast," Barret greeted, raising his hand in a motionless wave, though he couldn't think of anything else to say. The one called Vaast scoffed, but only addressed Yuffie.

"This guy with you?"

"Haha... Yeah... Hold on." Yuffie turned to Barret. "I thought you said you made up with these guys!"

"You could say that," Vaast nodded. "But we still don't much wanna see 'im."

"Too bad, 'cause he's here to help me!"

"Oh? And what're you here for?"

As if in answer, the trucks began to arrive, large construction machinery. One by one they filled the perimeter, waiting for orders.

"For some remodeling," she said with a lighthearted laugh.

"Wait... You're that Empress Kee-somethin'-or-other that contacted my dad?"

"That's me! Yuffie Kisaragi. But you can call me Yuffie. Your, uh, dad, was it? He got you guys to clear out all your possessions, right?" He stared at her, dumbfounded, not even realizing she had asked a question.

"Some kid is the ruler of a nation?"

"Hey!"

"Do you want our help, or not?" Barret asked, stepping forward, looking about ready to rough someone up.

"Hey, whoa, Barret, it's okay!" Yuffie waved him down. He nodded, but was still irritable.

"Sure," Vaast finally said, turning to walk away. "Do whatever you want. Ain't nobody attached to this trash heap."

"Well, what a regular ray o' sunshine," Cid scoffed. "Alright, let's level this place an' build a town."

"What's the plan, Yuffie?" Cloud asked.

"Heehee... I'm glad you asked! Behold the Great Ninja Empress Yuffie's Construction Plan Number Three! ...Mostly drawn up by her fantastic advisor Ayase!" She unrolled a set of large papers, some of them blueprints, some of them compiled data, but one of them was a general map of the town as it currently was, with a red ink overlay of the planned future.

"Oh boy," Reeve laughed. "Well, I'm glad we're working with machinery this time." Yuffie nodded.

"We've got a lot of work to do!"

\\\\\

"Empress?"

"Hm?" Yuffie turned this way and that, before realizing an elderly couple had approached her. She took off her safety goggles and let them rest atop her head. "Ah, Mister Reach? Is that you? We spoke on the phone, so I thought I recognized your voice."

"You can call me Sebastian," he chuckled. "And this is my husband, Morgan."

"It's a pleasure to meet the Empress of Wutai," the other man said, extending his hand, which Yuffie shook energetically.

"Nice to meet both of you in person," she beamed. "But just call me Yuffie, okay?"

"We can do that," Sebastian nodded. "We just wanted to thank you so much for what you're doin'. I know folks around here are rough around the edges, but we've been through a lot, so... I hope you can forgive us."

"Your son is a good person," she said. "I can tell. He's got a chip on his shoulder, but I don't blame him. I don't blame anyone. Shin-Ra... ruined the lives of people all over this planet. We should all come together and build each other up."

"So that's the philosophy?" Morgan asked. "I like it."

"I'll be honest," Sebastian said, glancing around at the ever-changing town of North Corel, mostly level dirt now with many concrete plots being placed, though two buildings had already been completed. "I just thought you were comin' here to build some houses, then you'd be on your merry way. Didn't think you'd clean the whole place up."

"Gotta make a good foundation," she shrugged, wiping sweat from her brow. "Otherwise, you'll have plenty of problems in the long run."

"Too wise for her age," Morgan laughed.

"You're not... just talking about houses, are you, Yuffie?" She grinned at the question.

"I'm a schemer, Sebastian. Always have been. I look a hundred moves ahead. I'm not gonna lie, I will ask for something. But we'll get to that when the time is right. And I think... you'll like it, too."

"But the buildings won't take that long, will they? Looks like your crew is gettin' 'em done in record time."

"We're far from done," she said. "Once we finish with the buildings, we're splitting into two teams; one that's gonna help you guys clear the nearby land and start a new farm, and another that's heading up to the river in the mountains. A little bit of terraforming, and we'll have the Corel River flowing through here."

"Are you serious...?" Both men stared at her, jaws agape.

"Why would you go to all that trouble?" Sebastian asked.

"Because I can," she chuckled.

"She loves saying that," Vincent said as he passed by, carrying fresh lumber to one of the lots.

"Hush, you," Yuffie said, her cheeks flushed. "I'll deal with you later."

"What can we ever do to repay you?" Morgan asked.

"Like I said, we'll work something out," she said with a grin.

\\\\\

"Water!! Water!"

"Water's moving!"

"Look how fast it is!"

The children of North Corel ran to the newly expanded Corel River, some jumping into it, some kicking it up and splashing, but mostly dropping immediately to their knees to take a drink.

"It tastes so good!"

"It's the BEST WATER EVER!"

A sweaty Yuffie, covered in dirt, walked toward the water and knelt down beside them, taking off her gloves, and dipped her cupped hands into the water. She brought the small amount up to her lips and drank, raising her head up to make sure she got every drop.

"Aaah... It really is the best water." She opened her eyes, and...

SPLASH!

The youngsters laughed uncontrollably at their antics, some of them continuing to throw and kick water in her direction, some of them falling into the shallow riverbank.

"Oh yeah?" She laughed, rising to her feet. "Oh yeah?!"

SPLASH! SPLASH! SPLASH! SPLASH!

The giggling grew louder and louder - they were all soaked within seconds. Her friends, and the citizens of North Corel, had a good laugh at them, some of them even joining in - though several of them only wanted a drink, so they kept their distance from the splashing. Yuffie took one glance at her friends, and a huge grin swept across her face. He was standing just close enough...

"Okay, guys, here's what we're gonna do..." She whispered instructions to the children, who all started laughing once more. They threw handfuls of water toward Vincent, who skillfully and swiftly moved out of the way - right behind Yuffie.

SPLASH! SPLASH! SPLASH!

Of course, it didn't affect her much, considering she was already soaking wet, but she scowled at him anyway.

"Come here, you...!" She charged directly at Vincent, smacking her head into his abdomen, then grabbed him and threw him into the water, falling down with him. He couldn't resist laughing along with her. She moved in to kiss him...

But he pushed against her shoulder with his right arm.

"All eyes are on you, Empress Kisaragi."

It stung. She felt like he had run her through with a lance. But she nodded, knowing he had made the right choice, grateful that he had more self-control than she did. No one could know... Not yet. She rose to her feet, lightly smacking her cheeks with her palms to get rid of the wounded look on her face, and turned back to the children, putting on her best smile.

"Okay, your turn again!"

"Oh no," the children all screamed, scattering and making a run for it. Yuffie chased after them, splashing away, managing to catch a couple of them and giving them the gentlest version of the neck hold she often caught her father in, before dropping backwards into the water. The two, a girl and a boy, laughed along with her, and moved their limbs around in no particular rhythm, enjoying the feeling of lying in wild water.

"Hey, are you really a princess from across the ocean?" The boy asked, as the rest of the children began to come back.

"Empress," she laughed. "But not to you guys, okay? To you guys, I'm just Yuffie."

"Why?"

"Because, I want to be your friend. When you all grow up, and I have to talk to you about boring adult stuff, then you can call me 'Empress'. But then... After the business part is over, you have to go back to calling me 'Yuffie'."

"You'll still be our friend?" One of the children who had scattered.

"Even when we're older?"

"Of course!"

"And you'll still splash around in the river with us?" asked the girl lying beside her.

"Oh, you know it," she laughed. "I'll come back to visit whenever I can."

"Thanks for the river, Yuffie," the boy next to her said.

"Hey, don't thank me! This is the blessing of Leviathan."

"Leviathan?"

"What, you don't know about them? Ohhh boy, you guys have got a lot to learn. Well, then again, so do I! Nyuk nyuk nyuk... I guess everybody does. You never really stop learning."

"You did the right thing, Vincent," Cloud whispered as his friend walked by, completely drenched, allowing his soaking black mane to hide his face; he couldn't fake a smile at the moment.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he answered, walking past him, to the workers' rest house. Cloud pulled Barret and Tifa a bit away from the group, still whispering.

"Barret, go after him."

"What? Why me?"

"I've never been good at the touchy-feely stuff. You give the best hugs, so..."

"Heh, well, when you're right, you're right. I'll try ta' cheer 'im up."

"Tifa, when Yuffie comes back, can you-?"

"Leave it to me," his wife nodded.

"Alright, go team!"

"'Go team'?" Barret couldn't help but laugh as he made his way to the workers' house. "That boy..."

\\\\\

"So, the time has come," Yuffie said, drawing up a contract, while Vaast and his fathers took a seat across the table from her.

"I guess so," Sebastian said, wondering what their benefactor was going to ask of them.

"First of all, Vaast, you know everybody in town, right?"

"Of course," the middle-aged man nodded.

"Then I want you in charge of picking a few people to make a city council."

"What now?"

"Pick people who have the town's best interests at heart, who can make decisions on issues everyone else presents to them. You'll be in charge of the council as the Mayor. Sound like a plan?"

"Wait just a second... What makes you think I wanna be stuck with some dumbass job like that?"

"I think you really want to," she said, not taking her eyes from the parchment. "I think you want what's best for everyone here. And it's clear that everyone here admires and respects you, so I don't think they'll go against your decision. If you don't want the seat, you can pass it to someone else. But in the meantime, I'd really appreciate it if you made that council. Unless you don't think you can handle it..."

"Pshh... Whatever. Not like that's hard t'do."

"Morgan, Sebastian, I'd like you two to be the farm's official Overseers. You don't have to do anything, just check in with the farmers once in a while. Your new house is right by the farm, after all, so I hope you're okay with that."

"Are you sayin' you're payin' us to basically do nothin'?" Morgan chuckled. "I can do that."

"I want their salary to be paid by City Hall," Yuffie said to Vaast.

"What're you talkin' about? Nobody here has any money! I told ya that when you built that damn bank!"

"You will," she said, without elaborating. "By the way, I've already put that woman, Mirabelle, in charge of the bank. I told her she could decide who to hire."

"Mirabelle?" Vaast scoffed, his cheeks flushing just the slightest bit. "She's the clumsiest fool you could find. You put her in charge of a bank?"

"She's someone you can trust with money," Yuffie said, finally looking up from her form to stare into his eyes. "I promise you that."

"How would you know that?"

"I looked into her eyes."

"Bunch'a damn fools," Vaast sighed, rubbing his face with both hands.

"Now, about our business... I understand this was once a mining town."

"All the coal's gone," Morgan said. "Veins dried up years ago."

"That's what I had heard," she nodded. "But I don't want you digging for coal. The Corel Mountains are chock full of gems and minerals. Lots of it gets carried away by the rivers running through the range." All three men stared at her, incredulous.

"You dug the river so we could have...?" Sebastian started laughing, and couldn't even finish his sentence. He leaned on his husband, who patted him on the back and kissed him, pushing his glasses up.

"You should be able to sift through the river and find loads of treasures with ease, without having to mine. And, if you feel the need, the town can be expanded upstream, closer to the mountains, if anyone really wants to go mining. If it were me, I wouldn't expend the energy." she let out a laugh. "Sitting in the water and letting it send all the riches my way sounds a lot better to me."

"What's your game?" Vaast asked. "Why're you doin' all this for us? Wutai's got its own problems, don't it?"

"Again, because I can. This isn't all coming from Wutai's money, Mayor Vaast. I've been exchanging goods and favors for a long time, saving up for projects like this. And now, I can finally make them reality."

"But why, though? What do you get out of it? You have to be after somethin'."

"I am," she said, finally looking up at the three men. "I want a share of those riches."

"'S'cuse me?"

"The minerals and gems that'll be flowing down the river. This town used to be famous for its metalwork, right? Jewelry, armor, all of that? None of the regions of Wutai do much of that, we're mostly wood, stone, clay. We have some excellent smiths, but they're all specialists, and they're few and far between. What I need, is a town rich with metals of all kinds, that can craft exquisite works of art my people will want to buy from you. And in exchange, we'll ship you rice fresh from our fields."

"Waitwaitwaitwait," Vaast said, shaking his hand from side to side. "Hold on a minute here... I thought the metalworkin' was already in exchange for everything you've done here this month. The cleanup, the construction, the farm, the river...? Right?" Yuffie blinked a few times, keeping a straight face, before shaking her head.

"That was a gift."

"A GIFT??" He pounded his fist against the table and jumped up from his seat. Yuffie had to hold back her laughter at this point. "A GIFT! What the ?#@$'s your economy even like? How is your country not bankrupt by now?" At this, she could hold it back no longer - she threw her head back and laughed. Once she calmed down, she apologized.

"I'm so sorry. Look... I have the best team of personal advisors, and the best Imperial Council I could ever have, made up of the best and brightest young minds from each region in the Wutai Empire. We have it well taken care of, I promise. Like I've said before, I've been saving up for this."

"So... You're good with callin' it even, right here and now. You're not gonna ask for any future payment or interest, or anything, on the construction?"

"Not a single Gil."

"Then in that case, I want somethin' better for our metal, than just rice."

"Vaast!" Sebastian spoke up. "How much longer are you going to be rude to the Empress?" Yuffie didn't seem to be fazed at all.

"Why am I even listenin' to a kid?" Vaast asked himself. "How the hell you're an Empress is beyond me. You look like you're nineteen."

"I'm twenty-three, Mayor."

"Still way too damn young," he shook his head. "Shouldn't be in control o' one country, let alone an empire. Bet you don't know the first thing about runnin' a nation."

"Vaast!" Morgan scolded him. Yuffie shook her head and made a downward wave of her hand, before addressing the new mayor.

"I really don't. That's what I have my council for. I picked each member for specific reasons. Because I don't have experience as a leader... I didn't even have experience in architecture, farming, or construction before I gave it a shot. But I know what it's like to be human..." She trailed off for a moment, before discarding the subject altogether. "Have you ever had Wutaian rice, Mayor?" He shook his head and shrugged. "Once you've had rice from Wutai, especially from the Jeijyuu Region, all other rice will be bland and coarse to you. I guarantee it."

"All rice is bland n' coarse, yers can't be much different." She smiled at this.

"You've obviously never had ours. What do you say? One trial shipment, free of charge? And if you're not satisfied, I guess we'll have to throw something else into the deal... But... If you eat your words, along with our rice, then we'll set up a trade route and have a regular exchange."

"Pssh, I can win that bet. You're on," he smiled, shaking her hand. "Lemme sign that damn paper."

\\\\\

"You're really on a roll, hon," Tifa said, hoisting her bag over her shoulder. "What's the next project?"

"Well, I'm not sure just yet. I need to save up a bit more before we get started on South Corel..."

"South Corel," half of the group exclaimed.

"When Ruby Weapon demolished the Gold Saucer, it made the prison even worse than it had been. I know we got everyone out, but there used to be a town there, right? Barret, that's where you were born?"

"I don't know if it's possible," he shook his head. "The Saucer smashed everything... And it'd take more money than you could imagine, t'move those giant hunks o' metal."

"Still... I'd like to travel there to just look at things, assess the damage. Vinnie, you'll keep traveling with me, right?"

"Of course." Their friends gave them looks, some of them hooting and hollering, and Yuffie yelled at them all to hush.

"We'd better get out of here," Tifa said, giving Yuffie a wink. The younger woman was not entertained. "Yuffie, let us know when it's time for the next project."

"We'll be there," Cait Sith said from his place on his "father"'s head as they followed Cloud and Tifa outside.

"You kids behave, now," Cid chuckled on his way out.

"Until next time," Nanaki said with a short bow.

"You alright, buddy?" Barret asked. Vincent nodded.

"I'm fine now. Thank you, Barret."

"Alright, I'm outta here, then." He turned to Yuffie. "You be good to him, now." She nodded, blushing.

"See you later, guys!" Yuffie waved goodbye to all of their friends.

She closed the door, locked it, and turned around to stare at her boyfriend for only a few seconds, before running at him.

"Wait, wait-"

"YAAAH!" She jumped onto him, clinging with her arms and legs, and stole the kisses she had been longing for, for far too long now. "Hom... mmm... ohmm.."

"Do you... have to... make it... sound... like you're eating?" Vincent finally got out between passionate kisses. The two couldn't keep their hands - or lips - off of each other.

"You like it," she declared boldly. "I like eating your face. Mmmm, dear Leviathan, it's been so long!"

"It's been a few weeks," he said, and she immediately shushed him. "But I know what you mean." It had been an agonizing, slow two weeks, not allowed to touch, not allowed to give their secret away - not that their friends didn't know, at this point. Forcing himself not to kiss her in the river had been torture. But now his lips were hers again, to glide over her body, to taste her cheek, her hair, her arms, her neck, her shoulders...

"Okay," Yuffie sighed, letting herself fall back to her feet, before grabbing almost violently at his black shirt. "I wanna take this off. Is that okay?"

"I... Well... Yes, I'd... be okay with that."

"Ahhh I love making you blush!" She sprang for another kiss, before pulling up on his shirt, getting it stuck around his head.

"Hold on... Let me... Okay, now pull..." The shirt came off, and Yuffie felt blood rush to her cheeks as she stared at him.

"Collarbone..."

"Collarbone?" Without another word, she leaped at him once again, practically biting down on his clavicle. Feeling the brush of her lips against his bare skin, Vincent sharply inhaled, and fell to the floor; Yuffie came crashing down on top of him.

"Paralyzed again?" She asked. He nodded. "Are you okay with me, uh..." She wriggled her fingers excitedly. "Well, I don't know what I'm gonna do, I just know I wanna touch all of this." Another nod. And then, more sounds of shock and delight as she ran her fingers over his chest, his ribs, his abdomen - not excluding the parts of his body she had already conquered, either. "Oh man, you're so much fun, Vinnie." Vincent couldn't quite articulate a response at the moment. Please leave a message after the beep.

\\\\\

"...'And so, he steeled up his courage and began to walk once again. The tears were fresh on his cheeks, and he was still so very, very afraid. But he knew that if he followed the fireflies' glow, followed the river, he would make it back home somehow. But it would be a long journey.

'Unfortunately, he couldn't keep going all through the night. His legs begged for rest, his eyelids grew heavy, and he knew he would have to sleep. Of course, the many unknown dangers of the forest filled his mind, but at this point, he didn't have a choice. He looked around...' Oh, hey."

Yuffie let out a gentle laugh as she felt Vincent sit up and wrap his arms around her from behind, his long legs encompassing her, bent at the knees, and his mouth pressed against her shoulder. She reached a hand over to pet him and run her fingers through his shining black hair, but kept the other hand's hold on her book.

"Hey. I was going for soft and romantic, not possessive and sensual. What do you think? Did I do it right?"

"You did perfect," she smiled. "But what's up? I thought you wanted to take a nap."

"I did, but..." He sighed, pressing his cheek against the back of her head. "You know those moments when you're just... overcome?"

"Overcome by...?"

"Emotion. Romantic fluff. The desire to pour out your heart because it's overflowing."

"Oh..."

"I just had one of those, listening to you read to me. That's all."

"I'm glad you like it. It's one of my favorite books."

"I haven't caught all of it," he admitted. "I've dozed off from time to time. Which was the point in the first place, but..." He didn't know where he was going from here. "Thank you. I'll ask you to do this again in the future, if that's okay."

"Sure... You mean my reading style isn't boring or annoying to you?" In response to this, he touched his fingers to her chin, then moved them down her jawline, and under.

"Your voice... is like a river running through a dry, harsh mountain range. Bringing life and color to everything around it. I have never heard a more beautiful sound." Yuffie's face went red.

"You'd better cut that poetry crap out if you want me to keep reading. 'Cause it's making me wanna throw you on the bed."

"I'm already on the bed," he pointed out.

"I'll pick you up and throw you back on it!"

"Keep reading," he chuckled, planting one more kiss just below her left eye. "There will be plenty of time for that later. But... I hope you don't mind if I stay like this." He embraced her once again.

"Of course not," she smiled.

"Let me know if I start to get too heavy." Yuffie shook her head in response to this.

"I can hold you up."

\\\\\

He woke up in the middle of the night, and smiled at the woman he was falling more and more in love with every day. He kissed her ever so gently on the tip of one of her closed eyes, before moving to get up.

"No..." Yuffie clamped her hand around his arm, fiercely. "You can't go. You can't..." A loud yawn. "You belong here."

"Are you dreaming?"

"I've been dreaming of a true love's kiss," she sang slowly, before snoring. He chuckled, and made to pry her hand off, but her grip tightened. "No! I'm awake! And you can't go!"

"I'm just going to get some water."

"Come back in ten seconds."

"I'll try."

"I'll accept that," she mumbled, relinquishing her hold on him. He went about his business, and came back, placing his new glass of water on the sidetable after a few sips. "That was more than ten seconds."

"I said I'd try."

"Whatever." She yanked him back into bed, pulling him closer until her heart beat against his bare back. "I want..." More snoring sounds.

"You want?" Vincent asked, rolling over and caressing her cheek as he squeezed under the covers.

"I crave..."

"You crave...?" She opened her eyes again, and clawed at his chest.

"Skin... Your heart against mine... Vinnie... I wanna feel it. Why did you moooove?"

"I'm coming back," he promised, scooching closer to her, wrapping one of his arms around her. "That better?"

"Yes." She pressed her lips against the bridge of his nose. "I want... to take you... Have you..."

"I'm yours."

"Mmm... Say that again."

"I'm yours," he repeated, kissing her knuckles. "I'm yours. I'm yours."

"Mine..."

\\\\\

"I think I'll make a road here."

"Tell me all about it."

"It'll stretch from North Corel, then split! One side of the fork will go left to South Corel - if we can make that impossible dream come true - and the other will go to Gongaga. That way they can all trade amongst themselves, and visit easier. This old road is... Well... Almost non-existent."

"Sounds like we have our next project."

A Techno song suddenly filled the air, and she reached for her phone.

"Whoops, sounds like Cloud's calling... Hello?"

"Yuffie, I've got some bad news."

"You ran out of hair gel?"

"This isn't the time for that," Cloud said over the phone. His tone made Yuffie blink, wondering what could have happened. "Hana was attacked. It was arson. We caught the culprits."

"Wait, what, what?!"

"They're not talking. We can't get any answers out of them, on why they did it, or who they're working for. But I'd like you to come down here and make a public statement."

"What? Why me?"

"You funded the construction of this city. You helped build it. Everyone knows your face. If you come by and make a confident statement, it'll help soothe the tension in the air. The townspeople are all on edge."

"Wait, wait, back up! Slow down! I don't even... I don't even know if I can be confident! The place we spent so long securing..."

"It doesn't matter if you can or not," he said, raising his voice just a tad. "They need you to."

CLICK.

"Well... Um..."

"What's going on?" Vincent asked.

"Come here. Please." He nodded, and made his way over to sit behind her. She leaned back against him, and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close.

"Hana... Hana was attacked..." He said nothing, allowing her to process everything and form her words in her own time, but he did begin to play with her hair, running his fingers along the strands a bunch at a time. "I can't... They want me to go make a statement. In front of the whole city. ME!" She dropped her phone, leaving it opened for the time being. She had made public statements before, but he wasn't going to bring it up. Not in a situation like this.

"Let's go."

"I..." She turned around and threw her arms around him. "Vinnie! I can't..."

"This is a shocking moment for you," he said plainly. "Hana is more than just a city to you, it was a months-long project you oversaw personally. And the chance that someone could hurt it was obviously always there, but it actually happening has unnerved you. And in this state, you've forgotten how strong you are, even if just temporarily."

"Vince..."

"And I understand. And I won't ask you to be strong all the time. But I will see you to your duty, even if I have to carry you across the ocean myself. So... Be strong when the time comes, but until then, allow yourself this moment. Just make sure to lean on me in the process."

"I will, if you're sure," she said, the shadow of a smile creeping onto her face. "Just warning you, my feelings right now are pretty heavy." He shook his head and kissed her on the brow.

"Nothing that I can't hold on to."

\\\\\

[ ~ One ~ Two ~ Three ~ Four ~ Five ~ Six ~ Seven ~ ]

#FFVII #Yuffie Kisaragi #shirtless scenes #I mean only Vincent is shirtless but still thought I'd give fair warning #more swearing than usual because of one character...#I think that's all I need to warn you guys of #gods I'd love to have someone to read and sing to #ehehe... or so they say knowing they're not ready for that just yet

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ladystylestores · 4 years

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The rise and fall of Adobe Flash

Soon, Adobe itself will remove Flash Player from computers, too.

Few technologies have yielded such divisive and widespread passion as Flash. Many gush over its versatility and ease of use as a creative platform or its critical role in the rise of web video. Others abhor Flash-based advertising and Web design, or they despise the resource-intensiveness of the Flash Player plugin in its later years.

Whichever side of the love-hate divide you land on, there’s no denying the fact that Flash changed how we consume, create, and interact with content on the Web. For better and worse, it helped shape the Internet of today.

But now, after roughly 25 years, Flash is finally nearing its end. In less than six months—December 2020—Adobe will officially end support and distribution of Flash Player, the browser plugin we all associate most strongly with the technology. And already, months ahead of this end-of-life switch, Flash has been disabled in most Web browsers (often flagged as a security risk should you choose to override the default settings). Even Google Chrome, long the browser of choice for Flash content, will soon remove Flash Player.

Technically speaking, the technology will live on. The Flash authoring tool is part of Adobe Animate, while the rendering engine is included in Adobe AIR—which will be handed over to enterprise electronics company Harman International for ongoing maintenance, as it’s still widely used in the enterprise arena. But it’s safe to say that, after a decade in decline, Flash as we know it is about to say goodbye.

In recognition of its service to content creators and consumers of all stripes, of its contribution to the proliferation of online video and multimedia, and of that divisiveness that’s followed the platform around, the time has come to revisit the rise and fall of Flash—with a little help from its principal creator, Jonathan Gay; a raft of Web resources; and interviews with others who had a hand in its ultimate success.

youtube

You may not know the name FutureSplash Animator, but you certainly know the software it birthed

Birth, or a wave of the future

Sometime around the middle of 1992, Jonathan Gay decided he wanted to start a company to make something. What, precisely, he’d not figured out. But something.

More than eight years earlier, his friend and former boss Charlie Jackson had founded Silicon Beach Software—a Mac-focused software company that had great success with its Dark Castle games and the SuperPaint and Digital Darkroom creative tools. Gay had been there from day one as a teenage programmer working afternoons after school. (Not just any programmer, either, but the “most phenomenal programmer” that Jackson had ever seen.) Then early in 1990, to fund his dream of competing for the United States in international rapid-fire pistol shooting (a dream he later fulfilled), Jackson sold Silicon Beach to Aldus Corporation.

Gay asked Jackson for help starting this new company, but Jackson still had six months remaining on his non-compete agreement with Aldus and couldn’t do anything until then. He told Gay to take that time to think of a product. The pair soon landed on the idea of making software for GO Corporation’s PenPoint operating system, an OS designed specifically for tablet computers and personal digital assistants.

It was impressive technology. PenPoint-based tablets could be the next big thing, and the new EO Personal Communicator, made by a company spun out from GO’s hardware division, seemed particularly impressive.

Silicon Beach had built its success on being early to market—on embracing the Macintosh before bigger companies jumped in. This new company, which they named FutureWave, would endeavor to do the same. “The idea was, ‘We can own the graphics space on this tablet,'” Jackson told Ars. “So we started to design a vector drawing program. And we called this SmartSketch.”

With the combined business acumen of FutureWave’s three co-founders—marketing VP Michelle Welsh was the other one—plus Gay and programmer Robert Tatsumi’s technical wizardry, SmartSketch quickly took shape. But the gamble backfired when AT&T bought a majority stake in the company behind the EO tablet—also called EO—and subsequently killed the product, then bought GO and, to cut a long story short, effectively killed them too.

“I think we sold two copies,” Jackson said. “And one was to the architect who was designing Bill Gates’ house.”

FutureWave soon ported SmartSketch to Windows and Mac, and they hoped to find an audience that appreciated their efforts “to make drawing on a computer as easy as it is drawing on paper.” But the company struggled to pull attention away from their many larger competitors (Corel, Adobe, Autodesk, etc).

Their course changed when Wacom—which had been bundling SmartSketch with some of its digitizer tablets—ran into budgetary problems and needed to pull out of SIGGRAPH ’95. They gave their booth to FutureWave and told the tiny startup to bring lots of SmartSketch boxes—as it’s always a good event for product sales. “We didn’t sell anything,” recalled Gay. “It was pretty embarrassing.”

Across the aisle, a company called Animo had a Disney-style animation package for television and movie production. Lots of people were drawn to that booth, and many of them stopped by FutureWave’s space to look at SmartSketch—whereupon they’d recommend FutureWave make a rotoscoping app. “We thought there was never going to be a market for an animation tool,” said Gay, “but it sounded like a fun thing to build.”

Around the same time, Jackson had been struggling to convince retailers to stock SmartSketch. Then he noticed that CompUSA had kiosks and shelves of products in prime positioning with the phrase ‘made for the Web’ stamped on them. So, he told Gay they needed to do something for the Web.

Gay wondered if maybe somehow they could combine these ideas together: a cel-based animation program that could produce animations that play on webpages.

They initially called this new program SmartSketch Animator, though they would later rename it CelAnimator and then FutureSplash Animator. And to fulfill the Web requirement, they hacked together a prototype Web animation player—the FutureSplash Player—in Java.

They’d grown tired of running a company with no money and no market traction, however, so before they shipped they decided to try to sell the technology. Their friend and fellow Silicon Beach co-founder Eric Zocher—who was VP of engineering at Adobe—set up a meeting for them with Adobe CEO John Warnock.

“I still remember getting on the airplane with a 486 mini desktop in a duffel bag to go meet with John Warnock and show him our incredibly slow Java prototype,” said Gay. “It was doing like two frames a second of this simple animation. It worked, but it was just really slow.”

Listing image by WebDesignMuseum.org

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nicolecadet · 7 years

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Digital Walkthrough – Dragon Thrall

From April 2007. Nowadays I tend to completely work in Photoshop CS, but many of the techniques are the same no matter the software. This is a fairly rambly post as it's taken from notes I made while painting. This is NOT the way I work for client work!!!!! This was a personal face study that I built a painting around. I now plan things!

This painting was completely unplanned. It started out as a gothic vampire piece… ended up something completely different! These are some of the notes I posted to LiveJournal while painting, and subsequently featured in February 2008’s EMG-Zine.

Normally it’s a good idea to plan a painting. You should work out your composition details, color schemes, lighting sources and other technical details, but sometimes it’s more fun just to get in there and paint! Some of my best paintings have been the result spontaneity, experimentation and sheer desperation to fix a mistake! It started out as an exercise in skin tones, turned into a modern vampire piece and ended up having dragons! Hopefully you’ll learn a few things about why planning can be useful, as well as why it can also be fun to follow the rambling path your muse sets you on!

A few thoughts on digital art and painting software:

There is a plethora of information on digital art available online. This article isn’t a basic A+B=C tutorial. It’s more a discussion on the creative process I employ while painting digitally. For this article you will need a basic understanding of Adobe Photoshop or similar software and have access to a digital graphics tablet (or be really good with a mouse!). Access to Corel Painter would be handy too, however you can get similar effects in Photoshop with a bit of experimentation and practice.

I use Photoshop and Painter together. I’m not going to argue about which one’s better – because frankly it’s like comparing a banana with a pineapple! They’re both graphic software programs, however they’re designed for completely different purposes. Photoshop is an editing tool which you can paint with. Painter is purely designed for painting, with a few editing tools thrown in. With each new incarnation the blurring of these definitions decreases. I’m sure that if you experimented enough, you could probably get the result you want in either software.

Setting up the canvas

I started the painting as an exercise in skin tones. I hadn’t worked in Painter for a while and thought it was time to flex those painting muscles again. Unfortunately some versions of Painter can cause files to corrupt in native Painter file format (pre-version 5), so I recommend that you either create your file in Photoshop first, or save the files in Photoshop format (*.PSD extension)

Just like painting on paper or canvas, a blank canvas can be very intimidating. I always lay down a color of some type on the background layer just because it’s something to start with. When you plan a painting it’s a good idea to think about the lighting in regards to the background. If you are painting a scene which is sunny, then a warm yellow or warm blue might be a good choice. If you’re thinking about a night scene then start with a dark indigo or a cool blue. If it’s in a forest you may want to think about a green, while a snow-filled landscape may require a pale lavender-blue color.

As I said, this was a practice for skin tones so I decided on a dark maroon to pick up the dark tones in the hair (I’d planned on painting a redhead). Most of the time I apply a lighting filter, or a gradient to make it more interesting – kind of give it a focal point.

The first character I sketch on a separate layer to the background/ canvas. When painting directly onto the computer with a graphics tablet I generally start with a few lines to work out the placement of the head, eyes, mouth, nose and ears. I then work out a few ‘base’ colors that I will use for the skin. I place ‘dabs’ of the color I use regularly somewhere on the canvas:

A mid pinky-brown color – the base color

A pale yellow/ pink color for highlights

A redder tone of the base color used for cheeks and nose area

A purple version of the base color for shadowing

A darker brown-pink for the deep shadows

A light pink-purple (not shown) for blending in areas where the skin is fine and the veins show through.

In later versions of Painter you get a tool called a ‘mixer’ where you can place dabs of colour and create variants using the mixing tools. If you are having difficulties with colours try using the colour picker on real photographs and see what ‘real’ skin colours look like. You’ll probably be quite surprised!

Once I have the colours and some lines down I begin to paint. For this face I used Painter’s digital Airbrush set at about set at about 10% opacity, 100% Resat, 0% bleed and 0% jitter. I vary the brush size from about 150, right down to 2 or 3. I spent about 2 hours to get to this stage.

A few notes on skin tones:

Every person has a different skin tone and texture – we’re not all a standard ‘flesh tone’, straight from the tube

Men and women also have slight variations in colouring

Different nationalities have different skin tones. Some have ruddy complexions, others a yellow undertone, while some have dark skin. Study photographs, place them next to each other and note the differences

Skin tones reflect the colours around them. If you are wearing a purple shirt, you will get some reflection under your chin depending on the lighting. If you are standing next to a yellow wall, the side facing the wall will reflect the yellow.

The colour of the lighting impacts on skin highlights and shadows. If you use a yellow light, the shadows of the skin are generally the complementary colour (in this case purple).

One thing I remember reading (Don Seegmiller in his book Digital Character Design and Painting) was the fact that the strip across the nose section of the face is pinker than the rest, while under the eyes should be purplish-blue as the skin is so delicate here. I recommend his book for color theory, regardless of the painting medium! In fantasy art, the ability to create convincing skin tones in important, particularly if painting something like a Drow, or even an alien with blue skin

Adding the hair

Hair is basically made from 4 colours which I vary the opacity and size of the bush. The illustration below shows the four colours and the way I build up the hair.

A mid tone

A light tone

A dark tone

A very light tone for the highlights

Why having no ‘theme’ for a painting can be a problem!

Like most sketches where I don’t think about anything much except picking up the ‘paintbrush’, I get to a point where I start wondering about things like ‘does she want straight or wavy hair’, ‘does she wear modern or old fashioned clothes?’, ‘what the heck do I do with the background?’.

At this point I was listening to rock music and it was about midnight so I decided it should be a vampire/ gothic piece. Originally it was just going to be a strapless dress but it ‘felt’ wrong. I added a leather jacket and a cameo choker. I planned on having a night sky, maybe the silhouette of a building. This means that dark blue is going to have to replace the maroon canvas colour. A guy is going to be behind her, all ‘vampy’ and hopefully pretty good looking! I took a break and came back to the painting after some food. I’d been working for about two or three hours and realised that I’d changed the angle of her torso mid painting which is why it is looking odd. This is why it’s a good idea to plan your painting before you begin! You can waste a lot of time working on something, only to realise there is an inherent flaw in the drawing. So I really had a think about where the painting was going… which was feeling like the great digital dustbin in the sky!

Unfortunately I only had a clear picture of the character’s faces so I was basically very aimless when painting. I get bored with details so I moved onto the male character. I knew I’d have to revisit the female character but something was really bothering me about her and I didn’t want to think about it too deeply. I spent about 2 hours working on the guy. Notice that his skin base is slightly more yellow. Guys’ faces are also more angular than females (generally) so I painted in a more aggressive manner, not blending as smoothly as for the female. I also added in some texturing with a ‘captured bristle’ brush.

A note on photo-references:

When I work from photo references I try to avoid working directly from one reference for copyright reasons. Each painting I’ll often work from at least half a dozen images (which I normally collect AFTER I’ve made the initial sketch). I also have a huge collection of images that I’ve harvested from the net, reference books/ CDs, personal photo references.

I also like working with greyscale images and using small images so I can’t rely upon them too heavily. This way I can make the colour up on the fly. I also find that it helps to practice sketching in greyscale. You focus on rendering the form rather than colours, which teaches you a lot about volume, lighting and texture.

Back to the painting

I spent another 2 hours on this (up to about 10-12 hours now). I kind of became obsessed with finishing his face. I put him in a leather jacket and white shirt and played around with where his arm should go, ultimately deleting it. I changed the background colour to a near black colour while I was playing with things. I’m still not convinced about what’s going on in the painting. But I’m happy to let my mood decide what’s going to happen. I enjoy these kinds of paintings because I just let the paintbrush take me where it wills. However it’s getting to the stage where I will need to decide if I’m going to do something with this painting, or just file it as an experiment.

I’ve got more details to do… tidying up his eyebrows, giving his skin some texture around the jaw line, finalising his nose and lips, and one of his eyes is slightly off (shadowing and shape’s wrong… but I’ll fix that up later.)

Vampire goes Renaissance?

I’m heavily influenced by music. When I paint I listen to a variety of music, and often it can influence what I paint. I stopped listening to my Dishwalla album and put on Medieaval Baebes… at which time I thought to myself ‘this is just two people standing together, there’s no fantasy here’. So the painting went Venetian 16th century!

I’ve obsessed over historical costume for as long as I can remember and one of my favourite paintings is Rafael’s La Donna Velata. I deleted the leather jacket and replaced it with a front-laced bodice over a creamy chemise. This costume was popular with working classes as it was comfortable and didn’t get caught up while working. I think it is important to think about the clothes you put your characters in… it is part of their story. It can suggest what they do and their status in society, it can also indicate if they’re light and fluffy, or rigidly straight-laced.

A few hours work went into the dress. It’s not finished yet. This is only the basic form. I’m debating about patterns and colours. The more elaborate fabrics tended to be used a few decades after this dress style was popular, and only by the wealthy, but it’s fantasy so I guess I can do what I like!

Working out the background:

I have decided a night sky doesn’t suit the lighting of the characters, so I’ll do a dawn/ dusk sky. I flicked through some reference shots of skies and started laying down some colours in Photoshop with a large airbrush tool. Not much I can say about skies except for the light will reflect on the characters, which is why it’s not a strong sunlit scene. In this low light there won’t be much reflection or shadow.

I’m still playing around with the idea of having a column behind the male character. The sky’s getting close to being completed. I’ll start looking at the lighting in the painting later on… normally that’s something I do in the planning stages for a *proper* painting. It’s up to about 200MB… time to save a new copy and collapse a few layers I think.

On a side note, I’m not happy with the poses or placement of the characters. They’re too rigid. There’s no connection between them, I need to bring them together somehow. I’ve started to realise the girl’s body looks too small and much too straight on for her head. I’m going to have to repaint whole chunks which will be a lot of extra work. You can do this with digital, however if I’d planned the painting I wouldn’t have to be ‘fixing mistakes’ at this late stage!

I added some columns and moved the characters closer together. Each character is on a separate layer and I often take a copy of a layer to do the modifications (in case I muck it up!) I also do iterative saves… I have 7 versions of this file from various ‘major’ points from within the painting.

I like the placement better than the previous version, but I know that I’m going to have difficulties with his arm placement. I also don’t like her headpiece. I haven’t spent much time on it, but it just looks wrong – far too elaborate. I’ve got a feeling that she’s not the kind of girl to wear masses of jewellery! The pose is still disjointed. Why is she moving away from him? It doesn’t exactly look like a comfortable pose. Is he trying to put on her cloak, take it off, or strangle her? When you paint, you have to think about how the painting could be interpreted.

The home stretch

Unfortunately I sat down and painted in one marathon session (without taking saves part ways through). Inspiration struck and all at once I knew exactly how the painting had to look. All the missing elements fell into place. I had the narrative that went with the painting, I knew why they were standing together. The pose was vital to the scene. I think it is important to know ‘why’ things are the way they are. Sometimes it can be as simple as ‘because it looked right’ or ‘because I want the viewer to feel scared’, but with more narrative pieces, the ones that work best tend to make every piece of the painting into something vital to understanding the whole piece… like clues in a mystery novel.

I ended up moving her directly under his chin and slightly curved into his body and moved his arm so he’s supporting her, rather than embracing her. The sky remained unchanged however the bottom needed a focal point – it was too empty. The forest and cliffs are a scene I’ve used in numerous paintings… they are like an old friend – something quick and easy.The lake came next, and the glow lights (which have no real meaning, but they ‘fit’ with the mood of ‘magic in the air’). It still was looking empty. In the story in my head the character’s connection is through dragons. I’d already planned on giving the female character a dragon necklace and the male character golden eyes, however I think a more ‘literal’ representation of the dragon was needed. The placement was deliberate in that I wanted the viewer to follow the motion from the dragon to the characters and back around.

Often when I’m working without reference (like I did for their poses, I try to work out their bodies in their entirety. Even though it still looks a little ‘wrong’, because of the angle of his body, his shoulder is right behind her hair. I tried extending his shoulder but it didn’t look right either.

I added an Overlay layer to do some lighting along the side of the girl’s head and the columns. There are 13 layers in the final version (after I collapsed the multiple character layers from the previous version).

I thought I was finished. I posted it online, added it to a few galleries, but something was still a little unrefined. So I stepped away from it for a week or two (see further down for the revised version).

Some notes on Composition

I like working with the Golden Mean (also called the Golden Section/ ratio/ proportion/ The Divine Proportion). It’s a way of dividing up a painting so that the image is artistically and geometrically pleasing. It’s based on mathematical principles and can be seen in nature in such shapes as nautilus shells. Below I’ve added guidelines in pale blue that divides the painting into thirds. Notice how the parts of the painting that your eyes are drawn to tend to fall along the lines, with the light in the forest being at a ‘focal point’, where the lines intersect.

The painting’s composition loosely fits into what is called the ‘L’ Composition

It could also fit in with ‘V’ or ‘triangular composition.

The trick is to try and get the viewer’s eye to follow the movement from one point of the painting to the next

Final Piece:

I went back and refined it a little… just added a few more details to the hair, fixed the column and tidied up the tree-line. There are still aspects I’m not entirely happy with, but I’ve spent enough time on this painting… I don’t want to overwork it.

So 20 or so hours later, here’s the final piece and the story that goes along with it:

Text I wrote to go with the painting

The dragon-thrall caught her, its silken threads binding her mind to the golden dragon completely. Kara and the great beast launched upwards as one, pushed from powerful back legs. Muscles flexed as the wings extended fully, capturing the wind and propelling them higher still. Freedom! She threw back her head and laughed, the rumble echoing from the surrounding cliffs. The sun and sky called to her, daring her to fly higher and faster than she could ever dream.

She wheeled to the right as she caught movement in the valley below. Ruby eyes fixed on the deer. Tucking her wings to her side, she dove towards the earth, pulling up just above the forest, the trees bending then snapping back in her wake. Kara could taste the hot, sweetness of the blood. She wanted it, lusted for it, she had to have it. It was a burning pain that drove her.

Something yanked at her. Whipping her head around in annoyance she couldn’t see a rider. Focusing on the deer again she snarled as the strong will commanded her to stop. The hunger tore at her, but still he cajoled her, coaxed her, and compelled her. Snarling and baring her teeth she snapped at the unseen force. Finally he dominated, wrestling control from her. Emotions flitted across her mind – fury, hatred, pain, desire. And then she was in her own body again.

Rhys caught Kara as the dragon-thrall released her. He’d been with her throughout the flight, his golden eyes seeing just as the dragon had.

“Now do you understand?” he murmured, his breathing still ragged from the clash of wills. She shuddered, glad to still be in his steadying embrace.

“It helped, but I don’t think I’ll ever understand them, not the way you do.”

Prints and products are available here from RedBubble , painting can be found in the Dragon Fae Oracle as the Lovers card.

#tutorial #colour theory #painting #digital art #dragon thrall #walkthrough

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unrated-g · 7 years

Photo

I submitted this to the Birthday Project earlier this week, but now that she’s seen it, I can post Liz’s Birthday present here. I spent this past week making what I imagine a sample pitch page for a pulp comic based on her Upper East Side Widow character would look like. Here’s a little bit of the thought process thing:

So there are a lot of elements that inspired this, Liz’s instagram posts of course. The noir/pulpy mood was especially inspired by these two pieces:

This one by Glen Orbik

And this one by Robert Maguire. Particularly for the dramatic shadows. The tone feels more menacing than I was going for.

My original plan was for this picture to have 8 panels, with the main figure in the middle, but I think the choice to cut it down to 4 was good, because it would have been too busy, and I would have never been able to finish in time for her birthday if I went with 8. I also wanted to have the main figure be done in a more painterly style like these inspiration pieces, BUT, this was my first time painting in Photoshop. Usually I use Corel Painter but I don’t have a license at this time, and I didn’t have time to look for brushes and adapt to the way Photoshop works, so I had to settle for a bit more of a cel shaded look.

This is the initial sketch later I worked from. My underdrawings tend to be really messy, especially on the rare occasion that I’m going for a more realistic look.

And here’s how I make sense of it with the initial rough line art. This is where I refine a lot of the curves in the arms, reshape the hips, and try to figure out the hair.

After that came the longest stage, finalizing the line art in color, and applying flat colors. I decided on a monochromatic color palette because I thought it would fit the mood and work best with the more flat style I was going with. I also knew from the very beginning that I wanted the eyes and lips to pop, and having a more limited palette lends itself well to that kind of effect.

Then came the final touches, the eyes and lips, the fake tears, the smoke and the lighting.

With the shadow, I really wanted the fake tears and eyes to stand out in the darkness, I specifically had this shot of Lady Tremaine from Disney’s Cinderella in mind:

As far as the panels go, it was a similar process. I knew I wanted them to be relatively flat and simple, and I still took most of them much further than originally intended. The first panel I knew I wanted to include Otis, or as named in this UESW AU “Thurston” after one of Liz’s Instagram stories. I think this was also the first time I’ve ever had to draw a gun? I knew specifically I wanted to model it after a .38 revolver, because of the short barrel classic look that usually would be hidden in a woman’s purse in a noir film.

For the second panel, I wanted the dramatic lighting, and just the suggestion of what took place. The broken glass, the spilled blood and/or wine (it’s probably blood), just a hint of a leg entering the light (with a sparkly shoe because why not?). The hand took forever to try and match my own hand with the perspective I wanted and hold it while I drew from it as reference.

The third panel, originally was going to be a reverse shot over the shoulder of the UESW, her in silhouette, rim lit by the lights of the police car. I think the decision to go with this angle works better with the text. I was also originally going to go with a very obvious, over the top, dramatic pose for her, but when looking at reference from some pulp romance comics, I saw a recurring crying pose where the women were almost biting their thumb, holding back tears and I thought it would work well and be a little more subdued.

The last panel was the easiest, I’d had the headlines in mind for a while. I used the opportunity to insert today’s date in reference to Liz’s birthday, and roughly painted in a simplified version of one of her other UESW posts for the cover photo. I think the part that took the longest was titling the newspaper. I figured “The New York Times” would cause some trouble. I VERY briefly considered “Robarazzi”, lol. In the end I ended up with something much dumber anyway haha.

For the title, I was inspired by the white script text for black and white B-Movie titles, this font was heavily inspired by the Backfire title card. I had this title in mind for a long time, I think since watching the SDRR season 2 Zack Sang interview. It seemed appropriate for this character, and the alliteration and use of the word “death” felt very appropriate for the genre and tone.

I originally wanted to include hints at more potential murder weapons, there’s nothing definitive in this that says the gun was used, just that it exists. But I felt it would be too much information and noise to include in a single page. But in my head I figured this first issue would be less about whether or not she did it (because we all know she did) but how. Beyond that it would be about how she continues to get away with it, etc. Maybe getting involved with a cop who starts to piece things together, especially when she strikes again, I don’t know. It could be fun to explore. I also wanted to be careful not to make her seem outright evil, I don’t know, she seems complicated, maybe a chaotic neutral. Anyway that’s a little bit of insight into what I’ve been doing this past week. And Happy Birthday Liz! Again!

#Elizabeth Gillies #<3 #Liz Gillies #Upper East Side Widow #unrated-g art tag #unrated-g #Gil Perez #art

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lettersofsky · 7 years

Text

A Meeting at the End of the World

Written for the Fic Exchange over on AO3 for user frogslay. A threat in the Northern Continent draws the attention of the world's saviour, while investigating they meet someone eager to be of assistance.

“And why should we help you? This s the third time you’ve managed to screw things up.” Cloud fixed Rufus with a bland look, staring down at the older blond seated behind the desk. He had, of course, been expecting something like this when Shinra called him and asked to meet, but being proven right never failed to brighten his move.

“The second time wasn’t my fault,” Rufus reminded him, the slight furrowing of his brow the only indication that the older man wasn’t as unaffected as he made himself out to be. “Nor is this one. You can’t blame me for the results of my Father’s actions.”

“You’ll fine I’m very good with blaming the wrong people for things,” Cloud stated, crossing his arms over his chest and shifting on his feet. “Just ask Tifa, she’ll tell you all about it.”

There was a minute twitch of a fine brow before the business man took a deep breath, releasing it with a soft, almost inaudible sound. “Regardless,” Rufus said, emphasising the word. “That isn’t what’s important here. Are you going to help or not?” The question would have sounded short from anyone else but from Shinra, the words were almost desperate.

Cloud wasn’t cruel enough to turn the man down, despite how much he thought the other deserved it.

“Of course I am,” he shrugged, rolling his eyes at the stunned look he got from the business man at his nonchalant words. “Just because I hate you, doesn’t mean the Turks deserve to suffer for it. They’re ok sometimes.”

Rufus stared at him silently, peering at him with cold eyes. He took a deep breath before releasing it harshly, speaking in a blank voice. “Do you need me to send you the coordinates?”

“Nope, Reno sent them before you called. Cid’s probably already waiting for me so we can leave.”

There was another twitch, this one a bit more noticeable than the last. “I better not keep you then,” Rufus forced out through gritted teeth. “I hope to hear good things from my Turks when they return.”

“The fact that they’ll have returned will be good enough.” Cloud called over his shoulder as he turned and strode out of the office. Pulling his PHS from his pocket showed him that he had several messages from his friends, they were ready and waiting for him on the Shera a few miles away.

He put his PHS away and continued to stride out of the building, making his way to Fenrir with steady, confident footsteps. He started the engine and immediately turned in the direction of the airship.

When he reached the airship, he discovered that neither Barret or Yuffie could make it to help them, Barret was dealing with issues in Corel and Yuffie was swamped with things in Wutai. Cloud didn’t hold it against them, they were both quite busy with their lives and couldn’t keep dropping everything to deal with Shinra’s messes.

Reeve was updating Cait Sith so the one he sent with them was only for communication and wouldn’t be joining them in any battles. The small robotic cat sounded far too downtrodden when he informed them of that.

Cloud strapped Fenrir down in the Shera’s cargo hold and put himself against a wall in preparation of the journey, he really hated having to travel by anything that wasn’t his own two feet.

“If you fuckin’ vomit in my ship, then you’re gonna be the one to fuckin’ clean it!” Cid shot at him as he started the Shera’s engine, the airship rising rapidly into the air.

It was time to save the world once again.

Apparently, the Northern Continent was one of the best places to try to end the world, the other was Midgar but that was more than obvious. The coordinates Reno had sent led them to an empty, mountain range and a smouldering wreckage of a helicopter.

It seemed that being unable to land a helicopter safely was something common amongst all the Turks. Cloud remembered that Tseng had somehow managed to crash one on a beautiful day, with absolutely nothing wrong with the copter and while nobody was attacking them; it was kind of amazing, now that Cloud could think back on it.

Cid set them down a few miles away from the crash and they quickly made their way to the helicopter. The smouldering metal was a stark contrast to the snowy mountain around them, it wasn’t on fire so Cloud counted that as a win; it meant that they didn’t have to worry about the helicopter exploding on them.

They started searching for Reno and Rude then; Nanaki trying to find a trace of their scent as the rest of them searched for more visible evidence of their presence. They soon found the two hidden away in a cave and were almost shot for their trouble; the two had had a tough time of things it the number of injuries they had was anything to go by.

“He was some fucked up dude, yo,” Reno told them after he recognized who they were, the man was a little woozy but still coherent. “That fucking throne dude from year, ya’ know?” Rude nodded silently from where Tifa was casting a Cure Materia on him, sunglasses broken but still on his face.

Cloud turned to where Vincent was lurking in the shadows, peering at the mass of darkness that was the gunman. “I thought you said he died,” he questioned, tone more curious than accusing. “You’re usually so good about things like that.”

The shadows shrugged but made no other move to answer. Cloud rolled his eyes at the gunslinger and turned back to the Turks, looking them over critically. “We should get you back to the ship,” he suggested, staring at the way Rude almost fell over himself where he was sitting. “You both look like you’re about to keel over.”

“Yeah, we’ll let you guys deal with the fucker, yo.” Reno agreed, waving a hand drunkenly in Cloud’s direction. “Just point us where and we’ll let you guys get to the thing.” Rude nodded once again, muttering a soft “yeah” to Reno’s words.

“You might die if you go alone,” Cloud informed them bluntly, looking over his shoulder at Vincent as he continued. “Vincent will get you back safely, won’t you Vincent?”

There was a moment of nothing, Cloud imagined that Vincent was giving him a dirty look from where he was hidden in the shadows, before the gunslinger nodded. “I shall meet up with you as soon as I am able.”

Cloud nodded at Vincent’s answer, turning back to his other companions. “We’ll start by going back to where Nanaki picked up that scent a few miles back, Vincent will be able to follow us from there.”

His enhanced hearing allowed him to hear the words Vincent muttered under his breath, “I could track you in my slumber, in the dead of the darkest winter night.” He was sure the man was aware that he could hear him, so he ignored the other.

He got confirmation from the others and they informed Reeve of what their next course of action would be.

They left the Turks in Vincent’s care and set off for where Nanaki had picked up the scent of mako and blood.

“You sure they’ll be alright?” Tifa asked, casting a worried glance back at the cave they had just left. “What if he comes back for them?”

“Vin can hold off any fuckers that come at him!” Cid assured her, a wide smile on his face. “He’s a tough bastard! Nothing’s managed to kill him yet!”

Tifa nodded, looking reassured by his words. “Yeah,” she breathed, turning away from the cave to where Nanaki was already on the trail. “They’ll be fine.”

The Turks were, in fact, more than fine with Vincent.

And why was Cloud so sure of that? Because Weiss, the throne dude, made it obvious where he was.

A giant, glowing mako pool surrounded by large, terrifying monsters was not the most inconspicuous thing in the world. Then again, the world-ending threats never were inconspicuous; Sephiroth and Meteor couldn’t be ignored and Deep Ground made sure everyone paid attention to them.

Weiss immediately sent his beasts after them, content to sit back and watch them fall to his little (GIANT MAN-EATING) pets.

They might have been able to handle them if both hadn’t come at them at the same time. Two beasts, both larger than most houses were, bearing down on them at once, was not something they could handle easily.

Cloud almost screamed in frustration when a Limit Break did nothing against them, he did scream when one of them completely healed the other after they had almost whittled it down to nothing. Even Vincent joining them did nothing to turn the tides in their favour.

Then one of the beasts erupted into flames, writhing in agony as deafening screams of pain filled the air around them before it collapsed to the ground and went shockingly still. They stared at the corpse for a moment, shocked by the sudden turn of events.

Then a large blur of red slammed into the ground in front of them.

He stared at the man as he stood to his full height, he was tall and his red-hair fell to his lower back. He turned to them, fixing them with inquisitive mako-blue eyes before turning away with a scoff. “You’re lucky I decided to help, instead of letting these things tear you apart.”

There was a moment of silence, then;

“Aw, fuck you, you bastard! Come over here and say that to my face you fucker!”

Cloud sighed softly as Cid continued to swear at the newcomer, earning a cold look from the stranger. He decided not to bother with them for the moment and turned his attention back to the other beast; Tifa and Nanaki were divvying its attention between them while Vincent focussed on taking shots at the thing when he had the opportunity, he went over to assist them.

Taking the stranger’s example Cloud started using his Materia against the beast. While it’s twin had a weakness to fire, this other was taken down by a powerful lightning spell. Tifa and Nanaki were tired from their efforts, chests heaving with their breaths as the beast fell to the ground.

“Who’s that?” Tifa asked, gesturing towards where Cid was still shouting at the stranger. “Someone you know?”

Cloud turned to glance at the man, seeing that Cid was now shouting in the other’s face. The man looked less than impressed by what the pilot was saying. The stranger turned away from Cid suddenly, approaching them with a confident stride. “I don’t know him,” Cloud answered his friend. “But I’m not going to turn away any help we can get.”

“I agree with Cloud,” Nanaki said, watching the man approach them from the corner of his eye. “I doubt we’ll be of much help against the upcoming enemy.”

Tifa looked troubled for a moment but agreed with Nanaki. “You’re probably right about that,” she rolled her shoulder, wincing and reaching up to grasp her upper arm with her hand. “I think I’m out anyway.”

Cloud fixed her with a concerned look, “will you be ok?”

She rolled her eyes at him. “Of course I will be, I just pulled something.”

He nodded at her response but the stranger reached them before he could say anything else.

“What are we going to do about our friend up there?” The stranger asked, coming to a halt next to Cloud. He peered at them all with a judgemental look but didn’t say anything else.

“You, Vincent and I will be going after him while the rest wait here for our return. If things look like they’re going south, then they’ll come give us backup.” He turned to where Cait Sith was silently listening to them, “you got all that?”

“Ay lad, Reeve said yar in the clear! We’re ready to mark ya grave if ya don return.” The cat’s response drew a stunned look from the stranger and a surprised noise form his throat.

“Good, hopefully it won’t come to that.” He turned away from his friends then and stared at the man still seated above the mako-pool, it didn’t look like he had even recognized that his beasts had been killed. “Take shots where you can Vincent, just try not to hit us alright?”

Vincent scoffed silently but didn’t say anything and moved off to find somewhere to perch.

“Right,” Cloud breathed, nodding to himself. “Ok, let’s mosey.”

“What?” The stranger questioned, staring at him like he was insane. “What about a strategy of some kind?”

“I’m going to smack him with my sword and Vincent’s going to shoot him,” Cloud answered, continuing to move as he spoke. “Try not to die.”

A harsh sound came from behind him but Cloud focused on getting himself to Weiss.

Time to finish this.

Weiss wasn’t as difficult to take down as Sephiroth had been, even Kadaj-Sephiroth had been harder to take down. Maybe they’d been giving Vincent too much credit after the whole Deep Ground thing, especially if Weiss had been the strongest among them.

Weiss had gone down after two stabs; one through the stomach from Cloud and the other through the chest from the other man. Vincent hadn’t even gotten a shot in, it had been over so quickly.

“Is it always so easy?” The stranger asked, turning to stare at him over the corpse slumped over in the throne. Cloud shrugged in response, eyes trained on the other man’s sword; it was an impressive piece, a small SOLDIER sword retro-fitted with an ornate grip and etched with glyphs that pulsed with magic. It was also red, Cloud couldn’t tell if that was by design or something that had later been added to the blade.

“Usually there’s more destruction,” he admitted in a distracted tone, tearing his eyes from the crimson blade. “Midgar gets a bit more wrecked each time. Usually someone dies.”

The taller man blinked at him for a moment, trying to figure out if he was telling the truth or not. “Ok,” he breathed, turning away from the corpse to where Vincent was perched a few miles away. “I expected it’d be harder to save the world.”

“Vincent might shoot at you if you ask him,” Cloud offered, hoisting First Tsurugi onto his back. “Or if you tell him how awful he is if he lost against that guy.” He stepped down to the strip of raised ground connecting the platform the throne was on to the shore of the lake.

The other followed him quickly, keeping up with him by virtue of his longer legs. “Where are you going after this?” He asked from behind him, pressing forward to breath into Cloud’s ear. “I’d love to hear about those other times.”

Cloud glanced over his shoulder, seeing glowing blue eyes staring at him intently. “It’s not that interesting,” he tried to tell the man.

“It’s got to be more interesting than this,” the other insisted, gesturing to the silent mountains around them. “It’ll certainly make the trip a bit more bearable.”

“The Turks will love that,” Cloud said in a bland tone. “Getting to listen to how useless they’ve been.”

“Turks?” The stranger questioned, freezing in his stride. “There are Turks with you?”

Cloud paused, turning to look at the man. “Yeah, they crashed their copter so we’re taking them back.” He was quiet, staring at him without really seeing him. “You gonna be ok with that? I mean, a lot of people are uncomfortable around the Turks.”

“Hmm,” The taller man hummed, blinking lazily before snapping back to attention. “Oh, yes. No, I believe we’ll have to save those stories for a different day.” He stepped back then, a large black wing materializing behind him. “Until next time.”

He was gone before Cloud could do little more than take a shocked breath, leaping into the empty sky and disappearing before his eyes. Cloud blinked at the dark spec in the sky for a moment then turned to look at the presence that just appeared at his shoulder. “That just happened, right? He’s got a wing too?”

“Yes, it was quite impressive.”

“Right,” Cloud nodded at the man’s words, sighing and turning to where their friends were waiting. “Let’s go tell everyone the good news.”

He realized while walking back to the airship that the stranger had never introduced themselves.

Only he and Vincent could make it the next ‘potentially world-ending crisis’; the others were too busy with their own lives to come help them. Cloud didn’t blame them; if he had a choice, he would have stayed home and slept in too.

When they reached the battlefield this time it was to see the swordsman from last time get thrown across the ruins of Midgar by an enormous creature with several arms. Its lower body seemed to be melded with wires and its body was dripping with mako, it was odd to see something like this; a kind of meld between something organic mixed so closely with something non-organic.

Cloud raced to where the man had impacted the ground, dropping into the small crater around the man’s body without a moment’s hesitation. He was relieved to see that the man was conscious, groaning as he pulled himself to sit upright. He turned to Cloud with hazy eyes, blinking at him a few times before speaking. “I believe I was robbed during our last meeting,” he told him seriously, raising a hand to grasp Cloud’s shoulder “Also, you’re far too pretty.”

Cloud ignored the man’s words, focusing on casting a Cure on the other man. He watched as some of the larger wounds on the man’s arms closed before stopping his spell, looking over the man for a moment. “You’re not gonna die yet,” he informed the other, watching the way blue eyes focused on him. “Think you can keep going?”

The man nodded after considering him for a few minutes, lifting himself to his feet. “Of course I can. Can’t let you have all the glory again.”

“If its glory you want then you can have all of it,” Cloud informed the man, lifting himself from the crater. “I’m just here to kill things and get myself a pay check.”

That startled a laugh out of the stranger and they set off to engage with the giant creature, keeping a close look of the other’s back as they fought the monster.

They eventually found the creature’s weakness; the underside of its head was particularly susceptible to stabbing so while Vincent and the other swordsman distracted it, Cloud forced two of his smaller blades into the soft skin, ripping its misshapen head from the rest of its leaking body.

The other swordsman was nice enough to catch him before he fell into the gapping, open wound of the man’s neck. He picked him out of the sky between one beat and the next, carrying him with the help of enhanced strength and his large wing.

Cloud could admit to himself that it was kind of nice. The man had a tight grip on him so he didn’t have to worry about being dropped and he smelled like apples and something he couldn’t identify, it was a very nice experience.

The man set him down safely on the ground, far away from where the corpse was dispersing into the Lifestream, the oozing flesh fading away and leaving the mechanical parts behind.

“I wasn’t aware your sword could do that,” the winged man said, the feathered limb dematerializing into nothing as he fixed his gaze on the blades in Cloud’s hands. He lifted his eyes from the swords to meet Cloud’s. “Any other special tricks?”

“None I’d ever show someone without knowing their name,” Cloud informed the man, turning to look for where Vincent had placed himself. He hadn’t meant to say that. His attempted to diffuse the coming awkwardness with his next words. “My friends want to have some standards.”

A soft noise of consideration came from behind him. “I suppose that’s reasonable,” the other man moved into his personal space, raising the hairs on the back of his neck. “Is a name all I need to see these special tricks?” The question was almost purred into his ear, warm breath fanning across his flesh and freezing Cloud in place.

He hadn’t expected the other man to response like that, it was unexpected to say the least.

Cloud swallowed heavily, abandoning the search for his friend. Vincent would have made himself apparent if he was here, meaning the gunslinger had left him to deal with this situation on his own. He wouldn’t put it pass the man to do that. “Um,” he responded eloquently, frozen for a moment as he tried to figure out how to react to this new situation. “It’s a start.” The words were muttered a few moments later as he forced down the heat that was threatening to rise to his cheeks.

He was usually much better around pretty people, he shouldn’t be getting this flustered by some random winged stranger that flung magic like he had been born doing it and had a sword as pretty as he was.

… Cloud might be a little bit screwed.

“Well then,” the other purred, pressing flush against his back and placing lips against his ear. “Genesis Rhapsodos, I can’t wait to see those tricks of yours.”

A shiver ran down his spine before Cloud could stop it, the way the other’s mouth grew into a smile told him that the swordsman, Genesis, had felt it as well. “Cloud,” he muttered quietly, shifting a bit to brush his mouth against the other man’s. “I’m… I’m Cloud.”

“Well, Cloud,” the way Genesis purred his name sent another shiver down his spine, not helped by the way their lips brushed with each word. “Shall we go to your place, or mine?”

There was a bright smile on the man’s face and he was staring at him with warm eyes.

Cloud was definitely screwed.

He was awoken a few hours later by the shrill tone of his PHS.

He groaned, reaching out from beneath the thin blanket to grasp the device. He lifted himself a bit, dislodging the warm arm that had been wrapped securely around his waist as he did so, and answered the call. He lifted the PHS to his ear and spoke, “hello?” His voice was gruff from previous activities and heavy from sleep.

“Cloud?” That was Reeve. Why was Reeve called him? “How are you doing?”

“I’m fine,” he answered, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “Why are you calling?”

The warm body next to him stirred, tightening the grip of the arm around his waist. Genesis lifted himself from the bed and pressed his nose into the hollow of Cloud’s throat with a disgruntled noise. “Whoever that is better be important,” he muttered into the flesh of his shoulder. “Or I will set them on fire.”

“Is there someone with you Cloud?”

“Yeah, he said if this isn’t important he’s going to set you on fire.” He answered, glancing down at the man nuzzling into his shoulder. “He’s probably serious about that.”

“… Ok. I take it things went well, then?” Reeve asked, bemusement clear over the PHS. “With the creature that is.”

“Things went fine,” he responded, ignoring the distracting way Genesis was dragging his fingers over the skin of his lower abdomen. “It had re-joined the Lifestream by the time we left. Didn’t Vincent tell you?”

“You know that Vincent can be very… cryptic. He said something about a crimson angel and seduction that made his own look like a ‘masterpiece of a declaration of affection’.”

Cloud furrowed his brow at Reeve’s words, reaching up to run his hand through his messy hair. Genesis took the opportunity to capture the hand with his own, bringing them to rest against Cloud’s chest. Cloud turned his hand to thread their fingers together, feeling the smile that the other man pressed into his shoulder. “Yeah,” he muttered in a distracted voice. “Is that all you wanted Reeve?”

“Yes! Of course, my apologies Cloud. I’ll let you get back to what you were doing. I’ll speak to you later.” Reeve hung up then, the sound indicating he had hung up almost cutting off his last word.

Cloud pulled his PHS from his ear, closing the device and setting it back down away from the bed. Genesis pulled him back against the mattress, pushing him flat on his back and kneeling over his prone form. “I hope we won’t be having any more interruptions,” Genesis purred, eyes half-lidded as he ran a hand along Cloud’s side. “You haven’t shown me all your tricks yet.” His last words were accompanied by a smile, a warm, lazy curl of the other’s mouth that stirred a warm feeling in Cloud’s chest.

Cloud leaned forward to take Genesis’ mouth with his own, reaching up to sink his free hand into long hair. He wrapped his leg over the other’s hip, rolling up into Genesis’ space with an exaggerated movement. He used the moment of distraction to flip their positions, forcing Genesis back against the mattress before pulling from the other’s mouth.

He stared at the other with lidded eyes for a moment, staring down at him from his kneeling position. He shivered at the feeling of the man’s hand coming to rest on his side, pressing into the warm weight.

“I’ve got a few more things up my sleeve,” he breathed, using his grip on Genesis’ hair to urge the man up to meet his mouth. “Can’t promise that there won’t be any more interruptions, though. They might need us to save the world again.”

“Well then, we’re simply going to have to make the most out of our time. Aren’t we?”

#strifesodos #cloud strife #Genesis Rhapsodos #FFVII #FFVII Fic Exchange 2017 #gencloud #my stories #fanfiction #fanfic #Genesis tries to help save the world #It works out as well as can be expected #This was fun to write #little bit of implied smut at the end #Skyee Writes

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kylie-art-cache-blog · 5 years

Photo

Hi guys! This is Kylie, and this is my first post here on Tumblr.

This account was made approximately 5 or 6 years ago. well I can’t really recall the time and the reason why i made this, maybe there is no reason why i did that's why there are no posts in here.

I don’t know how to manage blogs, but since i’m in the mood right now to tell stories of my life then here you go.

We’ll start here in my Mid 20′s;

Here is my first Vector art of 2019.

The story behind this cat and how i end up making this.

(This will be a long)

I am a self-proclaimed and a self taught artist.

I started making art when i was in grade 3, A 9 year old girl who loves to play with colored waxes crayola, card boards and cotton balls and if you were lucky to have much money by that time you’ll have the oil based or these colored pastels.

Always the student who silently participates in poster and slogan making contests, then won as a runner up.

Yes i grew up only as the Second best. I never really had the chance to win a contest, So I thought I’m not good enough, and it’s okay!

It’s okay to gain something rather than to have nothing at all;

not everyone gets a certificate anyway.

12 to 16 at High, I’ve been that girl who goes actively to Arts or Science clubs and be nominated as the president and end up being the vice. Always the silent one, the person who has the mind and the skills but doesn't have the guts and the voice to speak out what i wanted, I’m the keen observer.

at that age, I already know how to use Adobe photoshop; with the help of my brother who taught me how to use it, as well as corel draw. But’ by that time, In my age no one wants to know about those applications. no one can relate, coz’ it’s just me who uses it and so i let go using these tools and go back to papers and pencils.

They we’re my forgotten skills.

In College, I thought going to art school is a big stupidity and so I studied hotel and restaurant management at first and change my views in life; by that time i set my goals to a new one, i wanted to own a coffee shop with my Arts , crafts and paintings hang on the walls while people are walking in a cedar, sipping their cup of tea or coffee.

But, maybe, God has a better plan for me,

I shifted course after a year to AB Communication Arts,

I learned a lot about Theater, Film, being a news anchor, Photography, Directing, Shooting Videos, being a correspondent and an editor, Running a production as well as being a part of a runway, and a lot more.

Now, I am a Graduate of AB Communication Arts, although I don't really end up graduating as a Graphic Artist -My dream job.

Really Far from becoming an expert but I am still pursuing my dream to become one.

2015 to presend, I am working as a Coordinator in a logistics

but, still art is life, i am working as a Freelance artist.

2018, someone introduced me to Adobe Illustrator and it really worked well with my Vector Arts and in making Logo's and as time goes by I know my skill will become great as I will hopefully have more experience when i am hired as a Graphic Artist in the future. - Above here, the cat, is one of my first project done this year; tho my career hasn't boom yet, hopefully soon.

I hope to have a long term , stable job that can help me develop and improve my Skills and to be the best that i can be, and by that time i can finally say that “Dreams do come true”.

-KMBE

#dream #adobeillustrator #adobephotoshop #art #artists on tumblr #vector #cat #kmbe #love #pride #artsy #original art #blog #study blog #suggestion blog #new blog

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momentumgo · 5 years

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Angie Taylor

Motion Designer, Animator, Author, Educator www.behance.com/AngieTaylor Brighton, UK Age 54 She/Her

How did you get your start in motion design, animation, or whatever it is that you do?

I graduated with a degree in Sculpture, drawing and humanities from EDINBURGH College of art in 1996. When I left, I thought, “what the **** can I do with a sculpture degree? I’d have loved to just be an artist, but I needed to make money. I had nothing. My choices, in terms of making money quickly were; make gravestones. Or become a prop-maker, I chose the latter.

I moved to London and began my prop-making career in the TV and film industry in 1987. I started freelancing and then got a full-time job making food props for TV and film - anything from non-melting ice cream and chocolate to pigs on spits, lobsters and pizzas. We made props for all sorts of amazing productions including Aardman Animations and the BBC. It was fun figuring out how to make stuff look real but I soon got bored recreating reality. I preferred the idea of surreal.

In my spare time I was deejaying in London’s punk clubs and gay clubs. I met lots of creative people in these nightclubs including; Heaven, FF, Turnmills, The Fridge, The Bell. When I was deejaying I attended a music and technology course to learn about Sampling and sequencing. We used Cubase version 1.0 on Amiga computers. There was also a copy of Deluxe Paint on there and I started playing with it during breaks. I’d make little cycling color animations.

I wanted to do more but I couldn’t afford to buy a computer at the time. My Dad had a Sinclair Spectrum and had the Hobbit game on it. I borrowed that when I could. I loved the idea of sequencing images and storytelling, it really excited me.

One day, when I was dropping off props at the BBC, I saw somebody using a very early beta version of Photoshop1. I thought “I want to do that!”. I realised I needed to make big changes for this to happen. I gave up prop-making and became a full-time Deejay in order to save to buy a computer.

In 1993 I met my wife, Jo. When we got together we spoke about our life goals. We both agreed that we needed a change. So we left London and moved to EDINBURGH. Jo loves books took a job as manager of a big, family-run book shop. I couldn’t find any courses on computer graphics so I enrolled in a course in traditional graphic design and another in IT - just to get access to computers.

The Graphic design course was very traditional - there were no computers. We had to use Letteraset to lay out text. We would enlarge text in a Grant Projector. It was a great course, I loved it. The IT course was also good, I learned the beauty of spreadsheets (no, I’m not joking!)

I also wrote my first tutorial on that course - teaching other students how to copy and paste images into their documents and make screenshots. There was a copy of Corel Draw on the computers. I learned it inside out. But I wanted something more. When I finished the course I was a bit unsure about which direction to turn.

Then one day I went to a party at a neighbours house. He had an Apple Macintosh Classic. I knew these were the dream of every graphic designer so I asked him whether I should get a PC (which I’d learned on) or a Mac.

“Ooh! Get a Mac!” He replied. “I work for a company called Adobe. If you get a Mac, I’ll get you a copy of Photoshop to help you get started”. I wasn’t really aware of who Adobe were but I’d seen Photoshop and was so grateful to him for this offer. I really don’t know where my career would be today without that lucky break. (Thanks Rory!)

So I saved, and saved, the bought myself my first computer. It was an Apple Power Macintosh 8500. He brought me a lovely, new, cellophane-wrapped copy of Photoshop 3. I watched a free video tutorial that was on the installation CD by the amazing Russell Brown. I thought, “this is what I want to do!”

As a thank you to my friend, I made him a card. I took a picture of his new-born baby. I scanned it, added a Mohawk hairstyle, tattoos saying “Mum” and “Dad” on her knuckles, and a leather jacket. All done in Photoshop. He was blown away with what I’d done. He asked me to come and show people at Adobe how I’d done it. As a result of this, Adobe asked me to do some Photoshop demos at a trade show in Amsterdam called CGIX. That’s when I first saw After Effects. It was version 2.0, it was love at first sight! I’ve been in love ever since!

My friend, Rory, got me a copy of After Effects and I was obsessed! I got myself the Total AE by Total Training course and watched it back to back, at least twice. Brian Maffitt is still the best After Effects teacher IMHO. I practiced for about 6 months, 12 hours a day while my lovely partner earned a daily income. I also started doing more demo work for Adobe. Doing After Effects demos as well as Photoshop, Illustrator and Premiere. But that wasn’t earning me enough and I really wanted to get into motion graphics.

I sent letters to about 40 production companies telling them I had a home setup to create motion graphics with After Effects and could be employed on a freelance basis. This was 1996, in those days most people laughed if you suggested using AE for TV graphics or animation. Luckily one person gave me an opportunity. He was interested in new technology and ran a business called Atacama Films (www.atacamafilms.co.uk) making films for museums. So I got my first AE job doing graphics on a film for the Cook Museum in Middlesbrough. From there things slowly grew by osmosis.

I worked for about 20 years, freelancing for other companies and directors. In between jobs I was still doing demo work at trade shows and events for Adobe, Wacom and Apple. I was lucky enough to work with great some great directors, including Chris Cunningham and John Williams. I also worked on projects with great artists and musicians such as; The Slits, Beck, Joan Armatrading. I produced motion graphics for the BBC, Channel 4 and other TV and film companies.

However being a designer didn’t come naturally to me. I was trained as a fine artist so loved to experiment and hated having to constrain my ideas to please clients - I found this to be very restrictive. The stuff I liked was not really inline with the latest design trends which I found to be boring and formulaic. I have never enjoyed creating stuff that looks like everyone else’s. It’s like fashion, I’ve never understood why everyone would want to look the same as each other! This is possibly due to my ADHD and Autism Spectrum Condition. I was diagnosed with these at the age of 54.

During my career I wrote a few books on After Effects and motion graphic design and I began making video tutorials. I enjoyed this creative process more than the work itself. I love helping other people come up with ideas and helping them to solve problems. This was always the stage of design projects I was best at. I find it very hard to focus on the fine-tuning aspects of the job! I need challenges to keep me motivated.

Another thing that motivated me was my negative experiences at art school. I found that it really knocked my confidence and had a detrimental effect on my creativity. Before art school I drew constantly. But art school instilled in me a worry that I was not good enough. That feeling has never left me. Because of this I possibly avoid doing my own work. Teaching others is a great way of doing this!

So I gave up freelancing in 2013 to pursue a career in education. I now run my own business. A private art school called Creative Cabin on the south coast of England, near Brighton. I offer people bespoke, one-to-one tuition as an alternative to traditional art school education. People come to the Cabin and I help them with their creative projects. I hope to inspire them in the career they desire. It’s very rewarding. I also provide “Creative Escapes” - retreat vacations for creative people where they can learn drawing skills, make sculpture, forage and cook wild foods and relax in our beautiful, cliff-top woodlands. I also offer a mentorship service to clients.

Writing books was a struggle for me due to my dyslexia, whips is often comorbid with ADHD. So I started creating video tutorials with a company called Video2brain. They were bought by Lynda.com, who were, in turn, bought by LinkedIn. So my tutorials can now be seen on LinkedIn Learning.

I’ve also struggled throughout my life with anxiety and depression. These conditions are very common in those with undiagnosed ADHD and Autism Spectrum Condition. As a result have probably never achieved as much as I had hoped to. I also had to stop travelling for work due to physical issues associated with these conditions.

How do you balance your work with your personal life? How do the two influence each other?

I’ve always put home and family first so have turned down a few opportunities that could have taken me away from home. But all in all, I’m happy now to teach other people how to do the work that I love. To be honest, I find it more rewarding than actually doing the work myself. I was never satisfied with what I created anyway!

How have you learned to practice self-care? What do you do to take care of yourself?

My ADHD and Autism have pros and cons. I think my total obsession with After Effects, Illustrator and Cinema 4D are the pros. The cons are that I find it difficult to communicate with other people in a conventional way. I find it easier to get up on stage and do a demo for 500 people than I do having a two way conversation with a client. Funnily enough I’m fine when it comes to training on a 1-2-1 basis - that’s when I’m at my most happy. I have difficulty networking with people. I used to cope with alcohol and drugs. But now that I’m sober, I have to limit the stress in my life. So working from my home based studio, Creative Cabin, with my dog, Elsie, by my side, is where I’m happiest.

As I said,I’ve had a few lucky breaks along the way. Who knows what would have happened without them. My books on After Effects helped me get to the stage where I could get a mortgage and eventually buy our house with the Cabin next door, which I converted into a training studio.

I couldn’t have learned as much as I did without the friendship and help I received from the amazing After Effects community back in the 1990’s. I was part of the IMUG and subscribed to the wonderful Media Motion email user group. It’s was so open and everyone shared everything. There I met lifelong “industry friends’ like Trish and Chris Meyer, Brian Maffitt, Paul Tuersley, Steve Forde, Mark Coleran, Mark Harrison, Philip Hodgetts, Peder Norby, Pete Litwinowicz, Amacker Bullwinkle, Tim Clapham, Simon Harper and others too numerous to mention. We’d meet up at trade shows and seminars where we’d talk about nothing other than technology and animation - That’s the only thing I miss about my old life - the people.

But over the years I’ve learned how important it is to take care of yourself and those closest to you. I always found the traveling hard and stressful. To cope I would drink alcohol. I’d get home from a trip feeling exhausted, emotional and unhealthy. I put on weight and ended up with back and knee issues. Partly from too much sitting at a desk. I have a sit/stand desk so vary my working position as much as possible. I use a Salli swing, saddle chair which has really helped my back.

In terms of keeping well. I see a personal trainer and a psychotherapist once a week. I cycle everywhere and I swim as much as possible. My best friend is my dog, Elsie. A rescued Staffie-Patterdale (Stafferdale) cross who I walk every day. For my mental health I do mindfulness mediation and listen to inspiring podcasts from the Audio Dharma website.

How do you define success? What would success look like for you?

Success in life is being content and being around those you love. If you can leave something behind that inspires or changes the lives of others, that’s great. But if not, that’s fine too. Just being human is difficult enough. Be easy on yourself and enjoy the life you have.

What advice do you have for those just starting out?

To those who are starting out today I’d say, pick one thing and focus on it. Don’t be persuaded into becoming a multi-tasker like I did, it will only dilute your talents and prevent you from focussing. If you want to learn something don’t use Google or YouTube tutorials. Do a properly structured course that will teach you the fundamentals and principles as well as the cool techniques. And look after your body and mind. You don’t have to crumble before you learn that your health is the most important asset you possess.

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westworld-daily · 7 years

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Behind the Scenes of the Westworld UI

In late 2016 it happened. HBO released the TV series Westworld and invited us into the wonderful world of a technologically advanced amusement park, filled with android hosts ready to give us everything we’ve ever dreamed of.

As HBO unveiled episode after episode each Sunday, I was glued to my TV as millions of others did the same. Westworld went on to to rank as one of the most-watched first season series on HBO ever. No surprise, if you ask me.

But besides the show's stunning cinematography and title sequence, I became obsessed with its graphical details. Specifically the futuristic graphic user interface elements (GUI) you can find throughout its fictional world. As a designer of current products and interfaces, I draw a fair amount of inspiration from futuristic interfaces like these.

After digging a little deeper I found one of the designers, Chris Kieffer, who not only worked on Westworld, but other movies like Passengers, Interstellar, G.I. Joe and many others you’ve probably heard about.

Luckily Chris agreed to an interview, giving us the full tour on how it is to design user interfaces for TV and film.

Let’s go!

Tell us how you found yourself designing user interfaces for some of the most popular sci-fi films and shows out there. Did you picture yourself working in film when you first got into design?

I’ve always wanted to work on films. I didn't plan on doing UI’s for films, though I have always been fascinated by them. I used to see UI’s when I would go to the movies and always wonder how those "computers" did that. I would try remaking some of the ones that I really liked. I didn't think that would help me later on when I started to actually work for movies, but it did.

The opportunity to work on Westworld, Passengers and Interstellar were all somewhat connected. I had worked with crew from all three on previous projects. Sometimes it’s the producer, director, production designer, art director or props. It makes it easier to get on a specific film when you have those connections.

What’s your background?

My background is a mix of a lot of things. I started out in print design, working at a t-shirt shop while I was in high school. I didn't do any computer design at the time. The shop was old school, which I liked. A lot of other places used Corel Draw and Quark for screen printing designs, which I didn't know. At this place I would actually draw every shirt design, then photograph it and make the transparencies, then with a blade hand-cut the amber for all the color separations. It was very detailed work and made me appreciate fonts, because I had to do them all by hand.

While in college I went from shop to shop doing shirt designs, and I was getting a lot more into Photoshop and Illustrator. I studied graphic design and visual communications, and realized I loved the fact that I could take all my designs and bring them to life with animation.

After college I started working at a company doing a lot of print and packaging work, all the while doing motion graphics work on the side. I had moved up to managing the art department when I got a call to go to another company. I went in for an interview and it went well. On the way home I got a call from Warner Bros. to work on a film. Right after that, the company that just interviewed me said I could have the job if I started immediately. The Warner Bros. job was only a guarantee of one week of employment on a film, that’s it. I had to make a decision: take the new "guaranteed" job which paid a lot more than my previous job, or take the one week at Warner Bros. working on a feature film and hope for more. I took the one week — I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to actually work on a movie! I took a chance and I have been here since, going on 11 years now.

What's the process like working on interfaces for movies or films? How many people do you work with to complete an interface from concept to visual design to animation?

Every project is different, but I’ll give you a somewhat normal setup. Early on in the project, we get a call to come in and meet with production and discuss what they need, break down the script, develop a budget, etc.

Once all those things are done and set up, we start the design process. Preferably we would start early in production and have time to really get into the design and mechanics of everything, but that rarely ever happens. Honestly, it’s usually around 2-3 weeks before we start shooting. So first we would start designing the UI's look, style, color palette, functionality, etc. in those first few days.

Then we usually have a meeting to go over everything with the director, production designer and art director. Based on that meeting we continue to refine and make whatever changes are needed. We also discuss the hero elements that will need to happen. Hero is a term we use to describe something in a script that is specific to the story and called out to happen on a screen, hologram, monitor, etc. This is something specific that will have to be ready and worked out to be shot in camera.

Then we usually start breaking down the graphics in different sections. Usually myself and a few others will continue designing and animating graphics, some on hero and others building background screens or elements. Others will be programming how we will actually make it work and interact on set, while also prepping the gear and necessary equipment.

Then a few more meetings until we start to shoot. By then we have a pretty decent library of graphical UI elements for that film. While we are shooting a particular set we are working on the next set and the graphics for it, along with making changes on the fly if needed. This goes on until we finish shooting and finally wrap.

In post production we would normally do the graphics we couldn't shoot on set and knew would be replaced in post. That wasn't the case on Passengers, for example. On that project we came up with some concepts for post, but it was all handed off to MPC (Moving Picture Company) I believe. That’s pretty common too. I may work on a project in post that someone else did all the onset playback graphics for, and vice versa.

Tell us a little more about the post process. I'd assume seeing the UI in context, mapped to its proper surface, changes quite a lot for you.

Sometimes we can't pre-build a working graphic for something because it will strictly have to be done later in VFX. For example, the tri-fold tablets in Westworld were always going to be done in post. We tried a few options for some of the background ones that would be live in camera for interactive lighting, using tablets roughly the same size or EL Paper on the tri-folded tablets.

What made it a lot easier is pre-designing what they were going to look like and how they were going to function before we shot them. So on the day of shooting, I would go over how the UI works on the tablet with the actor before the scene and sometimes during. That made it much easier in post to match their movements and make the UI have some consistency.

Too often I get called into VFX to create an FUI (fantasy user interface) for something that has already been shot and cut together. The actor or actress just made random gestures on a tablet or hologram; now I have to reverse engineer how the UI could work based on those movements and gestures.

How is it different working on futuristic interfaces vs. real life products? For example, do you try to approach a UI for Westworld as realistically as you can? How real does it have to be?

I have worked on many different styles of UI's, everything from old CRT vector graphics to futuristic ones. They all have their own level of difficulties. Some films need the technology to look as if it was real in that time. Like making a bunch of older screens from the ‘70s - ‘80s to match what they actually looked like back then. Some need to look like they're from that time, but it’s a pseudo reality so it has to conform to that as well. There are some scenarios where they want it set in a distant, but not too far future. So we would design what we think it could be and what technology could be like for that specific film or show.

When I look at the mobile UI from Westworld, I see a lot of icons that are currently not being used. When you design an interface like this, do you imagine a purpose for every icon as you would for a product used in real life?

I try to make every button or icon have a purpose. There have been times when something is just thrown in as filler when in a rush on set before a take and they want a change, but it could haunt you after that. That might have just established a main part of the UI and has to be figured out from now on. In the particular shot you’re referencing, the icons do have general meaning. From left to right they could be:

Device Settings

Tools/Utilities

Security

Host Database/Logs

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Now those have never been established as that, but they could be.

How important is it for you to think through the whole product instead of just designing key screens?

Depends on the project. Sometimes we may be making background screens to fill a set. They will never be shot up close and don't have to be completely thought through like a hero screen. Though they do have to be designed and created for the specific world of that project. So the UI would be consistent, but the little details or elements within the UI don’t have to tell a specific detail of the story. They set the tone. Like if it was a military base or command center, the graphics would all be created for that specific military base. The maps and other parts would be locations or events from the script, but not at the detailed, scripted hero level.

When I look at some of the interfaces you design, they follow the actual dialog and story of the episode very closely. What’s the process for designing a screen like this? Do you get the script or some wireframes explaining what you need to do?

Yes, I have to go through the script and break down every shot or set that has graphics in it. Sometimes it’s vague and says something like, "She is looking through medical documents about a patient." The director will say it doesn't have to be a specific disease, just about the patient’s medical history. In this case the design is supporting the story versus telling a specific part of it. Then there are times when the script is very specific and says beat by beat what we see on the screen, so the design has to match exactly. In that case I would have to design around this while telling the story. Sometimes you only have a second or two to tell a story, so that people watching can instantly understand what they are seeing.

Where do you see real life UI design going in the future? Do you ever consider that the things you do might inspire other designers working on real, current products?

I’m not sure, to be honest. I can say that people are understanding the importance of a well-designed UI now more than ever. I think the expectations of UI are climbing way past what we saw in a movie and thought we could never have. Now we see it at our fingertips. I talk a lot with people who are making real world products or software who see things in a movie and want to make it in real life. They are inspired by what they see in a movie and want to make it a reality. On the other side, I am very inspired by real world tech. Sometimes I find that when I’m designing something I think would be cool to have in a film, it already exists in reality and it’s even better than I expected. That inspires me to make something completely new.

What would be one of your dream projects in the future? I know that's a hard one to answer right after you did Westworld.

Because I'm a big fan, I have always wanted to work on a Star Wars film. That’s one I would really like to be a part of.

What advice would you give to someone who might be interested in doing what you do? What are the key skills of a futuristic UI designer?

It depends on what part of this work they are interested in. There are programmers who develop the software we use to play back the graphics on set. There are designers or animators, sometimes people who do both. I wish I could do all three — design, animate and program. But I can't program on that level so I will leave it to the professionals. I focus mainly on design and animation, but understanding how it will be programmed really helps the workflow. As a designer or animator you can also work in post with VFX to create FUIs that are burned in or replaced.

I think having a good sense of design and animation is key. Knowing how something will move in space and understanding how to use motion along with your designs is a great skill to have. I would also recommend what I did. If you see something that inspires you, try to remake it. Try to solve how something was made and find a new, or even better way to approach it. Even if you can’t recreate it, you have learned something new. Then start designing and making your own. Even if it’s not for a specific project, come up with one.

Also don’t be afraid to ask other designers questions. Some may not respond and some may help. I try to help anyone who is passionate about this kind of work as much as I can.

#westworld #interviews #behind the scenes #westworld bts #interviews 2017 #vanschneider

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j-philly-b · 7 years

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Interesting thoughts on saviors. Maybe there really is no corelation and Emma and Aladdin are just heroic light magic users who got sucked into battles that weren't theirs to fight? I mean, turns out Jafar was really Jasmine's nemesis and the EQ has always been Snow's. Maybe their role should have been more like Merlin's instead and that's why savior's don't get happy endings? Didn't you use to speculate Jasmine would actually be the savior? Congrats, kinda happened? But I wonder if we're (cont)

(cont) still missinga part of the story. Jaladdin are supposed to be back and didn’t peoplespeculate we’d get to see the first savior (possibly Tiger Lily), so maybethere’s more to it. Idk, I at least hope that’s not all, I thought the scarabwould be back and that Aladdin would rediscover his magic. Also, if it’s reallyrandom, than that whole savior mythology storyline doesn’t really make a lot ofsense? Anyway, they should get into what makes a savior. I think they are aninspiration.

Hi Nonny, thanks for dropping by!I agree, saviors are an inspiration and what we’ve seen Emma do best is givepeople hope and inspire them to be their best selves. She’s encouraged peopleto fight for their own happy endings, and we are watching her fight for ownhappily ever after right not. It’s certainly not an easy fight, and the handtremors of doom have certainly demonstrated the toll that fighting has taken onEmma. But even though she’s tired, and the fight has been difficult, and shemay have slowed her pace recently, it looks to me like she’s caught her secondwind and is going to be pushing back hard from now on.I do think that Rumple set Emma up as the savior for everyone caught up inRegina’s curse, he wanted to make sure he’d get his memories and magic backafter all so he could continue his search for Bae. But I agree that the EvilQueen is/was more Snow’s villain. It makes sense that Rumple purposefullycreating a loophole in the dark curse that would allow it to be broken, is whatmade Emma a “savior” – she initially had a specific purpose and goal toaccomplish. Once the original dark curse was, for the most part, broken Emmaand the other heroes started banding together to fight off whatever new big badhas been introduced, with Emma having the added benefit of using her lightmagic (which is conveniently taken away for “reasons” whenever necessary). SoEmma still carries the mantle of savior, but her fight, to me anyway, is moreof a shared battle lately than was the first challenge of breaking the darkcurse.

As for Aladdin, it remains a mystery as to why heis/was a savior. Did he have a singular purpose or goal to accomplish like Emmabreaking the dark curse, or did he just work to help out anyone in need whocame to him? Much of the time between his first meeting with Jasmine and hisfirst fight with Jafar and the confrontation with Jafar in that isolated homeremains a mystery. What we do know though, is that a savior who does not have asupport system from which to draw strength is weakened by the constant fight. Atthis point though, the entire savior mythology remains a mystery – are theymade because someone has a need, are they born when the balance of light anddark has been tipped too far into the darkness, are they triggered when a largegroup of people are in danger from a single villain? I’m hopeful we get someanswers before the finale, but I’m not holding my breath.

As for Jasmine and Aladdin, we know we’ll be seeingthem again, so I am assuming that we will find out whether that TLK did morethan restore Agrabah and release Aladdin from the genie’s shackles, and whetherAladdin’s savior power has been restored. I’ve had my doubts about theeffectiveness of the shears since Regina’s potion was able to track Aladdin tothat crypt by creating a link between his savior magic and Emma’s. I think alot of us were left wondering whether it would have really worked if Aladdin’smagic was truly gone. Plus, now that Jasmine and Aladdin are TL, I think we’llsee Jasmine offering Aladdin the same kind of support that Killian and Henryoffer Emma. In other words, if Aladdin gets his powers back but still suffersfrom hand tremors, I suspect that Jasmine’s presence will stop them.

The big question is, how does Aladdin get his powersback – TLK or something else? The shears are likely out of play as of 6x14, butI am still wondering if there will be some magical object that reverses theeffects. This season has been about the characters questioning themselves,making decisions that change their fates, and at times using magical objects tomake the change. Logically, there should be some object that would have thepower to bind someone to their fate or to restore their path if somethinghappened to change it prematurely, something to balance the fates’ shears.Maybe it is the scarab, does Henry still have it, or did he give it to Emma?But whether by magical object, or because of Jasmine’s TL support, I suspectthat Aladdin will be savioring again by the end of the season.

Although yes, way back in August after they showedthe clip with Aladdin and Jafar at SDCC I speculated that it would actuallyturn out that Jasmine was the savior, not Aladdin. I can’t believe anyoneremembered that! At the time, it seemed like Jafar walked away too easily andhe had something more to do. I guess after 6x15 we know what that was –shrinking Agrabah and its citizens down to fit into a 3 carat diamond. But Igot the impression that getting Aladdin to use the shears on himself was just abonus for Jafar, did you think that too? Then, lo and behold, it turns outJasmine has the key to Jafar’s ultimate victory all along, and so Jafar gotAladdin out of the way so Jafar could focus on his goal and get Jasmine to giveup the ring.

[As an aside, is there a parallel to be had withJafar making sure that Aladdin was out of the way, and Gideon making sure thatKillian is out of the way? Huh, maybe. I’ll have to give that one some morethought, but it does bring to mind 6x03 and references to people being pawnsand being removed from the chessboard, no?]

As for Tiger Lily, I’ve been speculating with @hooks-and-feathers (who also had a lot to say about the scarab) for a whilenow that Tiger Lily is another fairy. Although, making her the third saviorthat’s been hinted at is not out of the realm of possibility. But if Tiger Lilyand the Black Fairy had some sort of connection in the past, it might makesense if they were both fairies, especially since we also know Killian has aconnection to Tiger Lily too, and he doesn’t seem to have had the best trackrecord with fairies in his pirate days. Cf.Tinkerbell. I’m actually starting to wonder if this other savior that’s beenhinted at is someone that the Black Fairy sacrificed in some stylized ritual tocreate the Dark Realm. Very unlikely, but just a thought I had.

tl;dr – Emma as the savior was not random at all,Rumple built a loophole around her to ensure the dark curse would be broken.Aladdin as a savior, the payoff will likely come in the finale now that he hashis TL to support him and help him find his path. And combined, Emma andAladdin finding and choosing to live their HEAs will inspire others to fightfor theirs.

#anonymous #j answers #ouat speculation #ouat spoilers #thinking it ouat

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