#I need to learn how to shade properly in black and white--

[trappezoider]

Hi! You were the first Hogwarts Legacy fan artist I came across and I wanted to say how much I love your works 🥰

I recently saw an ask about which program you use to create your pieces which got me wondering... 👀 do you have any tips to share with aspiring digital artists trying to learn how to properly add shading/lighting?? I'm happy with my pieces during the flat colour stage, but every time I attempt shading/lighting or other methods of adding texture/definition/perspective, it always looks "off" to me 🤔 so my WIP folder is huge rn.

Thank you in advance for any advice you're willing to share 🙏😊

Hiya there!! Thank you so much for this ask!! First of all, I gotta say how wonderful it is that you're excited about art and want to learn more about it. I just had a chat with a friend about this but I think art is such a fun, vast hobby, full of endless possibilities, and whenever people want to get into it and learn, it's just wahhhhh. Fills my heart with joy and makes me bounce :D Now, full disclaimer, I am not an art teacher so my say on the matter is not that of a professional. I struggle with these things myself as well but I'm really happy if any of my advice can help a fellow artist. Keep in mind that works for me might not work for you, and "good art" is highly subjective. But I understand that achieving that fine balance between knowing how to imitate life and then being able to recreate that imagine in your head on an empty canvas is something a lot of artists want. That's hard af though. But you can't have success without failure, that's why we have so many WIPS xD Lucky for us, our brains and hands are amazing at learning. Eventually those WIPS might become actual realised works. Crying, praying and manifesting for us both xDDD Now, if you're struggling with shading and lighting, I suggest doing value studies. Perhaps take black and white photos with a striking relationship between shadow and light, then try to replicate that without colour picking. Try to observe the whole picture, without paying too much attention to the details at first, Make your brush strokes large especially when sketching out the initial shapes. You can give yourself a time limit of say, 5-60 minutes, for each study, but I wouldn't go over a 1,5h hour limit. I recommend using fairly simple images, with less textures and where shapes are the main character so to speak. Then when you think you're ready, you can do the same thing but this time choose coloured images but still use only white/black. Excercises like these help me a ton when I feel like I wanna update my skills. Doing art is a never-ending learning curve but I feel like that's what makes it so stimulating hehe Below is an example of one value study I did recently. I don't do these often but I know I probably should xD I always just do colour studies nowdays cause that's something I'm most interested in observing at the moment :D But this is just an example of what you can do if you want to learn shading in particular. Now it doesn't need to be perfect, it's just practice that may help you get used to values and how they interact with each other on the canvas.

You can also do colour studies if that is something you're interested in. Those might be a bit more challenging but as long as you keep each study short and use simple images (like literally just an image of an egg on a table or something xD), it shouldn't be too intimidating. Sorry for such a long reply xD I hope you have lots of fun and get all the possible enjoyment from making art! So happy for you!!! Wishing you all the motivation, success and inspiration in the world!!!

[miioouu]

His Favourite Camgirl

whatever you dooooo, don't imagine yourself as Soap's favourite camgirl.

tw: suggestive, camgirl!reader, umm uncreativity when it comes to soap's username. pls halp

You really never revealed your identity, you want your audience to appreciate the lingerie you get yourself using their money; the lace rosé bodysuit embroidered with pink and orange flowers, white satin set with over exaggerated baby blue bows, and sometimes, when they haven't been behaving properly, you show up with the leather black set that barely covers you.

You liked to keep your face hidden, except when your fingers pushed past your lips, circling your tongue around them before dipping them under your panties. And you'd lean over slightly, for you it's to get a better view of the chat, for them it's to get a heavenly glimpse at your chest. And they can't see it, he can't see it, the way your eyes twinkle when you see the nasty comment 'Soap69' (very original, i know) left there. Your favourite subscriber, your favourite fan. Of course he was; he's been supporting you since the beginning, he never missed your lives, he always knew what to say in the comments to make you edge closer to the cliff of your orgasm.

Just like him, you stayed awake after your shows, daydreaming what he'd look like, what his voice would sound like when he'd whisper the praises in your ear instead of typing them out on a stupid screen. It's become an obsession that you're too ashamed to admit, you're always thinking of him when you're choosing what to wear, whether it's for your lives, or for the pictures you innocently post on other social media apps. His likes and reactions always made you smile and blush.

"Texting your boyfriend?" your coworker would ask, and how are you supposed to tell the old lady that no, it's your fan leaving a sweet comment on your most recent post? So you just nod, not wanting to explain yourself, not wanting to have an awkward conversation. But that conversation made you think of him even more, consuming your every thought. Even when you should be too busy focusing on your pleasure in front of the camera, you're thinking of him. He prefers the more innocent act, he likes to see you in shades of blues, he likes when you use that pink transparent dildo he got you from your wishlist. It's him, him, him, him, on your mind all the time. It's Soap.

"Soap" voice breathless and dripping with pleasure and desperation, like honey oozing from its comb. And you didn't realise your mistake until it was too late. Your eyes went wide as you saw the other viewers congratulate him in the chat, some even jealous, but it's really his comment that you focused on, that made you reach that extraordinary high "Yeah that's right, kitten, only I can make you cum like that…"

And it wasn't a lie, after that show you really couldn't reach your orgasm without the thought of him. You learned not to say his name on your live shows, but when it's only you and his favourite minty bullet vibrator late at night, you're moaning his username over and over and over again like a mantra, like it's the only thing you can say. And isn't usually the fan that is supposed to be obsessed over the camgirl? Wasn't he supposed to be the annoying stalker? (secretly he is, unbeknown to you, he is) Why is it you that is crazy over him then? So much that you couldn't think straight, not when you're at work, not when you're driving, not when you're cooking. And it's when you accidentally cut yourself as you were chopping some onions that you've had enough, you wanted him, you needed him, and without giving it a second thought you grabbed your phone, scrolling until you found your app, searching up for his username and sliding right into his private messages with a shy "Hiii. I've been thinking of you a lot, you're such a sweet fan. I'd like to know you better, if you're ok with that, of course…"

[radioisntdead]

Rot

Lute x implied to be female reader

Warnings: this got out of hand I don't know what I wrote, death.

Song used!

We all pretend to be the heroes on the good side

Each year hundreds of exorcists fly down and exterminate sinners, keeping hells population low and permanently putting an end to the wretched people who earned their spots there.

Some things are black, and you know

You were one of these exorcists, horned mask on your head, an angelic scythe in hand.

You were proud of what you did.

Some things are white, it’s just so

You were merciless on the battlefield, no matter how much they begged or screamed you slit their throats with ease, joyfully showing off to your fellow exorcists and joyously celebrating with them once back in the safe haven that was heaven.

You never stopped to smell the roses, oh no.

One in particular you carved the attention of, Lieutenant Lute.

But you’re the good guy, uhuh?

The way she commanded attention, the way she spoke with such confidence enticed you, and so everything you did was to gather her attention and her affections.

And he’s just some other scum?

And you nearly obtained it, you had it in your grasp, with your wings curled around her, her hand holding yours.

What a sad hill you’ve left yourself to die on.

But clearly she didn't hold onto those simple affections deeply as you did since she left you to rot in hell.

All because you witnessed what she did to Vaggie, someone you considered a sister, her eye was gouged and her wings were taken from her.

You were lucky enough to just be thrown into a crumpling wall and crushed beneath the rumble that you eventually dug yourself out of, she didn't even look at you when she did so.

So many shades of gray

Surrounded by the filth and scum, with sucky sinners who were spending their afterlives in agony as punishment for their sins.

Oh, how can you say you’re all grown yet still not know?

With your mask destroyed and your halo cracked, you peaked out from beneath the rubble, watching as your fellow exorcists, the people you called family flew away back to heaven leaving you behind.

Did they even know what their commander did to Vaggie and you?

Good easily fades away

You were left to the mercy of the very sinners you swore you'd annihilate.

Naive young beau, I will swallow you whole.

You did what you needed to survive, you were already left in hell, keeping virtues was the last thing you needed to keep.

You stole clothes, food, money anything you needed to stay alive.

Because I'm a villain

You had to learn many things, like how to properly defend yourself, because the way you and your fellow exorcists fought left you open and easy to take down, or whatever the hell a overlord was, you'd think they would've at least debriefed you on this!

I’ll go for the throat and slit

You learned that not everyone there was as heartless and wicked you thought,

That girl that ran a hellish library near your shitty apartment wasn't completely evil because she did what she had to do to provide for her younger sisters, your neighbor wasn't wicked because she killed her abusive fiancé, that boy that tinkered away across the street in a clock shop wasn't evil because he struggled and made a horrible, horrible decision to end that struggle.

That library girl made you new clothing to wear when the ones you had begun to visibility fall apart, asking for nothing in return.

Your neighbor looked out for you, bringing you over a plate of dinner saying she made too much, sometimes fretting over you like a mother would to a daughter.

That tinkering boy across the street talked to you in the middle of the night when you were walking around aimlessly wondering where everything went wrong, cheering you up.

Didn’t notice, What a wicked little devil I could be,

They were not wicked, they shouldn't have ended up down there,

You knew that there were folks who DID, deserve to be down there, like that purple bastard that you noticed directed almost every porn film down here,

People talked about his track record,

Oh how you would LOVE to sink your scythe into him.

Or that creepy who catcalled your friend, and who DID get your scythe embedded into his skull.

but babe, You're a villain

Eventually you reunited with Vaggie, agreeing that it would be best to keep your pasts hidden from those you cherished.

You’ll reach for the knife and twist

Eventually you met her girlfriend, the princess of hell,

How did she manage to fall in love with and date her? You didn't really know but you were proud of your found-family sister for finding someone that made her happy in this wretched place.

Hello new friend, the dark thing that you want to hide from me.

Eventually Charlie, Vaggie's girlfriend and effectively your future sister in-law, shared her dreams about wanting to redeem sinners, and Vaggie supported her in it.

Good luck.

And being Vaggie's sister got roped into it, you didn't move into the hotel as you wanted to look out for the folks you lived near, but you spent a good bit of your time there, helping out where you could.

You were dragged up to heaven along with Charlie and Vaggie, one moment you were trailing behind an ecstatic Charlie and an anxious Vaggie.

I'm killing someone maybe

And now you were corned against a wall right outside the room you were staying in, by someone you loved once, golden eyes staring harshly into yours.

You're killing someone maybe,

You once thrived in the affection those eyes looked at you with but now you wished you could pluck them from their sockets like she had done to Vaggie.

I'm killing you maybe

If it was you years prior you would've rather perished then have the desire to harm Lute, oh how times change!

You're killing me maybe

You grinned up at her, once upon a time you would've melted into a puddle at her cornering you but now it just filled you with disgust.

We all pretend to be the heroes on the good side

"Why the fuck are you here?"

"Oh? is that anyway to greet an old friend, Lulu?" You asked tilting your head.

"Don't call me that."

But what if we're the villains, on the other

Despite your rather playful tone the disdain in your eyes made her freeze, you had once looked at her with adoration.

Am I good, Am I bad, ay

With her frozen you shoved her away and scrambled into the room you were staying in.

Are you good?

The next time you saw Lute was during the whole 'you didn't know' where not only Vaggie but you were exposed as former Exorcists and cast back down.

Are you bad? ay

Lute wasn't expecting to see you again, she knew that you wouldn't die easily mostly because you still had your scythe, not to mention you were quite resourceful, after all she did have affections for you many years ago.

The one that I would take a bullet for is

Maybe if you weren't there when she took away Vaggie's wing privileges you would've been something more.

treated like a dirty dog somewhere else, say

Maybe a pair of sliver rings would've adorned your and her ring fingers.

Are we good

She'd be lying if the look of hatred in your eyes when you looked at her squeezed at her heart, like needles pricking at her.

Are we bad, ay

But she did what she had to do, and if 'protecting' heaven meant leaving you behind to rot then that is what she must do.

What is good, what is bad, ay

She didn't become lieutenant by being soft.

While you would've set heaven, earth and hell ablaze if she did so much as ask, she let left you for dead.

The one that I would choose a bullet for is

Adam changed when the next extermination was, the first place that he was going to target was Charlie's hotel.

Treated like a prince, throne in his father’s house, say

You couldn't believe you once followed that dickhead.

So many shades of gray

No one in that hotel was going down without a fight, not Charlie, not Vaggie, not Alastor, not husk, not Angel dust, not Sir Pentious, not Niffty, and Certainly not you.

Oh how can you say that you know, but not follow?

On the day of extermination you had conflicting feelings, on one hand you were mercilessly taking down exorcists, some of which were people you used to be friends with, you knew their hopes and dreams, their hobbies and interests, and you were here slicing them down with your axe.

And on other hand you were defending the hotel.

Good easily fades away

You welded your scythe like a grim reaper, an angel of death, it didn't help that you were dressed in black, if you didn't have wings you would've opted to wear a cloak.

Naive young beau, I will swallow you whole

Eventually you ended up a little further away from the fight and stumbled upon a armless Lute flying through.

Because 1, 2, I'm a villain

Vaggie may have let her live for whatever reason.

Take a stab at you in the dark

You however didn't hold the same sentiments of having Lute live with regret or anger or whatever she felt.

Didn’t notice

You flew and tackled her in the air.

What a wicked little devil I could be, but dear

You came at her as a blur of black, gold and a hint of sliver from your scythe.

You're a villain

The two of you spun around plumbing into the ground.

Take a knife to me in the heart

Golden blood splattered from Lute's injury.

Hello new friend, the wicked thing you hate to see in me.

A loud crack came from Lute's wing, followed by her screams.

Drink up.

You scrambled off of her as she struggled to get up.

All villains, make you beg for your every breath

You watched her with a grin, you grabbed your scythe and raised it high.

What a group of, Wicked wretched little beasts we are, baby.

You took a breath.

What fun.

Her spear entered your stomach.

We're all villains

She was quick, despite losing an arm and having a broken wing, Lute still had the resilience to pick up a spear and lunge it into you.

Pluck the air right out from your chest.

She pulled it out, and you using whatever adrenaline that was still in your body swung down your scythe.

Hello new friends, and welcome to the devil's house party.

Slicing her torso.

I'm killing someone maybe

She fell and you soon collapsed beside her.

You're killing someone maybe

Golden blood pooled around the two of you pooling into each other, who's blood was who's, no one could tell.

I'm killing you maybe, You're killing me maybe

One would wonder where the two of your souls would end up, would they appear again in hell? With a more devilish appearance, after all murder is a sin is it not? or would they go somewhere else?

We all pretend to be the heroes

On opposite sides, the surviving exorcists deemed you a horrid villain who betrayed them along with Vaggie, on the other side hell considered them ravenous creatures who come down and slaughter sinners for fun.

On the good side

The exorcists have a purpose, they permanently rid of unredeemable scum, but along with that they got rid of those who deserved a second chance and would've ended up in heaven if they were given that chance.

But what if we're the villains, on the other

But that's neither here nor there, you glanced at Lute, how ironic that the two of you killed each other?

We all pretend to be the heroes on the good side

Maybe in another world the two of you could pick up where you left off from before she left you to die in hell.

It was a foolish thought but it was funny to think of as you felt death creep in, it was comforting and confusing in a way.

You yawned, you oddly enough you weren't scared of what could come next, it just felt like you were going to sleep for the night, a sleep you wouldn't be waking up from anytime soon.

But what if we're the villains on the other

"Goodnight Lulu, see you on the other side." You mumbled closing your eyes for the last time.

"Fuck you,"

We all pretend to be the heroes on the good side

"I'll see you on the other side."

Good evening folks! I'm here with this, it was supposed to be a lot more, romance-y at the beginning but I just didn't do that? I don't know what that ending was either ALSO I LOVE THE NICKNAME LULU FOR LUTE, anyways, I hope you enjoyed! As always thank you for tuning on in!

Psst, you should totally join our discord server

[beanghostprincess]

I fucking love it when people draw one piece characters as women. (I love Oda but his gender bending needs a little work.)

Like they would be so cool like it's just a bunch of butches and dykes studs and just overall tough broads on the sea.

Buggy would have blonde hair like he did in one of the movies. Rocking a side shave or under cut , she's definitely wearing something that leaves little to the imagination. It's all for show really under all that makeup and boisterous personality she's still insecure and riddled with self-doubt but she's faking it till she makes it and she made it. Not the way she wanted but you know success is success. She's a warlord

Mihawk is so elegant, She keeps her hair in a bun. She always wears loose white blouses with ruffles in a black corset. Her nails are long dark and sharp, with a lovely burgundy shade. she's never chipped them, never cracked them, and has never broken in them.

I love trans man crocodile but trans woman crocodile makes me go feral. She's tall with broad shoulders and strong arms, She used to hate how she looked but becoming a pirate she started to appreciate her features making her look more powerful and intimidating. She has a slip dress and a long fur coat always smoking a cigar. Her voice is so soothing but so cold at the same time.

Kid is a hefty woman tall and broad, quick to anger and will to fight anyone and everyone. Everyone thinks she wears makeup but she doesn't. She never learned how she kind of wants to, but she's kind of scared at my ruin her image. Her lips are just naturally that red. When she lost her arm she made herself multiple prosthetics one is just a practical one that is just a regular looking arm but silver with floral detailing and then the big scary one that she wears for fighting.

The red hair pirates is just a boat of tough broads looking for adventure and freedom.

Shanks is gorgeous! She used to have long red hair but was cut with a sword, It was a spur of the moment kind of thing she did it when buggy broke up with her. She's tough she's kind, she's strong and she never wears a bra. (None of them do really except for Benn)She's so protective around children. Every time Luffy runs up to her she always picks her up. Luffy doesn't have the scar under her eye because the minute shanks saw her with a knife It was on site.

Yasopp she has a whole collection of guns in her closet she's never happy with just one every island they go to she has to buy a new pistol or musket. She stores them Nice and neatly with her other values like her wedding dress. If Luffy isn't being carried by sharks it's yasopp. She's not as big as the rest of the women on the ship but she can hold their own in a fight her body is covered in battle scars.

Luffy: Where'd you get that one?!

Yasopp: that's from a bullet

Luffy: and that one?!

Yasopp: stab wound

Luffy: and what about this one?

Yasopp: oh....that's from a C-section

You know what, I just- I can't imagine fem Cross Guild in a way that isn't @/vonguilli's artstyle. That's the only fem Cross Guild I need. Especially Buggy, damn. The IT Girl fr. I wanna look like her so damn bad. Icon. The moment. But I must say that Buggy with an undercut, Mihawk with her nails done, and transfem Crocodile make me go insane. My beloveds. I feel things (lesbian thoughts) for them.

I hate when people draw fem Kid all skinny and for the male gaze as if Fem!Kid wasn't literally made for the lesbians only. I want a tall and broad big woman. Big chest. Big attitude. I want her to be able to pick me up with one fucking hand. I absolutely hate some versions I've seen of her. YOU KNOW WHICH GENDERBEND IS SMALL AND PETITE AND SKINNY? LAW. LAW. Law should be skinny and depressed and with greasy hair and her nails and badly treated and she has small boobs and short messy hair and she's so tired of living. Dressing with tops and big pants and not caring about a bra. She has eyebags and she's just so lazy to live properly. I love canon fem!Law because I'm a weak lesbian but my perception of fem!Law is not the way some people draw her. I know you were talking about Kid I apologize I am a very annoying Law fan.

Shanks,,,, Mother is mothering. The girl cutting her hair after a break-up. Lesbian behavior. Dramatic milf. I feel so many things for this woman. And Yasopp???? Girl I am down bad please. Guns are not my thing. Women?? Pirates?? With guns?? Yeah, no, that's so- Damn.

I could talk for hours about my fav genderbend designs in my head fr. My favs (in my own lil head) are Buggy, Law, Usopp, Doffy and Sabo. Like- Women. Girls. You know? haha-

[night-market-if]

Much chiller anon, I promise, but I did have a concern when I first noticed the double standard with Milo vs MC, which I can completely understand as he is wholly your own creation. Milo's past is often used as a way to shield him, I had a similar one, and it is wrong threatening violence against him because of it, except this does dismiss that he inflicted violence upon MC, emotionally and physically, because of deep-seated issues, but that wasn't as wrong because MC's pov is just unreliable?

I really like that you have brought up this point because it was one of the things I was concerned about while writing this arc. I don't think you can use his past as a way to excuse his behavior (and let me make it clear that I'm not really. I'm more concerned about the masses that want to play an MC that hurts him). But, his behavior and what he did, is something that needs to be addressed. Even knowing what I know (because it is not as bad as people have blown it up to be. but I have author privileges) Milo's actions are not something to be excused when it comes to the MC and how MC wishes to deal with it in book 2 will vary. I have just been stating that I will not let MC inflict a ton of violence on the man. And my concern isn't coming so much from the occasional comment, but more from the anons coming into my inbox and being vile towards me for a characters actions.

I honestly think that a lot of this turmoil that is coming about based on Milo should be put on hold for now. Because there is still so much information that has not been given and there are so many pieces of the puzzle that needs to be viewed first. But, writing is a bit slow with everything I've got going on so I don't have immediate answers. I was putting out a chapter a month and so I think people were used to my fast clip writing and were able to wait. It's been six months now with no answers and that's got to be hard.

But, rest assured, his actions are not going to be forgotten. Almost the entirety of book 2, especially if you are on a romance route with him, will be about making decisions based on how much contact you wish to have with him, having discussions with others about that moment, and ultimately, kind of leveling with yourself about your own involvement and humanity. Because at the end of it all, the message that I think is overarching for every character in this fic, is "do better". Be better people. Learn from mistakes. Understand that life is not just shades of black and white. Try to see the other side before making judgements.

Now, after book 2? If it still has not been addressed properly, even with having all the information? Then that's a failing on my part. But right now, we are still so early in this tale.

[primordialruin]

I don't think Lilith and Lucifer gave Eve the gift of knowledge/free will. Feels more like the gift of defiance. Knowing good and evil are experiences you either live through and/or give to someone else, which is a knowledge that is earned rather than learned about. You can be aware of the vilest things from just hearing about it, but if you don't have an inner experience that relates in the tiniest way to the pain within another in order to compare it to, then why would it have an impact on you? There's also the caveat where you will subconsciously eliminate relatability due to traumatic experiences which can block empathy, or in the case of those who are born with low levels of affective empathy, that can also pose a challenge. (Cognitive empathy can be learned tho) Caveats aside, if I don't know what negativity feels like, how am I expected to empathize? If I don't have a frame of reference for frustration, my response/reaction will be at best dulled and detached when I learn about an evil deed. Compassion can be built, but that's a social emotion meant to build and maintain networks. And frankly, compassion can easily exist without empathy. There is this thing called loving kindness in Buddhism that encompasses it.

When it comes to defiance, you are enabling yourself to commit an act against something, someone or yourself. It creates polarity and a ripple effect that I believe continues to echo on Earth through humans committing defiant acts all the time UNLESS there is a big enough counterforce to stop it. I believe it takes great inner strength to genuinely forgive something and move onto better pastures with or without the source that has created pain, though you have to be careful not to fall into apathy and numbness. Forgiveness isn't about dulling yourself to remove the pain. Forgiveness is finding worth in investing your energy into something that brings you a better life experience. It's a new type of emotional reality that you are developing in which the hurtful baggage of the past can't coexist anymore, so you let it go. Like, say a friend hurt you, but you find worth in rebuilding a friendship with them because they've done the work to prove themselves a reliable connection. Of course you can also forgive and move on without them. Both are good as long as the hurt was processed properly to be released. Now that's a mild example because atrocities are not on the same level as a broken friendship. The latter come and go and some return, while the former is extremely complex to move on from, but not impossible. Cases of it exist. They're probably unpopular, but they exist.

Now, defiance can also be a good thing depending on the context. Such as, defying a tyrant's system of oppression, but once again - that's still an act of evil because you cannot have good without it. Good cannot exist without polarity unfortunately. The good you do onto someone is evil to someone else and vice versa. That's where consideration and discernment comes into place. Consequences reach everyone one way or another... Black and white melts together, forming various shades of grey. Think of the spider metaphor - what is normal for the spider is chaos for the fly.

But back to defiance. What is defiance if not a type of sabotage? You defy someone's right to safety by jeopardizing it to meet your needs. That's what evil is. It comes from unreliability which is what I feel has made the whole thing blow up with Lucifer's dangerous ideas that defy Heaven's reliable order, Lilith's defiance in the face of authority and her enabling Lucifer to be as dangerous as he wanted to be, and them enabling & inviting Eve to commit an act of defiance too. It's the dichotomy that was the evil that created Hell.

[jezabatlovesbats]

Ever After High OCs

Because I realized that, while I posted them on my old account, I hadn't posted them on this one yet. (If I did, this is a repost because I couldn't find the old one.)

Also, I drew these back in 2021.

Radley Henman is a student and the son of the Little Red Hen. He is a young rooster with red feathers, a darker red crest and a yellow beak. His body and tail are brown, but his wings are red. He has gold yellow legs and usually wears a blue coat. Brown skin surrounds his grayish-green eyes.

Radley is trustworthy and hardworking. If you want advice on things like how to keep yourself focused throughout the day or how to prioritize something properly, you can talk to him. He's smart and virtuous, but sometimes, he can be a chicken (so to speak). For one, he doesn't do well in crowds. He's also got sensitive feathers and a sensitive stomach. On a side note, he’s not that into spellebrity gossip. He aligns with the Rebels because he doesn't want to commit to baking bread like his mother. He finds himself more interested in technology and sociology and just doesn't see himself as a future farm boy.

Radley grew up on a farm, but unlike his family, he felt uncomfortable with all of the work he had to do. Using technology made it a whole lot easier in his opinion, but that doesn't mean he didn't remember to help out when needed and not be lazy. The whole destiny thing made him curious to learn about where society's beliefs on reliving your parent's story or risking disappearing came from, so he became interested in sociology. Lately, Radley's been standing with the belief that he can write his own story since he wants to create a future where he revolutionizes the world with better tech (and analyzes what impact it will have on society).

The Peeperson cousins, whose names are Ona, Tina and Tressa Peeperson, are students at Ever After High and the respective daughters of One-Eye, Two-Eyes and Three-Eyes. Ona has one tan eye that she wears a glass over. She has straight dark brown hair with darker brown streaks. She wears blue pearl earrings, blue lipstick and a yellow pearl necklace. Under her light blue jacket, she wears a white shirt with a blue eye on it. She also wears a gray skirt with blue-gray spots on it and blue-gray spotted shoes to match. Her shoes have blue heels and pink pearls placed at the top. Tina has heterochromia, having one hazel eye and one blue eye. Her hair is brown with orange streaks, and she wears it up with a salmon bow. She wears two small hoop earrings on each ear and red lipstick. Her dress has a white collar and is split in color, with one side red and the other side orange; her short sleeves are the opposite color to what side of her dress it's on. Beneath this, her dress is purple. Her heels are also multicolored, being purple, red, orange and yellow. Tressa has three green eyes and light brown, golden-streaked hair. Her earrings are three silver mesh earrings. Her collared green shirt has ruffles in three different shades of gray. She wears a black belt and a pale blue skirt with two darker undersides. She wears three bracelets on her left wrist. Her shoes are colored like stained glass, blue and teal, with gray heels.

These girls are very loyal, to both their friends and each other. They're great candidates for a friend that'll never betray you, even in your darkest times. Ona is a relaxed person and is very good at keeping her composure. It's very hard to offend her because she seems to be very good at rebutting negativity. She enjoys spreading positivity to others. Tina wears a perpetual smile on her face through whatever the fairy-tale world throws at her. She aspires to be someone that other people can listen to if they find themselves in a rut. She's a selfless person working to make other people's lives better, whether they're Royal or Rebel. Tressa likes to be helpful when people are in need as well; she'll do your homework for you if you want. She's a girl who tends to stray away from the rules for the benefit of others. This isn't just because she's with the Rebels; she's seen things differently than normal ever since childhood.

Ever since they were little girls, Ona, Tina and Tressa have been inseparable. Tressa and Ona's mothers had moved in with Tina's at the end of her story, so the cousins grew up together. They did everything together and went to school together, from spellementary school all the way to their current enrollment at Ever After High. They've always loved to spread joyful feelings to others. Tina stands with the Royals because she's generally okay with the destiny she has, but Ona and Tressa are on the Rebel side because they don't want to torture Tina for not being like them. They are destined to redeem themselves at the end of their story, but they don't want to do it to begin with. Ona rooms with Tressa while Tina is Lilly's roommate. Chemythstry is the one class that the girls have together. Sometimes, they get lost in the hallways when trying to meet up with each other during school hours thanks to how large they make out the school to be. In moments like those, they're thankful to have unique eyes. Ona has a magic touch of knowing exactly how to look at someone no matter the situation. Tressa wants to be an optometrist for people with one eye or three eyes or more. Tina has a pet goat named Pupil.

[jaybug-jabbers]

Vernal Pools & Seed Shrimp Saga

I wanted to record how things went with my seed shrimp (ostracods). I have a thread on Bluesky about it but never posted it here.

In January, I found some seed shrimp in a vernal pool at the park I frequent. They were shades of green and orange.

I caught a small portion in a glass jar and attempted to keep them. After a while I decided to upgrade their living situation to a tiny fish tank I had. The tank had previously been used for isopods but it proved difficult to keep fungus gnats out of that arrangement. So I cleaned it up and set it up for the seed shrimp. It was not furnished with much, just a small sponge filter and a bit of floating cork bark on the surface. I decided the ostracods needed some algae to snack on so I returned to the park to fish some algae out of the vernal pool with a ladle. However I accidentally caught a few stowaways along with the algae. A handful of tiny pollywogs and an iridescent, gold-colored little diving beetle. Here is the tank and the beetle (which briefly grabbed a shrimp pellet)

The beetle was very cool and extremely active but I did not feel confidant in providing it with the proper care, so I released it back to the wild. Meanwhile the pollywogs eagerly chomped away at the algae and also some unknown organic clump I had no idea how to identify. I also saw some kind of larva crawling around in there.

I provided the pollywogs with shrimp pellets, frozen garden peas and fresh spinach. The seed shrimp gladly ate the leftovers. The tadpoles seemed to have no interest in trying to prey on the seed shrimp. I decided to also try buying some algae pellets for the tadpoles, but the pellets were too large for the tadpoles to finish in one sitting and they stunk like the dickens. I had to buy a turkey baster to remove the leftovers which thankfully worked. I fed the algae pellets in smaller pieces after that.

The tadpoles grew quite rapidly and there were more than I initially realized. I had about 15 of them. Their favorite food definitely were the peas. My cat loved to watch them move. It was not long at all before their back legs started to come in.

I had the tadpoles for 20 days in total and they went from tiny little guys to large tadpoles with fully-formed back legs. But it was starting to be difficult to get them all enough food and I knew I was not prepared to take care of these guys all the way to froglets. I did not have the proper setup for them. So I decided to finally let them go.

When I returned to the vernal pool I got them from, it was all but entirely dried up. That means their poor siblings did not fare well. I walked a very short distance away to a similar vernal pool in the same park, so I could release them. I was sad to see them go, they were very fun to have around, but it was the right choice. Perhaps in the future I might learn how to properly rear tadpoles. I wished them the best of luck.

Returning our focus to invertebrates, however! My seed shrimp seemed to be thriving. I am very curious how to explain the different color shells they have. Some are a very pretty moss green, others a very bright orange, some intense black, and others white/pale green. Are they different species? Or does the color have to do with their diet while they formed their shells? (I also definitely had copepods in my tank, and clearly identified some of the female ones.)

Ostracods really are fascinating crustaceans. In my research about them, I found this thread on a discussion form about breeding them, this guide on breeding them, this excellent page about their biology, and a general beginner's guide to IDing various vernal pool critters. Did you know some ostracods are even bioluminescent? Marine ostracods along Taiwan's coastlines can be seen in waves crashing onto shore and are sometimes called Blue Tears. There are also some giant marine species of ostracod in the deep sea, which are very goofy and charming-looking. There are even terrestrial ostracods, although they need to stay damp to survive.

The ones I had were freshwater ostracods, though, of course. They are a very common sight in vernal pools, and extremely hardy creatures, able to survive in some pretty bad conditions. They are scavangers of all kinds of plant and animal-based foods, and not very difficult to please. They reproduce readily and can also lay eggs that can survive drying out and rewetting, like many vernal pool inhabitants. The population I had soon was exploding.

At the very start of March, I was gazing into the large puddles that had formed in the field near my neighborhood after a good rain. There were lots of tadpoles and some seed shrimp, but to my shock I also saw the wispy outlines of something else . . .

Fairy Shrimp! I collected two with a turkey baster. One was female as was evidence by her egg pouch. I believe the other was a little male, due to his face. I placed the pair in my vernal pool tank to observe and hopefully ID. I noticed they were a vivid blue, and they had beautiful red eyes. This identified them as California Fairy Shrimp (Linderiella occidentalis). This is my best photo:

I talked with people on Reddit for a while about these shrimp. Some people encouraged me to collect more of them and start a culture. But I do not feel like I have enough experience with Fairy Shrimp yet to do that. Also, I learned these animals are not like the incredibly hardy and commonplace ostracods. This species in particular is a bit more vulnerable. The species is not formally listed as Endangered or Vulnerable at this time. However, the process of getting a species listed is a long one, and just because an animal is not formally listed does not automatically mean it's safe. I found this website listed the species as 'Imperiled,' a word they are using to mean a species in decline that has no formal protections but probably should have them. I did not want to harm the local population. So I decided against messing with these guys any further.

It is valuable information that they live around here, though. And exciting. It is my hope that the puddles I found them in might be protected. I am not sure how to go about ensuring that, though. They live in a field between two neighborhoods, a piece of land that has been set aside to not be developed (I think), so they may already be semi-safe here. Although kids do run through this puddle with their bikes and I saw a fish net by this very puddle a few weeks ago-- children collecting tadpoles, no doubt. So, it's not exactly safe territory for them. Since they have no formal legal protections, there may not be much I can do for them. If anyone has any ideas, please do let me know. (Additional note: I believe the female dropped eggs the day I placed her in the aquarium. I could try to harvest them from the bottom of the tank and dry them out, as is needed for Fairy Shrimp eggs, but I am not sure if the ostracods would have simply eaten the eggs. And no doubt there are many ostracod eggs down there too, so not sure if this would be helpful.)

In the meantime, my ostracods are thriving in the tank. In fact they are getting downright ravenous. When I put food in there they absolutely swarm it. So at least they're happy.

[kenhowler2004]

I probably have one of the stupidest ways to learn and understand a story: the need of seeing the construction and visual learning. But I can't properly register shapes unless shown how they're used. Yet something I found so undeniably curious is how me and my friends use color and saturation.

I personally use Saturation levels to show pain and trauma. This usually coincides with my mental health, the more the image burns your eyes the worse my mind is. So desaturated colors for me mean comfort and welcome. However the lack of color usually is a calling of vile and deceit in my works. So something like a Black and White character would mean a true villain. My color meanings for my story are for the most part entirely different from traditional color psychology.

For one friend color doesn't mean anything about the character nor story. At most this friend uses temperature to tell which characters are good (cool) and which are bad (warm). At most it's pretty straight forward for them.

My other friend is more intriguing with their colors. Saturation represents purpose in their stories. How bright or dark a shade is represents the type of fulfillment. Making probably the most interesting long discussion at night. I even went and pointed out the characters of their works that were perfect examples. At one point even joking that I wouldn't be surprised if there was a high saturation moment for characters at the end of their stories. Which lead to an interesting discussion of that being exactly the case. This particular friend has one specific character that even shows the importance of changing colors as well. Changing their color hue means a change of purpose. Though I have a theory that potentially a fully grey character could show the LACK of purpose and fulfillment in their story. This being a side character or perhaps even on a narrative telling level a punishment from a universal level in that story. The meaning of the colors still follow traditionally color psychology in their story but I find it very interesting at the end of the day.

People use colors everyday but the meaning behind them can shift between stories. If anything it's one of the most narratively telling things for a character of any sort. Color can be the whole story just for that character alone. Which kind of makes being an artist and a storyteller a very interesting thing, there will always be a new way to learn how to use color. The meaning of a color is different for many people, for example the Math Class is blue and English Class is red argument. Depending on the person and associations with it the class could have an entirely different color. Telling a lot of that person's character if you look at they way they perceive colors.

Earlier I mentioned how saturation represents pain and trauma but a desaturation represents comfort. To me pain and trauma is BRIGHT IN YOUR FACE SCREAMING AT YOU. But those I found comfort in and grand trust those screaming colors feel muted, lighter, and a murmur of what was chaos. Comfort comes from the softer muted colors because I didn't need to put on a lying mask of grandiose color. I could be calm, safe, and honest. Which seems small but it means a LOT to them and myself on both ends. I don't know what colors mean for those friends but I know what they mean to me. Sometimes, that's all that you need.

[isladora]

If Magic School is nothing like she thought, then Wyvern is even more surprising.

It took her a full week to realize that this tall dragon boy with a wingspan twice her height is not mean or scary at all, despite his long, prowling stares and moody silences.

He's just painfully awkward.

It happened in their room in those late hours where the morning mingled with night and every nighttime echo seemed to shout in the silence. Pepa sat curled on her bed, a mug of tea on her side table and a book in her lap.

Wyvern was perched in front of his easel, his tail curled lightly around his body. He was staring at the easel, sketching with a pencil in hand, muttering under his breathe and measuring every few strokes.

The silence in the room was thick, lurking like a crocodile in a lake. Pepa had never truly fit the archetype of a nerd, despite her efforts. She loved books and needed learning like her owl Holmes needed perch judgmentally at the foot of her bed (little twit), but she'd never succeeded in being properly awkward or shy.

Despite her childhood efforts of bookish isolation, she had loads of friends growing up and still caught up them from time to time on her social media accounts or on weekends. A few had even visited her at the boarding house.

And so when the silence prowled, Pepa was simply not bookishly quaint enough to meekly ignore it. She confronted the silence head on.

"What are you painting?" Pepa asked the dragon boy, hoping he hadn't heard the quake in her voice. His face flushed a truly shocking shade of red.

When he spoke, his voice quaked worse than Pepa. She found herself feeling unexpectedly proud of that fact. After all, it wasn't like he was talking to a black-eyed white dragon.

"It's-erm-nothing," he mumbled, his long hair falling in curtains around his face. Usually he kept it back with a rubber band, but sometimes he let it fully loose in the privacy of their room.

"You've been working hard on it for hours," She said, arching an eyebrow at him. God, it irritated her when people said 'nothing'. Just say you don't want her to know. It can't be nothing. It must have shown on her face because he flushed even harder, this time to the white roots of his hair. Soon he'd be as pink as Plumdrop.

"No, but-it's-I can't," he stuttered, scratching at his scalp. And finally, in the most defeated voice she could have imagined, "You weren't supposed to ask." "What?" She asked dryly, her primly arched eyebrow arching higher. Because, honestly, what? Was he raised in a cave?

Did Mommy and Daddy dragon not speak simlish? It was so absurd that she completely forgot to be afraid. She laid her book aside and leaned forward, more than curious about whatever the hell that was supposed to mean.

"It's a gift," he said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "For you."

Eyebrow down. Mouth open. What. This dragon boy hadn't spoken a word to Pepa, or anyone, all week. And suddenly, he's painting something for her specifically? Once again it must have shown on her face, because the blush crept down his arms and to his hands.

"Well, I've been-" And he mumbled the next part so quietly that she had to unfold her limbs from her comfy bed and cross half the room to hear him. "I've been wanting to talk to you. Just didn't know how. So I thought maybe we could talk about this painting. When it's done."

"Oh," said Pepa, unexpectedly flushed. She tugged her sweatpants higher on her hips just to do something with her hands. "Right. Of course. When it's done."

"When it's done," he repeated, a hint of desperation in his impossibly deep voice. He spoke in a growl like the grim reaper. It was terrifying.

"Okay, when its done you can-you can try talking to me about the painting," I said, tucking myself back into my bed, grabbing the discarded book from my bedside table.

He nodded into the curtain of his hair and turned back to the Easel. That's when she thought back to his long stares and avoidant behavior and sighed. Well, she had to adopt him now.