#but don't worry! comics and illustrations will still be there!

[levshany]

this is where the whole story began :3

I think I'm going to run two stories in parallel (Phillip's childhood with Caleb and Evelyn and the main story with Hamayun and Luz) because at the intersection of these two stories there is one key point that greatly influences the character of Hamayun and explains his difference from canon Belos

[deep-dark-fears]

Out out, Mister Goofums. A fear submitted by Lauren to Deep Dark Fears - thanks!

You can find original artwork or commission portraits in my shop!

[alicornze7]

-EMERGENCY INTERRUPTION POST/hj-

idc if it’s 4 days late have this April Fools special!!

this took longer than it should but it’s more of a treat for myself so win-win

I don't actually have an official persona so have this lil’ guy I made in 6th grade instead (he's gonna represent me until I design my actual sona)

Close-ups :

this drawing single-handedly destroyed my workflow

-we will return to our regular posting schedule shortly-

[comicaurora]

Hi! I finally got the chance to read Aurora a bit ago. It's a wonderful story--all I was expecting and better! I was particularly amazed and delighted by the artwork and visual mechanics used to tell the story, so I wrote a post to yell about how cool it is and break some of it down. (No criticism, just praise.) I'm mostly a hobbyist, so I'm hoping I've done it justice.

That said: zero pressure to read it or respond to this ask. Normally I wouldn't send it since I tagged, but I know Tumblr's notifs are a mess and things get lost very easily. I've been in both the "one (1) word of praise will feed me for a year" and the "oh gods don't talk about my writing/art because anything that seems Off will break my brain" modes before, and I absolutely don't want to push or make you uncomfortable!

If you are comfortable, however, I wanted to ask about your use of what I'm assuming are Screen and blending modes in sound effect words. (I'm only guessing that's the technique, though, so I could be totally wrong about how it's done! I'm mostly experienced in image manipulation in Photoshop.) Making them semi-transparent over the actions is genius :) What inspired you to do that, and are there specific techniques you use to make it work?

Same questions go for using specific colors to distinguish different characters' words and actions. I really noticed it in the cave sequence with Falst and Dainix, since their colors are so vivid in the dark (ex. Falst's little swats and Dainix's swooping kick at 1.20.9). It lends excellent clarity to busy scenes.

Thanks! Have a lovely day, enjoy your break, and happy holidays <3

You're correct about the technique! "Screen" is the blend mode I use most often for sound effects. I stumbled on it mostly through trial and error - I love how sound effects add depth to a comic panel, but it's very easy for them to obscure the art in a way I find counterproductive, so "Screen" lets me put the sound effect directly over the origin of the sound while still letting it be visible through the word. Early chapters didn't have it as much-

Most of the sound effects in early chapters are just solid colors with reduced opacity if I'm feeling fancy. But I started figuring it out around chapter 8 and 9, because Falst is kind of a sound-effect-heavy guy, especially in his fight scenes.

In order to make sure they don't impede the visibility of the action, I'll often soft-erase the top or bottom half of the SFX to reduce its opacity while still leaving it readable.

I'll usually double that up with an outline on the SFX so it's still readable. This is an especially important consideration if the SFX goes over an area of the background that's very bright or glowing.

Color-coding the speed lines and SFX to the character or force causing them isn't a hard and fast rule, but I like using it (in part because it's a habit from the OSP illustrations, where every character has a single pop of color in their lineart) mostly because it sort of codes every sound to make it clear where it's emanating from, or the general feeling of the sound. Since I normally do character-colors for SFX, something like this stands out more jarringly-

Which it's supposed to, but a big lightning strike doesn't register as anything too worrying because it's just Tess up to her usual shenanigans.

It's also very useful for magic effects, because each form of magic has its own associated palette.

And when I had a very complicated fight scene in a dark environment, I used the texture pattern I'd already made for the monster to color its SFX, so when I Screened them onto the panels they didn't obscure too much while still communicating "this is something else."

Changing the weight, lined-vs-not-lined, and opacity of the SFX words also helps to communicate that not every sound has the same feeling. A strong motion is solid and aggressive, but a crackling, unstable sound is more ephemeral and staticky.

It's definitely been a process of learning as I go - looking back at the earlier chapters I can actually see when I first tried various tricks I now use regularly, like doubling and distorting an SFX to produce the effect of a camera-shaking impact. I haven't really seen any other comics that do it like I do, probably because most other comics follow a more traditional production pipeline where text bubbles and sound effects get locked into the composition early, before the inking stage, because traditional physical comics don't have digital-art layers to play with. Adding sound effects to a page is almost the last thing I do before exporting them, and that only works because digital art and layers allow for a ton of flexibility.

[hitokshellart]

Can I give a rose to BMC Usagi and a sunflower to Leo? 🌹🐰🌻🐢

What will you do when you finish the comic?

They are very cute <3 I hope the final chapter ends well :')

Thank u for the flowers!

After the comic I'm planning on doing little illustration of what I feel would be the continuation of the au, based on the Tangled Series (I'm not gonna draw a comic about that tho, don't have the energy to adapt 3 seasons of a show ajfshajsfh)

I'll also work more on villain Usagi and maybe star drawing more oc and Hades stuff bc the hyperfixation is strong (I'll still draw rise/sr stuff too)

Oh, and don't worry, the ending is sweet, is the way that they get there that you should be worrying about jjsjsjs :]

[ruija]

Well I really love your art, may I ask how do u color? I struggle with coloring turtles and I wasn't to know how do u do that?

Hi anon! That's a very broad question, so you've given me a great excuse to ramble anything I want about my coloring, eehehehee~! This will be in two parts and I'll start with talking about my simpler coloring style.

As in, when I color characters on a white background, with a limited or light palette.

The driving force behind this style is me being lazy. My time, energy, and attention span are pretty limited, so if I want to finish anything, I gotta do it fast. And with fanart, I'm usually just doing it for fun and relaxation, so there's no need to push myself to polish it too much.

Despite that, I rarely post just black and white sketches or line arts. I always try to add at least a little bit of toning or shading, because that makes the image easier to read. The characters and their shapes pop out and catch the eye of the viewer better.

However, in this particular example, just the couple toning colors don't quite do the job. The way Don and Leo are entangled makes the center area of this illustration very busy and hard to read.

As a comparison; this pic has only one tone + mask colors, and it works. This is because all the characters are standing separately and their poses are very stationary and simple.

So for the Don + Leo pic, adding some shadows helps in bringing out shapes and depths. Also in general, if you don't feel like drawing BGs, it's good to at least add a shadow below the characters. It grounds them and makes them feel like they exist within a space.

Sometimes if the posing looks too complex and busy, it might just be best to color in the characters fully.

However, even if I do full flat colors, I tend to use a lighter palette. Putting characters in their neutral/default color on a white BG can look a bit jarring as if they're floating in a void. It feels less immersive and like the picture is unfinished.

Using lighter colors makes the image more cohesive, and fits the characters into the white environment a bit more naturally.

If I'm too lazy to draw a BG, I prefer using stylized and limited colors. It feels deliberate and that the whiteness is just part of the palette, whereas the character-accurate colors on white don't match as well, even if they're more pastel.

That being said, there's nothing wrong with just slapping the flat-colored characters on a white background. As you know, I do it too. I'm just exposing my 'fancy coloring style' for what it is; me being lazy, hah!

Limited and monochromatic palettes are a nice shortcut even when you do actual backgrounds. It's faster and you don't have to worry about clashing colors. And you can still convey atmosphere and mood.

Also, on the topic of conserving your time and efforts; I think it's very common among younger/less experienced artists to think that the amount of time you spend on your art piece = how good and well received that piece will be.

Which has some merit to it of course, but it can lead to putting too much effort into areas where it's not necessary. E.g. filling the piece with tons of details and clutter that don't serve an actual purpose, but rather make the image hard to read. Or doing really complicated shading for a meme/comic, where simplicity would deliver the joke better.

So whenever I'm drawing something I intend to publish, whether it's a quick doodle or a more polished piece, I try to follow these two principles: Make it easily readable and do the bare minimum that needs to be done to convey what I want to convey.

Putting time into practice is important, but if you draw for work, it's also crucial that you know how to prioritize and use your time efficiently!

Anyway, thanks for reading! In the next part I'll go into how I do my fully colored pieces, so stay tuned for that!

[druid-for-hire]

Another comic made for our school's annual comic anthology Static Fish, usually available for purchase at MoCCAFest NYC, for the Spring 2024 edition. (This was a bit of a toughie, because I made it in two weeks while traveling through Europe.) It's about fitting in, past selves and separate selves, and loving and being loved by those who you don't fit in with.

ID under the cut.

[Image ID: A seven-page digitally illustrated comic, titled "Beneath You Now Is Every Other You," by the artist "druid-for-hire." It begins with a snake, in a large black void, staring up at two giant golden eyes that show a window to an outside world. The snake notices the sound of sniffling and sobbing coming from far behind. Worried, it turns away from the eyes, slithering backwards into the darkness as the eyes close, moving past a line of shed skins that slowly become smaller and smaller. The snake finds a very small shed skin, who is alive, and sobbing.

"Hey, bud, you okay?" The snake asks. The shed wails even louder. "Okay, okay, I hear you," says the snake. "What's wrong?"

"You know what's wrong!" the shed shouts back. The snake says, "It would help me a lot if you could think it in words."

The shed throws itself on the floor in a tantrum, then is quiet. Then it says, "They called us too intense. When we were playing on the Wii."

The next page shows the shed talking alongside a drawing of a figure smiling in the foreground, in golden lighting, which fades into darkness over three faceless figures. They are all vague and impressionistic. The shed continues: "I mean, come on, it's a competitive game, right? And it was just our brother, our sister, and her fiance. I mean, I guess… you and I were just trying to have fun. We were having fun. We don't get to talk to them a lot." The snake says, "... We were kind of loud. And..."

The shed interrupts. "I know, I know I know I knowww, we're stupid and have no volume control and we don't get anything anybody's saying, and life is a nightmare of social cues and humiliating faux pas and we're not fucking unique, but… … This wasn't a problem with our friends. Or anybody at college. They were all like us. We spoke the same language, we had the same understanding. We didn't have to try to fit in, there wasn't a box, we were suave and confident and making friends was easy. Now we're back home, and…"

"And it's not the same," the snake says.

There is an illustration of the happy figure from before, half in golden light with cheerful people at their arm. The other half is in darkness. She is smiling in the light, but has no face in the dark. The shed continues speaking. "They don't get it. We're back in normal-people-land and we have to fit in. We forgot about the box. We came back and smashed the box because we forgot about it. And now everyone's mad because we broke their box."

"... I don't want to be weird," says the shed. "Yes you do," says the snake. "You do," says the shed. "No, so do you," says the snake. The shed says, "FINE. I want to be weird. But I want to be cool weird. And I think we are cool weird! But weird still isn't normal. And it's going to make our normal people siblings uncomfortable no matter what we do."

The shed puts its head down, despondent. There is a feeling of vastness and silence; the emptiness around them feels looming. "It just feels bad," it says. "Hiding from them."

The snake is silent for a moment. Then it moves forward, and coils around the shed. "We'll get the hang of it one of these days. You know they're willing to say this stuff because they love you, and they want you to know how to behave around people who don't understand and who don't love you. Better with them than with an employer, huh?"

"I guess," says the shed. The snake nudges it and says, "Hey." After a pause, the snake presses its nose to the shed's. "I love you."

The shed closes its eyes. Over an illustration of the figure in golden light, whose eyes are closed, it says, "I love you too." end id.]

[tizeline]

I just wanted to see a Goat man sucked dry and a 13 year old have his world view destroyed! Is that too much to ask?

How many parts are there going to be? I can't wait that long! I'm gonna die!

Oh don't worry, you'll get to see that..... all in due time..... :)

There's going to be a total of 6 parts of the Gearing Up comic (so 2 more parts), but the comic ends right as Team Good Guys finally manages to head off to the surface to confront Draxum and Mikey. Just so ya'll know, while I'm not 100% sure of how I'm gonna tackle the rest of the season 1 finale (plus the first episode of season 2 considering it's all one continous storyline) it's probably not gonna be a proper comic like Cell Talk or Gearing Up. Comics are fun, but also time consuming and a lot of work and I'm a bit impatient when it comes to getting the AU story out so uh.

I'm probably gonna go back to how I did things previously, mostly explaining the story in text with accompanying illustrations cuz I still definitely wanna draw it! (Basically the same format as in this post)

It feels a bit anti-climactic considering all the build-up to the Season Finale Battle has been proper comics but MAN I just don't have the motivation to keep doing this. And I STILL HAVEN'T SHOWED HOW THE BEGINNING OF SEASON ONE PLAYED OUT IN THE AU UGH! Donnie's first encounter with his brother's and all that!! I've been planning to do that for MONTHS and I'm gonna do it as soon as possible I promise!!

Uh wait sorry for rambling haha, point is Drax and Mikey are gonna get real bamboozled don't worry about it! It might just take a little while longer hehe. Just wait 'til Mikey enters his Angsty Teen Arc though he's gonna be a lot to deal with XD

[tapakah0]

Wait... Tapa, you're FUCKING 19 Y/O?! (Big /POS) I'M ADMIRING SOMEONE WHO'S MY AGE BUT WITH THE SKILLS OF A GOD?! (HUGE /POS)

Oh, Lord. Might faint if I don't sit down *says the one laying in bed cause executive dysfunction wont let them wake up*.

Tapa, really, I hugely admire and look up to you. Maybe I don't interact that often with your content, and rather I follow you because of Cass or not, I really admire how versatile you are when it comes to art. Want comic? Don't worry, there's really good and amazing comics in the master post. Want animatics? BAM! This artist's known for it's CAS animatics, and literally have done most of these in the span of, what? THREE FUCKING HOURS?! (really, that's sick and cool. Hope you rested after those /Pos). Want illustrations? Well, my my, look furthermore and you shall receive.

I really admire and look up to you, and now that you might be my age, or a little older, it both, Ups and Downs me: Up's because the fact that you got to this point and have such a progress behind you, means that I can too. Just need a bit more of discipline and focus, because I would really need the focus. And Down's because, I could be there, and just can't one way or the other. I barely know the theorics about animation/animatic and illustration, even less about doing so, and I can't really focus for more than 12hs, (and I really tried).

You're amazing, Tapa, and you truly are someone admirable. Someone loveable (Still can't forget you about your animatic “Twins”, it broke me into shards to a different level /Pos). And someone I aspire to be. When it comes to skills Ofc.

Hope you're well rested, feed, and drink enough water. I really love your art and how you have improve into them /POS /LH

Ohhh, sweet, thank you ;;~;; But I need you to know that I myself don't know a lot of things, still learning them, don't know a lot of basics about animation, I know artists my age that worked so much more then me, but it's interesting that over time you just get used to it, don't get jealous, don't push yourself, just start enjoying what you do I hope you'll get to the height you wanna climb!

[the-writer-is-always-write]

Thoughts on Dune: Part Two

General Impression: I adored this movie from start to finish. Having just rewatched Part One a week ago, it felt like a seamless transition hopping back into the story. The score, the set design, the costumes, all of it was impeccable.

Chani: her character arc was obviously the biggest deviation from the book, and although I felt a lot of surprise watching it unfold, I think some reflection has left me alright with it. I've admittedly only read Dune and Dune: Messiah, but both books are clearly meant to illustrate the dangers of religious fanaticism and the ways that religion and prophecy can be manipulated and utilized as a tool for oppression. While these ideas can (hopefully) be discerned fairly clearly by the reader, I think it makes sense to have an audible voice of dissent in a film adaptation, particularly from someone among the Fremen. The only concern I have is wondering how Denis will handle Dune: Messiah, since the plot sort of hinges on Paul and Chani being together. But I guess that's a worry for later.

MY BOY MUAD'DIB: Timothee is just so utterly perfect for this role, I genuinely could not imagine anyone else doing it with such grace and gravitas. Seeing the gradual spiral of innocent teenager to reluctant leader to religious icon was heart-wrenching. Paul has honestly become one of my favorite fictional characters because his story is so complex and layered with tragedy. He's simultaneously a product of manipulation and coercion, and an angry young man seeking revenge against those who have hurt him. He lacks agency in many ways, yet he still makes decisions that lead to so much destruction. He tries so so hard to avoid the holy war, but it becomes an inevitability he can't escape. Reading Dune: Messiah for the first time a few weeks ago really helped me to understand how the prophecy controlled him as much as he used it to control others. I could literally give a ted talk on this, and how it's such a fascinating take on the messiah figure trope.

Jessica: I saw an article recently where I think Denis called Jessica "the puppetmaster," and I think that's very fitting for her depiction in this movie. I like how it openly shows the manipulation tactics of the Bene Gesserit, particularly how they prey upon the "vulnerable" Fremen first. Rebecca did a fantastic job giving the creep factor.

Feyd-Rautha: I still don't know why Denis had a vendetta against Harkonnen eyebrows, but I guess it was cool? I LOVED the black and white lighting on Giedi Prime, and the arena scene was SO. GOOD. Denis really went for it. Feyd's accent caught me off guard a few times, but overall I think the ruthless and brutal nature of the character really shined through. He's the antithesis to Paul, and I think Denis captured that theme well enough.

I thought all the other characters were well done too. Stilgar was maybe a touch too comic relief-y at times, but nothing catastrophic. Gurney was great, but I would have liked at least one more baliset scene :(

Things we missed: I'm a little bummed we didn't get Harah. I know the movie was already pretty stuffed, but I honestly thought they could have used the actress that played Chani's friend (I can't remember if they ever mention her name). Even if the idea of Paul "acquiring" her was a little icky, they could have done something else with her character at least. I was also sad they didn't do the full funeral scene with Jamis, but oh well. I think the greater omission was Thufir Hawat, but again I can see why they chose to cut him. I just think the dynamic between the Baron and Feyd-Rautha had a lot more friction in the book, mostly because of Thufir conspiring them both against each other.

I'm honestly not upset we didn't get to see freaky-toddler Alia. I was excited for Anya though!

Overall, I really loved this film. No adaptation can get every detail perfect, but I can see the ways that Denis and the actors adored this story and wanted to tell it in a powerful way. I thought the themes stayed true to the book, and I'm really hopeful we get Part Three!

AND THE WORMS. THE WORMS WERE GREAT. LONG LIVE THE WORMS.

[doctorofmagic]

No one asked but here's some thoughts about Stephen's current and future life.

First of all (and to be completely honest), before Blood Hunt, I do think Stephen was starting to find joy in being the Sorcerer Supreme now that things were seemingly going well in his life.

Just to name a few, he befriended his general self, his marriage was rekindled, Mordo was finally locked down, Clea and Umar were starting to find a common ground (at least, they were not enemies anymore) and Donna II happened, blessing their lives. Stephen was finally thriving. He was executing his duties just fine despite the challenges of being Earth's magical defender. Conflict was obviously expected but it was far from the struggles he faced in v4, for instance. There was optimism.

The fact that he seems sad in that Pasqual's post could be about anything but if I was to predict why, I'd say it's because 1) he didn't want to pass the mantle down at this point in his life and 2) he didn't want to pass the mantle down to Victor specifically because well, it's Doom. And let's be real, Jed's interpretation of their relationship is not similar to T&T or Infamous Iron Man or even Secret Wars. Even if Victor is rarely portrayed as a villain these days (more like an antagonist), there's still a certain dread whenever he shows up in stories. So it's only natural for Stephen to be worried about what's coming next.

Personally, I think Victor will not be a bad Sorcerer Supreme. He's competent and incredibly complex. There's altruism in him, especially when it comes to protect Latverians and people in general (Doom 2099 my beloved). And let's not forget about his dramatic ego and petty personality. If anything, I'd go for a gray representation. He will not be the king of altruism (aka Stephen), but he will not be a shallow villain by desecrating the mantle (something I'm pretty sure Mordo would do. Hate that guy). That said... Oh, he's also in for a big surprise, not expecting the burden that comes with such a huge responsibility. But that's just my two cents. Could always be wrong. However, I still remember when he tried to go after Jericho and gave up as soon as the light of the Eye of Agamotto hit him, so... This idea does have canon support.

(panel merely illustrative; from an alt future/reality)

As for Stephen and Clea, what comes next for them? I know the fandom is desperate for domestic vibes and a peaceful era for them. But let's be real, it's Marvel. Also it's Stephen and Clea. For starters, Clea is still the Warlord of Manhattan, which means that area will remain under her protection, tying her to our dimension. As for Stephen... We know him, right? We know he will never stop doing what he does, Sorcerer Supreme or not. We have tons of magic characters doing their jobs. Even when magic was practically dead, he found a way to keep doing good because it's intrinsic of his personality. And let's not forget Wong and W.A.N.D. They still need someone reliable, and I hardly think they'll go for Victor when consulting all things mystical. Oh, and Strange Academy, of course.

Last but not least, every change in status quo hardly lasts more than a year or two in comic books. It happened so many times before: Salomé, Jericho, Loki, even Clea. It was only natural for Victor's turn, given how T&T is such an important book to their mythos.

As for me? I think it's not really fair for me to share my feelings assuming how much I love both Victor and Stephen. I've seen some unhappy fans (and I can't relate, sorry 🥲) and some excited ones.

The reason I'm still kinda blue is merely due to the lack of new announcements, whether it's a new Doctor Strange book or a mini featuring Victor. Also it's almost certain that Jed is done with his work, which hit me like a train. I really don't want to say goodbye to Jed just yet, and seeing his work continue with Moon Knight while going for the X-books makes me a bit bitter. There's still the possibility that he's staying, but it's all conjecture at this point. I mean, I dread that some bad writer comes next, and boi do I have a no-no list. Hopefully, SDCC will shed some light on these dark times of uncertainty.

Well, that's it. Do I ramble a lot? Was not expecting to write such a long post, sorry about that (old testament me comeback?). Just wanted to write down my thoughts since they were making a mess in my head. If anything, I'll still be around for whatever comes next. After all, my love for Stephen knows no shame 🔥

[kerubimcrepin]

Wakfu Manga - Tome 5, Part 1

Cute Joris.

Cynthia Leman's art is wonderful, however, I am going to miss Said Sassine's art greatly... It was a very iconic part of the manga.

"Joris has only one precept: justice" Yeah we noticed. And it's totally not paving him some sort of road to hell as we speak.

When I first read this manga I burst out laughing to the point of tears at the line "my womb is frozen" and I am still giggling to myself about it — though knowing it's coming up has long took away the sheer comical punch that it had back then.

I'm sorry, but this is so unserious.

Of course he'd be the one carrying all the Dofus...

Btw, no, this is not the death of my "during this entire manga Joris keeps his stupid battle-stump in his haven bag, which he actually has" theory. I don't think he'd like to have six dofus in his haven bag. Or anywhere near his belongings.

Creature.

Joris's many gentle hypocrisy moments is him going "well it would be very dangerous..." at the idea of battling Jiva, and then, a while later, going "fine, you are my little pogchamp, Yugo" at the idea of using them to save Tristepin.

It's in-character for many reasons, by the way. (AKA: ughh Yugo will be sad, ughhh Kerubim will be sad if kids are orphaned, ughh maybe Jiva won't kill the kids, ughh we could finally defeat Ogrest, uhghh—)

Very pretty Joris.

The idealogical debate of "nobody should have nukes" and "I, Yugo, should have nukes because I'm a good boy" has sadly been resolved, and not in Adamai's favor, as of season 4. Surely, the world will not suffer for it.

He should be scared and nervous more often.

With every passing year, every new thing revealed about Waven and the Great Wave manga, this exchange gets more and more funny.

Rare moment of Joris being genuine and emotionally truthful. Best not to get used to it, btw.

He is so well-drawn here... I really like it when his cheeks, cheekbones, or the face shape in general, is visible.

Joris looks so shocked, it's funny. Buddy, this happened to you like twice growing up. Kerubim literally also decided to keep you or something.

Real

😰👍

"tap tap tap"

">.<"

Bug.

The definition of insanity is making a little guy run again and again in an active warfare, and he gets exploded each time, but you keep telling him you'll hold the explosions back this time, every time.

DFKSADJGUIODSFGDJSOFGHSDOFUIGHDSFGHDSFKGHDSFKLJ

THIS MANGA IS WIN AFTER WIN AFTER WIN AFTER WIN FOR US, JORIS FANS!!!!!! Joris being hurt. You agree. Reblog.

His snork mimimi face after being beaten into unconsciousness is everything.

So pretty...

Man, in their eyes, he's actually cool and a badass, isn't he?

Real friends get K.O'd together

This is a very good illustration... I can't just crop it!

:(

And of course the thing Joris is most worried about is Dofus.

Though I guess logically, the kids aren't in any danger, which is why his priorities are so screwed up. Jiva has proven that she can keep a child alive for a year, and is merely mentally ill about adoption, so obviously, Joris is more worried about other things <3 (HE IS NOT NORMAL OR SANE FOR SAYING THIS!!!!)

[syaolaurant]

My watercolor sharing (1) - Favorite art supplies ~

First of all, I am happy that my paintings have gradually been recognized in the fandom lately (//ω//) Thank you so much!!! 😍😍😍 Honestly I think I am nowhere near a professional watercolor artist and there's still so much to learn. But I also would love to share my watercolor process (and I'll try to post step-by-step tutorial after some of my paintings). I hope my sharing could be helpful in some way, and I also would love to learn more about painting methods & techniques with you all. So please feel free to discuss :"D

.

This post only focuses on some of my favorite art supplies I always use for my paintings

I don't have the budget to experience different brands so I always have to search for what my favorite watercolor artist recommended before purchasing.

Paints: Currently I'm using 2 watercolor brands: Holbein and Van Gogh, which I prefer using Holbein as it is more transparent and glazes better. I think when it comes to watercolor, brands and price should be considered. Professional grade watercolor paints have totally different effect than student grade paint.

Paper: For watercolor, the results are different mostly depending on the paper you choose. When purchasing new paper I always look for at least 300 gsm (for full background paintings), which is more absorbent and I can add multiple layers on the same area without worry that it will buckle or get torn. My sizes of choice are a5 and a6, since I always feel more comfortable painting on small-size paper. And also mostly because I prefer drawing chibi characters 😅😅.  

When it comes to paper texture, I personally prefer using cold press paper because of its better absorbability and better for wet on wet technique. But the problem of cold press paper is its rough surface will make it hard for detail line work. Hot press paper, however, is better for precise brush detail and gives you more time to correct your mistakes.

Pen: Most of the time I use watercolor for lining details. But sometimes I get lazy, so I just use Pentel brushpen or Pigma Micron set of lining pens instead. In short, I use brushpen to make much more expressive lining (mostly for illustration) and a regular pen for quick paintings or short comics.

The left one I used brushpen, the right one I used regular pen for lining, you can see the difference.

I always finish my painting by highlight notable details with white gel-pen . My preferred is Uni-Ball UM 153 Signo Broad Point Gel Pen, this is also the brand recommended by Stephanie Law. She’s one of the most amazing watercolor artists and I admire her works so much. 

Finally, for brushes, I don't have any personal preference since I just buy whichever brush I feel comfortable and suitable for my super tiny paintings. My most frequently used size is size 0 -4, bigger brushes are mostly used for background and large area.

.

So that's it for today I think :"D I will upload my WIP Progress for my lates "Sun Light" artwork tomorrow. Feel free to share your opinions in the reply, I'd love to learn from all of you :"D ~

Goodnight <3 ~

[flowerbloom-arts]

Hey, sorry if I'm repetitive but what do you think happened to the humans in the Moomin universe.

Absolutely do not worry about asking too many questions, I love answering them!!!

Humans in Moominland is a very interesting subject... In that they're a LOT less of a presence than even I thought they were.

Alot of people (including me) thought that when, in Moomins and the Great Flood, Moominmamma was talking about Moomins living behind huge stoves before the invention of central heating she was talking about humans' stoves.

But no.

She never uses the word human, she says people.

(...) In those days they lived together with the house-trolls in people’s houses, mostly behind their tall stoves. “Some of us still live there now, I’m sure,” said Moominmamma. “But only where people still have stoves, I mean. We’re not happy with central heating.”

“Did the people know we were there?” asked Moomintroll.

(...)

“[A Hattifattener is] a kind of little troll-creature,” explained Moominmamma. “They’re mostly invisible. Sometimes they can be found under people’s floors, and you can hear them pattering about in there when it’s quiet in the evenings. (...)

And it's not like "people" was used as a specific term in Moomins and the Great Flood, either, because we have instances like these;

“Thank you so awfully much,” said Moominmamma. “You must have invited quite a lot of people up here for sea-pudding, I should think.”

“Oh yes,” said the boy. “People from every corner of the world. Snufkins, Sea-ghosts, Little Creeps and Big Folk, Snorks and Hemulens. And the odd angler fish, too.”

(...)

The armchair bobbed slowly along towards a hill where a lot of people were running about, pulling their belongings out of the water.

(...)

“Well, well,” said the marabou stork, who was beginning to feel touched. “I think I had better put you down on dry land and try to rescue a few more before the sun goes down. It’s very pleasant, rescuing people.” And then he took them back to the shore while they all talked at the same time about all the dreadful things they had been through. All along the shore people had lit fires at which they were warming themselves and cooking food, for most had lost their homes.

So it could be that Moominmamma was just talking about living behind regular creatures' oversized stoves, like how the Moomin ancestor did in Moominland Midwinter, which is honestly a very silly image. And it's not like it'd be impossible - the Hemulen and the Marabou stork in Great Flood are absolutely massive compared to our main characters.

Marabou storks tend to be about 5 feet tall so relatively speaking, if we assume this stork is still the same size as he would be irl, then our main characters would be relatively mouse-sized.

However. Tove didn't seem to have committed to this concept, and more or less just retconned it out of canon. Since the cats in Moomins and the Great Flood are seemingly regular-sized relative to the Hemulen's chair;

But in the 1968 revision of Comet in Moominland including future adaptations of the story, Sniff's cat is regular-sized, and so are the cats that appear in the Moomin comic strip, like the one in Moominmamma's Maid.

(sorry for using a screenshot from the 90s movie adaptation, I couldn't find a book illustration since I don't have a PDF of the revised book, much less an illustration of Sniff and his cat next to eachother, if that exists. If anyone has a way to read the revision in English pleeease give it to me)

But that's just Moomins and the Great Flood, which practically functions as a "pilot episode" for the whole franchise; it set up the concepts but is not representative of the rest of the franchise and has alot of things that get retconned but not entirely removed for the rest of the series, it wasn't even translated into/published in English until 2012. What about the rest of the franchise?

Well, the only instance of the word "human" being used in the books is in Moominpappa at Sea, while Moominpappa talked about how stone-faced the Fisherman/Lighthouse Keeper has been for the whole book;

‘There’s something wrong with you that I can’t make out,’ Moominpappa said to himself. ‘You’re not a human being at all. You’re more like a plant or a shadow, just as if you’d never been born.’

Which implies either of two things; the LHK is human or human-adjacent, or human is a normal adjective in the world of Moomin aswell.

And the only instance of the word "human" in the comic strip (there could be another instance I'm forgetting, however I'm not talking about Lars' comics because I am kind of prioritizing Tove's intentions here) is in a conversation between Snorkmaiden and Mymble Jr in Moomin Winter Follies;

Which... Kind of implies Mr. Brisk is human, I think? It's hard to imagine but there it is, the one instance of the word human in the comics.

And that's like... The only thing we really have within the original medium of Moomin.

But Tove had also worked on other things first-hand, and one of them had actual human characters.

That being Mumintrollet (1969, nice), a live-action show primarily known for the body horror of the Moomins removing their heads to reveal human heads inside. But with that obviously inapplicable facet of the show aside, we have this guy, the main antagonist, the King;

This guy is an explicitly canon human (can't be 100% sure since the show hasn't been transcribed or translated from its original swedish but I'm close to sure), and he's about the same size as the Moomins (probably because of the nature of the show, kinda like the whole head thing and Little My's normal human size in the show, but ehhh)

And that's, like, it for the canonicity of humans in Moomin, everything else is questionable or vague or a bit bewildering.

Like, is King Jones from Moominpappa's Memoirs a human? Why is he so big? What's going on here???

But that's all up to speculation, even the examples of the instances of the word human I've shown doesn't totally prove the existence of humans as we know them in this world. Alot of the characters look human but aren't, and others aren't stated to be not human, there are some oversized things like Muddler's tin that don't get explained, but who knows, really.

In short, I don't think anything has exactly happened to humans. They're either living among Moominland's society like fellow creatures (heck, maybe even some of the characters we know are human) or they're like... Rare or extinct or didn't even truly exist in the first place.

It's one big "who knows?".

[tua-masked-author]

🌺 📻 Summer remix ‘24 📻 🌺

Hello masqueraders! We are back again for another round of TMA in June (8th-29th). This round, to celebrate the end of TUA, we want to appreciate the contributions of this fandom, so its time to REMIX!

🎭 What is a remix?

A remix is a fanwork of a fanwork!! There are a lot of different interpretations, but to keep things simple we are taking the broadest possible definition. A remix could be a scene written from another character’s pov, a story where the roles have been swapped, or the answer to the question “what if [this] had happened instead?” It could be an illustration of a scene in a fic, or a full blown comic, or a recreation of a drawing with a different mood in another style and setting. It could be fanfic of an artist’s drawing or fanart of an author’s story.

Basically it's a chance to show love and pay homage to another fan work by creating a new complimentary fan work!

🌺 You can find a more in-depth definition of a remix here. 🌺

The fanwork you are inspired by could be any TUA fanwork; fanfic and fanart of course, but also a tumblr post about an au that you are particularly fond of, a fansong; even a gifset with a strong concept or a meta essay you were grabbed by. We’re appreciating ALL fanworks here!

🎭 Do I have to do a remix?

As always the theme is optional; you don't have to do a remix. However, we strongly encourage everyone to give it a shot! We want to look back on all the great fanworks this fandom has to offer and appreciate the fans who have made our community!

🎭 But how do I know if the author/artist will be okay with it?

In place of a prompt sheet this round, we are letting people submit their fanworks to be remixed! (If you aren’t sure you’d like to participate, no worries! The submission form carries no expectation that you draw or write for the event.)

🌺 You can find the link to submit your works here. 🌺

🌺 and here are the works submitted for remixing! 🌺

Additionally, lots of authors will include permission statements on their AO3 profiles, so if you already have a fic in mind it would be worth checking for one. Alternatively, you can contact the author or artist and ask!

🎭 This is still the Masked Author though, right?

Yes! As always, when the posting period arrives (which we will announce in a more in depth rules post soon) you will post to the event collection that will anonymize your work, and afterwards there will be a period where you all put on your detective hats and try to solve who’s who. And if YOUR work gets remixed, then you’ll be getting an anonymous treat and get to try to suss out who gave it to you!

[hayateart]

Pre-orders for physical copy of God's Tears are open!

Enter the SHOP!

You can get 96 pages of the comic with new bonus illustrations for only $10 with world-wide shipping. All orders with come with a Moshang bookmark. If we get to over 15 orders, I will throw in a sticker sheet as well. It is in your best interest to share and spread the word ;)

Pre-orders will close on 15th November.

Take a look at the sticker sheet! Airplane wrote PIDW2 and people have reactions:

And here are some previews of the new art:

I will only print as many copies as there are pre-orders [maybe a couple extra more for emergency reasons], so this is your best chance to get them.

And, to make people at ease, even if I have on order, you will still get your copy and the bookmark, so don't you worry. I want a printed copy so I may as well get more than one.