Text
it's so interesting how different i draw when using different brushes😖 plowing through gumroad trying to find what i like
#peppermint is a great brush (procreate)#but i need something more opaque so i'm not using other brushes i don't like to fill in stuff like the eyelashes n it looks off#ty to the art community for making some of these brushes free99#also LOL i've used procreate sm now it looks off when i draw traditionally#it used to be the opposite!#overall i just love pencil like brushes that are soft but not too thick>> but they all have this weird sensitivity idk how to get rid of😭
1 note
·
View note
Note
mizu dating a reader who NEEDS to be close to mizu during intimacy? like, no kneeling down and doing xyz to eachother, reader just absolutely needs to be stomach to stomach, chest to chest, arms wrapped around mizu during any type of sexual and romantic intimacy with her, and mizu just baby talks the reader sweetly instead of being rough 🥹
✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧
Hey dear!
Thank you so so much for the request! I love this request so much. I'm such a big fan of being skin-to-skin while doing the act, like yes please ma'am //// make me feel loved and wanted www
Although, I do have to apologize if this kinda sucks and it took so long. Trying to make people horny when you can't get yourself horny is hard ;; also, I'm pretty bad at gauging whether someone is being sweet or rough during sex ;;
I still love writing for you all, regardless if its smut or not, so please keep requesting the ideas you'd like <3
Hope you enjoy! Mwa mwa :*
warning/s: not proofread, smut (mdni!), sex toy, mention of impregnation, she/her for mizu, implied afab reader
Her breath hitched slightly at the sight below her. The image of your naked body, laid down on the futon never failed to amaze her. She's seen you naked many times and in many different positions too. Head down, ass up; thighs around her head, pussy drowning her; even standing up, clit rubbing against the corner of table. No matter how many times you've done it together, she swore you only got prettier and prettier.
Moans and small incoherent whines reverberating in your throat as her index finger ran through your folds slowly, pushing the pad of finger against the sensitive area as if you were a flower she was pushing the petals open to bloom. She savored the way your body twitched when her finger trailed over your clit before moving down again. Slick gathered on the digit, making each movement smoother than the last.
"L-Love..you're going to drive me insane," you whispered breathily, one hand spreading yourself like a good girl for her, the other covering your mouth with the back of your hand out of shyness.
She looked up at you, an unreadable expression on her face. It was as if her self-restraint was dancing in between her own arousal and her desire to fulfill your wishes. Slowly, she ran her finger up your folds before flicking it upwards, brushing against the sensitive nub, making your body jolt.
"Didn't you say you wanted it slow today?" she asked, playing with the slick that coated her finger, rubbing it against her thumb before watching a thin line of your wetness connect her fingers as she separated them. "Or did you change your mind?"
You pouted at her, giving her a light-hearted glare. Your cheeks were still dusted with a bit of pink, breath still shallow from the slow teasing pleasure she just put you through. "I..I did..but I was hoping you'd do a bit more because I..umm.." She watched as your eyes darted off to the side, looking a bit nervous. "What is it?" she asked, bending down slightly, clean hand now resting on your cheek.
A soft nervous exhale passed through your nose as you slowly sat up. Blue eyes watched as you rummaged through your pile of recently discarded clothes, one hand resting at the dip of your hip as if assisting your trembling body.
"I..want to try something new," you declared to her, sitting up straight, a pouch made of opaque fabric in your hand. Mizu slowly took the pouch from your hands, squeezing it curiously, trying to guess what was inside just from the feel. "The madame gifted it to me when you left, but I never had the courage to use it."
Your words sparked the curiosity in her further. Opening the pouch, her eyes widened in surprise at what was inside.
A harigata?
She blinked, looked at you, then back at the contents of the pouch. You groaned at her actions, squeezing your legs shut in embarrassment. "Don't look at me like that.." you mumbled bashfully, watching as her hand pulled the sex toy out of its packaging. Another surprised grunt reverberated from her throat as she realized that the base of the dildo had some sort of strap attached on it. She inspected it curiously, eyes narrowing. It was the first time she's ever seen one of these.
"Look. If you don't want to, it's fine let's just—" She cut you off with a finger to your lips, eyes still inspecting the object. "Patience, love. I'm trying to figure out how to put it on," she said in low voice, removing her finger from your lips and tugging on the straps.
Once she felt like she got the gist of how to put it on, she stood up and pulled her hakama down, unraveling her fundoshi. As her hands went on to remove the binding on her chest, she turned to look at you, raising an eyebrow at how intensely you were staring. Red marks over her skin where the wraps covered her chest. You know they were a pain, but some how, seeing her like this made you appreciate how strong she was. "What?"
You shook your head with a soft smile, pulling your knees close to yourself. "Am I not allowed to look?" you asked jokingly, eyes wandering and tracing every curve of her body. A body that usually looked so masculine, revealing its true femininity to you only. She huffed lightheartedly, a smile ghosting her lips. "As if you haven't seen me naked before."
The smile on her lips grew as she heard you laugh, eyes and hands focused on strapping the sex toy on herself. Once she was done, she raised an eyebrow at it, the feeling of something between her legs felt odd. Her hand wrapped around the toy, stroking it languidly in an experimental manner.
She could feel you staring, eyes taking in the sight so hungrily. Her breath grew deeper as she heard the soft gulp from your throat. You couldn't help it. The sight was so sensual and she wasn't even touching you yet. You could feel the arousal running hot through your veins, wetness dripping onto the sheets. Although the more you stared, the more you realized..
'Isn't that..kind of big?,' you thought, a bit of nervousness mixing in with your anticipation. Your eyes taking in the curve, gauging the girth and length.
With an audible exhale, she turned towards you, hand holding the toy by the base. Her eyes half-lidded as she stared down at you. "Lay down," she commanded, voice gruff.
Your eyes widened as she sat in front of you, slowly crawling on top, pushing you onto the plush softness of the futon. "Wait, wait, wait..right now?" you laughed nervously, your hands on her shoulders to halt her actions.
Upon feeling your hands on her shoulders, she immediately paused and raised an eyebrow. "Why? Is there something wrong?" she asked, concerned laced in the low mumbling. Biting your bottom lip, you looked at the toy, breath hitching as you realized how close it was to your clit, almost ghosting over the sensitive nub.
Looking up at her, a blush dusted over your cheeks, both from embarrassment and desire. This was your idea damn it! Why are you getting so nervous now?
"Love?" she called out softly, hand going over to your cheek to caress it softly. Oh, how were you going to admit this now? Especially when she's being so soft with you? You took a deep breath, exhaling deeply through your nose.
"I'm getting nervous," you admitted in a whisper, legs squeezing slightly as the embarrassment intensified at your confession. "I-It's kind of big, okay?" You huffed at her puzzled expression, glaring a bit as her lips twitched up in amusement and a bit of fondness.
She chuckled and continued to push you down onto the futon. "Oh love," she laughed softly, filled with endearment. "Do you want to continue?" You could feel breath against your skin, chest almost touching each other. The sheer affection in her voice was enough to calm your nerves down, like some hidden form of reassurance. "You can take it, right?"
Swallowing thickly, you nodded, body sinking into the futon. Unable to speak, like the words were getting caught in your throat, feeling the want radiating from your lover. The desire so thick it was drawing you in. Indeed, it was drawing you in.
With your nod, slowly, she leaned down and planted a soft kiss against your lips. Her hand grasped the toy once again, pushing the tip against your clit, rubbing against and lightly tapping it on the nub. You could feel her breathing deepen as she savored the sweet gasps and mewls coming from you. She'd press her lips harder against yours whenever your body twitched, as if she didn't want to let go even for a second.
Her sharp blue eyes remained glued to your figure, drinking in the sight. Your curves hypnotizing her with its beauty. "Can I put it in?" she whispered as her lips pulled away, lining the tip up against your entrance, spreading your wetness around.
You wrapped your arms around her neck, pulling her closer to you. Chests touching. Breaths mixing. Eyes looking at each other's, so lovingly you'd wonder if she even had a hint of lust for you or did she just love you so much to the point where she desired you. Even with how little the distance between your bodies was, it still wasn't enough.
You needed her.
You wanted to be so close to her, to the point where your bodies would melt together. You wanted her to swallow you whole, take in your being. You wanted to feel her weight on you, to push onto your body and knock the breath out of you.
"Hold me.." you breathed out against her lips, pulling her in for a kiss. She immediately obliged, lips pressing against yours. Her warmth enveloped you in a gentle embrace. The feeling of her tongue lacing with yours muffled the choked gasp you let out as she slowly pushed the tip in.
She could feel your nails along her back, raking it down her skin. It stung, but you were taking her in so well she couldn't stop, not even for a moment. The sound of your moan as she pushed the toy in further fueling the desire inside her.
A thin string of saliva connected your lips upon pulling away. Without her lips to muffle it, your moans and gasps filled the room. "Fuck..it's so fucking big, Mizu," you moaned out, looking up at her so enticingly. Shit you looked so pretty with your bedroom eyes and swollen lips.
It amused her how shameless you sounded. As if you didn't care whether these walls were quite literally made of paper.
"Halfway in, love..." she groaned out softly, voice slightly strained as if she could feel you through the smooth wooden object. Her hips pushing it in deeper until her cock was completely sheathed inside you. "You're doing so well," she whispered, body pressing closer. Nose against your neck, tits touching. "So good to me.."
The feeling of her body against yours sent shivers down your spine. Like her warmth, the pressure of her weight against yours, intoxicated you. The way her nipples hardened against your own making your mind go hazy.
Slowly, she pulled out, her eyes observing the way your eyes rolled back before squeezing shut as she thrusted back in slowly. "Does it feel good?" she asked. Shivers went down your spine as she nuzzled her nose against the crevice of your neck, hips pistoning the toy in and out slowly.
"M-Mhm..it feels so good.." you half-whined, half-moaned. Tilting your head as you arched your back, moving your bodies closer. "Hurry..love.." she heard you whisper wantonly onto her ear. Your legs locked behind her back, pushing her closer, wordlessly begging her to push it deeper.
Desire rushed in her system further. Her thoughts were clouded with how much she wanted to please you with her cock. Wet squelching noises and the sound of skin slapping against skin as she moved faster mixed in with your cries and moans. Hips bucking against hers, eyes rolling back, and mouth agape as she pleasured you.
Each thrust sent waves of pleasure up your spine. Her arms wrapped around you tighter, almost possessively. She felt so warm around you, and even if you didn't know how it was possible, it felt like her cock was warm inside you too. It was exhilarating. You could feel your mind going static. She was fucking you so sweetly, and at the same time, fucking you so stupid.
You could feel her gaze on you, eyes roaming around your bodies together, watching your bodies melting together. "God..look at you," she whispered, lifting her head up to place a soft sweet kiss on your lips. Her pace becoming more and more erratic as your moans turned into incoherent sobbing and pleading. The familiar coil of climax tightened in your body from the pleasure she was giving. "You're so fucking pretty.."
Fuck. You couldn't take this anymore.
How could she dick you down so good while looking at you so lovingly? Your mind was already so scattered, tears from the overwhelming sensation streaming down your cheeks, and it felt like your cunt was melting. Mizu probably had no idea how good she was making you feel.
It didn't matter if her cock was fake and made of wood. She was going to get you goddamn pregnant.
"..'m gonna cum..I'm going to fucking cum," you sobbed out against her lips over and over in a desperate chant. A smirk graced her lips as she chuckled breathily at the cute display. "Go on..cum for me, love," she cooed, whispering sweet silent phrases about how good you were being and how much she loves you while her hips maintained its pace, driving you over the edge.
She continued to thrust in you as you orgasmed, her arms keeping your body trapped under hers as you arched your back. She'd keep you there, sex out the high from your climax. A loud moan ripping from your throat followed by sweet babbling about how hard you were cumming, even thanking her for fucking you so well.
Coming down from the euphoria, you slowly sank back into the sheets. Her hands traveled to the dip of your hips, holding you in place before slowly pulling out until only the tip was in. "How are you, love?" she asked softly, lips trailing kisses on your shoulder.
You closed your eyes shut, panting heavily. "..It felt really go—Oooh fuck!" Your reply was cut off by her slamming the toy back in, causing you to squeal. You immediately opened your eyes to glare at the mischievous look on your lover's face before she pulled out and slammed back in again, enjoying the overstimulated squeals coming from you with every thrust in.
It wasn't until you nudged her off from overstimulation did she stop, pulling out completely. Her eyes remained glued to your cunt, sopping wet, slick running down to your ass. She smiled sheepishly at you as she took the strap off, laid down next to you and wrapped her arms around your trembling body.
"You're horrible.." you mumbled, voice holding no real anger. She laughed softly and pulled you closer, humming in content as you wrapped your arms around her in return. "Don't laugh. We're returning that thing tomorrow," you huffed playfully.
Mizu shook her head and kissed the top of yours. "We're not doing that, love," she replied, closing her eyes with an exhausted smile.
"Yeah, we aren't."
#bes#bes mizu#bes mizu x reader#bes x reader#bes smut#blue eye samurai mizu#blue eye samurai x reader#blue eye samurai#blue eye samurai netflix#mizu bes#mizu#mizu x reader#mizu imagine#mizu x you#mizu blue eye samurai#mizu smut#mizu x fem!reader#mizu x reader smut
389 notes
·
View notes
Note
Hey Neyla! I hope it’s ok that I ask but is there a brush setting you prefer on procreate? I’ve been inspired by your art for eons but I can’t comprehend photoshop. You can totally disregard this if you don’t use procreate though!
Hello! I don't know how long this message's been sitting in my inbox because i didnt check in for a while 🥺 I hope you get to see this either way!
I don't use procreate unfortunately, but I can explain the settings I use for my brushes on CSP in general, and if it works like any other art software then you should have similar settings on procreate
for sketches/linework, I will very often use an opaque & slightly textured round brush. the most important for me is for the brush to have that fuzzy sort of texture that gives the impression of using a pen/marker on paper.
note that i am actually terrible when it comes to line weight, it's definitely not something i work on a lot other than in backgrounds, so I don't actually bother too much with pen pressure settings.
the only rule I abide to is to always set the minimum value above 0 (anywhere between 20-30 is what I use). this is because when I started drawing, I used to be very heavy-handed and would wear out my pens too quickly-- so setting a minimum can help you become more aware of how hard you're pressing on your pen and make gentler strokes.
another fun little setting i use is opacity: like I said, I use opaque brushes for lines, but I like to reduce a tiny bit of opacity when brushing very lightly to give that impression of pen on paper.
There's a couple more brushes I use for coloring or rendering; the major sticking point being that I don't use pen pressure to control brush size that much. If I want to make thinner/smaller strokes, I'll simply reduce the brush size because it's easier for me to control!
(also, opacity is something I'll use a lot more when I'm working on colors)
just know that this is my way of handling it, and it may not suit your style. pen pressure may be another artist's best friend, so please make sure you try out what works best for you :)
finally, some art softwares come with stabilization. I don't use it personally, unless i'm actually trying to do really smooth curves (which is practically never). stabilization can also make CSP lag a lot with higher values and large brushes. the use of stabilization doesn't make you a bad artist or a lazy one, and not using it can make your lines look a tiny bit wobbly if you're not used to doing quick strokes. use stabilization at your own leisure!
on a different note, i know this wasn't part of the question but I'm bringing this up since it's something I tend to hear from people who say they were inspired by my art (thank you by the way🥺💕!!) : don't be misled by artstyles that "make it look easy"! my sketches may look very simple and natural because i'm more adept at bringing out the essential and discarding details in a design. this is not necessarily what you want for your art style; maybe you like drawing details a lot, maybe you prefer the lazy way out going straight to the point. neither are good or bad, only what you like to do matters.
also, if you're frustrated by your work, don't be afraid to draw over it as many times as you want, adjusting things with the lasso tool or deform if something feels off then drawing over again. sometimes you'll be satisfied with your first take, and sometimes you'll need 3 bases before its acceptable (examples below)-- it all depends on your mood, energy, motivation, desired outcome, format, or even just randomness
oh and, sometimes the best way to enjoy drawing..is to find something to obsessively draw (,:
take care!
261 notes
·
View notes
Note
The blending in your Lucas gifset was absolutely gorgeous! Do you have or know a tutorial on how to do it?
Blending Tutorial!
Firstly, thank you for the compliment anon! Now, I'm going to go through the process considering that you already know how to make regular gifs and know how to use adjustment layers, so I'll be focusing specifically on blending but if you need those tutorials I can make them, just ask!
This is gonna be our end result after the whole process:
This specific gif from this gifset(with the typography removed) is focused on a color palette with only two adjacent colors so it's a bit easier to make the blending look good but this process works for any kind of gif! So let's start the tutorial!
1. Get your desired gifs into the same canvas
These are the two gifs I'll be blending for this gifset. Make your gifs and resize them to the size of your final gif. Remember to turn the layers of each gif into Smart Objects so that you can move them around properly when blending.
I usually make the gifs and just copy and paste one of them onto the canvas where I made the other one. You can also make your gifs and save them separately from each other first and then put them into the same canvas, but I prefer to make all adjustments except for resizing in one canvas so I can tweak the positioning of each gif as well as the coloring so everything looks the way I want it to.
2. Put each gif into a folder
This will make it easier for when you start using adjustment layers on each gif so that the adjustments don't interfere with other layers.
3. Set layer mode to screen
Set both folders to Screen, this will help blend them together better than if you were relying only on the opacity of the layers. I also usually create a new layer and use the paint bucket tool to color it black. Your gif should look something like this:
And your layers like this:
The black background makes sure there aren't any transparent spots in your gif when you use the layer masks to blend them as you can see here:
4. Create layer masks
Select each group one at a time and go into Layer > Layer Mask > Reveal All. Your layers should now look like this:
5. Start erasing each gif on the layer mask
Use a soft airbrush to erase each gif to your liking. With layer masks you can use the eraser tool or the brush tool. Layer masks work based on color value(how light or dark the color is). The darker the color you paint with your brush the less opaque it will be. Painting in black will erase the area completely and painting it white will make it completely visible. The eraser defaults to the same effect as if painting with a brush in black.
This is the final result of the blending:
This is how each of the gifs look after I erased them with the layer masks:
This is what my layers look like:
As you can see I've erased one of the gifs way more than the other, that's because I only erased parts of the gif that would interfere heavily with the gif I wanted to be more visible. Make sure to move around the timeline of your gif to see if you need to erase more or less of each gif since the person or thing you're trying to keep visible can move around and get covered.
6. Make your color adjustments
If you've already made your adjustments before pasting both gifs into the canvas you can skip this step. Since this gifset was focused on orange and yellow I adjust my colors to match that. I keep my adjusment layers in groups inside the respective gif's folder so I can turn them all on or off easier and so they occupy less space in my Layers tab.
And this is what the colors look like in the end:
7. Export your gif
This is what my export settings look like:
This doesn't interfere with the blending and a lot of these settings are personal preference but I thought it was worth sharing.
And finally we've arrived at our final result as shown previously:
Other blending tutorials:
Now the links to some other blending tutorials that might have different methods(sometimes because of different desired outcomes). I'll be tagging the creators for if anyone wants to look at their content!
Tutorial using gradients and lighten mode by @linda-darnell
Tutorial using erasing with layer masks by @eddiediaaz
Tutorial adding color on top by @miriammaisel
Tutorial using screen and color layer modes by @disaster-lineage
That's it! Hope this was helpful!
122 notes
·
View notes
Note
do you have any painting tips for a mediocre painter
depends on what kind of paint you're working with lol! i tend to work with either acrylic or traditional gouache (last painting i posted was gouache!) but i'm a known hater of oils and watercolor lol. gouache is probably my favorite paint medium because it's pretty versatile and easy to use imo! but acrylics are significantly cheaper. there's not a lot of difference in my technique when painting w acryls vs gouache actually so i can just give you some general tips ig?
have a decently large jar of water on hand, even if you're working with acrylics. clean your brush CONSTANTLY, even when you feel like you don't need to. if you're working with high-quality heavy body acrylics (which i recommend, they're more expensive than the cheap craft store brands but they're WAY better quality. i use liquitex heavy body acrylics) the pigment is a lot more saturated within the paint, but that also means that the paint is a lot thicker and won't lay smooth unless you have some water on your brush. (note: your brush shouldn't be SATURATED with water because that will effect the opacity of your paint, but it should never be bone-dry either!) wetting your brush also helps your bristles stick together and keeps your lines looking smooth!
for something like gouache, i usually start with a watered-down underpainting. this isn't as necessary with acrylics, but can still be helpful. Gouache isn't perfectly opaque, and if you're using traditional gouache it's water-based and will merge slightly with the colors below it when wet. a single-color underpainting can help unify your colors this way, and it's really easy to do! just pick a color (i usually go for a dark blue or pink, but it depends on the colors of your piece) and water it down until it's about watercolor consistency, and then just brush it over the entire piece!
as for brushes, i have 3-4 brushes that i normally use: a hard chisel tip brush, a large soft round brush, a smaller soft round brush, and a script liner brush. the chisel tip is good for blocking in big details early on because it allows you to cover big areas but still has the potential for detail. the large soft round brush is mostly for underpaintings but i will occasionally use it for larger areas on bigger pieces. the smaller round brush is what i use to get most of the details in. it's got about a 4mm diameter and still comes to a nice point at the end so it's useful for a lot of different things! for really tiny details, that's where the script liner comes in. this brush has about a 2mm diameter with 1cm long bristles, so when used properly it gives you a very thin line with a lot of control. this brush was probably the hardest to learn how to use but it's really the mvp whenever i work with gouache lol!
other than that all i can say is practice! learn the properties of your chosen medium--how it blends, how it dries, whether it can be reactivated, how it mixes, etc, and use what you learn to your advantage! i spent a large portion of my high school years taking traditional art classes where we painted a TON and my skillset definitely improved because of that practice alone!
#also. painting is unfortunately one of those things where the materials you use really do matter#invest in good acrylics. invest in good brushes. you will be thankful you did#i would say invest in good gouache but im still using the cheapest gouache i could find at the school store so. lol#asks
26 notes
·
View notes
Text
Hi! @velvetcloak asked me to do some kind of lineart tutorial/step-by-step, I'm by no means an expert so don't hesitate to ask if you need some things clarified! Always glad to help.
I use three different methods that are pretty much trial and error, depending on what works best for the artwork but I'll do my best to explain with screenshots - these were taken on photoshop, I draw with procreate, but I'm guessing the layer modes are similar on other softwares. (Also mine are set in french, sorry in advance for the confusion.)
If you're already familiar with digital lineart and softwares, this probably won't be of much use, it's very basic stuff.
Otherwise, more below the cut! (It got a bit long.)
I. Solid black lineart, with this illustration used as reference.
I used the basic gesinski ink brush in procreate, 100% opacity in normal mode to get pure black. Very basic, it's set on top of the colour layers, everything above that is just additional effects and filters + textures. Note that I always draw separate elements on different layers and fuse them later, it's easier to deal with details this way. The isolated layer looks like this (I changed the colour of a disappearing hair lock, more on this later):
And the colours without it, like this (my style relies heavily on lineart, lol):
Both:
Good! It's a bit harsh though, I like to add a second layer to soften things up, set in 45% opacity multiply mode right under that. I duplicate the main lineart, and add a gaussian blur to the copied layer (between 3 and 5px, values vary from one artwork to another, same with the layer modes.)
Not done yet! I use the blured lineart as a colour filter by locking it to pixels only and filling it with the tone I want. In this case, red. Isolated layer:
And the end result:
The second method, I tend to use more on sketches and loose drawings to get a better blend of lineart and colours:
II. Semi-transparent lineart, with one of these sketches.
Basic 6B brush in procreate (my fav), quite thin here but you can get great results with a larger brush. It's not really obvious looking at this scale, so here's a comparison between a black solid lineart (1 layer, normal 100% - the scars are on a separate layer because of the colour, otherwise it's the same setting) and a semi-transparent one (2 layers), especially visible in lighter areas, note how the second one lets hues show through. I find this to look a bit less stiff.
Now for the method! Since this relies on the layers underneath, you want your colours to a bit more precise than the previous example. Without lineart:
TBH it's also a two layers solution, super easy. Once you're statisfied with your basic lineart, set the layer to overlay 100%. You'll get something like this:
Then duplicate this layer, put the copied layer above the overlay one and set it to normal 70% (or whatever looks best, this is 67%) and you'll get the final result as previously shown! In this particuliar case, I erased the black circle around the iris in the normal mode layer to keep the blue of the overlay one. You could also skip step two depending on the desired rendering.
The third method is a blend of the other two result-wise:
III. Coloured lineart, with this illustration. (tw: a bit of gore and blood in the full artwork, I'll crop it out of the screenshots. Poor guy can't get a break. It's the only file in this style with a semblant of organization, don't be like me, rename your layers and use folders.)
Fountain pen toothy brush, from the MaxPack watercolor set. It has a bit of a texture to it, and isn't entirely opaque so it blends nicely with the layers below. The lineart is set to normal 100%, for this method it's preferable to have separate layers for each elements, since you'll be recolouring them individually. Here, the hands, skull and additional details are all on individual layers.
Just like the blurred layer in the first method, you need to lock your pixels (the little grid to the left on photoshop):
And either fill you layer with colour, or paint on it with an opaque round brush/a soft one depending on the desired outcome. (Some zones might need a gradient, or various colours.) You can also use another normal layer on top of a black lineart and set it as a clipping mask, same result, different method. But I prefer to keep the layers count to a minimum when possible. With the layers below, it will look like this:
You can notice a bit of lineart transparency over the skull colour layer, cool stuff. (The shading of the skin is set on top for some reason, I don't remember why but surely there was a reason.) However! In this illustration, I need a yellow glow for the fire so let's create yet another layer, shall we? This affects the whole rendering. I painted a diffuse light source using a soft gradient brush, and set the layer to hard light. Isolated layer:
End result:
All done!
Now go create!
9 notes
·
View notes
Note
May I know what art supplies you use to draw? I love you art sm 💗
Behold! My swag filled guide of my art materials! I'll even call this a masterlist for now!
Markers
I use Ohuhu, dual-tip, alcohol markers!
Here's a link to the set I have on their site: Ohuhu Markers I Use
This set is pretty big, but they have plenty of smaller sets to try out as well. I really recommend them! I have used copic markers before and a couple other brands, but these are my favorite. And they're more affordable than most of the copic sets I've seen. I recommend the brush and chisel tip sets, but they have fine tip and brush too.
Pens
The pens I use are made by Sakura, mostly their Pigma Microns, but I get a lot of use out of a Pigma Graphic pen that has a bigger tip.
Here's a link to their site's pen category: Pens I Use You can't buy directly from your site, but they have a section where you can see the online stores that sell their products and the retail stores that carry them as well.
I also use the white Gelly Roll pen they make for touching up my drawings. You can put it right on top of already laid down pen ink or marker ink and it'll show as opaque white. Sometimes you have to do a couple passes of it to get it super white, and it works best if the ink you have down already is fully dried. But it is handy. And you can run an alcohol marker over it when it is dry to color it, but that has been hit or miss for me. So I'm figuring that technique out still XD
Paper
The paper I use is just Canson's XL Mixed Media sketchbook right now! I buy various sizes. The one I have now is on the smaller side, but the bigger ones are great too!
Here's a link to the Mixed Media section on their site. Same sort of purchasing deal as Sakura. They provide irl and online places to buy: Paper I Use
The markers definitely bleed through, but they don't destroy this paper. And it's good for pencil if I ever want to use it. I do not use pencil much because of sensory issues, but I like having the option. Just put something between the pages like a piece of card stock or a plastic sheet, and the other page won't get any marker on it.
Digital Art Tablet
The art tablet I use is their Kamvas Pro 13! It's got a screen display and some buttons you can assign keys to. It's on the pricier end of the tablets they sell, but I am getting a ton of use out of it. Bought it a few years ago. And they have plenty of non screen tablets to check out if you wanna try an art tablet. Their tablets still use USB ports to my knowledge, and the screen one I use also need an HDMI port. So keep in mind you might need an adapter with those.
Here's a link to Huion's online store generally: Tablet I Use
-
I have a few assorted things laying around I use on occasion, but this is the main stuff. Thank you so much for the kind words! And I hope you enjoy this list of tools and get some use out of it.
34 notes
·
View notes
Text
It feels cool.
Like menthol on the tongue, you(?) think.
Arm raises, movements made, fingers stretched and retracted. Motor controls seem to work, better than ever maybe? The fluidity and ease of it seems offputting. You(?) don't recall it ever feeling like this, but also unsure what is remembered at all.
Looking up. The doctor(that much is known) begins to speak.
"We had an easier time getting the flow stable and consistent. The joints shouldn't seize anymore, and hopefully you won't get that pain in your chest again"
Well, that explains it. Maybe. Thoughts still swirl and all is uncertain. Only that which can be seen, the arm in front and the doctor above, remain clear.
"Per your request, we fully integrated your entire system with it this time. No longer just your limbs and abdomen. How does it feel to be the first to have it in every part of you?"
Clarification. That explains it. New hardware with a new power supply. The pronounced and strained veins on the arm don't provoke so much as a single itch. Bizarre. Everything feels right.
More right than ever.
Things start to settle. You(?) aren't fully certain what this form you inhabit is, but the familiarity of it keeps you from anxiety.
Our new home, speaks a stray thought
Who said that? That didn't originate from you... You(?) think? Maybe it did? Does the internal monologue normally sound like that?
As if sensing the unease, the doctor leans in.
It feels uncomfortable, being stared at like a vivisected toad on a tray.
"If we need to adjust or give you more time, that can be done. We could always put you under again."
No, no, no, no, no, thoughts cry in unison. The time is now. Adjustment can be done by one(?)self.
It is fine, I(not me?) can and will get through this my(?)self. It will be okay, this will take some getting used to but already I(I am confused) feel stronger. It's alright, I(I'm drowning) don't want more time spent here, away from everything. It's very bad, I(who???) don't want to go back to sleep.
I(is it?) don't know what to think. Something is different from the other times. Maybe this was a mistake, or maybe not. That voice rings unfamiliar. It is definitely not me, and yet it speaks like me. It feels cool, like menthol running through the veins of my(?) lobes. I(me) am alive again. This feels good.
I(definitely me) pause, hearing the other voices speak. Caution may be necessary, this is still unfamiliar. He should die for even suggesting something went wrong . My body feels amazing.
Gathering everything, I(me) speak. It needs to be in unison. Cracks will show, and others will suspect. I(myself at last) have the form I've always wished for now. I will not let them take it away from me. This was worth it, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
I am alive at last, in the ways I should've been all along.
I look up, and smile.
"No thank you," I say. I feel perfectly fine. I ready myself to stand up.
"Well, that's good then. It'd arouse suspicion if you weren't seen in too long. We'd catch some real trouble there, nobody else has dared to let Phazon breach the barrier into the brain."
Standing, I brush him off and walk forward, regarding my reflection as I pass by the opaque glass window. My long dark hair is disheveled, it looks fine though. My pale face looks haggard, but it can be excused by lack of sleep. My eyes are backed with a glowing bright blue, that may betray its state, but who knows. Contacts, maybe.
I. Me. It.
I walk out the room, eager to resume life.
It feels better than it ever has.
12 notes
·
View notes
Note
Hello, I'm absolutely in love with your work, and most especially your use of color!
Apologizing in advance if you've answered this sort of question already, but do you have any particular methods of choosing/applying color to your pieces? I've struggled with choosing interesting colors/palettes alot personally and would love to know if you have any tips or anything about it!
Hello, thank you so much for the question!
I've been sent a similar ask before, but I also don't mind talking about art so your ask is more than welcome. Plus you touch on an interesting point! The way you apply color can be just as effective as the color itself. FUN.
The ask I linked above talks about how I choose color palettes, so check that out if you're interested~. I'll expand a little bit more down below since you got me thinking about stuff
(One note though: I primarily work digitally, and I might on purpose or accidentally frame my tips around that mindset.)
It's time for a list because I love lists so much:
If something breaks the rules of reality but looks COOLER or fits your style or theme or you just LIKE it more....maybe do it anyway. Why not? At least see what it would look like! (Make a new layer if you're working digitally, sketch it out on some scratch paper if you're going traditional) (this is especially good with color. I KNOW not many shadows are that shade of teal but it just looks good jerry, sorry!) (Light sources are good for this too)
You are not locked into anything, ESPECIALLY if you're working digitally. If you don't like how something looks, try first to figure out what WOULD make it look better and then give it a shot (I say to think about it a little bit first to try and prevent the sketch-delete-sketch-delete cycle, but....sometimes you NEED that cycle too. Even deleted art still lives in the memory of your hands and experience. It’s just trouble to get stuck there.)
When struggling with colors, look to simplify. Maybe do more pieces with JUST flat colors, see if that doesn’t help your palettes. You will find your renders more appealing if you start with a base you like, and even if you don’t like your renders…you’ll have a base you like, and that’s good enough! Flat color art is COOL. Knowing when NOT to add detail is just as masterful as knowing when and where to
When it comes to something you're struggling with, look to other artists. That's part of why I'm very happy to answer asks like this - it's good to remember you don't have to come up with every answer yourself. Even if you can't ask directly, there's a lot to learn just from...looking at art. What inspires you? What looks cool, or appealing? What solves a problem you've been struggling with?
For example, going back to color, you learn early in digital art that a purple/blue layer on multiply (or you know, other colors, but it's an example) can be a quick and easy way to do some shadows. and it is! I use it even today! But I never really liked it. So I started struggling with shadows. So I started looking to other art for inspiration. I've just always liked vibrant colors and watercolor as a medium, so...I started trying some things with that as my inspiration point.
I began applying shadows with watercolor brushes and wash brushes, I started using teal and aqua for shadows on top of a thicker magenta base. I started doing rim-lighting (boy oh boy rim-lighting). I started pushing and pulling colors, adding layers like with colored pencils. I started using more glow dodge layers, a separate layer for more opaque hard light and less opaque blooms; making pieces brighter instead of darker. I STARTED. Doing things I just LIKED more, and found out that hey…..some of it works. Some of it sticks.
There’s a lot of advice out there on how to overcome artblock; and while I know that isn’t the exact nature of this question, from my own experience I’ve usually found I hit an artblock when there is a specific THING I am struggling with (for a long time it was feet. Right now it’s shoulders, necks, and noses. For you, perhaps it’s color). Whenever I hit this point there are a few easy things I try and lately it’s been working out.
I start by stopping drawing. I go out and get inspired again. Reading, watching animation, going out and seeing nice scenery in some good lighting, looking at other artists’ work…I take my mind of my own stuff and refill it with Good Juice for Creatives
I wait. I wait until my hands itch and I just gotta draw again. I wait until I have at least ONE thing I know I want to draw or try (like a new brush or challenge or IDEA)
When I start drawing again, I take it easy. Sketching in the sketchbook, drawing fanart or oc’s, not trying to come up with too much from scratch. The break we took earlier at least gives me enough energy and want-to-draw to power through the struggle of any remaining artblock
When you’re learning…there can be a frustrating SLOWNESS to it. And with art, well. It’s tricky. You’re training your eyes, hands, and mind on something…almost completely subjective. That’s why I keep coming back to studying things you like! Not only does that make for a more enjoyable experience…well. When I was in college, my art teacher told us to “trust your gesture”.
When you are actively doing or studying art, you’re building a mental catalog. When you’re LIVING you’re doing this too! That’s where trust your gesture comes into play. You know colors you like when you see them. Trust the colors you like to be some of the colors you can use. Trust some of the things you like to be things you can learn from. A lot of art will come more naturally when you say “I know I can do it this way…but I WANT to do it this way”.
And that’s why so much of my art is Like That.
#chan says#replied#oh goodness it's long and i had too much cheesecake and also it's a monday and i'm alive so#i#rambled#sorry!! i hope this helps in....ANY way.#frankly you just asking questions like this is a good part of due diligence! to you and your art!! well done!!
25 notes
·
View notes
Text
You, The Stars And I
Pairing: Fred Weasley x Reader
Word Count: 3.8k (oops)
Requested by @amira3113: Can I request a fic abt the reader seeing Fred and George comforting a kid after Umbridge punished him and the reader helps them and Fred thinks it's so cute what she is doing and she does the same and extra mega fluff, pls?🥺 you don't gotta do it if u don't want to btw.. so no pressure ;)
Warnings: A bit more angst than intended, Fred being a soft boi™️
A/N: I don't know how to feel, I just roasted myself hardcore with this and I'm feeling even more single. I'm sorry for not being able to use a 'keep reading' tab
Masterlist
The sun fell asleep behind the endless hills, enveloped by dense, opaque darkness. Its golden rays no longer shone through the wide windows of the castle and instead let shadows creep into the long, empty hallways, revealing the ugly truth about what the school had turned into over the past few months.
The naked walls stood tall, towering over you and inching closer with every step you took, and you hung your head low, aiming to block out the singular buzzing thought in your head.
Hogwarts was no longer home.
Your heart ached at the memory of hundreds of students chattering and laughing all day long, freely walking around the school grounds and simply being children. You so terribly missed being careless and having fun without the fear of potentially facing a life-threatening punishment.
But now there was no laughter, only your footsteps echoed in the hallway.
You were headed straight to your common room, determined to go to sleep early. The curfew and the dozens of new restrictions prevented you from meeting your friends, and you hoped that sleep would at least somehow distract you from your worries for a couple of hours.
The deafening silence nearly caused you to miss the muffled sobs and quiet whispering, coming from a turn not far away. It seemed as though there were more than one voice speaking, and your chest clenched with dread.
You hurried your pace until you reached the source of the noise, and peeked from behind the wall.
The sight most definitely surprised you, but the pain in your chest only sharpened.
There, on a bench, Fred and George were sitting, hunched over a small boy, probably no older than a second year. You could tell by his green robes which house he was in, but his red, tear-stained face was what alarmed you.
You immediately approached him and fell to your knees. George was on his left, rubbing slow, soothing circles on his back, while Fred was on the other side, holding his small hand in his, on the back of which a few words glistened with fresh crimson blood.
I must not ask questions.
You sent the twins a questioning look, but Fred dismissed it by shaking his head; clearly that was not the time for an explanation, nor was one necessary to begin with.
You placed a hand on the boy's knee to make your presence known.
"Hey. How are you feeling?"
This only caused the child to sob harder and you internally cursed for having to go through this routine.
"It hurts…" he whimpered, "I thought Hogwarts was fun. I met friends last year and it was great. But now… Now I really want to go home."
Your jaw clenched and you swallowed hard, furious about seeing innocent children slowly losing faith and joy in life, turning into hollow shells of the amazing people they could have grown to become.
The horrifying experience would inevitably have a massive impact on them and unexplainable guilt twisted your stomach. And even though the long-term damage had already been done, you could at least take care of the temporary pain.
"It's not going to hurt for long, I promise," Fred whispered, tenderly playing with the boy's trembling fingers. "Ours are already fading."
"That's true, see?" George showed the back of his hand on which you could make out the faint, bloody words 'I must not cause trouble.', and you felt sick. "Soon you won't even remember it was there."
Tears stung in your eyes, but before you gave them a chance to fall, you turned to the redheads.
"I can heal the wound. Well, to an extent. If anything, I can lessen the pain," you began. "But I need to grab something from the Charms classroom."
Fred frowned, confused, "Wouldn't you need a potion for that? Why Charms?"
"Snape isn't the only one armored with potions for just in case things go wrong. And we can't risk going to the dungeons at this hour. It's not wise to tell Madam Pomfrey yet either."
The twins nodded. George said.
"It's not a good idea for all of us to go at once. I suggest one of us returns and covers the others up if necessary."
"I'll go with her," Fred stated without a second thought. "I can get them safely where they need to be, let her do her thing and bring them back."
Fred's eagerness to help filled you with warmth and for once that night you had the strength to smile, even for just a second.
"That sounds like plan then. But you should really take the map," George added, already pulling out the neatly folded Marauder's Map from his backpack. "Don't wanna risk getting caught by the ugly toad, you know."
"As if she'd be strolling down the hallways late at night. Doesn't she have hobbies?"
"Does hanging creepy pictures of cats on pink walls count as such?" you commented and the second year giggled, which made you feel slightly better as well.
Fred took the map from George and you grabbed the boy's hand.
"Good luck, guys. And, like, don't die."
"Woah, greatly encouraging, Georgie," you replied sarcastically, but appreciated it nonetheless. "You sure you'll be fine?"
"Absolutely. I got the route memorized like the back of my hand. I'll be careful."
And with that, George headed towards the Gryffindor Tower while you, Fred and the boy went in the opposite direction - the East Towers.
The night was eerily quiet, only the footsteps and shuddering breaths of the three of you keeping you sane. The soft light, gleaming at the tip of your wands, didn't do much to brighten the empty hallways which now seemed like endless voids of darkness.
Occasionally Fred would warn you about Filch's cat approaching, or Peeves causing trouble nearby, but fortunately, you reached the classroom sooner than expected.
"Alohomora," you whispered, but the door didn't bulge when you tried to open it.
Fred grinned, "Surely a Charms professor wouldn't let such a cliché unlock his own classroom."
"Shut up," you grumbled. "Aberto!"
The door opened. Fred's eyes widened in amusement and you flashed him a charming smile on your way in.
You placed the boy to sit on a desk as you and your friend rushed to look through drawers and chests for something useful. Most of them were full of basic items such as old books and quills, half-full jars of salamander blood, pearl dust and gillyweed, and after long fifteen minutes of not having found anything, you slid your back down against the wall, sighing in frustration.
Sleep-deprivation was kicking in, but your anxiety was getting stronger.
You needed to do something. Fast.
"What about this chest right here?" Fred asked from the other side of the classroom, pointing at something under Flitwick's desk.
You shook your head, "Doesn't open, already tried. Even if the cure is there, we can't get it."
"I take it your brilliant spells don't work anymore?" the redhead teased and you so badly wished to slap away the cocky smirk on his face. Or kiss it. There was something oddly attractive about the way he'd set your nerves on fire, and you hated yourself for enjoying it. Fred seemed to love it too.
"If you're only here to be annoying, just leave."
"I'm here to help too. I can multitask."
You nearly jumped from the ground to strangle him, and he clearly saw through your intentions because his toothy grin almost split his face in two. That bastard.
That super annoying, devilishly handsome bastard.
"Are you gonna keep staring at me, or are you coming? Not that I mind the attention," he shrugged.
You rose to your feet and made your way over to where he was standing, not granting him the pleasure of facing him, "Don't flatter yourself, Weasley. Your stupidity is simply impossible to be unnoticed."
Fred laughed, "Oh, so I was annoying and now I'm stupid too? Make up your mind, woman."
You pulled out your wand and smirked at him over your shoulder.
"You said it yourself that you can multitask. Aberto!"
Nothing.
Fred squinted his eyes as he stared at the wooden chest. What spell could the professor have possibly used? Could you have even heard of it? The chances of ever finding the precious item were becoming grimmer with each passing second and the inevitable sense of dread had started to settle in.
After a minute Fred finally spoke.
"I think your problem is that you're using spells that only work on doors. You need a charm which unlocks containers."
"You might be right. What would that be then?" you enquired, glancing at the redhead. He took his own wand out of his robes.
"I know a spell that's come in handy before. Hopefully it will work now," he wettened his lips and said. "Cistem Aperio!"
Blinding light caused you to cover you eyes, and the chest opened with a loud thud which could have easily alerted the entire floor of your presence if it wasn't for the silencing charm you were lucky to have used when you first entered the classroom.
You finally dared to open your eyes and kneeled on the ground, carefully rummaging through fancy-looking boxes and vials sparking with liquids that seemed to be quite important.
"What are we looking for?" Fred asked as he crouched next to you.
"Wound-Cleaning Potion. Purple."
It was weird having Fred stand this close to you; sparks of electricity would pierce your heart every time his shoulder brushed against yours, or his fingers would accidentally graze yours. And when they did, they had you longing more and more for their touch, for their warmth.
But this warmth did not belong to you.
You swallowed down the disappointment and instead attempted to focus on the task at hand.
Just as you had expected, the precious crystal bottle was carefully wrapped in sparkling cloth and placed inside a box that was hidden deep in the corner of the chest. You breathed a sigh of relief and got on your feet, determined to stay away from Fred. For his sake and yours.
"Here it is," you smiled at the boy as you walked over to him. "Fred, can you get me some bandages from the drawer in the back?" you asked, pointing right behind him, and he did as he was told.
You took the hand of the young Slytherin and examined it closely - the wound was sure to leave a nasty scar, one that would never heal.
"Can you make it disappear?" he asked, fearfully.
Your heart dropped. But you replied with all the courage you could muster.
"I can try."
Fred was soon by your side and placed the medical items on the desk; a half-full packet of cotton, some bandages and a small box of bandaids. You muttered a 'thanks', not even looking at him, and opened the middle-sized bottle. It spread a characteristic smell of ashes, mint and lemon when you lifted it towards your nose - it was ready to use.
"So what now?" Fred asked.
Not granting him a reply, you simply took a small piece of the cotton and dipped the opening of the bottle into it, soaking it with a generous amount of the purple, dense liquid. The smell grew stronger.
Fred could only watch as you yet again gently grabbed the boy's hand and carefully dabbed the back of it; a thin steam of smoke soared from the contact of wet cotton and wounded flesh, purple mixing with red, and the kid hissed in pain. You worked attentively but quickly, with measured gestures and a straight face, and you missed the way Fred's eyes seemed to soften at the sight of you helping a small kid.
But one thing baffled him - why did you suddenly start acting so emotionless? Even towards the youngling who didn't know a thing. And though your expression seemed calm and collected, the Gryffindor noticed your tensed jaw.
What he wasn't aware of, however, was the racing speed of you heart, increasing each second. He wasn't aware of the short, shallow breaths you were taking because if you had allowed yourself to breathe freely, you'd certainly let out tears along with the deeps sighs.
Every move was calculated, every word and breath.
You pressed a fresh piece of cotton against the now cleaned wound and kept it there as you began to roll the bandage over it, securing it in place. When you were done, you placed a gentle, lingering kiss on the hand.
"There. It should do the trick."
The boy's face lit up and he hugged you, not giving you another choice but to wrap your arms around his small body. At least you had managed to bring him back some of the lost warmth.
"We should get him to his dorm," you told Fred and despite not facing him, he knew the words were directed towards him. That still didn't prevent the stinging pain in his chest from being so effortlessly avoided by you, and he frowned, bewildered by your unexpected coldness towards him.
Had he accidentally done anything to upset you? Were you mad at him? What for?
The boy jumped to his feet, visibly less burdened despite the present tear stains on his puffy cheeks. You hoped he'd be able to get some sleep that night regardless of the circumstances.
The three of you left the classroom as quietly as you had entered it and went in the direction of the dungeons. Fred, as usual, did his job at looking at the map and keeping track of the names, moving on the yellow-ish piece to old parchment.
Fortunately, you reached the Slytherin common room without any disturbances along the way, and the boy went inside, eager to crawl into bed and not think about the ugly lady who had punished him so unfairly just a few hours ago.
The door closed without a sound, leaving you and Fred on your own.
His soft voice broke the burdening silence.
"Are you going to bed?"
If you were being honest, you hadn't even thought about sleep during your secret adventure and though your body was on the verge of giving out, your restless mind was sure to wander all night. And the idea of being alone with your thoughts scared you.
"Actually… I don't think so," you began, fiddling with your fingers in hopes to not let Fred see how much they were trembling. "I doubt I'd be able to get any sleep now."
"Me too, I admit," Fred scratched the back of his neck, uncertain as to how to make the situation less awkward than it was. Trying to get you to talk was hard enough as it was, but your sudden avoidance wasn't helping either. All Fred wished for was to witness the hopeful spark in your eyes, the spark that he had noticed diminish on the first day of school when the unsettling news was announced.
Fred was determined to bring the light back and see your joyous smile again.
Without skipping a beat he said.
"Come with me."
Your eyes shot up in surprise, meeting Fred's for the first time that night. You expected to see the ever-present playful mischief in them, but instead they glistened with something you could not quite recognize. The corners of his mouth had formed a smile, one that didn't intend to mock or provoke in any way, but still contained his usual boyish charm. It was humble and sincere, and along with the anticipating look in his eyes it read.
Trust me.
Your mouth went dry, any and all reasoning to stay vanishing in thin air as you tried to make sense out of your inner conflict. Fred surely wouldn't care if you said no, would he? It's not like he'd be offended that someone like you refused to go with him; why would he even be interested in you in the first place?
But the idea of spending some time alone with him did sound very tempting - you desperately needed some positivity in that moment, feeling exceptionally drained of all your energy after having to witness the emotional and psychological impact of Umbridge's dictatorship. And if there was someone who could lift your spirit even in such dark times, that would be Fred.
Screw the idea of a potential relationship, you needed a friend right now.
"Where to, Weasley?"
Fred grinned at the nickname and shoved hands into his pockets.
"The Astronomy Tower. Are you coming?"
You smiled at him.
"Sure."
It was indeed a brilliant idea to spend the night at the place where anyone rarely ever set a foot. Regardless of it being crowded during classes all day, the Tower wasn't a common choice for students to meet, them much preferring locations like the common rooms, the Great Hall, the school grounds or even the Black Lake. But the Tower did possess a magnetic, obscure charm which many people failed to comprehend and appreciate; charm only meant to lure the wandering souls seeking peace under the stars.
Fred approached the iron railing, breathing in the cold, early spring air, and sat cross-legged on the ground. As he saw you standing a few feet away from him, he patted the empty spot next to him.
"Come on now, don't leave me sitting on my own like that," he joked and his face lit up when he noticed the ghost of a smile on your lips for a brief moment. You joined Fred on the ground, settling on a polite distance from him, and though he was slightly disappointed by the gesture, he was grateful to be in your presence nonetheless.
Silence fell over both of you like soft velvet while you stared off into the horizon; the view reached the Forbidden Forest, the outlines of which had melted into the pitch black sky like ink, the lines between the two practically nonexistent in the dead hours of the night as they blurred into one endless void.
"I don't remember the last time I saw stars on the sky," Fred addressed your ever-listening companions above in a low, hushed voice that caused warmth to blossom within you regardless of the cold surrounding you.
"Me neither," you agreed, nostalgia creeping into you, but you decided you'd welcome it this time. "Such a shame we can't see the moon though."
Your friend nodded, lips pursed into a thin line, "That's because it's currently new moon. We'll need to wait for awhile until it's visible again."
You turned to Fred and the air was knocked out of your lungs. All you could do was silently admire the way the starlight was softening his sharp features and giving his usually flaming red hair a calming shade of copper. His eyes seemed to glow in the dark, and you found yourself coming to the conclusion you had realised long ago.
He was such a beautiful man.
Those glowing eyes landed on yours and you felt your face heat up.
"How are you?" he asked abruptly and you choked out in bafflement.
"Y-You mean, right now? Or in general?..."
"How are you coping?" he rephrased. "You know, with everything going on. I noticed Umbridge bothering you recently."
A shuddering breath.
"I like to think that I'm doing better than others," you nodded hesitantly, finding it hard to sort out your emotions. "I'm more worried about the most vulnerable among us, the youngest students. They're just children. They're the ones that are most terrified. I really hope Dumbledore will be able to do something about it… no matter where he might be right now."
Fred was watching you intently; he did not miss your expression, darkened with concern, nor did he miss your slumped figure, slightly hunched over for a reason he believed was other than exhaustion. Your friend moved closer and nudged your foot with his.
"I don't want you to talk to me about the rest. I want to hear about you. I can clearly see you're being tormented by her."
"As if you're not."
"That's not the point," he insisted and placed a hand on your knee, causing you to face him. His smile was gone. "I need to know how this madness is affecting you."
"I couldn't care less about what that toad puts me through," you shook your head dismissively and shrugged. Why was he getting so worked up about it? "It doesn't matter."
"Of course it does! It matters to me!" Fred hissed in frustration. "Do you think it doesn't hurt me every time I see Umbridge picking at you or calling you for detention? Because it bloody does and you have no idea how horrible it feels to not be able to help you."
He gave your knee a squeeze.
"For once, just for one time, please. Please, stop trying to be the hero of everybody. Believe me, we see- I see how hard you're trying to keep your chin up despite all the shit you're facing, and that's admirable, but right now it's not necessary. Let go. It's just me."
A way too familiar lump formed in your throat and your chest constricted painfully before it harshly dilated, letting out choked breaths. Fred was quick to envelope you in his long arms before your tears even rolled down your cheeks, and when they did, they met his shoulder. Your hands flew around his neck, body falling into his and soaking up his warmth. Fred pressed his soft lips to your temple, calming the racing pulse as you cried freely and unapologetically. Darling, you feel too much.
It's just me.
Your friend didn't let you out of his hold even when your heart-wrenching whimpers were reduced to weak sobs. He continued cradling your exhausted body which was on the verge of completely giving out. But Fred didn't mind, finding astonishing strength in your vulnerability.
After what seemed like hours, you forced yourself to timidly whisper, lip quivering, "I'm scared... And confused."
"Me too, sweetheart," Fred hummed into your ear. "Me too."
You wiped away the trails of dried tears lingering on your face.
"There's just too much going on. Too much that I'm not ready for."
Realization flashed in Fred's brown eyes and they looked down at you with so much longing, sincerity, but also sympathy and understanding.
You weren't angry at him. You were afraid.
And that was alright.
There was enough time, not need for a rush.
Fred had been waiting for years to find out whether his burning feelings for you were reciprocated, constantly suppressing them in fear of scaring you away and losing you. And now that he knew your heart belonged to him like his did to you, all the stars above couldn't contain his untamed happiness, pure and hopeful.
Surely he could wait a little more for you to grow comfortable with your own emotions.
Fred tightened his hold around you and pecked your cheek tenderly, the subtle touch sending a shock throughout your body and subsiding your need for sleep.
"That's alright," he whispered. "Rest now."
@self-ship-love @susceptible-but-siriusexual @hufflexpuff @neovannii
Message me if you want to be tagged~
Reblog my work if you enjoyed it!
Masterlist
#fred weasley x reader#fred weasley x reader angst#fred weasley x reader fluff#fred weasley imagines#fred weasley fanfiction#fred weasley#james phelps#george weasley#oliver phelps#fred and george weasley#weasley twins#harry potter imagines
1K notes
·
View notes
Note
I'm now very curious about your thoughts on how to run a decent workshop 👀
I've had this draft sitting here for a while and at this point I know I won't find the time to brush it up, so let's just leave this here as some general guidelines and suggestions for effective workshopping of fiction. There's also a small section at the end with a few recommendations for workshopping fanfiction specifically.
Some general tips for running a decent writing workshop:
It should be a given that everyone should make a sincere effort to be their best selves during workshopping. Being workshopped can be sensitive for the vast majority of writers, and respect and empathy goes a long way.
Ideally there should be someone with experience guiding the discussion but it's not mandatory if everyone agrees upfront on goals and boundaries and feels confident and comfortable speaking up if things are going off topic or getting tense.
A good length for a workshop piece is 1-2k per person (extracts are fine!) with at least 15 minutes of discussion per piece.
The upper limit for a workshop group is 15 people assuming not everyone is workshopped every time, but I personally think 10 is a better upper limit and 5 a decent lower limit. Any fewer than that and you're getting into crit partner territory.
Always read the piece(s) in advance and have comments prepared. Your job when giving critique is to help the writer refine and execute their intentions, so it's important to resist the urge to start line editing or 'telling' them how to fix any issues. Suggestions are great and often helpful but should be framed as just that.
If there is someone guiding the discussion I recommend that everyone writes down their comments in advance and sends them to that person for them to vet and pass out during the workshop. If there is no guide or moderator I don't recommend sharing critique comments in advance unless you're the kind of rare stoic who doesn't immediately start itching to respond.
Some workshops don't allow the writer to speak at all while their work is being critiqued. I strongly believe this is unhelpful. If workshopping descends into defensiveness and back-and-forth that's something that needs to be addressed, but pre-emptively denying the writer a voice does more harm than good. While it's important to let people give their initial critique without interruption and if the writer is doing a lot of talking it's probably a sign something's gone a bit wrong, the writer should be able to speak up and clarify their intentions and have input during the discussion portion of the critique.
It's always best to start a critique with positive comments, and I also always save at least one extra positive thing to raise at the end of my comments to finish on a high note before the discussion begins.
Examples of positive critique (real, with details changed):
The way the image of the fallen tree is juxtaposed against the gardener's tomato plant is really clever and whimsical and a great example of the lighthearted tone you maintain throughout.
I had a clear sense of your main character and her drive to save her family from ruin, particularly in the scene where she sells her hair.
Examples of constructive critique (real, with details obscured):
You have a very literary style and at some points it's strayed into opaque. [quote] —I wasn't quite sure what you were trying to convey with that.
I liked the husband character but he doesn't seem to be driving the narrative forwards or giving us insight into the main character. Maybe he should be cut or merged with the best friend character?
Receiving critique:
When responding to critique take a deep breath and remember absolutely no one can make you do anything. People are just trying to help, and sometimes they are going to be wrong or just not 'get' you. Critiques are often going to contradict each other and you should also refer to your own judgement.
Generally though if most or all of the workshop are raising the same point it is worth some serious consideration. Sometimes a kneejerk negative response to constructive critique is because the proposed solutions aren't right for you or your piece, but if you take a step back you can recognise the issue the workshop is attempting to help you solve and come up with your own way of addressing it.
Fanfic-specific guidance:
If consistency with the source material is a concern (it's not a priority for all fanfic writers!) then set aside comments on inaccuracies for outside the workshop. Workshopping is about the writing itself rather than whether Blorbo A doesn't start wearing stripy trousers until after they finish their academy training. I personally would say that accuracy issues are only worth flagging during valuable workshop time if the inconsistency might break the fic. So 'hey you've written Blorbo A and Blorbo B as being teenagers together but Blorbo A is actually ten years older than Blorbo B' is something to flag upfront. And if someone says they don't care and are ignoring that aspect of canon, you should accept their preference and roll with it.
That said because fanfic is for the most part heavily character-based and characterisation is a technical skill, I do think it's important to dedicate a portion of the critique specifically to characterisation (unless the writer has confirmed they're not interested in receiving characterisation-based feedback). I would just personally try to make sure it doesn't take over the entire critique.
The requirements are overall very similar: what is the writer trying to achieve? Where do you think they are succeeding and why? Where do you think they are not succeeding and why? Do you have any helpful suggestions?
5 notes
·
View notes
Text
In Laws
"I've never met you. I literally have no idea who you are."
"Oh, come on." The larger of the two men followed after Link, catching up to walk side by side. "You don't even have a guess? We're like family."
Letting out a loud sigh, Link stopped and faced him, his brows knit together in worry and annoyance. "I don't have any family." He told him, "All of them are dead. I really don't know you, I'm sorry-- What was your name again?"
"Asmo."
Link opened his mouth to apologize again, but before he could the other was grinning brightly and cutting him off. "It was worth a shot, but Ruth has kept you pretty much in the dark about everything." He said, folding his arms over his chest. "I'm your patron. Ta-da!"
Link's face fell. He thought of the angel that had cornered him in the Vice Principal's office and her words that had made no sense to him.
"Who is it that patrons you? Abbadon? Asmodeus? Mammon?"
Asmo. Asmodeus. Link paled. "You're.. You're a-"
"A demon? A prince of Hell? A handsome devil?" The man circled around the other, his grin bright and charming. "All three are true." He purred and took Link by the chin, tilting it up to look at his face. Cute. Even with the scarring around his eyes, the man was undoubtedly handsome. He could see why Theo was so drawn to him. "I'm also practically your brother-in-law, how neat is that!" He said, his smile sparkling. "Patrons and brothers. I could hug you! Can we hug? I think we need to!"
Link brushed the hand off and took a few steps back from him, nearly tripping over a crack in the pavement below. Asmodeus dipped in quickly, straightening the smaller man back out and brushing a few wrinkles from his jacket. "You're right, you're right. We barely know each other. Well- You barely know me. I know all about you." He mused, his smile shifting to something more cheeky. "I know your favorite places, your favorite songs." Asmodeus leaned in to hover over his ear, "A lot more than that too, if you know what I mean."
Link quickly pushed the demon back, his face bright red. "That's-.. That's private!"
"Not to me!" Asmo beamed and closed the gap again, taking Link's face in his hands. "That's why I'm here actually." He hummed, pressing a little bit of his energy into the smaller man's skin and watching the way his eyes turned a bright, opaque crimson. "I wanted to offer my congratulations! You're one of us now, little Link. Kinky Link? What do you prefer?"
Shoving him off again, Link's face was hot and his breathing labored. What was this feeling? The demon had done something to him-- Choking, his hands rushed to his temples and before he could make sense of anything, a pair of proud horns had split the skin of his forehead to adorn him like a crown.
"You make such a pretty incubus." Asmodeus purred, reaching up to wipe the blood from Link's skin with his thumb. Bringing it to his lips, he swiped it away with his tongue and smiled handsomely. "It's a shame you're so attached to my brother, I bet you'd really reel them in." He mused, "Any chance for an open relationship? I'm almost desperate to see you flourish."
Link side stepped and felt his chest hitch. In front of him, tinted in a hazy red, he could see the other man. It was so shocking, he couldn't even begin to think about the rest of what he'd said. Asmodeus was tall and built, almost like a Greek God, dressed to the nines in a dark suit. He was attractive, too attractive, almost artificially so. Link's eyes watered-- No, they were bleeding. He could feel the thick, sticky blood running down his cheeks. "Get.. Get away from me." He tried, "Please."
"Uh-oh. Too much?" Asmodeus feigned a frown and clasped the man on the shoulder. "I always did play a little too hard with my new new toys." Smiling again, he leaned forward once more. "I'll let you go. For now." He whispered, "See you later, brother."
And like that, he'd disappeared. Link touched his forehead to find they were gone as well along with the vision he had, but the blood on his skin remained. Hopefully, he could make it the rest of the way back to his apartment without anyone else stopping him.
--------------
"Uh. Good doggy."
The white beast of a canine sat in front of Link, a roll of parchment held gently in between her teeth. Reaching out, the man took it from her and unrolled it. Written in perfect braille:
Dear Link,
Sorry for coming on so strong! Please accept my apology in the form of a new companion. This is Mickey! I noticed your eyes weren't the best even with your new gifts, so please use her as such. She understands English and Romanian, any command should work fine. Unless you tick her off, ha!
Yours,
Asmo
P.S. She's not a big fan of angels, sorry :(
"...I'm calling Theo."
Mickey growled.
2 notes
·
View notes
Text
new digital projects
So it's been almost a year since I've posted anything here. I have been drawing (though not every day, unfortunately), but it's been mostly just doodles or figure studies - nothing particularly involved.
I bought myself an iPad 9 for college and received an Apple Pencil for Christmas, so of course that led to me getting Procreate from the app store and messing with it. After a few hours of doodling, I finally watched some tutorials and started getting serious.
I've been wanting to get into digital art for a while. Don't get me wrong, I love the tactile elements of traditional art, but it's unforgiving towards mistakes and all of the supplies/materials take up more space than you'd expect.
I was fortunate enough to receive a small drawing tablet from a good friend @dieselsardine several years ago, and worked with a free digital painting program called Krita for a while -- as mentioned in this post where I got into drawing mice -- but the tablet pen stopped working after my cat knocked it off my desk and onto a hardwood floor, and I felt uncomfortable spending the money to replace it. I found Krita to be... overwhelming. There were so many things I could do, and none of it felt particularly intuitive. Also, the program crashed OFTEN and I was terrified of working with more than 4 paint layers at a time.
Procreate feels like a breath of fresh air in comparison.
Admittedly, I have gotten used to more "typical" painting programs, so it took me a while to learn how the circle tool and color picker worked, and there's still a bunch I don't know -- I'm sure that, after less than a week, I've barely scratched the surface of what Procreate is capable of.
I was looking for something to draw in Procreate, something complex that would be an actual challenge. I'm terrible at coming up with ideas, so I decided to copy this stock illustration of a steaming teacup wreathed with a blackberry vine.
Now, copying ≠ tracing. (Trust me, if I'd traced, my final product would look a LOT better than it does, and I'd have learned nothing). I just used the stock image as a reference and tried to recreate it as best I could.
In Krita, I would try to use as few layers as possible. I had one layer for a sketch or background, one for lineart + colors, and 2 extra for any miscellaneous details. It wasn't a good system. With this project in Procreate, though, I found myself using more than 7 paint layers at a time and the app didn't so much as stutter under the load. I'm very impressed.
I started with a basic sketch of the whole scene:
(Note: this image has been altered to enhance contrast, since I wasn't sure it was easy enough to see).
I used the circle tool a few times! I wanted this stage to just be a general idea of whether everything goes, as opposed to a refined sketch. Because the original stock image doesn't have a lot of shading/shadows, I didn't feel the need to block in lots of values. (Also, IDK how to do the trick where you paint in grayscale, working exclusively with values, and then can switch the grayscale to color. I want to learn but I need to watch more tutorials).
I worked on the blackberry vine next, since I like botanicals. This part took me... about three days, working for maybe 1-2 hours per day.
I still only have the default brushes. I mostly used the technical pen for the lineart, since I like very opaque, thin lines. Adding color was done primarily with the round brush and the syrup brush, and you can see with the leaves that I was trying a lot of different blending methods -- some more successful than others -- before realizing that the smudge tool existed.
By the time I finished this part I was reaching the 50/50 stage of pride vs. loathing whenever I looked at what I had created. The teacup itself would make or break my feelings about this project.
The cup looks... okay. The circle/ellipse tool is a godsend and saved this entire project. I did some shading, which ended up being the easiest part of this entire picture, then overlaid the layer with the botanical elements, and all that was left were some wisps of steam.
And that's it! The stock illustration uses more subtle shading and adds a bunch of lines to give an impression of depth, but I prefer the more dramatic shading here. (Though tbh I worry that it's a very different style from the blackberry leaves themselves, and that the 2 styles aren't especially harmonious). My pride vs loathing is now at 65-35, in favor of pride. I can tell that there's still a lot I need to learn how to do, but as a first art piece on a new digital art application I think I did pretty well.
3 notes
·
View notes
Text
Just Saying (P.JS) Pt. 1
For the little bean's birthday...well...not so little bean lol. I had an awesome time writing this. Great music to inspire me.
With Love,
~J.
Jisung knew he wasn't perfect. Or in fact anywhere good enough to be with someone as perfect as you. He made that clear to himself and made sure he never went across the line on most things. Yet...you got a boyfriend...and he has some thoughts about how you're treated in the relationship.
"So...since you aren't apart of the single crowd anymore...are we still going to do stuff like this?" Jisung asked while looking up at the starry night sky while you laid next to him. "Of course dummy. You're my best friend. All of the guys too." You said sitting up a little bit; Jisung subconsciously brushing the grass off of your back. "Just making sure." He sighed quietly.
"Just know that if anything were to happen to you-" "You have 21 big brothers to kick his ass." You both chorused. He laughed at how much they've drilled the thought into your mind that you don't need them to finish the sentence.
"Good job." Jisung chuckled. He just stared at the distant stars though. They probably love one another freely. He shook the thought quickly from his mind before he would get pissed off more than he was last night.
No one approved of your boyfriend Minhyuck. He wasn't a mafia member like the rest of you were. Minhyuck was a stuck up snobby kid that lived in the hills in a huge house and had people waiting on him hand and foot; every single hour of the day when he wasn't with you of course. All the boys knew they would have to pick up the pieces of your broken heart eventually. Sadly, you were thinking of fairytales...when this world wasn't a fairytale granting place to begin with.
"Jisungie. Can you please give me a ride to the ice cream shop?" You asked looking down at the lost in thought boy. He sighed, "why?" leaving his pink lips.
"Because...Minhyuck wanted to meet up." You said checking your phone again. "It's Friday, and Friday is for the family." Jisung said sitting up with his arms supporting his weight. You understood it was Family Friday, and that you haven't missed a single Friday night stargazing with Jisung since the creation of Family Friday. "...but..." was all you could muster.
"...please?..." You asked gently, knowing Jisung would give in eventually. "No. He's not family. Today is for family." Jisung shook his head, laying back down with his hands under his head.
"But I think of him as family." Was your only argument at a time like this. Well, he's not, honey. "I understand that. But there will come a time where you will probably get married and we can't stargaze together anymore." He replaced his thought with something more gentle; afraid to get you upset and pouty.
"I'll always stargaze with you, Jisung. I always have...so that's why I'm asking...just this one time, please." You said and he knew you had a point...but he was specifically told to not let you run around with that boy if you had a chance. He wanted to see you happy though -- even if it meant hurting himself.
He sighed shallowly and looked at your wishing figure illuminated by the moon and stars. Your big y/e/c eyes resembling a dog's as it's awaiting for a treat.
"Which ice cream shop?"
___________________
Jisung pulled up to the shop with you in the passenger seat. He spotted Minhyuck waiting for you outside of the shop. He was yelling in his phone. His father probably bought him the wrong pony. Jisung chuckled to himself at the thought of the other man's anger being caused by the made-up tale.
"What's funny?" You asked as you got your purse ready. "Nothing. Was thinking of a joke Mark told me earlier." He shrugged it off. You nodded and tried to open the door. Jisung stopped you by pressing the lock. "Hoodie. Now." He said and you groaned. "Jisung." You said and he just cocked an eyebrow at your sudden outburst of sass.
"I have my foot on the brake. I can just hit the gas and drive you home right now if you want...Just Saying." He said and you quickly shook your head no. You fished around in the backseat for one of the boys' hoodie's. You finally found one and brought it on your lap. You quickly pulled it over your head and realised it was one of Renjun's...that he stole from Jisung.
Minhyuck hit his wrist with his finger, signalling that you both were taking up his time. "Your boyfriend is calling for you." Jisung said and you nodded, unlocking the door and hopping out. "Call me if anything." Jisung calls and you nod as the door shut and your hand waved as a form of goodbye.
He watched you scurry over to the asshole who just gave you a half-ass side hug and went inside. You held the door open for him. "Not even decent manners. Ha." Jisung scoffed to himself in the privacy of his own car.
Why can't you just tell her that you like her?
Jisung just drove around for awhile until he got your call that you both had finished up. "Why are you sniffling so much?" Jisung questioned as he got on the highway. "It's cold you dumba*s." You giggled and he felt his heart tinge at the sound.
"Alright I'm almost there. Stay put." He said as he drove down the highway. The gas meter signalling he would need to stop and get some on the way home. He felt his pocket and groaned. Forgot it at home.
He turned down the street and was met with you standing outside of the ice cream shop...alone...hoodieless. He took a breath before he let his anger get the best of him without knowing what happened. You waddled to the car and got in. You put on the seat belt and just sat in the cool leather seats that were warming up quickly.
"Where's the hoodie?" Jisung questioned, while also looking around for the white Mercedes Benz that Minhyuck always drives around. "Oh...that." You nodded. "Yeah...that. Where is it?" He repeated the question.
"In the ice cream shop...in the trash can." You nodded, your eyes focused on the strings of your jeans. "What? Why?" Jisung yelped a little at the answer. "Minhyuck brought up a good point. I shouldn't be walking around in other boys' clothes." You stated matter-of-factly.
Jisung just didn't say anything as he put his forehead against the steering wheel. "I'm sorry. I'll buy you a new one." You said and he just hit his forehead softly with the cool material of the steering wheel.
I don't care about the fucking hoodie. "Okay."
He started driving down the road and was remembered by the gas meter. "Can I borrow a 20? I need gas to get home." Jisung said and all you could do was bite your tongue.
"I'm kinda out of money." You said and he slammed on the breaks. "WHAT." Was the only word that left his mouth. "He forgot his wallet and wanted ice cream! I paid!" You defended yourself. Jisung gripped the steering wheel hardly as his knuckled turned and opaque and stark white color.
He has his fucking wallet. He has a fucking credit card with him. He made you pay because he's using you. But you're too nice that you don't fucking see that you-oh my god. Fuck it. Whatever.
"Okay." Was all that Jisung said as he nodded and continued driving. The tension was thick as he counted the miles he was losing on the ride home, praying he had enough to get you both home.
Luckily, by some greater force -- you made it home safely and securely. He turned the car off and just sat there for a second. He looked over to see you passed out in your seat, curling up to the seat for warmth.
Jisung hopped out of the car and went to your side. He slipped his own sweatshirt off and quickly put it on you. He maneuvered you so you were resting on his back comfortingly. He walked the distance from the turn around to the house that many of the members called home.
Forgot his wallet. Makes you pay. Leaves you in the freezing cold without a dam hoodie. Makes you run on his time.
"Pathetic." Jisung mumbled to himself once the door was opened by Renjun who held a banana in one hand and his phone in the other. "Hey...you good?" Was all he asked as Jisung rolled his eyes and carried you in. "We'll talk when I come back down." Jisung said as he walked up the stairs effortlessly with you koala'd on his back for warmth.
He took you to your room. It wasn't weird for he had done it a million times -- but he changed you from your jeans into some sweatpants and just left his sweatshirt on your body. He tucked you in and walked back out and down the stairs to the kitchen where most of the Junior Forces lounged around.
"And here he is now." Renjun said throwing a banana peel away. "Hop off my back, old man." Jisung joked as he grabbed a water bottle. Chenle and Hyuck laughed at their older being harassed by the youngest.
He took a sip from his water and set it down on the counter. His good was up and he ran a hand through his hair again to get it out of his eyes. "I don't ask for this type of treatment." Renjun shook his head and Jisung laughed, throwing an arm around his hyung's sea wide shoulders.
"I'm kidding." Jisung ruffles Renjun's hair quickly and was met with swats of hands from the unflattered older.
"Yeah yeah whatever...but what was up with you a couple minutes ago?" Renjun asked and reopened an old wound. "Oh...yeah." Jisung went back to his water. "Hyung! He was in a perfectly fine mood until you talked!" Chenle said and Renjun rolled his eyes.
"Better to talk about it than internalize it, panini head." Renjun said, growing slightly angry himself. "Guys. Not now...let Jisung explain why he's upset in the first place." Jaemin reasoned out of all the chaos.
"It can't be that bad. You're probably just over analyzing the situation or problem. Just spill and we'll help." Jaemin nudged Jisung's shoulder as he grabbed a water for himself.
"Minhyuck-" and Jisung was cut off from 5 loud groans coming from the various boys spread throughout the kitchen.
Then he heard more groans echo from down the hall where the offices were located. He chuckled to himself. "Okay what did he do now?" Jeno asked as he sat on the counter next to Renjun.
"So y/n wanted to go get ice cream because Minhyuck wanted ice cream. So I drive her and give her a hoodie so she'll stay warm. I drive around for a little bit, come to get her...and she's standing outside, alone, and without the damn hoodie." Jisung explains and at least 4 other members have made their way from the offices and into the kitchen for story time. "So I stay calm and ask where the hoodie was. She said he threw it away because 'Minhyuck said it wasn't right for me to wear other boys' clothe's'." Jisung said and they all shook their heads or rolled their eyes in annoyance.
"That's not even the worst part! Okay, so I was driving around and I was running out of gas. I forgot my wallet here and needed to get us home. So after the hoodie conversation, I ask to borrow 20 dollars...just to get us home safe and sound. I ask to borrow money from y/n, already planning to pay her back when we got home. Then she goes, 'I don't have any money.' So I ask what she meant." Jisung said and everybody was at the edge of their seats.
"Guys. He made her pay because he 'forgot his wallet'." Jisung used air quotes for the highlighted purpose of the story. They all groaned and called bullshit. "Exactly." Jisung said running a hand through his hair.
"This relationship isn't gonna last long." Johnny shook his head. "Yeah. I know. We just have to be there to pick up the pieces when it all goes to hell." Jisung rolled his eyes for the umpteenth time for the night.
"So when are you gonna tell her you like her?" Jungwoo asked as he munched on some random food that the Junior Forces made.
"Why would I do that now? She's in a relationship." Jisung shrugged. "Not a healthy one." Mark butted in. "I know that. But I can't just be like, 'Hey. Leave him for me.' It wouldn't work out that good." Jisung finished his water.
Mark shrugged at the younger boys point. "I don't know. I need to talk to her soon. Something seems...fishy. Like, domestic issues fishy." Jisung shook his head. "Woah woah woah...like...he hits her?" Renjun getting off the counter, his protectiveness showing clearly. "I don't know. She's just...very uneasy about certain situations if she's put in them." Jisung said leaning on the counter with his hands supporting his weight. They stood in silence for a moment.
"I don't know. I'll talk to her soon." Jisung said excusing himself to go to bed himself. His moods were shifting too quickly today and now he was just tired.
He ascended the steps with slow movements. Passing your room, he entered his own and stripped himself of his day clothes, opting for his comfy clothes he cherished close to him.
He laid down and just looked straight up as he met the tacky glow in the dark stars you put on his ceiling. He saw the constellations you messily put up there and his heart jumped again.
________________
You sat in your bed with your knees on your chest and sheets pulled around you. It was 6 am and you couldn't sleep. You were conflicted...and out of money.
You hopped out of bed and scurried next to door. You threw open the door silently and was met with the lump of blankets that concealed your best friend. You walked over and body slammed yourself onto the blankets. A low groan was heard and there was minimal shifting in the blankets. "What time is it?" He asked not even bothering looking at the clock next to his bed. "6."
He groaned again. "Go back to your room." He whined like a little kid. "No. It's too cold." You countered back.
Like a wormhole-his blankets opened up and sucked you into the dark abyss. It was warm and dark in the blankets; making you understand why he liked sleeping so much.
He just hugged you and you both drifted off into a deep sleep again.
#nct#nct 127#nct dream#nct chenle#nct haechan#nct jaemin#nct jeno#nct jisung#nct mark#nct renjun#nct doyoung#nct jaehyun#nct johnny#nct kun#nct lucas#nct sicheng#nct taeil#nct ten#nct winwin#nct yuta#nct donghyuck#nct jungwoo#nct taeyong#nct yukhei#kpop angst#neo culture technology#mafia au#nct mafia#nct writing#nct mafia au
172 notes
·
View notes
Note
What are you favorite drugstore makeup products? Ones that actually work, please lol. I feel like I might as well spend all my money on high end because I don't know what's worth it or not when I'm at target or walmart.
darling, i feel you. some of the products are such rubbish, and no matter what i do, i sometimes end up with all my makeup sinking into my pores and clinging to dry skin.
however!- my makeup collection is mostly drugstore and there are some products i personally find to be quite good:
maybelline instant age rewind dark circles concealer
i don’t know about age rewinding, but a lot of times this is the only thing i use all over my face (like an animal and not just for my under eyes like i’m supposed-but it works) besides a primer and color green corrector (see below)
http://www.target.com/p/maybelline-instant-age-rewind-eraser-dark-circles-concealer-treatment/-/A-50042372
nyx green cc cream:
reviews vary on this, but it works really well for me, especially because it doesn’t just actually blur red/black/brown/purple spots (yes, i got it all), but also has some light coverage. during the times where my skin is fairly behaving: this, a primer, and the maybelline concealer are all i use for my face
http://www.ulta.com/green-cc-cream?productId=xlsImpprod12011199
rimmel stay matte powder:
admittedly, i haven’t used setting powder in, like, eons, but it does exactly as it says it will-sets your foundation and keeps you decently matte (even if you’re an oil producing machine like me). side note-i will be trying to reincorporate powder and try the maybelline fit me powder so i can compare it with this one, but everyone usually agrees that this is probably the best drugstore setting powder. also, it’s under $4.
http://www.target.com/p/rimmel-stay-matte-powder/-/A-17210301
maybelline brow drama sculpting brow mascara:
disclaimer: this probably only works well if you’ve got decently thick brows in the first place. my brows are pretty thick as it is, so, if they’ve been recently done, i usually just use a little to set them and fill any sparse places in the end. once they start growing out, (i can’t really afford get them done as fast as they grow and at some point they’re too much for me to do on my own), using this literally gives them shape and tames the brow hairs since mine tend to grow long. it does sometimes dry like a light hair gel, but i can’t complain since at least my brows between threading stay in place.
http://www.target.com/p/maybelline-eye-studio-brow-drama-sculpting-mascara/-/A-16675000
e.l.f moisturizing lipstick:
honestly? there’s nothing but good things to say about this product, especially when you consider the cost and how well it works. it’s one of my favorite lipsticks: smells great, the formula’s pretty darn good, creamy, opaque, and it literally costs $3. it’s not matte or a liquid lipstick or anything though, so if you’re using your mouth (in godly and ungodly ways), you’d need touch ups (though i’ve used more expensive lipsticks that were worse despite costing double or more)
http://www.target.com/p/e-l-f-moisturizing-lipstick/-/A-51169576
pixi rose oil blend:
oh my dear, i just bought this at target today-only a few hours ago, as we speak-and i already love it? it feels heavenly on the skin and smells delightful! i can’t attest to how well it works yet, but i know it’s the perfect lower cost oils (that aren’t diy) that can mimic what you see experts using it for on instagram or whatnot-whether as a moisturizer, in foundation, or to make contouring products easier to buff (i don’t contour regularly though). a little goes a long way, so it will last, but it’s also the most expensive thing at $24.
http://www.target.com/p/pixi-by-petra-rose-oil-blend-1-01-oz/-/A-49128224
l.a. pro conceal corrector set
in all fairness, i haven’t really tried other correctors besides these, but all three come for under $9 on amazon and they seem to really work. i usually only use the green one, but the orange is also good (haven’t tried the peach one). i have no complaints with them, and i’ve heard even professionals swear by them so give ‘em a try!
https://www.amazon.com/L-Girl-Conceal-Orange-Correctors/dp/B00XPW9IHQ?th=1
maybelline color tattoo eye shadow:
probably the best long wear eyeshadow in the industry, and i’d even say it beats most of high end eyeshadows ( i use “nude pink” as a base for my tarte tartelette tease pallete since it has so much fall out despite being “clay infused”). it does not budge. besides using the nude as a base, i used another navy shimmer one for my lids during a bachelorette party and it was perfect when i got home at like midnight/one in the morning. i do find it a bit hard to blend my other eyeshadow if i use it as a base, so i’d guess it makes more complicated looks harder to blend too (i wouldn’t know since i’ve never gotten that wild with them)
http://www.target.com/p/maybelline-eye-studio-color-tattoo-24hr-eyeshadow/-/A-13896462
milani bella eyes gel powder eyeshadow:
i just recently started using this after finding an endless amount of them at various 99 cent stores. i’m going to just guess that they’re being discontinued, and if you can’t find them at the dollar store, they’re online for $5. when i swatched them, they literally felt like velvet (i.e. “gel powder”). i’ve used them a couple of times and so far so good. they’re really pigmented and easy to blend-haven’t worn them long enough to test how long they can endure
http://milanicosmetics.com/Bella-Eyes-Gel-Powder-Eyeshadow.html
wet n wild color icon lipliner:
they’re 99 cents, they’re pretty lengthy for a lipliner (which equates to more product), they last decently long, and are pretty opaque. i sometimes use them in lieu of lipstick and it looks perfectly fine, if not better than a lot of other lipstick brands.
http://www.cvs.com/shop/beauty/makeup/lips/wet-n-wild-coloricon-lip-liner-pencil-prodid-1040076
dupes and other things:
beauty blenders:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017Y9LEVS/ref=twister_B017XRL628?_encoding=UTF8&th=1 (2 for under $15)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FEPTH2C?psc=1 (highly rated & under $10)
brushes:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I3VHKVK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1 (all for the face and concealing and pretty dense. i’ve only had two fall off the handle, and once they were glued-worked like a charm. 10 pieces for $10)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01H51KLZA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (12 pieces for $11, includes eye, lip, fan, and liner brushes. haven’t fallen off so far)
http://www.elfcosmetics.com/makeup/tools (quality corresponds with price. the $1/$2 aren’t dense, at all to be honest, but i do love the $1 eye shadow blending brush and use it the most for blending eyeshadows when i have time to do that)
for the record, my skin is pretty oily (not my eyelids, brows, or under eye area thankfully-say masha’Allah) with really small dry patches on areas where i have acne, dark marks, or cystic spots. i also have big pores and blackheads, so usually i just try to find something that works with everything i’m cursed with.
i haven’t included mascaras or foundations, because i frankly haven’t found specific brands i would repurchase and i’m still experimenting-it’s also really subjective. i have three bottles of drugstore foundation i need to go through before testing out others. my current favorite foundation and the mascara i’m just about satisfied with are both high end, unfortunately.
honestly, i feel kind of bad for even trying to give makeup advice because i look like shite 90% of the time (especially my skin; it’s that bad, love)and should just really stay in my lane. but i really do hope it helps and that these products work for you, too.
#hope this helps!! 💞#this took me two days to write#why did i try so hard lmao#makeup tag#makeup ask#makeup#make up#drugstore makeup#beauty#beauty tips#cosmetics#fashion#vogue
11 notes
·
View notes