#cut for length and posting

[inkskinned]

the thing is there's like, a point of oversaturation for everything, and it's why so many things get dropped after a few minutes. and we act like millennials or gen z kids "have short attention spans" but... that's not quite it. it's more like - we did like it. you just ruined it.

capitalism sees product A having moderate success, and then everything has to come out with their "own version" of product A (which is often exactly the same). and they dump extreme amounts of money and environmental waste into each horrible simulacrum they trot out each season.

now it's not just tiktokkers making videos; it's that instagram and even fucking tumblr both think you want live feeds and video-first programming. and it helps them, because videos are easier to sneak native ads into. the books coming out all have to have 78 buzzwords in them for SEO, or otherwise they don't get published. they are making a live-action remake of moana. i haven't googled it, but there's probably another marvel or starwars something coming out, no matter when you're reading this post.

and we are like "hi, this clone of project A completely misses the point of the original. it is soulless and colorless and miserable." and the company nods and says "yes totally. here is a different clone, but special." and we look at clone 2 and we say "nope, this one is still flat and bad, y'all" and they're like "no, totally, we hear you," and then they make another clone but this time it's, like, a joyless prequel. and by the time they've successfully rolled out "clone 89", the market is incredibly oversaturated, and the consumer is blamed because the company isn't turning a profit.

and like - take even something digital like the tumblr "live streaming" function i just mentioned. that has to take up server space and some amount of carbon footprint; just so this brokenass blue hellsite can roll out a feature that literally none of its userbase actually wants. the thing that's the kicker here: even something that doesn't have a physical production plant still impacts the environment.

and it all just feels like it's rolling out of control because like, you watch companies pour hundreds of thousands of dollars into a remake of a remake of something nobody wants anymore and you're like, not able to afford eggs anymore. and you tell the company that really what you want is a good story about survival and they say "okay so you mean a YA white protagonist has some kind of 'spicy' love triangle" and you're like - hey man i think you're misunderstanding the point of storytelling but they've already printed 76 versions of "city of blood and magic" and "queen of diamond rule" and spent literally millions of dollars on the movie "Candy Crush Killer: Coming to Eat You".

it's like being stuck in a room with a clown that keeps telling the same joke over and over but it's worse every time. and that would be fine but he keeps fucking charging you 6.99. and you keep being like "no, i know it made me laugh the first time, but that's because it was different and new" and the clown is just aggressively sitting there saying "well! plenty of people like my jokes! the reason you're bored of this is because maybe there's something wrong with you!"

[royalarchivist]

Ironmouse: Part of the reason why I love this server so much is because everybody's so nice. Everyone! Like, every single person is super nice! And it's like- it's like, genuine nice, it's not like fake niceness. [...] I've literally talked to almost everybody at least once like outside of the QSMP. We've talked on Discord, people regularly check in on me, we get in group chats and we play games like outside of the server... You don't really find that sort of connection all the time with people.

Ironmouse recently talked about her experience on QSMP, and how kind all the members are. I'm posting the entire conversation instead of cutting it up like I usually would because I really enjoyed hearing her thoughts on the server.

[ Subtitle Transcript ]

-

Ironmouse: Honestly, I'm sure he wouldn't mind if I did. He's so nice, he's so- he's always been super nice to me. He's been so nice, I– part of the reason why I- I love this server so much is because everybody's so nice. Everyone! Like, every single person is super nice! And it's like- it's like, genuine nice, it's not like fake niceness. You know how sometimes like– you always hear like, "Oh yeah, you know–" when–

Ironmouse: Whenever you like, join like a new thing, right? Whenever you like join like a new thing, you always worry, 'cuz you always think: "Oh, are the people gonna like me? Are they gonna be nice to me? What if- What if- you know, what if this, what if that?" But everybody like genuinely was nice when I first came by, and everybody has been so nice to me– not just in the game, but outside of the game, and–

Ironmouse: Something special about the QSMP is like... People wanna be your friend like outside of the game? Like, I've literally talked to ev– almost– almost everybody at least once like outside of the QSMP, like... We've talked on Discord, people like regularly check in on me, and like we get in group chats and like we- we play games like outside of the server, and it's just like... You don't really find that sort of connection all the time with people? You know what I mean? It's very– it's very not common when you go on like, a content creator-like server or stuff like that, you know? You'll get like one or two people that you get close to and stuff, but like... Everybody is SO nice, and everybody's been so nice to me, and I can't tell you how many people like, wished me– not just like wished me happy birthday, or like wished- said, "Oh, you know, hap- Merry Christmas!" dadadada, it's like genuinely like... Asked how I'm doing, and like talk to me, and like... Just like– I dunno, it's just like so- so- it's so wonderful. Ironmouse: Like, I get that with VShojo a lot, like– we're all like besties, and we all like talk all the time, but I feel like it's different, 'cuz like VShojo– we're VShojo, we're like– we're our own group, but this is like... You know... You don't expect this sorta thing when you get invited to like be on some- be a part of something, you know? And it's- and it's been so– it's been so wonderful and everybody's been so GENUINELY nice to me, and I- I appreciate everybody on the server so much, and they're just some of the nicest people that I've ever met ever, and it's just–

Ironmouse: It just warms my heart, and I'm just really– really like, thankful to be a part of something so great, and something so positive! Because like, everybody's so supportive! Like– the time when like, I didn't like– I- I- I had a moment where it's like I– do you guys remember in December when I- I was not around a lot? And like, I had to take breaks and all this stuff and it turns out it was like the concert stuff? They all like would message me regularly, like, we would all keep up with each other, and we would all talk. And I remember telling them about like, how much stress I was under, and like all the- all the pressures of the concert and stuff, and– and they were cheering, and- and- and they were just so... so kind to me, it was just so– so sweet, and- and you know, I was in a group chat with a- with a few people, and they were all just so excited and- and- just super nice, and- and very- very sweet, and it's just– and it's just very– I'm sorry if I'm rambling! It's just...

Ironmouse: I dunno! I- I- I just enjoy being here, and I enjoy hanging out with everybody, and... it's just nice to meet really good people. You don't really find that. You don't find that sort of thing all the time. Don't get me wrong– it's not like I haven't met a lot of good people, like– I just feel like this whole like, my whole like– Ever, like– My streaming journey, I've just been nothing but surprised at the goodness of people? Don't get me wrong– I've met assholes and sht like that, and I've met- I've encountered some people that are NOT so nice. I'll never like, talk about it or whatever because that's their thing, and I'm just gonna do my thing and I don't wanna like, you know, spread any type of stupid drama or whatever the fck, but like... I'm just always surprised about how– how incredibly nice people are, and how genuine a lot of people are, and it's... It- it's just nice, especially since like– You're used to coming from like, a certain background and a certain like, environment where it's like, you've met a lot of like fcked up mean people in your life, and you've just been around a lot of like fckery, you know? So when- when you're around stuff that's NOT fcked, it's just like, "Woah, this is crazy! Is this- is this how life is supposed to be?!" And it's just- it's just really... it's really- it's really nice. It's very nice.

Ironmouse: Yeah, it's very refreshing, that's why I- I enjoy hanging out on here, everybody's just so nice to me. And it's not just like being nice just to be on-stream, it's nice off-stream, on-stream, friendship on-stream, off-stream, it's- it's just- it's just so- it's- it's- it's wonderful. It's wonderful. And I just have to say like... man, I'm just really thankful that like... it's crazy that like I got invited to be on here and I'm just really thankful that, you know... Quackity like, reached out to me and he's- he's just been nothing but nice, everybody- everybody's just so kind. Everybody's so nice. This is something truly special.

[jztr-77]

A story in 3 drawings or 3 first attempts at using procreate featuring solangelo as my labrat

Connor stole something from the Hecate kids, tripped and dropped it on Will. It made his hair grew longggggg (insert Willpunzel let down your hair joke here) before his date with Nico.

While Will went to find some assistance, Kayla scolded Connor (with an arrow for good measure).

。。。ミヽ(。＞＜)ノ

Will ended up 15min late since the Aphrodite kids had a blast with his soft long hair. Luckily the bunnies were very patient with his arrival.

Nico was about to be a drama queen but he got blinded by Will's unexpected appearance. (how dare he looked stunning without telling him first?? Now Nico looks underdressed)

ε===(っ≧ω≦)っ

It was a successful date! The bunnies are fed, the lovers are whipped, couldn't ask for anything more.

(っ˘з(˘⌣˘ ) ♡

[frogs-in3-hills]

fanart for T33la’s lovely fic, Flipbook. please give it a read! it’s an achingly warm exploration of a much-needed conversation post-SAINW, and is filled to the brim with evocative prose and dialogue. ^_^

[Image ID: A two page digital comic with a painterly rendering style. The color scheme transitions from dark blues and purples at the top to a red orange color at the bottom.

Page one: The upper portion centers a far away planet earth with clouds swirling around it. The clouds expand and show sketches of different scenes from the story. The first scene in the top left is of Donny working at his cluttered desk with a thoughtful expression, chin resting on one hand and a pen in the other. He works on a small drawing attached to a pegbar. The second scene in the top right shows a paper airplane flying in front of a dark sky. The third scene shows Mikey reaching down between machinery and pipes to grab the flipbook with a curious and somewhat awed expression. The fourth scene shows Donny and Mikey lying on the floor and hugging tightly, both looking like they're crying. The fifth scene shows a memory from the future. Mikey stands with his shell to the camera, his severed arm barely visible, while Donny stands beside him, looking back with a mournful expression. Their figures are silhouetted against an electric sky. Below all of these scenes, earth moves incrementally closer until it fills the bottom of the page. A balloon flies above it, the string twisting along with the clouds.

Page two: The bright clouds from the previous page extend into this one, crawling down the sides. The top half shows the inside of a helicopter cockpit. Donny and Mikey are huddled together, their masks pulled down around their necks. Donny leans his head against Mikey's shoulder as Mikey thumbs through the flip book, both of them watching it quietly. Below this scene, a humanoid robot in a sketchy pen style stands from a bird's eye view. It looks like the robot has been cut out from a piece of paper and pasted into the scene. It reaches out to hold the balloon string. It's surrounded by patches of grass, sunflowers, and a few large trees that frame the edges of the page. The warm color palette relays a sense of peace. End ID.]

[skitskatdacat63]

2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Sebastian Vettel

[hypogryffin]

how do u draw so much so fast

well,

[dungeon-meshi-tournament]

You guys had a lot of comments on the polls in the Seaworthiest Ship in the Dungeon Tournament. As usual, I compiled some of the ones I found funny in this post, sorted by the poll they were commented on.

Falin x Namari vs Falin x Shuro (round 1)

'moment i saw her i fell in love' yet the ship only has 27% votes lmao

FALIN AND NAMARI MY YURIFUL WIFES

Otta x Chilchuck's wife vs Senshi x Chilchuck's daughters (round 1)

the poll function was created just so this match up could happen

Marcille x Succubus vs Kensuke x Ambrosia (round 2, part 1)

So much arguing about the gender of the succubus ilusion just for the sword staff pairing to crush the poll lmao

ryan reynolds vs coughing baby

Laisen vs Chaios (round 2, part 2)

this series is literally gonna end with a laisen married-with-kids ending and they're LOSING? 🙄 come on sheeple

Otta x Chilchuck's wife vs Senshi x Mithrun

yknow what...good for chilchucks wife

Winged Lion x Marcille vs Winged Lion x Laios (round 2, part 2)

EATING HIM EATING HIM EATING HIM

Labru vs Kabumisu (round 2, part 2)

listen okay chapter 94 would have been less gay if they had sex right there

how can you make me choose?!? :( (anyway kabru x mithrun sweep)

Kensuke x Ambrosia vs Fionil x Doni (round 3)

It is just like those two to lose to a pair of (mostly) inanimate objects.

Otta x Chilchuck's wife vs Chilshi (round 3)

chil getting post-divorce cucked is the funniest option and must win

this poll is a divorceman torture technique

Winged lion x Laios vs Winged Lion x Thistle (round 3)

For the wingedbowl gotta be Laius that man FUCKED THE CAT on live tv

Farcille vs Kensuke x Ambrosia (quarter finals)

eat out your wife ❌ eat your wife ✅

Winged Lion x Laios vs Kabumisu (quarter finals)

society

Farcille vs Izutsumi by herself (semi-finals)

(ID in alt)

pls vote izutsumi²

I like the idea of them tying and Izutsumi being unwittingly roped into being the cat of a lesbian triad but with no connecting romantic lines

POST THIS CAT WHEN THEY LEAST EXPECT IT

IZUTSUMI WITH A STEEL CHAIR!!!

shes the most cat girl to ever :3

love loses 💗

farcille is god tier, but what is god to a nonbeliever

Izutsumi by herself vs Kabumisu (finale)

listen i love mithrun but izutsumi deserves the win. also kabru can do better

I don't speak ship names, but that's ok voting for Izutsumi anyway

[yardsards]

when characters have poofy messy but otherwise straight hair, i like to headcanon that their hair is actually naturally wavy/curly and they just don't know how to/don't care to take proper care of it. bc irl that is often the case (speaking from personal experience)

[dreadark]

compilation of some comments in official RI medical records

That's a sure sign of a diva who hasn't seen much of the real world, if you ask me. She needs a lesson in the grim reality of war and just how hard the Infected have it. Skyfire should be given more hands-on combat missions to knock some sense into her. —Medic Operator Gavial A reminder, Gavial, that all physical examinations are public record. —Dr. Kal'tsit

Well, look what we have here! Your body's pretty well built! —Gavial, admiring Eunectes

The physical exam went smoothly, but her heartbeat was abnormally fast and that confounded the data. —Gavial, clueless about Tomimi

That gal wakes up before daylight and starts training every day without exception... How can she not be in good shape? Argh, I wanna arm wrestle with her... If I get to fight her, that's even better! —Gavial, appreciating Akafuyu

If Weedy can still get infected despite all these protective measures, then life on Terra can no longer persist. —Gavial

Having that said, what are we even doing for her? Is she going to live here? Are you crazy? —Gavial, opposed to Leizi

Minor infection, nothing to be concerned about! I know my own body the best, of course. Rhodes Island's course of treatment has been effective in controlling and stabilizing the disease. However, physical performance has been affected considerably, down peak levels. Guess it's time to do some rehab... —Gavial, definitely not downplaying her own condition

Even among Vouivre, this girl has one of the most incredible bodies I've ever seen. I'm somewhat curious to see if she even can contract Oripathy at all, if her body can just tough it out... But whatever, that's probably not happening. Test it out? No, that's not an option. —Warfarin, about Bagpipe

We finally got one! An infected Vouivre! —Warfarin, about Toddifons

I was wondering what's the big deal when they told me Lungmen confiscated Ch'en's physical report. Turns out it was no big deal at all. Lame. —Warfarin, finding out Ch’en is infected

Everyday contact with Infected won't lead to Oripathy transmission, that's common sense; a majority of people don't believe this, which is also common sense. —Warfarin, in Honeyberry’s profile

What do I say? She doesn't really hide it, and she went so far beforehand as to tell me that her body probably isn't like the layman's, so I'm not overly surprised by this? Although if I could just have a little discussion with her, get her to undergo regular inspections in my office, let me draw a little blood, that's all. It wouldn't impact her in any real way. —Warfarin, wanting to experiment on Kjera Ask her yourself. —Kal'tsit

Nian insisted on entering Rhodes Island as a visitor and refused to undergo medical tests. After a series of gambling bets, dice-rolling, wrestling, and other competitions, the gathering of physiological data was finally put on indefinite hiatus. 'It's a darn shame that Gavial lost the last rock-climbing competition! We were so close to forcing her to get a medical examination. I never expected that Gavial would contribute to the medical department in such an important manner. Do your best, Gavial! There's always next year!' —Hibiscus, Medic Operator

What? She actually took a physical? Wow, she's so easy? I figured anyone Nian would haul in would be pretty much like her. Guess we're not gonna need Gavial's help this time, let her gear up for round two with Nian. Nian's idea for how to run the tests at the normal operator level had the examiner thinking of calling for a medic to shut the whole thing down. And Nian sure looked pleased with herself. She knew exactly how that would go down. But Dusk is really out of shape. Whatever, she's not taking a salary, so it's none of my business... Oh, the results match everything in the files we got. She has 'no connection' to Originium whatsoever. Not allocating any additional funds. If you're already struggling, you could always consider NOT starting a research project on some weirdo shut-in? —Closure

Miss Ling agreed to be medically tested, which we didn't anticipate. We thought she'd dodge us as hard as Nian did. She did show a sort of... laissez-faire attitude during the tests, though, so the results were all over the map. Not rigorous at all... but Miss Closure says not to mind it, so we suppose we won't. 'It's probably all the wine she drank,' was her explanation. —Medic Operator Hibiscus

Saria was my coworker at Rhine Lab. She is authoritative in the field of medical treatment, but did not become a Medic Operator. My guess is this is due to her lack of bedside manner. Just kidding. —Medic Operator Ptilopsis

Blaze, the next time you don't bring protective gear on the mission, I will have Dr. Kal'tsit forbid you from consuming alcoholic beverages. —Y.P., Medic Operator

Grani is in such good shape, even if infection was chasing her, it wouldn't be able to catch up... —A Medic Operator

Don't worry, Ms. Swire, Rhodes Island's hospital fees are quite reasonable. You only have to pay... —S.S.E., Medic Operator Any unfair charges to patients will have appropriate consequences. —Dr. Kal'tsit

Hey, this young lady can jump between buildings and punch through a wall with her bare fists. Makes sense she's in good shape, eh? —Aak, about Waai Fu

How great it is to be young. —Unnamed senior physician, envying Sideroca

Abdominal area feels pretty good on palpation. —Medic's addendum, after feeling up Ayerscarpe

Can she really do field work dressed like that? —Medical Department anonymous remark, judging Iris

In every way a person can be, he is very unsafe. —Sussurro, remarking on Tequila

That scent, it's so good... So refreshing... Ah, ah... Achoo! —A medic operator with a pollen allergy encountering Podenco

I hope we don't get too many more difficult patients like her... —A comment on Bubble’s profile

Shut-ins are bound to have a decent health advantage. —Tuye, relating to Indigo

Not good enough. I can still do better. —Folinic, about her own Oripathy

What? This is impossibly low! It would be impossible to have that little exposure to Originium! I cannot permit her to ever leave the medical department. Even if she wants to go fight, I insist she stays back! She is a special case! Anyone who loves medical science would want to see her! We must give her more exams and do a clinical analysis! Also... Come on, Dr. Kal'tsit, just this once, please! —J.A., Medic Operator, bewildered by Skadi Request denied. —Dr. Kal'tsit

Bonus:

Ahem. Everyone here? It's clear why the medical staff has assembled for this closed-door meeting... Yes, of course. You're all interested in Skadi, aren't you? Whether you are interested in her endocrine system, her skeletal system, her muscles, her nerves, or the fact that her Blood Originium-Crystal Density is almost zero... What kind of environment could foster that? What race is she? Her movement and physical functions are currently beyond our understanding, so how do they work? Right, right... Skadi has been kept a secret for too long! On behalf of Rhodes Island, all Infected people, and on behalf of science itself, we need to find answers! My plan is to put sedatives in her food... We'll work out the specific dosage, but enough for two hundred people should do, right? Then, when Skadi gets woozy, she will be taken to the nearest infirmary... And we've got her! Dissecting her would be a bit too much, but we only need a little more information to add to what Dr. Kal'tsit already has... That's it! Even if it's just a blood sample! A little bit of blood is no problem... Maybe a pinch of muscle tissue too? I think that won't be an issue, either! Everyone, don't you think...

Oh.

Dr. Kal'tsit? How long have you been here...?

—Dr. Kal'tsit discovered Warfarin's plan during her secret meeting, and fined her one month's salary.

[swallowtailed]

disco elysium! day 4!

we finally made some headway in the actual mystery (got the hardie boys and klaasje to talk), only to discover that we'd been lied to the entire time and in fact had made no headway in the actual actual mystery. (also we explored the new area probably earlier than intended.) visual calculus isn't as poetic as some of the other skills but it is always so fascinating when it pops off. also we spent quite a while debating the physics of the murder as it was described to us right before visual calculus laid out exactly what we'd been discussing.

other developments: we've started a couple intriguing new thoughts (including homosexual underground and remote sensing division); met our coworkers in shitty disguises; did very badly at telling a woman her husband was dead; got a steam achievement for getting kim to like us; learned that kim has an embarrassing past as a pinball champion??????; acquired a die that only ever tells us god has abandoned us and had a very meta discussion about failure.

also, we got two incredible leather jackets off some randos looking at kim's car. i'm trying to avoid spoilers so i don't want to search but: is there art out there of us and kim wearing the jackets; if so, please link me to your favorite one

still have no idea where we are in the game (don't tell me!). i think we could be as early as the beginning of act 2 or as late as the beginning of act 3, but this could correspond to truly any amount of in-game or out-of-game time remaining. there's so much game in this game that absorbing spoilers ambiently from my dash kind of tells me nothing

lastly: i am so, so sad we didn't win the mountain climbing pinball game. i immediately changed all our clothes to the appropriate bonus and tried again, only to learn the machine was busted. if we don't get another chance, i would fully replay this game to be able to win at pinball.

[saltyb0ba]

sometimes i think about how many scars finn has gotten

[badxsshottiexllie]

Plotted starter for @spoocys-glade-of-dreams

Ellie, riding her hover bike, was on her way to her rebellion groups hideout which was located outside of Eden. She needed to discuss what had happened to her the night before at the United of Eden. Originally, the woman had gone there to relax. However, there would be a series of events that would occur that said otherwise. The woman not only got to rescue Eden's biggest celebrity, but also got herself involved in trying to help his friend who was in a situation that was beyond her control.

"Whats the password?" A male voice said behind the door.

"Cabbage is perfect to eat in the dry heat." Ellie responded.

"Hey! Hows my favorite isekai protagonist doing?" The door opened to reveal a panda hybrid named Steven. Since he was a big fan of anime, he often referred to her as an isekai protagonist, someone who is randomly sent from one world to another.

"Oh hey Steven, pretty crazy shit happened last night. I wanted to see if mostly everyone was here to talk." The woman replied.

"Yeah, unfortunately, most of us are just doing are own thing today. So its just Cody, the boss, you and I here today." After Steven said who was here, you could see a teenage human named Cody playing a gaming PC. You could also see the boss, a human woman around Ellie's age named Natalie, reading a book.

"Sup Ellie, how did last night go?" Natalie asked, putting her book down.

"Hey boss, uh...well...thats what I wanted to talk to everyone about..." The redhead scratched behind her head.

Natalie got up and gently nudged Codys shoulder so that he could listen too since he was wearing headphones. "Ellie's got something to tell us."

The teenager took off his headphones and looked into Ellie's direction and gave a brief yo in greeting.

"So last night, I went to the United of Eden to relax. Well...I thought that was going to happen. I stopped a fight from happening there. You'll never guess who I saved..." There was a bit of a pause before she revealed who it was due to awkwardness. "It was none other than everyones favorite poster boy himself....Rayman..."

"WHAAAAAAT?!?!" Steven, Natalie, and Cody said in unison. They couldn't believe what they just heard.

"But why? You do know the risks involved in associating with him right?" Natalie told her.

"Like that hasn't been drilled a million times in my brain before. But I couldn't just stand there and do nothing. He needed help. Anyway, theres this other part of it where he asked me to help his friend Mona Lisa, whose in a situation thats beyond her control."

"Mona Lisa as in...the famous painting? That Mona Lisa?" Steven asked confusingly.

"Not to be confused with the painting of the same name." The redhead corrected. "Its her stage name and believe it or not shes a limbless like Rayman. But thats not the important thing right now. Shes in a situation involving Hoyt Volker. Do you guys know who he is?"

The trio had a mixture of pale expressions and disgust. Natalie, however, was the one to speak up between the three.

"Human trafficking." Natalie spoke softly. "Murphy told me about it. Its really gross."

"Murphy? Whose that?"

"Hes someone who works with us but hes from another resistance group like ours. Hoyt Volker offers good paying jobs but its disguised as selling them to Eden for work or other crime bosses."

"No way..." The gingers eyes widened at this new discovery. She needs to tell Rayman this asap! This was huge! "Boss! You are a live saver, thank you!" Ellie gave her boss a big hug and stormed out the door.

The rebel hopped on her hover bike making her way back to Eden. Once she got back safely and into her apartment, she made sure to give Rayman a call. "I wonder if he'll pick up..."

[scout036]

Two comms i finished recently!! Thanks so much to those who ordered :} I still have one slot left!!

@gogogo956 | @fatcat4t4

[diosmaden]

Thoughts on Character Design & Shapes

A little while ago, @scarffles asked me if I would talk about my character design process, how I utilise shapes/silhouettes, and if my process has changed since I last talked about it roughly 10 years ago on a completely different blog (it has LMAO).

So, here I am to talk about just that!

Truth be told, the silhouette & shapes of my characters are not actually something I think about very early on in the process.

When I design a character, I go through 3 phases—body, face, outfit. The last phase is where I begin to think about shapes, but quite a lot of time goes into the first two.

--

Prelude

For me personally, it's very important to me that my characters feel like real people—in both how I write them, and also what they look like.

It's not necessarily about them being realistic (although my art has certainly taken a more realistic slant as of late and that is related)—I mean, a significant chunk of them are demons, they're certainly not realistic I am very much making fantasy characters—but that they feel like.. people.

Like they've lived the lives that they've lived, and it has made them who they are, and like you could just kind of? Meet a person like that, under the right circumstances?

It's like... I don't really ever see myself in media, and the people i love, my friends, my family, there's such a wide variety of people i know that i really am not seeing reflected back? And this void is what makes me want to create in the first place. It's a void that shouldn't be there.

So, if people can see themselves in my art, people like myself, my mother, my friends, those who are so often told they should not exist at all, then I've succeeded at something, i think. It's a philosophy so intrinsic to my design process that it's impossible to talk about my approach without talking about this first, as it underpins every decision that I make!

---

Phase 1: Body

So when I design a character i have at least some vague idea of the kind of life that theyve lived and the sort of person that they are. This effects their physique to some extent, i.e. it determines whether or not i make them buff (my characters who sail, for example, have more muscle mass than those that don't), but also importantly it effects how they carry themselves.

A character's body language is one of the very first things I think about—how a character moves, how they interact with the world, to me it's the core of depicting them as a person. We talk a lot about silhouette in character design, an oft forgotten part of this i feel is the character's body language!

As an example here are some of my girlies—physically they have various different physiques, but even those who are similar have different ways of holding themselves.

---

Phase 2: Face

A characters face I put a lot of thought into—I try to think of a face that I haven't really drawn before. It's not so much that I'm avoiding "same-face" so much as everyones face is just so wonderfully different, you know? Some faces have sharper features, some are softer, some faces look older and some younger... It's fun to explore the different kind of faces there can be :)

I know it's pretty common to have faceclaims for your characters, but personally i don't really have those—I just think about the different kind of features I've seen and combine them to create new faces... A little bit like making miis, honestly. But with like, real people faces. (Even when my work was more abstracted i was still thinking of real people faces!)

My hot tip: the nose carries in it so much life and character, and shapes the rest of the face! It is into a character's eyes and nose that i put the most thought, personally. A lot of art seems to kind of diminish the nose until its almost not there (including a lot of my own older art), but personally speaking i have a big nose... And every time i draw a new nose it delights another person who has a similar nose :) So I'm doing my best to get better at drawing them 😤

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Phase 3: Outfit

Tip: while figuring out designs especially for outfits and hairstyles, i use the symmetry ruler to save some time while i try new things. I disable snapping when i want to break the symmetry! I like to have a mix of symmetrical and asymmetrical elements in a design.

A fun place to add some asymmetry is in the hair, but symmetrical hairstyles are easier to figure out from different angles... I dont have any specific advice for designing hairstyles i just go buckwild and make it look like theres logic to it after the fact LMAO..

Anyway! Let's actually talk about shapes!

The majority of my characters have multiple outfits—i simply like to dress up my little guys ❤️

but every character starts with one outfit, their hashtag #look if you will, which then influences every other outfit i make them.

My process for designing these outfits is as follows:

1. I first answer this question: what image does this character consciously project?

E.g.: Tempest is a woman who cares a lot about her image and projects an aura of confidence and self assurance, whereas Callisto does not and projects an aura of unimportance and humbleness.

Ergo Tempest's outfit is carefully chosen by herself to create the image she wants to project and is bold and eyecatching, whereas Callisto does not want to draw attention to herself and as such she wears much more subdued clothing.

2. By this point in time i know who this character is or at the very least their concept, and ergo i have a solid idea about what their aesthetic vibe is

E.g. pirate, fruity wizard, goth, etc

So i open up pinterest and i begin to make a fashion board for this character.

I look at a mixture of real world fashions both modern and historical for this, as well as LARP fashion for that specific fantasy flavour. It's a good idea to draw from a wide variety of influences, including those that do not fit the specific vibe you are going for.

Note: I do not look at other fantasy/concept art for this.

The reason is, quite a lot of fantasy art is like a one-time image, and a lot of concept art is very removed from reality, so a lot of the time things only work from one specific angle and don't have any underlying logic to them.

Being that all my characters are created for a comic, I need to be able to draw them from any angle. I am not a costume designer, I do not know how to make clothes. But looking at real life clothing ensures everything I design is at least drawing inspiration from something that can be physically worn, so it gives my outfits some grounding in reality.

The further abstracted your sources get, the less grounded in reality your designs will become—which for me personally and my specific tastes and goals, is not desirable.

3. Look for recurring motifs in what makes up the specific aesthetic vibe you're going for

(e.g. pirates: fancy jackets, loose cotton shirts, sashes and belts),

4. Fashion is all about the shapes you create with the clothes that you wear.

Different fashion trends are all about what shape is currently considered "in"—it's not about "high waisted pants", its about the new shape that the higher waistband creates.

To create fantasy outfits that feel fresh, look at current and past fashion trends and figure out what shape theyre creating—then recreate that using the motifs you found and try use other kinds of clothing not necessarily often used to create this shape.

Tempest's outfit recreates the high waisted shape with a sash tied around her waist. Her loose poet shirt obviously creates the same shape as a loose jumper being tucked in, but I cropped the front of her jacket short and gave it large sleeves to create the same shape.

This is why its good to draw from a variety of influences—it gives you a wider pool of shapes to draw from, and you can then combine them to create something new! I may be designing a pirate character, but the shapes are pulled from modern fashion.

5. When creating another outfit for a character, using a new shape can be used to symbolise a drastic change, while maintaining the same shape but changing the overall value can symbolise a more subtle shift.

For example, a drastic change of shape can be used to supplement a character arc with a more extreme change, or perhaps supplement a situation wherein there is a drastic shift in how a character is acting or the role they are performing even if they as a person have not changed.

On the other hand, maintaining the same shape but changing the value balance of the outfit can indicate a more subtle change—such as a character slowly letting their walls down! Hairstyle too is great for this, such as a character slowly letting down their hair as the story progresses... A pun and a great way to gradually change their shape :)

Or, another way to put it—keeping the same shape will keep the same general vibe, while changing the shape will create an entirely new vibe.

Here's some examples of this in action!

Lavandula is simultaneously a very guarded woman with a very controlled image who does not like to let any of her true self show through, and also a woman who is incredibly transparent and easy to read the second you find the crack in the mask.

She has two very drastically different shapes that she alternates between because she is as a person, very extreme. I wanted her silhouette while wearing her full regalia to be extremely distinct from any other character I have bc she is not in the least bit subtle ❤️

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Charity and Rosalie don't specifically have arcs as their story happened in the past and it isnt relevant to the events of Heart of the Storm as their role in this story is a supportive one, but their past is still reflected/contrasted in their current designs!

Rosalie especially I think is a good example of using a different shape in a different context to show a shift in how she's acting, but not in her actual arc itself. She just shifts roles for a little bit :)

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I hope that was at least a little insightful! In short, i try to reflect reality in my characters physiques and faces, and then it's in their outfits that I then create and play around with shapes.

Other tutorials and thoughts like these that I've written on things like drawing hands, thumbnailing and panelling comics, poses, and a variety of other topics can be found here: https://diosmaden.art/tutorials

And you can also leave me a tip or grab my brushes n other resources from my ko-fi here! https://ko-fi/harrie

[throwawaydracula]

So, most of you who have been following me for a while will have noticed that I'm a personal fan of Van Helsing as a character. I like him a lot, I have a strong attachment to the character. Maybe I put a more positive spin on him than I sometimes should, maybe I let my feelings get the better of me. But this entry, the 13 September entry, is what cemented my positive impression of him.

I've talked about how Van Helsing subverts what we expect from the Old Supernatural Expert. When I first read this entry as a teenager, I had already consumed an awful lot of horror media, most of it fairly bog-standard and derivative (didn't stop me from enjoying it). I was used to certain conventions. Mrs. Westenra's accidentally wrecking things while having good intentions didn't surprise me, that's a very common trope. What did surprise me-- what stuck with me-- is that Van Helsing didn't start ranting and raving and calling her a stupid old woman, even in private.

That's in character with the Old Supernatural Expert, raving against stupidity. I fully expected Van Helsing to start doing it, and I would have been pretty uncritical at the time. Now of course it's obvious he should have told Mrs. Westenra the flowers were medicinal in the first place; garlic in various forms has a long pedigree as a medicine, that's probably why it's got positive supernatural associations. As he does now, he could have done it before in such a way that it wouldn't seem too shocking. But it's the prerogative of the Old Supernatural Expert to rave against stupidity, and let's be honest-- it's pretty maddening that Mrs. Westenra's very first impulse was to assume the flowers were somehow harmful and remove them all, especially since she flatters herself thinking she's been just as helpful as the doctors.

When I first read this book, I expected Van Helsing to do some good old fashioned railing against the stupidity he has to contend with. But he doesn't.

"God! God! God!" he said. "What have we done, what has this poor thing done, that we are so sore beset?

Now, this could be read a few different ways; The first time I read it, I took it forthrightly to be Van Helsing lamenting that they messed up by not telling Mrs. Westenra what was going on. And of course there's the rhetorical 'what have we or Lucy done to deserve this?' But when he goes on talking about "fate amongst us still, sent down from the pagan world of old", I think what he is referring to is the ancient Greek concept of hubris. Hubris was more than arrogance to the Greeks, it was placing yourself outside the natural order of things, disregarding the personal limits that come with being human, thinking you didn't need to worry about gods, fate, or nature.

And as I have mentioned elsewhere, Van Helsing's core flaw is how much he takes his ability to control the situations around him for granted. As much good as he wills, he doesn't always take all the precautions he might when it comes to the behavior of others-- he didn't instruct John explicitly to sleep during the day so as not to be worn out at night, and he didn't tell Mrs. Westenra the flowers were medicinal. In both cases, perhaps he assumed they would behave in what seemed to him a sensible manner-- what frankly would have been a sensible manner. But he could have talked to them. And Lucy is suffering because he didn't. Hubris is punished by Nemesis. I think that is how Van Helsing perceives the current situation; I think he is somewhat aware of his own flaws, even if he doesn't connect all the dots. Working in theatre as Stoker did, I think it's not unreasonable to posit that that's the formula he had in mind.

Van Helsing could foist all the blame for what's happened on Mrs. Westenra, but he doesn't. Not even privately. Oh, let me be frank: It would be pretty cathartic if he did start cussing her out the moment she left the room. But the fact that he doesn't endears him to me. After his minor breakdown, he immediately goes to help Lucy, and doesn't waste any more breath casting aspersions. That's a rare quality in a person. He even feels sorry for Mrs. Westenra, and acknowledges she only did what she did because she thought she was helping.

Perhaps I'm reading too much into this-- wouldn't be the first time. But here is where I see that 'all-embracing sympathy' come to the fore, and I think it's something valuable. To borrow a phrase: He charm me.

[skitskatdacat63]

2009 Australian Grand Prix - Jenson Button(ft. Rubens Barrichello & Jarno Trulli)