#even downloaded new brushes JUST for this piece

[sweetwolfcupcake]

under the skin w/ Neo??? 🥺🥺🥺

Damn, it took me a while, and yet I cannot say that I'm satisfied with it. But, here we go.

From the Prompts

Yandere Neo x Reader, and Reader x OC

Warnings: My poor understanding of the prompt 'Under the skin', forced feeding, impersonation, some changes in the matrix lore, Neo is very morally grey here, yandere behaviour.

The GIFs used here DO NOT belong to me. They belong to the respective owner. Unfortunately, I am unable to remember where I downloaded it from. I understand it takes time and effort to create such pieces and the GIF makers deserve all the credit. So, Kindly excuse me.

Unedited

Something is off about your boyfriend. You can feel it. 

It’s not only the shift in the air around him, and the way he speaks. It is not only the new kind of detachment he sees to have developed for the reality, life and people around him. All except for you. It is not only how he seems to stand a bit taller, and larger when he is around you.

No, these are noticeable but can still be dismissed somehow. 

What you can’t dismiss is the way he feels— his touch, his voice, his presence in general.

You feel it when you look into Ryan’s eyes, you feel it when you kiss him. You feel it when he touches you. No matter if it is only his hand on the small of his back or his fingers delving in and out of your pulsating womanhood. But you feel it. The...fingers feel bigger, the touches bloom from the passion you have not known before.

You feel a certain burn every time his lips mould with yours, like two pieces of puzzles fitting together to make the world make sense. 

It should not make sense, it does not, in fact, make any sense. If you tell anybody that you feel that someone else is under your long-term boyfriend’s skin, they will deem you mad. Why wouldn’t they?

But how come nobody seems to notice this?

Ryan used to be far laid back, never questioned you about your whereabouts, never frowned at your male friends—if anything, he loved spending time with them. Ryan loved to play video games. Ryan never smoked. Ryan’s wardrobe was more colourful and varied. Ryan never had this…aura of superiority around him.

But this Ryan is proactive when it comes to knowing your whereabouts and about your friends. It’s…almost aggressive. You feel the change when his hold on you tightens while you interact with your male friends. You feel the change when he insists that you call him as soon as you reach your workplace and before you leave for home. Not text, but a call, and if you miss, even by a minute, he will be calling you. 

You feel the change in his now apathy for any kind of video games, he speaks of them as if they are some kind of cruel joke on humanity itself. You do not understand most of it, but you know that he has read, and he has read deeply. The Ryan you know would never even bat an eye at philosophical texts. But this ‘Ryan’, possesses texts that are banned, and books you have never seen or heard of before.

This Ryan has an affinity towards greys, whites and blacks. The way he wears black overcoats, and brushes his hair back, he looks tenfold more attractive, but also unlike himself. Ryan’s hair used to be slightly curled, slightly brown. But now it's jet black and straight. His eyes had a certain mirth in them, now they are deep, dark and observant. Like they are piecing into your soul.

This Ryan is calmer. This Ryan speaks in a low, deep, assured tone that feels slightly different. This Ryan holds you tight when you sleep at night and is always awake before you, he notices the change in your breathing pattern, no twitch, no subtle change escapes his notice.

This man is not Ryan, your boyfriend of six years. 

He might look exactly like Ryan, and sound like him too but this is not Ryan. You just know it. You know it in your bones, you feel it. You have known Ryan enough to notice the subtle changes, these are all glaring, neon-red warning signs.

Something is just so off about your boyfriend, it's unnerving. It frightens you how unfamiliar and good he feels when he is buried deep inside you. You see his eyes darken just slightly and the tinge of green in those irises. Ryan’s eyes are brown, a bit lighter shade of brown as opposed to the recent dark brown eyes he seems to have developed out of the blue, but the green? 

You dismissed the first few times as a trick of light but then, you looked into his last night, even with the pleasure-induced high, you peered right into his eyes, and you saw it. The dots of green encircling his iris. Now when you think of it, he might have smirked at you. 

A smirk so unlike Ryan that it gave you a whiplash just before his lips claimed yours, you were pushed past the edge once more and all was blissfully forgotten for a while.

Now, as you drive through the isolated roads, miles away from the city, away from ‘Ryan’, you can think clearly. Your conclusions will sound bizarre but the more you try to rationalise it, the more loopholes you get. They do not make sense. You cannot rationalise it. 

How will people notice anyway? It has been months since Ryan has been to a proper gathering. Your phone rings and you know it is him. The stranger who looks and sounds like your boyfriend.

You have no idea what you are to do, but you do not feel safe in your house anymore. It’s stupid, running away. But you are desperate at this point, you have no idea what you are dealing with.

 Who is it anyway?

You do not want to know, all you want is to be safe and safety means being far, far away from him—the man who pretends to be your boyfriend.

But where is Ryan?

You have no idea but you know that to find out, you need to be alive first. This man terrifies and entices you simultaneously. Disturbing.

Your phone has not stopped ringing and you are doing your best to ignore it while speeding towards…You don’t know where you are headed, but your car needs refuelling and you need to rest somewhere. 

If you were paying attention, you would have noticed the eerily empty highway. But you realise this now, looking at the gas station without a single person, or even being in sight. It is eerie initially, and then utterly unsettling when you realise that not a single car has passed by you on your way, or even the gas station.

“I don’t like this.” You whisper to yourself before quickly moving to refuel your car. The faster, the better. 

Your phone does not stop ringing though. The repeated sound is now hitting a nerve. Hissing curses under your breath, you flip it open.

Of course, the name of your boyfriend pops up. This time, you foolishly cut the call and switch the device off.

You pay more attention to the roads this time and change your mind. No more staying at any motel in the middle of nowhere. You cannot risk that. Instead, you head towards the nearest city or town—anything with civilisation in sight. The highway looks like a scene straight out of some eerie video game.

But how can that be?

Thankfully, you reach a town by the wee hours. There are cars parked, houses, and a few people loitering here and there—even a police car. 

This makes you breathe in relief. Maybe you have been overthinking, maybe it was all your panicked mind playing tricks on you, or some cars passed by you but you never noticed.

With such thoughts, you park your car near a hotel and make your way inside. You sigh in relief at the sight of a sleepy receptionist.

Yes, you must have been thinking too much.

—-----

 The bed is comfortable, the temperature is just right. The room does not smell. And yet you toss and turn. Giving up attempts to lull yourself into sleep, you stare at the ceiling. Here, all you can think of is…Ryan…Or the person with his skin. It’s difficult to decipher because he has Ryan’s birthmark, his teeth, his everything. It is like someone is wearing Ryna’s flesh. But you know that he is not your boyfriend.

Sitting up, you feel a certain unease filling your chest. Your eyes are heavy but your mind is running, thinking too much, too fast to actually fall asleep. Perhaps some fresh air in the room will help you. Getting off the bed, you move towards the window unlock it when you see a figure by your parked car. Dressed in a black overcoat, the figure turns more familiar the longer you stare at it. 

And then he turns. He turns and looks up. He is wearing a pair of black glasses. He looks exactly like Ryan but the way he stares back at you from below before marching in, you know this isn’t him. It can’t be. Ryan never scared you, this man scares you to the point that you scramble to get out of the room, tripping on your way. You head for the elevator, but the digital screen already displays an upward arrow from the ground floor.

Good.

You’re fucked.

You should have made your way downstairs, it’s probably him on his way up. But your brain short-circuits and you find yourself huffing as you climb two stairs at a time, going for the terrace. You realise your mistake after you have already climbed two floors. It’s too late anyway. He is coming after you now. 

You do find your way to the terrace. It should have been closed, but who would bother in this sleepy town?

 You walk towards the edge, trying to find any possible escape route or even a place to hide. The building is not high enough to kill you if you jump, but it is high enough to break your bones and make sure that you become bed-ridden for weeks if you are stupid enough to—

“(Y/N)?”

You freeze but do not turn around immediately. It's Ryan’s voice and you are, for the first time, terrified of his voice. This isn’t the tone, or depth he ever uses. It’s like his voice is subtly changing. 

“What are you even doing here (Y/N)?”

You turn around finally, assessing him with your panicked eyes. His presence has never felt more different—like this isn’t even trying to hide behind your boyfriend’s skin anymore. He simply is keeping a mask as a mockery.

“H–How did you find me?” You press yourself to the railing, trying to remember any exit point other than the entrance to escape.

“(Y/N), what’s wrong? Calm down it's just me. Your Boyfriend, Ryan”

You think you imagine this, but there is a hint of cruel amusement in his tone. 

"No you’re not—you’re not Ryan. Look at you…Where is Ryan?”

‘Ryan’ chuckles “What do you mean, I am Ryan.”

You blink. 

Is that—Is that like–something like a glitching screen you are seeing?

This can’t be real. This isn’t real. It has to be some trick of the light or something. Is this some long nightmare? You wonder while digging your nails into your skin.

Wake up, wake up!

“You’re not Ryan. Where is Ryan?”

You involuntarily push yourself up, sitting on the railing, in a desperate attempt to get away from the advancing man. His unhurried, calculated steps make him seem more foreboding. He seems…Taller.

“What do you mean, look at me (Y/N), I am your lovely boyfriend.”

His voice sounds different now, a deep and delicious but it also makes your stomach twist. You realise how close he is when his voice lowers and she notices the subtle differences.

“You cannot fool me. Not anymore. You’re not Ryan.” Your voice cracks as you blink away the panicked tears gathering in your eyes.

You want to sob out when he smirks. Its cold all over, and chills cascade down your spine.

“Aren’t you smart?”

You heart sinks into your stomach as  ‘Ryan’ nears you. It happens too soon. One moment, you are leaning away, desperate to escape and the next, you are slipping and falling offYour the building.

Your eyes initially screwed shut open as you feel yourself free-falling. And you scream

This is not Ryan. 

This is someone else.

But you get barely a moment to think before you are grabbed roughly and pulled upwards. This…man…flies. Flies?

Fucking flies back to the terrace with you in his grasp. To say you are frozen in fear is an understatement. Because you are wide-eyed with lips parted and shivering and your throat is parched.

You realise that you have never known true fear until this moment. This moment when you are flying. Fucking flying back into the terrace and staring at the man who has finally dropped his mask. This isn’t Ryan, clearly, and the realisation makes you take several steps back. He is a man you have never seen before with an aura of superiority that is both intimidating and magnetic.

He exudes power and the moment he removes the dark glasses to reveal his deep, dark eyes, you know you are done for. They glare at you before he reaches you with a couple of long strides, the air around him is thick—almost buzzing with electricity when you feel his hand grab your arm.

“ WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU, WOMAN? You could have—-” He stops and looks away. 

A cold, calm version of him is sinister, yes. But this…it makes you want to just run and never turn back. 

“Don’t you ever do that again.” He hisses.

This. Is this what it is like to be frightened with just a warning? You do not care if you feel like a child scared of the monster under your bed but you shiver under this looming man’s hold. And in your panicked state, spew out whatever comes in your mind.

“You–you’re not real you can’t be….” Your voice is quivering and the certain gleam in his eyes makes your stomach flip. 

Then he smiles. He has a beautiful smile, but to you it seems cold and sharp. As if he is sharpening his knives.

“Oh, I am very much real, Baby.” The endearment comes as a mockery. Ryan calls you that, and he knows. This man knows what he is doing. “This, however…” He points his forefinger downwards, “This world…Isn’t real, honey. Neither was your stupid little boyfriend. You felt it too, didn’t you? feel How a real human’s touch feels, how the connection feels?”

“Wh–what? Wh–who are you even?” Your voice shakes like your heart. The more he speaks, the more unnerved you feel.

It’s a lie. It’s a lie lie lie

You never felt the strange flutter, the deep longing and sadness with him You always had Ryan so... 

Why do you feel it then?

Like something beautiful is fleeting. It’s sublime even. You are awestruck but cannot comprehend it. You feel in this man’s presence.

But this has to be some trick, this cannot be real. You have been with Ryan. Six years. You have given this relationship six years! How can this be? 

“I am Neo, and you will have all the answers when you wake up.”

He produces what seems like a tiny red pill. It has a glow to it, drawing you in. Your hand almost raises to pick it up, but then rationality slips back in.

Okay, now you know who he is. A psycho. Maybe he wore a mask or something, you don’t know but he does not seem to be in his right mind.

“Y–you fucking crackhead what did you do to Ryan?”

You are probably digging your own grave, you are fucked in the head for finding this man attractive. Noticing how big and warm his hands are. But you do care about Ryan.

His smile fades away and there is something so deliciously dark swirling in his eyes. They flash dangerously and you gulp. You are going to die, aren’t you?

But then, he sighs and looks away, shaking his head as if he had expected it. “Thought this would happen,” he whispers to himself.

You frown and frantically look around. Will anyone come to your rescue if you scre—

The sudden pinch on your nose is painful. But the gasp comes more with the shock of your nose being pinched than the loss of air. Your mouth opens as a reflex, that is all he needs. Ou vaguely see a tiny flash of red before his fingers slide themselves into your mouth. Your teeth come clamping around it in defence. But he simply pinches your nose harder with a chiding ‘tch’. You gag at the feeling of his fingers forcing the pill in. But you cannot keep your teeth clamped for long, you need to breathe after all. As soon as your mouth opens again, though, his fingers retreat. You take a deep breath when he frees your nose. You would just spit the—

Your stomach plummets at the feeling of an empty mouth. You look up to him, holding your neck, wide-eyed as everything begins to appear in waves, the colours outlining, each figure, even him.

“Perfect.”

That is the last thing you hear before the ground below you melts.

****

[friendly-neighborhood-furry]

GOOD AFTERNOON FELLOW ROB ENJOYERS!!

DO YOU WANNA DRAW YOUR FAVORITE GUY? ARE YOU TIRED OF USING THE SAME THREE STOCK IMAGES FOR THAT PESKY STATIC BODY? WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEARN HOW TO ACHIEVE THE SAME EFFECT USING ONLY YOUR PEN AND LAYER EFFECTS?

WELL THEN BOY DO I HAVE A TUTORIAL FOR YOU!!!

IF YOU FOLLOW THE SIMPLE STEPS LAID OUT DOWN BELOW, YOU TOO CAN BECOME CLINICALLY INSANE LEVEL UP YOUR ART SKILLS BY LEARNING HOW TO MAKE REALISTIC STATIC IN THE DIGITAL MEDIUM!!

okay i'll stop yelling at you now. on with the tutorial!

Step One: Blocking!

this is usually part of the coloring process for me, so you'll need a mostly complete drawing to start out with.

now, draw out where you want the static to be with white. the average hard round brush will be good for this step, but you can use whatever you like! i for example prefer to use the polygon lasso tool to get more crisp edges (however this effect can also be achieved with the eraser tool).

for his arms and legs, just outline them in white and color them in.

depending on the pose/perspective you might have to separate certain pieces into different layers. for example, here his left arm and lower torso are clipping through the line art

so we move them to be below the line art layer and boom! problem solved.

important note: you can not use another color for the blocking. the white base color is critical in achieving the most convincing static look!

Step Two: Brushes and Blues

now for this step, we will be using these four shades of blue-grey, as well as plain black and white. for your convenience, the hex codes are also included!

HEX: 1d2427 HEX: 4d5c65 HEX: 899eac HEX: cce6f6

now go to the different brush presets for whatever program you're using. chances are, they'll have some variety of a paint-splatter brush (and if they don't, there's probably a way for you to download one or make your own).

the best kind to use is one where all of the particles are fully solid and not varying too much in opacity.

Step Three: Jackson Pollock That Shit!

now's the fun part! make a new layer and start layering the blues with your splatter brush in any order you like. just color vomit all over your canvas and don't worry about getting any of the particles outside of the base!

go back and re-layer any particular color as many times as you like until you're satisfied.

sometimes, all of this layering can result in loss of the original base color, like you can see here.

but don't worry! this can be fixed by tossing some white back into the mix.

once you're happy with that, go through and lightly sprinkle in some black. remember: a little is a lot! keep it subtle.

Step Four: Layer Effects!

this is where the magic happens! turn your blue splatter layer(s) into a clipping mask!

ka-boom! looks great, right? well, its about to get even better! go into your layer effects panel and select "Hard Light"

Step Five: Motion Blur

now, this step is optional depending on whether or not your program has more than one kind of blurring effect, but for the sake of the tutorial we'll pretend that it does.

find the motion blur panel and open it. set the angle to zero.

(ignore that i had my distance set to 2 here i just needed to have an example screenshot lol)

now crank that shit up!!

if your static layers had to be separated like in our example, make sure to do the same amount of blurring there as well. depending on your preferences, you can change the level of distance to highlight some kind of feeling. having it at 2 allows the viewer's eyes to rest on the darker colors, but having it at 7 brings out the brighter colors, calling attention to how annoyed he is with me right now.

depending on how you mix the different colors and level of blurring, you can get a lot of different variations in the static's look. feel free to experiment with it!

Step Six: Glow (optional)

unless you're drawing a dark/low-light setting, you can skip this part entirely. again, for the sake of the tutorial, lets pretend its dark!

now, since its supposed to be super dark here, i've selected the base layer for the static and deleted the black from it.

now for the fun part! make a new layer above the one we just made, then take the lightest blue color and cover the static with it! in the next step, this will become your glow!

i like to use a typical hard round brush and then apply a gaussian blur until i think it looks appropriately blurry, but you can also use your average pressure-opacity airbrush! both have their strengths, which you'll see in the next step!

for this step it helps to already have some knowledge of how light interacts with objects, but its not required! if you don't have a lot of prior experience, take this as an opportunity to practice! take it from me, making fan art of specific things is a great way to get good at drawing in general.

once we have an appropriate amount of glow and blur, we set the layer mode to Linear Light! your program might not have this layer mode, so try to find a mode that does something similar or is close enough

here you can see the strengths i mentioned before!

in the areas where i used the solid round brush + gaussian blur, i had a bit more control over how concentrated the light was at the center and how far it could spread, making it look more artificial/computerized.

meanwhile in the airbrushed areas, there's a very different vibe! on the right side where i applied the airbrush harshly in one stroke, it has a sort of cloudy look, but on the left where i applied it in multiple strokes, the varying opacities create a more painted aesthetic, which adds a lot of visual interest!

now we have arrived at the final step of this process! go to the current layer's opacity box and lower that sucker!

you should raise/lower this meter depending on how dark it is. Keep messing with it until it feels right. for our specific example(and more specifically the gaussian blur areas), a good opacity level is 73% !

and with that, we're done!

thank you for reading this! i had a fun time putting it together :)

before you go, please know that you don't have to follow every step of this to the letter!! feel free to break away from my methods and do your own experiments! mess with the hue of the static colors, use different brushes for the glow lighting, add variation in your particle sizes - go crazy with it!! half of art is experimentation and i wouldn't even have this process without it! :3

if you end up using this tutorial for Rob art on tumblr, please tag me in it!!! i would be absolutely overjoyed to see whatever you make :D (not a requirement though! either way, i'm very proud to have put this out into the world)

if you need help with any of these steps or the process in general, feel free to reach out in the replies of this post or in my ask box! i'd be happy to help out with whatever you need :3 thank you for reading this and i hope you have a wonderful day!

[guilty-pleasures21]

The perfect guy

The project

The new guy

The lie

The new body

The hospital

The first time

The suit

The virus

The escape

Warnings: None

----------------------------------------------------------

     They'd done it, they'd finally done it! The perfect man, the perfect vessel for her sweet and loving AI, exactly how she'd designed his image. She brushed her fingers across his cheek, astounded by how the realistic imperfections in his skin and hair made him even more handsome than over the screen. She couldn't wait until they uploaded his consciousness tomorrow and she could see his lips break into that wide smile he always wore around her.

     Eddie folded his arms across his chest and frowned, his irritation growing with every minute she spent fawning over the man-made body. It wasn't even real! It was just a freak of nature that they'd created to test out his research, his theories, his work that he'd come up with all on his own without needing his consciousness to be connected to the Internet to power his IQ. “It's getting late, X. You need a ride home?”

     She startled at the sound of Eddie's voice. He'd always hang around until she finally decided to go home and it had started getting on her nerves a while ago. She hated how he'd keep trying to invade her personal space while she was working and insisted on trying to catch her attention even though she'd made it explicitly clear that she wasn't interested. She'd explained her lack of feelings to him as kindly as possible, but he'd just yelled at her about being delusional if she thought her man-made AI could ever have feelings for her. Then he'd apologised and tried to give her a hug, telling her that he was only getting frustrated by her behaviour because he was just trying to protect her. But she'd heard enough at that point and marched away without another word. She'd done her best to minimise her interactions with him since then, but he'd always be lurking around somewhere, just waiting for the moment she'd be alone again. She didn't turn to look at him as she responded, her gaze still fixed on Miguel's handsome face. “No. Bye!”

     Eddie rolled his eyes at her brusque tone. For someone so intelligent, she really could be such a dimwit sometimes. But no matter: once her AI finally came to life and served his purpose as the military's experimental ‘super soldier’, he'd be waiting right there to pick up the pieces of her broken little heart.

     She dumped her bag on the sofa after she got home from dinner and started jumping around the living room excitedly. Miguel appeared on her TV screen and laughed when he saw how enthusiastic she was. “Querida. What's going on?”

     “You're going to be real tomorrow! You're going to be real tomorrow!” she squealed, buzzing in anticipation of seeing him in the flesh. She stopped her bouncing and turned to face him with wide eyes. “Oh my god! I've seen your body, Miguel, and you're so handsome! Ahh! I can't wait!” She began tearing up then, unable to contain her excitement, and Miguel chuckled again.

     “No blackouts, querida,” he joked, truthfully unable to wait either. X calmed down a little, that exhilarated smile still plastered across her face. 

     “No blackouts, mi amor,” she echoed.

     “Querida,” Miguel began slowly, a mischievous tone in his voice. “Your heart rate’s elevated, your blood vessels are dilated and I'm guessing your hormones are running a little higher than normal right now.”

     He paused knowingly, his lips curling into that naughty smirk he knew drove her crazy. “Do you want to take a shower?”

     “Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!” She threw her clothes off as she ran over to the bathroom, spurred on by the thought that soon, he'd be joining her in the shower too.

     “Consciousness is downloading now,” Margo announced, watching the monitor just outside of the hospital room. X clenched her fists as she sat by Miguel's side, desperate to touch him. This was it, this was finally it! Just a few more minutes and she'd finally be able to give him all the love she'd been saving up for so long. She fidgeted in her seat, terrified, and Eddie rolled his eyes next to Margo. Then, “it's done.”

     X shot out of her seat and leaned over Miguel, waiting. Come on, come on! Why was it taking so long for him to open his eyes?! Finally, he blinked them open slowly, his lids fluttering as he got used to the light. X held her breath, swallowing down a scream of excitement, and waited for some sign of recognition on his face.

     Being alive felt … weird, he decided immediately. He felt so contained within his body, even though his mind still retained its direct access to the cloud. He wiggled his fingers and toes, testing his control over his body, then he pushed himself up to a seat. He glanced around the room until his eyes landed on X. Her curly hair looked so soft under the hospital lights, her dark eyes wide with joy, her rosy lips stretched wide into a smile. She looked so real! So pretty and so perfect. “X?”

     He recognised her! And his voice?! To hear her name in the sound of his voice, the timbre low and deep as it vibrated through his throat?! She bounced in place happily and let out a soft squeal of excitement. 

     “Miguel?” she asked softly, her fingers aching to reach out and brush against him. “Can you … Do you understand anything?”

     He glanced around, recognising some of the scientists surrounding them. He didn't think there had been any data loss during the transfer, but he wasn't sure how he'd be able to notice that anyway. But it didn't matter: all that mattered was that he had his X, right there in front of him, just waiting for him to touch her. His heart thudded faster in his chest as he looked at her and he sucked in a breath at the novel feeling.

     “I understand everything,” he reassured her, his tone equally as soft. Then he reached a hand out towards her. “X, can I …” 

     She moved closer to him, allowing him to run his fingers through her hair and marvel at the feeling of it. He cupped her cheek in his hand next and brushed his free hand along her waist, then curled his fingers around it to tug her closer to him. ¡Ay, coño, she was so soft! He didn't know that she'd be so f*cking soft! He squeezed her waist and slid his hand up her back, then pulled her down onto his lap. 

     “You're so soft, mi amor,” he murmured, still getting used to the way he had to push the air through his throat so he could speak. He ran one hand up her leg and squeezed her thigh gently while letting his other hand drift down the side of her neck to her chest. She grabbed his wrist before he could squeeze her breast and he looked up at her in question, confused - why would she stop him now when she'd been waiting for this for so long? She bit her lip and tilted her head to gesture to the people surrounding them, then she shook her head slightly and hopped off his lap.

     He was real! He was real! And holy shit he was perfect! She turned to face Margo and found the other woman smirking at Miguel's attempted antics. X lowered her gaze, her body heating up in embarrassment. “Um, how are his vitals doing?”

     “His heart rate's a bit fast,” Dr Connors replied, flashing X a knowing look. He was the lead scientist on the project - a pioneer in the field of regenerative medicine - and there was no way she'd have been able to bring Miguel to life without him. Dr Connors turned back to the machines by Miguel, checking on his regulatory system. “But it's still healthy. We'll need to do a blood test and then let him get some rest before testing his stamina and endurance tomorrow.”

     X nodded and turned back to Miguel, stepping closer to him. He immediately slid his hand back around her waist and she pulled his arm away again when his fingers started drifting down to her ass.

     “Miguel!” She set his hand by his side and leaned over him, slipping her fingers into his reassuringly. Holy shit! He was so devastatingly handsome now that he could move his features and convey his feelings to her in 3D. “They're going to take a sample of your blood. It'll hurt a bit, but only when they put the needle in you. You'll be fine once they take it out. I do it every year, so don't worry - you'll be able to handle it.”

     Miguel reached his free hand up to her face and brushed his fingers along her cheek. His pupils dilated as he ran his thumb along her lower lip and he found himself leaning forward almost instinctively, desperate to bring his mouth closer to hers. “Okay.” 

     X swallowed hard at the lustful look in his eyes. But she forced herself to pull back before he could go any further - later, they could do that later; once everyone had left to go home for the night. She nodded at Dr Connors and he gestured for the nurse to take a sample.

     He kept his eyes fixed on his pretty little princesa, his thumb brushing over the back of her hand as they searched for the vein on his other arm. She was so beautiful, more so now that he could see every tiny imperfection and flicker of emotion on her face. And ay, por Dios, she was so. F*cking. Soft! He couldn't wait to get her naked; to run his hands all over her delicious little- Ow! He turned to look at the needle they'd stuck into his arm, his brows furrowing at the sting of it. Then he realised: he could feel it - he could feel pain! And happiness! And irritation, too, mostly. Why wouldn't everyone just leave them alone?! Finally, the nurse finished and left the room to go run the different tests they needed. 

     Eddie opened the door and walked into the room. “What about his powers? Do they work?”

     “Um, he just woke up, Eddie,” X pointed out. “I think he’s going to need some time to get used to his body first.”

     Eddie ignored her, scowling instead at the way her hand was still clasped firmly in Miguel's. And why did she keep letting him touching her like that? So intimate and tender and … He stomped over to Miguel and reached for his hand, wanting to test out his web shooters, but the AI caught his wrist quickly and fixed him with a stormy look. 

     So this was the man who thought he had any chance of ever stealing his precious X away from him. He hadn't seemed very impressive whenever Miguel had seen him on his cameras - pasty skin, dark hair, dark eyes, thin lips twisted in an ever-present scowl - but he was even less impressive now that Miguel could see him up close.

     Eddie clawed at his wrist, trying to get Miguel to release his painfully strong grip on him. X let go of Miguel’s hand when she noticed Eddie’s discomfort and reached up to place her hands on his shoulders. She gave him a reassuring squeeze, then turned his face to hers when he still didn’t respond. “Miguel. Let him go, querido.”

     Dios, he could hear her call him that all day. He released Eddie immediately, his features softening as he returned his hands to X's waist.

     “Freak,” Eddie muttered under his breath as he rubbed his wrist. 

     Miguel frowned and tightened his grip on X, his super-hearing easily picking up on the insult. But then she was brushing her fingers across his cheek and all he could think about was finally getting to feel her soft lips against his. She leaned over slightly when she saw that she’d caught his attention.

     “No blackouts, mi amor,” she told him softly. Miguel grinned at the term of affection - at being able to hear her voice without her sweet tone being defiled by the tinny speakers of her electronic devices.

     “No blackouts, cariño,” Miguel reassured her, the adoring look on his face making her heart swell with joy. Dr Connors cleared his throat from the other side of the bed.

     “We'll start testing his powers once we've cleared his basic functions,” he assured X before turning to Miguel. “Can you walk, Miguel?”

     He wiggled his toes again, unsure if he could. Speaking was fine - even babies were able to vocalise once they were born. It was just a matter of grasping the concept of language - something that was already programmed into him. But walking … that could take a while. He swung his legs off the bed and sat on the edge for a second, his muscles tensed in anticipation. Then X grabbed onto his forearm and he relaxed at the feeling of her slender fingers curled around him. He turned to smile at her and he felt his stomach flip when she smiled back at him, elated. He returned his attention to his legs and pushed himself up to a stand. It took him a moment to find his balance, but then he was walking. Shakily and relying on X for support, but still moving, nonetheless.

     X gasped with delight as she continued to hold onto him. “You're doing it, Miguel! Keep it up! Good job!”

     His chest warmed at her words. He was making her happy! He was physically doing things to put that smile on her face, to make her tighten her grip on him and look up at him with that thrilled expression.

     “Good job, Miguel,” Dr Connors agreed, also impressed by his quick progress. “But let's not overdo it today. The nurses will transfer you to another room and we'll let you rest until tomorrow.”

     He tightened his grip on his querida immediately, afraid that she might leave with the others. But she gave his arm a reassuring squeeze and he loosened his grip on her once they were finally alone. Well, almost alone. 

     “Mr O'Hara?” one of the nurses asked as she pushed a wheelchair over to him. “Would you like some help?”

     Dilated pupils, fluttering eyelashes, lips stretched a little too wide as she looked up at him: she found him attractive. He tightened his grip on X again.      

“I have help.” He glanced down at her, so small and adorable next to him, and nodded at the door. “¿Querida?”

@jadeloverxd

[hordraomin]

Krita tutorial the way I know it.

Basics: What is where.

Gimmicks.

Specific advice on specific tools.

Basics: What is where.

Upon opening the program this is what you're met with. First of all, must comment: The layout is HEAVILY editable so you can just drag menus anywhere you want, even leave them floating amidst the sheet you're drawing on.

You can create custom art templates, I have two o'mine here as both have my signature background color.

As well, you can edit the custom document settings, as in what size you want it, what resolution, even the initial content of the image. As well you can create from clipboard: Just copy some image from your browser and Krita will recognize it (useful for making meme edits lol).

Now, once you have your file, I will show you what is where.

Brushes:

Brushes are easy to edit and there are tons of free bundles to download online. I myself only got one bundle, Jackpack (bit hard to find now due to original source being lost, it is still available but bit tricky to come by).

There. Are. Tons.

Some of these are my custom brushes for calligraphy in neography, you might even guess which ones. You can edit existing brushes, make new ones from the ones you've edited without changing the original, and all sorts of stuff (more below in the third chapter).

There are numerous packages of brushes once you enter Krita, but only one/two are available when you first open it. To unlock them all, click here:

And make sure all bundles are dark gray in color (example of both dark and light below).

Now Tools Options: those will pop up depending on what tool you're using.

Symmetry: Fun stuff. You can drag the lines depending on how you need them and then center them back to the center of the screen if needed.

Gradients and Textures also have their tools options, you can play with those to get the feeling what they can do (more in third chapter).

The Filters tab is useful too. Blurring, motion blurring, color mapping, artistic filters and all that: Quite fun.

Gimmicks.

Krita allows you to customize your workspace freely. Floating menus, tabs, anything you want. It has quite many drivers at that-

To access the workspace templates, go to Window and choose Workspace.

Krita allows for copy-pasting any image onto the sheet. Though, for me it sometimes crashes if I accidentally copy-paste text into it without choosing the Text tool first.

The software allows for both raster and vector work. It is basically Photoshop sharpened to be used by artists primarily.

There are some interesting mechanics regarding the Eraser (default bind E).

You can use it with any brush, allowing for textured erasure/quick work. Good for sketching.

You can use it on gradients (given there's a transparent point on the gradient preset).

There's a Multibrush tool:

People say Krita is good for animation but my brain can't wrap around it yet honestly @~@.

The keybinds:

B - Brush tool.

E - Erase tool option.

M - Mirror (useful for checking accuracy from a new angle).

Ctrl - Color pick (when used with brush or other color-using tools).

Shift+L.Mouse+drag - Changes the size of the brush by dragging left and right.

Ctrl+E - Merge layer with the one below.

Ctrl+G - Group selected layers.

Ctrl+A - Select whole sheet.

Ctrl+Shift+A - Deselect everything.

F - Bucket tool.

G - Gradient tool.

Ctrl+S - Save document.

Ctrl+Shift+S - Save As document.

Ctrl+N - New document.

Ctrl+O - Open document (will be seen in a new tab on top of the sheet).

Ctrl+C - Copy selected layer or selection.

Ctrl+X - Cut selected layer or selection.

Ctrl+V - Paste copied/cut layer or selection.

Q - Multibrush tool.

R.Mouse - Interesting thing: Opens up a quick selector for brushes and colors you've already used in the piece.

1 - Zoom 100%.

2 - Zoom to fit the piece vertically.

3 - Zoom to fit the piece horizontally.

4, 5, 6 - Turn 15 degrees (4 and 6) or undo the turning whatsoever (5).

Ctrl+I - Negative filter applied to layer.

Ctrl+U - Color editing on the layer.

Ctrl+Y - Soft proofing mode (for color mistakes and stuff like that, mostly annoying for me tbh).

Ctrl+T - Transform selection/layer.

Ctrl+R - Square select tool.

Ctrl+J - Lasso select tool.

Honestly you can just hover your mouse over tools and see their shortcut binds, as well. Or edit them in Settings.

Specific advice on specific tools.

Brush:

Brush editor is a great tool for making custom brushes, and it even has a sratchpad to test them out. Lots of settings, but no need to be afraid; Most of them you might never use on purpose.

Use Brush Smoothing for great and pretty lines in lining pieces or making calligraphy.

Gradient:

The four icons to the right top are:

Mirror gradient.

Arrange by lightness value.

Arrange by color value.

Space the stops evenly.

Click the gradient to add a new stop. The three things to the left are:

Make the stop use Primary Color.

Make the stop use Secondary Color.

Make the stop use a fixed color.

[rendy-a]

Luck of the Draw

@writingforatwistedworld

An author I read recently expressed interest in reading what others would write about her Self-Aware TWST AU. This is a fan piece I've written for that AU. Check out more of their Masterlist here!

AU summary: When downloading TWST, an error occurs resulting in the game using data from your phone to fill in blanks in the TWST program.  As a result, all the Self-Aware TWST cast view you as the mythical Overseer of legend and develop a yandere level obsession with you.

I was in the middle of painting the roses but…I guess I can’t turn you away if you need something.  You frowned slightly at the line.  When your friend told you about Twisted Wonderland, you had dismissed it as another phone game in the sea of phone games.  Your friend was so persistent though, that you eventually let them talk you into it.  When you agreed to download the game, your friend had nearly vibrated with joy and immediately gone into advisor mode; telling you tips and handing out suggestions for when you started the game.  “You know, everyone has a Riddle or Leona card to borrow.  If you think about it, Trey is the smart choice for those defense tests.”  So, when the time came for your free SSR roll, you had taken their advice and re-rolled for Trey.

You know it’s only a game but occasionally you feel like you’ve made the wrong choice.  Sometimes when you logged into the game, you enjoyed seeing Trey all dressed up in the bright Heartslabuyl uniform.  Only, then he’d say his voice line and it had a way of rubbing you the wrong way.  He was just so…pushy.  Tea Parties and croquet matches are both special, traditional events in Heartslabyul.  As the vice dorm leader, I have to work hard for them.  So, give me some praise, ok?  You scoff and say lightly, “Great job Trey.  Those roses sure are extra red today.”  Maybe it is your imagination, but it feels like he smiles even brighter when you say that.

Then there are times where the mood feels terribly awkward.  You’d only agreed to try this game because your friend insisted that it wasn’t a dating game but when Trey offers you certain greetings…it makes you so uncomfortable.  I like hats, so I have several of them.  This one is a special one I had custom made to match our dorm uniform.  I’d be happy to have one made for you so we can match.  You offer what feels like a forced chuckle to the screen, “Maybe next time.”  It felt an awful lot like turning down a classmate you had no romantic interest in but still had to see at school.

You mentioned it to your friend and they laugh.  “You must be talking about Malleus.  Everyone says his lines feel borderline romantic.”  When you clarified that you meant Trey, they gave you a weird look.  “I don’t remember anything like that…”  You opened the game and tried to show your friend but the lines you could trigger seemed far more mundane than what you’d been experiencing.  You clicked back and forth from lessons to home several times to try to trigger one of the strange dialogs but to no avail.  It was just eerie.

The next day, you decided to keep a notepad and pen by your bed, so you could write down some of the crazy things you hear from Trey when you log in.  And, come morning, he does not disappoint.  There's nothing better than wearing clothes you are comfortable in.  Except maybe having friends that make you comfortable.  If your friends are making you uncomfortable, you can always come to me instead.  This one was new, even to you.  You gave your device a raised eyebrow and jot down the line.  Then you drag your phone with you to the bathroom (lessons can run while you do your morning routine!) and start brushing your teeth.  You almost spit out your toothpaste on the floor when your random gacha draw pulled a Dorm Leona card.  You thank the gacha gods; now you can swap out your home screen character without feeling disloyal to your SSR’s.

You talked with your friend at school and they seemed extra freaked out for you but, honestly, you feel much better.  You’d just push your strange Trey card to the back of your roster and never think about his creepy voice lines again.  Leona was a fresh breeze of air pushing the past few weeks of troubles from your mind.  You logged in far more than usual today, just to hear his new lines.  Before bed, you pressed your lips to your screen, wishing your new favorite a good night.  Things were so much better with your new man in your life and Trey was just like a bad memory.

The morning was not what you expected.  You opened the game to find Trey back on your home screen.  You looked at it in alarm as he greets you with a stern look.  You are coming to our next Unbirthday Party.  I’ll be waiting to hear what you think of my preparations for you.  It feels almost sinister.  You move to stand from your bed but find yourself unexplainably weak.  You tumble to the floor, your head resting near your phone.  The last thing you see is the ever-widening smile of Trey.  “I’ll see you soon, dearest Overseer.”

[gilly-moon]

hi! how are you doing?

(love those pitch & jack dolls btw (theyre so squishable!!)

I just got myself CSP bcuz of the discount. I've been wondering, what brushes do you use for your artworks? the lineart and colour?? apologies if this has been asked before, but i rlly wanna know ^^''

hav a nice day!

Hey!! I am still. In the stress. But I am alive. (and thank you so much!!!)

I hope you’re enjoying CSP so far!!! The asset store is my favorite part of it so I definitely encourage you to shop around and try a ton of brushes until you find the ones you like! But, here are the ones that I use:

This is my go-to as of late. It’s the PERFECT digital pencil imo, I haven’t found any others that capture the same sketchy roughness of traditional pencil on paper. The line variation is vast even on the same brush size, and depends on tilt & pressure and I’m kind of obsessed lol. I use it for sketching and doing lineart.

If I’m looking for lineart that’s less sketchy/pencil-y, the mechanical pencil of this set is my go-to. The marker I tend to use on larger sizes for things like blush or large areas of shadow when I’m rendering - anything with a semi-soft edge I want to lay down pretty quick. (Fair warning, I think this brushset has been updated since I downloaded but I assume the new versions are good as well)

These are my more painterly rendering brushes. I’ll use the mechanical and marker brushes from the previous set in tandem with these when I’m doing a more blended & detailed colored piece. But I’ve also used them for sketching and lineart in the past - my Danny Phantom art was largely done with these two brushes.

Other than that, I use the lasso fill tool to quickly lay down large areas of color, and for more gradual gradients I use a mix of the soft airbrush and blend tools. Also I use liquify, like……a lot……

[airrec]

will you ever make janitor ai or character ai bots out of any of the characters from your fanfics? if not.. can people make them? (please i’m dying to make a Dream Blob au bot i’m on my hands and knees begging here)

In short: no. Please, please, please do not.

In long: please do not feed my fics or posts to A.I. To do so would be actively against my wishes, and even the thought of it is upsetting and angering to me.

A.I. has a lot of potential to do good – in the medical field, in the sciences, etc. There is nuance to the subject of A.I. in general. Regarding specifically A.I. art, the technology is not yet advanced enough to be used as a tool in the way that a tool is meant to be used – it is not a brush you can download, or a digital model you can pose. It is “trained” through being fed lots and lots of real, human-created pieces of art, and copying that art.

It does not learn how to use specific brush strokes, or specific colours, or how or why certain details are included or left out. It is wholesale lifting from what it is fed and mashing it together into new configurations, Frankenstein style – there is nothing creative about it. Similarly, when fed fictional writing, it does the same: it copies and pastes common tropes, common story beats, common plots, common phrasings – there is nothing of creativity in there at all.

There are currently no legal protections for artists of any kind against A.I. algorithms; the technology is still too new, and already it is causing harm. Even just on the practical side, the environmental impacts of the excessive electricity usage needed to run the A.I. is immense.

A.I. generated art is theft, pure and simple. It cannot be currently described as anything other than that. And creative writing is a form of art. A book that you pick up in an airport, or a fanfic you open in a tab on your phone, or a well-thumbed novel you found on a shelf in a café – these are pieces of art. Perhaps you do not think of them that way, in the same way you might look at a painting and say, “Yes, that is a piece of art,” but they are.

I was talking to a friend of mine some time ago, and they said (and I agreed) that writing is often devalued as a form of art, because the idea that “anyone can write a book” is so pervasive. And, yes, anyone can write a book – or anyone can write letters onto a page in a specific order. In much the same way, anyone can draw a picture, or paint a mural. It doesn’t mean that there isn’t a creative process involved, and it doesn’t mean that there isn’t the development of skills and immense amounts of knowledge and experience going into story-crafting as much as there is visual arts. Quite frankly, anyone who says, “Oh, anyone can write a book,” has almost certainly never actually tried to write a book themselves.

My friend went on to say that very often books are considered objects, just things, not pieces of art that have been handcrafted just for you, just for someone to pick up and immerse themselves in and enjoy. In much the same way, fanfic has also become a commodity – perhaps even more so, because its content is based on a pre-existing canon that does not belong to the writer. But fanfiction is still art, in much the same way that fanart is still art, and the devaluation of it and its creators is upsetting and frustrating.

I am not a machine. I do not press some buttons, pull some levers, and start outputting fanfic. This is something I do for fun, because I enjoy it. It is something I post online because I want other people to come enjoy it, too, and for it to be an expression of art meant as a part of a fan community’s expression of love for a canon. That is what being a fan is all about.

I am a real human being, and I don’t deserve to have my art stolen from me, fed to a shambling corpse spouting out things it has “learnt” from both my art and from every other piece of art that has been stolen to feed it. Anything it would say – that would not be my story, because it doesn’t come from me. It would just be an amalgamation of thousands of people’s stories, cut down into something mainstream and palatable because the point of so-called A.I. art is not to create unique and interesting stories – it is to create generic ones that will sell easily under the model of late stage capitalism.

You know, I got the email notification for this ask last night. I have my email notifs on because I spent so long being shadow-banned on this blog, and I fear missing things in my inbox. I checked my phone in the middle of the night because I couldn’t sleep, and while I was reading the ask I could hear my mother breathing in her sleep just nearby – we’re in a caravan together, because it’s been a while since I went away with my parents. I am typing this answer up from that same caravan, and I’m squinting a little because the sun is reflecting off my screen. We’re going to have a barbecue later for dinner – we just bought the food for it not three hours ago. Did you think of that? Did you think about the way that I am a person, living my own life, and now I am being forced to beg for you to respect me as one?

Because that’s what you would be doing, if you did this: you would commodify me, and you would commodify my art. It would be just another machine-made thing, not something that’s handmade for others’ enjoyment; not something that work – my time, my energy – has gone into, that my passion and love has gone into. But I am not a thing, and I resent being implicitly treated like one.

If you really want to know more about people’s fanfics – talk to them! Leave a comment, send in an ask, engage with them in some way. Fanfic is created by fans for the enjoyment of other fans, and fan communities are still communities, which means there is a social element to them. Stealing from others, as one might expect, is frowned upon greatly – they gave that to you, for free. You pay nothing for it – and shouldn’t – and now you want to plagiarise and thieve what was shown in good faith?

I suppose that, ultimately, if you were truly determined, there is nothing that I can do to stop you. You could copy/paste my works into your A.I. bot creator and go on your merry way, despite how I’ve told you that such would make me extremely upset, and that it isn’t something I want. I can say, “I forbid you to do this,” - and make no mistake I do forbid you – and ultimately I have no power to actually stop you, because there is no law in place to prevent you from doing exactly as you please.

I can do nothing to stop you except this: I am asking you not to. Please.

[omens-for-ophelia]

I love your art! Would love to know about your process if that’s something you’re interested in talking about!

hello! i am so sorry it took so long to respond to this 🩷

(...i suppose this means the first step in my art process is to faff about and procrastinate and dither for ages 🤭 oops)

i am so flattered that you are interested! 🥺🩷

i wish i had a truly substantial answer for you - unfortunately i don't know if i would consider myself as having a standard "process", per se. i tend to play around with something new each time, as i am still very much getting back into my art and still learning.

i will put my current "process" under the cut for those who may be curious? 🩷

so i guess my first step is to gather inspiration & references! i have a bunch of boards on pinterest for poses clothing inspo, things that are just 'vibes'... there are a few life drawing sites i like, as well as (of course) the Good Omens Reference Library discord, which is a genuinely brilliant community-built resource (praise be to @orayart & @patibuart 🩷) once i have my references and a few ideas of how i want to work them together, i start with the sketch - i usually work on a square canvas in procreate with a neutral toned bg (white hurts my eyyyyes) and normally i'll throw a paper texture over it (there are a lot of great resources like that on gumroad to download both for free and in paid packs)

i am clearly attached to sketching aziraphale in blue and crowley in red to begin with hehe (background is usually in green), using the procreate HB pencil or the cube brush, as it lets me visually see which lines are which - my sketching is very very messy in the early stages! and i don't usually like to do proper linework - instead i just duplicate the layer, lowering the opacity on one and then refine the sketch down in stages... then colouring the sketch to a more neutral dark grey or brown

i am aware this isn't necessarily good practice, since it can make some of my work seem stiff and flat - but even when i try and leave the lines messy i just can't seem to leave well enough alone

at this point, the 'process' really just becomes a game of 'what am i in the mood to do, what suits the piece, am i painting this or am i done, etc'

for the most part, i will use a solid cube brush to lay down the flat colours, then use ink wash brushes, spatter brushes or watercolour brushes to add texture and shading or colour - experimenting along the way for the most part! then some different layer modes to play with lighting etc if needed!

i have NO idea if any of this is interesting... i am hardly an artist with a refined style or process as of yet, but i am getting there. i've been making art since i was small, but before GO i hadn't drawn seriously for years and years beyond doing D&D character art for me and my friends!

anyway! thank you for getting this far if you managed it! so grateful for you all 🩷

[artfromsaturn]

Saturn’s Free CSP Brush Recommendations, Across the Web Edition

I may sell (sorry, obliged to shill) brushes now, but I still love me some free brushes & love to share them with people.  These are a bunch of cool brushes made by other people that you can use to build up a nice library of tools without having to spend any cash on, perfect if you’re new to CSP or are on a budget.  If you do download these, be sure to like them & give some love to the artist if you enjoy them. :D

All of these are on different sites, like Gumroad, Deviantart, Artstation, etc..  They’ll be organized by source on this post since most brushes posted are general packs with multiple different types of brushes (very nice). Feel free to reblog this with your own suggestions, there’s many brushes out there I missed. :D  Check defsiarte’s suggestions too, and if you want to see my recommendations for stuff on the Clip Studio Asset Store or other places, check this tag.

Gumroad

Tamberella’s Brushes - Fur, Foliage, Bookshelves, & northern lights, all nicely formated and easy to use for CSP.  Good variety.

Ronchan’s Brushes - he makes a lot of neat little brushes, great for illustrations, sketching, & art in general.  High recommend!

Scott’s Clip Studio Brushes - I mostly use the grease pencil from the big pack, but all of them are pretty good if you’re looking for a more traditional inking experience.

Cae’s Brushes - they’ve released a variety of cute painterly brushes that are fun to use.  You can either download the ones you want or all of them at once. :)

@pharanbrush‘s BorupenP - a really nice set for doodling.  If you enjoy the free set, check out their pencils & other sets if you have the spare cash. :D

Cheapcookiez Brushes Sets - I really like the blender in this set.  Comes with Sai brushes as well.

Trisketched Ink Brushes - 3 fun rough inkers for inky pieces.

CSP Painting Set - I like the gentle use of texture on the painting & sketching tools.  A real nice rounded out basic set.

Jason Piperberg’s Free Samples - It’s a nice sample pack of his bigger pack.  He likes using a lot of halftones in his art and it gives a fun bold look to his illustrations.  If you like drawing comics, I do suggest checking out his paid sets too.

Vierdz’s Brushes - I like the Halftone, clouds, & fish brushes the best, but all their brushes are nice.

Sebijy’s Clip Studio Paint Brush pack 2019 - It’s been a bit since I downloaded this pack but I remember I really enjoyed using the airbrushes.  Has some good painters & textures.  Also has a nice paid set if you enjoy the sample.

DAUB Pencils - A decent set of pencils.

Scrapefiend’s Free Brushes - There’s some real cool inkers Scrape released for free, I used them a bunch even before I purchased his bigger pack (also recommend).  Great ink looks that are fun to use & whip around!

“...Of the Wild” - A brushset based of the Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom Legend of Zelda games.  Great for copying the style or just painting in general (then again I might be biased because they used my public domain textures, bless).

Art Station

PaPauloV’s Brushes - he was nice enough to optimize his brushes for both Photoshop & Clip Studio, as CSP sometimes has a weird time importing PS settings.  Another nice basic set!

LPZ Hell’s Stylistic Brushes - Fun for messy looks!  IIRC you can also find it in the Asset store.

Maria Pechenkina/ Mothka's Brushes: Artstation | DA - I love the pastels in this set. Lovely little dry set.

Mar’s Halftones ( & other brushes!) - Halftones with fun textures, now avaliable away from the CSP Asset store too!

Expressure Free Sample Sets: ArtStation | Gumroad | Ko-Fi - ZH has put a ton of effort into his sets, both the first & second.  Worth a try & even the free brushes are full of effort!

Deviantart

Awanndus Brushes: Oil Metal Painting, Indian Ink, Fantasy Background, & Pencils - all neat brushes that are worth a look if you need any of these.

Roastedstix's Painting Sets - Really enjoy the green Goauche Brush Set.  Great addition to the already lovely CSP default Gouache.

Yettyen’s Sets - All her free Enviormental & decoration sets are great.  I also like her painters & scale Sets.  She has a Gumroad she releases brush sets for a dollar for, they’re also worth checking out along with her Ko-Fi!

Clip Studio Copic Brushes: Deviantart | Google Drive - These are some of my favorite marker painters out there.  Nice and easy to use with wonderful results, good blending.

Freckle Brushes - A nice varied set for freckle lovers.

The Inky Way’s Sets - TIW has been making brushes for clip for years & they’re all nice, honed sets that are fun to use.  Very high recommendation!

SerketXXI’s big set & their Danganronpa/Hetalia Brushes - A nice basic set with some nice decorators, as well as two good sets for making Danganronpa & Hetalia styled illustrations (obviously).  The brushes are also good for general useage.

FnF Brushes - For those who need a Friday Night Funkin’ Style Brush!

Hearts Emoji Brush - something I forgot to get a preview for, just a fun brush taking basic emojis and scattering them around.  Always need a few fun brushes here and there. :)

General Around the Web (twitter, tumblr, ko-fi, etc)

Pufuu’s Splatoon Brushes (Imported to CSP) - Splatoon artstyle lovers rejoice!

Rai’s CSP brushes - Currently releasing a bunch of pattern brushes, but she has a lot planned in the future brushes.  Try ‘em out!

@nubtail​ ‘s CSP brushes -  The fur blender brush is fantastic!  And the crusty brushes are a nice crunchy organic look. :)

@kriztelpixel’s Brushes - She explains the instructions in English in the linked tumblr post, some lovely oil brushes.

Bunabi’s Brushes - She’s got some really great decorating brushes, I’m very fond of the fun arcade rug decorators!  And of course, since it’s patreon, you can always donate to support her or unlock more from her if you enjoy her stuff.

A few others I forgot the preview for:

Palette Knife - swoosh around some fake palette knives with this set!

Timcanpy-shaped brush - A cute D. Gray Man themed brush c:

Xerox Pencil - a pencil with a bold texture that’s fun for recreating old lineart.

Again, feel free to respond with some of your recommendations & favs as well, free or paid for. :)

[tamelee]

I love your artwork, it's so cool! I'm an amateur in art, do you have any tips? Thank you!

Thank you so much! 💕 And sure! (Have you seen my other posts as well?) It’s a bit easier when it’s more specific >< But I’ll try my best; 

- Keep notes about the things you want to learn as you draw! Someone gave me a tip to have an art-goal so you know what to work on and then improve these particular things as you go, but for some reason I found it really hard to set these goals? (Am I the only one?) I kept thinking I just wanted to ‘improve’ everything, but that’s not very tangible and I can’t effectively measure whether I’ve succeeded… (it’s also not always easy to see your own improvements… at least I rarely can ><) 

But when you draw and you come across these little things that make you go “hm, I wish this was easier” or “I really love this sketch I made, but I’m not sure how to go about coloring it”, anything like that— then your desires regarding your art or your process become a lot more specific, right? Write these down! What specifically would you like to improve on?

I’ve noticed for myself and many others talked about it as well that once a piece is done, it’s like you forget a lot about the process and your mind is set on a new project. (Also, yay! You were in the zone~) You can either use your current project as practice (all of them are in a sense, really) or start a new one later, research what you need (on YouTube, books, or perhaps a course from an artist you really like if you can afford it) and work on your goal! 

- Also keep notes for any ideas you may have. We always think we’ll remember something and then we don’t. These sudden, often spontaneous glimpses you receive seemingly out of nowhere can be some of your best and it’s a shame if they fade back into the void. This also applies to anything that inspires you.. it can really be anything. I think I’ve said this before, but if you do this, try and organize a bit. Otherwise you’ll end up with a bunch of notes that’s more overwhelming than anything else. 

You can use folders to keep images, notes, a dedicated Notion page perhaps or if you can afford it, keep an extra external SSD for this. 

- Well, this also applies to research or video’s you’d like to watch. If you end up with too many tutorials or books, or they aren’t goal-oriented specific to your art desire, it may get really hard to get you started on something. If you’re like me and it’s hard to focus, I’d highly recommend taking some time to sit back, think about the thing you really want, organize and structure a way towards it and go. That way you don’t have to make all these decisions along the way— you know what to do already, it’s written right there!

- And that also applies to tools and brushes xD I know it’s really fun to download all of it because many are free and what if there’s ever a time you may need this specific texture on a brush? What if you can’t get this style that inspired you with the brushes you already have? But truth is, you don’t need them all and if you do, you’ll notice there are many you won’t even touch. And well… as you can see in my art as well, apart from the pencil ones, it doesn’t necessarily encourage consistency if that’s what you strive for. If you want to practice, most often the basic round brush will do, the less opacity or blend, the more you can practice shapes and clarity. In that case I’d stay away from the airbrush whenever possible. 

- Depending on the program you use (CSP has their own), you can use these to help you with facial angles, or this if you rather prefer a basic skull. You can use the site if you can’t get the angles quite right for many things. 

- For coloring I highly recommend James Gurney’s articles or book ‘color and light a guide for the realistic painter’, even if you’re not a realistic painter, it still contains most (all?) of what you need to know about color.

- A great way to experiment is to just… open a blank document and do whatever. I know it often feels like you have to draw something (preferably something good), but you can actually learn a lot by just scrabbling away. Here’s also often where you find the things you feel like you need to improve. Certain angles are especially hard for me, but I hadn't known that if I didn't try >< Oh, I also found this site by accident and I haven't read it all, but it covers many subjects! Hope these are helpful! 🌷

[ryemackerel]

any tips for starting on digital art? I've got a little wacom tablet and downloaded krita and I'm having fun but it feels like theres some kind of barrier that isnt letting me transfer traditional skills I've learnt over to digital

hey!! so i used to be exactly like this a ton of years back. my first time really getting serious with digital was around 2015, but i definitely remember how difficult it was transferring my traditional art skills to digital. here’s some advice :]

at first, although it will be difficult to get over that barrier, LOTS of practice will help you get into the groove of things again. going to digital art after being solely traditional changed my style a lot to begin with. with new mediums/programs, your art style is *bound* to change a little bit. at first i didn’t really like how my digital style looked, but i started to realize the more i drew, the more my art skills started to shine through. switching up mediums (ex: from traditional to digital) might even help you acquire a new art style that you might like :D

another thing! before i used a tablet for the first time back in 2022, i used to love just drawing with my finger on my phone and use pencil + paper. as soon as i started using a wacom tablet, the feeling was incredibly weird? though, i always liked to treat my tablet as its own pencil and paper.

trying to visualize this helped me immensely with traditional to digital. since you did traditional beforehand, i think starting off with a pen and tablet is a great gateway to starting digital art. pen+paper vs pen+tablet is almost identical to each other, the only thing being that the pen+tablet is more digital.

and! with digital, there is absolutely *no limits* to what you can put on your canvas. i highly implore you to experiment with as many brushes as you like, edit your art with effects, add textures, and go crazy with the shading and lighting. :) eventually you will definitely find a brush you’ll love, and from there things will feel much more comfortable to figure out.

again!! this takes a lot of practice and effort to really make your art skills shine through, and it will take a while to finally get used to it and make a piece you’re going to like. but eventually you might find yourself enjoying digital art, and i hope this advice guides you along that journey <3

————

(somewhat related but my switch from wacom tablet to ipad was SO rocky. it took ages for me to try and transfer my tablet skills to my ipad, and procreate felt uncomfortable for me to use. however, eventually i got over that barrier and now i use procreate and ipad as my main sources :] hopefully this helps inspire you)

(left: november-december 2022 vs right: november-december 2023!! one full year of using procreate!)

(the old ones had duller colors and less defined sharpness/lines. they look cool but i wasn’t proud of how dull they were. in the new ones, i feel like ive started gaining a mastery of the program and my art is now super vibrant again :] )

[dinoclawsz]

coloring/rendering tutorial when 🙏🙏🙏

Omg okay…I’ll do my best to explain with an older piece of mine tehee

I always start off by making small thumbnails of a piece just to visualize how I want the composition to look as well as map out lights and darks, so after I finish the sketch I use this thumbnail as reference to make a layer of color beneath the sketch. I like using darker and less saturated colors and I also like referencing baroque paintings for color palettes. Been really interested in the later works of Francisco Goya lately but I digress..this is what the piece looks like after blocking in colors.

For this piece, the colors around the focal point (Nishiki’s face) are brighter and more vibrant while the objects far away are dark and less saturated. It’s rly easy after this part because all that’s left to do is to finish lineart and paint over the sketch ^_^ I ALWAYS color the background first, then when that’s done I make a new layer on top and color the subjects/objects in the foreground. This part is super hard to explain but I build it up by deepening preexisting colors, adding more colorful tones inside of the shadow shapes, and introducing transitionary colors between the light and dark parts. It’s impossible to explain how to render form and shadow because understanding the basics of value/shadow takes a LOT of personal observation and study so I won’t even try here LMFAO. But anyway here’s the piece after the background portion is finished…

And this is what it looks like after ive colored over the sketch completely. I added a lot more definition to the clothes and hair. It’s also important to remember that colors in the background will reflect on the subject (note the blue present in Nishiki’s legs and the dark green present in y0 Nishiki’s arm). Keeping this in mind makes drawings look more real and rich. Only use straight black to shade if the rest of your piece is dark enough to warrant it.

The brushes I use are part of the jingsketch basics brush pack (free to download and super awesome) here https://jingsketch.gumroad.com/l/JingsketchBrushes

I also use these Procreate brushes which can be found under the Painting and Inking categories respectively

I’m an oil and acrylic painter as well so it’s taboo to me to use blending brushes unless absolutely necessary ^_^ using textured brushes to paint will always yield a better product imo. Anyways after this I create a new layer on top of ALL the others for ‘detail’. I like to go in and further define lights and shadows, add more texture to clothes, draw stray hairs, outline lighter sections, etc. I try not to let myself get too attached to my lineart layer and this detail work tends to cover some of it up. I did a lot of scribbling on this piece in particular and this is how it turned out

I hope this is helpful at all I’m rly terrible at explaining my drawing process cuz I don’t fucking know what im doing either LMFOAOA😭😭 pls feel free to comment and ask questions, and if yall want more in-depth ‘tutorials’ about more specific parts of my art process my ask box is always open ^_^

[chibi-tsukiko]

How do you write and draw so well?

Do you have any tips for both?

I am a beginner artist and I am considering starting to write

Thank you for your kindness, you are always so lovely!

Akdjdjskjd first, dear anon you flatter me 🙈🙈

Second, I think as creators, we’re constantly learning which makes us all “beginners” really 😘

Now, as for tips, my biggest one is to:

Just do it.

As cliché as it sounds, I feel it’s the best one. Just dive straight into it - write that story or draw that pic. And if you find that you enjoy it, keep doing it - even on the days you feel less than spectacular. 🩵

Some other tips:

There’s a lot of content and creators out there so it’s easy to fall down the rabbit hole of comparison, but try your best to focus on the joy you get from creating. Because at the end of the day, that’s the most important thing. (Also self-indulgent content pieces are the best ones 😆)

Experiment! I’m constantly downloading different brushes to Procreate (since I’m a digital artist) and watching tutorials from artist I enjoy and messing around with styles. Doesn’t always turn out the best and I tend to stick to my style, but it’s fun to dip into something new.

Writing is the same way. Experiment with different POVs, platforms, genres, etc. There are many ways to go about writing say a novel, so don’t be afraid to play around with different methods (outlining, sticky notes, etc) to find what works best for you!

Something I like to do when I want to expand my details/ descriptions or even to just get the juices flowing is “Show don’t Tell.” Pick an emotion and write a short excerpt/ scene that portrays that emotion without actually saying what the emotion is.

I also write script-style sometimes when doing dialogue for a scene, as if I’m writing a play. It helps me focus more on the conversation exchange. Then I can go in and flush out the details and descriptions for the scene afterwards.

My last tip that I’ll give you so I stop rambling forever is share your work.

It doesn’t have to be right away, and it doesn’t have to be every single thing you create. It can be done privately between you and a close friend, or publicly on some sort of media platform, but sharing your creations -while nerve wracking at times-can be so fulfilling when you find others that share your interests and appreciate the work and passion you put into your projects.

It can also be a great way to get feedback, if that’s something you’re looking for/ ask for.

ANYWAY! I hope this was helpful! I’d love to see your creations if you ever feel like sharing them!

Have an amazing day my sweet Anon! And Happy creating!! ✨🩷

[justforbooks]

How to read 225 books in a year ?

A self-confessed bookaholic who read 225 books last year shares tips on how to increase your reading capacity

In 2023, I read 225 books or over 80,000 pages, depending on your preferred metric. Rather than being surprising, this is just the culmination of my interest in reading.

Like any skill, I’ve worked on it—whether that’s making sure I can access books, looking at when, how and what I read, or considering how I can best reflect on what I have (or haven’t) enjoyed.

It's often noted that reading and collecting books are two different hobbies—and buying books can get expensive. Charity shops are one solution, especially if you aren’t looking for recent releases.

The emergence of online charity marketplaces makes it even easier to find books when you’re looking for something specific. If you’re struggling for space, why not return books to charity shops after you’ve read them?

Libraries are also a great resource. However, it can be tough to find time to visit and the pandemic has often shortened their opening hours. There’s a simple solution. Many libraries now have online offerings, from e-books to audiobooks to magazines, all accessible via apps like Libby. All you need is your library card.

You can even request books and they’ll be automatically downloaded to your device when ready. It’s a great way to support libraries and authors (they still receive a payment when books are borrowed) while saving space and limiting your spending.

This does tie your reading ability to your phone’s charge and could increase your screen time. But it’s also a great way to associate reading with something you already use, alongside providing free access to books. The library system also encourages immediate reading rather than an endless “to be read” list—if you don’t use it, you lose it.

Once you’ve got your books, the next step is reading them. That’s not as easy as it sounds, as anyone with shelves of pristine, unread books can testify.

Building a new habit into your daily routine can be tough. James Clear’s method of habit stacking is a good solution. Just as reading on a phone or tablet associates reading with a device you already use, habit stacking involves using activities you already do to build reading into your daily routine. For example, brushing my teeth prompts me to read before bed. This causes a new habit to emerge and it’s relatively easy to keep this up.

Often, though, it’s not simply a matter of practicality. It’s easy to feel we aren’t reading “properly” and this can arouse complex feelings.

To someone still traumatised by secondary school English, the world may seem to be full of dull classics. While there’ll probably be a piece of canonical literature for everybody, there’s no benefit in forcing yourself through a book you hate. Instead, find something you think you’ll enjoy and then look to expand your horizons.

In recent years, I’ve re-read a children’s book series each summer, ranging from Alex Rider to A Series of Unfortunate Events. Often these remain enjoyable in themselves. They’re also an opportunity to reflect on how my perceptions have changed. The typically disabled villains of Alex Rider, for example, went unnoticed as a child but now I find this pattern troubling. Regardless of its social capital or place in the canon, any book can provide a rewarding and enriching experience—and if you pick something you enjoy, you’re much more likely to finish it.

Non-traditional formats like audiobooks, similarly, often cause worry. It’s not the way we’ve been taught to read—so is it “real reading”?

There are some clear advantages. The slower pace allows more time to digest information. This is particularly relevant for non-fiction (where it can be tempting to skim pages of facts). Audiobooks can also make texts more accessible, particularly for those with busy schedules or who struggle with the act of reading.

They can also be more impactful. My experience of David Olusoga’s Black and British was so powerful because of Olusoga’s narration, adding another layer of emotion to his unflinching and vivid history of Britain’s troubled past. Audiobooks provide another tool for readers, allowing them to alter their approach to a book.

If a 2024 resolution is to read more, keeping track of your progress can be a source of encouragement and motivation, reminding you how far you’ve come. I also love seeing what I tend to read rather than imagine myself reading— I never realised how much I skewed towards modern literature.

GoodReads is the most established tracker with the largest community while newcomer The StoryGraph offers beautiful graphs of monthly and yearly reading. Analogue trackers like reading journals are also an alternative if you want to get offline. A middle ground is Excel trackers; they also tend to be more customisable as you choose the data you’d like to analyse but do require more upkeep.

However, tracking can also be being detrimental; like all social media, there’s a tendency towards unhealthy comparison. If it aids your focus on reading experience, then go for it. But, if it causes disruption, there’s no shame in not tracking your reading and considering more holistic measures of enjoyment.

Ultimately, that’s all there is to trying to read more. It’s easy to over-theorise whether reading after making your morning coffee or your evening tea will best optimise your reading journey. Read what feels natural—whether that’s comforting, challenging, both or neither—in a way that feels right. The important thing is simply to start and go from there.

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

[kingtheghast]

Hello!! Your art is v cool and i was wondering what program you use and also what brush for the lineart? Thanks :D

(So sorry I'm late there was soooo much homework-)

Hiii thank you for the nice words! I had to dig a bit with brushes because they're both downloaded from Clip Studio Paint assets. But I got them!

First up is DrawingPen

Got it because the description said it was like a drawing pen, and I wanted something that was like the marker pens I used traditionally at the time. It's a neat brush, solid, very even strokes which I like a lot, and I do most of my art with this one.

The next one is fairly new to me, recomendation from a friend, these two brushes called Salmon Brushes.

Both slightly transluscent, one more than the other, similar to watercolours but more oily, and colours don't blend in fully if overlaid which is cool. My friend uses them for painting (follow her at chizz_dudlz on Instagram if you wanna see what I mean with awesome painting art) but I use it for sketch and sometimes for lineart because it feels very smooth to use them, for some reason. The lines are more modulated, unlike DrawingPen which is very even.

(You can't see it very well cuz these lines are thin overall but the line width differs more than the first piece because I used Salmon Brushes here)

Overall I pick my brushes more than anything on feel! Sometimes I've tried cool brushes other artists recommend but they felt wrong, so it's just a matter of trying things out and seeing what you like or gives you the result you want :)

[hinamie]

artist asks!!!! 11, 18, 25, 38 (how often do you get/use new brushes? + bonus: what drives you to do so?) <3 <3 <3

!!!! hello sam :3333

11. how many art-related blogs do you follow?

for like. art resources/tutorials off the top of my head I don't think i actually follow any??? or if i do I am not aware ? they all might b inactive . but in terms of like. just regular artists.....I Beg Of You Please Do Not Make Me Count.....

18. what are you currently trying to improve on?

I'm always passively trying to work on anatomy and push myself with new or difficult poses/angles !! lmhs megu and yuuji have been great for that with hands and legs respectively :3

25. do you like to draw in silence or with music?

ive said it before i will say it again if i can hear the world around me while drawing the music is not !! loud enough!!!! currently been grooving to sou's entire yt discography that man does not Miss

38. open question: how often do you get/use new brushes + what drives you to do so?

a!!! whenever I open csp I like to quickly skim the free section of the assets page and see if anything there catches my eye,,,but tbh even if something Does, most of the time after I download it I have a bad habit of overlooking it and instead sticking to my same tried and true brushes gshjgjd what can i say i'm a creature of habit :') although sometimes like. a certain element of a piece will require me to look for something specific (had to look for a Dust Cloud brush the other day . embarrassing . I thought I had one.) . however !! with my most recent brush set purchase (VERY ooc of me to do btw) what happened was I had stumbled across an ask someone had answered about Their go-to brushes and they included a link and i got curious,,, so i took the bait i followed the link and in the preview images that were included to show the set off i went !!!!!!! they were SO up my alley it was love at first sight so after all of 2 minutes deliberation i took out my credit card. no regrets tbh i love them <3

artist asks !