#for making me draw the most ive drawn in the span of like

[tatersdoesstuff]

love letters doodles n_n

[masschase]

for the ask meme:

looks: casey’s outfits (including her looks from AUs)

games: choose your fave entry from the main games

story: fave story arc from any of the games (doesn’t necessarily have to be from your favorite game)

Make me choose ask meme

looks: casey’s outfits (including her looks from AUs) I have actually made a choice, I promise, I'm going to give an honourable mention to some of my fave main universe looks; her main SR2 outfit, the dress she meets Matt in, the "a woman who cuts her hair is about to change her life" look (the first drawing i posted of her was also this outfit), and her inaugural ball gown, which looks like this:

My favourite idea is one I've not even drawn yet. I really, really want to put her in a red ballgown for a fantasy AU specifically. Look how pretty this one is.

But my absolute favourite outfit for her at the moment is Anteros's universe/villain Casey. Space goth ftw. Wait that's kind of already her...

games: choose your fave entry from the main games How could you? Those are my children 😭 I cannot stress how close this is. But I'm going to be a loser and stick up for IV here. Not because I think it's objectively better; there is plenty wrong with it. But it holds more nostalgia for me than any of the others. It's the first one I played. The one I've played the most of. The only one my OTP can reasonably exist from. I'm not going to throw out endless justifications because I'm not trying to convince anyone it's good, it's just crucial to my experience of this series. I know while a lot of you don't like it, no-one's ever given me shit for liking it. Which is why I like tumblr.

story: fave story arc from any of the games (doesn’t necessarily have to be from your favorite game) Honestly it's got to be the entire arc between Playa and Julius. Spans nicely across 1 & 2 and just... ahhhhhhh... anything I say on it is just parroting others because there are so many good takes out there. Killed by the monster you created, back from the dead, etc. etc. Obviously the one I didn't really steal from anywhere AFAIK but lose my mind over is the whole, maybe too obvious, Playa to Boss gaming metaphor. Them playing his game until he's playing theirs. It's almost a shame they didn't make them the villain in 3.

[ceasarslegion]

Hold on im having a coherent thought

Ive noticed a very interesting pattern in my other neurodivergent friends and I when we talk about what cartoons we grew up watching. For the most part, myself and other ADHDers were really attached to warner bros IPs like classic looney tunes and the animaniacs, while my autistic friends gravitated more to disney. This is completely based on personal observation of my specific neurodivergent social circle, but theres some interesting patterns you can draw from that.

Firstly, warner bros animation is really exciting to look at. Its fast, and isn't bound by any physical reality whatsoever. The models were fluid and rounded rather than clear-cut, vectored outlines because it's easier to animate something in near-constant squash-and-stretch motion when you don't have to account for as many sharp angles. And warner bros had a really different style of storytelling as well. It was mostly sketch-based variety shows rather than longer narrative-heavy films. Warner bros is incredibly ADHD-friendly, especially for kids who haven't developed as many personal coping strategies yet to help them focus for longer periods of time. There's always something new and exciting to look at, it's always comedy-based, which is a genre that's really easy to digest for the ADHD brain, the story and visuals go as fast as our thoughts, and instead of having to stretch out our focus for the span of a half hour on one thing, we could divide it up into 3 smaller things. It's perfect for kids who have trouble with inattention and hyperactivity. I know that for me at least a lot of my hyperactivity started out mental, and I end up vibrating in place because everyone else seems to be going so damn slow and can't seem to get anywhere near the rapid-fire pace and 3 separate streams of consciousness I always think at, but this is the perfect comfortable speed for me, even if it's SUPPOSED to be too fast to follow. It's probably the same reason I listen to a lot of power metal. It actually chills me out, because it's like I'm matching the pressure outside to the pressure inside.

On the other hand, disney seems very autism-friendly. Their biggest IPs are all feature films with animation that's stylized, but consistent and bound by the laws of physics. Little details are important and prioritized for the animators rather than an afterthought ment to further foreground the way the characters move like in warner bros. Everything is much more balanced, and narratives are more dramatic and plot-centric. Autism is a spectrum and the experience can not be generalized because it's different for everyone who experiences it, but from what I understand, it's fairly common to be more drawn to consistent and detailed storylines like that due to this nice balance of suspension of disbelief in regards to the plot while still maintaining a grasp on the laws of reality in the style. It would likely be more attractive to a lot of autistic people because it would be easier to subconsciously accept a longer, consistent narrative with a clear arc of conflict and resolution than your typical warner bros style of squash-and-stretch, character-centric, fast-paced sketch comedies.

I'm not saying either preference is better or worse, nor am I claiming to be making absolute conclusions here. It's just a really interesting pattern of interests I've noticed among my friends and I and how our neurodivergencies may have influenced our tastes from a really young age

[littlebitoffanfic]

Celebration

Fandom: The Collector/The Collection Character: Asa Emory – the collector Relationship: Asa Emory/reader Request: Since I have seen you do some slashers, can I request Asa from The Collector? Something sweet where the reader works with him and is an alibi and then saves him when Arkin comes for him in the collection?

  You knew him from your work although you didn’t know him well. Asa was a private man, reserved to his office and displays for the museum. You were tour guide with a hand in some of the office work. After all, the museum didn’t get an awful amount of funding to be able to employee more office workers. Today, you were happy. It was a sunny day, which meant people were less likely to come to the museum for an indoor activity. Your tours still ran ever 2 hours, but a smaller group had less questions and you could normally be done within an hour, leaving an hour free. You all but skipped down the halls like a school girl, your project held tightly in your arms as you stopped outside Dr Emory office. knocking three time, you waited for him. He towered over you, and had such a demanding presences that made you weak at the knees. Your crush on his was not unnoticed by your co-workers. 

“Good morning.” You smile, trying your best to work through the flutters in your chest. “Its 1.30.” he stated, his eyes unreadable. “Oh, well, good afternoon. Could I steal a few minutes of your time?” You ask, nearly slapping yourself in the face for your mistake. His eyes darted to the folder in your arms and he stepped aside, allowing you to enter. This was a privilege in itself. Barely anyone was allowed within his office. But Asa seemed to tolerate you more than the others. Perhaps because you were his neighbour. Now that had truly been a happy accident. His previous neighbour was selling and you were looking for somewhere when you moved here. It just so happened that your neighbour to your left was also a co-worker. Entering his office was like entering a new world. The walls were decorated with various bugs throughout different ages in their lives. Butterfly’s, beetles and roaches but the most prominent member of his displays were spiders. Your attention was drawn to a particular specimen. Pinned in a shadow box was a blue spider. The sign under called it a Cobalt Blue Tarantula. “Wow, those markings are fascinating.” You mumble aloud, more to yourself that to the mans whos office you were in. “Truly. The Cyriopagopus lividum.. native to the borders of Thailand.” Asa speaks so fondly of the dead creature that it makes you smile slightly. There was no denying his love for his work. “Are they venomous?” You ask, purely out of curiosity. “Yes, but the venom not strong enough to kill an adult human. Although its not pleasant.” Asa walks past you to his desk and drawing you from your thoughts. “Now, you wanted something?” “Yes, I was wondering if you might help me with an exhibition.” You hold out the folder to him as you sit at the other side of his desk. He takes it and opens it, showing a sort of mood board you had put together ranging from other exhibitions to enclosures to photo life-spans of certain creatures. “an exhibition?” His eyes flick up to meet your own with curiosity. In truth, you hated how under appreciated he was at the museum and his knowledge should be put to good use. “Yes, for insects. Of course, I’d do most of the work, but I’d really apricate someone who I can fact check with and can offer some insight.” You smile sweetly, and the small smile that pulled at Asa’s lips told you that he was in.

-------------time skip ------------------

Your time spend with the entomologist was one of the most pleasant and interesting interactions you had had in a while. Walking to his office, you held your papers in your hands. You were about to knock when you heard voices inside. Pressing your ear against the door, you listened. “Dr Emory, unless you can provide an alibi for your whereabouts on Saturday evening, we will have enough to arrest you under suspicious of connection with the collector killings.” A voice spoke with authority. Your heart stopped. The collector killings had fascinated you ever since they had come to light. And Asa, well, he was a private man. If they were threatening such a thing, there must be something behind it. And you wanted to know. The two men that seemed to cloud your thoughts could be one. Your mind thought quickly as you came up with a plan. Knocking on the door, you walked in without waiting – something you never really did. Once inside, you acted like a deer in headlights. Two men sat opposite Asa’s desk  in suits. “oh, sorry. Are you from the board?” You asked sincerely but you didn’t let them answer before quickly adding. “Look, Dr Emory and I are neighbours. Its perfectly reasonable for us to spend our evenings and weekends in each others company. Besides, if Tiffany told you about us, she has been having an affair with the janitor.” You could tell Asa was just as stunned as you were. One of the men smiled and stood. “You don’t need to be alarmed, miss. We are from the investigations team.” He then presented his ID badge to you. “Oh, gosh. I am so sorry.” You looked stunned, despite already knowing. “Its okay. But I am interested in what you said. Do you know where Dr Emory was on Saturday evening between 5pm and 11pm?” The man leaned back on Asa’s desk while the other twisted to fully look at you. “He was with me.” You said, talking to the two detectives. “At my house.” “with you? He said he was home alone.” The one with the strong jaw line narrowed his eyes at you. “Yes, well, its not against any policies, our director has been known to fire people for having… interpersonal relationships with colleagues. We’d agreed to keep it a secret. He would have been trying to protect me, in case this got out to the others.” You explain to them, not daring to look at Asa. You knew you were playing with fire here. But what you said wasn’t a stretch. The director had fired a member of the geology department… for sleeping with his wife in astrology. He really cared what staff did as long as they did their job. And didn’t fuck his wife.   “Is this true?” He asked Asa, who gave a single nod. “And is there anyone who can corroborate this?” The detective asked you, more kindly than the others. “Not really. As I said, it was a secret so I’d appreciate it if you kept this between us. Although, you can ask half the staff in this building and they’ll tell you that ive had a crush on the man since I moved here, and they know we have been spending more time together. They are so fond of teasing me for it anyway.” You manage to draw a chuckle from one as he jabbed the other detective in the shoulder which earned a smile. Apparently, there was a similar situation going on where they were. “Right, well, we’d better be on our way. We’ll be back in touch soon.” The one sitting rose to his feet, nodding to both you and Asa before he and his partner left. They left and the door had closed for a brief moment before you felt someone grab your arm and you were twisted to meet Asa. He didn’t say anything and his cheeks were slightly red, but his ears were bright red. “So, you are the collector?” You breathe, looking up at him with a small smile tugging on your lips. “What do you want?” He growled, his voice low and menacing. Oh, he wasn’t happy. “I want to know.” You breath, stepping closer to him. “You take parts, right? What do you do with them? Keep mementos? Are you making something?” His nostrils flares out, obviously angry. You understood. You had let yourself into his world, and he couldn’t do a thing about it. He couldn’t kill you because it would point the fingers back to him. No, it was smart to keep you close. He let out an exasperated sigh, reaching up and pinching his brow. “look, once this has blown over for you, I wont say a word. I don’t expect anything for it. If you don’t want to tell me, you don’t have to.” You reassured him. “Why?” His eyes narrow at you, but you shrug. “honestly, you fascinate me.” You confess to the man, even more intrigued than before. You saw the smirk that twitched at the side of his mouth.

----------------- time skip ------------

The world of the collector was one you never dreamed you would see inside, and you loved it. It took trust to get him to let you see. First you saw the inside of the hotels lobby, then some traps, then some of the beautiful creations he made, then his prize possession. you never participated, but you provided a bit more support for him, offering help from the side lines in exchange for information and his time. If he was suspicious of you, he couldn’t deny the genuine interest in your eyes as he spoke, or how you hung on every word of his. He seemed to love how you marvelled at everything with a child-like innocents. Wide eyes and a curious mind. He kept you very close, at work and in your personal lives. It took 5 months in total for the cops to ease up off of Asa, but they still occasionally found their way to his house, watching it. He would come to yours in those situations, still keeping the façade up that you were in some kind of relationship.   Not that you cared. You found that the two of you had a lot in common which made the time easily spent. Of course, his dogs loved you. When you came round to his, they were pawing at the floor to get to you but waited for their master to give them the signal to move. They really were puppies at heart. Also, sometimes you thought Asa just said they were there to spend time with you. Either way, you didn’t mind. Tonight, you were buried in a book when a harsh knock at your door made you jump but you hurried to answer it, finding a slightly wet Asa. You smiled, stepping aside and allowing him to step in. “You’d think the police budget within the millions by how much they come around.” You giggle, helping his jacket off his shoulders to hang up to dry. He hummed in response, wiping his face with a hand to try get the stray rain droplet off. “So, how was your recent game?” you asked as he followed you into the living room, where you had been reading. You collapsed back into the couch and held your book on your lap. “Uneventful. No one worthy to take.” He mused as he walked over to your book shelf and pulled out the book he had been reading last time. As he returned to your sofa to sit beside you – a show for the police outside – the book fell open to the page he had been reading. But instead of the paperclip he had been using to keep his place, it was a book mark. A novelty bookmark that you had swiped from the gift shop. It was one of those fake 3D ones, with spiders moving on green leaf’s. You raised your book over your mouth to hide your grin. “very amusing.” He soft chuckle left his lips as he placed it to the side. You giggled, moving to reposition yourself. Your sofa faced the TV which was to the right of the window. Meaning anyone who walked by outside could see in. but it was a quiet neighbourhood. Apart from the undercover police. You lay on the sofa, your legs draped over Asa’ lap which you rested your head on some pillows propped up against the arm rest. Asa rose the book without tearing his eyes away from it to allow your legs to move before lowering to rest his forearms on your knee and thighs. Despite being a bit of a play for the police, it began to feel a little more real. You would engage him in conversation through out the evening, and he would tear his attention away from the book to ask you about your day. In fact, you had started to think that Asa had missed this. With the police’s interest dwindling, so had his trips. Even your encounters in work were now limited as you had finished your exhibition. Or many it was just the part of you that had fallen so madly in love with the man that wished he wanted your company. Your eyes left the page to glance at his face. mature features with intelligent eyes. You hated how he could make your heart stop. Maybe this was fake to him, but it was so real to you. Turning your attention back to your book, you didn’t look up until the sun had fully set. Glancing at the clock, you were surprised to see it was nearly 10pm. “Gosh, I swear I’ll never get use to these changing sunsets. Every year it takes me by surprise.” You sit up, stretching as Asa chuckles. Leaning forward, you press a kiss to his cheek before lifting your legs off his lap to stand up. Asa followed, and you smiled when he marked his page with the bookmark you had gotten him. “You’re nearly finished. I told you it’s a page turner.” You nodded to the book, which he was nearly finished save for 50 pages. “Yes, all the more reason to come back.” He shot a look over his shoulder that made you smirk. Playful teasing had become something you adored in the man. It was another reason that made you doubt this was fake. They couldn’t hear what was happening, so why play around. Sliding the book back into the slot, he picked up the remote which had been forgotten on the sofa to go to the window and place it on the stand. A ploy for him to see if they were still watching the house. “I think you’re right. They get far too much funding. It could be going to the museum.” He mused as he turned back to you. Maybe they needed to see more. Or maybe you wanted more. Just to test the waters. Walking up to him, you reach up and placed your hands on his shoulders. “Kiss me?” You whisper to him, pressing your body against his own. Wide eyes met your own and you couldn’t help but giggle. “They can see through the window.” That was enough to encourage the man to duck down, pressing a kiss to your lips. he could have lightly kissed your lips and pulled away after a few moment, but he didn’t. In fact, you were sure he had forgotten all about the car outside. His arms wrapped around your waist and you were pulled tight against his strong chest as his lips fought your own for dominance which you quickly surrendered. His tongue slipped inside your mouth, making you moan as reach up and place your hand on the back of his head near his neck to keep his mouth to your own. Not like he was pulling away any time soon. you felt him push you backwards and you allowed him to push you till your back hit the wall and he pinned you to it. they couldn’t see you anymore, but you didn’t care. Raising your right leg, you hooked it around his hip as his hand trailed down your side and followed the curve to your thigh, holding you in that position. He was driving you crazy, his touch was like fire as you cling to him. When he does pull back, you are left a panting mess with rosy cheek. But his tell was his red ears despite the smirk on his lips. “So, tell me, where does the line between fake and real stop?” he asks, keeping his face close to your own. “With a kiss like that.” You bite your lower lip, completely aware of how his hand had kept your leg hooked on his hip. “The police aren’t outside. They left over an hour ago.” Asa’s voice was low, barely about a whisper. “They did?” You raise your eye brows at him. A nod answers your question and you were left pondering your next move. “Good.” As leans down, sealing his lips over your own.

 -----time skip ------

 You were sitting in your living room, half heartedly flicking through the channel when you notice Asa’ car drive past your window. Smiling, you turn off the TV and grab your small bag. It was a Friday, which meant that Asa worked late. But it also meant you would be staying over with him. A few weeks ago, shit had really hit the fan. You really didn’t know what happened, expect that the hotel was burned to the ground, and Asa only just escaped with his life. He was badly hurt, and you were thankful that he had taken a week off for holidays. It had been holidays he was going to spend with you in his cabin up north, but plans changed. You stayed by his side during his recovery. Asa had lost nearly everything that night. His creations, his sanctuary, his dogs, his prizes. But he had been thankful to come home to you. He had extended his own holiday but you returned to work the next week. He said he had fallen while on a hike so no one questioned his cuts and bruising when he did go back. You took your bag and left your home for the evening, locking it up as you set to go to Asa. He had regained most of his energy and health back, which you were hoping he might be up for something a little more… activity related tonight. The lingerie in your bag certainly hoped so. he was already out the car and into the house as you walked up. But something caught your eye. In his living room, there was someone hiding in the corner. Your breath caught in your throat as you recognised the man. His name was Arkin. He had been the one who had escaped Asa, the one who caused his injuries. You only recognised him because Asa had pointed him out when the new came on one evening. And you highly doubted that he was here to say a friendly hello. Running around the back, you ducked under the window so as not to be seen. You ditched your bag in a bush as you made your way to the back door just as you heard heavy metal music blare through the house. You wanted to scream to Asa, but the glint you had seen in Arkins hands wasn’t enough to tell you if it was a gun or a knife. Slipping into his kitchen, you heard the music being turned off and then silence. You took a large knife from the knife block on the counter and held it as if to stab. And you were willing to. Then you slowly opened the bottom draw, which had some duct tape in it. You round the edge, only slightly pulling it off. If you were going to hurt someone, they cant make a lot of sound. You moved into the hallway which connected to the living room and dinning room. “All those insects. You’re quite the collector.” A voice, Arkins voice spoke, making you pause as you made sure no one knew you were here. “In a 200 mile radios from where we last saw each other, there are 14 licensed entomologists. You were number 12.” As Arkin spoke, you moved slowly down the hallway, looking behind you ever second in case someone else was here. “Your daddy ran a museum, didn’t he? Fucked you up real good.” His words made you feel sick. Asa never spoke of his father. His mother was held with high regard, and he said he wanted you to meet her when she was next in town. But he had shut off when you asked about his father. Arkin was right. “Turn around.” You pressed your back against the wall as you inched closer to the doorway. Tape in your left hand, the edge taped to your finger, and the knife in the other. You could see from the glass display cabinet that Asa and Arkin were standing face to face near the entrance to the dinning room. Arking had his back to you. And a gun raised at Asa’ face. Fear rushed through you as the analogy of ‘don’t bring a knife to a gun fight’ flooded your mind. “Are you here to kill me?” Asa spoke with a calmness you couldn’t fathom. “No. that would be too nice. First im gonna make sure feel everything that I felt. Then im gonna kill you.” You could hear the smugness in his voice. “So that you can never hurt anyone-“ He was cut off as Asa lunged at him. But Arkin gave a swift jab to the face, causing him to tumble back. Into a red box. Your gasp was covered as Arkin flipped the box and started slamming the lid shut again and again, growling “fuck you.”  Before the lack closed. he stepped back, gasping for air. He thought he was alone. Darting into the room, you raise the knie and bought it down into his right shoulder and an angle. He instantly dropped the gun. Letting go of the knife for a moment, you grabbed the roll of tape and started wrapping it round and round his mouth. He had only just managed to let out a cry of pain as his legs gave way under him. He reached up, struggling so you grabbed the knife and pulled it from the flesh. Using the sharp, bloodstained blade, you cut the tape and he collapsed to the ground moaning. You gave him a quick kick in the face before kicked the gun that had fallen out of reach. The last thing you needed was neighbours calling the police for gunfire at the house. You raced over to the box. “Asa, its me.” You reassured him through the small walls in case he tried to attack whoever opened the box. When you pulled the lid open, he scrambled to his feet, the anger in his eyes blazing as he found his attacker on the floor. Arkin was groaning, unable to move just yet but you were sure he’d be up and about soon enough. “Your hands.” You whispered, reaching out and taking his right hand which was covered in blood from Arkin slamming the box down. Your heart broke. He had not long healed. Arkin began to come around, his eyes darting between the two of you as he realized what had happened. He looked at you with an unimaginable about of rage and anger in his eyes as he tried to scream. Asa darted forward, twisting him around and pinning him to the ground, a knee in his back and his hand pressing on the new wound. “The tape.” He commanded of you, and you immediately grabbed the duct tape which had rolled away slightly. Finding the end, you saw Asa grabbing Arkins left hand and you mirrored with his right. Bringing them forcefully behind his back, you taped them in place, then went to tape his ankles together. Once satisfied, Asa hauled the man off the ground and threw him into the box, the lid closing over with the force. Asa flipped the latch. Looking him inside. You didn’t realise you were panting and shaking until Asa was looking at you. Racing forward, you wrap your arms around his torso and bury your face in his chest. “He didn’t hurt you, did he?” He ask, holding him as tightly as you could. A bloody hand stroked your cheek as another rubbed your back to sooth you. “No, you got here right on time.” There was a softness to his voice that made you melt as you looked up at him and smiled. “I’m too late to be a guard dog. Ludwig or Vivaldi wouldn’t have let him get close enough to hurt you.” You shake your head as you pull back, taking his hands in your own once again to inspect the damage. But he turned his hands over and took your own. “How about we go up to the cabin this weekend?” Asa askes, his question not very well fitted for the currant moment. “huh?” Your eyes glanced to the box which was moving slightly as Arkin struggled. “Oh, we’ll take him. And, since I am out of commission right now, perhaps I can show you some tricks.” Asa smirked as your eyes light up at his words. “Yes!” You bounce on the balls of your feet. You went up on your tiptoes to kiss him, resisting every urge not to pull him upstairs to his bedroom right now. Pulling back, you dart down and pick up the gun, offering it to Asa. “I’ll go get some stuff to see to your hands. And I’ll run back and pack a quick bag and then come and pack your things. I think I should drive, though. You’ll have to give me instructions.” You rattle off, the excitement obvious in your voice. “Oh, you’ll get use to taking instruction this weekend.” Asa whispered in your ear, making you blush and bite your lip with a smirk. Arkin seemed to get a burst of energy and started flaying around in the box, which only moved slightly. “He truly is annoying, isn’t he?” you huffed, hating the moment was ruined by him. Asa simply chuckled and walked up to the box, sitting on it and stopping it from shifting. As you flitted around, gathering supplies and seeing to his hands and then packing his things, Asa watched with a soft eyes. He would be lying if he said he trusted you from the start. And even more so if he admitted there had still been a small part of him that thought you were with the police. but that doubt was well gone. And this weekend, he wanted to celebrate this strange relationship. And oh, what a celebration it would be.

[sporesgalaxy]

do you have any tips for reference images?

Step 1: where to get reference images

I’m actually very little help here. To be totally honest, I get a frankly embarassing amount of reference practice from meme image redraws. It’s really not a bad resource, and it’s an easy way to keep my short attention span engaged & motivated.

I’m lucky enough to have had the opportunity to get some more “boring” practice in in college-level drawing classes. I’d guess a good way to just generally get some similar practice drawing bodies and limbs in a variety of positions would be referencing fashion photoshoots. I’m gonna do a meme example for this though.

This is a fun meme that I like and a relatively complicated pose that makes for good reference material, because it would be difficult for me to just reason out how this would look without it.

Step 2: referencing the image

METHOD A: CLASSICAL

It’s really the best practice to draw from sight for me personally, because it forces me to do more trial & error trying to get it to look right, and I need stuff like that to force myself to slow down and contemplate the how & why of my art methods.

I don’t have a physical sketchbook on me right now and I really just can’t do this digitally. It’s too difficult to have a good amount of canvas and a large reference image on a tiny computer screen both at the same time :/ I’m sure there’s step-by-steps on the big wide internet somewhere, but I’ll see if I can remember to come back to this and do it myself later.

METHOD B: SPEEDRUN STRATS

when you’re working digitally from photos, doing a quick trace with big, simple strokes can also be helpful for informing how you would recreate this without the reference. This is what it looks like when I just Do That, but let me try and illustrate what’s going through my head:

it’s not 100% exactly human muscles, but I can’t deny that referencing human muscle structures for horror reasons has really changed the way I look at anatomy quite helpfully!!

I’m trying to think about the body as a bunch of apposable chunks! That way, I can use my understanding of how those chunks tend to move in relation to eachother to better intuit and simplify said chunks from memory later on. This holds true for every method!

BUT just tracing an image directly is going to take away all of your potential wiggle room for personal flare, stylistic emphasis, abstraction, etc. I mean, does this look like something I’d draw?

Even if I took the time to do better line art….not really :/

METHOD B.5: THE SECOND PART

So, what I do is I delete the trace I just did and reduce the size of the reference image, and then try to recreate the pose again with my new Chunk Knowledge.

I tend to flatten perspective on character art when I draw in the kind of simplified style I use the most for comics and such. It’s faster for me, because I tend to struggle with intuiting or expressing volume MUCH more than I do with more shape-oriented, abstracted gesturing. I haven’t even drawn the image yet, but I know I’m going to draw the top girl’s far arm bigger than in the original image, because it would look awkwardly reduced in my shorthand, with the minimal shading I do.

When I draw it from scratch like this, it allows me to consider things the impromptu photographer didn’t, such as composition and readability. Where do I want the focus to be? How do I want the characters to feel? Can I make the silouhette clearer and more dynamic?

AS IT TURNS OUT I HAVE THE ANSWER TO 0 OF THOSE QUESTIONS, because Ive already bored myself with this pose!!! WHOOPS. but check out how much sharper all the shapes are. thats the beginnings of maybe POSSIBLY doing some stylization!!! yee haw

[shannaraisles]

Say That Again

An MCU Soulmate AU scene, for the amazing @queen-among-writers, featuring Steve Rogers and her OC, Helena.

***

Warmth.

Soft warmth, enclosing him. Not holding him down, but tucked close. The smell of disinfectant tickling his nose; the sound of unfamiliar traffic audible despite windows that somehow muffled the noise.

Confusion filled his head as images arose - of Red Skull, disappearing into the Tesseract; of panic as the plane careened toward the ice; of the sadness in Peggy's voice. The impact of his landing, embedding him deep into frozen nothingness, oblivion stealing away all but the merest thread of life. Of waking to a facsimile of the world he had died in; of escaping to find himself in a world that had moved on while he slept; of returning here, in numbness and shock, submitting to medical tests and finally the peace of true sleep for the first time in decades.

Slowly, Steve Rogers opened his eyes, blinking in the quiet stillness of a ward shrouded in gentle darkness. He turned his head to the right, seeking out the source of the hushed voices in that direction, just in time for the curtain by his bedside to be carefully pulled aside. The nurse smiled at him, briefly glancing toward her colleague as he returned to the desk, moving to check on their extra-special patient.

"It's two a.m., Captain Rogers," she told him, her voice perfectly pitched so as not to disturb the other patient in the room. "You should try to get some more sleep."

"Don't you think I slept enough already?" he heard himself answer, his tone matching hers as he drew himself up onto his elbows.

"Well, the doctor won't be by again until after dawn," she explained, absently laying her fingers against his wrist to check his pulse as they talked. "If you try to leave again, I doubt Director Fury will be quite as forgiving this time."

He frowned, glancing down at his wrist, where her fingertips skimmed the dark words marked there. You have angel's eyes. They had been there since his childhood, the first words he would hear his soulmate would speak to him when he finally met them. But would he ever meet them now? He was a man out of time, his span far extended beyond what it should have been. Surely his soulmate was old by now, perhaps even dead already. Had they lived their life waiting for him, just as he had promised himself he would wait for them? Had they cursed him for never showing up as he slumbered under the ice?

He slumped back against the pillow, pulling his arm from the nurse's touch. She seemed to understand that he wasn't being deliberately rude. After all, he had a lot to come to terms with, and it had only been a day since he'd awoken from his comatose state. For all she knew, drawing attention to the soul words on his wrist had reminded him of someone irreplaceable who was now long gone.

"Is there something to read around here?" he found himself asking, certain he would not be going back to sleep now.

The nurse nodded to the cabinet beside his bed.

"We put together a dossier of major world events for you," she told him. "And there are a couple of novels in there, too. Take your time, captain."

"Thank you."

He watched as she walked away, his eyes drawn curiously toward the other bed. The inhabitant was a young woman, mid-twenties if he dared to make a guess, dark hair spilling across the pillow beneath her head. She looked pale, but whole; no visible bandages or casts to betray injuries yet to heal. One arm was hooked to a fluid IV, the other cocked to lay her hand flat on her stomach as she breathed slowly in sleep. Cast in dim light from the shadowed bulb over her bed, she looked like a princess from a fairytale to his tired eyes, just waiting for her prince to kiss her back to life.

Despite the ache in his heart for what might have been, Steve smiled faintly as he pulled himself to sit up, reaching for the thick dossier on his bedside cabinet. Bucky would laugh if he could see him now, he knew, still thinking in romantic terms despite knowing that real romance was completely out of reach. But Peggy would be proud of him, he thought, relieving the disappointment of learning she wasn't his soulmate so long ago. Long ago to the rest of the world, that was; for him, it had been just a few years. That was going to take some getting used to.

Just be patient, Steve, she would tell him. Your soulmate will show up when you need them the most.

Three hours later, with the dawn just beginning to make itself known in the lightening of the sky outside the window, Steve set the dossier aside, reaching up to rub his brow. How had things gone so wrong in less than a hundred years? So many unnecessary wars, so much unnecessary death, so many people suffering under the yolk of bullies who thought only of their wealth and how to increase it. And this was the world that thought he had died for it. It was horrifying, demoralizing. Would Director Fury really expect him to stand up for this America, this world?

A faint noise caught his attention, the sound of someone in distress. His head snapped to the right, eyes focusing on the sleeping beauty in the bed next to his. Her face was twisted in what seemed to be pain, a tear leaking from the corner of her closed eye. As he watched, her lips parted, releasing a quiet whimper that tugged at his heart. No one should have to face a nightmare alone.

Quietly, he slipped from his bed, moving to sit on the edge of hers, capturing her hand in his.

"Hey now ... it's okay," he murmured, squeezing her hand. "Wake up. You're safe."

Whether she heard him or not, it seemed to do the trick. She quieted, the tension in her form abating as she surfaced from her dream, blinking open eyes that were as blue as the sky over Bavaria after a storm. Eyes that focused on his in surprise and wonder as she rose from sleep to find herself the recipient of his careful smile. Her lips parted once again, and the words she spoke knocked the breath from his lungs.

"You have angel's eyes."

You have angel's eyes. He wanted to look down, to check those words that sat dark on his wrist, but he could not tear his gaze from the sleepy-eyed wonder of the beautiful woman before him. A beautiful woman who ... was she really his soulmate?

"Say that again," he whispered, and watched as this time her breath swept from her body in one longing rush, a gasp of sound filled with relief and amazement.

Without speaking, she lifted her hand from his, turning it until he could see the soul words written there. Steve didn't need to look; her reaction was everything he himself felt. But he read those words anyway, traced them with shocked wonder all his own. Say that again. Without thinking, he caught her hand in his once again, leaning down to kiss the words he had first spoken to her where they marked her porcelain pale skin.

"I'm Steve," he murmured, wondering just how this was supposed to go now.

Her weary face lit up in a smile that stole his breath for the second time in as many minutes, her fingers curling into his with hopeful trust.

"I'm Helena," she answered him. stroking her thumb over his knuckles with absentminded affection. "I've been waiting a long time to meet you."

It was his turn to smile - to laugh, even - letting out a soft huff of breath that took with it that ache in his heart, replacing it with the sunshine of her smile. If this world held his soulmate, then perhaps he could stand up for it when it needed him the most. He had something to fight for again.

"Believe me," he told her. "I know. We've got a lot to talk about."

"And a lifetime to do it," she murmured, her whole body relaxing back against her pillows as sleep claimed her once more.

Whoever would have thought that Steve Rogers would one day have something to thank Red Skull for? Yet without that crash into the icy Arctic, he would never have been sat here, meeting the woman he would spend the rest of his life with. He found himself smiling once again, eager to watch over Helena - his Helena - until she woke up once again.

Peggy had been right.

[mollzflipsidefmp]

About the game:

google definition: The Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying games are about storytelling in worlds of swords and sorcery. Like games of make-believe, D&D is driven by imagination. It’s about picturing a crumbling castle in a darkening forest and imagining how a fantasy adventurer might react to the challenges that scene presents.

adding on in my own words: D&D can be played at a table top in person or an over the phone online and console game.  If played in person the game typically just needs the DM ( Dungeon master) who runs the game (tells the story and controls the npcs/ events to happen) and a bunch of people/friends, their made up characters and their imaginations. The game usually has a story world made up and explained at the start by the DM and then a slight snippet of what their adventure or goal is and how all characters are to start. From there on the players take in turn to role their dices which determine how well they can play out what ever they want to do. You can buy made stories, characters and adventure packs made by d&d, however most campaigners make up their own stories and characters to play by. (like me). It is less expensive, more imaginative and easier to play when all you really need that way would be pen, paper, dice, and imagination.

For example; if one time the DM explains that there is a dog off the shore drowning and one character sees and decides they want to save it - they would roll their dice. If the character gets above the dms set number they will be able to swim out and safely rescue the dog then being able to happily carry on with their goals in game. If the player doesn't, then the plan of rescuing the dog doesn’t go so smoothly and the dm will explain that the character may not be able to swim very well or the dog had already gone under therefor not being able to save them etc etc. Each dice roll has an impact on their story, making it more unexpectable and more fun to play over a long span of time.

Most campaigns last 2-3 years however it is all the DMs choice on how long they choose to make their adventure go on for. Players can die in game and if that happens they can introduce a new character and backstory to join their friends again should they want to. 

In game you pick a race/species as well as if they have good/bad intentions and what their main occupation is. You also can pick what they look and sound like since most players draw and then voice their own characters in person. Like most fantasy games, films and books, you can play as nearly every fantasy based and made up creature from plain human to a tiefling or Tabaxi. 

Tiefling- (deer/bull/humanoid mix) My character cunnuroz is a tiefling for example. 

Tabaxi- (cat humanoid mix). My character Felix is a Tabaxi for example.

When deciding your characters species and then occupation etc, you usually pick their background ie- a marine or outlaw etc and then you pick their specific background for example if they are a marine they may be one of these:

but obviously if they are a marine then they're not going to have a job completely out of marine surrounding depths. The same with outlaw if your an outlaw your not going to have a shop keeper job because that just wouldn't work- well unless your very good at hiding your rue identity in your job. 

To an extent any one you play can have any job or occupation however bards play music or are known for magic with their music so are more likely to have a musical job than flying an aeroplane. Same with an orc/ rangers are more likely to have forest and woodland/animal surrounded base jobs than to be working in a sea merchants. (This applies to whatever race you play as they all have their own specific known for abilities and jobs to which they usually stick with). Again weather you stick with the usual dnd character making classes and rules or well hey make your own is completely up to you.

For my FMP, I decided to make character art/sheets for my own group of characters to be played in an in person game of d&d. I picked their races, main jobs and personalities to then draw as I would see them. My final pieces are just the different character art itself as well as group pieces ive drawn and a YouTube podcast mock up I made which people would listen in to if the campaign was real. I researched different cultures or known styles of clothing to impact my characters to make sure their clothing is somewhat worn by that kin of character in real or official games. My Fmp links to my original contrast theme of changeable/constant because of the huge impact the dice has on the circumstances which happen in real time as they are playing just like everyday decisions are impacted by a series of events and decisions in real life. 

[amyperkins]

Illustrators

Grace Helmer

(first 3 images)

Grace Helmer is one of my favourite illustrators.  I find her work very realistic and sacrastic as she touches upon the honest truths that most people might be thinking but are too polite to express in the moment which is quite humorous. I enjoy the hand-painted, whimsical style. She has done illustrations for a range of clients - from spreads in zines, to her spanning into 2D and 3D, to album cover designs. Opportunities to be in exhibitions such as her collaboration with Charlotte Mei in Tokyo, Japan called わくわく! Waku waku! (a very well-shot film of their trip, worth watching > http://www.gracehelmer.co.uk/WAKU-WAKU-show) and for her work to be part of Bombay Bicycle Club’s music video “Carry Me” is impressive. It could be down to the textural nature of her work as it seems like it posses a kinetic trait so it would look strong yet not over powering if it were animated.  The versatility shines through and leads itself well to comic strip and animated displays. (”Carry Me” video animated by a team of artists, amongst them was the illustrator and animator Anna Ginsburg, whose work is also brilliant). 

Quentin Blake 

(next 3 images: 

“Esio Trot” book by Roald Dahl

Character “Mr Magnolia” created by Blake

“There Must be Candles” for Michael Ronsen’s ‘Sad Book’)

Quentin is one of England’s most cherished illustrators.  He has created drawings and murals for many clients and occasions, but most famously for authors Michael Rosen and Roald Dahl over several decades.  I have always liked Blake’s drawings - they are sketchy and messy, colourful and friendly.  I suppose Ive always looked at them and think that they depict the innocence in the characters and they remind me of content times as a child and young adult, reading books of which his illustrations make a strong appearance. The mediums he opts to utilise in his drawings and how he uses them attempts to reiterate the mood of the book and the types of characters being portrayed. This can be useful to me to explore in greater depth as it is similar to relating a advertisement to the target audience within visual communications. He seems to flip between watercolours, inks and pastels mostly which are some of my personal favourites as well. I think his depictions really bring books to life in a fun, alternative way and means the characters are brought to life as you read. His exhibition ‘Quentin Blake: Inside Stories’ is touring the UK until late 2017, which is very exciting and his website: https://www.quentinblake.com/ 

Hannah Höch

(last 

Hannah Höch creates these bold collage illustrative pieces shown above. She created her illustrations from around 1910 until the late 1970s which connote issues within society, feminism especially. Höch was involved in the Dada Movement which arose in her time and developed these layered collages to make powerful statements. Their controversial nature caused a stir in society at the time, therefore forcing people to be talking about the issues they portray and they are still powerful today.  I enjoy Höch’s use of found papers and cut out images.  They are cleverly rearranged and make a new simple image but with a powerful key message behind them which make people take notice.  I in particular like her photo montage above, 3rd from the last, (name unknown) as the observer is drawn to those striking wide eyes of a woman in the middle. This is teamed with an image of a female body wearing a swimsuit as the focal point, layered upon a mass of what look like businessman filling up the rest of the frame.  This image has an obvious, direct message potentially alluding to the status and value of women in the work place, compared to the ease that the the male gender has always experienced.  It states that it is harder for an individual to move forward in their career and this difficulty ultimately comes down to gender and misogynistic undertones instead of being based upon skill, dedication to the work and overall fit for the position. I see that her designs have a lot of emotion and meaning behind them and that is what I feel is one of the key strengths of her inspirational work. Hannah Höch has has much of her work featured in exhibitions in galleries all around the world for example, the V&A, London and continues to be admirable, challenging and a example for positive change in todays day.