#i did not do the line art i just colored it 🎨

[reinadecorazonez]

Line art by @inkz123

[dingledraw]

Ineffable wives collab with @t-nartin! 🐍🍎🕊️ It was great fun to see how our art styles work together🤩

(pose inspo✌️😗)

[insecateur]

I would like to see your illustration process🎨🖌

okay anon !! i will try my best to explain sorry if it's bad or nonsensical 🥲 also will include a cut bc long + pictures

SO this varies from drawing to drawing bc i have different styles n methods depending on my mood among other things... like for example the process between this and this or something like my latest comic is completely different.

usually i start by getting an idea (OBVIOUSLY!!!) sometimes i just start with something rly vague, sometimes i think about it for a while, and sometimes i even do thumbnails... i will use one such example for a more thorough look at the Process i think!

so, for these i actually doodled thumbnails on the note app on my phone... i used to do this on paper also but phone works surprisingly ok to just get a pose/vibe down. so it looked like that:

you can see... the vibes. using these as a base i'll draw rough sketches on the computer, like this:

which i can then refine them further into nicer, cleaner sketches (i usually do this for bigger illustrations like that, or comics):

then i line . note i usually color the lines after i've put flat colors so please ignore that lmao:

then i do flat colors, color the lines, and do shading/highlights etc. usually i use multiply and overlay respectively for this type of illustrations:

then i do the details (snow, dust, the titles...) and add a preliminary overlay that i'm probably going to play with in the next step (please pretend that i didn't forget to up the opacity for the background of the second illus earlier i'm too lazy to retake screenshots):

AND THEN i switch to my shitty old photoshop and do last minute edits, play with the colors/contrast, add textures, etc.

final results!!! yayyyyy🎉

that's basically my process for illustrations like that. for simpler stuff i'll go with the flow a little more... like for example the afterimage art i did the shading with my own colors and lysandre actually isn't even fully drawn (altho there's probably more of him drawn than you'd expect LOL):

ummm there we go idk if that was interesting or not . maybe i'll record myself drawing again sometimes, i haven't done it in years 😪

[inceptionart]

Closing out our artist highlight event for Inceptiversary is Koyori @sequiteur! Read on for her thoughts on art, and you can find all of her brilliant and super cool artwork here!

🎨 When did you start creating art for the Inception fandom, and what is your inspiration?

Only about a month ago! I’d love to take part in something like Inception Big Bang eventually. I like drawing portraits and fashion, and Inception has some very beautiful people dressed in impeccable costuming. Mostly right now I’ve been doing lots of sketches of Arthur.

🎨 Tell us about your creative process, and which part do you enjoy the most about it?

My creative process begins with procrastinating on actual work, unfortunately! I’m in grad school right now and I use my tablet to make figures for papers and presentations, but when I’m procrastinating I’ll open up a blank canvas and start drawing instead.

My favorite part is testing out new brushes and tools and learning new techniques to change up my workflow. I primarily use Clip Studio Paint for my digital art, and Clip Studio Assets is a fantastic resource for user-created brushes and other materials. I like to browse the top downloaded materials every few months to see if there’s anything new that I want to try out.

🎨 Link us to your first and latest artwork, and how your style has evolved since then?

My first digital artwork was this portrait of Samirah al-Abbas from the Magnus Chase series. The latest is this portrait of Arthur from Inception. I think my main improvement has been more deliberation in placing my brushstrokes, since you can see in the Samirah piece that a lot of the time, I’m kind of just guessing at where hard and soft edges should be, and there’s a lot of busy detail in places that shouldn’t draw the viewer’s eye.

🎨 What is your absolute favorite piece of art that you've made, and why?

This is a tough question, and unfortunately I don’t think I can discuss a piece for Inception, since I just started drawing for this fandom. I like this fanart I did for an alternative version of Fate/Grand Order’s Hans Christian Andersen, since the lighting is interesting, there’s a clear focal point, and you can still see the sketch lines; I feel like I often fall into the trap of over-rendering, and this piece largely avoids that problem. I had no idea what I was trying to do when experimenting with blend modes to create the colors for his feather pen, but I like the end result. I think it was a happy accident with a simple round brush and color burn.

🎨 What is something about Inception that you really want to make art for someday, and why?

There are lots of scenes from my favorite Inception fics that I’d love to illustrate, too many to count! Off the top of my head, I love "in this part of the story" by gunsandbutter and really want to paint her version of a younger Arthur back when he was in the military.

🎨 Give a shoutout to your favorite Inception artists here!

I’m still getting to know Inception fandom, so I’m sure there are lots of great artists out there whose work I just haven’t seen yet. So far, I really adore @mizunoir’s work for Inception Big Bang 2022, an artist named sin-repent whose work someone recommended in the Inception discord server, and keelain’s artwork for a past Inception Big Bang.

🎨 Anything else you'd like to talk about art and the Inception fandom in general ❤

It’s really cool to be just joining a fandom that’s been going strong for more than ten years by now; there’s such a wealth of fanworks and interesting content to sift through, that I don’t think I’ll ever get to the bottom of. Mostly I just want to thank all the organizers and participants of Inceptiversary for being so welcoming – this has been a really awesome experience!

[nachosncheeze]

For the fanfic emoji ask: 🥺 ❌ 🎨

Hello!!! Sorry I took a while to answer!! I had to take a little time to think about these, especially the one about tropes. I’m still relatively inexperienced - I think 9 stories so far, and 5 or 6 more in draft stage - so I’m still finding my strengths, weaknesses, comfort levels, etc. Thinking about how to answer was a really EXCELLENT exercise to think critically about my own writing habits and goals, so thank you SO MUCH for these questions!!

🥺 Is there a certain type of moment or common interaction between your characters that never fails to put you in your feels?

On screen, if I think about which episodes ALWAYS get me emotional, it’s 3x22, 4x12, 4x17, 5x01, 5x08, 5x10, 5x11, so there might be a pattern there…. xD Especially those silent lip-read conversations through the windows, such as 5x08/10. Those writers are CRUEL and the cast/directors/camera etc knocked it out of the park every time. The other main “feels” moments for me would be any moments of connection between Roman and his sister. Their entire story is just so tragic. 😢

And 2x01. Both the content itself and my sheer awe of the absolute genius of every single element of its creation. It is my spicy comfort food that hurts but also I want to eat it again and again. I could honestly gush about it all day. I have ALL the feels for that episode. The whole range of human emotion. If it was a person I would marry it.

❌ What's a trope you will never write?

I don't like saying 'never', but I’m a ‘color inside the lines’ type. So far I mainly specialize in writing canon-compliant things, within and between what’s already on screen. So I doubt there would ever be big AUs or crack fics from me; they require a lot more thinking outside the box and too big a commitment for me xD I think that makes some common tropes unlikely too, apart from ones that already appear in canon like "enemies to lovers" etc.

I think I'm pretty good at angst, but romance and physically affectionate moments are proving really difficult for me to find the words, so I don’t really see myself ever writing smut and I think I would struggle with a pure romance, for example an Only One Bed trope. 

Lastly, the one I know for sure is that I like the kids that exist in canon and I use them quite a bit especially in my current WIPs. I’ve also written events around their births in two of my fics. BUT childbirth itself is and always will be firmly off-page from me. You’ll also never catch me making anyone pregnant. It doesn’t rise to the level of squick for me, it’s just really not my thing. 

🎨 How do you feel about fan art of your stories?

Ohhhhhh my gosh, well it’s never happened, but if it did I think it would be the most flattering thing ever?! My stories so far are all very close to canon, so I think the show itself is kind of a related art xD

[buckybleu]

❣︎ the girl in paris ❣︎

pairing: artist(painter)!Shangqi/Shang-Chi x fem!reader

summary: A painter's muse paints his life in color.

warnings: 18+ only; unprotected sex (p in v), creampie, fingering (f), brief mentions of breast play, cum play(?), and overstimulation.

A/N: Part 2 to Before Paris, a piece I wrote for @tom-whore-dleston 500 follower writing challenge. I spent so much time deleting and rewriting this (especially the smut); just overthinking and trying to perfect it. But after reading over it a few times, I think I'm happy with it! I hope you enjoy, happy reading! 🎨

**Please do check out the rest of Jordan's 500 followers writing challenge masterlist; so many other amazing stories have also been submitted.

word count: 3.6k

reblogs/likes/comments are greatly appreciated! 💗 Banner by: maysdigitalarts

Soft chatter of attendees waft through the air; some inspecting the fine lines of graphite, others loiter and drink amongst one another. When Shangqi’s agent told him this showing would be his biggest yet, she was not kidding. The room was full, a mixture of art critics, casual onlookers, and high bidders. Every few minutes Sonny, Shangqi’s agent, would whisper into his ear to let him know another piece of his had sold.

He’s ecstatic and joyful at the success of his gallery. But there was a missing piece of the show. You. The hands on his watch ticked forward too quickly for his liking. Each glance at it showed a minute closer to the gallery closing. Did you forget? No, maybe you were running late. Oh fuck, did he write down the wrong address? Why didn’t he just ask for your number? A million different scenarios played through his mind, all of them explaining why you’re not here.

That wasn’t until he spotted someone timeless in the corner.

Your periwinkle satin dress sparkled under the soft overhead light, casting an angelic glow. And for the first time, Shangqi could really see every detail of your face, from the curve of your nose to the plush, soft lips that you painted crimson. The way you stood admiring his work, how your left hand held the stem of the glass, and head slightly tilted to the side, told him a story. But what captured Shangqi most was your beauty. Your beauty was the kind that stole people’s breath. The kind that you couldn’t seize on film, because beauty was in the moment.

And then you turn.

And Shangqi sees the most beautiful picture in front of him. A bright smile etches across your face when you spot him, placing a glass down before making your way towards him.

“The man of the hour! I didn’t think I’d be able to catch a moment with you.” You pull him into a hug, arms wrapped around his back. Shangqi’s arms tighten around you, as if someone might pull you apart, as if you might slip from reality, and disappear.

“I didn’t know if you'd make…I didn’t see you come in” he says.

“You were busy with other guests, I didn’t want to interrupt. I busied myself with the gallery and a glass of wine.” You admire the work around you, smiling when you spot your favorite. “Congratulations, by the way. Everything is absolutely breathtaking. I knew you were underselling your talent on the train!”

Shangqi chuckles, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, you know. I’ve gotten some nasty reviews already.”

“Well, in my eyes what you created is beautiful.” You loop your arm around his, tugging him towards the front. “Now, Picasso, I'd love a personal tour from the man himself.”

○•*•○※○•*•○※○•*•○※○

And they start from the very beginning, mesmerized by each other like the first time they met on the train. Shangqi describes every piece with pride and detail, telling you what emotions he felt when sketching it, what story it told him, how he scraped a piece and started all over. You hang onto every word from him, not wanting to hear the end of it. By the time you both stand before the last piece, your fingers are intertwined with one another, unsure how or when it happened; just glad you’re holding onto each other.

“This is my favorite piece” you say.

It’s simple. Nothing intricate or complex. Simple, but holds more meaning than anything you’ve seen before. It’s a charcoal sketch of an elderly woman. The details aren’t fine, but you can tell what is what; her button nose, arching brows and gentle smile. But when looking at it as a whole, it’s blurry. Like movement caught on canvas.

“Really?” Shangqi stares at the canvas, unsure what you see. “It’s not my best. I wasn’t sure anyone else would enjoy it.”

You let go of his hand, stepping closer to the piece, learning the lines of charcoal by heart. Your voice is soft, “The story is still ongoing. It’s not done, in progress…like me.” You whisper the last part to yourself, but Shangqi’s ears catch it.

You continue, “Everything else you’ve sketched and painted has a beginning, middle, and end. She doesn’t, and that’s the beauty of it. The beauty is in our imagination to create what’s next, where she might end up.”

There’s peaceful silence as you both admire the portrait, both unsure what to say next.

You let out a soft chuckle, shaking your head. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to ramble. It’s just…I don’t know, she reminded me of…me I guess.”

Shangqi turns to you, “How so?”

Your eyes are glossy when you turn towards him, “I think of the place I might end up, my ending. I don’t know where that might be, but I can imagine all the beautiful places that could be. My ending, where I finally take root. Home.”

The sound of Sonny’s clicking heels stops Shangqi from asking more. Sonny clears her throat, alerting her arrival. “Shangqi, Mr. Wilson wants to inquire about a commission before we close. He’s in a hurry.”

Shangqi gives Sonny a polite smile, telling her he’ll be there in a second. As Sonny walks back, he turns his gaze back to you, still admiring the piece.

“I’ll be right back, like two minutes. Please don’t go anywhere” he pleads.

“Don’t worry, I’ll meet you out front in a bit.” You squeeze his hand, reassuring him. “Go, I promise I’ll come find you.”

And with that promise, Shangqi grins and places a swift kiss to your cheek and is off to find Mr. Wilson.

○•*•○※○•*•○※○•*•○※○

Paris is not a city, but a world. Its excitement, glamour, and romance in the air leaves no thought for sleep. The small pebbled roads are usually buzzing with tourists and Parisians, on their way to the next destination. But tonight, there are only two who occupy these roads as the glow of the Eiffel Tower lights their way.

As promised, you waited for Shangqi by the door, coat in hand and a smile on your face. Bidding a goodnight to Mr. Wilson and Sonny, you and Shangqi walk towards his studio apartment for the night.

Though the city is quiet tonight, the sound of yours and Shangqi’s laughter dance through the air. Catching up on lost time, even if it had only been a few days.

“Wait, hold on.” You hold onto Shangqi’s arm to slip off your heels. “Ah, much better! These were killing my feet.”

“Now your feet are going to get dirty” Shangqi snorts. “We can’t have that now.”

“Oh well, better than my feet being in pain. You try wearing-” your laughter cuts you off as Shangqi scoops you off the ground, now holding you bridal style. “Shangqi! What are you doing?”

“What? I can’t let my girl dirty her feet now can we?” he informs.

You wrap your arms around his neck and peck his cheek. “Oh? I’m your girl?” Even under the Paris moonlight, Shangqi blushing cheeks can be seen. “Well your girl kindly requests you take her home.”

“Your wish is my command.”

○•*•○※○•*•○※○•*•○※○

Shangqi’s studio apartment is nothing but him through and through. From the empty canvases and paint palettes, to the scattered clothing on his couch and warm scent of leather and patchouli. Sketchbooks are sprawled across his dining table alongside empty take out boxes. In the corner room an unfinished painting of Paris’ sunset sits on an easel, illuminated by the moonlight.

“You never told me what you do for a living,” Shangqi hands you a glass of white wine as he settles beside you.

You swirl your glass of wine and take a sip, “I’m a writer.”

“Anything in particular you’re working on?” Shangqi notices the hesitation in your answer as you bite your bottom lip. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. We can talk-”

“No, no. It’s just…I’ve been traveling for the past month, hoping for some inspiration. And I think I finally have an idea.”

Shangqi smiles, “Tell me about it.”

And there Shangqi sees it again, a beauty that takes his breath away. You break out into a huge grin, excited to have someone listen.

So you talk.

And he listens.

And somewhere between explaining the forbidden love between the protagonist and antagonist and the climax of the story, Shangqi’s head ends up in your lap and your hands in his hair. Shangqi listens to every detail you have to spare, letting the stories glide like your fingers through his hair.

“That’s quite the story you got there Ms. Brontë.”

You laugh at Shangqi’s nickname for you, “Brontë? I don’t know, Charlotte Brontë was a genius. That’s a lot to live up to, Picasso. There’s a lot more I need to figure out, but that’s the meat and potatoes of it. The finer details will need a bit more exploring. I want to feel more, experience it myself before I can immerse myself into writing it.”

“Feel more?” asks Shangqi.

“Some say creating stories is best when you’ve experienced it yourself. You understand their motives and feelings. The intricate nature of their being. Feel their stories and live in their shoes for a bit.”

“I have an idea,” Shangqi says. He lifts his head from your lap, stands, and extends his hand, “I promise, it’ll help. Maybe a little fun.”

You take his hand, following Shangqi to a corner of the studio that’s covered with tarp. Every color of paint you could ever imagine sits on shelves; bright oranges, neutrals, pastels, everything. He lets go of your hand to pick out some brushes and jars of paint.

“Have you ever tried body painting? Sometimes I paint little things on my arms or legs to allow the creativity to flow. But more than anything it’s just super relaxing.” Shangqi places some blankets and pillows down before looking back up at you, “Want to give it a try?”

You sink down onto a pillow, legs crisscrossed and laugh, “Sure, but I can’t paint to save my life.”

“How about this, I’ll paint you while you tell me more about your story. Maybe it’ll help not only your creativity, but mine also. I’ve been stuck on this idea I have in my head. What do you say?” he reassures you with a smile.

Nodding, you make yourself comfortable on the floor, watching his every movement. Shangqi starts mixing paints on his palette, brows furrowed in concentration. There's artistic glow as he works, magic that draws you into his world.

“Usually we paint on your back,” Shangqi says. “But you’d have to be shirtless and I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. We can just do your arms or legs or whatever-”.

The words die on Shangqi’s tongue as he watches you slip down the straps of your dress. You’re sitting in only your panties, arms holding your breasts.

“Is this okay?” you ask, back towards him and laughing at his shocked expression. Shangqi licks his lips, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallows hard.

The moonlight pours in from the window, illuminating Shangqi’s canvas, your back. You shiver, holding back a moan as Shangqi traces the paint on your back. His paint strokes are gentle as a feather, nearly lulling you to sleep.

You tell him of your heroine’s pleasures and desires. Of her lost world. Shangqi becomes lost in you, lost in your words. He’s lost in the world of color, transported into another universe as he follows your descriptors.

“And she’s just not sure what’s going to happen next. She’s spent so long without roots that she’s not sure if she can grow them, take root in permanence. Her world has flipped-oh fuck” you let a breathy moan as the brush bristle grazes the side of your neck. Heat rushes to your cheeks, embarrassed of the sound you’ve made.

“Shit, sorry. Are you alright?” Shangqi asks, setting his brush down. The last thing he wants to do is make you uncomfortable. You let a breathy yes for him to continue painting. Heat slowly starts to build in your core, wetness pooling your panties as the brush is pressured along your neck. “Almost done, baby.” Shangqi says, his warm breath close to your ears, sending shivers down your spine.

You don’t register any of Shangqi’s words when tells you he’s done. Sensual fantasies of how you crave Shangqi between your legs or filling you with his cock, plague your mind. How much you want him to relive the ache between your legs. His soft lips on your shoulder slowly lulls you away from your fantasies.

You lean into his broad chest, tilting your head towards him. His hands are steady on your hip as you pull his face to yours, lips chasing after each other, needy with passion. Shangqi’s tongue traces your bottom lip, asking for entrance as his hands grip your hips tighter, pulling you closer into his body. Your tongues clash, fighting for dominance. You whine as Shangqi pulls aways, but let out an erotic moan as he sucks and bites your neck. Your legs involuntarily open.

“P-Please Shangqi, fuck.” you whimper. You’re distracted when you open your eyes, finally noticing the mirror in front of you. You groan watching the salacious scene unfold, Shangqi’s hands cupping and pulling your breasts, drawing every little mewl from your swollen lips. High pitched whines escape as he twists and pulls on your nipples.

“Tell me what you want, baby.” Shangqi bites your shoulder, smirking when you guide one his hands down to your clothed sex. He cups your sweet core, fingers pushing your panties to the side, “I know you have a way with words, honey. Use your pretty little mouth for me. Let me hear it.”

“Fuck. Touch me, please.” You rut against his hardening cock in his pants, moaning at the friction. “I want this so bad, please-fuck.”

His fingers find your swollen nub, circling it with the honey between your legs. Your whines of more and right there, only edge him on. Shangqi adds more pressure onto your clit, causing your legs to tremble and you nearly falling forward.

“You want my fingers baby? Hm? You want cum all over my fingers?” Shangqi teases your hole, fingers slightly prodding your entrance. He huffs out a little laughter, watching you nod your head furiously. The world around you blurs, pleasure spilling out of your core. Shangqi groans while watching you in the mirror, sinking two fingers into you, pumping them in and out. You throw your head back in pleasure, writhing on his fingers. You’re babbling nonsense, almost ashamed of how far you’re gone. The coil in your stomach quickly comes undone, gushing and clenching around his fingers.

Shangqi works you through your high, watching your body tremble as he holds you tightly against his chest. He presses kisses along your shoulder and neck as your body calms.

You pull him towards your lips, needing to feel the warmth of his breath, whining for more. “I need you, please. I want more Shangqi.” You yelp in surprise when Shangqi scoops you into his arms, heading towards the bed.

Shangqi gently tosses you onto his bed, not caring for wet paint on your back. Especially when he’s about to make another one. He quickly strips off his clothes and climbs over your body. You strip off your panties and dress, innately spread your legs open, welcoming him between your legs. His lips hover over yours before smashing them onto you. Shangqi takes your mouth like it's a prize, hungrily pushing his tongue on yours.

He pulls away and dips his head, nibbling against your collarbone. You fight back the shiver as he kisses down your jaw to your throat. His breath brushes against your ear, “I want you. Fuck, I need you so bad, baby.” The tip of his cock grazes your clit, sending jolts of electricity through your body. “Tell me you want this. Tell me to fill you with my cock.”

He guides the tip of his cock to your entrance when you give him a breathy yes. Shangqi slowly sinks into your wet heat, his cock stretching you deliciously. You wrap your legs around his waist, nails clawing at his back, leaving red marks. He kisses the tears on your cheeks, cooing you, telling you how good you are for taking him.

“Need you to fuck me Shangqi. Please fuck me.” Your little pleas urge him to slowly thrust in and out, loving the warmth around his cock. Your bodies are pressed together, shaped like they were meant to fit together. He lays his body weight on you, his head nuzzled into the crook of your neck as he rocks his hips into you.

“So fucking tight more, baby. Your pussy was made for me.” He praises, beginning to set a faster and harder pace. You moan uncontrollably, goosebumps rising your skin from the pleasure surging through your body. Your velvet walls flutter around his cock, alerting him of your imminent release.

His cocks fills you to the hilt, the tip grazing your sweet spot with every pound into you. “Come for me, baby. Want to feel you cream all over my cock. Milk me, take what’s yours.” You mewl at his words, ready to unravel. Shangqi takes his hand and presses down on your lower belly, his thumb circling your nub. You fall apart on his cock, seeing stars in your visions. Your sweet juices drip out, down his cock to his balls. Shangqi is intoxicated with the sounds of your criesas you cum. Your climax triggering Shangqi’s, his hips stuttering as he paints your walls white, chanting your name like a prayer.

He sits up slightly, still slowly thrusting as he watches the mix of his and your cum coat his cock. When Shangqi pulls out, he growls and watches in awe, cum seeping out your puckered hole. He scoops your cum with two fingers, smearing the mess all over.

The night is silent as you and Shangqi recollect yourself. He presses a sweet kiss to your cheek, promising to be right back. You watch as he climbs off the bed, heading to the bathroom, admiring the way his muscles flex that are decorated with your markings. He comes back with a warm towel and cleans the mess between your legs, apologizing when presses a little hard on your overstimulated clit. Tossing the towel aside, Shangqi slides back into bed and pulls you close. You nuzzle your face into his neck, pressing soft kisses as he tucks you under his arm.

Your eyes start to feel heavy listening to the steady beat of Shangqi’s heart. Shangqi draws intricate patterns on your arm as you succumb to sleep, pressing one last kiss to your hair. He stares at your sleeping figure with a certain hope you’ll be here tomorrow, a dream too good to let go.

○•*•○※○•*•○※○•*•○※○

You wake to the warm Paris sunlight kissing your skin; eyelids still leaden with sleep, limbs heavy. The slightly opened windows let in a faint breeze; the aroma of fresh baked bread from the bakery below fills your nostrils.

You’re dreading the thought of checking your phone, already knowing it’s filled with missed calls and texts from Yelena. For all you know, she and Nat have sent out a cavalry to find you, Shangqi’s face probably plastered with ‘most wanted’.

Your ears perk up to the sound of rustling paper and scratches of a pencil. Shangqi is perched on the foot of the bed, engrossed in whatever he’s sketching. The sketchbook is balanced on his knee, his pencil gliding gracefully across the paper.

You succumb further into the silk sheets, not ready to detangle yourself, making no move to cover your bare chest. You continue to watch Shangqi’s talented hand, his marks easy and imprecise. He’s beautiful in the daylight, wearing nothing but his gray sweats that sit deliciously low on his hips. There’s a serenity in him as you watch, eyes unable to tear away from the picture in front of you. A moment you wish you could wake up to everyday.

When Shangqi's gaze is flicking up to you, then down again, you grasp that he’s drawing you. You feel slightly embarrassed when you remember the sheets are only covering your sex, everything else on display.

Shangqi tears his concentration from his sketch when you start to pull the covers up. He sets down the book, frowning as he gently climbs onto the bed to halt your movements.

“You look beautiful under the sunlight. Don’t hide it, dove.” Shangqi leans in to kiss your lips, slowly trailing down your jaw to your neck. “I had to capture it on paper.”

“Can I see it?” you ask sweetly.

He props his hands to the side of your head, leaning in to kiss you again. “Not yet, dove. It needs to be perfect before I let you see it.” Shangqi kisses your bare shoulder, your pulse fluttering when his hips grind into you. You suppress the moan that tries to escape your lips; your body warming with the memory of last night.

Shangqi chuckles when he pulls himself from you, now back to the foot of the bed. He sends you a wink as he picks up the pencil and sketchbook, determined to illustrate your beauty. What sweet, beautiful creature you are.

He hopes the sight of you sprawled across his sheets isn't a fever dream, not some drunken illusion.

But in the strange occurrence that you are, Shangqi has you etched into his sketchbook. Brought to life through the curves of graphite and shading. Taking permanence in his book.

You playfully nudge Shangqi with your foot, giggling when he pulls you close.

“Are you drawing me like one of those french girls?” you tease.

“No, love. I’m drawing my girl.”

An artist is lucky if he is gifted with a passion. A passion to create a story. A passion to add color to the world around them. But when an artist finds his muse, it colors their world.

○•*•○※○•*•○※○•*•○※○

all errors & mistakes are mine!

main massterlist // Xu Shacngqi masterlist

[lonelyvomit]

abby, can we have an arty analysis of the album cover (now it's confirmed) 🙏🏻🎨🖼🤲🏻

dunno about an analysis but I'll happily give an uneducated art rant ✨😌

what stands out to me first is that using a band feature photograph it's a step out of line from their previous album covers, which in the past have been 2 designed graphics and a stock photo. but it's not like band feature covers are out of character for them either - they've done a lot of those with their singles (I didn't even realize they did it this much until now lmao). it's not uncommon for bands to use a mix of covers, but I've noticed most bands do have their preferences in terms or illustative vs. photograph covers, and whether or not the band itself is featured in it. so far BC has definitely favored band photos for single covers, but leaned towards design heavy covers for the main album releases.

that being said, LOTSAD follows Violent Pop really closely with the black and white color theme, heavy texture filter, fairly similar font choice, and most of all opting out from having the band name on the cover and counting on the logo to do it's thing. if the album name wasn't there and you told me the LOTSAD cover is just the cover for Violent Pop Deluxe Edition, I'd probably believe you.

in terms of the photo itself - I like the composition and the visual flow. it has Kiril's signature style (which Niko confirmed on ig literally while I was writing this lmao), and the result is great. there is however some things with the editing that I'm sure work perfectly fine in most people's eyes, but I'll nitpick it anyway.

first is the fact that it's impossible to mangle someone's face like that, stretching it from natural live proportions into a hanging mask, without messing with the skin texture and lighting. which means there's some little spots where the lighting bothers me or I think there's been some airbrushing. tho not much, because most of it gets blended with the scratchy texture filter. which is my second point - I'm not a fan of the texture overlay. it can be an artistic choice, BC does love their heavy editing, and it does include the words "sick & dangerous", so it was clearly created specifically for this cover. but filters are also a quick way of hiding photoshop mistakes, so something this heavily edited always makes me squint to see if it's something that was actually planned from the start, or if there's some photoshop fuckups it's being used to hide or distract from. knowing how much stretching people's faces does undeniably fuck shit up, I think here it's a case of both. it's fine, it fits BC's aesthetic and is hell of a lot easier than trying to reintroduce the old skin texture to every part you've had to edit. Ossi did a good job with what he had to work with and what he was asked to do, and I do appreciate the texture overlay being personalized for the album.

overall it's an awesome cover, it's extremely on brand for them, and well executed 🔥

[margridarnauds]

🔎🎨 and thought cloud emoji

🎨 If your WIP became popular, which scene do you think would be considered most “iconic,” or have the most fan art?

Bres and Sreng consummating their relationship for the first time -- Not necessarily for the Rule 34 element (but also. I've been in fandom long enough to know that there WOULD be Rule 34 content. I KNOW I will be seeing Bres' dick if this is published and becomes popular), but because of the emotional catharsis there. Like, it's been building up for seven years at this point, it's the culmination of both their arcs up to that point, and it's a rare absolutely bright moment for them, with me consciously using a lot of contrasting color descriptions.

🔎 What is something you learned when doing research for your WIP?

I...I took up an entire field, learned two dead languages (three if you want to include Middle Irish on a technicality), one modern language, earned a MA, and started a PhD program. (This is not a boast. This is a cautionary tale. Look at my life. Look at my choices.)

That being said...I'm really excited to bring in the legal texts. One of my best friends is a legal scholar, so I routinely hit her up with questions where I'm like "M, on a scale of 1-10, how illegal is this thing that Bres just did?" and she's like "15" and I'm like "fair." One thing in particular is that, in an Old Irish divorce, even "longing looks" were something that was considered in the proceedings, as a form of infidelity. So...theoretically speaking...

I'm really excited to bring in some of the queer bardic poetry that I've read, because there are some wonderful lines in there that are really appropriate to the themes I'm going for and the overall beats of Bres and Sreng's story, and it will really fulfill a dual role of setting the scene (the idea that this isn't the version of CMT that we got, it isn't "the true story", but that it's keeping to the spirit of the tradition) while also introducing the audience to this tradition that's often under-explored. (I feel like...it needs to be emphasized that there WAS a queer tradition in Ireland, way beyond the sagas, that at least some of these poems were genuinely written by queer Irish poets over five hundred years ago, and that...they were there. It isn't a main statement that I'm making and I'm not sure that I want this to be known as The Queer CMT Retelling any more than I ever want to be known as a Queer Celticist or a Queer Writer, because that puts it and me into a box I don't always want to be in, but it's important.)

And...really excited to bring in some of the lesser known myths. Cath Maige Tuired itself is relatively well known, it's kind of one of the starter myths, but I'm going to be bringing in a lot of lesser known material from the Dindshenchas, I'm going to be bringing in Tochmarc Étaíne, I'm going to be bringing in O'Donnell's Kern in a roundabout way, I'm going to be bringing in Oidheadh Chloinne Tuireann and Lebor Gabála Érenn, I'm going to be bringing in the Auraceipt na nÉces, I'm going to be bringing in a lot of material from Cath Muige Tuired Cunga, I'll be bringing in at least some material from Leabhar Mór na nGenealach, I'll be bringing in the Early Modern recension of CMT...hopefully, it will work in a cohesive way. If not, at least *I'm* going to have fun. Can't guarantee anyone else will. But I will.

[reinadecorazonez]

Art by @inkz123

[reinadecorazonez]

Line art by @inkz123

I downloaded the images from Zine from @tothebonezine, and I'm hoping to do the other four when I have time ^^

[reinadecorazonez]

Red lights

Original art by @virune