#im still experimenting with digital art! not my best work at all but its a good start?

[bluebelledmoon]

them (its a bromance)

[the-s1lly-corner]

Can you write the TADC cast with a male ballet dancer reader? The reader experiences gender dysphoria 24/7 because they look very feminine and all that.

TADC cast x male!ballet dancer!reader w/ dysphoria

back to finishing up the current line up of requests!! reminder that im only doing requests that have been sent in prior to them being closed! any requests that are sent in while theyre still closed will not be taken and will be deleted so i can keep track of what was sent before closing; its nothing against any of yall and you guys can resend your stuff when they are reopened (i will make it very obvious when they are so dw!!) on a different note i could have sworn i did a cast request with a reader who does ballet; but i guess it was only for jax and i was confusing the group request for the ballora type! reader from this morning huh anyways!! i hope you enjoy this anon! quick warning that i know literally nothing about ballet so im

CAINE:

i think he enjoys a bunch of art forms; from music stuff to dance stuff to painting stuff, this man has taste. i think he would give you a bunch of outfits for you to wear and swap around that fits your aesthetic. bro would give you a whole walk in closet. as for dysphoria, i think he would do a similar thing with jax and reinforce how masculine you are to him, usually through affirmations, but he also shows it through just being there for you, bro is not only your number one fan but hes also your biggest supporter

POMNI:

i am yet again stumped on what to put in for pomni, since i think pomni is. bad at comforting people. very awkward, do not go to her for advice she will fumble so bad. now its not like shes not trying, but i think she would be all over the place trying to cover everything that could possibly help you; perhaps you two ultimately settle on cuddling one another... if this werent the digital world you two would probably put on a movie to take your mind off of it. as for her thoughts on ballet! i think she would find it neat, similar to jax she would have a form of respect for it!

RAGATHA:

she thinks it looks pretty, the dancing! she wouldnt know all the history or more in depth parts of it but she would watch you practice if you allowed her too... i think she would make you a binder, if your digital body causes any gender dysphoria for you.. though now that i type this i recall it being said that the characters clothing being stuck to their body.. so maybe she would just make you clothing thats more masculine as well? im not sure on this one!

JAX:

doing jax first since he already got a similar post and i can use it as a basis; ive said this in that post as well as the ballora one but i think he would at least appreciate the dedication and hard work that goes into ballet... to like, fully commit to something like that impresses him you know? as for dysphoria, i think he would make it a point to call you more masculine terms. hes gonna be trying his best to try to help you with your dysphoria in the way that best helps you. lays off on his teasing on days where its worse

KINGER:

i am yet again distraught that i do not have many ideas for kinger this time, which is sad because hes my favorite character and i can relate so hard to the dysphoria thing... thinks.. probably throws all of his knowledge at you. i mean hes been in the circus for a while, hes probably seen at least a few people come and go; and sure what are the odds that he has some experience helping someone fight through their dysphoria... a boy can dream! takes you to his pillow fort and lets you stay for as long as you want

probably sits and watches you dance on a makeshift pillow thrown. claps when you're done, probably throws roses... i think caine would throw roses too except he would throw way more simply because he can literally. manifest as many as he wants

ZOOBLE:

i dont usually like sharing my lgbt hcs about characters out of fear that it would be met with discourse but if i recall correctly zooble doesnt really have a gender/a set one (if im wrong correct me!) so they understand the dysphoria thing; i think they would offer to let you hang out in your room and vent your feelings out. probably tries to give advice on how to feel better in general if you want advice, but if you want comfort theyre gonna do your best to give it to you. i dont think zooble would have much of an opinion on ballet; neither negative or positive, simply knowing thats its an art form! supports you if it makes you happy, though!

GANGLE:

while not the same thing, i like to think gangle used to do ribbon dancing in the real world... because... ribbon girl. see look im so so creative

but also i think it looks pretty

so you guys can bond over your hobbies! you might have to pry gangle to open up and talk about her interest in it, assuming she picks it up again in the digital world! as for dysphoria, i think gangle would be like zooble in terms of lending you some support; offers to help distract you if you dont want to tackle the issue at that point in time. i dont know about you, but sometimes i just, dont want to deal with my own dysphoria, but perhaps thats just a me thing

[attyattlaw]

heyyy I'm new to digital art, would you mind sharing some tips regarding programs and tutorials and etc? also on how to turn a real life piece into a beautiful and clean digital piece... really love your art

oh good luck with your art journey! my experience with digital art is pretty dated (as in a decade + levels dated) and i might be too out of touch to give beginner tips but regardless, allow me to attempt

Programs: it would help to know which hardware you have for digital but ill put down some i have experience in 1. Clip Studio Paint Pro - PC/Android/ipad/everywhere i think? unfortunately they betrayed humankind and its now a subscription everywhere but on PC. i bought a one-time license years years years ago on sale and its probably the best available on my end. I also got it on subscription on android so i can sync works between my PC and tablet. its very flexible in a way that you can draw with it in the most basic way single layer sketches or whatever but they have so many features and keep adding more.

2. procreate - ipad only never been an apple user but my friend is, and he's been a procreate user forever. he recently tried CSP on ipad though and he still claims he likes procreate better for ease of use and compatibility with tablet ergonomics and apple pen

3. medibang paint - pc/android/ipad

free forever. and out of all the free programs i recommended my other digital art newbie friend this is what he liked best.

4. adobe photoshop - dont even look at this the only reason i have one is im leeching off company license. its still unfortunately the industry standard tho but CSP is much cheaper and has the same controls and most of the basic functions 5. Paint Tool SAI - my first art program but i haven't tried it again. honestly still think this has the best brush flexibility and pen pressure control ----- As for tutorials, i find digital art has such a steep and high skill ceiling and its a challenge im still tackling and probably will forever tackle haha. I'm trying to osmosis painting techniques from splash art painters from League of Legends who most of them post complete timelapses (my favorite being Bo Chen) where you can study not just their techniques but like, art directions that make their pieces striking. Anyway, I also promised a friend I would make a simple coloring tutorial so maybe after inktober hustle, I would look for a piece there I'd use for the guide.

---- Traditional to digital is never a satisfactory process to me but if you can, invest on a scanner. I use an epson v39, had it for years.

scanned vs edited. the goal is to at least get the white of the paper as white as possible and the blacks the blackest, without whitewashing/burning the rest of the colors. Level correction function is your best friend here and most art programs have that.

Then i just clean dust and errors and slide the contrasts around until it looks as close to the original piece

If you have a decent phone camera, you can get away just posting instagram aesthetic pics with materials framing it or smth and just edit as usual. natural light tends to be a lot more forgiving than the harsh light of scanners anyway.

Anyway I hope this helps and have fun learning!

[laodly]

Punk, Surrealism, and Finding Community

My name is Lex, currently 23 and located in Maryland USA.

Growing up, I struggled with identity, undiagnosed mental and physical health issues, as well as normal small-town-isolation. Most of the world was not unveiled to me until I went off to study Digital Art in the midwest. From there my life changed dramatically.

Between studying at art school, working for the college radio station, and normal college experiences I was finally able to come into my. own. College radio inspired me to dig into experimental music, leading to ambient, avant-garde, somehow switching to riot. girl, and finding its way into punk.

Do It Better Again by Gonzo was the gateway drug into my music addiction. I had never heard anything like it. (Looking back on it now, it seems so normal and nothing mind blowing. But it is still important to me, nonetheless). All of my experience with with punk before was off-putting. But this was weird and up beat and melodic. Trying. to figure out where it fit, I discovered devocore aka synth punk aka egg punk.

While searching youtube for more of this goofy, child like music I found a discord link in one of the descriptions. This group included lovers of egg punk, musicians, and generally awesome people that showed me everything.

Spring Breeding Rolex G.T.R.R.C.Comps Krimewatch

They inspired me to go to my first punk show at the age of 20. It felt like I was too old to just be getting into it and getting into the scene but I didn't care. I'd drive upwards of 4 hours to see someone. I once drove from kentucky to indiana 4 hours to see Pat and the Pissers at a house that a weird podcast dude threw shows at. Met so many. amazing people and I still do to this day- GO TO GIGS! they're the best.

The punk scene inspired me as an artist. As I learned about Dadaism and Surrealism and performance art in school, I felt like I was seeing versions of it in front of me. From gig posters to lyrics to performances, my focus in my art switched. I began to embrace darker imagery, my mental health, but mostly the unconscious mind the Surrealists have talked so much about. Max ernst , Dali, and the entire Dada movement led me to the collage style and free artistic process I use now. Pick up a magazine or look up old photos online. see what jumps out, what wants to be found. What wants to be together.

I graduated from University in May of 2022. I am now back in MD searching for more music and inspiration. Usually I keep my personal life, my. art, and music separate but I feel combining them all here would be interesting. So, If you are interested in finding new music as it comes out, having conversations about art and mental health, feel free to pitch in. I miss my communities where we had space to share our passions, so here is an opportunity to throw my hat into the ring.

If im just posting to no one, im gonna at least throw in this video of my homies playing at a tacobell. Slutbomb forever x

[ninjasmudge]

*rolls in late as hell* SO. If you're still up for the art ask meme! 23, 24, and 25 perhaps?

not at all, i left you a parking space *parks you up*

23. favorite pose youve drawn

is probably all the ones in this panel, you wouldnt believe it since its a reasonably simple pose but i redrew mk so so many times, and had to go back and edit macaques legs so they made sense abt 4 times

24. what do you like most about your art style

mmm i like the sketchy lines and i like to experiment with like bold shading, when i got pen pressure working it was an absolute GODSEND for what i was trying to achieve. i also quite like the colors i use, im still working out stuff thats nice to look at and a lot of my stuff tends to very warm tones bc i just really like shading everything with dusky pinks and purples

25. best advice youve recieved this year or something new you learned about art

to be honest most of what i know abt digital art has been worked out in the last 6 months or so, theres a couple of transformers pieces from like a year ago, but i did those mostly with a mouse, and it took me WEEKS, i got a tablet p much excactly six months ago, and actually made it work as a monitor abt 3 months ago so i have to keep relearning how to use it. BUT! i really love using color on the pc particularly changing the lineart colors to match overall tone, which i couldnt change on paper.

also since im still learning, im trying to decide between styles of clean vs messy lines

which is why my style fluctuates so VERY much

ty for the questions! 👋👋

[kazuwhora]

hello there! I've seen a few of your matchups pop up in the tags and I was wondering If I could please request one for tokyorev (romantic)?

My pronouns are she/they and I am 5'2, average weight, shoulder length brown wavy hair, blue eyes and my overall style is a shit show but I tend to wear a lot of flared jeans or cords and

I am an infp, 2w1, aries son, cap rising and Leo moon and my love language is physical touch and acts of service. I am very in tune with my emotions though I often struggle to display them outwardly so people sometimes call me a robot (also might be because I have a resting bitch face and I pretty quiet). I am introverted and pretty quiet until you know me. I am also very good at keeping my cool and not reacting to things outwardly even if it really angers me. I'm kind of the 'mum' of my friend group, and I always look out for them no matter what. For example, my friend has really bad anxiety so I used to always have to ask teachers questions for her. People often describe me as 'nice' and 'sweet' but since I grew up with an intj dad, I can be a bit manipulative sometimes without even realising. Like not in a bad way necessarily but I am very good at lying or sculpting situations to make me or my friends feel more at ease.

Some of my hobbies are arguing with people on reddit, baking muffins, studying typology, digital art, making flower posies, going to the beach at winter since it's peaceful, being outside in general and making hats.

Sorry if this is too much, but please take as much time as you need and have an amazing day/night/morning! :)

nothing is too much information! the more you provide the easier it is for me so don't you worry about it! thank you for requesting and being so patient <3 also ur reddit comment made me laugh because as an entp same

im matching you up with my sweet boy kazutora!

god I love him so much. this is an interesting match up but im going to explain why I think this is actually a really sweet pairing so hold your horses on any objections LOL

so kazutora is an extremely emotionally vulnerable person. you two share the same mbti (infp) which essentially means your cognitive functions are all based around emotions and feeling as well as introversion. you both value similar things, but you also both experience a lot of things in life the same way. kazutora, while growing into a more developed and healthier version of his old self, is still extremely emotionally damaged and vulnerable to attacks against him. kaz needs someone who can feel emotions and process the external world the same way as his because he just needs to be understood. he needs someone who can tell him they get it, who mirrors his own emotions and validates them. he needs someone he can see himself in, a role model if you will. as an infp, you're just the one to do that.

kazutora will be the friend that might need you to step up for him and take the lead, though once he's a little more surefooted and stable, he wants nothing more than to have a balance between you as an effort to sort of repay you for any trouble he might have caused. with his emotional trauma, he resorts to feeling guilty at any sign of burden he might be to you, and will retreat as a means of protection and self preservation. in these cases, your ability to manipulate and lie is an asset because sometimes he just needs that reassurance and false sense of security to get by.

he also greatly values your introversion. as an infp and someone with emotional trauma and hurdles to jump, an extravert is fine but he truly thrives with someone that can understand his need to retreat and embrace it without hesitation. together you two find comfort in staying in and just being in each others presence. he'll like to cling to your back and bake with you, handing you ingredients as you do all the work. you'll have to bark at him to do something but he can't help that he just wants to be close to you. he really likes to press his face into the top or back of your head and smell your hair. its a self soothing behaviour that he literally thinks is the best thing in the world. he'll kiss the top of your head while you're busy baking and mixing ingredients, he'll forget what you asked him to do because he was too lost in your scent, and when you finally get frustrated with his uselessness you'll turn around and look at him with stern eyes and like a guilty puppy he'll shamefully grab all the dirty dishes and measuring cups and start washing them like you asked him 20 minutes ago. you wont be able to stay annoyed with him though because he's just so sweet?? and he never stops making it known how much he loves and appreciates you <3

[meowlayn-art]

You're really great at piano! May I ask you some question? I played piano for three years and then leave the lesson and continue by myself, but I'm not that good at it. Also, I'm not that big practicer(?) so what I want, miracles? Btw, how you get inspired? Have you ever had an "music block"? What kind of method of practice do you use? Thank you for your time! 🍀

♪ Hello dear pianist Anon !  ♫

Thank you for reaching out ! Although I am afraid I never posted a video of myself playing piano so you are giving me credit for something I can’t prove ( ´ ▽ ` ) (I was fairly good back in the days but not that much anymore haha).

I think you are referring to this post though, where I explained I got a new piano after stopping playing for a few years, and I was planning on learning MLQC”s theme. The video you saw, as I mentioned in the post, is a video by FlowerEmblem, who performed the MLQC theme (not me) beautifully and gave a link to the piano sheets in her description. If you enjoyed the performance please consider giving her a thumbs up and a nice comment on her Youtube channel  (o´▽`o)ﾉ

NOW. I could give you a few advices, because I played piano for 12 years, and I still remember a thing or two haha.

♫•*¨*•.¸¸♪ ♫•*¨*•.¸¸♪ ♫•*¨*•.¸¸♪ ♫•*¨*•.¸¸♪ ♫•*¨*•.¸¸♪ ♫•*¨*•.¸¸♪ ♫•*¨*•.¸¸♪ ♫•*¨*•.¸¸♪ 

1) “ I am not good at it” : it can be hard to keep practicing when you don’t have a teacher to help and motivate you to do so. I know. I had a piano teacher and that’s what kept me motivated for years, but I learned ukulele all by myself, so I understand how someone can feel discouraged of not improving “fast enough”. But funny enough, you answered your own question, Anon : if you don’t practice… Then you won’t improve. No miracles indeed ! ┐(￣ヮ￣)┌ It goes for any craft, any skills.

My advice would be to pick one or two SIMPLE pieces you REALLY enjoy, and start with that. Don’t bite on more than you can chew ! Really, choose something simple and enjoyable and keep practicing until you feel comfortable to move on to a piece that is a little bit more complex. I truly started to enjoy playing piano when I looked for piano version of Naruto’s soundtracks ( Sadness and Sorrow will always be my all time favorite) and kept adding the difficulty with more and more complex pieces, little by little. Also, that’s my personal method, but I never moved on to another piece unless I truly ‘mastered’ the one I was learning – and by that I mean being able to play with nuances and by heart. 

2) Inspiration : movies I really enjoyed, songs that made me cry, video games with gorgeous soundtracks (FINAL FANTASYYY) and anime were my main source of inspiration.

Again, to keep yourself motivated, I would highly recommend melodies you are deeply attracted to, almost in a visceral way. Not only will you be able to recall the melody more easily and spot the mistakes you make along the way as you read the partition sheet, but it will also make the experience more enjoyable. After all, if you don’t have a teacher forcing you to play a specific piece then, you are free to choose whatever you like ! Remember : start with something simple, nice and enjoyable, with a repetitive melody (or at least something you know by heart) if possible.

3) Music block : yes, it happened. And it can also happen nowadays when drawing – that’s called art block and it SUCKS (ง ื▿ ื)ว My advice whenever you feel blocked (either because you are not inspired or because you are not satisfied with what you are currently doing) :

Try something new. Do small exercises. Try and learn some basic music theory. Have fun with silly sound effects if you have a digital piano/keyboard. Try a new genre – but always KEEP. IT. SIMPLE.

Feed your creativity : do ANYTHING ELSE than playing piano and let your brain do the rest. You’ll notice a nice soundtrack in this show here, a beautiful melody in this videogame there, a new song you really enjoy… As I said, my inspirations came from my day-to-day activities.

JUST TAKE A BREAK. Don’t force yourself. Inspiration won’t come if you are frustrated or exhausted. Just accept that it can take a few days/weeks/months to feel inspired again. If playing piano is not your job, then there is no need to rush things. Find something else to keep yourself busy and it will come back 😊

4) Practice : so I might not be the best person to answer this one because I am not a professional, and that’s the method that worked for ME.

I usually make sure I am sitting correctly, that my nails are cut short, my hands are correctly positioned above the keyboard, I don’t have jewels or hair bothering me…

And then I decipher the partition bits by bits, right hand first, then left hand. Once I am comfortable with BOTH, I put them together – I am not that great at reading and playing at the same time at first. I usually do small sessions (not more than 45min because after that reading the sheets feels exhausting). And I don’t decipher the whole partition in one go – I prefer to “master” small bits at a time especially for long pieces, so that I can feel a sense of accomplishment between sessions – also my brain keeps working between the sessions and will memorize the gestures easier if it rests. I have always been taught that its better to work a little bit everyday than to try and learn everything in one afternoon 😊

My very talented writer friend @truth-be-told-im-lying blog (18+ blog) is a professional pianist and I am sure she could have a few more advices to add to this but I leave it to her :D Also please check out this beautiful collab she did with the amazing @saeyoungs-sunflower, it gave me chills  ♡＼(￣▽￣)／♡

Thanks for you message Anon, I hope it was useful in some way !

[bookwyrminspiration]

hello hello its been a few days but i, the dream nonsie, am back! (also my name actually means "dream" irl 👀) personally, i think a silveny flavored popsicle would be cinnamon-y as u said, but also... sparkly? in a way? not- not like actual glitter, thats disgusting, but.. when u eat it it just *feels* magical. not sure if im making sense lol ^^ aww, glad my crazy dream made you happy! :D ask word limit is getting close so imma continue in another ask if thats okay with you! <3 1/?

hello!! welcome back--i gotta admit I was not expecting this, but it's so nice of you and I really appreciate it <33. I hope you don't mind me compiling this all into one post, that way it's just a little more organized. you're entirely welcome to send as many asks as you want, so don't worry about continuing in others! I don't mind at all!

1. oo that's a really cool name meaning!! I always think it's interesting to hear what other people's name mean, or they meanings they've chosen to associate with them (as some have more that one). Quil doesn't really have a meaning, so I love hearing others'!! The only thing I miss about my dead name is the meaning, tbh, because it was pretty !!

also, I can totally imagine the cinnamon/sparkly popsicle. when you say that I immediately think of sparkling water for some reason, like it's not a taste it's a feeling. you put it in your mouth and it's an experience. you're wild dream was probably the highlight of my day!! something about it just stood out and I kept coming back to think about it. long silveny popsicles can do that to you, i guess

2. oopsie! my bad! when someone says writing I usually just default to the wings au, because that's the writing most people know me for. but!! i'm glad you like all the analyses I've done! I don't think they'll be stopping anytime soon--it's like everytime I answer an ask I get two more, which means there will be a steady stream of them for the forseable future. I really enjoy doing them, so I love hearing that people enjoy reading them! they're mostly just me rambling until I find a pattern or connection to latch onto, and then I build from there. and depending on the ask I might grab a book from my shelf to reference something if needed

also: thank you! The wings au is a pretty big project I've wanted to take on for a while, so it's absolutely thrilling to see people interact with it and talk about it--even if they haven't read it. There's absolutely no pressure on you to read it, just so you know! Honestly sometimes baffles me that I've gotten fanart and so many asks and comments on it, enough so that people who haven't read it still know what it is. like?? my wings au?? silly little idea I had all because of one stray thought one day?

as for writing it while taking college classes: yes! that's what I've been doing! I think i've had a combined total of like three weeks of break since January (i don't get summer), but aside from that i've had four or five classes while writing the au. Actually was taking an A&P class (which are notoriously difficult, even more so on summer schedule) this summer while working on it, which was wild. But a lot of the excited comments and theories and general interaction helped motivate me to keep going.

3. it's not dissapointing at all! I don't expect for anyone to read it, it's not something you have to do in order to interact with me and the stuff on my blog. it's just something I happen to be doing so if you like it you're welcome to engage with it! I actually don't read fanfic very often either, which may be surprising as I write it. Occasionally I binge a bunch of fics in a certain ship when I'm in the mood, but that's only once every few months. Ships just don't hold huge appeal for me, so I don't find a lot of fic that interests me. Also wow! mine was one of the first you've heard of?? that's a huge accomplishment to me, thank you! Where did you hear about it? I honestly don't know where people find my au, so I'm curious.

speaking of reading fanfic, Nattie's (theunmappedstar) fic is one of the few I've read! I haven't talked to them in a while, but they're very accomplished and it's an honor to be considered alongside them in terms of writing!

as for committing to mine, feel free to take your time! no rush! it's always going to be there! although I will say it does just keep getting longer, so be prepared for that. I update every two weeks on sunday, so you've got time. if you do read it, I'd love to hear your thoughts. truly, comments and just hearing what people think are the best motivation. it also enriches the story! I never know what's going to stick out to people or what they'll remember, so hearing from people gives me ideas for scenes in the future! I have a general idea of where this au is heading, but a lot of the details have been impacted by theories and comments. You absolutely don't have to though, just if you'd like I'd love to hear

4. thank you so much <33. I'd love to get back more into traditional art, as i've been focusing on digital recently. I just love how watercolors look! I actually have a few art requests from an embarrasingly long time ago (April) that I'd like to do in a traditional style. I also just haven't posted as much art recently, so I'd love to get back into that. Coloring and lighting were mostly me just winging it, trying to imagine a few colors that would look nice next to each other and then just going for it. Also, i cant even count how many times I would accidentally switch up the light source in in the middle of a piece. I actually took an art class a few semesters ago, so I have leftover supplies from that I could use for some keeper pieces! I've had a few ideas, so hopefully your encouragement can help me get back into that <33

the writer and artist thing: thank you!! both writing and art are interests of mine, so it's so cool to get recognized for both!! I remember when I started posting art I was doing it as a "I'll do this for now until I get to the writing" thing and then i accidentally became fairly well-known as an fanartist and i was just there like wait a minute this wasn't supposed to happen. But I love it!! I love doing fanart and I'd love to do more. But I also love writing! i have some ideas for aus and other one shots I'd like to do when the wings au is done, not that I'm trying to hurry that along. I thoroughly enjoy working on the wings au, and i'm not in any rush to get through it.

and don't worry, you have nothing to apologize for!! i'm glad you feel comfortable talking to me! You don't need to be concise or anything, you're welcome to take up as much space and use as many words as you'd like. I think it'd be a little hypocritical if i didn't believe that, considering how long my responses to the asks i get are (partially why they sometimes take a bit to answer). it was very much so a fun read!! I really appreciate you and wasn't even sure how to respond to everything in a way that conveyed that. I absolutely blown away by how genuine and sweet you are

i really loved this ask, and I've reread it several times because it's just so kind. thank you so much <33

[pyrodarknessanny]

Whilst the topic of treating women with  respect is a hot button issue at the moment it got me thinking about my own experiences in life. and whilst I can say that I am one of the lucky ones who’s not been assaulted   things have happened around me that  had they gone differently  my story would be very different indeed. it also saddens me  that I know so many close friends and family who were not so lucky , many of them were children when they were first abused. and yes I do know  “not all men”   but   as the brothers , fathers , uncles , cousins ,friends and co-workers  the weight of this falls on you to call out  the  unacceptable behaviour of your peers. I’m going to list this instances in chronological order. and keep in mind that  I am a  goblin , short, weird , don’t care for looking nice and makeup and such  but still  ive been put on the spot numerus times in the past by  “nice guys”™ high school , senior years .   met some one I thought was decent online . we had an on again off again  video call thing going it spanned years  and started innocently enough  however in the latter years  when I was super depressed it turned quite toxic and manipulative   where he would refuse to   pay attention to me, controlling the calls , there was a time zone difference  so I was up till 4am most nights  hoping that this person would be around.    When we did get into calls  he had me doing  increasingly  dangerous things .   he’d even convinced me to  send him a  substantial amount of money of the last 12 months of our contact.          I’ve since cut them off  cold some years ago now but   they’ve certainly had an impact on me

 In between this on again off again online thing   when I was single I’ve and no less than 3   older male friends  try to hit me up because their  partners at the time were out of town. one even messaged me one night when I was high and tried very hard to convince me that it would be a good idea to drop round.       I don’t talk to any of them now but  each one I told to stay faithful to their partners and denied their offers.    

Also in high school - this happened at my  part time job. boss had a mate who would often sell him stuff for the store ,  bit of a flipper. one of the other senior staff thought it was FUNNY  to tell him that  I was fair game. so this guy who is well in his 40’s   would seek me out at work and harass me. usually when I was at the back of the shop bagging the bulk produce into smaller retail portions. mind you I’m  an 18 yr old autistic person .  had to find excuses to  avoid this person   make it look like im working  in the areas that had security cameras on them or   hope that there were customers so he couldn’t  talk to me.       I had spoken out about this  to the boss and  the owner of the business ( as it was one of his friends)   but they  all thought it was a harmless game. guy bailed me up at the back of the store one afternoon as im bagging  up animal feed.  Store was dead quiet  so not a lot of escape options   I had had enough of it by that point  and put him in his place.   Fortunately  for me he was a little old Asian man  had he of been some one of my dad’s stature  that scenario would have played out MUCH differently.  

Hey now speaking of family! growing up in an abusive household sure dose   wounders for building character huh? im on good talking terms with my family now but growing up  was interesting.

Our house hold was one of hard disciplines.  We didn’t just get smacked we got absolutely belted.

Or our things were broken… actually it was only ever MY things that got trashed out of discipline. my 4 brothers always got off Scott free. Whenever there was a fight or argument ? it was always me that was in trouble  regardless of the circumstance.

Good lessons to teach the kids eh’

My real dad  was off the sceen,  we were more or less raised by our step dad but   when he got an upper management job at his place of work , shit at home  got  bad.    The abuse turned from physical   to psychological .     nothing was ever good enough.   You were always trash  or a disgrace. and praise was only ever given to  the brothers.          So  yeah more good lessons  for  impressionable teens.   shitty ex #1 -  met them at a convention , seamed like a reasonable kind of guy we hit it off and it was great.    Very quickly realised something was off about them. tried very hard to control me .  would say one thing and then do something else entirely. caught them out on numerous lies and on more than one occasion said some very concerning things about minors.       Moments that stand out the most .   was staying at my place for a party , either a birthday or Halloween .   at my house with my family and close friends , had the gall to try and control my behaviour  because  he thought I was being too weird , he did this in front of my mother and best friend.     Another time , it was my birthday and he promised  to buy dinner out . started out as  we would go to this fancy casino restaurant .    ended at a Mc Donald’s with me catching the train home by my self  fuming.     I should have ended that one much sooner than I did but I didn’t want to come across as “mean” or unreasonable  so it let it drag out for another 6 months before I told him to fuck off.

 Dude then proceeded to cyber stalk me and  several friends there after. he was super bad at this and  finaly backed off when I threatened to call the cops. YEET!

 Shitty ex #2 -  technically we only dated for a few weeks decided that it didn’t work for either of us but stayed good friends .        had to tell them  frequently  about what things were and weren’t appropriate  for the friendship afterwards ,    eneded turning into one of the biggest narcicists ive ever seen.

 Miscellaneous things.   Im mentioned before about peer pressure and that its on the boys to call this shit out when they see it. I’ve had  to be the voice of reason for a number of male friends   when they were getting  a bit too obsessed over  girls who had zero interest in them.        One guy in particular  could not leave it alone  , this girl he was white knighting for    was a friend from school , she had a partner but he  swore black and blue that   he could “save her”  from making shitty decisions.     I think he eventually gave up on her when she ripped him off over some digital art that was a trace job and he lost  a good sum of money but   it was disturbing to hear just how obsessed he was with  her.

[ibblescribbles-archive]

hi!! so i'm about to buy a stylus so i can start doing digital art on my laptop but idk how any of the programs work lmao,,, i heard that paint tool sai is good tho so do you have any tips if that's the program you use? ty!! ❤️❤️

hi!! im sorry if this response is too late haha, but i hope you’re enjoying experimenting with digital art!! it opens up a lot of possibilities <3 i do use SAI, but im not sure if i have many tips about using the actual program 👉👈 ive been using it for years since i was kid so its kinda just second nature to me at this point, although occasionally i stumble across something new that i didn’t realize was a feature lol,, i will say, i personally feel that its a more intuitive program than most others, i like how it doesnt look like photoshop bc i despise working in photoshop, but it also doesnt hurt to try out some free programs like GIMP or medibang too to see what kinda layout/program you prefer! if you’re gonna purchase SAI though, i’d def recommend checking out SAI 2 as it has a couple more features than SAI!! its basically the same program, i’m just too lazy to transfer all my brushes over, so I mainly use SAI 2 for blur and gradient effect, as well as text. every program can have a learning curve (god knows i still cant draw in CSP even though i use it a bunch for after effects in my drawings) but i think the best way to learn it is by continuing to draw in it!! you could also try to find drawing/coloring tutorials that are based in SAI. even if they arent specific to how to use the program, following one where they reference the tools and settings may help make you more familiar with everything! good luck, im sure you’ll become a digital art pro in no time <3

[tangerinegod]

Hello! I am sorry to bother you but I am a senior getting ready for college this year. I am in the US and I wanted to major in the same thing you did, do you have any possible tips for me? I still haven't even looked for colleges that would be best for animation majors so I figured if you were up to giving out any tips/saying any basic ideas if you wanted to/if you had the time to then maybe I'll have a better idea! I apologise for if I sound weird! I'm tried to word it correctly but I can't 😿

hi!! i’m totally down to share my experiences! someone else also had some questions so i’m going to put them all together in this post haha, hopefully this helps! it’ll get pretty long so apologies ahead of time but art school is a lot to think about so i wanna be as helpful as i can around it, its a lot of time and money. I’m gonna put it all under a read more cus it is really really long!

i wanna start off with the fact that I had the privilege of attending school in a financially stable environment, my parents were/are really supportive so w merit scholarship i only came out with around 20-30k in debt and i also had housing support my entire time in school. they were ok with me focusing on academics so i didn’t hold a retail job unless i was out of school like summer/winter break. Ofc though i regularly take commissions/do merch/cons to try and pay for all bills that arent rent cus i did want to be financially independent where it was possible. I also did try and work during the semester but everytime i did my body would deff start to breakdown from the fact that i didnt wanna compromise schoolwork with jobs.. so just read ahead know this experience is from a student who was able to attend focusing only on school work for most of the time!

the biggest thing is knowing art school is not required to become a professional in either freelancing or industry! there are a huuuge amount of online tools and classes these days that provide the exact same education and for cheaper too. i think it depends on what experience you prefer/can handle/want but it’s definitely possible to make art/animation art your living without higher education. the thing that college will for sure give you though is the ability to meet deadlines, work even when you dont want to, and connections with peers+teachers. i think the connections part is invaluable because you’re basically coming out with a network of people you already know and who know you! 

also its good to know if you want to attend/can handle art school! it’s a lot of time and energy and students get burned out really fast. the best piece of advice i got before going was ‘if you draw every single day, even if its for only like 5-10 minutes or a doodle for a whole year you should be fine’ consistency is super key because you’re attending school to draw, and you’ll have to create work for stuff you aren’t excited for at some point or another. burnout is extremely real and the only reason i didn’t experience it was probably because i got super into drawing naruto fanart again inbetween sophomore and junior year! it helped give me something to draw seperated from school which is the only thing i was drawing for since i had entered rip. a heads up id also consider myself a workaholic so i fit in ok with the ‘art school’ environment but it is suuper unhealthy. if you are fantastic at managing your schedule then it’s definitely possible to take care of yourself! freshman year i got 8 hours a sleep a night and only pulled all nighters for some second semester finals at the end. sophomore year + up though i ended up prioritizing hw over sleep and like for sure, definitely shortened my life span. there’s another q down below where i’ll go more into detail but ya, be careful w ur work balance!

another tip especially for animation is knowing for a fact what type of animation you’re looking to go into, and what the school is offering. I didn’t think i’d get into art school at the time so i only applied to two places + decided if i didnt get into either id attend community to get credits out of the way while building portfolio. honestly? i did not do a lot of research LOL but like i did end up having the chance to tour and stuff! just know that each school will have a very different curriculum. The main differences are schools that prioritize 3D (cg animation, cg modeling, ect) and 2D/traditional (hand drawn, ‘oldschool’, digital or traditional based) this is a huge difference so make sure you do research for it! in most cases a 2D/traditional program will also offer 3D since it’s at the forefront of the industry animation wise rn. My school taught 2D but like hand drawn on physical paper 2D, frame by frame. while it was a good experience it’s super outdated because digital tools make it way faster + easier! i’d recommend looking for a program that is digital 2D over traditional 2D. 

if after your senior year covid is still affecting campuses in the US to keep them shut down i’d recommend attending a community college to get credits and then transferring into school. one of the negatives is paying money for gened classes when ur not there for them; if you can get them out of the way sooner and cheaper there is absolutely no negative + you could graduate earlier or use the extra time for better work or to work a job! 

these are all the general tips i think i’d give on like a broad basis of attending or not to think about? let me know if u have more q’s! someone asked q’s im answering below that go more into personal experiences + work culture so heres those:

- how many hours a week do u spend studying, in class, otherwise making art? like how much of ur life does it consume?

I was basically working on art.... 24/7! since i wasnt working a job at the same time i crammed as many credits as possible into my schedule so on avg i did 18 credit semesters (around 6 classes) art classes go for 6 hours and non art go for 3, so i’d spent around 30-35 hours in class a week! hw wise it varied on the class but combined it would be around 35-50 hours a week... im guessing? on average studio classes would have 8-10 hours of hw, maybe 5 for a light week, and gened classes 5 hours w them all combined. or this was probably how things were before junior year? junior+senior year i had thesis + everything else ontop.. i’d spend around 30-40 hours on thesis a week with other classes ontop of that bc my film was super long cus im a dummy! 

- is it hard going to art school n realising that altho u were probably quite talented… so is everyone else? Like. all of a sudden. ur not special and everyone seems as good as u, you know? More generally, how do u deal with comparison?

kinda?? i think instead of the idea of like you vs others it feels more of like a competition at first to be the best. this varies hugely on school culture though; my animation year was really friendly with each other and get along extremely well, so my answer to this is v different than some others who attended different schools. i think that the idea of ‘comparison’ only lasts a portion of the first year because at some point you realize that it’s not a who’s better as much as its a ‘these are my coworkers’ type thing? like healthy competition 100% because we’re all working to improve but i think most of us learned pretty early on that viewing each other as peers going into the same workforce helped a lot. also at some point everyone develops their own style/starts to develop their artistic preferences so there isn’t a way to compare whos 'better’ anymore? i dont think there ever is tbh because style is appealing based off of an individuals preferences. If anything realizing everyone else is also amazing makes you wanna work harder ig? or thats how i felt! it’s inspiring to be surrounded by so many people who create such amazing work. 

- is there a lot of workaholic culture? all nighter culture?

100000% there can be a workaholic and all nighter culture. i know people who avoided it and thats honestly fantastic because i fall super easily into that pit. sometimes i’ll pull all nighters on a personal project just because i really want to finish it... i am definitely considered a workaholic all the way through and its not healthy rip... i’d estimate at the worst i was pulling 2-3 all nighters a week and only 4-5 hours of sleep on the nights i didn’t? that was only for one year tho, after that i was like yeah ok this is really bad for my health in the long run LOL so i tried to cut it down to one all nighter a week and around 5-6 hours of sleep the rest of the week! by senior year my decision to cram in full semesters paid off and i was able to consistently get around 7 hours of sleep a night + no all nighters minus finals since my schedule was lighter despite thesis 😭 while there is that culture i don’t think people view it as like a badge of honor or something to be proud of anymore which is good, we mostly view it as a flaw of the art school system and something that needs to be fixed!!

- are you glad u did it? how did u know it was what u wanted?

i am glad i did it! i’m definitely in a limbo right now of if it was worth both my time, money, and my parents money rip but i think with what i got out of it i definitely wouldn’t be as far skill wise or knowledge wise when it comes to the art industry. i would say it was only worth it for be because i had so much support going in though so i was able to focus so much on improving. if i had only been able to put in part of the effort and not make full use of the resources provided i would honestly have a different answer.. 

i knew it was what i wanted when i realized i really couldn’t see myself pursuing a different profession happily! despite all the bumps and stuff im fully in love with drawing still and feel honored that it’s a field that can provide a living. my second profession choice was to go into culinary school? and third option i think going was into music cus i was also a band kid hehe.  

- how do u cope with ur hobby becoming ur job? how do u deal with art going from something u do for fun to something u do on command constantly?

i think seperating work art from personal art is important! in my case im doubling naruto into being personal work so i have something to fall back onto that isn’t work related. its been a hyperfixation for 12+ years? so drawing it at this point is just like personal art imo. some people have hobbies outside of art and only draw for their job! i think after attending classes for so long the idea of hobby turning into job feels extremely natural? also i enjoy doing it so thats a huge plus! 

sorry this is SO long but i hope i answered your guys’ questions! if you have more just lmk!

[ask-de-writer]

SEA DRAGON’S GIFT : Part 83 of 83 : World of Sea

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SEA DRAGON’S GIFT

Part 83 of 83

by

De Writer (Glen Ten-Eyck)

140406 words

copyright 2020

written 2007

All rights reserved.

Reproduction in any form, physical, electronic or digital is prohibited without the express consent of the author.

//////////////

Copyright fair use rules for Tumblr users

Users   of Tumblr.com are specifically granted the following rights.  They may   reblog the story provided that all author and copyright information   remains intact.  They may use the characters or original characters in   my settings for fan fiction, fan art works, cosplay, or fan musical   compositions.

All sorts of fan art, cosplay, music or fiction is actively encouraged.

///////////////////////

New to the story?  Read from the beginning.  PART 1 is here

///////////////////////

“Why, one,” said Master Juris, bothered now by where the questions might lead.  Master Clard and the others all followed in a ragged chorus, “One.”

“Could you all hear the drum talk between the ships?”  Kurin had hands on hips now, and determination in her tone.

Again the chorus of yeses sounded.

“So, you knew that Mister Kotance was attempting to seize my  personal property on the pretext that I was only a child as Master Juris just tried to claim as well?  That he was trying to take a ship and murder people that you all knew very well were seeking redress of wrongs done to them by the fleet?  Then you just stood by and let at least a quarter of the crew risk Scattering for participation in piracy?  It wasn’t until Mord Halyn, whom I still regard as my Captain, tried to deal with the results of the piracy’s failure that you, your apprentices and journeymen finally emerged in spite of the guards and took over, as you should have done at once.

“Now you throw in our faces the attempt to save you from the results of your own folly?”  Kurin finished severely, “Take the Wergeld offer.  Save your ship.  Or take the Fleet Law and lose it.”

While the Longin’s abashed officers and Masters conferred, Kurin turned to Tanlin.  “Thanks for that hug.  I really needed it.”

“Oi know,” she replied.  “Ye needed ‘Igh Cloud too.”

Softly, Kurin asked, “Lady — Captain Tanlin, can you take something from me?”

“I’ tis w’at Oi suspect tis, nae.  Nae now,” Tanlin answered equally softly.  “Just now, we’re tryin’ t’ save t’em, nae drive t’em onto a reef — in a storm — wit’ a Dragon-tide t’ ‘elp t’ings along.”

The Longin’s conference was brief.  It was Master Clard who spoke for them.  In a clear voice he said formally, “Your Honors, Kurin, the Longin wishes to formally apologize to you all, and you, Kurin, especially.  Master Juris spoke from passion, not thought.  He was angry and let his feelings get the better of him.

“For the rest, a majority of us have decided to hear out the Wergeld idea. If we do not, it would appear that we are dismasted and sinking with no help in sight.  Make your offer.”

Kurin stood up, relief clear on her countenance.  “The first part of the agreement is common to all Wergeld agreements.  It is simply the rules of the Wergeld.  You must acknowledge the wrongs in dispute and publicly agree to the settlement that we bargain out.  The settlement will have the force of fleet Law once reached.  It is between us alone.  It may not be used as a precedent or in any future criminal or civil action not directly related to the terms of this understanding.  Things said or admitted in this Wergeld may not be used against either of us in future legal action, civil or criminal. Any future charges brought must stand on their own merits and may not derive from this agreement.  Last, all grudges and feuds between the parties of this Wergeld must be put aside or the whole thing is voided and the Law will take its proper course.

“The wrongs in question have been listed already.  They are not disputable.  All else is subject to negotiation.

“The first term of the offer is this.  Mister Kotance has already been separately charged.  No term of this Wergeld shall be in any way binding on him.

“For our part, we have Mister Morgu and Silor who will have to be tried before the fleet for their mutiny, attempted murder and murder.  This whole sad mess began and was caused by their hate.  They also shall have no protection in this Wergeld.

“Can you agree with us so far?” asked Kurin hopefully.

Alor, the Longin’s Purser and legal officer, asked Captain Sarfin, “Before we say anything, will the Naral fleet agree to this — Wergeld thing?”

Sarfin steepled his hands, thought for a moment, and then conferred with Sula.  He nodded and Sula spoke for the bench.  “As one of the parties involved is Arrakan and we are not in Naral fleet waters, Arrakan Law and Custom may be properly invoked.  The Third Great Law gives the Naral fleet no choice in the matter.  They must enforce the Wergeld as agreed between you.”

“Then we can agree, so far, Kurin.”  She tilted her head in sad puzzlement at one change that she had heard.  “Us?  We? Our? Kurin?  Will you still leave us?  What good will this do if we cannot have the school and the mapping contract?”

“Don’t be afraid, Alor,” Kurin reassured her.  “I won’t abandon you to be Scattered.  Some things do have to change, though.”

She turned and asked, “Barad, will you present the next term?”

He stood and smiled in a twisted sort of way.  “I never thought to be in this position.  Mord Halyn Longin, I have to apologize to you in particular.  That I tried to stop the mutiny is no excuse for starting the plot in the first place.  I was wrong.  I am sure that my error brought you onto dry land for a time.  I am also sure that you now have safe water under your keel.  The term is this.  The fleet must restore your Master’s Certificate and replace you at the helm of the Longin.  They need you.  If you don’t think so, just look at how quickly and to what extent they went out the scuppers without you.  

“Besides, you were a guest at our Announcement Feast, so my old feud with you is dead or I lose my wife.  Can you agree to this?”  He held out his hand toward Mord, who appeared to be looking for some hook in what he had heard.  At last, prodded by Alor, he shook Barad’s hand in agreement.  He appeared to be disturbed that he owed his restoration, ship and freedom to Barad whom he had always thought of (correctly) as an enemy.

Tanlin stood and raised hands for attention.  “As Ca’tain o’ t’e Grandalor, Oi ‘ave t’ bring t’e next part o’ t’e Wergeld. By t’e terms, Oi can bring up yer violation o’ t’e Fift’ Groit Law an’ ye cannae be charged in any way because even i’ t’is negotiation gets off t’e hook, we’ve let t’e matter go. As a result o’ t’at violation t’ree o’ m’ crew were killed an’ twa wounded.  In t’e piracy attempt, a furt’er ane wa’ killed.  T’e murderer ‘as been charged but ‘is chance came because nane o’ ye but Kurin tried t’ stop ‘t.

“We lost Lenai Halin, t’e best riggin’ surveyor an’ sail lofter in m’ experience.  She wa’ a gentle soul ‘oo never raised ‘er voice t’ any.  She spent many ‘ours at m’ bedside teachin’ m’ t’ read yer script an’ figure wit’ yer numbers.  ‘Er son Arnat’s got nae mot’er now.  

“Helmsman Macoul wa’ dead before ‘e ‘it t’e boat under ‘im.  ‘E braved t’e Coriolis Storm, off ‘is wotch, t’ bring ‘ot food an’ drink t’ Barad an’ Darkistry as t’ey conned t’e ship int’ t’e eye o’ t’e storm.  A good mon.  Gone.  

“Bosun Modanet ‘elped direct t’e rescue operations wen t’e Princamorn sank.  ‘E an’ Barad pulled m’ oot o’ t’e woter an’ saved m’ life.  Died on yer ship wit’ never t’e attention o’ a doctor.  Cast overboard loike garbage.

“Our second day wotch drummer, Morga, a lad o’ fifteen.  Nae older’ll ‘e get.  Ripped apart an’ sent over t’e side by a Strong Skin catapult ‘arpoon aimed at Kurin an’ Darkistry.

“Like t’e mot’er Orca o’ Kurin’s tale, Oi’m surry for us bot’. We cannae bring t’em bock.  Oi propose t’at ye pay Arnat ten skins a Gat’ering for ‘is maintenance.  Any unused balance, an’ t’ere will be, is t’ go into ‘is Purser’s account as a nest egg for wen ‘e gets married.  For Lenai, we ask an annual rigging an’ sail survey dune by t’e Mordan at yer expense.  Any replacement cable or cordage is t’ be Mordan Twist.  We split t’e cost o’ any sails needed.  Oi ask yer ‘elp in Macoul’s case. Oi donnae know how t’ value ‘im.  Oi wish t’at Oi’d known ‘im better.”

“We are not responsible for …” Master Juris started when Mord, Alor and Mistress Daeron all silenced him.

Mistress Daeron said, “Even in the Rope Walk, I heard the fog drum go silent.  I knew that we were still in fog and I did not send to find the cause.  I know that the rest of us did the same because we have all discussed it.

“I do not know whether anything would have changed if we had investigated.  We cannot change it nor bring back your dead.  We should have tried.  That we are guilty of.  We stood by and did not even try to do something when we knew that something was wrong.  We heard the screams.  All of us.”

Tanlin answered her, “For our part, we precipitated t’e incident.  We approached ye under false colors.  Ever’ member o’ t’at party bore a message from m’ t’ clear t’at up after t’ey had gotten aboard.”  Tanlin paused and shook her head sadly, “We dinnae expect t’at nane o’ t’ dozen wad reach yer deck alive.

“We came t’ t’e Longin because we couldnae trust any ot’er ship except t’e Dorton, an’ we dinnae know w’ere she wa’.  We ‘oped t’ speak t’ Kurin.  At a ‘orrible cost we did.  She ‘as repaid our trust better t’an we could ‘ave ‘oped.  She’s even saved m’ Barad.

“T’e cost t’ ‘er wa’ equally ‘orrid.  T’ ‘elp us, she’s lost ‘er ‘ome ship.”

Master Juris spluttered, “She has not.  The Longin needs her.  We couldn’t send her away.  It would ruin us.”

Tanlin said scornfully, “W’at ye’ve just said makes t’e case.  Nae part o’ w’at any o’ ye said wa’, ‘We luve ‘er.’  Since ‘er fat’er died, only five beings on t’is world ‘ave said, ‘Oi luve ye’ t’ ‘er.  An’ t’ey were all birds.”

“Six,” Kurin interrupted, speaking to Tanlin.  “You were part of the flock that came to save me from Captain Urson.  And you have held and hugged me without needing a reason.”

Master Juris snorted, “We could do that.”

“T’en wye dinnae ye?” was Tanlin’s sharp retort.  “Ye ‘ad six Gat’erings t’ ‘elp a child.  All ye did wa’ teach ‘er an’ praise ‘er wen she did well.  No ‘ugs.  Naebody t’ ‘old. Just pain an’ emptiness inside, ‘eld at bay by learnin’ an’ work.”

A tear of gratitude leaked from Kurin’s eye as she said, “The last part of this Wergeld is this.  We will settle all the remaining unsettled claims.  I am the price you must pay.  I have found a home on the Grandalor, not just a place to stay.  

“Your Ship’s Business will remain safe, specifically, the mapping and charting, the navigation system, the Longin lace, and the fishing and shellfish taking and storage methods.

“I will come to the Longin to supervise and teach the school and also to map the Naral fleet waters according to your contracts.  From each Fall Gathering to each Spring Gathering I will be aboard the Grandalor while she trades with the Arrakan, Daroff, and Pallant fleets.  By the time that your mapping contract with the Naral fleet is done, if not well before, there should be others who can take over the school.

“That should complete the Wergeld and keep you safe from the Scattering that would otherwise be required.  We have thrown you a line.  Don’t drown.”

Kurin turned to Tanlin.  “Captain Tanlin, I have something for you.  It has nothing to do with the business of this Court.  This is my own free choice and I want it seen and witnessed by all.”  She held out her hands in the Arrakan style and knelt.  Tanlin took Kurin’s small hands in her own as Kurin began, “I Kurin Behar Longin, now of the Grandalor alone …”

“I wish that I had known about this kind of love when I gave you your Gift,” said Blind Mecat softly.  “I never got it either.”

-THE END-

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[dotzines]

Artist Spotlights!

🎤 sammiety 🥁 SarcasticSpook 🎷 saypil

🎺 Shadow Jack 🎸 ShowersArt 🎻 Siao Bell

Interview below the cut!

Introduce yourself

🎤 Hi there~! I'm sammiety, but you can call me sam! I have a truckload of interests, but to keep it broad, I'm a Nintendo kid, a Pixar kid, an anime kid, and a vinyls and polaroids type gal. I am a Zelda and Layton fan through and through, and I watch Youtube like there's no tomorrow. I hit procrastination station minutely, and you can find all my art at the two links below: https://instagram.com/sammmiety https://youtube.com/sammiety 🥁 Hola! I'm a digital artist that dabbles with traditional work and my art usually consists of demons/humanoids/creatures! I've got a large cast of ocs that I love dearly and I'm working hard to put them in a story that most people can enjoy!My art can also be found on DA and Twitter! https://www.deviantart.com/sarcasticspook https://twitter.com/Sarcastic_Spook 🎷 I'm a young digital artist who experiments a lot (https://sta.sh/21llz63thorq)! I love playing Nintendo games such as Pokemon and Splatoon! 🎺 Hey! I’m Shadow Jack, a 16 year-old digital artist. I have been drawing since I was young, but started trying to improve/expand my reach around age 11/12. I really like music, taking walks, drawing, weird biology, and expanding on ideas that I’ll never do anything with (well, almost never do anything with). You can find my art on instagram (https://www.instagram.com/arsenic.bite/) and all my completed pieces on tumblr (https://arsenic-bite-portfolio.tumblr.com/) 🎸 Im a 23 year old digital artist from Denmark! You can find me @showersart on Instagram! 🎻 I'm Siao Bell an illustrator from Spain. I've been drawing since I can remember and it's a passion that started as a way to escape reality and it slowly became the most important thing of my live. I'm mainly a traditional artist but lately I've been doing more and more digital works. You can find me on twitter and instagram but I use the latter more: https://www.instagram.com/siaobell.arts/ https://www.twitter.com/Reis_SB/

Do you do commissions post? Where can we find the info?

🎤 https://sammietycommissions.carrd.co/#

🎸 https://www.instagram.com/p/B2tvjXfFZWU/

Do you listen to music (or tv shows/films/anything else) when drawing?

🎤 I'm always listening to music, not just while drawing! I usually just listen to the premade mix that Youtube throws together based on my watching history, and its primarily made up of Panic! at the Disco, Yorushika, Eve, various musical tracks, and Steven Universe. My favorite genres are alternative and rock, as well as some pop, but sometimes I like to mix it up and listen to things like "75 Minutes of Relaxing and Calming Nintendo Music" or "1 Hour of the Best Professor Layton Music." Contrary to my favorite genres, my favorite instrument to listen to is the accordion!

🥁 I listen to a lot of music most of the time! The artists vary depending on the character I'm drawing. 🎷 Yes! EDMS is where I listen to really upbeat songs, which motivates me a lot to draw! I also talk to friends while drawing! 🎺 Yes, usually music because I don��t have to focus on it as much. 🎸 Sometimes!

What’s your favorite music artist/band? If you could ask your favorite band/music artist one question, what would it be?

🎤 I live and breathe Panic! at the Disco's music, and if I could ask them a question, I'd ask how their day was going. Y'know, nothing mind boggling or earth shattering. Just wanna know if they're doing alright.

🥁 I actually have two top favorites because I'm too weak to choose one over the other. They'd be FAKE TYPE. and Twenty One Pilots! If I were to ask them a question it'd probably be how their creative process goes when working on music. 🎷 PSYQUI is one of my favorite music artists! If I could ask them one question, I'd ask them if they could teach me how to make such fun music to listen to! 🎺 One of my favorite artists is Hot Sugar. I’d ask them how they get inspiration for their songs/titles. 🎸 Either it’s Mother Mother or Ghost, and for Ghost I would ask what goes into making the lore behind their music 🎻 Right now my favorite band is BTS. I would like to ask them if they actually know what they make us feel because that's the way we want to make them feel. An overwhelming love

Do you play an instrument? If not would you like to play one? Which one?

🎤 I play the uke! Just as a hobby, self-taught, but it's always a treat when I sing a love song to my boyfriend for Valentine's day and I see his face. :)

🥁 I used to play the flute and I'm currently working on learning how to play the ukulele! 🎷 I played the clarinet, violin, and piano! They were all very fun to play with! 🎺 I used to play the piano, and the drums. I am currently in my school’s advanced choir. 🎸 I used to sing if that counts! 🎻 I don't play any instrument but I always wanted to learn how to play the violin or the piano.

Which song(s) are you going to draw?

🎤 I am going to be drawing the song Fool by Cavetown!

🥁 I'm going to be drawing a chill trap remix of Life Could Be A Dream 🎷 I'll be drawing PSYQUI - Still in my heart feat. ぷにぷに電機 🎺 Dear God - XTCArcadia - The Kite String TangleThe Kid Who Drowned At Summer Camp - Hot SugarBaby Hotline - Jack StauberHungover in the City of Dust - AutoheartMagnet - Punch Brothers 🎸 I got hungry by Mother Mother 🎻 BTS - Spring Day (Brit Rock Remix)

What do you expect from this zine?

🎤 Honestly I just expect to make some good friends and have a fun time discovering new music and creating art alongside a bunch of other artists!

🥁 I expect to learn new things in my art with the zine but on top of that I'm looking forward to seeing all the wonderful talent that is shown! 🎷 I want to see the different styles and tones in everyone's drawings! Music has many different forms, and hopefully these pieces will too for diversity! 🎺 Great things! I am very confident in the abilities and creativity of the participants. 🎸 I’m not sure what to answer here other than to have fun with my piece and I hope people will enjoy it 🎻 Honestly, I don't know, but I hope everyone would be capable of express everyting their favorite songs make them feel <3

Anything else you want to add?

🎷 I want to see the different styles and tones in everyone's drawings! Music has many different forms, and hopefully these pieces will too for diversity! 

🎺 I do not have an up-to-date commissions post but feel free to contact me if you’re interested! (arsenic.bite on insta)

[365daysofsasuhina]

[ 365 Days of SasuHina || Day Two Hundred Seventy-One: Bewildering Experience ] [ Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata ] [ SasuHina ] [ Verse: Best Years of Your Life ] [ AO3 Link ]

There’s certain social rules when it comes to high school. Navigating as many of them as you can means getting through those four years a little less scathed. While it’s tedious at best for most, there can still be moments that stand out positively for students. The typical dredgery of classes, homework, tests and exams have the occasional break in the monotony.

For Hinata, this is her final year. A senior at last, whittling at her schedule until graduation next Summer. A rather model student, her college is all picked out, major decided, and all that’s left is to get through this last batch of school days until...well, more schooling. But surely college won’t be nearly the task high school has been, right?

Well...so she hopes.

Hinata has always been a bit of a stereotype. The quiet, nerdy, shy girl...with a crush on the star of the basketball team. Fairly academic, she also branches into some of the more artsy institutions of her high school: choir, theater club, and the occasional art class. She even participates in volleyball and tennis. Her grades are top notch due to her diligence, and...lack of a social life, really. Her quietude means mostly being ignored by her classmates. A few like Sakura, maybe Ino, occasionally drag her along for something. But for the most part, she’s left to her own devices.

The only real talking she does is digitally. She texts, she IMs on Discord, lurks on social media...but she devotes most of her time and energy to her classes, clubs, and sports.

Most of the year passes fairly normally. The typical teenage drama, class difficulties, club activities...and then they enter the last quarter of the year. Hinata’s still in her clubs, and after Winter quarter off from sports, enters her last high school tennis season.

And that’s when things start to get...weird.

For the longest time, Hinata’s crushed on one Naruto Uzumaki: aforementioned basketball player, but also baseball. Alongside him is his best friend, Sasuke Uchiha. Naruto, however, has long crushed on Sakura: a rather jock-like girl who plays sports all year round, ending with softball. The pair seem to be teetering on the edge of finally going out, and...quite obviously, that left Hinata in a bit of a funk.

...but then the unexpected happened.

Sasuke offered to come watch her play. Which, Hinata supposed, wasn’t that unthinkable. They’d been talking about it, Naruto excusing himself due to watching Sakura’s upcoming softball match after Hinata had admitted to planning to watch the boys’ baseball game. She had been rather disappointed until Sasuke spoke up.

...and then he went and confronted her about her dead-end crush once the others had gone.

Hinata was...a bit flabbergasted. But he had a point...Naruto was never going to see her the way she saw him. But it was the subtle hint beneath it that left her a bit bewildered.

...was he…?

A challenging quip resulting in his blush and stutter all but confirmed it: he, in turn, was crushing on her.

...it was completely unexpected. He was one of the most popular guys in their year…! And he...he liked...her…? Why? She’s quiet, uninteresting, unnoticed...not anyone someone like him would care about!

And yet...he did.

Disaster nearly struck when - on her way to the game - she’d gotten a flat tire on her bike. But lo and behold, none other than Sasuke’s mother - also headed to the field - offered to give her a ride. Sitting next to both Mikoto and Kushina, Hinata had watched as they achieved victory, needing only one more win to make it to state.

He’d been surprised to see her there. Made a bit of flustered small talk. And then they’d parted ways rather...awkwardly.

And it only got worse the next time she really got to see him. Nailed by a flyaway baseball bat, he’d been left with a sizeable split in his brow. Hinata, excused from a cancelled practice, offered to take him to the nurse.

Cue more careful dancing around each other, Mikoto even teasing him when he drove home (Hinata accompanying to make sure he was okay to drive).

By then, it wasn’t quite so shocking anymore. Sasuke, quite obviously, despite the breaks in social hierarchy, was very smitten with the class wallflower.

...and after all her considering it, Hinata has decided...maybe she could like him back. He’s a lot sweeter than his typical aloof persona shows. Maybe not quite the brash charm Naruto has that she originally fell for, but...it’s nice. She feels rather at ease talking to him.

So, Hinata decides to break some social rules of her own.

Waiting outside the locker rooms after an afternoon of practice, she ignores the curious looks the other boys give her, clearly suspecting she’s up to something. But Hinata just waits until the proper one emerges.

“Hi!”

Startling, Sasuke looks to her with wide eyes...and then promptly goes pink.

...she’s really starting to like when he does that. It’s just so funny compared to his typical composure. To think, she has that sort of power.

“...uh, hi?”

“I got out a little early, so I thought I’d see how your practice went,” Hinata then offers, still smiling at him.

...it’s his turn to look suspicious. “It was...fine? Why?”

“Just make sure you didn’t take any more b-bats to the face.”

His flustered expression gets all the worse, going from pink to bright red. “No! I’m fine, that was just...a freak accident. Besides, you’d probably find a way to hear about it if I did,” Sasuke then mutters, shoving hands into his pockets.

Hinata’s expression warms. “Sorry, I don’t m-mean to tease you. I really do hope you’re okay. How’s your forehead…?”

“It’s pretty much healed up. Really wasn’t that bad.”

“Good.”

After a moment of just...standing awkwardly, Sasuke tentatively starts walking, seeing her follow. “...so, did you...need anything else?”

“No. Not really.”

“...uh, okay. How, uh...how was your practice?”

“Fine! It was a bit of a light day since we have a game in two days, so...coach doesn’t want us too burnt out. That’s why I was able to catch you!”

“Oh...what team are you playing?”

“Iwa. They’re sort of our rivals in tennis. I’m r-really hoping we beat them. We’re already too low in the rankings to go to state, so...this is really our big push for the end of the year.”

Genuine concern bleeds through Sasuke’s expression. “Oh...sorry to hear that.”

“It’s okay. I’m h-hoping it means I can make it to some of your state games!”

“Oh, well…” Sasuke itches his neck, looking a little sheepish. “We still have one more game against Suna...we’re not there yet.”

“But I bet you will be,” Hinata counters, smiling. “You guys have done r-really well! And it would be so neat if you made it there your last year…”

“Yeah...I hope so. My brother’s soccer team went all four years, and won his junior year. I’d like to at least brush up against that, honestly.”

Hinata glances over at the wistfulness in Sasuke’s tone. “...I see. Will he...will he be able to come watch?”

“Maybe...he’s just out of college and working pretty heavily, so he might not have time. But I think the games are live streamed, so...maybe he can catch it that way.”

“That’s true. But...I hope I can go. I think a group of seniors are planning to skip out and go if you make it to the finals!”

“Really?”

“Mhm! I’d go with them, even if my dad might get mad...I’ve never skipped school before.”

Sasuke considers her for a long moment. “...why do you want to go so bad?”

“Well, it’s been a while since any of our school’s teams made it to state! I want to support them.” Looking up, there’s a small sparkle in her eyes. “...and that means you, too.”

A hint of pink creeps back into his face. “...well, uh...thanks.”

“Sasuke…?”

“Yeah?”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Uh, sure. What’s up?”

“I know you’re awfully busy with baseball and stuff, but um…” She looks to the ground, tucking hair behind her ear as she walks. “But...I was wondering if you’d like to...g-go out with me sometime?”

Sasuke actually freezes in his tracks.

Ending up a few paces forward, Hinata turns back toward him, seeing his wide eyes. “Would...would that be okay?”

“You...you’d wanna…?”

Dropping her coy teasing, Hinata softens, smiling warmly at him. “...I know we started off a bit, um...a bit awkwardly. With the whole...Naruto thing. But...it’s been nice getting to know you a little. You’re a very sweet person, Sasuke. I guess...I never got to see that until recently. I was too busy looking at Naruto, and...well, you seem to like to keep that sort of thing h-hidden.”

Slowly, Sasuke’s posture loses its tense edge.

Hinata glances aside, expression a bit unreadable. “...I’m sorry if you...if you had to keep this to yourself for very long. I know how that feels, and...I’m sorry for never noticing.”

“...well, I wasn’t exactly open about it. I just thought...y’know...you couldn’t really be interested with Naruto around.”

“...well, you were right. He’s never going to see me that way, and...maybe I need to try looking elsewhere.” Shyly, she glances up to him. “...maybe at...someone who already sees me.”

Nerves showing through his expression again, Sasuke dusts pink across the bridge of his nose. “...I’d...I’d like to try that. I know the year’s almost over, and...maybe we’ll end up apart once college starts. But...I really do like you, Hinata,” Sasuke offers in a rare moment of openness. “So...yeah. I’ll let you know when I’ve got some time where we can...do something. Hopefully a day will line up, right?”

She nods, smile back in place. “Okay. Here, I’ll...give you my number. And we can...text about it later? When you’ve got a moment?”

“Yeah, sure.” With digits exchanged, the pair stand in silence for a moment. “...y’know, I...wasn’t expecting you to do that. You really caught me off-guard,” Sasuke admits with a huff of a laugh.

“I f-figured I would,” she agrees with a laugh of her own. “But...well, one of us had to say something, right?”

“Yeah...glad you did.”

“...me too. Anyway, I...better get home. Homework and all that,” Hinata sighs.

“Yeah, same. I’ll text you later.”

“Okay!” Giving a beaming wave, she takes off toward the bike rack as Sasuke makes his way to the parking lot. There’s a happy little flutter in her chest. It was a bit of a bewildering experience on both sides, but...for once, she’s glad she took a leap.

Now to see where it will take her…!

                                                     .oOo.

     (This is a sequel to days 149, 168, and 183!)      More sportsverse! And I'm slowly making up my behind days xD With this I'm just one behind now, though I'm not sure when I'll have time to be 100% caught up. October is gonna be busy both irl and in regards to writing, so...we'll see!      Anyway, we have Hinata leading the charge for once! Nervous, blushy Sasuke is best Sasuke. And I like Hinata having her bold moments...especially when it's something like this! We officially have a relationship going, woohoo! Maybe another prompt will let me write a date xD We'll have to see!      But yes, for now I've got some irl stuff to get done, but! Thanks, as always, for reading!

[littlemisssquiggles]

Hi! I Saw that you did your drawings on an iPad mini 5, hows your experience on It? Is It too small? Or you can draw pretty good on It? Im asking because i dont know if i buy It, im kinda nervous that i Wont like the size. I dont really use Big things, apart from my computer lol Can i ask to have your full opinión?, i would be so gratefull! Also, your art is cute and well done!✨

Hiyaanon-chan! Pleased to make your acquaintance. Well I’ve been a proud owner of my Ipad Mini 5 since August 2019 and in myworkflow, I’ve used it now again for some light sketching and smaller projectssince I mostly work from my laptop with my Cintiq. I also have a Wacom Cintiq13HD and that’s my main workstation so most of my more finished art of recenttimes was created with that.

Butin the regards to the Ipad Mini 5, for me I really like it and I was actuallypleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed working on it for my stuff. Thegreatest challenge for me with my Mini wasn’t so much the size or the deviceitself. In terms of performance, the Mini works terrifically. I haven’t had any realissue with it. While it took me sometime to find the right art software for me to use that feels like what I’musing to on my laptop, drawing on the Mini works just as nice as I’ve heard for it’s bigger counterparts. As a matter of fact, I liked drawing on my mini so muchthat for a short time, I spent more time working on my Ipad than my Cintiq XD

Interms of the size—partof the reason why I chose the mini over any other standard Ipad was because ofits size. I wanted a digital tablet that I could use as a sketchbook for mydigital art. I wanted one that was great to draw on while being portable enoughfor me to take anywhere with me. The Mini is around the size of your average5.5 x 8 inches sketchbook which was perfect for me since most of my sketchbooksare around that size. Just like you, I prefer smaller sketchbooks as opposed tothe bigger pads. I personally feel more comfortable drawing in smallersketchbooks and they’re perfect for me since I can always pop them in my travelbag without taking up much space.

That’swhat I like about the size of the mini. It can fit inside my smallest shoulderbag and I can take it anywhere with me if I have to go somewhere and want to dosome art while I’m there. Ichose the Mini to do digital art on those days when I don’t feel like sitting infront my laptop and Cintiq or if I have to go somewhere and wanted to draw.

Lastyear, I took a trip off island with my family and thankfully my Mini arrivedjust in time for me to take it with me on the trip and I was able to do somedigital art while away from home. And when I returned home, I just uploaded theart I did on my Mini via iCloud and was able to download and continue workingon it from my laptop.

Sorryif this isn’t some extensive review XD. But since you’re asking me about myexperience with the Mini, that’s pretty much it. For me, I love working on themini and never felt like the size really compromised my workflow. I’m about to work ascomfortably with the Mini as I do with my Cintiq.

Butthis is mainly for my workflow. It’s really up to you and what you’ll be usingthe Mini mostly for. If you’re like myself and you work strictly on your laptop butyou’re looking for a portable tablet to do art on days you wish to work awayfrom your main workstation (especially if you travel a lot) then I will recommendthe Mini.

Butif the mini is going to be your full time drawing tablet device, that’s whereit might be tricky. Some artists I’ve seen have both the Mini 5 and one of thelarger tablets for when they need the screen size for bigger projects. Butpersonally, I think you’ll be fine with the mini. If you’re accustomed to workingin smaller sketchbooks then the Mini will be perfect for you regardless of itssize. And like I said, it’s size doesn’t hinder its performance. You can still createfull pieces on the Mini but it depends on which art software you use. Twosoftware for the Ipad that I can recommend are of course Procreate (which you might’ve heard about already since it’s themost popular art program for the Ipad right now) and Artstudio Pro (a great program that I personally believe deserves justas much love and recognition as Procreate).

BothProcreate and Artstudio Pro offer a one-time purchase fee to download and usethem and all updates to the software are free. Procreate is $9.99 USD whileArtstudio Pro is $11.99. Both Procreate and Artstudio Pro allow you to importand use your favourite Photoshop brushes. Not going to go into much detail onsoftware since you mainly asked about the tablet but of all the art softwarefor the Ipad that I’ve tried, these two are the best in my opinion. But if you would like for me to give my thoughts on using Procreate or Artstudio Pro for the Ipad, feel free to ask. 

If you want an example of another artist whocreates art with the Ipad Mini 5, I’ll recommend you to check out @sandraghart. I found her on Instagram. After pondering for months on which Ipad to get within my pricerange, seeing her work that was done on the Mini 5 helped me to finally decideto get it and I don’t regret it.

Ihope this answers your question anon-chan. Take care!

~LittleMissSquiggles (2020)

[violently-canary]

Hey @anime-freakchow! So first off, thank you! Every artist wants to have a distinct and recognizable style so thats a real flattering compliment to get lemme tall ya that! 💛

This is a common talking point and there are a lot of people that are way more qualified to discuss this than me but you asked about how i developed my style specifically so ill do my best and give my take on the subjekt.

Anyway ill just start out by saying that having an art style isnt what should be someones main priority. Not that it isnt important or not something to care about but ive noticed that i personally tend to start stagnating in my improvment when i get too focused on keeping to a certain style. What im trying to say is to be careful not to limit yourself just because you want to stick to an art style!

Now that thats out of the way i can start talking about what i think is important in creating your own style and what influenses it!

1. Medium

In my experience something that shapes someones art style a lot is the type of medium they're using. Especially if you're a new artist just starting out the type of medium makes a huge difference mainly because thats when you start learning different tecniques to achive certain results. A more experienced artist will already have some prior knowleage on how they like to do things so the effects therefor wont be as strong.

In my case out of the almost 3 years ive been drawing i have spent about 1 year of that time being a mostly digital artist which means that my current style has been very much shaped by the tools i use.

That being said ideally you want a art style to do is exentuate what you are good while still making the things you're not great at look presentable. Ex my thick and choppy lineart starting out as a cover for me not being great at making smooth lines. Its still something i keep doing because i like how it looks even after ive gotten better at lineart, because a lot of the time art is just happy accidents!

2. Taste!

Taste can be everything from what you like to draw to how you like to draw it. When developing a style a good thing to ask yourself is what you like to see in art, yourself and others! I love bright colors so i use a lot of bright colors! I love thick lines so i use thick lines! Really its all about finding out what you like.

Something worth mentioning tho is that somethings look great in other peoples art but just dosent work in my style and thats ok! Totally normal even! There are a lot of artists that i follow and whos style i adore! But would never dream of implementing into my own work.

Finding other artists that can act as inspiration is important! Heres some of my current favorites:

ginfaxxi

tomato_fishball

krooked.glasses

bokubunbun

ghostofcrows

bl00dyn0se

svelagram

3. Goals

Goals can be tricky to make, especially if you're just starting out and while this isnt neccearily necceary to do it can be useful. Now i dont mean that you have to have everything figured out about what you want out of your art but some guidelines can be useful! For example of you plan on making a carrier out of art you might want to go about things a bit differently then if you're just doing it for fun! And your goals can of course change! Its perfectly normal!

4. Practice!

This is really the most important part! Practice and practice a lot but dont forget to have fun!!!

And lastly heres some of my old digital art to show how my style has changed:

I hope this was in some way helpful to you! 💛