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pixelatedraindrops · 3 months ago

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“Don’t worry, my pokepal. We’re here for you.”

Something I made based on BrightStar’s birthday present fanfiction to me. It’s a RainCode Pokemon AU crossover story. I felt pretty down last night and I needed a distraction. So I drew this. Originally it was going to be a small uncolored doodle I’d attach as a thread to the fic, but I just kept going… xD

Description below read (its long lol)

I kinda drew out one of the scenes, however I added my own element to it. I know that the scene takes place in the normal setting of rain code, except everyone is a Pokemon. But the story itself gave me huge Pokemon Mystery Dungeon vibes so I made the setting similar to the PMD Explorers games. With the straw nested beds, the grass flooring, and the sliced berries.

Tbh, the explorers games are the elements of PMD I’m most used to and prefer. I like the idea of Pokemon living like feral creatures with small living circumstances, like cavemen. Not fully functional furnishings and machines. I feel it gives a cozier domestic aspect and it separates a Pokemon society away from us humans. They have more modern settings in the newer games, but I like the way it was done in explorers the most. So I hope you don’t mind that!

It was rather nostalgic to draw a PMD themed art again after so long. It was a game I loved drawing fanart of in the past and I even had teams with the hero and partner based off my friends. Good times…

Reading this fic got me to thinking how much I would have loved to see a whump or illness scene from the game. Having the hero, partner or even important side character fall ill to have a nursing scene with their whole team tending to them. (The closest we got was the Manaphy post game quest before releasing it to grow up in the sea)

So I did just that. I used the fodder from Bright’s story to create this little piece where Team NDA help their newest member through a status ailment, known as a BRNing fever. (Plus yay an excuse to draw yuma sick as an eevee :D)

Everyone has a role to play in his recovery.

The patient, Kokovee is lying in the infirmary nest bed feeling exhausted, sick and miserable where he is tended to by the rest of his team. Yakgrowth makes sure he stays warm by using his many vines to force wrap a blanket around him, also to monitor his temperature, and to try to feed him. (I can see him doing all sorts of tasks with all his vines, Grass types are grade A caretakers :3) Liepara uses their sharp claws to slice the berries that are brought as medicine to be easier for him to consume. Oran berries for his energy, Rawst berries to settle the heat, and Persim berries to prevent any confusion (delirium) that might be caused by the illness. Desuhichu walks up to him and connects his cheek to his to loan him some energy his way. (though this only works on other Pikachu, it does not harm the sick shiny Eevee) Celibuki uses her psychic powers to pre-soak the towels in the stone bowl for cooling him off later, Duskullgami can’t do much but she makes sure her partner is at least comfortable, and Vivisol merely stands guard. He doesn’t do too much but he forewarned the team of the disaster beforehand so they got everything ready. He did help in his own way... XD

I was actually inspired partially by @asaka-lucy-dr-rc’s birthday work for me where everyone helps tend to sick Yuma in their own way. I wanted to do something similar, except they’re Pokemon now... xD

Desuhiko and Yuma's forms were designed by me, as Eevee and Pikachu are the only Pokémon I have confidence in drawing. It's why everyone else is kinda offscreen (that and to focus on kokobolt since Bright wrote this story as an extra service to her XD)

Ya'll cannot force me to draw anyone else completely so they are just there, feet and heads cut off LOL at Vivia's big-ass claws (shinigami was interesting to try though)

The other designs belong to @snivyartjpeg as part of their own PMD AU. Seems Bright used them for this story, so I had to draw them too. (sorry biggie I know sick whump isn't your thing, but I had to credit you... X'D)

But yeah it was fun to draw this out! (kinda needed a stress reliever)

I hope you all enjoy! ^-^

Thanks again for the cute story Bright!💜

Alt Version where Yuma’s body is free:

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olderthannetfic · 1 year ago

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Genuine question: what's the point of writing fanfic? As in, what's the purpose? No one in the fandom I'm in comments on fics and I even got told off by one person for doing so, as it "encourages bad writers and makes them think they're good". So it seems that it's a lot like book writing, where people work hard and are creative, but instead of getting paid and getting comments on the work, you just sit there silently hoping someone will press the kudos button and make a number go up. I feel like that time and work could be better spent on making something you might get some kind of profit off of. Don't get me wrong, I love doodling fanart, but I don't post it, as I'm aware that there's no point to doing so, and while it's a nice way to fill the time on a commute, it's not something that takes me as much time and effort as fanfic does. So... why do people bother? Sometimes I describe ideas I have and people I know in my fandom will tell me I should write it, but I don't see why. I get more interaction from just saying "imagine if [thing here]" than I would by sitting down, writing for hours, editing and posting [thing here], so what would the point be? I'm not punching down or going "haha women and their fanfic lol!", I genuinely do not get what the point is and this blog feels like it might have someone reading who knows the answer.

Do you make art for profit? Genuine question.

There's nothing inherently wrong with being motivated primarily by external factors, but it's not actually why a lot of people create things, whether it's books or recipes or doodles in a notepad.

I enjoy the actual process of writing.

I think many people lose sight of that aspect in an era where tons of <500-word fics that are mostly outlines and "Imagine if..." posts get disproportionate attention for being easy to consume. But the satisfaction of doing a bigger art piece and doing it right is real and motivates a hell of a lot of creation.

I suppose you might be thinking "Okay, but why not just write it alone and never post?", but I like sharing. Showing off my finished creation is part of the joy, and sharing with other people like me is too. But those aren't quite the same thing as worrying about kudos. It's like dressing nicely when you leave the house because you feel great when you know you look good vs. needing another person to tell you you look good.

To be honest, though, this type of feeling has grown in me the better I've gotten at a craft. The closer my finished projects get to the vision in my head, the easier it is to find them fulfilling and to be excited to share them. When I fall short of my own ambitions, it's discouraging no matter how much attention I might get from others.

I feel like it's time for my regular reblog of Adam Westbrook's video essay series The Long Game.

vimeo

youtube

The third and least known in the series is all about this idea of who you're making art for if you're not getting material rewards in the short term. It talks a lot about autotelicity—being internally driven instead of externally.

But if you really just want clicks, anon, start a blog that accepts anon asks and posts about wanky stuff. Actually tag things, unlike me, so people can find you.

No, writing for attention isn't worth it.

The time investment is too great and your brain will always fixate on the times people didn't respond instead of the times they did.

But that's not actually why most people write.

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lordgeneralsix · 2 months ago

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six's incomprehensible review of kcd2's writing

(I'll be honest this isn't as much of a proper review as i wish i could write, maybe one day i'll rewrite this with a newfound professionalism but for now i just wanted to make one big post on why I personally think the writing is so good in general as someone who appreciates the craft and studies it... everything under the cut for kcd1&2 spoilers. 4.1k words and divided for easier reading. thanks in advance for your time)

brief lore

so i've been playing kcd2 pretty much every day since it dropped, did my first playthrough in under 5 days with little sleep and let me tell you. I have been completely cured of everything that was causing me grief for the entirety of january which involved my own personal art/writing, and honestly this game dropped at a perfect time to rip me out of my self-induced misery.

despite my love for fantasy and historical settings, I didn't expect much when I first played kcd1. I thought it was just a medieval times war simulator for repressed men, but I had to give it a try. obviously, I'm glad I was wrong, and I actually realized this around the time you go back to skalitz for henry's parents and after I played theresa's dlc. I realized there might actually be care put into the writing, into the reality of war instead of glorifying it with another peasant-turned-knight story. kcd1 did an incredible job of immersing you into the role of henry, an average peasant, son of a blacksmith. he's not some secretly skilled dragonborn waiting to be awakened to save the world, he's just a boy who was thrown into the fray years before he was ready... kcd1 was good. i really enjoyed playing it and experiencing such a unique game. it was an impressive ambition especially with the limited budget they had. maybe it could stand to be condensed, but as an act 1 it's incredibly engaging at the beginning and end, creating a strong foundation and lot of anticipation for kcd2.

authenticity is king

what makes a good story? a question that can be debated until the end of time. its complicated. its simple. its completely subjective. but as corny as it sounds, the truth i believe is a good story has soul in it. it's something i will believe until i die. a good story has something to say, something that needs to be said no matter how silly or serious it is. and even if the result is ugly, bad art with soul will never truly be bad. and i'm not here to preach anything or glaze companies like warhorse and even larian, because no one is safe from criticism (i have especially torn into larian myself over certain issues), but this universal praise we see isn't undeserved, and we should celebrate the fuck out of good games when we get them.

kcd2, i believe, has easily become one of the greatest games of all time. and it's simply because, at its core, the writing of kcd is human. this is unfortunately something very easily forgotten when swept up in numbers and trends. but kcd is not trying to be something it isn't. the writers had a very clear vision of the story they wanted to tell from the start and made absolutely 0 sacrifices for trends and culture wars.

the writing is mature, it respects your intelligence and doesn't have to spell everything out. serious moments actually feel tense, the humour is woven in well without being out of place, and something i consider a true miracle is that they don't force quippy lines out of every character. the dialogue is believable enough where it's not too incomprehensibly archaic or too jarringly modern. the characters are not all that self aware and don't pull therapy speak out of their asses. every single character has depth from the major characters to even the minor npcs. the world is so full of personality and charm that i didn't mind sitting around with npcs to just listen to them talk about their mundane lives or observe their daily routines. i even found myself caring about the most insignificant npcs. like i failed the fight dirty quest bc i banished hired hand stanley to hell for bullying my boy tobias 'darling' and his dog. such a minor npc but i felt like i had to do something to help even if the game didn't acknowledge it. and to me, if a game makes you feel something and follows you well after it's over, it's doing something right.

at the time of writing this i'm on my 3rd playthrough. 200+ hours and i'm still discovering new npcs, dialogue, quests, locations, and outcomes. 2.2 million words sounds like too much, it makes you wonder if its justified, but i can confidently say it is. warhorse made no sacrifices to be like other games. their vision remained strong from beginning to end, and now if they so choose to, kcd3 has a very strong foundation and limitless potential for henry's story to branch off into. and if not, i have no doubt whatever warhorse writes next, whether it's about henry, medieval bohemia, or another historical setting completely, will be a masterpiece.

wait... you're just like me?

every single character in kcd has flaws and some fuck up immensely, which many people might be annoyed w but it's something I love and find lacking in a lot of stories. you can't pin a single character down as "good" or "evil" and they put an emphasis on this when confronting istvan, erik, markvart, drinking w the cumans, staying in trosky, exposing semine, spying on the praguers, and through a bunch of minor npc conflicts... all of these situations are not clear-cut and every single character involved have reasons for fighting, and you fear the prospect that they're right.

what do you do when the enemy looks and feels like you do? how do you judge someone in any way that matters without condemning yourself too? the game asks questions and does not give you an answer. at least not one that will satisfy everyone. such is life. and that's what i love about this game. i love when writers aren't afraid to make their characters so viscerally human. I love how no one is immune to their desires, to all the fuck ups and deception. everyone is bound to fuck up no matter how careful they are. fuck ups that seem so easily avoided if they did one thing differently or were more cautious of who they worked with. you'd think even the most cunning and experienced could avoid it but even they mess up, and kcd doesn't try to show off or give anyone immunity in manipulation and morality. it's as markvart said, "under all the armour and finery you will only ever find a man" (and my god, what a scene. I believe the entire conversation w markvart is the heart of the story. but my words won't do it justice, please go watch it it's incredibly written and acted).

so... why did i care about some npc with 3 lines enough to fail a quest and risk getting arrested for him? well, because his story hit home. it's a rarity that writers care enough about the little people to show the beauty of the mundane and the humanity of even the most revered. kcd breaks the illusion that people in the past were so different from us today and tells us point blank that we are here today because the fight for life and love is endless.

things worth living for

kcd puts you into the body of a boy who had everything taken from him, and from the moment he regains consciousness he's ready to throw himself back at the enemy to avenge his parents. it's a pretty hopeless thing to do. what can one blind man do against an army? what can one weary woman do in the ruins of her home but try to save at least one more soul, even at the cost of her own? kcd shows the gruesome and hopeless reality of war... but it also does a good job of showing the importance of people.

henry has few people left in his life, but two haunt the corners of his mind; his parents, we know this very well. they are the driving force of why he fights and they remain important instead of being used as fuel for his story. it may seem insignificant, but i really appreciate that they didn't pull a "radzig didn't want henry or care about henry's mother and lied to martin the whole time" and "martin abandoned sara and samuel for another family", i feel it would've been too much for henry to have more guilt and anger over his parents and then a tense relationship w radzig/samuel on top. what would be the point in learning about his real father and step brother, only to end up resenting them? there's a lot of dark shit going on and it's good to have some genuine familial relationships once in a while.

there's no malicious reason why martin and radzig couldn't raise their biological sons, and if they could, they would have, but they tried to do the best they could for henry given the circumstances, and you wouldn't even doubt for a second that martin would've loved sam if things were different. it's bittersweet and feels real. there's no need for a big plot twist of "martin was a bad man actually" after everyone spoke so fondly of him. and i appreciate that warhorse doesn't pull plot twists out of nowhere. it's good that henry has hans, sam, radzig, and godwin to rely on and untainted memories of his parents. it's good that despite everything, henry is able to hold onto the blue skies overhead, green grass underfoot, beautiful girls, good wine, a few good friends, and a fine steed under his backside.

... speaking of godwin, i want to briefly mention just how good of a secondary pov character he was. when i first played i was a little confused as to why him, mostly bc i didn't drink w him in the first game so i didn't know shit about him. but godwin makes a very compelling and fun secondary pov character as a noble war veteran turned priest that has absolutely no involvement in henry's life aside from drinking with him once but is now compelled to look out for him simply because he likes him (and bc it was asked of him but he does care shh). and it's not like his purpose was to babysit henry the whole time, he's given his own personal obstacles when he has to face his father in raborsch, who berates him in front of everyone with no shame, to the italian job where his father finally acknowledges that he was wrong about godwin. kcd2 gives this hedonistic priest a whole new layer of depth one couldn't have deduced based off his behaviour from the first game. it's truly incredible to see how a little care can go really far for even the most seemingly unimportant npcs like godwin or even liechtenstein. all in all, i really enjoyed playing as godwin and he was the perfect choice for a secondary pov character.

i could go on forever about the supporting characters, but i need to move onto the elephant in the room now: henry and hans.

those guys

henry and hans are so fascinating to me. it's been a good while since i've seen such deep and complex characters where even their failures are exciting to witness because you just know this will only strengthen them as people. the reason why, for me at least, it means a lot that warhorse wrote such a beautiful relationship between two men is bc they're written as people first. henry and hans are two characters that Can stand on their own but become stronger together. two young men who come from completely different worlds find comfort in each other's presence despite the laws of man and god saying it can't be so.

you can see something shift between them as early as the hunting trip. a trip that was a punishment for both turned out to be what they needed. to put aside their statuses and find common ground. hans asks about henry and skalitz, and empathizes with henry over the loss of his parents and reveals he never knew his own. you see something strange from the asshole who keeps humiliating and provoking you. you start to understand that all he really needed was for someone to understand him. not a mentor or guardian. not his subjects who drink and bathe with him on a whim. a friend. someone who sees him as a person worthy of his noble title and not a child or a drunk whore.

this newfound bond grows as you get up to typical teenage boy behaviour and in the span of a few weeks the haughty nobleman henry met just yesterday becomes a closer friend than his childhood friends fritz or matthew ever cared to be. but it doesn't end there. hans doesn't remain a pretty face and let everyone fight battles for him, and when it's time to take back talmberg his true character shows when he puts himself between the enemy to save tobias feyfar (when the trebuchet is attacked) or henry (if he gets knocked out during night raid). hans is willing to risk himself because he believes in justice as much as henry even though he came from a more privileged background. both of them were already incredibly noble men in the making and kcd2 tests how far they're willing to go for a place in the world.

it doesn't matter how you play him; henry remains the same sweet boy from skalitz underneath it all. the blacksmith's boy who comes home crying to ma with scrapes and bruises and big dreams, the lover and loyal friend, and the survivor who vowed to never run from a fight lest more innocents be slaughtered for his cowardice. he never forgot skalitz and he never stopped blaming himself. even if he has to push, even when he becomes just as bad as runt or istvan or the dry devil, it weighs on him. you can control his actions and his words, but you can't control how he feels at his core. even after all three of his goals have been achieved by the end of kcd2 (avenge his parents, get his sword back, and protect hans), he is still deeply hurt and laments getting lost in his path of vengeance. this guilt follows him into his dreams, justifying his actions becomes an uphill battle, and in the final conversation with his "parents" he can choose to repent and acknowledge that he has lost himself or double down and say he was always right. then he can choose to keep fighting, or finally present martin's sword to radzig and settle into the life he should've had back in skalitz...

there's no black or white answer, as the game often tells you, only action and consequence. and something I've noticed are the people who are a bit annoyed at how your choices throughout the game don't matter in the end since you can choose to say sorry and "everything is okay", but I don't see it that way really. it's not okay, why would it be? but everyone deserves a chance to repent, whether you personally believe it or not, and henry is arguably better than most for acknowledging his guilt and promising to do better. life doesn't end at the first sin. you could always become just as bad as the enemy or you could choose to be kind, merciful, and treat people with dignity.

as for hans. well... kcd2 happens because of him, because he desperately wanted to prove himself to hanush and his people that he was a capable ruler and warrior. he wasn't expecting it to be difficult, his confidence in the plan is the sole reason why it went so wrong. it was his fault they were ambushed despite henry's concern and he knows it. then he blows up at henry and runs off to fix it himself, which he would've succeeded in if von bergow hadn't played them. his comfortable view of the world was shattered and he couldn't accept it at first, but facing death multiple times and seeing henry risk it all for little reward built him back up as a braver and more responsible man to the point where he is unrecognizable from how he started in the first game. hans is reliable, brave, and capable of handling a lot more than people give him credit for. not a lot of noblemen would risk themselves so willingly, let alone for a peasant, and henry is actually lucky hans tolerated him and threw hands as equals instead of just sending him to jail and ending his journey quite early (henry is lucky a lot of noblemen put up w him lbr he does himself no favours lmao).

i find hans to be interesting because he isn't really a typical nobleman, he puts the pleasures of life first before politics and sees his people as people and war as a losing battle (see the conversation he has w brabant after freeing them from maleshov). but he still acknowledges that the day will come when he has to take his role seriously even if the looming threat to his freedom strikes fear into his soul (see raborsch when the arranged wedding is announced). in the prologue of kcd2 he leads the company and doesn't joke much or even indulge in the conversation of women, the shadow of tomorrow's meeting with von bergow grows closer and there's a lot of pressure to not mess it up. hans is a lot of things, but incompetent is not one of them. he doesn't cry when they have to get their hands dirty and remains relatively calm when dealing with other nobleman. he knows what's at stake and doesn't allow henry to take the brunt of their struggles. even when henry is hallucinating, shouting, and is essentially dead weight, hans doesn't hesitate to carry him and assure him that he's okay.

i haven't even begun to cover the depth of the story and the characters, but as much as i wish i could I'm not qualified enough for a deep analysis and I'd rather go to my final thoughts, which is of course the romance between henry and hans (and warhorse's treatment of mlm characters).

gay... people?

from my previous point, these are two characters that stand on their own, but together they stand taller. even without any romance the game and story are incredible. henry and hans' friendship is not optional, it is a core part of their characters and why they fight. it's not distracting or out of nowhere bc their sexualities are not their entire personalities. but here's the thing, the friendship created a strong foundation for a potential romance, but if written carelessly and completely out of character, this romance would not have worked and the writer's hand would show. taking into account the setting, the characters, and the plot is the only way to craft a believable and good romance. and I know some people are disappointed because they expected more romance or dates or some grand display of love, but these characters aren't like that, at least not how we perceive romance in our modern day. they love each other, there's no denying that, and they didn't even have to say those exact words for it to be true. love can be shown and said in a multitude of different ways and it will not look the same for every person, but it doesn't make the love any lesser.

for henry and hans, it's action above words. hans seems to be the more introspective of the two, and we see this when it's him who initiates the final romance scene with a beautifully tragic story he'd been thinking about for god knows how long. but this only happens when they're sure they'll die, that they'll never see each other again, only after henry reminds hans again and again that he's cared for. and maybe it's too late but something needs to be said. often times they make jokes and tease each other, which could definitely have flirtatious undertones, but their true feelings show in serious moments, moments of danger, and of course when you pick the heart dialogue. the only time henry tries traditional flirting on hans is when you can learn how to give a compliment in italian, but even then he kind of fumbles for a more genuine one ("i am dazzled by your beauty" into "you look good"). henry drops the usual theatrics to assure hans that he will always back him up when he needs it. hans needs to know that henry doesn't stick w him because he has to, but because he wants to. and the best part is that this remains true even if you don't choose to romance him.

but aside from henry and hans, we of course have istvan and erik who have their own complicated relationship that includes something romantic. then there's npcs; novice lucas (kcd1), black bartosch, and herbalist barnaby (kcd2) (I'm not sure if there's any more, these are just the ones I'm aware of rn). the way all of these characters are written is Not forced and liking men is not their entire purpose, it's actually a completely optional thing to find out about these characters (investigate the monks who abuse lucas, talk w black bartosch instead of just training, and hang out w herbalist barnaby after fighting him. actually, even if you don't interrogate erik and istvan, you could completely miss the romantic undertones of their relationship and continue to think it's just father/son). and no, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying stories with gay or even trans characters can't be about that, it would be horribly hypocritical of me when my own trans-bisexual-ness fuels my own art, but that's not all we are and I believe we're doing ourselves a disservice when we keep ourselves stuck in the coming out story cycle.

we need stories that are more than our pain, especially now, and it's important that not only we create gay/trans art, but our allies do as well. we deserve to be seen and not have to keep our love under the guise of close friendship. and I'm sorry, but sometimes it's not enough to simply imply or queer bait. I feel like it's rare for stories to actually commit to showing that we exist and that we are capable of all kinds of love, too. to treat us like people and not fun little side quests. to not debate our existence or water us down to naive teens in quirky coming out stories. we deserve to have stories where we actually get to live and love.

and idk if warhorse is really aware of how impactful that decision was... the confirmation that the director saw something more intimate between henry and hans and hearing how the actors wanted to do it justice means a lot especially knowing the reputation warhorse had. and in the end the most unlikely people created one of the most compelling and beautiful relationships in recent years because they saw people first. it may seem like the bare minimum but it's appreciated regardless. people can cry and scream about how wrong it is to have gay people in the middle ages until the end of time. nothing can change the fact that we've been here and always will be.

too long; did read

I hate being sappy, but kcd2 pulled me out of the pit I was in because of the shit on the news and my own art block, and it has comforted and inspired me to continue my own work even if it never sees the light of day. kcd2 to me is what stories should be. there's no secret to why it's so good, because swen vincke said it himself at the last game awards: "[the formula] it's stupidly simple, but somehow it keeps on getting lost." a great speech that unfortunately means nothing to titan companies, but we know it's the truth. kcd2 is a success because it was made with genuine love, care, and respect for games, history, and people. it really is that simple.

10/10

#kingdom come deliverance 2 #kcd2 #kcd2 spoilers #kcd spoilers #henry of skalitz #hans capon #hansry #six dissects

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sol-consort · 5 months ago

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I was looking through the Mass Effect art book for references for something and a thought crossed my mind how in the world do you even remove these clothes?

Imagine it’s your first time with any of the above and you are effectively locked out? Are there claps,button, zippers, Velcro?! I don’t know about anyone else, but that would seem like a mood killer or maybe the opposite I don’t know:0 Their clothing just looks like bodysuits, but you can’t just slip out of it though????????? The only wind here is that it looks impossible to put any sort of underwear on underneath them!

(if you have theories, that would be much appreciated, especially for the Krogan…)

Who knows, maybe the concept of underwear is a human only thing, and most species are just walking full commando.

I took a long look at the outfits, and this is what I came up with

Then I realised it's gibberish to anyone but myself so here is

A STEP BY STEP GUIDE ON HOW TO UNDRESS YOUR TURIAN HUBBY TODAY!

Unless they're stuffing themselves into bone-tight latex bodysuits each morning—which would be as hard as fitting a large jagged rough rock into a latex stocking, literally—then I theorise that the locking mechanism of their suits functions by air pressure, virtue of some sci-fi shenanigans. With a click of the button, the air is siphoned, causing the rubbery material to "stick" to their bodies. Unlocking the button will cause it to loosen and become much easier to slide off.

I don't know what's going on with their feet, tbh. It's drawn in the same texture as the rest of their bare body parts, giving the impression that they're... barefoot.

Now I know turians don't walk around barefoot because I remember a crystal clear image of their weird shoe boots when I was staring at turian feet at the Citadel ingame.

Don't ask.

Not to mention those jagged nail-like things at the bottom of their feet, what is that? So, for everyone's sake, let's hope it's really shoes.

As for their leg warmers, I realised even with the air locks opened, it'd still be hard sliding the long sleeve over the protruding hook-like parts under the fold of their knees. Unless it's flexible enough to tuck it against their leg and slide the sleeve over it, then it'd be really uncomfortable.

So maybe the white lines at the front aren't just cosmetics and are actually zippers. This way, they could simply unwrap it from around their leg hooks.

So what's the need for locks/clips when they still have to use zippers? Fashion, apparently, turians aspire to appear vacuum sealed inside their clothes.

But oh we're not done with step two just yet.

HIDDEN COMPARTMENT BABY!

Trust me, it's necessary to get the leg hook out of their bodysuit, the gaint neon purple eggplant in the pic.

It could be anything, zipper, lock, button, strap. What matters is that it creates space for the eggplant to go through.

Note that the hidden compartment is below the leg warmers, a part of the bodysuit, and not a part of the leg warmers.

and yes, you're right. It's a bodysuit, not pants :) we're here for the long ride.

Their top is composed of three layers—excluding the jumpsuit, let's call them A, B, C, and D.

Layer A is actually the second layer a turian would put on, but it's the first layer you'd need to take off because despite it being under the headpiece, the straps wrap around over it to the front, securing the headpiece better.

You might wonder why so many straps and locks are needed when a zipper would be more convenient and time-efficient? And for that, I say, look at human button-up shirts/dresses. A zipper or a solid piece T-shirt would be more efficient, yes, but we still prefer the button-up and convoluted layered suits for formal wear.

Purely aesthetic, I actually doubt all of the locks I highlighted are funciational buttons, much like jeans having faking decorative pockets. As for the straps, they could be like shoe laces where you only need to untie the top row to slip out of the thing, and it's generally accepted to keep the remaining straps intact.

Lastly, keep in mind who we're examining. That's Saren, right? Or at least a noble looking turians. Someone like that would be the type to wear the turian equivalent of a human three piece suit everywhere. Your average turian wouldn't wear something like that unless it's a special event.

Now we reach the headpiece, aka the big bowl. The locks on the back seem like false buttons to me, so I didn't highlight them. I think it's a whole piece that can be popped off easily. It's like a veneer for their natural protective shoulder/neck bowl structure. Like gloves or socks except solid...

The idea of firm clothes might seem unorthodox to us, but that's only because we're soft squishy creatures. The turians natural state has hard solid body parts, wearing clothes that mimick that isn't out of the ordinary for them.

Good news! we're almost done. Only the corest is left. Yes, you read that right. This is structurally a corest. It hugs their waist and givee that snatched appearance. The way their clothes emphasise their exposed hip-bones implies that this is a highly attractive area to turians who aspire to have their middle parts appear as snatched as possible.

To me, the more I stare at it, the more into the uncanny valley it crosses.

I look at this and see a skeleton, my ape brain is telling me this is a deeply malnourished and weak creature, the exposed hipbones almost make me sick because that body part is so unnaturally thin that the only way a being could reach this stage is if they were carrying some kind of nutrition-sucking parasite or had a digestion disease.

But again, that's just my brain using human measures for an alien. For all we know, maybe this is how they look like at their most healthy. Maybe those "fragile" looking hipbones are actually made out of pure steel titanium. Maybe they aren't bones at all and just another hook-like shard like the one at thier legs.

With everything gone, we should have access to their bodysuit below very easily! It most likely has a zipper, locks, clasps, or any kind of button to be able to peel it off.

But then I noticed this subtle part. It's not part of the corest. It's not part of the jump suit. I'm unsure of what it is. It seems to reach over the headpiece and below the straps at the front, but stops short of the corest end at the back.

Maybe it's some sort of underwear? It seems to have a zipper. Shouldn't pose too much of a hassle to take off.

It also might be connected to the piece covering their neck. If you look closely, you'll see a fabric stretch over the ball-like point at the joint of their headpiece and connect to the neck fabric.

But a good chunk of this underwear piece is hidden underneath the corset, so we can't extremely pinpoint where it ends, if it does end.

The neck part could be a separate piece that extends down and covers the headpiece front before the straps are secured atop it.

Lastly, the more I look at the outfit, the more I get the impression it's padding, an under-armour suit to easily squish into the metal platings. It would explain what it's such an inconvenience to get in and out of.

In comparison to other civilian outfits we see, they seem much easier to peel off.

Like that's just a jacket you can take off, headpiece veneer, and unzip the bodysuit then you're good to go.

Remember when Shepard drinks krogan liquor and passes out in ME2? Remember the turian taking a piss at the urinal while Shepard was regaining consciousness on the floor?

That turian didn't need to take off his clothes to access the bathroom, I even think there were buckle/zipper sound effects. This means there is an easily accessible way to slide a turian bodysuit to the side if it is really, in fact, a bodysuit and not a two-piece pants/shirt deal.

That zipper in step 3 layer D could be how he managed to use a urinal.

Human fashion seems airy and loose in comparison to turian garments; we prefer the drape of fabric over our bodies, and turian prefer the firmness of a cloth wrapped tightly around them.

Skipping over the salarians because wow was this exhausting to deconstruct, I went to the krogan picture and.

I kid you not, I stared at this picture of a solid hour and this is literally all I could come up with.

I tried to look at an official picture of a naked krogan to wrap my head around how they wrapped these clothes around themselves. (from the ME artbook)

But to no avail.

It's legit like gift wrapped dude, what the hell. How did they get things there? And how do they get it to stay? and how can they take it off?

It seems to be a onesie, so maybe there are buttons/zippers at the back or under the groin area? But even then, krogans' arms seem too short/stiff (in the first pic not the naked one) to reach over their head and behind their back. Their hard back shell must restrict their movement.

Yeah, I really can't figure this out. What I know, tho, is that this is definitely an under-armour suit and not normal casual wear.

I also spotted these buttons here? Maybe they're functional for something, maybe merely decorative.

And their hoods seem to be retractable, like that of a car, pretty nifty. as demonstrated by this deep realism illustration of a krogan with a heart on their head.

Note: the HOOD is retractable, their shell is NOT. By receding the platted hood, you'll just uncover their shell.

Sometimes, hoods have soft padding underneath them to tuck into the edge of the krogan shell.

But some krogans fair well without it

So maybe it's a personal preference thing?

Formal krogan wear seems to replace the metal with fabric

I got bored after a while and drew makeup on the krogan.

Now that I look at it, the head makeup reminds me of shaved ice with flavoured syrup.

I think I added lipstick on their gums/teeth by mistake.

I would try again, but I made the mistake of drawing directly onto the base layer. Attempting to mimic the shape of human lips was probably the wrong approach to this.

As a last observation, I leave you with this critical fact.

Salarlans wear hats! Salarian hats include their horns!

#☆galactic species #☆character study #☆salarians #☆krogans #☆turians #mass effect

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catkelpie · 15 days ago

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Right. I haven't really posted anything personal here for a while...and I haven't written all that much fanfic either. But today I feel I have to make a statement of sorts. And it's twofold.

Part 1: it's okay to have phases where you don't write. It's okay if those phases are long, too. There are authors, there are other people who will tell you to write anyway, to force yourself, and even if it's just 10 minutes, just two sentences. Sadly, that doesn't work for me. If I don't have time or energy to write, I don't have it (which has been the case for way longer than I like right now). And yes, perhaps I do need to give myself a little nudge. It's always easier if there's an unfinished story there, not a new one waiting for me to start writing it. But also, just writing for 10 minutes...even that is too much at the moment, and if I actually start writing, 10 minutes won't do. I need to get into the flow, to focus, and then I'm very likely to write for at least an hour or two. Anyway, all of this as a very personal insight and as something that might very well be connected to how my neurodivergent brain works, but also as something that may be akin to your approach if your brain works in any way similar to mine. Something that may help you to not feel all that bad about not having written anything in a while, with all those voices telling you to just keep writing anyway. Take your break if you need it, however long it may be. And no, just because you haven't written anything doesn't mean you've lost it. Not your creativity, not your abilities. It will come back, like riding a bike.

That being said, here comes part 2: I am FURIOUS. AO3 has once again been scraped by data thieves, feeding the works of our hearts and brains to AI. I had my works protected by having them only accessible for registered users, but apparently that wasn't enough. Over half of my works are on the list of works that were scraped. I did not consent to this, and nor did any other fanfic writer there, I'm sure. And it hurts, and it feels frustrating, infuriating that there seems to be NOTHING we can do to protect our creative work. Work of love, of passion, work that we create for free, in what little free time we have, to share with other fans of the fandoms we love. And yes, it is WORK nevertheless. And it honestly feels as if we were being assaulted in some shady corner, our creations ripped out of our hands, to be fed to that monstrosity that is AI. I feel violated. I feel angry. I feel frustrated and sad. And I honestly ask myself why I even tried to protect my works from this, thus keeping them away from any guest readers as well. So to anyone defending AI and claiming that "writing" a story with AI is art, go f*** yourself! On behalf of all the writers who actually pour their heart and soul into their stories. Because even if we share it for free, YES, it is still work, contrary to letting soulless AI spout out some wannabe story by using the works (and WORDS) stolen, ROBBED, from others.

#fanfic #writing #good omens fanfiction #ai is theft #ai is a plague #ai is not art #ao3 writer #writing advice #rant post #writing encouragement #reassurance

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jjinx1998 · 1 year ago

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xxtc-96xx Callout post

To start I want you to know I didn't want things to have to come to this but after recent developments and discussions from others I cannot ignore what's been going on for years now. This is a problem revolving around the user @xxtc-96xx , the comic Endertale, and the Undertale fandom. I will try to explain what I know and offer proof when I can, but there might be some sloppiness as this is my first real post on Tumblr. If there is any technical issues about this post, please let me know so I can fix it.

Let me start from the beginning. I have been a long time fan of xxtc-96xx since about 2016 (I will refer to them as TC to make it easier). I have enjoyed looking at the art they create for many years, mainly the ones revolving around Endertale.

Endertale is a fan comic that TC made of the game Undertale. It's a very decent story with a pleasant art style. I would recommend it but I cannot and I will get to why. You see TC has suffered from something that just about any creator can relate to, burnout. The most recent comic page being posted in 2021 though there was already a hiatus established before that.

While they made it long clear that they needed to go on break for personal reasons, people wanted to ask for when they will continue it. Some of them calm and reasonable and other's were very much not nice. TC answered them honestly at first.

Then it started to devolve into troll responses or just not answering.

Not just on Tumblr but people kept asking on Deviantart as well. In fact people are still asking today in 2024. It has gotten so frequent that TC felt it necessary to change their profile header to this:

And it has stayed that way for so long I lost track of when it started. To be fair, even I found the frequent questions to be overwhelming and they just like every artist who makes stuff for free is entitled to take a break from their work. However this post isn't a complaint about how long it takes to finish a comic, it's about something that started because of the wait.

See, their original reason to take a break was because they were too busy with personal matters for them to commit to an actual comic. But as their history up to today has shown that's no longer a valid excuse. As time went on they started to show an interest in the Pokemon fandom. specifically the pokemon known as Mewtwo. To make a long story short, what started as small doodles grew into a whole bunch of fancomics and animations. To compare, they have drawn nearly four times as many Pokemon drawings compared to Undertale. Now, it is perfectly fair and acceptable to find an interest in a different fandom. And while I personally prefer Undertale over Pokemon I completely supported their decision to focus on other fandoms and enjoyed what they made. I also understood their issues with the fandom at the time, some people were rather aggressive, rude, or demanding the comic to be completed, a comic that's completely free that they make no profit out of. I even recall one point they tried to unsuccessfully drag a different content creator into this issue as if it would somehow work.

However I started to notice they had a warped perception on the fandom. Rather than blame the few people that harassed them online with constant asks, they believed that the entire fandom as a whole is to blame as declared it all toxic. Something they insist on repeating to all their fans and making them believe their opinion as fact.

Now for the record I am very aware of how toxic this fandom was and can be at times. I was around since the beginning and have seen just about every drama that has come. From the fans harassing you for not doing the pacifist route in the first time playing, people arguing if either Frisk or Chara is a really bad person, arguing over Frisk's and Chara's gender, is genocide the right choice, is Toriel the bad guy or Asgore, and a controversy revolving around a certain creator of the au Glitchtale (the last one TC coincidentally emulates their "Delay work for one week for every ask" and finds it amusing). I know this fandom is not the best but I love it all the same, it's as much a part of my life as it is for TC. I know I am not perfect at showing my interest for Undertale, as this image of a private ask shows.

Or this time I made a obviously joke ask and apparently I didn't realize a lot of people don't understand sarcasm.

Or when I tried to ask this sincere and nonaggressive question, one of the few times TC isn't putting up some kind of attitude.

Or this other ask from me.

At the end of the day this is just a comic. No one has any right to demand them to continue it or make death threats, this is completely unacceptable. However, at the same time this doesn't mean the creator should dehumanize the entire fandom or punish the few that are being respectful. They wait and what do they get, people mocking them and bullying them. That's what I realized in the past week when I engaged in the comments of a few posts. TC allow their fans to bully the fandom.

I tried to be as calm and reasonable as I can and yet I get called out as a toxic fan. And in the end did TC scold everyone else, no, they basically told me to shut up. I overestimated the fans intelligence and if they could handle basic logic, read the comments for yourself to see my point. As someone with Asperger and anger issues, it's a god given miracle I am still trying to maintain my composure within this insanity that has been going on for years. I have spoken with several content creators who asked to remain anonymous about this entire fiasco and we have similar conclusions about TC.

TC has been through a lot of painful and hurtful comments over the years that they did not deserve in the slightest. They are entitled to do whatever they want with their comic and works. Saying a fandom is or isn't toxic is unhelpful as you fundamentally miss the mark on how fandom culture works. As a creator, it is not right to hang this hiatus over people's heads and string them along. TC does not respect their Undertale fans in the slightest and mocks those who is still waiting. They indirectly encourage their other fans to bully and dehumanize the rest.

I held back on making a comment about all this for two reasons. One, TC's fandom terrifies me. They are complete smug hypocrites who spend way too much time on the internet that they don't realize that if they use their words in real life they will get punched in the face for it. Two, despite everything I still believe that TC can change. I like to believe the best in everyone and that there is hope that maybe this time TC will realize they have become the very thing they hate. That hope has faded to cinders. I'm done with TC, my only concern is the people remaining to wait for the comic.

To everyone who is waiting for Endertale and/or following TC because you like their Undertale stuff, leave them and never come back. They do not respect you, they look down on you, they laugh watching you wait, you deserve better than them. Even if they do finish the comic eventually it will not be made out of love or passion.

DO NOT harass and bully them because of my words. I will not tolerate any attempt to do so.

My final words are for TC if they even decide to read this:

TC, I know we are not friends, you made that clear long ago but I was hoping we could've been. You were a huge inspiration for me in the past and was what pushed me to attempt learning about art. I looked up to you and tried to support you when you were feeling down. You are no longer that person.

You do not have the right to condemn an entire fandom as toxic and declare it as a fact of life. It's people like you that keep the fandoms so divided to this day. It's because of people like you I am scared for my life if I ever mention Undertale in public. Your fixation on the sins of the past prevents us from moving forward. I do not excuse what happened but the past is in the past, get over it and grow up, you are an adult so act like it.

You say you don't owe us any comic or works, well at the same time if you want to mistreat the fandom I care about then I or anybody don't owe you any respect yet I did for nearly five years.

Why? Because I cared about how this all made you feel. What do you see when you look at me, another obsessed toxic fan who should keep their mouth shut or a PERSON with their own thoughts feelings and beliefs?

One of your problems is that you think nothing ever seems to be your fault, just the fans who keep asking. Well maybe they wouldn't have asked if you didn't leave them hanging for almost five years. To me, it no longer matters if you finish Endertale or not.

Maybe you still think it isn't your fault, then that makes me the idiot for hoping you can be better. You hurt me, really hurt me. I don't think I can ever trust someone like you again.

Do you know what I really want?

Your apology. I want you to make a genuine apology to me and the fandom at your actions over the years. I won't block you because being the idiot I am I hope my words mean something to you and you'll want to chat.

But until you wise up ask yourself this familiar question,

Do you really think you are above consequences?

#Endertale #Undertale #call out post #toxicity #cw: vent #undertale comic #long post

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rockybloo · 8 months ago

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Ive recently just started doing art, and i apologize in advance if you've gotten this question before frequently, do you have any tips for beginner artists and how did you find your art style? I'm constantly amazed by how you do anatomy and expressions, their so distinct and expressive!

Thank you!

And I actually don't get asked a lot of questions about myself when it comes to art. Many come to this account so I can put my OCs on the phone for questions, so this is lowkey a new question. I might have been asked it before years ago but I am better at drawing now.

HOWEVER, I have to state that I am simply a hobbyist artist and not a freelancer or professional so my tips will be kinda off brand compared to their word. ANYWAYS...

THINGS THAT I FIND HELPFUL FOR ARTING (besides practicing because I mean...we all know the only way to get better is to practice so it'd be kinda redundant say it - we all know to do it)

Practice drawing in pen. Pen can't be erased. So instead of sketching and erasing and sketching and erasing, it is nonstop sketching. It helped me a lot with speeding up my sketching, even in digital, because I got used to making little goofy mistakes. It also helps to fight perfectionism

Use references. I know that's just as redundant as saying to practice but references are genuinely underrated. Whether they be colors or poses - references are your friend. I use them whenever I am having a hard time drawing something.

Redraw things. I occasionally redraw memes or scenes from animated movies with my OCs. It's stranger really helpful, especially if there is a certain expression in the original image because it lets you play around with how to draw it to catch the correct vibes. PLUS redrawing funny stuff helps take the stress off creating art because it reminds you not every drawing has to be amazing.

Don't neglect your body when you draw. STOP DRAWING WHEN YOU ARE HUNGRY, THIRSTY, OR NEED THE BATHROOM! THE DRAWING CAN WAIT - YOU WILL HAVE A MUCH EASIER TIME CREATING ART WHEN YOU ARE NOT SUFFERING FROM THE HUMAN CONDITION.

Stretch your hands. Drawing puts strain on them and your fingers will ache and your hand may get stiff. Practically hand and finger stretches keeps your hands happy. I do them all the time just because I use my hands a lot for art AND my day job.

Numbers are the devil and the algorithm is a warlord. If you post your art online, it's easy to get into the mindset that you aren't good enough because you have low interactions on your work. THIS IS FALSE - NUMBERS DO NOT EQUAL QUALITY. It's better to draw for yourself and the enjoyment of art rather than drawing to attract a fanbase and attention

As for how I figured out my art style, what you all see is the result of me taking bits and pieces from things I like and blending it all together. An art style is really just figuring out what stuff you like from other people's styles and doing your own thing with it.

To break down some of my own style, the way I shade the underside of noses is something I got from Soul Eater since I loved how the anime marked noses with little dots.

The way I draw lips was a journey. I used to only line the top lip like how the manga for D Gray Man would. Then I saw how Steven Universe stylized fuller lips and sort of started playing with that. Over the course of me exploring - I found more online black artists and learned from how they shade and render lips.

Style is very much something that takes a long time to develop. I've been active online since 2011 and it took me until this year to finally figure out a style I really vibe with.

#ask

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berry-s0da · 1 year ago

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AI “art”

Yesterday I argued with an idiot that thought giving directives to an AI makes you as much of an artist as someone that is actually capable of creating art. It’s extremely worrying that our youth is so incapable of understanding this topic, too self absorbed on their own rigid conception of reality and utterly detached from the real world and the importance of the people you share it with, of consequences, of tangibility. They don’t know how to define art, such a core concept for our species, they are unaware that it’s an exclusively human practice a machine cannot produce by itself or for them.

Some of Oxford Language Learner's Dictionary definitions if you want tangible sources for something that has existed for longer than any piece of technology;

Definition of an Artist: a person who creates works of art, especially paintings or drawings.

3 definitions of Art:

1) the use of the imagination to express ideas or feelings, particularly in painting, drawing or sculpture.

2) the skill of creating objects such as paintings and drawings, especially when you study it.

3) an ability or a skill that you can develop with training and practice.

(defining a piece through words could turn into literature, writing is an outlet for creativity and imagination too, the problem is that they want to claim a graphic piece they had no part on as their creation…which makes no sense for obvious reasons. This might blow your mind but you actually have to be involved in the making of a piece in order for it to be an artist. Writing a brief description of what you want the AI to make for you is not a form of creation, it’s a directive for a machine to do what you can’t)

If you don’t have mental resources, talent, skills, capacity of handling different tools, mediums and techniques then you are not an artist (and that’s okay), but you could be if you tried. Writing a prompt is not making art, everyone with enough mental capacity can come up with a concept for a piece, people that commission artists do that and that doesn’t automatically make them artists.

An AI won’t do shit the way you request it even if you say it does. An AI makes an interpretation of the request but asides from mild guidance, you have absolutely nothing to do with the process or the final “piece” (Frankenstein monster of already existing pieces, taken with or without consent).

An AI without regulation isn’t a new medium or something comparable to the fucking Industrial Revolutionjust, specially considering it isn’t a new, easier way to do the same task (like with an art software). It’s but a shameless way of reusing or straight up stealing pieces produced by the same artists you deem to be now useless and outdated. What you call the future is nothing but plagiarism, the usage of things that already existed in a much higher quality, a wonky replica that is only valued because it’s free for your cheap ass.

“Good artists have nothing to worry about, only shitty artists will disappear” im sorry you have to find out this way but every good artist had to be shit first. We reached a point where we are unaware of periods of time any artist needs in order to grow and develop. This logic is baffling because if only good artists are worth of being respected and having stable jobs then we’ll eventually run out of artists, which is not only silly but impossible. This is but an excuse to avoid the obvious issue that represents stepping over people and making it seem as a fair, natural process.

Finally, If you wanna draw, learn to draw first, nobody stops you but yourself. If you wanna paint learn to paint, if you wanna sculpt, learn to sculpt, if you wanna be an artist then get your ass to work. Not everything is laid out for you in life, you actually have to put work into something, as shocking as it sounds. There are people that draw masterpieces holding pencils on their mouths, you have no excuse other than self pity for being useless, being jealous of those that can actually make things and, ultimately, the unreserved, unapologetic disinterest in those affected by this monster y’all wanna have fun with.

#and lets not even mention the fact this will make easier fake porn. revenge porn. fake new and extortion #but this post is about art #text

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jaydickreversebang · 5 days ago

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Sound familiar?

We all deal with impostor syndrome from time to time, and it can get in the way of creating some amazing work. If worries and frustrations like these have been holding you back from signing up for the event, please consider the following tips:

Learn more about what impostor syndrome actually is and what causes those feelings. If you’re reading this, you’re already starting!

Talk about it. When these feelings stay locked inside your head, they can seem too big to manage. Expressing yourself (to a friend or even to yourself through journaling) can help make those feelings a bit smaller and easier to confront. You’re welcome to send us an ask (or DM @malfiora on tumblr, BlueSky, or Discord). You might even be surprised to hear how others have struggled with the same feelings.

Celebrate your wins. It can feel egotistic or hollow, but spend some time reflecting on what you’ve accomplished, large and small.

Let go of perfectionism. Something is better than nothing, a messy draft is better than an idea, and good is good enough.

Be kind to yourself. These feelings are normal and do not mean that you are a lesser creator.

Read more about impostor syndrome and how to overcome it (American Psychological Association)

To participate in the reverse mini bang, all you need is:

To love jaydick

A simple idea of what kind of art you want to create

The desire to connect with other jaydick fans

It’s that simple, we promise. If that sounds like you, sign up to be an artist as soon as possible! Sign ups close this weekend.

[Image text: Mal says...Writers feel impostor syndrome, too. I was so nervous posting my first ever jaydick fic because I didn’t think anyone but me would ever want to read it. I was so wrong, and I’ve been proven wrong every time I post something new, no matter how weird it is. I mean, I think I’m the only person writing cakeverse jaydick fics, and there is always someone who loves them. More importantly, I realized that I’m having fun sharing, and I remind myself of that feeling whenever that anxiety creeps up again. Head Mod & Social Media & General Admin. AO3 - Chanonvic. Tumblr - malfiora. Bluesky - malfiora.]

Want to write a fun, collaborative jaydick piece? Join Team Jason as an author! You can also sign up to support artists and authors as a beta and/or pinch hitter.

#jaydick #dickjay #jaydick reverse minibang #dick grayson #jason todd #nightwing #red hood #batman #dc fanart #dc fanfic #batfam #dc fan events #impostor syndrom #been there done that

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blackr23 · 8 months ago

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Esquire

Chain necklace, cushion-shaped Trinity ring used as a pendant and Santos de Cartier necklace, cushion-shaped Trinity ring, all Cartier. Cardigan Lierre by 10 Corso Como Seoul. Pants stylist’s own.

STYLE

Part 2. Hyunjin said that after meeting the fans, he fell asleep with a feeling of emptiness and pride at the same time.

|byOh Seong-yoon2024.09.23

Q- There was an aspect that impressed me while watching an old interview. Many people praise Hyunjin's dancing skills, but Hyunjin said that he actually thinks of himself as the one who 'suddenly' makes an impact on stage. I felt that it was a story about 'self-direction'.

A- I think I’m a person who has a greater passion for the stage than for dancing. Being good at dancing is the basic thing, but I’m more interested in the process of thinking about how to create and show my own thing, researching, and realizing it on stage. I feel like I’m who I am now through those things. I’m absorbed in something, creating a specific character, and acting it out… In fact, I know that the feeling I pursue is not ordinary, so it might seem a bit excessive. But these days, I feel that it’s important to just do what I want to do. It’s important to have my own thing. I think that if I continue to do this and cultivate my style, I’ll develop a popular aspect. So these days, I’m really doing what I want. (Laughs)

Q-I was curious about that. Hyunjin's style was really unique during 'Chk Chk Boom' promotions. If not Hyunjin, who would have done that? Was that Hyunjin's choice?

A- Oh, I asked for the costume. I had a feeling that I really wanted to try in the song 'Chk Chk Boom', but no matter how much I looked, I couldn't find a design that matched the feeling I had in mind. So I drew a picture on my iPad and sent it to the person in charge. I pasted my photo on it, and I expressed things like a red cardigan, tight leather pants, a flowing feel, and unique red sunglasses. Fortunately, the stylists understood and completed it well, and the timing was good, so it worked out. This time, I was a bit greedy in terms of style.

Q- In a previous interview, Hyunjin said that his art and his music career were completely separate things. I don’t know if I’m over-reading it, but I think those separate, strong affections sometimes unintentionally connect.

A- As you said, it wasn't intentional at all, but this time I just did my best to do what I wanted to do well, and it just happened to work out. Even now, I don't really have any intention of combining the things I like. I just draw covers of my own music? That's about it.

Q- You don't intentionally create contact points, but once a connection is made, you don't necessarily avoid it.

A- Actually, in my mind, creation is not divided into areas. It's all connected to some extent. When you look at a painting, there's text in it. It's the things the artist wants to express through the painting. That's why you can feel like you're reading a book while looking at a painting. Then, I try to express them through music, and conversely, I try to incorporate someone's words into art. In a way, it all comes from a person's life. 'The painting on the canvas is in a way the life of the person who painted it.' When I approached it that way, my paintings got better. I felt like I was studying life.

Cushion shape trinity necklace Cartier. Jacket Time Homme.

Q- Even though I'm busy, I occasionally draw pictures and post them on Instagram. In fact, for creative works like paintings, you can't work on them for an hour even if you're given an hour. You need time to immerse yourself in a state where you can work.

A- (Laughs) That's right. That's why I draw a lot of figurative paintings. It's much easier in that sense. Since my job is an idol, I sometimes feel burdened and afraid of presenting abstract works. That's why I respect people who do abstract works even more. Whether people understand it or not, it takes a lot of courage to express what you feel in the most appropriate form. Sometimes, when I see works, I want to give them a big round of applause. I can't do that, so I'm continuing to study figurative paintings, but I want to study art more and draw a lot of abstract paintings someday.

Q- If you look at your Instagram feed, you've been noticing some rather abstract works lately, right?

A- Let's try it little by little.

Q- A year ago, I said that I was afraid of the public's opinion about 'an idol putting out abstract paintings'. So I looked at Instagram and felt happy to myself. I thought, 'Even if you're scared, you're someone who takes one step at a time.'

A- I don’t think my thoughts have changed. I’m still afraid. But I like it so much that I’m trying to get closer little by little. For now, I’m thinking about the parts I can omit from my paintings. If I were to draw a glass with flowers in it, I used to want to express everything. How to perfectly express the glass, the details of the flowers… I wanted to show off my drawing skills. Now, I’m giving up on that and thinking about how to focus more on my paintings, but it’s not as easy as I thought. It’s harder to take away than to fill.

Q- Is closing the comment window on a picture post also a product of fear?

A- That's because I don't want to be shaken. There are many people who give me positive feedback, but I don't want to decide my color based on that. I think it's time to explore something inside myself and find my own individuality rather than accepting feedback. And I also don't want to be someone to artists. In any case, those who love me will love my work as well. However, if there's only positive feedback, it might be uncomfortable for those who have chosen art as their real career.

Cushion-shaped trinity ring with diamond setting on the ring finger, cushion-shaped trinity ring on the middle finger, and Love single earring, all by Cartier. Jacket by Ernest W. Baker by 10 Corso Como Seoul. Sleeveless top by Noyce. Pants by Recto.

Q- You are a very cautious person.

A- It's just how I feel. When I look at the works of artists I respect, I don't want to do anything that could possibly hurt them. I'm really serious about art, but if that sincerity is misunderstood, it can hurt some people.

Q- I'm so busy that 11 p.m. is considered early, but I draw, exercise, and even make time to communicate with my fans through live broadcasts.

A- I do it because I want to. There aren't many people around me that I can talk to. I mostly talk to Stray Kids members, but it's kind of hard to call them late at night. So now I turn on the live broadcast and chat with the fans. When it's time to turn it off, I'm the one who regrets it the most. (Laughs)

Q- At the end of your recent live broadcast, you asked your fans, “What do you think about when the live broadcast ends?”

A- Yes. I want to keep going, but I still have to sleep. I feel sad before turning it off, but when the live ends, I feel empty. That's why I thought that maybe the fans feel the same way. When I asked, they said yes. They said it's so quiet when the broadcast ends. So I thought about it. What if I do something like ASMR, like drawing something with a pencil, towards the end? That way, I can calm down a bit and the empty feeling will go away, and if I'm lucky, I might even fall asleep with it on. I'm trying various things.

Q- Oh my. I think this is the first time I've heard such heartbreaking fan love.

A- (Laughs) I usually meet my fans a lot, but I felt a lot of things during this concert in particular. When I see them at the concert hall, I can feel it in their eyes. How much they love me, how much they care for me. I think I kept turning on the live broadcast because I felt that so much after a long time. It's hard to explain in words, but I feel empty, but on the other hand, I feel very proud when the broadcast ends. I feel like I had a good time with my fans, and my fans had a good time with me. I fall asleep with that feeling that we've become very close.

Cushion-shaped Trinity bracelet, cushion-shaped Trinity rings on the index and ring fingers, Santos Dumont watch with yellow gold case and taupe grey dial, all by Cartier. Vest and top, both from the stylist’s own collection.

Credit

FASHION EDITOR YOON WOONG-HEE

FEATURES EDITOR Oh Seong-yoon

PHOTOGRAPHER AN JU YOUNG

STYLIST Kim Hye-jeong

HAIR Choi Bo-ra

MAKEUP Jeon Ji-won

ASSISTANT Song Jeong-hyeon/Song Chae-eun

ART DESIGNER Kim Dae-seop

#esquire #hyunjin #hwang hyunjin #stray kids

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britcision · 10 months ago

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Thinking about how people keep pushing AI as a “well not everyone can [creative skill]” and I just… I don’t understand how they don’t see the problem with that

Because no one’s born good at drawing, or writing, or building 3D models

The whole point of having creative skills is that you need to learn how to do them. By doing them badly, often for quite a while, until you’ve tried enough things to work out what you like

And being able to word a prompt to an AI to actually get what you want is certainly a skill, and it’s certainly creative, but you’re never going to learn to draw, or write, or whatever else you’re bemoaning if you just want to push a button and get a result

And sure, it’s not like we’re going to completely run out of creatives; people with moral fibre are still going to avoid using the blatant theft that is generative AI, and will still be actually creating their own things and building skills

But if you advertise your AI and intentionally sell it to people as “hey don’t learn to draw you can just poke this button and say it’s close enough”… you’re actively discouraging people from actually trying anything

Your first attempts at any art aren’t going to look like a master’s. You’re going to be unsatisfied with your own skills over and over again, usually right before you make a drastic improvement

That’s just how creation works

And giving up and trying to make an AI do it for you instead of keeping trying and actually learning and building new skills is going to kill a lot of peoples’ creativity

It’s okay if you can’t draw as well as you’d like to. It’s okay if you can’t write a beautiful novel on the first try, or even the little oneshot you really want.

You’re going to make a lot of things that are bad, and a lot of things that are meh, and a lot of things you’ll be embarrassed you made in another ten years. Because you need to make all of those things before you can make something great, and because you need to understand that everything you think was bad and meh was pretty damn good for a beginner, and some of it will be great, and in another fifteen years you’ll see that too.

You will not become a better artist by switching to AI because it’s “easier”. You will not become a better writer by writing prompts instead of stories.

Every time you’re tempted because “the AI’s will look better than anything I make”, you are the only reason that statement is true. You might redraw your old pieces every year just to see how far you’ve come, or bury them never to be seen again, but you’re the only person limiting your creativity.

People make art with typewriters, and by throwing things at a canvas, and write single scenes and cracky one shots and snippets and round robins

Trust me, every artist you’ve ever admired knows exactly how hard, and frustrating, and time consuming it is to try and get an image from your brain into the outside world. And how many times you want to give up, or feel like you failed.

Your favourite artist has trashed a thousand pieces you would love to have seen because they weren’t good enough, or didn’t work out the way they wanted

(Yes, artists, the WIP folder gathering dust counts unless you go work on it right now)

A lot of creative efforts don’t see the light of day, and every single one goes into every single piece that does get shared

I’d love to be better at drawing! To be faster, have a better grasp at proportions and perspective and honestly to have more patience for shading and such instead of just grabbing the blur tool because it’s close enough

But those skills are underdeveloped, and are going to stay that way because the time it’d take to get good at drawing would be time I could spend writing, and that is where the demons in my soul got their hooks in first

So now, after twenty years of near-continuous work, I can write very quickly, very fluidly, and damn well… and don’t have the patience or time to try and push the same inspirations into a medium I’m less good at

(I do occasionally become possessed by an image strongly enough that I draw it anyway. I do this knowing going in that it’s going to be far from perfect, but it’ll be the best I’ve got right now)

(Also reading art tutorials and tips from great artists for 20 years does also help even if you don’t practice and I have the doodles to prove it)

And if I want a visual reference for a character… I use HeroForge to make one myself, because there are a billion creative tools that offer so much more control than just “prompt an AI until it works”

They’re not perfect, but they’re the best I can do

And if I keep doing it, and keep building those skills, that best is gonna get better and better

I’m getting better at drawing the more I give in to moments of inspiration

It’s going to take much longer, since I’m not doing it every single day (every year is still questionable), but it’ll still happen as I keep doing it

The only thing stopping everyone else from doing exactly the same is the refusal to try… and giving up on themselves and just using AI instead of trying something different

#anti ai #not to get all soap box about it #but y’all ai bros really trying to bring about the death of creativity #you can’t learn a skill by hitting a button for instant result #you’ll get better at prompting the ai #but still never create anything yourself #not even competence

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