#its also oil paint specifically btw

[tiktaaliker]

i FINALLY have a dedicated space for painting!!! first thing I did was do a quick lil painting of khetzal, who turns out is significantly less frustrating to paint compared to drawing digitally lol

[milekael]

TEEHEE tagged by @rizaposting to do this >:3c

are you named after anyone?

I named myself 😎 The name Miles came from Miles Edgeworth LOL Me and an (ex)friend really liked Ace Attorney and the joke is that I was Miles and they were Franziska, and because at that point I was looking for a name it worked nicely!

However with time I really didn't want my name super directly attached to anyone, thats when I figured Mikael out as like "A longer version of Miles" and to be my name name SDFGHJ

I still use Miles a lot and like Ace Attorney btw! if anything, lately I been using Miles online more than my name for the sake of not putting my full name on the interwebs lol

when was the last time you cried?

Help 0 idea. I used to cry a lot as a kid and now for some reason is really hard for me to do it dfghj not even as some kind of psychological hang-up or anything I just can't really do it.

do you have kids?

Noup

do you use sarcasm a lot?

Kinda? Normally just with people I am close to because if its with anyone else I worry it might be misunderstood.

what sports do you play?

I don't play sports but I do really like doing physical work! I used to do a lot of construction work like building frames when I was at college.

what’s the first thing you notice about people?

A weird way to say it but I like to see people's "character design" LOL as in... I do perceive people very based on "If they were a character, what does their design tell me about their personality" kind of deal dfghj

what’s your eye color?

Grey-ish blue. Dark blue?

scary movies or happy endings?

help I am very VERY selective with the kinds of horrors I vibe with so really happy endings pretty much 97% of the time (Fear & Hunger is the 3% lol)

any special talents?

Huuh I know how to take machines apart! And how to build many many things out of trash. Also by taking machines apart sometimes you learn how to fix them, but I wouldn't trust myself to fix anything super important lol

where were you born?

Caracas, Venezuela! And I moved to the U.S (Sadly) in 2017.

what are your hobbies?

Help what do you do when your hobby is your job. I do a lot of the "ough I been drawing this thing for too long, I better take a break and draw this other thing" LOL but huuuh when I feel like doing something else I play videogames. Also I have gotten into online roleplaying again and I been starting to write fics, different from the things I usually have to write for work reasons so I count them.

do you have any pets?

The creachure The Beast Maki Roll. She is a cat.

how tall are you?

UUUH 5'3" or 5'4" I can't remember lol

favorite subject in school?

Saying art feels like a cope-out uuuh In Venezuelan highschool I really liked Literature and Biology was fun! And if we talk about college I didn't expect Sculpture to be my favorite but it was! And ofc I really liked Oil Painting (My concentration lol) and Illustration!

dream job?

OUGH I really want to work as an art curator in a museum :') or in general in a museum, put me to make an archive of historical stuff and I'll have a blast.

Another thing I would really like is working on set design! again I like physical work and traditional art so I would really enjoy it sdfgh Also also sdfgh my main goal is to make comics of my OCs lol but I don't... exactly want to work under an specific company (Maybe have a contract for publishing but my story wouldn't fully belong to them U know) so really my dream scenario is me working for some of the other stuff I want and also make comics on the side dfghj

SDFGH TAGGING HUUH @bolitamurcielago @seastawright @todd-machine and huuh @pixiunera sure why not!! (BTW don't feel preasured to do it I just threw you because friends beloveds <3 )

[3-aem]

Hey I got the answer to my previous Ask, read it through my email (post is deleted from what I can see); thank you for replying!

The fact you use the basic air brush set is a bit of a relief to me, because I've no idea what to start with, but that specific set seemed the simplest in terms of painting (at least for me).

What I'd like to ask you then, is how you go from greyscale to coloured - I watched the speed run of your b/w Geto (and for this you used the air brush set, correct?); so once you're done with that phase, do you like lower opacity and then paint over the grey, so you get the effect of shadows sort of in-built into the finished, coloured result? And for that do you use the oil brush set?

Btw, if it's better for you to answer via DM, I'm fine with that! I'm just someone who admires your work and would like to learn herself :)

i actually use a different set during grayscale right now sorry for the misunderstanding. Its the razum inc oil brush set but I hesitate telling ppl that bc i’ve had to modify the brushes and its a paid set. If you’re most comfortable with the airbrush set thats fine, its very versatile and easy to use.

I do not lower any opacity between grayscale and color. instead i stack different blending layers on top. I also switch to the smudge tool for smoothing out colors. this entire process varies from piece to piece but generally I will start by filling a layer for what I want to color with an appropriate base color and then layering additional shadows and highlights on different layers/blending modes.

grayscale to color suffers from saturation issues. so the goal is to ensure even the darkest areas are properly saturated but in the right hue. it’s difficult to explain and my best suggestion here is to play around. color picking doesnt really work for this method of coloring so trial and error as well as the hsb color sliders are ur best friends here.

[nonconstories]

Starting on the last two requests! We check in with Jeremy’s pack (Pack Animus) and how their omega Rose is serving Gage and Sebastian during the full moon. Afterwards, we return to Willow Hill for more sexy gargoyle shenanigans! (BTW, are there any established characters you guys would like to see get plowed by a gargoyle???) These should be done by this weekend, but I’m slogging right now. 

We also have a new commission in the works which I’m really excited about; expect that next weekend if all goes well. 

To show you guys some of the random thoughts I’ve been having, click under the cut for world building details and character facts. 

Stay Liberated!!!

I mentioned several bands in “Teeth and Karma”. Sounds From Detention bills itself as a ska-punk band but in reality, they’re very corporate and closer to poprock that happens to imitate ska. Flying Geology on the other hand, is an actual ska band. Specifically they are “two toned”; a politically minded band with members of multiple races. Princess of Mars is hard rock/metal with a noticeable filk influence. 

Kase is obsessed with music. It is his primary hobby, his biggest passion. He’s been sneaking into concerts since he was 13 and has A Lot Of Opinions about vinyl verses CD verses cassette tape. He prefers hard rock, grunge, most subgenres of ska, and certain types of country rock. He has a love-hate relationship with nu-metal and has also recently admitted he likes art pop. 

Kase is a visual artist working primarily with acrylic paints and oil pastels (though he does enjoy charcoal sometimes) and generates income for his pack by creating album art, poster designs, and merch for various bands. 

Jill is a musician. She plays the harp, citole, oud, portative organ, and a type of small, square frame drum whose name escapes me. She also embroiders quite well and frequently puts flowers, stars, clouds, and swirls onto the hems, collars, and sleeves of her dresses. A couple of years after they get married Jill starts getting orc body art done to embrace her husband’s culture; she also tries to learn orcish instruments and orcish crafts.       

I have several blonde characters and I’m autistic and obsessive so: Alice and Garrick are ash blonde (grey tones, pale yellow, sometimes looks white) EJ is more of a honey blonde (more yellow, a richer and more even color), Pike (if he survives) has more brown in his hair but is def golden toned, and Caelum is straight platinum blonde/white (think Dany on GoT) 

I also have two characters with features described as “bat-like”. The gargoyle in Trespasser and Avix in Check Your Runes Twice. There’s a difference, however! Avix’s nose is more like a FRUIT BAT. A closed nose that is long and broad and rounded. Kinda like a puppy snout or a fox muzzle! (He likes when people rub it). The gargoyle has an INSECT EATER nose. Open with wavy-edged nostrils, like a vampire bat. 

I’m actually very into names and symbolism conveyed through naming. I have rules written out for how my fictional races get named. Orcs use middle english names only. Demons get names of angels, names of demons (in lore), or corruptions of Latin words. Avix’s name is a deliberate misspelling of the Latin word “avis” which means bird. His friend, the genderfluid lust demon is named “Zophiel”, which is a deliberate misspelling of the folk angel Jophiel. 

Even in human characters I put thought into name choices (even for nicknames). Caelum is a Latin name meaning Heaven. Ronan is an Irish name meaning seal. Kase (according to some sources) is a Celtic name meaning vigilante or wakeful. Alice’s name was chosen not for it’s meaning but for its cultural connotations: Alice in Wonderland and Go Ask Alice. Her and her brother’s surname, Darrow, is a reference to the Darrows from Mystery Incorporated: a mystery solving, ghost chasing family from the turn of the 20th century. Levi and Garrick are named after LARP characters I had years ago with my spouse (where I got their appearances too).  

I call the monster from Morsel “Moss” cuz it’s cute. 

Out of Context Facts: A demon cult is directly responsible for EJ and Alice having sex for the first time. Jasper and Alice know each other and are not-terrible almost-friendly terms. 

Questions I Still Need To Answer: Where did Caelum get all this fucking money? What the fuck happened to everybody’s parents? Does Pike survive the bite and what does the pack actually do with him after that? NEVER MIND I FIGURED IT OUT ITS SO GOOD. 

[kari69a-deactivated20220420]

i like art mediums that force you to let go. watercolours specifically but also pop music vocals.

oil paint drives me crazy because I obsess over the perfect colour match, pair, what have you when I have no solid background on colour theory or blending. drawing, I punish myself because its not right and it's so obvious that it's not right - literally it's staring you down. watercolour is like, so malleable that it's really just about seeing what you can get out of it. the process decides your result, rather than the other way around.

and pop vocals, you can give as much or as little as you want. like pick a song that sticks to one octave, contemporary pop excells in this. see if you can form runs from there, or go try halo. it doesn't matter, and do it in the shower with the fan on (at normal hours of the day) - nobody is around, there's enough white noise so that you don't have your voice echoed back so awkwardly.

choose subject matter that doesn't demand a ton of skill and choose a medium that forces you to step back and let go. if I had oil paints in the hospital I'd just get more anxious and hyperfixated, watercolours are about messing around. also, timed collages! stiff paper, scissors, a glue stick, and whatever papers/thin material used to be important to you - maybe get a metallic sharpie. colour coordinate, whatever. collages are great because literally just stick things to a paper and see if you can get something cool out of it. if not, it's 1 hour and these materials were just gonna be in a cupboard anyway.

ask the employees at the art supply store what budget recommendations they have, from someone who focuses on that field (be nice about it - "can I ask for some help with watercolours? do you have a staff member that uses them regularly who could help?") - really, you'll come out with more handy tools than what you could've known to look for. john at opus gville was so helpful in building my own watercolour kit, showed me the paper pads and explained texture, which colours to start out with, how to build your own palette and make tubes into pans and was great about the best bang for your buck. starting doesn't have to be so complicated if you let yourself ask for assistance from the people who're willing to give it.

idk i really think approaching art that takes the barrier of perfection away really aided me into enjoying the process of something rather than pump thru with agony.

spend time on youtube tutorials, there are a million and one. just don't start out with portraits you'll go insane.

speaking of youtube, makeup is very intimidating, and I've gotten told from a lot of ppl that as of this stage in makeup, it's the expectation that you're going to succeed on day one because you have all this information, right? wrong! fuck around! draw liner weird shapes if a wing doesn't show up on your eye shape. lash not sticking? let it be, trim it, try another glue. practice when nobody is gonna see you. if a pair of lashes is poking you, they're not the ones! get synthetic first, i love ardell faux mink demi wispies.

moderate size but v lightweight. check out your local beauty supply store for more budget lash options too. trim the lashes to your eye length first!!! you can reuse every pair, btw, mink are just advertised as the 'most reusable'. gentle wash with baby shampoo, brush soap, that kinda thing, gets the grime off and those puppies are ready to go. also with masks you can focus on just learning eye makeup techniques, because contouring doesn't matter when it's covered.

and i know how self conscious u are when you don't feel that your makeup is good enough and have to interact with people but it's 1 day at a time. nobody you'd actually want to take makeup advice from would judge you for having imperfect makeup because they got their talent from practice and accepting failure.

the advice i give everyone when they say they wish they could have 1 of my skills - vocal range, eyeliner, whatever, is that you have to be willing to look stupid first. because when you look great, you may not even recognize it a lot of the time. you mentally let go of evaluating your performance, and that's when you can be great.

start with forgiving subject matter/mediums, find advice from credible kind ppl and take it into consideration, look stupid, get better, flow state.

[sasodei-is-real]

Rules: Tag the blogs you want to get to know better! Tagged by: @justanotherblonde

Name: Emi)

Gender: F

Height: 154cm heh😅

Sexuality: Sorry for my ignorance, I'm not sure if I chose the right term, but I think it's called pansexual?

I don't feel sexually attracted specifically to gender, or to a physical factor. I like the person himself. If I fall in love, I will be influenced by him sexually, too, regardless of his physical characteristics and body.

Favorite animal: I have several. But my favorite, perhaps, is the bird. I love crows. They are the smartest and wisest creatures, I love to watch them. I can look at them for hours. Also, they appeal to me in their own way, they inspire nastolgiya and a very special aesthetics.

I love jellyfish. I find their life very sad and at the same time symbolic. Jellyfish live a VERY long time. Recently, I learned that there is a species of jellyfish that live forever. The cells of these jellyfish regenerate, gather again and revive. But at the same time, jellyfish are completely brainless creatures. They live forever, but they live without any consciousness. They are always in this world. They watch everything that happens, without understanding the meaning of the existing one. They are simply eternal and transparent, like their imperceptible life, beings who do not need this eternity. Simply because they themselves do not understand what it is. Wisdom can be found in this foolishness. As from love to hate, one step, and from simplicity to wisdom

Average hours of sleep: I have different states. More recently, I had insomnia and I slept for 3 hours if I was lucky. At this time, I was very nervous. I think the problems with sleep started precisely because of irritation. I thought a lot and then did not want to accept some of the things that were happening around me, and instead of grammatically resolving it, I turned it all into an attack. I could fall asleep, but I constantly woke up with disturbing thoughts. I just made myself stupid and stubborn, not wanting to cope with problems.

I was a sleepless, aggressive cucumber with bags under my eyes 😂🙈

But now, I can sleep for 8 or even 9 hours. If I read something, or listen to monotone speech and the weather is good (cloudy), I can fall asleep during the day. If you leave the choice to me, I think I can sleep for 12 hours or more.

But the only thing that does not change depending on my state is awakening at night. It started in childhood. About ten years old, I began to wake up at a specific period of time. From three to four in the morning. Most often I fall asleep again after four. But it somethimes happens that I can't sleep again. I don’t know why it’s, but half of my life, I wake up every night (there are exceptions) at exactly three in the morning, and after four I fall asleep.

Dogs or cats: This is a difficult question for me. I love both dogs and cats. They are lovely animals. I think that I cannot choose, because there is a conflict ala "I am one, but I want to be like another." I'm more like a dog. I am very much attached to people and would say that I am even dependent on them. I would like to become a little bit like a cat. Have some kind of self-sufficiency.A balance would be ideal. Be in harmony with people and have self-respect. Then , I gess my answer is...hibride?😂No, both together. As a duo

Current time: 8:54

Dream job: Well, I would not say that I have a dream job. Now I am studying at the university to be an artist painter. As far as I can remember, I have been drawing all my life and I was closely connected with this. My compositions are my life and love. As long as I can draw, I can know that there is always something I can rely on. Sometimes, art is feelings in satire, sometimes a combination of ethics and aesthetics, sometimes a clue, and sometimes just an impulse. It happens that I use art as a therapy for problems. Sometimes I think it is selfish and I feel guilty, because art is so much more than something that you use for your own purposes.But then, I remember that in any relationship, there will be a moment when you become a cushion of safety for each other. I understand that in our relationship with art, which has a huge range of emotions and is based on love, we cannot talk about selfish benefits. This is not a benefit, this is salvation in each other.

Therefore, work for me is a secondary issue. I hope that the paintings will be sold, I will find my audience. I'm sure it will happen sooner or later. But in the meantime, I'm ready for any job. Well, I need to live on something and plus oil paints are expensive. Funds are needed for art supplies. Any job will be my favorite as long as it can provide my opportunity to do my life's work.

When I made this blog: Recently, probably a month ago.

Why I made this blog: Because I think sasodei is criminally underestimated. And it's not about being popular. But it is very popular indeed, especially in Japan, it is considered a canon.

The point is seeing the otnogeny of these liuhs. Each time I spawn how cleverly Kishimoto works. All of his manga is about symbolism and philosophy. Sasori and Deidara's relationship, and the development of that relationship, itself symbolizes the important thought of the real world. They where created for interaction with each other.I am very distant that sometimes people do not see the whole depth of their relationship.

And secondly, many do not even see how reverently and caringly and in a special way they treat each other. Do not see their affection for one another . It's a pity, because their relationship is one of the most beautiful and incredibly deep, reaching its peak through the passage of personal and internal barriers.

I want to show all the symbolism, philosophy and beauty of their relationship. They are worth it.

Sometimes I think that such a deep relationship should not be spoken out loud, because it is too sensitive and special. There is too much philosophy in them, which can be depreciated if you talk about it directly. But I'll think about that later.

After all, besides their philosophy, I want to show their attitude towards each other as loving people.Their relationship and philosophy are very tightly linked. One thing helps the other to develop. And the cause of development is attachment to each other. So, I think we'll talk about th philosophy when the time is up.

Btw, the artist of this beautiful sasodei worck: https://twitter.com/ta_tachico/status/1304789117897568257?s=19

Reason for URL:  Well, that's just a fact)

Sasodey is real. Both his philosophy, which can be interpreted in real life, and it's canon realationship.

Tagging: I don't even know who to tag. Anyone who sees this post on my little blog among the huge tumblr and wants to answer). I will read with pleasure❤💛

@justanotherblonde thanks for tagging me!💗

[vangoghmusings]

starving artist | shota aizawa x reader

hello!! this is chapter three of “starving artist” and i really hope you guys are enjoying it :) ive really loved writing it! i update primarily to wattpad (@/vangoghpoets) but i update here as well! also, don’t be afriad to reach out with requests <3 

You basically passed out the moment you arrived home, exhausted from your week. The following morning you forced yourself to wake up early and begin the sketch and underpainting of the first canvas for the first-year dorm common area. You're usually a scrambled mess when it comes to your artwork, but you wanted to try being organized for once.

Looking down at the half-finished brown underpainting, you sighed in frustration. Your fingers ached, not having done such a large amount of sketching in a long time. You grabbed your sketchbook for reference, noticing the numbers scribbled down in the corner.

"Aizawa..." you mumbled to yourself. A blush crept up your cheek

you: hi aizawa, i hope you got some rest! this is y/n btw :)

You didn't expect a reply right away, yet your phone chimed in mere minutes.

aizawa: i didn't expect you to be an early bird y/n. and yes i got some rest, thank you.

You giggled at his punctuation, even over text he seemed so serious. You left your art easel and went to sit down on your couch.

you: ive just begun my underpainting so i have a lot of work today

aizawa: whats an underpainting? i thought it was called a canvas

You laughed to yourself, curling up on your couch.

you: no no, an underpainting is first layer of paint applied to canvas, its a base for future layers of paint

aizawa: I had no idea painting was so intricate. i just figured you were either talented or not.

you: it's just like being a hero, you'll never be good if you don't put your all in it. And you want to do great, no matter how difficult it is.

aizawa: i'm guessing you're pretty tired then.

you: incredibly tired.

It was true, you were utterly drained from jumping back and forth from teaching to painting. It felt like you hadn't had a single moment to yourself since you started at UA. Your phone chimed again.

aizawa: do you want me to bring you a coffee? it's the least i can do since you picked all those leaves out of my hair and because i fell asleep on you.

You blinked at the text, surprised at the offer. You had a tiny crush on Aizawa that you were constantly pushing down. Maybe this could be an opportunity to prove yourself that you could get over your mushy feelings for him. You typed back quickly.

you: coffee sounds amazing actually! are you sure you don't mind?

aizawa: not at all.

You gave him your address and tried to bury the giddy feelings swelling up inside you. In an attempt to distract yourself from his impending arrival, you went back to your easel and continued your underpainting. You put your entire focus on completing the underpainting, working with both speed and detail. You were adding shading to the canvas figures when the doorbell rang. You shot up from your concentrated position and wiped your face flustered, forgetting about the orange paint that covered your fingertips.

You walked over and opened the door, smiling to see Aizawa out of his work attire. He wore a simple black sweater that looked a little too big on him, accompanied by black jeans and what appeared to be Doc Marten boots.

"Hello!" You smiled at him, letting him enter your home.

He smiled softly, holding the coffee cups in his hands.

"Hello, y/n. You have paint on your face by the way."

Your eyes widened in horror at his words. You began to laugh nervously as you hurried to the bathroom, Aizawa left standing in your living room and looking around. You scrubbed your face quickly, mentally scolding yourself for the careless move. You swiftly fixed your hair and walked back out to meet Aizawa.

He turned to you and handed you your coffee. "I hope you like vanilla, it was just a guess."

You grinned, taking the warm cup in your hands and taking a whiff of the sweet steam peeking out.

"It's perfect, thank you."

Aizawa nodded, looking around your living room. He looked odd standing in all black in your colorful home. From the rug to the furniture to the dinnerware, your home was eccentric, to say the least. Whether it was a souvenir from your travels or trinkets of a local artist, everything had its place. Aizawa looked like a goth at a child's birthday party in your home.

He took a sip from his coffee and gestured to a painting on the wall. It was an old painting of a village, filled with rustic colors and gentle strokes. You smiled softly at the feelings of home that surged over you.

"No, my grandmother made it. I inherited her quirk actually. It's a painting of the village we grew up in."

Aizawa turned to you and tilted his head, "Village?"

You chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, my family is from a poor island in the Caribbean. My parents moved us to America so we could have a better life. We as in my sister and me." You smiled to yourself, picturing your family back home.

"So why are you in Japan now?"

"I'd always save up money from my art shows to come here. Everything is just so beautiful and I'm a sucker for a good still life. I just figured I could save myself the money and move here."

Aizawa nodded, slightly confused at your art terminology.

"Can I see one of your paintings? Or your underpainting thing?"

You giggled and nodded, leading him into your mini art studio. The room had an easel and stacks upon stacks of prepped paper and canvases. Jars filled with brushes, charcoal, Indian ink, and pencils lined the shelves. A bucket sat on a small table, filled to the brim with acrylic paints. Another box filled with oil, one filled with gauche, and the last one filled with watercolor palettes.

"It's kind of a mess, sorry," you mumbled under your breath as he walked inside. Aizawa looked around entranced. Several finished and partly finished paintings hung from clips on a string, drying or waiting to be sold. He faced your easel and scrunched his nose in confusion.

"Why is it all one color?" He pointed to the orange underpainting.

"Underpaintings are monochromatic," you answered matter-of-factly. "It gives the painting more depth."

Aizawa nodded, his mouth forming a small 'o' shape in understanding. There was a moment of silence as Aizawa continued to look around in awe.

"This is really incredible, y/n," He said softly. You felt the heat take over your face, making you panic rather than take the compliment. "Who's your inspiration?"

You blinked, still flustered from your tomato red blush, "Huh?"

Aizawa stepped towards you, tossing the empty coffee cup in the trash.

"Who inspired you? Like, every young hero is inspired by a pro. Who's your pro?"

You smiled softly, "My grandmother, I mean she gave me this great quirk. Its nothing a hero could really use, but its been good to me so far. But as for a professional artist, I'd have to say, Matisse."

He tilted his head, clearly not knowing who he was. You chuckled, "He's a French painter." Aizawa nodded once again.

"I've been to France before, Paris specifically. It was for a pro hero conference but still."

Your eyes widened, "Of all the places in Europe I've traveled to, I've never been to Paris. It's basically my dying wish to go to the Louvre."

"I didn't get to do much tourism when I was there, I'd like to go back someday."

You smiled at Aizawa, he didn't strike you as someone who'd enjoy traveling or tourism, but you could still imagine him in a cheesy Hawaiian shirt and a camera strapped around him. The image in your head made you giggle softly. He eyed you and looked down at your hands.

"I heard about your quirk but I've never seen you use it."

"I could say the same for you," I said lying. Of course, you'd seen clips of him and his quirk on the news, but never really in front of you.

He rolled his eyes, "Show me."

You tried to hide your flustered blush that emerged from his sudden seriousness. You grabbed a paper from the stack and gently placed your whole palm on it.

"What's your favorite color?"

He looked down at himself and his black attire and back up at you.

"Yellow actually."

You nodded, remembering his yellow goggles and sleeping bag. Once you pulled your hand away, the paper had a mustard yellow imprint of your palm. You showed him your hand, the paint disappearing back into your skin.

Aizawa raised his eyebrows impressed, "You managed to match the color to my sleeping bag."

You grinned; proud he had noticed, "I'm pretty good at shade matching." He gently took the paper with your handprint.

"You have small hands." He looked up at your hands and lifted his up for comparison. You lifted your hand up and placed it on his. He was right, your hand was small compared to his. You stared at his hand on yours, not wanting to pull away. His palms were calloused, most likely from hero work. You gave him a sly smile. Aizawa furrowed his brows in confusion, "What?" He pulled his hand away, only to see an imprint of paint of your palm on his in your favorite color. "Hey!" He grumbled and pulled his hand away from you grumpily.

"Now you know my favorite color," you giggled. He sent a glare in your direction, swiftly running his hand across your cheek, covering you in the paint. You gasped, "Aizawa!"

He burst out laughing at the smear of paint on your cheek. It was the first time you truly saw him laugh and it caught you off guard. You narrowed your eyes at him, your hands prepping the paint.

"Oh, you are so dead Aizawa."

He gave you a smirk, "Oh really?"

You shot bright neon shades of paint from your fingertips, splatter painting his black sweater. His eyes widened.

"Yes, really." You answered, returning the smirk.

He stared at you and before you could realize, he had used his quirk to erase yours. Swiftly he wrapped his arms around you, like a tight hug, and covered you in the fluorescent paint. You gasped trying to break free. "Aizawa I can't believe you!" You couldn't help but laugh at seeing his body wrapped around yours, the usual dark figure covered in bright hues. He chuckled and slowly let go of you. As much as you hated being covered in paint, you missed his arms around you.

"You know you can call me Shota, right?"

You blushed, thankful for the paint on your cheeks covering it up.

"Okay, Shota."  

[mspaleoart]

Tiktaalik roseae

Late Devonian (375 Ma)

I'm back again, after a loooong time neglecting this blog. I've been planning to come back for a while, and I'm finally here! I thought I'd return with one of my favorite vertebrate fossils, Tiktaalik roseae! The common ancestor of all tetrapods was probably not Tiktaalik, but something very similar. Scientists use it as a model organism for that ancestor, though, and I'll be doing the same here.

The invasion of the land is a fascinating subject for paleontologists, because it’s one of the first major steps toward life as we know it today. Life evolved in the oceans, and for the majority of earth's history, stayed there. It's uncertain when exactly life first made landfall. Rocks from deep in the Precambrian show evidence of photosynthetic microbes who lived on land, and simple plants were sprouting along shorelines by 430 million years ago. Before this, water on earth was confined to oceans or isolated lakes, but the advent of those land plants meant the creation of the first soils and mud, in turn leading to the formation of the first river systems. Not long after the first terrestrial plants, arthropods and their relatives arrived and began carving niches for themselves.

By the middle Devonian (~385 Ma), terrestrial ecosystems proliferated. The first forests covered the landscape, and invertebrates ran rampant, including the earliest insects. Fish, though, had yet to leave the water. So, what took them so long? Simply put, they waited until they had a good enough reason to go poking around up there. Although the land is my main focus today, the Devonian is more famously known as the Age of Fishes. This was the first time jawed vertebrates rose to the top of their ecosystems, and the first time they got truly big. This was the height of the placoderms, armored fishes like the infamously gigantic Dunkelosteus, and Bothriolepis, which kind of looked like a shield with fins. On the cartilaginous side were the spiny 'sharks,' as well as true sharks like Cladoselache and Stethacanthus.

At this point I'm just naming prehistoric fish that I like, so let's get back to tetrapod evolution.

Most of the traits we associate with tetrapods evolved in fully aquatic fish. Specifically, in a branch of fish called Sarcopterygians, or lobe-finned fish. Today, lobefins are represented by a handful of lungfish and the coelacanth, but they were all over the place in the Devonian. Early ancestral cousins of tetrapods were animals like Eusthenopteron, which looked like ordinary fish on the surface, but had unique skeletal structures. Particularly, their pectoral fins are built similarly to tetrapod limbs. Later animals would develop larger, sturdier fins they used for walking along the bottom of rivers, rather than land.

This is where our star comes in. Tiktaalik was adapted to live in shallow rivers or streams. It had a wider, flatter body than most fish, and it had lost its dorsal and anal fins. The four fins on its underside were built very similarly to tetrapod limbs. Tiktaalik is also one of the first vertebrates with a proper neck, meaning, in the words of Will and David from The Common Descent Podcast, you could strangle it, if you ever wanted to do that sort of thing.

Tiktaalik was a predator of small-to-medium-sized invertebrates. Its big, triangular head housed pointy teeth, and had two eyes on top. It looked like a crocodile in many ways, and may be one of the earliest animals to adapt the crocodilian lifestyle, laying at the bottom of a body of water and waiting for prey to come by. The placement of Tiktaalik's eyes may have been useful for peering out from the water surface while staying mostly hidden.

Despite being known as the 'fish with feet,' Tiktaalik wasn't exactly graceful on land. Rather than walking primarily with limb muscles like most tetrapods do, Tiktaalik walked by heaving itself forward with its front limbs and powerful shoulder muscles. Basically, it walked by doing push-ups. As you can imagine, Tiktaalik probably didn't spend much time out of the water. But, this goofy style of terrestrial movement was a precursor to the more efficient methods seen in landlubbers today.

Tiktaalik is my favorite prehistoric fish, and definitely a contender for favorite vertebrate. It was one of the first animals to really grab my attention once I started seriously getting into paleontology. While I was still trying to understand evolution I read Your Inner Fish, a book written by Neil Shubin, who was a part of the expedition team who discovered Tiktaalik. It discusses the animal in so much more detail than I did here, and is pretty much required reading for anyone who's interested in paleontology. In fact, I'm gonna go ahead and say it is required reading. If you haven't already, get on it. I promise you’ll love it.

Oh, and another reason I like Tiktaalik is because it's so charming. I don't think we could have asked for a cuter, goofier-looking fishapod. The image of it flopping around on land is both hilarious and really, really interesting to me. One day I want to commission a beautiful oil painting portrait of Tiktaalik like rich people do with their dogs.

That’s about it for this post! I hope I’m not too rusty. I can’t promise a daily post anymore, but I want to post at least semi-regularly.

SOURCES (this is also something I want to start doing btw):

Battistuzzi, Feijao, and Hedges 2004 - A genomic timescale of prokaryote evolution

Shubin, Daeschler, and Jenkins Jr. 2014 - Pelvic girdle and fin of Tiktaalik

The origin of tetrapods - Understanding Evolution

The Common Descent Podcast Ep. 77 - Fins to Feet: The Fish-Tetrapod Transition

Your Inner Fish, Neil Shubin

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[pineapple-crow]

OPENING BOXES FROM THE DARK WEB

YOU KNOW WHAT I HATE?

YOU KNOW WHAT I MOTHERFUCKIN HATE?

THOSE FUCKING DUMBASSES WHO BUY THOSE FUCKING MYSTERY BOXES AND THEN TAKE NO PRECAUTION BEYOND "OH HERP DERP LETS PUT ON SOME FUCKING GLOVES!! THAT WILL PROTECT ME FROM EVERYTHING!!"

Dear fucking God

First and foremost, The DEEP web and the DARK web are not the same! The Deep web is basically anything that can't be found by conventional search engines. Usually, super specific data that isn't necessarily illegal. The DARK web, however, requires specific software to gain access to, where everyone and everywhere is kept anonymous, and is usually where the illegal stuff happens. To remember easier, the Dark web is a tiny part of the Deep web; it's the house cat of the feline family, only much deadlier and highly illegal. Here's a more in-depth explanation.

Second.

IF YOURE GOING TO OPEN A STRANGE BOX, YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE YOU DONT FUCKING CONTAMINATE SHIT! Holy fucking hell. Wearing just latex gloves is a good precaution, like making sure your phone or wallet are on dry land before you go leaping over a cliff and plunging into the ocean with literally no other fucking protection.

First and foremost: those boxes and their contents could be rigged with ANYTHING. They could be COATED in ANYTHING. Not even focusing on all the fucking potential evidence you're mucking up, you're seriously, SERIOUSLY risking your well being by just going in with FUCKING LATEX GLOVES.

My recommendation, if you're fucking dumb enough to order AND THEN OPEN a fucking MYSTERY BOX FROM THE DARK WEB, is to ensure you have full body protection. Can't afford the snazzy full body suits that criminal investigators have? Have no fears, I'll help your fucking dumbass self out!

Face mask. Could be the dust filters for construction, or a surgical mask. Or alternatively, a bandana

Safety goggles. You can get these for cheap but, if you absolutely can't, then safety glasses work too

Closed toed shoes. CLOSED TOED SHOES! WITH SOMETHING COVERING THEM THAT YOU CAN EASILY TAKE OFF! Like plastic bags or smth

A bandana or scarf to protect your neck

A t shirt, and then a hoodie. A long sleeve hoodie. And make sure the hoodie zips up. This is for several reason. 1. You can put the hood over your head, making sure none of your hair gets mixed with the evidence, and also protects your head from anything that might go flying out and possibly kill you (in terms of pathogens and whatnot). 2. You have long sleeves that can protect your arms just in case, and 3. It's easy to remove in case you get something on the hoodie, and you don't have to run around with a bare-ass chest.

LONG PANTS! Preferably with long johns underneath! Same reason as the hoodie: it'll protect your legs, and if something gets on them then your dumb ass won't be flashing your fucking buttcheeks to the world.

DOUBLE UP THOSE MF GLOVES. You seriously don't know what could happen.

But you know what the ultimate protection is? DON'T OPEN THE FUCKING BOX TO BEGIN WITH!

Secondly, OPEN THE BOX IN A RELATIVELY STERILE ROOM! JFC If there's pathogens or shit in there then that's gonna get all over your room! And if it's in your fucking house, then it could spread! In fact I would recommend doing it in a closed environment that ISNT your residence, and use a disinfected table + a brand new table cloth. Why a new cloth? Well if any trace evidence falls out, the cloth will catch it and then you don't have to worry about handing Grandma's handed down table cloth to the police so they can rule out contamination BECAUSE YOU FINALLY CAME TO YOUR FUCJING SENSES AND REALISED THAT SHIT IS BETTER LEFT TO THE FUCKING AUTHORITIES!

Meanwhile, if you're handling the stuff in the box? DON'T BE TOSSING THAT SHIT ON THE FUCKING FLOOR GODDAMN! Do you know how much trace evidence a person leaves?? Spit, dead skin, hairs, sweat, fingerprints, oils, blood, etc?? And even if not from a person, regional things like dust, pollen, dirt, soil, maybe plastic particles that only come from a select few factories??? All sorts of shit! AMD YOU JUST TOSSING THAT SHIT AROUNF LIKE ITS A GODDAMN BEANIE BAG IS GONNA RUIN THAT FUCKING SHIT! Which means, when you finally come to your senses and TURN THAT SHIT IN INSTEAD OF PUTTING IT IN THE DUMPSTER, the police will hardly be able to do JACK SHIT because your dumb motherfucking ass has contaminated and destroyed everything!!! EVERYTHING!!!

AND DONT JUST BE REACHING IN ALL HERP DERP EITHER! Latex gloves don't protect against sharp objects I REPEAT: LATEX GLOVES DO NOT PROTECT AGAINST SHARP OBJECTS! Whoever thinks otherwise is a FUCKINHG idiot and nothing you say will change my mind on that. Seriously! If instead of handing the box OVER TO THE AUTHORITIES LIKE YOU SHOULD, you decide to open it like a fucking DUMBASS, don't just reach in!!

You could jab yourself on a hypodermic needle, or a knife, or literally anything else capable of piercing skin, and then ya know what's gonna fuckin happen? 1. You've now contaminated the fucking evidence 2. YOU'RE NOW AT RISK TO CONTRACT A BLOODBORNE PATHOGEN AND/OR FUCKING DIE! Holy fucking God, use a flashlight and a pair of tongs for God's sake. A STERILIZED pair of tongs because again: CONTAMINATION (and also you're probably gonna have to hand those tongs over too since they came into contact with everything, so might as well buy a brand new pair you're not sentimental over).

Also! Since this apparently needs to be said: DO NOT TURN ON ANY ELECTRICAL DEVICES YOU ARE SENT, AND DO NOT PLUG ANY ELECTRICAL OR TECHNOLOGICAL DEVICES OR ITEMS INTO YOUR COMPUTER! I'm looking at you, Fuckwits-who-see-a-thumb-drive-and-think-its-totally-save-to-just-plug-it-in. Seriously! First and foremost, the devices like phones could have tracking software, meaning they could be relaying your location to somewhere the moment they're powered on. Which btw I hope to GOD if you're dumb enough to order one of these, you at least have it sent to a PO box and NOT YOUR REAL FUCKING HOUSE! AND! Phones have cameras! They could be taking your photo and posting it all over the fucking web!! And thumb drives? You plugging that in could end up installing some sort of virus or malware that can seriously jeopardize your safety and/or ruin your life! The dark web isn't called the dark web because everyone who uses it is a philanthropic saint who throws fucking flowers everywhere!

Also! Fuckin evidence! Again! Both phones and thumb drives could have self-destruct programs that erase any sort of evidence if the proper steps are not taken, which means you fiddling around with this shit WILL ONCE AGAIN RUIN EVIDENCE AND HINDER THE POLICE IF A CRIME HAS INDEED OCCURRED! So just fucking turn it in once you get it!!

And for the love of God. If you're finally deciding to turn this shit in, buy brand new rolls of sheets (it is HIGHLY recommended that most if not all evidence is put into some sort of breathable material, preferably paper bags, NOT plastic, or fresh, unused metal paint cans for arson evidence), put everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) back into the box, then triple fuckin wrap that bullshit, then drive it to your police station and tell them EVERYTHING, every FUCKING step from the moment you decided to PURCHASE the box, and hope to God you didn't just help some perpetrator get away with his crime.

But the #1, 100% fail-safe and idiot-proof way to avoid getting hurt from anything inside a mystery box from the dark web is...

DON'T FUCKING ORDER A GODDAMN MYSTERY BOX OFF THE WEB IN THE FIRST PLACE!

[thegreymoon]

Sorry, You didn't really say or do anything to make me think that you are Asian. I thought that I read sth in your lj where u said that you were and just run with it. It was a long time ago and I must have misread. Also, you don't really post a lot political stuff, it is more like I notice it more because when I visit your page I skip all Merlin related stuff and am interested in the rest so again my fault. As for my ise of imaginary- yeah, it was passive agressive, altough not intentionally so

… my bad. I rarely engage in political conversations online because it never ends well, especially when my views clash with 90% of tumblr users so I am used to combative tone and it was unnecessary.. As for SJW I am not sure if that is dissmissive term as it discribes the “movement” well? I am not native speaker and am aware that it can be used as derogative term, but was also convinced that it is used by people on the left if political spectrum. I asked you why you are mainy interesetd in USA because I was working under the assumption that u are Asian it seemed to me weird that a person coming from China/Japan etc would be championing social justice in USA when it not that big of a problem(or at all IMO) whie ignoring very real problems in their own country. But since you are not Asian and you post political stuff rarely you are right it is a silly discussion. The fault is completely on my side. I am allergic to these kind of stuff and you are one of my favourite writers so I exaggerated. Once again sorry.

As for the rest of your response: I also come from relatively poor country that was screwed over by both Britain and USA and many other countries, and I don’t agree with many of their policies (or most) but I don’t hate them and believe that as much as people like to say they start wars for the oil etc it is not really true. There are many political and global players and everyone single country is motivated by greed it is only that not every country can exercise their power.  

Relatively they are not the worst, it is just that since USA tries to paint themselves as heroes they are held to different, much higher standards than other countries. To sum it up, I am not defending their foreign policies, they have done a lot of wrong and are shortseighted but I still think that are better than other superpowers that will soon take over like China or maybe India. Also, I don;t understand why would you include global warming in your answer?why do you believe it is their fault

I am trying to leave as “green” as I can, I am a vegetarian and I believe we should do everything to preserve environment, but I wouldnt want my country to sign any deals concerning CO2 emission as long as other countries do not do the same. Otherwise, they would just cripple their economy and not help the world? As for Trump(if you are still interested) I find him the epitome of self-important, conceited stereotypical american but still so much better than alternative and despite distaste. would still vote for him. Because he at least apppears to be anti globalist and has a much higher moral ground than Hillary. what are his SPECIFIC actions that you find so abhorrent? Anyway, what I alluded to in my message was not politics of USA but the social justcie issues, like support BLM or me to movement(I am not sure if you posted enything regarding that, so srry if I presume wrongly) which I find are absolutely not based on facts and despite that people still perpetuate that, and if u don’t agree you are racist and sexist. No arguments whatsoever. It is also silly to me when I see the posts about the West being this cesspool of sexism while honour killings or FGM is nearly a non issue on social media or racism when considering the West is still the least racist place in the world when you compare it to China/India/SA or any other place. So, I find the social media effort to be misdirected and controlled by emotions. Even the indigineous people issued you mentioned. Americans get so much shit for their history, while pretty much every single country that exist was created by conquering or displacement of the previous population(u just have to go far enough down the history). So, yeah wht happend to Indigenous people and dissappearance of their whole civilization is a great tragedy but not the first and unfortunately not the last in human history. Why are we hearing about it but not about Anuit people or Persian or Byzantians? it is so imbalanced. Ok, anyway, sorry for the rant it shouldn’t be directed at you and tumblr is definitely not the place for it. Sorry if I offended to you. As I said I love your writing, “DC” is my all time favourite fic, and because I creepely once read through all of your lj(including asks and responses) I(like an internet creep and stalker)liked you and thought you seemed smart, well balanced and knowledgeable so I guess I felt entitled to to make the ask. Wish you all the best in life. 

No worries, I’m sorry I came off so aggressive in my answer. I did actually live and work in China for a while during my LJ days and it’s entirely possible I may have tagged myself as being there on my fandom profiles at the time. It was a happy period for me and I talked about it a lot to anyone who had the patience to listen, so it’s very plausible that you have read something about it on my LJ! I’m very sorry if it was misleading, but I was only ever an expat there!

I used to be a lot more open about my real name and real-life dealings in fandom communities, but that almost backfired spectacularly, so I locked down a lot of stuff because it could do me quite a bit of damage. 

OK, I concede your point that if you remove the Merlin stuff, a lot of what is left on my Tumblr is going to be either me reblogging cats or raging about social injustices (oops) 😅

I’d just like to make it clear that I absolutely do not hate either the USA, the UK or any other country in the world. Like I said, people are people, and disgusting policies are disgusting policies and every single country is guilty of them. It’s just that some have a bigger impact and are more visible. My own country is a source of so much shame and anger for me, it far outweighs anything the UK and the USA could have ever done because it’s personal, but our nonsense is just not something that I come across when casually scrolling through Tumblr, so I don’t reblog it. It’s possible to love a nation and its people and still be critical of the evil they have done. 

Also, let me just clarify that I’m bothered by all injustices and human rights violations everywhere, but usually there isn’t a post about them when I’m scrolling at 2 am at night that I can reblog. The USA is just… low hanging fruit, and let’s face it, from where I stand, hating on their president, the white supremacists, the Nazis, fundamental Christians, racists and the Republicans in general after what they have turned into is not hating on the USA, but rather cheering on the sane part of the country to get rid of this toxic waste ASAP. The same goes for Brexiteers in the UK and I am so, so sad for all the people that are going to suffer because of it. 

Of course, I’m aware that China and Japan have issues and human rights violations that are mind-boggling, but again, they just don’t appear on my dash very often, or at least not in English or from a source I can easily fact-check. The Japanese and Chinese stuff I follow is mostly art, nature and pictures of pretty clothes. My knowledge of either of these countries is very superficial compared to Western countries, which impact me directly, so it really isn’t my place to appoint myself as a champion of human rights in the Far East when my own country and continent are a growing dumpster fire that cannot be contained.  

On the subject of global warming, I’m not blaming the USA (entirely, because they, of course, played their part, but so did the rest of humanity). I’m enraged by their governing body’s rhetoric as of late, the denial of climate change, every single action that Trump took since taking office (such as withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement), him making ignorant, snide remarks in the middle of the polar vortex just days ago while people were suffering, deliberately sabotaging scientists and spreading dangerous, false information when each and every single country should be all-hands-on-deck if we want to avert a disaster of global proportions (especially with all the signs pointing to us being too late already). Nobody is suggesting that the USA should unilaterally reduce carbon emissions, all countries in the world must do it and develop the technology to make it feasible to convert to clean energy. And yes, the USA, China and other giants have to lead the way because they are the ones with the power! My poor, tiny country is not the one that can impact anything, so yes, the USA is absolutely more responsible to lead the way forward, but instead of at least moving in the right direction, Trump is deliberately lying and sabotaging all effort because he likes the money he gets from Big Oil companies, and he’s giving a platform to religious nutcases for votes, who think that there won’t be a global disaster of epic proportions in the near future because God promised Noah he would never again flood the entire Earth in the Old Testament. It’s not even the outright evil that is bothering me the most right now, but the mind-numbing stupidity. 

I have nothing but loathing for both of the Clintons. They have caused so much destruction in my country and I do not want good things for either of them, ever. I will never pretend that Hillary Clinton is anything even resembling a good person because you do not reach that level of power by having a conscience, but at the very least, she is not a rapist and paedophile that the general public knows of (which is more than we can say for her husband, btw). Trump has no moral high ground whatsoever, IMO. He has done everything imaginable, from scamming charities (this was proven in court) to raping minors (see Epstein). He has no redeemable human characteristics and is not even intelligent enough to pretend that he does, which is at least one thing that Hillary has going for her. I’m not going to sit here and list all the reasons why Trump is abhorrent because a) it cannot fit in a Tumblr post b) I would be sitting here for years. 

I will also not engage in discussion about whether or not BLM is a valid movement, ever. I don’t understand what you mean when you say it isn’t based on ‘facts’. Which, facts are in doubt, exactly? It’s based on multigenerational, still ongoing trauma and persecution of an entire race of people! I’m neither black nor an American, but I believe African-American people when they talk about the terror they experience on a daily basis in their own country. I have eyes and I have ears, I know plenty of white people and have insight into how they think because I too am white and have been raised with similar bullshit. I have lived in Africa for years and seen things with my own eyes. I will never not take the side of black people when they protest racism anywhere and I will never not believe them when they talk about police brutality, race-based violence and systemic racism in countries built on slavery. 

Of course, I’m not saying racism doesn’t exist in other places and in other forms, but talking about one does not negate the other. 

Also, I don’t understand the point you’re trying to make about the West not being sexist because other places have it worse? I’m sure I misunderstood this, so forgive me if that is the case. FGM is terrible, yes, but that in no way invalidates other types of gender violence that still ruins the lives of countless women. Just because the women in, say, Saudi Arabia have it worse, that doesn’t mean that the women here or in the USA should not talk about issues that directly affect them (and, btw, I have absolutely been outraged about Saudi Arabia and FGM and shared posts about both). All are bad! This is not a competition. 

On the topic of you saying that America gets so much shit for its history, which you think is unjust, I have to mention that European settlers killed up to 95% of Native Americans in some areas in relatively recent history. Just days ago, I was reading an article about how they killed so many people, it actually changed the global climate! This is genocide on such a massive scale, my brain can’t even comprehend it, and yet here we are today, with Columbus Day and Thanksgiving as holidays while the surviving Native Americans suffer all kinds of indignity and discrimination, so no, I don’t think we are talking about it enough and I feel that America deserves all the shit it gets for its history. IMO, it is not getting enough shit! The fact that there are other issues out there that need to be talked about too and are being silenced does not in any way take away from any of this. 

Anyway, let’s not argue about which country is The Worst™ and which human rights issues are more worthwhile than others because that is pointless. We already agree that all governments are corrupt, that evil happened and is still happening all over the world and that all human rights issues are important. I firmly believe that if they were to be evaluated by a psychiatrist, 99% of all high-ranking politicians would be diagnosed with serious clusters of antisocial personality disorders. Most of them would do anything and the only thing stopping them is whether or not they can get away with it. The remaining 1% cannot really do much and keep both their conscience and political power intact. 

In any case, the last thing I want in life is to get into Tumblr discourse with LJ people, so how about we just put this behind us? Let’s agree to disagree on who is worse, Trump or Hillary, because that is a pointless disagreement, especially since neither of us is an American and this is getting out of hand. I feel like we are actually miscommunicating and talking about different things. We seem to be arguing different points, so all of it is coming off worse for both of us than it really should be. Also, I wish you hadn’t sent me this ask anonymously, because I now have no way of responding to you except publically, and Tumblr is seriously not a good place for this. 

On a happier note, I’m very glad that you enjoyed DC! I’m very sorry for the extremely long hiatus! Unfortunately, I’ve been going through things that stopped me from writing for a long time. I hope that one day I can still come back and finish that story, in spite of everything! Have a good day/night! :)

*hugs*

[muthur9000]

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As part of our creatives series, Wayne Haag answers some questions on Science fiction and fantasy, also giving us some insight into his work.

Clara Fei-Fei: My first encounter with your work was for The Fifth Element (which I LOVE). I always wondered what sort of design requirements did you have to meet for the movie? Did you speak to Luc Besson about what he wanted?

Wayne Haag: As a matte painter I didn’t have to meet any design requirements, that was all taken care of by the concept designers.. who were Jean-Claude Mézières and Moebius, among others. I just had to paint to their designs. Within the scope of the matte painting itself, there are mini design problems or choices and those I discussed with my supervisors and Luc a few times for the various matte painting shots I worked on.

CF: What’s your favourite Scifi movie? 

WH: Alien with Empire Strikes Back a very very close second. I know Star Wars isn’t strictly science fiction, more fantasy but for me, it’s about a sense of wonder and they both have it. I still have every Marvel Star Wars comic btw.

CF: Wow awesome! And who is your favourite character from any Scifi movie/comic/game?

Favourite character… I don’t have a favourite actually… If pushed I’d have to say Luke Skywalker, he’s the archetypal hero we all relate to.

CF: If you could enhance your body using robotics, what abilities would you choose?

WH: Eyes… Mine are going! Visibility into a much larger part of the EM spectrum – IR, UV, X-ray etc, zoom capability, heads-up display – data overlay, distance measurement, image capture…

CF: What inspired you to pursue work in concept art? For anyone wanting to pursue the same line of work, where do you suggest they start?

WH: I had always wanted to be an artist, always wanted to make images. It was never an option to not be an artist. This has encompassed professional photography, matte painting, illustration for publishing, concept art, mural painting, oil painting. Start drawing and painting, nothing more to it than that. Learn what you need to be a competent illustrator and the rest will follow.

CF: Could you give me an idea of what it’s like during production? What sort of guidelines you are given and what’s your average turn around time for the work you have done?

WH: That’s a large question. Every production is different, the vibe is different, some are relaxed some are stressful. It’s why I prefer to work from home mostly. Gigs like Alien you have to be there every day in house which is fine, can’t be a hermit all the time! Guidelines are simple – make this scene/shot look awesome – There’s the script, here’s the director’s brief now paint something that fulfils that brief. Don’t care how you do it, just get there.

Turn around time can vary from several (6 to 8) quick paintings in an afternoon to an evolving painting over several weeks. Not continuous of course, but bigger paintings I might have 3 or 4 days, it may sit around for a bit when you finally get feedback and you jump back onto that painting and off it goes into the cycle again. Some finish quickly and get approved just as quickly and you never see it again. Some hang around like bad smells!

CF: What is your favourite piece you ever created?

WH: One of my oil paintings, titled Sky Burial #2. It encapsulated everything I love about sci-fi, sense of wonder, mystery, story, history, spaceship wrecks, the desert.

SKY BURIAL #2

CF: What variant of the Xenomorph is your favourite? 

WH: The original.. because you didn’t see much of it. It was the implied cold-blooded violence that was scary, not so much the beast itself – which was scary as hell in its own right, I just preferred the implicit horror.

CF: I really loved Daniels cabin in the Covenant, what work did you do on that?

WH: The design for Daniel’s cabin evolved quite a lot for many months. A couple of concept artists had started the process, set designers etc, all working towards the final. My contribution was to bring the design language in from the other interior sets Steve Burg had designed and made it feel more modular like you would find on a ship. Then it was a matter of painting a couple of frames that illustrated the lighting and mood, which is my main area of interest.

  Daniels Cabin on the Covenant

White Room

CF: I read that the white room is inspired by 2001, what aspects of the movie did you consider when creating this set?

WH: Firstly, no one concept artists create ‘the set’, it really is an army of people that have some contribution at some point along the way, from top to bottom. The overall layout was inspired by a physical location in Sydney that they wanted to use but could not, so the decision was made to build the set at Fox. I had plans for the location and built that in 3D to scale. Then as I mentioned above, I paint the scene up for lighting, mood and composition, ie. camera position and lens choice. (which was used by Ridley on the day of the shoot).

No references to 2001 were used, not by me anyway. I approach each painting/set as a real place and try to work out how I would shoot it if I were really there, what kind of lighting situation, time of day, weather, season etc etc. Unless the director specifically references another movie, I go with my own references and ideas that I think to fulfil the script/story.

  Before

After

CF: What work did you do on the mothership in The Crossing and Alien: Covenant? What other aspects of the engineer city did you work on?

WH: I didn’t do any design work on the Mother Juggernaut, that was all Steve Messing. As we all have access to the 3D resources, I used the model he built simply as a prop within the greater scene. Again, setting up composition, lighting, mood. Although I did build the city and surrounds in 3D as one big model to scale so that everyone could see how shots would look if you were standing in the plaza. The 3D allows me to place human figures in the correct relative scale to a known real-world camera and the renders provide a basis with which to paint on.

My model of the plaza was based on Steve Messing’s original plaza layout. As the set designers finalised buildings and sets, I would incorporate them into my huge Maya file, kind of like a master file. Then I’d place 3D cameras around matching pov’s Ridley wanted.

Like all film designs, they grow, evolve and change. The final city you see in the film is quite a bit different from the city I built, so the VFX guys had further developed the city layout as per Ridley’s ongoing massaging.

  Image converted using ifftoany

Image converted using ifftoany

CF: What was the inspiration for the shower scene?

WH: T&A as far as I can tell…

CF: (lol)

CF: Do you have a list of the art pieces you infused into the movie?

WH: Not really, when you’re working on a film you don’t have time to immerse yourself in the art references and meaning, least I don’t anyway. All art choices are Ridley’s, I just create the scene as if it were really there and I shot it with a camera. The decision to not use the Francis Bacon triptych in the white room was solely due to licensing costs, nothing more than that. The Bacon estate wanted too much money. The Bugatti chair was also a licensed design and the prop was to be destroyed in front of lawyers once shooting wrapped.

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CF: What pieces of yours made it the final film? Was there anything that didn’t?

WH: What pieces had an influence you should ask, concept art never makes it into the film per se, it is a tool for solving creative visual, technical, financial problems. How will this set look? How big will it be? How much VFX will be needed for that shot, how will the DP light the set etc?

It’s an internal document that hopefully answers the director’s, art director’s and production designer’s questions. If not, try something else, or remove things from the artwork. For example, I had two statues out front of the Cathedral and was asked to remove them from the piece. If that artwork had been disseminated throughout the production, someone may have assumed those statues were to be made and start spending money making them!

There are several paintings I did that you can see as shots in the film, they aren’t exact, but the overall compositions had been faithfully translated.

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CF: What would you say has been your favourite project to work on?

WH: Fifth Element, The Wolverine, Alien Covenant, three best projects of my career.

CF: What is it like working on a large scale production such as Alien compared to smaller scale ones?

WH: Depends on who you’re working with and answering to directly, i.e. production designer. Some large-scale projects are overly corporate and anal, smaller ones are creatively easy going. It can also be the reverse too! Alien was super creative, very easy going (hard work, long hours but no BS!). Great people all around. Some tv commercial gigs can be a giant PITA, some smaller directors can sometimes want to prove themselves by having too much attitude and want to override your ideas, big directors like Ridley don’t have those insecurities and are therefore great to work with.

CF: Congratulations on winning the award for your work on Alien: Covenant.

WH: Thank you!

CF: Is there anything you are working on currently?

WH: I just finished working on a pitch project for Pixar and as I write this, doing concepts for a Chinese comedy film shot here in Australia.

CF: In future what sort of opportunities would you like to be involved in?

WH: Well I currently work freelance, for the most part, I teach part-time (at Production Art Department PAD http://www.productionartdepartment.com ), I’m starting to put out video tutorials of how to paint etc and I need to get my arse into gear and get back to oil painting my own project. As far as the future is concerned, I’d like more time to paint my own work.

Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions, I look forward to having you on Yutani Podcast soon.

  Creatives: Wayne Haag As part of our creatives series, Wayne Haag answers some questions on Science fiction and fantasy, also giving us some insight into his work.

[http-anti]

I would sing for you, but I can’t sing, and I have no good recording device. So instead I’ll ask you questions. What’s your favorite food? What’s your favorite random head canon about Anti/Hoxmarch/Star? What’s a type of art medium you enjoy? Do you sleep with or without socks? Do you have a teddy bear (or other stuffie)? What’s your favorite cartoon? What do you want to buy with the next bit of money you get? Do you wear pants when you don’t have to? If so, why??? How long are your nails?

That's perfectly fine love. Thank you for taking the time to ask these btw, I appreciate it a lot...Favorite food? Hm... It changes a lot actually. Lately anything with cheese (melted cheese specifically) has been really good.Favorite head cannons for my muses? For Hoxmarch it is the fact that he collects ancient weapons/items and sometimes steals them from museums. For Star it is her absolute love for Marvel movies and onesies. For Anti I think its just always been his sensitive tail tbh. A type of art medium I enjoy.... It would have to be either oil painting on canvas or watercolor. Sleep without socks but lotta blankets.I have one blanket I use all the time. Its fluffy and soft and navy blue. I also have a small pillow thats light blue and fluffy and says 'Diva' on it that I've had since I was a kid. Favorite cartoon? Oh gosh um... Bugs Bunny or Scooby-Doo. What I want to buy with the next bit of money I get.... Probably a new perfume bc my current one is running low. Or food. Yes I always wear pants or shorts. Ever since I had an incident in 2012 and also the fact that in both my houses (mom and dads) they have a bf/gf and it makes me feel uncomfortable to not have something on.How long are my nails? I'd say an average length. I cant have them too short but having them long bugs the fuck out of me.

[marulikestea]

8th Anniversary: Van Gogh Is Bipolar

For our post commemoration of our 8th anniversary/valentines as a couple, we went to this place called Van Gogh Is Bipolar, located at Teacher's Village in Quezon City. 

As you may have noticed, our previous anniValentines was also related to Van Gogh (Sip & Gogh). That’s because I wanted to achieve a form of continuity and relevance in our celebration, especially since this would be our last one before we tie the knot. I wanted all of our actions to mean something, even the most minuscule ones, and connect it to the final page of a chapter in our story that would symbolize its worth to us, as two beings who fell and are in love, and everything else in between.

...

Also because I've always wanted to eat here ever since I've read about its uniqueness and quirkiness from 2 or 3 years ago. Lol.

Yes, I’ve waited TOO long for this.

THE HALLWAY OF DOORS

Arriving at the destined location, we got confused at first as to where the entrance to the establishment was. Sure enough, there was a small (and easy to miss) signage at the lamp post that read "Van Gogh Is Bipolar", but the door to the place was, unfortunately, obscured to our naked eye.

But then there were 2 sets of wardrobe closets that were begging to be opened.

Curioser and curioser.

So Ian opened the first closet, which actually led to this hidden garden right beside the building.

THE QUEEN’S GARDEN

The door to Paradise. Reminds me of Narnia. :P

The garden, which looked like a small haven of reprieve in the middle of the otherwise busy streets of urban life, had small tables and chairs installed that invite customers to stop and have a short break. An old double deck bed frame was reused to serve as roof from a makeshift (bar) counter and a convenient storage of whatnot at the top bunker.

The garden. Prolly looks better at night, with all the lights and whatnot.

Collection of old shoes. Perhaps abandoned by their previous owners.

Across the makeshift counter was a collection of old shoes strung together to serve as a wall to obscure the view from outside. It looked pretty eerie and post-apocalyptic, now that I think about it. 

Statue of a man. Is this St. Joseph perhaps?

At the corner,  stood an antique wooden statue that looked like it had seen better days during its years of its former religious glory.

There was also a mural painting on the wall that depicted a woman on a mask.

The white queen.

Having scouted the entirety of the surroundings, we approached the second wardrobe door and opened it... to reveal yet another door  inside.

To Wonderland.

The guardians at each side of the entrance.

I didn’t know if Ian had knocked or turned the knob open, but soon after, we were greeted by a female employee and welcomed us inside. 

After instructing us to remove our shoes of course. 

INTERIOR

Even before stepping inside, I knew that this private space exuded an otherworldly feel... like an Alice in Wonderland kind of realm where everything is a touch of creativity and madness. 

The left side of the room.

WHY IS THE RAVEN LIKE A WRITING DESK?

Near the entrance of the room is a white desk where customers would leave “love letters” or feedback to the personnel of Van Gogh is Bipolar. 

This is also where they stash their guide books, as well as menu papers for the customers to fill up as they go along their journey here.

Can you spot the “hidden” Van Gogh?

I would love to have this mori-looking clock in my unit. X3

THE QUEEN OF HEART'S DOMAIN

Just beside the white desk is the Love Red Wall , the lover's area famed for its crimson color, vandalized walls of love messages and kiss marks, and seats that are only good for 2.

Upon closer inspection, the tables were former vintage luggage converted to what they are now, with glass panels placed on top to reveal the many letters, stamps, pictures old money, and other papers underneath.

“LOVE alone is worth the fight.” - Switchfoot

“The Love Red Wall”, it says.

A painting of a woman; The red and white queen as one entity IMO.

THE HATTER’S SHOP

Not far from the love red wall area were shelves that boasted of many different vintage tableware, old decorations, and broken antiques. 

A Pinocchio wooden puppet.  

In particular, was a collection of hats and other masks and head ornaments that lay at the at the bottom shelf of the tea counter section (to be tackled on later) . It can be worn and borrowed by customers during the duration of their stay inside the premises. 

An array of headgears that can be worn while staying at Van Gogh Is Bipolar.

My personal mad hatter. Kyuuu~ <3

Not one to pass such an opportunity, Ian tried on an officer’s hat. It suited him very well, if I do say so myself. The look reminded me of Hayao Miyazaki’s male protagonist from “From Up the Poppy Hill”.

As for me, I picked a flower crown of red and pink to match my outfit. Gotta uphold the fairy/nymph vibe you know. *_*

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS

On the other side of the vicinity is a whole new flavor to take in. Slightly parted by a curtain, the previous dining area is now adorned with mirrors, broken clocks, and self portraits of the man himself.  

The supposed dining area before it was converted into a restaurant.

Can you spot us in this image? ;P

Through the looking glass; Our only couple shot in this place, unfortunately.

“Art should disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed.”

DRINK ME POTION

Similar to the Drink ME! Potion from Alice in Wonderland, there are 4 bottles of liquid placed on top of the long table for customers to try on their mouths. Supposedly said (not sure if I got this right) to have calming or healing properties of the sort, one is suggested to have at least 2-3 drops on the tongue.

Choose your own poison.

Ian and I both tried the baking soda and the coconut oil. The former tasted sour while the latter one, as expected, tasted of coconut.

THE DARK ROOM

Lastly, is the dark room which is also the comfort room, where a resident skeleton guards the main door to the sanctuary.

Similar to the red wall, its walls are also vandalized with messages from customers, and is even made more prominent due to the black light used to illuminate the room.

Left: A skeleton illuminated by the black/purple light. 

Right: Ian ❤ Maru :Our own mark inked on its walls. 

This reminds me of the game Alice: Madness Returns, wherein everything is all big and purply when you drink the potion that turns you smaller in order to see the hidden clues within the game.

Now that we had a tour of the area, let’s proceed to our main agenda of the day: food. 

A map from their guide book. The circled part became our territory for that day. :P

BTW, To those who wanted to know which area we occupied during our wonderland experience, we situated ourselves at the red wall lover’s area. Because that was the perfect seat for us in every single way, don’t you agree?

FOOD

What’s unique about Van Gogh is Bipolar, aside from the fact that their food is organic and mostly anti-depressant, is that you have no control on what food you will get. They don’t provide you with a menu of fixed food to order, but rather a paper to answer based on your preference with food (and a guide book of Van Gogh Is Bipolar Experience).

Their menu paper is as vague as it gets. Similar to the time when we had dinner at Dinner in the Dark.

We chose the Lovers feast (meat preference), with Ian’s preference to spicy food and less rice whilst mine is my hatred for fat and love for herbs. 

This set was also the most expensive one (at whooping P3,500), its serving being good for two, with complete meal courses.

A MAD TEA PARTY

After ringing the bell and submitting our menu papers to the kitchen counter hidden among the shelves, our server told us that we can brew our own tea depending on our mood. 

But first, we had to choose our own teapots first from their existing gallery.

A variety of teapots to choose from. Which of these call to me, I wonder? 

After acquiring our pots, we proceeded to the tea counter section and started our tea alchemy session.

The counter where you do tea alchemy based from your current mood. 

A simple instruction on how to make your own tea.

The mood wheel. 

I didn’t have any specific strong emotions at the time so I decided to go for stressed, anxious/worried and agitated ergo Happy Chill, Light Chill and Soothing based from my usual feelings at work and wedding planning lol.

Oh, and I also added a bit of Extra Calm too, just because. 

Added sugar and hot water afterwards. 

Jar of tea leaves: Extra Calm, Soothing, Extra Upper, Upper, Happy Chill, Light Chill

So vintage~

Here’s a closeup view of our chosen teapots by the way: A simple black teapot for Ian and a brown floral one for me (again, to match my current vibe). 

Not long after we made our tea, our soup was already ready for consumption.

A POOL OF TEARS

According to our server, our soup is called Virginia Woolf Tears; a veggie based soup with various herbs and a cheesy flavor similar to Parmesan, which I could be wrong. Haha. Ian's bowl was marked with more chili compared to mine, as indicated in his preference.

Also included is Courtney Love's Potion: a bottle of mango shake and coconut water.

HUMPTY DUMPTY

For our next course, we got an Axl Rose’s Organic Egg Shot for our appetizer.

It's basically a shot glass of black sauce, organic egg (yolks), chili, sea salt and Jagermeister. Maricar was the one who prepared it for us, and while she did so, she told us how the owner was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and deviced a diet to encounter depression. Later on, his friends told him, “why not sell your diet to others?” and that was the start of everything.

Maricar also told a little about herself, and that Van Gogh Is Bipolar is already on its 8th year.

HUH!!!

What were the chances that we celebrated our 8th Anniversary on 2 Van Gogh-related establishments, with the last one on its 8th Anniversary too?

It’s destiny~ *coughs* 82∞ = eighth to infinity *coughs*

Raw-organic egg served with herb-liquer

After the mixture was done, we gulped our appetizers in one shot...

...But not before saying our cheers in Russian.

One of Van Gogh is Bipolar’s tradition is to say cheers in another language before taking a shot. So after Maricar taught us the Russian word for cheers, we raised our glasses in the air and uttered, “Na Zdorovie!” (На здоровье)

THE TALKING FLOWERS

For our salad dish, we got  Larry Flint’s cabbage Experience, which is a beautiful plated dish, adorned with edible flowers picked from their backyard garden.

Freshly boiled whole cabbage served with fresh herbs and fruits and other healthy organic fresh kitchen ingredients.

This meal was particularly messy to eat, because it involved a hand-on experience in pulling the cabbage leaves and using it as a wrapper to hold the other ingredients in place (ala Korean style) before dipping it on the sauce and eating it. 

Don’t let its looks full you, because this dish will fill up your tummy in no time. And this is only just salad.

LOVER’S FEAST

For the main course, we got the Lover’s Feast, (I forgot what it’s actually called), which was a series of all things meat (salmon belly, chicken, lamb, pork, beef), black rice, vegetables and fruits all served into one big platter. If that wasn’t enough, it also accompanied 2 glasses of organic red wine, which tasted strong in my opinion.

WHO STOLE THE TARTS?

Finally, for our final course, we got our dessert. Contrary to the header, our dish wasn’t tarts. Lol.

We actually got 2 variants, which were referred to as the wholesome and the sinful desserts.This reminded me of 707′s Valentine After Ending in mystic messenger (white and bitter chocolate) lol.

Wholesome - Sliced organic ice candy with fruits Sinful - Mel Gibson's Darkest Sin

Similar to our Axl Rose appetizer, the sinful delicacy needed certain preparations, so this time, Daniel was the one who did it for us, since Maricar hinted that this was his favorite part of serving.

Basically, the sinful dessert, which was also called Mel Gibson’s darkest sin, contains Van Gogh’s favorite drink: the absinthe. Mixed in with sugar and fire on a glass tea kettle, our server displayed a fantastic reenactment of Harry Potter’s Goblet of Fire.

After pouring back the alcohol (now darkened by the burned sugar) on the shot glass, Daniel taught us the French term of cheers (à votre santé) and left us to enjoy our drink, with chocolate as our chaser.  

ADVICE FROM THE CATERPILLAR 

Our stay in Van Gogh Is Bipolar, to say the least, has been a tremendous and extraordinary experience. 

Almost like a metamorphosis of the soul.

This place provides an environment that lets us be detached with the real world for a short while, a small respite from the stress of everyday life. 

A secret hideout of lost sheep if you will. 

Though similar in some aspects that some establishments have offered, there is something strange and special about Van Gogh Is Bipolar that the others could not replicate: Madness & Beauty.

From its artistic vintage style to its nostalgic paraphernalia of the past, old souls like us are hooked to such aesthetics like moths on an open fire.

What's also amazing about this shop aside from its homey yet impressive display of interior design, is that their food reflects the same high caliber to which its walls and its very atmosphere emanate. Not only do they give customers like us an experience unique from the traditional ways of conventional eating, they also make sure that what you consume is healthy to your mind, body and soul. And that, in my opinion, is very laudable. 

Except for that sinful dessert. That alone felt like a punch in the gut. >.<

Overall, eating at Van Gogh Is Bipolar has given me a benchmark of a private world that I want to make with my future husband. ❤ ❤ ❤  

To end this post, here’s the final curtain event that happened before our departure from Van Gogh Is Bipolar:

DATE WITH THE CHESHIRE CAT  DINAH.

Ian’s actual date, lol. How dare you two-time me, you fiend! XP

P.S.

We spent almost 3 hours inside, can you believe it? XP