#love drawing art of characters only a few people care abt and then those people find the art. teehee

[randomminty]

omggg i just found this blog and i’m in love with youre artstyle your drawings are so fun and have so much personality!! bless you for giving some of my fav pkmn characters some love too<3

AHGU……..THANK YOU 🥹🥹🥹🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶

[hiding-in-the-vault]

hi im the hk insp au person again,, i just wanted to share just some more of my au if thats okay with you

https://imgur.com/a/L4AVTir (All my unofficial works and also some old designs that didnt work out in case anybody would be interested)

https://imgur.com/a/TNjocDK (Tommys and sapnaps design woohoo)

i hope you like it and please drop some thoughts if you have any :))

also an au notice; not entirely a hollow knight au just HEAVILY inspired by it (hence why its called rogue au in the imgur titles lmao) but i still wouldnt mind if people called it a hollow knight au

btw; you got dream and george right last time, i was surprised because he does in fact live in a very mossy grove (its Mossy Decay in the map), always hides in the shadows and is VERY protective of his little place. when tommy first met dream he wandered a bit too deep in mossy decay and was ambushed by dream, nearly making it out alive

for george, he does in fact like napping a lot around Hills of Mildew (on the eastern side of the map) inside his own hut and doesnt really care about anything and only goes outside to stretch his legs and look at the horizon

and ill also add some lore & funfacts

nobody has ever dared to go in "The deep", only some have tried but few have returned and those few were never the same 😵

theres an arena in barkals, people bet money and fight to the death for it, that's where Dream met techno! while techno was watching dream fight in the arena, he was impressed by his agility and strength and decided to challenge him to a duel outside of the arena. obviously, techno beat dream and thus begun their playful rivalry

ok i swear this was all i just really like to ramble abt stuff ty and bye❤❤❤

WOO!!!! First off, I really love your art style. All the pen lines, especially in some of the older art, it's awesome. I wish I'd do more stuff like that

Anyway, I love these guys. The fire head design is sooo cool. Idk if its just your style or if it looks a certain way for a reason, but it reminds me of autumn leaves and sticks. Which feels apt, for something so nature-themed. A skrunkly guy, I bet he thinks he's the coolest kid on the block. I'd like to hear the thoughts behind those eyes xD

And Tommy feels so sitting. He's a Big man™ and he's got Belts and Such™, Dont Mess With Him !!!11!1!!!! And then you see those big goofy eyes <3 Yep, you're very intimidating and cool, Tommy~ Also him losing his wings reminds me of osmp. That there is one slightly above-average guy who cannot fly. He doesnt NEED to fly, he is simply built different. #trust

Other arts

Map!! I love maps. Big map fan. I bet Tommy likes "The Junk". (if he can get past Dream to make it that far, anyway :eyes:) or at least the name, idk. its funny.

I don't have much to say about the others, besides that they're very fun to look at. I love seeing the thought process behind designs. Crying at George v.1 looking like a waiter djkfhskfd

Speaking of Dream. Ahahehehh I was right >:D It's the vibes, man. The vibes are there and they work so well with these two. If c!Dream and c!George were to be in a hollow knight inspired world, that is simply what they would be doing, I don't make the rules. And hey, that means your character design did its job :D Pog

I'm also always in favor of any idea regarding a fighting arena. Dream would do numbers there, I'm sure. Glad to see the friendly rivalry exists <3

I don't know if you plan on writing anything or just drawing stuff, or just vibe, but I love this concept and I hope you continue it :D

[sociallyawkward--fics]

hi xy time for what is becoming my annual checkin! how are u! i feel like since its been abt a year i have to infodump abt all my character development hold on i'll speedrun it. my pronouns r it/its zhey/zhem or (less preferred) they/them. and i have settled on those. it/its is the only one thats ever given me gender euphoria, took 4 years but i got there. ummm realized i have autism (undiagnosed). love the stimming and the being insane abt fictional characters the rest isnt that great. got anxiety meds!!!!! oh my god xy!!!! life is so good now antidepressants r a girls best friend. also. hold on ur never gonna believe this. i have adhd meds now. the crowd goes wild. was like yea doc idk i just think the anxiety meds r not improving my ability to focus what was that u said abt adhd^__^ n she was like hmmmm ok i cant diagnose u but i can give u this adderall u dont need a diagnosis for n if its like glory hallelujah we'll just assume u have it and GLORY HALLELUJAH. ive cleaned my room like more times in the past few months than i have my entire life im WINNING. i cant rly feel if its working but i'll sit down to write or smth n i wont get distracted every 5 seconds n the mental block that keeps me from doing things is gone!!!!! life changing stuff just wish i had it before my grades fuckin woooo splat. um my gpa is 2.2 weighted im like. ok well now that i have adhd meds im working on it -H (i feel like. ok i think tumblr made it so ur asks can be longer but fuck all those liberals n their woke agenda (joke) i am all abt tradition babey i'll be back for a pt 2 rq)

ummm rly into books love books. "thats old news h everyone knows that" but like im being wonderfully unnormal abt them<3 there was this one series the ascendance trilogy n i was fucking OBSESSED w it when i was younger n i learned there was a 4th n 5th book recently so like. the trilogy thing was a fuckin lie. but i obviously had to reread the series so i could read the new books n im still so obsessed w the series its so banger for a middlegrade series. got so unnormal abt it i made a 7hr playlist for the main character bc everyone elses sucked so much ass i just had to. still in the process of rereading but yeah. also theres this OTHER series the raven cycle i read recently n im also obsessed w that these series r all like my ideal books they hit all my favorite tropes. yeah just being rly unnormal abt books thats my current obsession. also. drawing. im so good at it u wouldnt believe. next fuckin van gogh right here. n honestly i dont even care abt going off anon it just bothers me bc my ROUTINE. the TRADITION. its just not the same. but i'll go off it just for u to show u some of my banger art. at a stage where im pretty frustrated at my limitations but that doesnt mean i cant recognize that im fucking awesome ok hold on again -H but yea ok to finish up what have u been up to! tempted to just ask what shows/game/etc uve been into but also i am exerting a little of my brain power to realize some ppls lives dont revolve around those. so just liek what have u been spending a lot of time doing. how is writing going! wait what r ur drawing skills just out of curiosity draw smth for me (if ur comfy ofc n dw i completely understand if it fuckin sucks taht was me just over a year ago) -H (when i was younger i used to think that ppl couldnt be good at writing n drawing they had to choose one. exerted my baby brain power to be like. it takes too long to get good at them u can only do one. then saw a book w the cover art credited to the author n i was like woahhh this is fuckin crazy living my younger selfs pipe dream)

----------

The way I have had a reminder on my phone to answer these asks for MONTHS but my executive function has been GARBAGE i am so sorry my friend it was not intentional to leave this sitting for so long i am so sorry!!! (also between the two of us this got Long so i am putting a read more so i don't take up a big block of people's dash in my return from the dead lol)

thank you for pronouns update! congrats on meds!! i gotta get me some of those so i can Detroit: Become Functional lol. I am rooting for you with your GPA!!! Also lol, love that we are following tradition of multiple asks still even with the tumblr updates letting asks be way longer now lol, it is just Familiar To Us

I will have to look into the ascendance trilogy!! My sibling is also obsessed with the raven cycle, but i have not read it yet (still debating if i want to or not, have been for YEARS lol, because i keep hearing "author problematic" and then never remember Why because i have Goldfish Memory). I will not post your off-anon ask with the artwork unless you want me to (want you to feel comfy on the blog and sending asks and I know you prefer anon!), but i will say that your art is AWESOME, my friend!! you are SO good and you're only going to keep getting better! I am glad you enjoy it!

Also bestie. This is a neurodivergent space lol, my life also revolves around shows/games/books/etc. they are the only thing that make the monotony of life and job-having under a neurotypical capitalistic society bearable lol. I actually have been getting back into reading ACTUAL BOOKS lately which feels GREAT (because reading Actual Books when i am so tired and Non-Functioning all the time is Hard lol), i am finally going through my seemingly-endless TBR and also have reread some old faves this year. Games-wise, the only thing i ever think about is still the Dragon Age games, Alistair is the love and light of my life lol. Show-wise.... i am in Limbo because of the Exhaustion, tragically, and also just waiting on new seasons (OFMD). Witcher has a new season out, but i have not watched it yet because Energy and also i have no motivation to because the last season they put out was so bad (even if i hear this one is good, i have lost trust lol)

Writing is. Not quite going lol. I have not finished a fanfic in ages, and also have made little to no progress on any of my original work attempts either, tragically. Hopefully things look up for me soon cuz I wanna get stuff DONE again lol, this blog has become so quiet and near obsolete because i cannot FINISH anything and it is TRAGIC.

Also, I have little-to-no drawing skills, but I also unfortunately do not have much energy to apply to drawing you a picture atm :(( maybe someday. Sometimes I can draw something that makes me go "omg i am not Awful, maybe I could actually put thoughts and energy into learning this as a skill" and other times it is like "i will never put pencil to paper (or stylus to screen) ever again" lol. Maybe someday when i am doing Better again i will hopefully have the energy to draw you something!!

[felikatze]

Just wanted to say thank you so much for all the brainworms you have been giving me and my friends for the past few hours about Ayin and all the analyses you've been doing about him.

I have been losing my mind in the middle of the night thinking about all the things you've said, turning it over like crazy and trying to compare it with the gameplay I've had of Lobotomy Corporation and Library of Ruina.

Please do more analysis and share more of your ideas! Please? Please, with cherry on top? Please, I beg of you?

Especially if you have in-depth ideas of analyses for the Sephirah and how it relates to both their own characters and Ayin and Angela.

I thank you greatly in advance!

the implication that i've infected an entire friend group with my brainworms is power that will 100% go to my head i feel amazing. what else is analysis posting except trying to inflict people with the same thoughts bouncing around your skull on repeat

i DO have shit on the sephirah but mostly netzach, because i love netzach, and i in fact found my discord ramble about him (and chesed)

i dont have things on how they relate to A and Angela specifically because I mainly kept thinking abt Reverbaration Ensemble parallels... i have so many thoughs abt Netzach and Bremen.

(but if you want me to talk about, say, a specific core supression, or floor realization... i have a lot of thoughts on floor realizations.)

First off I am so sorry that you seem to think I'm smart because that means i have the perfect opportunity to inflict you with this

okay now we can get to the serious stuff

[transcript:

containment breach:

quick ramble abt lor again but i love the ensemble receptions so much. i'm at chesed's rn, and i know he's been chill the entire game, but him just refusing to comment on jae-hoon's tragedy seems, out of context, a dick move, but also is so important for chesed to do? he recognizes that another's suffering is not related to him, that he can't do anything about it, and that this is fine. The closest i'd describe chesed in lobcorp would be "activist burnout." Due to betraying the lab from garion's pressure, chesed was so consumed by guilt, he just blamed himself for everything and became more callous because it's already his fault, right? There's nothing he can do. But in lor, he knows what his responsibilities are, and allows himself joy where he can find it. I love the ensemble receptions bcuz they are just examplary of each patron libriarian's growth and i iqbfjc (sobs)

GOD this sure is a paragraph

also have to salute netzach for carrying his scene all by himself as the musicians of bremen just (animal noises) :pray:

ykno being online i realize that i'm not quiet at all i am a complete and utter chatterbox /end]

[transcript:

containment breach:

thinking abt netzach's scene where he doesn't talk to bremen, because he can't, but recognizes this who has not only lost themself in their own art but also their own suffering

i just i love netzach so much his entire character arc is abt learning to live with depression and learning to want to live again

so he becomes unable to understand, really, why someone would sacrifice themselves for their own art

when he started out just, similar yet different from bremen, completely submerged in his own misery

musicians of bremen reminds me i still have bremen bon bons at home i should eat those. they r tasty /end]

i wanna specifically dig into this scene more because i love that scene, a lot.

Art as we get to know it in the City is irrevocably tied to violence. Puppets are made of human bodies, music is played on bones and sinews. To the artists of the City, to create art is to make someone suffer. Rewatching Netzach's story bits, Roland describes it as doing nothing but seeking stimulation and being provocative.

Furthermore, there is a direct comparison between art and alcohol. To paraphrase more, the Pianist must've been one hell of a stimulant, like getting hit by a strong booze. A performance some are still hungover from.

Netzach's main struggle was addiction because of depression, and his growing appreciation for art is a continuation of that arc. He says himself that art and alcohol are linked.

However, alcohol is a step down from hard drugs. Netzach hasn't quit, but just that step down shows he learned moderation, which makes me very proud of him.

Moderation is what the other.. let's just call them artists, lack. I said in the screencaps above, initially, Netzach was lost in his own suffering, and the musicians of bremen are lost in their art. And if art is seen as equal to suffering, that just means Netzach and Bremen are more similar than expected. (Especially considering what we see of the musicians previously; they’re always trying to chase the same high they experienced listening to the Pianist by any means necessary. The addiction parallels are not suprising.)

I rewatched most of Netzach's lor scenes, and what rlly gets me is that in his first one, he seems almost the exact same as in lobcorp. He doesn't want to work, he got dragged into this against his will, he feels as if his accomplishments are futile.

But! He eventually invites Roland for drinks. He's not drinking to forget alone anymore, he's doing it as social activity. Furthermore, the more time he spends as Patron Librarian of Arts, the more he grows to appreciate art. Art is tied to suffering, still, but it is an expression of suffering. It does not produce any. Or should not, in any case. He sure wishes it wouldn’t.

So we arrive at his Ensemble Reception. This one makes a rather interesting comparison: art as the pursuit of the light. Let me elaborate.

To quote, “Honestly, I wanna tell people to stop doing the kind of art that requires ‘em to immolate themselves and others. Although, on the other hand... I can kinda see where they’re coming from. Art narrows your vision, after all.

You stop caring about the things around you. That’s how most artists seem to act, I think. And so, you indulge in the craft, not realizing that you’re throwing yourself and your surroundings into the fire you started.”

I pose this: Netzach speaks of his experience as Giovanni. Giovanni was a researcher who, when push came to shove, willingly sacrificed himself to advance the project, in hopes of seeing the light, seeing Carmen, again.

Though he dislikes Bremen’s actions, he does not judge them for it, because he recognized that it would be hypocritical. Even so, what shows that he’s grown is that he.. doesn’t want to see people harm themselves anymore. The focus here isn’t if Bremen hurt other people, which they have, but how much of themselves they’ve given up for their performance. He condemns the act, and not the people.

“If I can see that light once more... If I have to muster up the courage to reach it, I’ll gladly do it. It’s easier said than done, though; you need a lot of fearlessness for it.

And I guess you saw the same kind of light I was so desperate to see, yeah? Even if yours was a twisted creature... [...] Though, I don’t think I can tell you off like the others. At least I can see the reason behind it.”

He even explicitly mentions the light. The funny thing is, both Giovanni and Bremen tried to reach the Seed of Light, and Carmen. It’s tragically hilarious that we know Carmen is the voice the Distortions hear.

Hell, the more I think about it, the more you can just compare the Ensemble as a whole to the Outskirts Lab crew, down to Angelica’s puppet body and Carmen’s desecrated corpse.

“And I know pretty well that we have no right to devilishly pick apart each other’s way of art. I’m not very proud of mine, really...”

Netzach just.. gets it. I can’t remember atm, but I don’t think the other Patron Librarians really draw parallels like that. I’m seeing all the parallels now and I can’t unsee them ever. Bro.

His “art,” his way of protecting the light, is still violent. But he sees that perhaps it didn’t have to be, or rather shouldn’t be. I fucking love Netzach so much. His arc just means a lot to me personally, and I’d wager a lot of people who’ve struggled with mental illness would agree.

I’m not gonna get into Netzach’s floor realization here because this post is already long enough, but like, look at the specific flashback of Angela shown in Netzach’s story bits and contrast it to his arc of learning to want to live, and. Yeah.

[sugasugawarau]

Happy New Years to you all! I’m a bit late in writing and posting this but I wanted to take the time to properly thank everyone who follows me for sticking with me :) I know I’m not the most active when it comes to writing or even making shitposts so I hope you know it means the world to me that you enjoy my content. While just because 2020 has ended does not mean things will get automatically better, know that you have the capability of making a difference both for yourself and others. I’m proud of you for coming this far and please remember to take care of yourself when you can <3

And I’d also like to take the time to thank some individuals who have made a huge impact on my tumblr experience and have made this year better under the cut! Be warned there are many words and also sorry for any typos I wrote this at 3am :D

I’m going to start off with a few major lo$ers (joking) aka my irl friends that have tumblr

@kbh-ton, @ashr00m, @kae-and-the-lost-dragons

Okay the fact that you all follow me here is EMBARRASSING because you have to endure perceiving me from a sorta totally different perspective but surprise hi,, ily 😹 I know ⅔ of you don’t even use tumblr that often but I digress!! Thank you?? Like I’m not kidding when I say I don’t know where I would be without any of you guys. Stinky pp Paul, you’ve been here with @/sugasugawarau since the beginning-ish and have always been supportive of my absolutely stupid ideas. And my sons AKA get cucked squad, this is going to be ultra sappy but I hope you know how proud I am of the both of you (but no thanks to one of you for teaching us about nussies 😕). Thank you all for tolerating my overthinking ass as well as whenever I get high from a lack of sleep and just in general bc I’m a constant mess of a human being; you are all the best people ik stfu I don’t take criticism.

To my first ever tumblr mutual, @tendouthighs

Hi Codie!! Ik we haven’t talked a lot lately but just know that I appreciate your endless kindness and how you’re able to keep up with my smooth brain antics in dms so much. You’re so funny and I’ll treasure all the jokes and headcanons we’ve made, I hope you’re taking care and doing well heading into 2021! 💖💕

To wife Lyra @yacoka

Miss… Thank you sm for dropping by my inbox all the way back in like June/July because otherwise I don’t think I’d ever have gotten the courage to dm you LOL. It would be an understatement to say that you’re the kindest and most easygoing person I’ve met on here - I hope you know how grateful I am to have met you and read your works (and for lending me your knives and just being so?? supportive??? truly idk how you do it but ily 😣❣️)

To wife Joy @lesbians4yaku

Joy!!! I really don’t know where to start because you’re just so amazing?? And we’ve been mutuals for as long as I can remember ajdjfka I’m just,, so glad to have met you and I hope you know how much I love seeing you on the dash, whether it’s being able to marvel at the genius that is your mind whenever you make a haikyuu shitpost or reading your tags. You always make me laugh and smile and I am wishing you both of those things in 2021 bc u deserve the best, love u 🤍🤍🤍

To Arell, the sweetest soul I know @g4nyu

You have a natural talent for being able to make me both soft ™ and also laugh as freely as Tanaka and Nishinoya with your relatable quips and jokes and I adore you for it. (Also.. can we talk about how absolutely gorgeous your writing is I will nvr shut up.. also also I am here whenever u need to be enabled to rave abt any and all Haikyuu or Genshin characters <33) ily and ty for being my mutual, I feel v lucky to have u in my life 🥺

To Cal, a goddess in her own right @heyhinata

Ma’am the way ily?? You’re beautiful inside and out and I have sm fun talking to you. Being able to call you a mutual and read your works is a blessing and I’m so glad we started talking in dms ajsjfja I’ll never forget plotting smaus with you to raving abt Genshin and making fun of B*n Sh*piro, hidden muppet 😍 Wishing you the best in all that you do!

To Rae, fellow Tim Hortona enthusiast @mehreya

Hi bae I just want to start off with a big thank you. You’re such a wonderful and invigorating person to talk to and I always feel at ease talking with you, and seeing you on my dash with your interactions with others is always a light in my day. And for u I will embrace the Oikawa kinnie in me any day <33 ly and have an amazing New Years 🥰

To Ria, the absolute best and only Ria ik @kumaoi

Omg hi sexc 😍 ahdjkfka idk if you’ll see this but hey,, fun fact even if we don’t talk as much as we used to I still love u sm and I hope you’re staying healthy and happy !! Meeting you was and still is one of the best highlights of my tumblr journey and I’ll always be grateful for your existence

To Gracie, writer of all things beautiful @sneezefiction

Gracie!! I hope you’ve been doing well since the last time we talked and that you’re enjoying the New Years to the fullest <3 You were also one of my earliest mutuals and I just wanted to say thank you for all the kindness you’ve shown me and for writing and sharing your works on tumblr. Sending love ! 💖

To the one and only angel, Yas @whipped-cream-writings

Yas bb we only became mutuals rather recently but I have sm love for you 🥺 Your kindness inspires me and your fics are the cutest things ever (pls,,, teach me how to write fluff ahfjfkka) Ilysm and I want to remind you that you’re so wonderful and amazing, sending you all my love for the upcoming year ahead !!

To Kay, who I will protect with my life @kayzume

Kay I don’t know how to even begin to put in words how glad I am to have met you in Lyra’s server,, you’re so sweet and you make me feel safe every time we talk. (Also THE DRAWINGS u made and shared with us,,, have I alr said ily bc ily and all that you do.) I know we haven’t chatted in a while but I’m sending you all my hugs and kithes always 💕💕💖

To mutuals I’ve interacted with some time during these months on tumblr and cherish a whole lot @taiyaaki @kageyuji @sophiawithstars @buddh-art @sa-suga @baeshijima @cherryonigiri @catharsisbabey @tris-does-stuff @tetsurolls @come-on-shitty-boys @iwas-angel @star-puff @voxamcris @azucanela @heartjime @miyafeuille @suikazura @deerixiie @hajiimes @skateme2yokohama @aliteama @yuujiya @omijime and many others but I think I hit the tagging limitajdhfka

Hi ily. You’re all such inspiring and talented individuals and while we may not interact frequently or know each other as well I wish we cld be ajfjjfa but I adore you all and I wish you an amazing New Year 🥺💖 (and if you ever want to talk, feel free to dm or smth! and I’ll try my best to be more active in popping into my mutual’s inboxes amhahshsj)

To the pillars of tumblr @sugardaddykenma @hina-wit-da-glock @nidaenk

You are all so special to me in that you are the reason I would wake up and get my butt on this hellsite and find so much fun and joy in the fandoms I enjoy - it’s not even the content you post but just,, your amazing and stellar personality and interactions with your followers and mutuals alike. Thank you for being a part of this weird space on the internet and I hope you are taking care and being kind to yourself, love u very much <33

[chezforshire]

sometimes you just wanna talk abt your ocs and that’s what i’m gonna freakin’ do

First off are these two nerds, astrea (left) and kagang (right)

Astrea Maryam-Lalonde is the descendant of Kanaya. She’s a nerd just like her moms and loves to read and stuff. She’s good at meticulous work and stuff and loves drawing and writing stories. She’s a pretty cheeky little dork and is sassy as hell. She thinks being in a family of gods is the raddest thing and she’s kinda got the ‘I was born for destiny!’ anime protag mentality so yknow she’s pretentious about that.

She’s got a pretty short temper and is ready to fight all the fucking time. Rose is just “man that was me when i was a kid, huh” and all the betas just nod and laugh at her. She loves learning shit and is always up to teaching people new things too but in a lot less pretentious way than Rose used to be, you know. She sometimes just goes “oh, i know some trivia about that stuff. wanna hear?” and if they say no then that’s the end of the convo but otherwise she unloads so much info on them. She loves drawing and Dave, Callie and Roxy helps her with her art and Dirk, along with Rose, helps her with writing. Jane taught her to cook and bake and she loves visiting her and June for pastries and when Karkat and Jake’s there they also watch movies and argue over the quadrants of the characters and the action scenes. Jake and Vriska take her out a lot for hikes and little escapades, sometimes Terezi tags along but mostly Terezi tells her about laws and stuff. Jade, Kanaya and Callie also teach her a lot about gardening and she just likes doing stuff that take a bit of effort and time, helps her be patient about things.

This is Kagang Vantas-Strider. He’s an ecto-mix of Karks and Dave and it’s a whole thing that im still mulling over but yeah he’s half human-half troll and HOH so some people give him shit for that but then they look over their shoulders and see Astrea so yknow that’s fun. He used to be really shy but then grew up to be a little shit as well just like his dads lmao. He’s a bit of a prick in a way that he’s just subtly rude like he’ll be vague and subtweet you irl and he’s just open about his dislike of shit you do or say. Karkat kinda just looks at that and goes ‘wow that is my kid huh’ and kanaya just pats him

He’s sort of a mellower and more patient version of Karkat when he was younger like he can be really really passionate about something and just keep talking about it for hours on end and just not let anyone interrupt him and defends things with fervor. He’s a passionate guy lmao. He’s also a pretty sentimental kid and keeps gifts around no matter how useless they are. Dirk used to be a little weird around him for Bro reasons but some talking and a really sad Kagang kinda kicked some sense into him and so makes him little things for fun. He likes music a whole fuckin’ lot and even gets violin lessons from Rose and piano lessons from June. Jade, Jake and Vriska take him out sometimes for little adventures like going out into the forest and just looking at fauna and flora. Jade, Terezi, Roxy and Callie tell him a lot about plants and history and he just kinda fuckin loves that shit and visits them a lot just to listen to that shit. He also asks a lot about troll and human biology to Kanaya and Jane, he likes that kinda shit and he thinks theyre the coolest fucking things.

This is my precious little prick, hence I don’t draw them often I just think of them fondly lmao. Their name is Protan Isiara and theyre a pompous little purple blood that believes they can become the perfect leader of the world lmao. They used to be part of a pretty weird cult kinda thing that believes in the hemospectrum still and the god dude that the purple bloods believed in but a small mishap had them running into Vriska and Terezi when they were out adventuring and they just kinda looked at them and were like “This kid’s a prick. Let’s fix that.” and basically adopted them. The two kinda had them unlearn a lot of toxic stupid shit like the hemo-fucking-spectrum and also that the old ways of culling and other troll culture they only vaguely know about being the ‘best way to live’. They still want to be a leader and shit but they’re a whole lot kinder about it and realistic.

They were picked up by the two when they were about 10 to 12 during one of Vriska and Terezi’s escapades out into the world and the three of them have been travelling together since then. They’re a bit shy about affection being given or when they give it out but they genuinely appreciate it and care about the people around them. They respect Vriska and Terezi very much along with the rest of the survivors after they meet them, but they hold a special place in their heart for the pair because they were the first they met outside their little cult. 

They’re colorblind and i can’t remember what colors it was but they got those special glasses when the three of them went the nearest city after Terezi found out about it. They love being out and about, never really staying indoors for too long so they love taking up Jade and Jake’s offer for foraging or going to little adventures. They also love books and so they visit Kanaya and Rose a lot for book recommendations and even ask some from Dirk as well, and whenever they visit they love listening to Callie tell them stories, doesn’t really matter what it’s about they just love stories. They also just fucking love comedy for some fucking reason and they laugh at even the dumbest shit they fell for updog once and they haven’t stopped laughing at it so June and Jane are just the best freakin people to them they think their pranks are top tier shit. They think coding is some amazing shit and talk to Dirk and Roxy a lot about it though they are absolute dog shit at it but yknow keep tryin and all that. They’re just as interested in guns as the HarlEnglish and so the three of them just spend long hours talking about them and even going along with their outings looking at new stuff like that.

Anyway yeah these are my loser kids and i have another one sort of in my head but maybe I’ll deal with that some other time. I’m making a better ref for these losers for my prompt list next month so it’s been Kidsstuck city these past few days lmao

[ubcs-dump]

Hell yes, tell us abt Mikhail. I bet you have a lot to say!

Short answer:

Long answer:

Okay so I will get real with all you guys on this one. I’ll start with a bit of a backstory with this because there is a reason why I love Mikhail so much.

!!!TRIGGER WARNING!!! MENTAL ILLNESSES AND SU*C*DAL THOUGHTS MENTIONED!!!

It was about 10 years ago. Imagine a 14 year old me, sitting alone in my dark room. My depression and various other mental illnesses are geting worse every day, they have been dragging me down for years now. I am living with abusive people who love to push me down even further, mocking me and bullying me even though they are considered my family. I was broken. I was in pain. The word ‘s//ui//ci//de’ has been clouding my mind for years now.I just picked up on Resident Evil through parodies of it on youtube. I watched someone play Resident Evil 3 Nemesis online because I remember that we owned that game but I was terrified of Nemesis on the box so I didn’t play it myself.Then I saw Mikhail, how he lay on the seats of the cable car. I could tell he was in pain and I felt deeply sorry for him. But it wasn’t a special feeling because I felt sorry for all the characters in the game. The person who played the game even mocked Mikhail for his looks. At first I laughed along but then there came a specific cutscene.And then Mikhail said something.Just one sentence.One line of dialoge.

It may just be a line of dialoge for most people. Some tiny bit of character developement sprinkled in for good meassure.But boy.I felt that.Suddenly I felt a deeper connection. It felt like I could see myself in Mikhail. He’s been through hell. He watched his men die in front of him. He is bleeding like crazy. He is in pain. Both mentally and physically. He’s expressing survivors guilt and it’s eating him up on the inside. When he said that line I literally teared up.I felt understood.And when he sacrificed himself to save Carlos and Jill, I cried. Hard. I cried because I was touched by his bravery. I cried because he deserved to live. I cried. Because I looked up to him. Without even realizing it, he became my role model. Mikhail is a kind soul, he is brave, determined, always trying his best, righteous, proud, a real team player and a wonderful leader. He is the kind of person I’ve always wanted to be.He quickly became my favorite character. I still watch all of the cutscenes with him every now and again when I need to hear his voice. I also sometimes browse his REwiki page just because I feel like it. When playing the Mercenaries minigame I always pick him.After meeting him I decided to keep going too. I can’t stop, no matter how broken and in pain I am. These wounds can’t stop me from fighting. I’ll keep fighting because I believe that I can get better if I just keep going. Fighting those demons off. Ignoring everyone who tells me otherwise. After all, I can’t stop just because I’m wounded.Also he is probably my biggest fictional crush ever lol. It’s been almost 10 years and I still can’t forget him and I still love him as much as I did on day 1.

Ever since then Mikhail has been a sort of voice of reason. When I’m feeling lost I ask myself what he would do in my situation. When I notice I haven’t eaten all day again, I’d imagine him trying to give me a pep talk. He became a coping mechanism and comfort character. I’ve been looking up to him for almost 10 years now, which is pretty rare when you know that I have tons of favorite characters that come and go, but he has always been my favorite Resident Evil character ever since that day.

I love everything about him. His backstory is tragic and herioc. He used to be an excellent soldier in the Russian SFSR before the Soviet Union collapsed. His wife was part of a minority who he fought for, causing him to be concidered a terrorist in the Russian Federation. After getting arrested he was approached by Umbrella. He agreed to join them but only if Umbrella does everything they can to ensure amnesty for his men.This just shows how much he cares for his comerades and loved ones. Mikhail joined a guerrilla organization to fight for the independence of the minority group his wife was a part of. He joined Umbrella, not because he himself wanted to be free, but because his men would be free.

I also really really like his relationship with Jill in the game. I could perfectly imagine them as very good friends. The way they talk with each other and how Jill tries to calm Mikhail down and helps and encourages him while also perfectly understanding the state he is in and the feelings and worries that are clouding his mind. I just love it and I demand fanart and fanfiction of a cute platonic relationship between these two. They are cute and precious.I sadly can’t say a lot about his relationships between him and the other members of the Operation-Jackal-Trio.Mikhail and Nikolai don’t interact at all. Which is bullsh*t because Capcom actually wanted them to be brothers and interact. That would have been an amazing addition. I want it back. My fav AU, hands down.Carlos mentions Mikhails name a few times (and by a few I mean two times). Once when explaining what happened and once when Mikhail got attacked in the cable car. I’m a bit sad we didn’t see more of them together. Carlos is certainly worried about Mikhails safety but I really wish they had expanded on that a little. I just wanted to see more interaction in general.

Mikhail also influenced my art. My nickname/pen name is Uby Victor. The ‘Uby’ part comes from the way you say the first two letters of the UBCS. And Victor isn’t hard to guess haha. Some people call me Victor too and I love it!! :3I also own an olive green beret in addition to my UBCS uniform. It’s just a prop and I guess just something I’ve always wanted to own haha. Now I just need to find a way to get the patch.I tried drawing him a few times but I’m an idiot and get flustered when I do so I usually stop before it’s even finished. I will probably never be able to draw him well haha. At least not with that attitude.

He’s also the reason I realized I have a soft spot for Russian accents. Even though Ben Campbell isn’t Russian, his accent is okay and I like his performance.

!!HORRIBLY HIGH LEVEL OF HONESTY AHEAD!!

I could probably rant even more about how much I love Mikhails personality. And his looks.

Have you seen those eyes??? That is one awesome dark shade of blue. Unrealistic I know but damn. I love them. And his golden hair. I wanna run my hand through it. And those arms. Mmmh. He could throw me across a football field with those and I’d say “Thanks, daddy, please do it again!”. He looks like he gives great hugs too. He’s like a big teddy bear, hence why I call him Mischka all the time haha. Also he is top notch soft daddy material. I’m not the only one with this opinion. Also his crotch. The bulge is big. Just take my word for it. Or take a look for yourself. His full body picture is at the top of this post. You have been warned.

!!HORRIBLY HIGH LEVEL OF HONESTY OVER!!

All of this is also why I do not like his R3MAKE version at all. The original RE3: Nemesis Mikhail means so so so much to me. I associate him with recovery. I look up to him and I basically owe him my life. So seeing him be changed that drastically in the R3MAKE just broke my heart. I will stick with the original because that’s the one I like the most.

I could tell more but this is already very long lmao

EDITED tl;dr: Thank you, Mikhail. You’ve helped me more than any living human being ever did. I owe you so much. You’re an angel and I love you.

~ Mod Uby

[carbootsoul]

things to do in quarantine!

i hadn’t seen a list like this yet and i thought that was kind of odd. we’re all stuck inside the house for who knows how long, which means (as my girlfriend is stressing) we are all going to have to get some fucking hobbies. this list is a bit long so:

-friendship bracelets! embroidery thread works best (i have a lot left over from my brief embroidery stint when i was younger) but i think you could do it with other kinds of string! you can find a lot of patterns here, and they’re all free! my favorites are 1, 2, and 3

-amigurumi, which is making stuffed animals out of crocheting. this doesn’t work great if you don’t have any crochet hooks, but if you’re living with your parents or with any crafty friend, they’re likely to have some. this website has a ton of patterns (i’ve linked the free ones, but they have even more for ~4/5 dollars). personally, i’m really excited abt this plant.

-itch.io games. itch.io has TONS of free games, as long as you have a computer that can handle like, stardew valley, you’ll be able to find something that works. my favorites are butterfly soup, the bird museum, and cheeky chooks, but just browsing through any tag will give you so many things to play. also, if you’re not up for downloading stuff, not only does itch.io have browser games, but you can always come back to coolmathgames.com

-draw some stuff!! on paper with a pencil (a novel idea, i know). here are some idea generators! alternatively, on your computer/tablet. pixilart is a free to use, online pixel art tool, and aseprite is a downloadable tool. aseprite is the best out there, but it’s $15 if you can’t compile it yourself. finally, krtita is an open source alternative to photoshop that works pretty well, imho.

-make a game. i know you can do it. a lot of these game makers aren’t super difficult to use, but require you to sink a few hours into them to figure out what’s going on. perfect for quarentine! whether you’re making a visual novel, a text adventure, a retro gameboy ROM, or just a quiz, it’s a way to kill time and there’s nothing more satisfying than Making Something. 

-start working out- i know it’s intimidating, but you don’t know how much exercise you get just by walking around until you are stagnant in your bed all day. here’s an illustrated guide for workouts designed for transmasc people (i use this!), and here’s an article about working out without equipment. please try to do something. you will feel so much less greasy, even if all you do is stretch and walk around a bit before showering. 

-bake some things! bread is yummy and a classic but unless you’re used to it, it probably won’t work out how you want it to. that doesn’t stop me from trying tho! kneading and mixing are both good ways to get your stress out. i’ve been compulsively making snickerdoodles, too. @butchhousewife has almost a whole blog full of vegetarian recipes that you can browse through.

-waste your time with phone games, too. games aren’t limited to computers and consoles! i bet you thought phone games were just mindless things you did to kill time. well, you thought RIGHT but ALSO WRONG. my favorites are adorable home, seabeard, good pizza great pizza, and dadish. also, download an nds (i use this one. i think it’s like $7 but you can play ace attorney and animal crossing. think of how much those would cost normally) and a gameboy emulator while you’re at it and nab some ROMS. remember, it’s not piracy because these games aren’t available anymore and also fuck capitalism. 

-write fanfiction. idc if you write all the time of if it’s been years or if you’re a “shit writer” i literally Do Not Care. find something a concept you love (50s diners. sitting on roofs and stargazing. lazy mornings with a girl you love.) and write abt the characters you love. post it on AO3 because lets be honest, wattpad is a biiit trash. 

-the useless web. 

-try to stay connected with your friends! this might seem dumb but believe me, we’re social creatures. these next few weeks without any touch are going to SUCK. do what it takes. snap them. facetime. even just a good morning text. maybe get more creative! watch movies together with kast (the rabbit replacement? idk tell me how it works) and videos with rave, play some co-op stardew valley, or new horizons when it comes out. without is an app for long-distance couples, but now ALL couples are long-distance because you can’t leave your house! also whatever the fuck touchroom is. it seems cute. 

-practice all that self-care you never had the time for. clean your room (@unfuckyourhabitat has some tips here). take a bath (or, if you don’t have a bath, sit on the floor of your shower and pretend you are anywhere else). masturbate. online underwear window shop (meundies, adoreme, and aeire are some of my favs) just for the excuse to look at happy women in fancy bras. make yourself some kind of meal and drink water. sit naked in front of a mirror and compliment what you see (or work up to that! you’ve got time).  remember that these weeks will be hard. do your best.

-read!. if you’ve got a stockpile of books-i-need-to-read GREAT. read them. otherwise, read this lesbian erotica that is inexplicably also a cosmopolitan article, or this article about lesbians and also hands. or ebooks on any of these free book websites. or fanfiction (again, linking ao3 because wattpad embodies all the worst parts of my life). if audio is more your thing, this is an article with links to free audiobooks. or try podcasts! i’m a huge proponent of the gay ones. try wtnv, the penumbra podcast, the magnus archives, and wolf 359.

-bonus! likely you will have things you need to do while quarentined, whether it’s homework, things for work, or just brushing your teeth and showering. habitica is a free productivity game that rewards you for finishing those tasks! it’s super cute and it works. 

[slinkyskink]

15 21 27 43 44

15. Do you like to talk about your OCs with other people?

Oh hell yeah! I love when people are interested in what I hace to share about my ocs, I feel bad when Idk what to share or if my ocs aren’t developed enough but yknow I love talkin’!

21. Your most artistic OC

If we’re talking visual arts only, Jason definitely has a knack for art, he’s incredible at different mediums of art. Which is hilarious because his boyfriend Klark really adores studying the arts. He tends to specialize in abstract art, or art centered around scenery, but even that can be abstract and vague. He does not like drawing people, the only time he’ll draw something realistically is for a tattoo, but even then he doesn’t do those anymore, lost the passion for it.

27. Any OCs that were inspired by a certain song?

Yep! Only one however, that would be Indigo! He was inspired by Shawn Wasabi’s Otter Pop! It’s easy to remember his creation date since I made the design in Tomodachi Life shortly after! It was mostly the animal, I heard the line floatin’ on flamingos and fucking went for it.

43. Do you have any certain type when you create your OCs? Do you tend to favour some certain traits or looks? It’s time to confess

Oh sweet jesus, I do enjoy drawing characters with fluffy/wavy hair, I really should try other types but, y’know. I tend to like creating taller ocs and designs, as well I’ve started to enjoy drawing more stronger body types, so quite a few of my ocs are fit. Also I love bangs that swoop to one side on my designs. As for character tropes/types, I really just love dumb of ass, kind of heart, also all my ocs are touch starved fuck you

44. Something you like about your OCs in general

Humn, thus is hard? like, not in a i dont like anything abt my ocs, more like i might go off track bc i start rambling too much. But i do just, really adore the world ive built, and how different people interact with eachother, i lovebthe various types of relationships ive made with my ocs (minus any involving my antag lmao) and i just care for them deeply, I’m proud of myself of creating such a lovely group and I’m proud of myself for not giving up on them. I’m glad they’re half animal honestly. I was afraid to share them bc I got the idea that half animal ocs were bland, tired, and automatically bad when cringe culture was a thing, but I’m happy I realized that cringe culture is stupid and I do what I want!

[gontagokuhara]

you should tell us abt ur fangan kids!

ive been meaning to answer this but itz long so i wanted to put it under a cut!!

hibiki (he/they) is the ultimate demolitionist! i cant draw but his design and whole aesthetic is literally just. minecraft creepercore. they’re 4′10″, they wear full-eye black contacts bc Crepper Aesthetic, and he just. likes to blow shit up. he’s the rival in my group killing game and i love him SO much

yuri (he/him) is 100% my kinnie oc as the ultimate camp counselor. despite being very good at what he does (duh), he hates it. the responsibility of having to maintain the fun and safety of a bunch of kids is shaving years off his lifespan. and, amazingly for him, he immediately gets assigned Group Dad against his will during the killing game. he also carries at least four fanny packs at all times, each containing snacks and capri suns, first aid supplies, arts and craft supplies, and a fucking tazer (which he usually threatens to use against hibiki). 

kimi (she/her) is the ultimate candy maker! her entire aesthetic is cotton candy, in which her hair is dyed blue and pink, she likes soft, puffy clothing, and she’s just a really sweet (ha) person in general! she gets along with most all of her classmates bar a few. she has lesbian disease also

miyah (she/her) is the ultimate witch, which sounds really cool, until she opens her mouth and you realize she’s the crystal-wielding, essential oil-drinking, anti vax queen you were warned about. she’s very sweet and very soft spoken, and genuinely tries to be kind to everyone, but she’s very much a you love her or hate her kind of personality.

koya (they/them) is the ultimate swashbuckler! swashbucklers are a hero archetype defined by flamboyant movement, sword-wielding, chivalry, and daring adventures. koya is a sea-faring spirit, and they fill their time in the killing game enthralling the others with stories of grandeur and convincing all of their classmates that they are a legit pirate. koya is a liar, they exaggerate…a lot, but their intentions are not malicious and their tales just come out a bit more romantic than they actually happened. they’re very charming and laid back, and they’re definitely the sort of heartthrob character that everyone wants to smooch. 

chieko (they/them) is the ultimate girl gang leader, and they are also ultimate lesbian. they’re sort of isolated from the rest of the group due to their talent being considered scary, and their very intense and intimidating appearance and personality. they’re major concern is to escape the killing game and find their way back to their girls (they say as much, which makes everyone VERY suspicious!) but they wouldnt hurt anyone and they end up becoming best friends with yuri and masako (who i’ve lovingly dubbed the parent squad of this class)

speaking of masako (she/they), she is the ultimate investigative journalist, and this killing game’s trial helper! she is very well traveled, and takes what she does very seriously. they are completely and utterly devoted to the truth, good or bad, they will find the truth. they absolutely detest koya for this reason; even little lies absolutely grind masako’s gears. she also is very distrustful, and she doesn’t trust anyone at the onset of the killing game. it takes her a long time to warm up enough to the protag to share her findings during investigations, and she often comes across as somewhat of a rival during trials due to her critical nature and the way she very blatantly does not trust those around her. nevertheless, later on she is (against her will) forced into the Parent Squad with chieko and yuri, and though she doesn’t trust anyone else, she will do everything in her power to keep more killings from happening. 

daichi (he/him) is the ultimate superhero, and he was the first dr oc i actually made!! he’s very much a pretty boy (fluffy blonde hair, pink eyes, freckles, he’s just Cute) and he and hibiki start dating during the killing game! he’s sort of a bastard and won’t give anyone a straight answer on what his superpowers actually are, but despite his kind, cheeky nature, he feels a deep sense of responsibility and guilt over not being able to do anything about the killing game. he is one of the more likely people to go snooping for the mastermind, and he’s gotten in physical fights more than once with people he deems suspicious. 

hirohito (he/him) is the ultimate joggler and he’s the greatest character of all time. what is joggling, you ask? don’t worry, he’ll tell you. i came across this while looking for talent ideas, and i laughed so hard i cried when i conceptualized this fiend. he’s very much the token joke character, he’s a hot head, and he’s kind of a dick, but the idea of hope’s peak allowing the ultimate person who can juggle and jog at the same time into their doors is just too hilarious to pass up. protag joggler 4 life

speaking of people who are kind of dicks, meet yuuto (he/him), the ultimate dancer. he’s such a hot head. he hates the most of his classmates out of any other character, including the mastermind. he’s dating the protag, who is one of like…four people he actually likes in his class. yuuto takes his talent very seriously, and spends hours every day working to maintain his status as the best of the best. his talent comes before everything else (or, at least, it did), but if his talent comes first, then the people he cares about take up every other place on the list. he doesn’t tolerate many people, but those he does, he is fiercely loyal towards. he would kill and die for the people he cares about. he is 5′2″ of pure kickass, and he will throw everything he has into defending the people he loves. i lvoe him.

michiko (she/her) is the ultimate influencer (yeah. i know). she’s an internet personality who has followings on instagram, twitter, youtube, tiktok, et cetera. she is also one of my earlier oc designs, and i’m kind of attached to her lol. she’s very naturally magnetic and has a lot of friends among her classmates, but she does have a tendency to get hung up on things like follower counts, conventional beauty, and wealth. she has a huge (mutual!) crush on koya, she’s best friends with hibiki, and she has an intense fear of swimming pools (her hair is dyed, and chlorine is way bad for dyed hair)

leeanne (she/her) is the only non-japanese character, and i. she’s a mess. she’s the ultimate theatre kid, and she’s basically every broadway tumblr user when h*milton was super popular. she complains about musical bootlegs, becries her classmates for not knowing anything about the musicals she stans, and she’s just. lord. obviously she’s a joke character, and she’s honestly a caricature of the kind of shit i got up to (to a degree! don’t call me out sdkjdsjbd) when i was 15 years old. suffice to say, none of her classmates like her very much

tomoya (he/him) is the obligatory ultimate ???, and also our trial ruiner! he earns the distrust of his entire class by keeping his talent a secret and then having it revealed by masako, and as a result he is very outcasted and lonely among his peers. he’s a naturally very reserved person, and his situation lends him to feeling very lonely. most of the class suspect him to be the mastermind – whether they’re right or not, only time will tell. 

katsumi (she/her) is 1/3 of what i’ve dubbed the Showbiz Squad as the ultimate pageant queen! she’s been participating in and winning beauty pageants since she was very young, and she’s won all the way up through the pageant ranks. as one would expect she’s very beautiful, and she’s also very bright and charismatic, which lends itself well to gaining allies in the killing game. she is by and large very fake, though, and she operates as a mini antagonist for various reasons. 

hikaru (he/him) is another third of the Showbiz Squad, as the ultimate game show host! he’s very ostentatious and charismatic; he’s always ‘on,’ always playing the gracious, enthusiastic host. there’s always a smile and a flashy, charming quip in his mouth, so he can wear very gratingly on the less enthusiastic and personable kids. he definitely would be a tumblr sexyman if he were an actual dr character {sweating emoji]. despite the crowd he seems to gather wherever he goes, no one knows much about him; and he likes to keep it that way. 

and finally, the last third of the Showbiz Squad, and also the protagonist: hachi (he/they), the ultimate child star! as their talent would indicate, hachi was a child star, and he absolutely detests the showbusiness world as a result. he really dislike pretty much…everyone who represents that part of his past (katsumi, hikaru, and michiko are prime examples) and his least favorite thing is getting the question: “omg where you in ___?” they’re very emotionally and physically fatigued by all the bullshit going on around them, so they come across as fairly apathetic to most people. but in actuality, hachi is someone who craves stability and kindness, and their extremely blunt, extremely annoyed exterior hides a very soft, compassionate interior. i absolutely adore this character :D

and umm thats it for my kids! i (for the most part?) have all of the killers/victims worked out, i have my mastermind all planned, but i’m still working on a setting/obligatory extra mono-creature/how this group falls within the dr canon. i love talking about these guys so if ur interest in them pwease send me asks/messages about them 🥺

[flying-elliska]

Hi Ellie! I really don’t want to bother you with these things while you’re on your vacation, but you really seem to have a nice understanding of it and I kind of wanted to read what you think. I’ve read so many things about how creating art can be great for mental health. I’m at a point in my depression in which I can tell I need something like that to pour my thoughts into like painting or writing and the idea excites me, but I don’t have the mental energy to do it. How do you handle this?

Hey dear anon ! Those types of questions never bother me don't worry, even tho I might sometimes take a little time answering but I'm having a bit of a solitary time out today so here goes.

I think this is a very important question ; I don't have a clear cut answer though, this is also something I often struggle with. But here are a few considerations :

- First of all, are you blocking yourself with stuff like perfectionism, super high expectations of yourself/what 'art' should be ? Because that can be a huge drain. I think it's important to offset that by taking a 'playground' approach. Or whatever works. And think that whatever you manage to do, it's always better than the blank page. It's training, and it's a healing process. Don't be afraid to try stuff, stop if you're not into it anymore, and see it all as a beautiful process...and to try to have fun, even if it feels silly at first.

- Another thing : mental illness can often create this void in your brain and life, where you close yourself off and creating only from your inner miasma can be so painful. So I think it's important to know what feeds and recharges you creatively ; what spurs your need to create in an easy, fun way. These are going to be times where you're not actively creating and yet, you're still working on it. For me it's stuff like walking in the woods, finding myself in foreign places, modern art exhibitions, reading fun and fast fantasy YA and social science articles, and simply good music...but I think everyone has their own. Stuff that makes you excited to create, and curious about the world.

- So yeah, also don't be afraid to be a little derivative. Find your role models and copy them a little (not directly and for profit of course lol) - write fanfic or meta, try to imitate a certain style...I find this is a good way to let go of your fears and ego and let yourself be guided by the genius of others. It can be very freeing and fun. And maybe you understand more why they did this or that in that way. And learn a lot about yr own voice.

- Just do the fun parts. Know what they are for you and when you are feeling down, skip to them. I write fanfic abt lawyers without researching much about the legal system lol bc it annoys me. I sketch too without really bothering about clean up. You can be picky or harsh w yourself another day. I didn't come up w this but I think it's also important to let yrself create shitty things and see it as part of the process. And on days where you are really not feeling it consider the easiest possible ways of doing stuff like doodling on a page, making collages, or speaking into yr dictaphone app. It's important to take breaks also of course.

- Another key thing is to start considering creating as part of your mental health routine and self-care. For me I know keeping a diary is essential, otherwise I go all antsy. I've been trying out to write more letters to vent about my emotions and tearing them up too. I know drawing works wonders for a lot of people. You can say this may not be art but actually I really practiced my (self) observation skills, ability to describe emotions, I found interesting metaphors and ideas...but also I think to create you need a sort of...flow of emotions, and familiarity with them. Even the ugly parts. I think creating requires a sort of radical (self) acceptance, so you can truly see yrself and others without wanting to set everything on fire.

- I find it really helps to find other people who are into creating the same type of stuff as you and are creative in general and make them into "accomplices" - I have a friend who is super into making zines so I've been working on one of my own, I found sb to write fic with, a really good beta, someone who loves to go to museums as much as me....that gives me extra energy when I'm lacking.

- Become more observant of real life around you. Watch ppl, listen how they talk. Observe how light falls. The patterns of nature. Try to notice new smells, new sounds, new tastes, little details (this is also a good exercise to deal w anxiety/dissociation tbh). Think about what they imply. Become a sort of poetic detective. Try to find new metaphors. Practice mindful openness, but also sharpen your skills, and decide what place to give what you perceive.

- Also I'm finding the "try to do sth for 10 min" thing is really useful. Sometimes I think I'm tired as in "I don't have the energy" but really I'm tired in a "I have an emotional block and I'm letting it sit on me" way. So having this idea of just starting sth for 10 min, often I find it liberates me and then I want to keep going. And if I really don't feel it I stop but having tried does give me a good feeling.

- Finally I think it's just...fall in love w yr own creative process. Your characters, the story you love, the things you want to depict, the irrepressible need that drives you...your own "symbolic culture". To get a bit woowoo for a minute I really believe that we all have this sort of...unconscious cauldron of creative stuff in our deepest selves, made of memories and experiences and core questions and sensory memory-triggers and fears and hopes and thought patterns and stories. It's always shifting but the more we engage w it and feed it the more rich it becomes. You can do stuff like write down your dreams, think about what your favorite characters have in common, try to do creative meditation, freewrite/doodle, go on "creative dates" w yrself ala Julia Cameron...and whenever it responds I think you'll know. It always gives me this feeling of...groundedness, satisfaction, but also openness to mystery and a powerful urge to create.

Anyway I hope you find your own ways to make. Pls feel free to tell me how it goes, and good luck 🧡💛💖💛🧡💖

[franeridart]

Oh man, I'm just imagining that there's so many close brushes with kiribaku almost realizing or almost being in positions to find out that the other is a vigilante-- an injury and no way to get into contact with Jack or Mina-- a rainstorm washing Kiri's dye away on the job. I think it'd be especially funny if he thought for a minute that Kiri was bleeding but then Kiri is like "UH GOTTA GO ITS NOT BLOOD" and he realizes it's red hair dye

Oh Kirishima sort of already suspects it’s Bakugou - more or less? He’s in the process of starting to suspect it, at least lol for being someone who really doesn’t want to be found out Bakugou’s more carefree in his disguise than Kirishima is (his hair is a pretty obvious giveaway, for example, thought Bakugou relies a lot on the ‘attacking and running’ strategy, so in his mind all he gotta do is just not be seen by anyone at all lol) compared to Kiri he gets bruised and beaten up way more too (Kiri’s hardening makes it easy for him to avoid that in general) - Kiri’s noticing Bakugou’s bruises and his vigilante friend’s bruises match up a whole damn lot, so he’s starting to figure that one out

Bakugou’s a dumbass tho (read: he doesn’t really look at people he isn’t particularly interested in) so for him it’s gonna take a while haha

Anon said: If in vigilantes au Bakugou and jirou are just friends why do they live together and hug like a couple?

They’re best friends, and sometimes when your best friend is going through a real rough heartbreak and he’s in literal tears over it, you might be nice enough to offer your back for him to hide his face in and let him pretend he isn’t currently breaking down on you. Sometimes, you like a person in a platonic way enough to emotionally support them as best as you can when they’re at their lowest. It. Sort of happens between best friends, now and again. You don’t really need to want in someone’s pants to care about them.

They live together cause they started working together as vigilantes when they were in high school, and once they moved up to college they found it a good idea to have someone back home who knew about what they were doing to treat eventual wounds, since they can’t go to the hospital! Also the rent is cheaper this way

Anon said:Can you draw more comics of childhood kiribaku? You’re art is sooo cute 💓

It’s something I’ve regularly kept on going back on for years by now, so sure, it’ll probably happen! And thank you!

Anon said:OH MY GOD. Please tell me you will make an official webcomic of your Vigilante AU. It’s so beautiful, cute and I definitely need more of this. It’s like a drug that I did not know I needed until I read your concept(????). BTW, your art is soooo pretty. Thank you so much for drawing KiriBaku ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

Ahhh I’m really happy to hear you like it! For personal reasons I’ve decided that making a cohesive, coherent succession of comics isn’t something I want to do, but I think I’ll draw more of that AU soon enough, snapshots and things like that! I hope that’s good enogh for you~

Anon said:May I request a pissed kiri??

Didn’t I draw that less than 10 posts ago

Anon said:Hey, I rlly admire you! I wish we were friends, you seem rlly nice!!

Thank you!!! The few close friends I have might tell you I’m actually not that great at the whole friends thing, but I appreciate the feeling a lot! :D

Anon said:Were Kirishima’s eyes red in the last panel of the last comic??

Yep :( he really does like Bakugou, after all

Anon said:I saw you answering the other anon and if I may ask, why posting the gem au was a big mistake? Were pol rude with you? If it’s so, I’m sorry abt it

Anon said:You said that posting your SU AU stuff was the biggest mistake you ever made… is it because of something that we, as viewers and worshippers of your KiriBaku (damn, I’ll never stop telling you it’s cute and adorable and it hurts but it’s also sweet), can help NOT doing? Or is there anything we can do?

It’s okay, it just got in the hands of people who don’t particularly like Bakugou, and these people started talking about the AU in less than nice terms, which was honestly pretty ridiculous and made me wonder how people can survive being alive on this earth when they consider Steven Universe sensitive material but either way it brought around in my activities a bunch of people I would have preferred not to interact with ever, and that sort of took the fun out of the AU? Now every time I think about drawing for it those people come back up in my head and I get annoyed all over again, it’s no fun

Anon said:are you still doing the fusion au? id love to see kaminari and shinsou

I’m not, sorry! Though someone did ask about baku and mineta and I’ve been thinking about drawing that horrible monster since then, and I’ve also been wanting to redesign the krbk fusion, so maybe I might get back to it ??? I’ll add shin*kami to the list haha

Anon said:I really like the relationship Jack and Bakugou have, and the angst is nice too! I really like the vigilatne AU! I hope we can see more of it, only if you feel like it of course!

Thank you so much ;;;

Anon said:Silly question. If Kirishima activated his quirk being in water. Would he float like wood, or he’d drown like a rock? >//w//

Oh, I’m pretty sure he’d go down since his quirk makes him into a rock haha

Anon said:I think this is around the eighth anonymous ask I send you, but being a porn-making Tumblr user, it’s better if I don’t go public. I just wanted to say, once again, that I love your KiriBaku, it makes me both ache and feel so warm and fuzzy inside; but right now, the focus is that Bakugou’s crying face against Jack’s back is just so good, expressive and painful. I often hate his guts, but yours I can never hate. And the sheer intensity of that expression, and the environment too… so many feels

Aw, thank you!!! I’m glad I can make you enjoy my fav character, anon :D !!

Anon said:I have a question about the vigilante AU. What’s the relationship between jirou and bakugou? Because they don’t look like just friends

Why don’t they look like just friends tho

Anon said:Hypothetically. How would Bakugou react (or what would he do) if Kirishima stopped showing interest in him?

Are we talking about a specific AU or is this meant for the canon universe? Well, either way I’d say he’d be pretty hurt, but it’s not like he can force Kirishima to like him can he. Ah, in the vigilantes AU he’d probably think it’s for the best even if he’d hurt a lot over it, but in canon and most other AUs I like to think he’d try to fix it somehow? Unless he has other reasons to not act on his feelings for Kirishima… gosh this is a vague question, there are so many possibilities really!

Anon said:🧡Hi Fran! I’m pretty sure you’re the one who introduced this concept to me so I wanted to say thanks! Touch starved Bakugou and super cuddly Bakugou are totally my fave, especially when you have him all curled up with Jirou! Having them be Mina and Kiri level besties makes so much sense and I love you for introducing that thought to me!!!🧡

I’m!!!!!!!!!!! so happy to hear that!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;O;

Anon said:in your vigilante au, Kiri has a scar, does Bakugo ever notice the scar?(curious if it reminds him of Red or nah, love yur art btw~~

When he’s not doing vigilantes work it’s actually hidden by the hair, so Bakugou never noticed! But if he were to notice he’d probably mark it down as a Kiri thing and leave it at that, as I said he’s not the most observant when he’s not particularly interested in someone so he hasn’t really registered it on Red’s face anyway haha

Anon said:I RLLY LOVE YOUR AU!! I haven’t found an AU in this fandom I’m rlly into but THIS IS SOCUTE??? will there be more?

Heck I sure hope so!! Thank you for liking it!!!

Anon said:hey for the anon you were looking for an outrageous ship to draw to test out their theory, try Tokoyami and Link (legend of Zelda link) cuz I just saw cosplayers of them hardcore dancing at dragoncon and I die every time I think about it. You can find a video of it on quirk-registration-office​  

…………………..I’m probably never gonna draw that ngl LMAO BUT this ask made me wanna draw Tokoyami as a Rito so I guess that’s ???? something that might happen instead heck that’s a good concept I should have thought about earlier

Anon said:I absolutely love your art its soon amazing and I really like the vigilantly au but take care of yourself okay

I dunno what I did to make you worry about me but thank you so much for it? I’ll try my best !!!! And thank you for liking my doodles too!!! ;^;

Anon said:Do you know about any fanfics based in your art?? (Idk if that’s grammatically correct sorry 😅)

Hmmmmmmmmmm there are a few but the only one that comes to mind right now is such a funny pair !!! boy ellen’s fics are always so damn amazing, I still can’t believe she wrote for me ;^;

[kenmaiii]

self-care really is just wholeheartedly not giving a fuck about drawing and loving your ocs and absolutely gushing over them like huh....no one really talks about how hard it is to consistently post about your own characters? (whether youre an original artist or a fanartist or in between?) well i mean they do but no one dives into it like... if you arent popular or at a decent popularity level it can be hard to get your ocs out there, whether you draw them all the time and only have a few people who follow and care about your characters, or if you get intimidated all the time posting about your ocs, or revert back to drawing fanart because you know itll get more attention than people liking your characters but heY

WE OUT HERE APPRECIATING THE THINGS THAT WE CREATED MKAY

theres just something so healing about finally saying to yourself ‘hey i love my characters, i designed these idiots; skill level be damned, and im gonna draw abt em,  post about em and talk abt em as much as i want cause it makes me happy and its fun as hell!’ and shit! once you realize that mentality youre absolutely fucking right! youre a god! the shackles of overcaring and being discouraged are OVER

not to mention the raw power of artists that make merch of their own characters and even if no one buys it they still get it for themselves!!! thats how i wanna be!!! your characters on cute little charms and stickers??? wellcrafted cute little plushies?? im gonna slap that shit all over my notebooks and my laptop you better believe it! and if someone asks about them? even bettER FOR ME. (i personally have this thing where i get nervous talking about my own characters? like a dumbass? i need to be more confident in my ideas and overshare to hell! if youre an observant person youll know if you say too much but the person youre talking to will atleast see your love for your craft fhdks) confidence and art kinda go hand in hand and tbh...its a hassle

also canon popular stories are just peoples ocs that really kicked off and blew up anyway! maybe people will get hyped about your characters the more you post! people might even start to ask about them....aint that the dream..

all your favorite animes and mangas....sure the authors made them hoping for popularity but in the beginning they made those stories because they wanted to!!! when they started working on those first chapters you bet your ass they didnt know theyd be getting their own shows, millions of fans, being able to see merchandise of their characters, people d r a w i n g their characters and making their own sub aus, people being casted to V OICE ACT their characters, seeing people COSPLAY THEM?, people being exited to MEET the authors themselves!!!!!! ALL BECAUSE THEY DID WHAT THEY WANTED and thats fucking wild!!!!!!!!

draw aus for your ocs! draw them interacting with canon characters! draw them hanging out with yourself! draw your favorite oc otps if it makes you happy and whole cause by god i feel blessed in this oc chilis 2nite and ill give them the content they desperately deserve

[hyungtop]

Could you do an intro post for vixx like you did for sf9?

so for those of y’all who read my sf9 intro post, i’m sorry bc this is prob gonna be a lot longer I”M SORRY how can you guys ask me to do this for my faves

vixx (synonymous with “concept kings”) stands for “visual, voice, value in excelsis,” which is meant to say that vixx has the best vocals/visuals and all that but after 5 years many people think that the “v” in vixx also stands for violence oops. before debut, they were in a survival show called mydol with a few other trainees. under jellyfish entertainment, vixx debuted may 24, 2012 with the song superhero. since then, vixx have been known as concept-dols because of the way they incorporate themes into their teasers, outfits, mv and go way beyond in terms of expressing these particular concepts.

one thing you have to know about vixx is that they’re relatively popular but somewhat overlooked because they create music and concepts that they are interested in, which don’t necessarily overlap with what the majority of the kpop consumer body wants to see or hear. but they don’t care. they are happy making music and are grateful for all of their fans, no matter how small or big their fanbase is.

(another thing: vixx is literally 80% legs)

vixx’s fanbase name is starlight! starlights are known to be very respectful of the group’s space and privacy and for that reason the members are pretty “close” to us, their fans.

members:

n (cha hakyeon)

born june 30, 1990

main dancer, lead vocalist, leader

is actually perfect: sings, dances, choreographs, acts, cooks and is responsible, caring, hard-working, treats everyone with respect

“mom”

neck chops

chabooty

known for his sexy gaze and charisma onstage

has a very stressful job watching over five hooligans

beautifully tanned skin that he takes very good care of

proudly watches over vixx as they cheat on variety segments during games

kinda insecure abt showing his forehead which sucks bc it is glorious

a makeup genius, as shown on lipstick prince s2

MAGIC HIPS

lead in “in the heights” musical

has acted in web dramas and dramas like sassy go go, what’s with money, tunnel, perfect wife

makes candles in his free time and i believe the profits from what he sells go to charity

has choreographed bits of vixx’s choreography over the years and most recently choreographed “take it out” by myteen

do yourself a favor and watch some n fancams after you finish reading this post

leo (jung taekwoon)

born nov. 10, 1990

main vocalist, composer

mr hot body, resident shoulder gangster and athlete

used to be painfully shy on camera but recently he’s opened up a lot. before he used to give cold stares but now he’s screaming and smiling and laughing

huge soft spot for cute things, mostly babies and animals

powerful vocals

but has a soft, sweet speaking voice

hyuk’s ramen shuttle

yaoi hands

iconic long hair during hyde era

ripped jeans

nicknamed “hamzzi” (hamster) by ravi and it kind of stuck…

but it’s a fitting nickname, leo’s always stuffing his cheeks with food bc food > camera

really really likes coffee

also called the head fairy because he bows his head and shows the top of it when he’s embarrassed

has acted in musicals like full house, monte cristo, mata hari

he used to be vixx’s dad but now he’s more like vixx’s grandpa

wishes for the good old days when hyuk and the rest of vixx used to take him seriously

ken (lee jaehwan)

born april 6, 1992

main vocalist

aegyo king/wink fairy

starlights are his babies

bffs with bts jin and b1a4′s sandeul (@ celebrity bromance where is my 92 grandpa squad episode) and also exid’s hani!!!

hair porn

wiggly butt

an expensive hoe…he has so many shoes and overly expensive casual clothes

proud of his big nose

loves attention from the members

angry gamer

beautiful, goosebump-inducing falsetto

has a dirty mouth and has gotten in trouble for it…but it’s okay(if you watch vixx mtv diary there’s one episode where he starts cussing in english to lose a game)

rising musical actor, starred in chess, cinderella, and hamlet

also acted in the drama boardinghouse 24

loves to draw! he’s had a few “art lesson” vlives and draws the characters for their vixx tv videos

eats everything in sight

but he’s been working really hard and is going around shirtless now (famously dubbed as “having a tits party”)

ravi (kim wonshik)

born feb. 15, 1993

main rapper, lead dancer, vocalist

loves dogs and is a doggy daddy, he has a french bulldog named butt aka ongdongie (don’t go googling “ravi butt” now)

in the top 10 idols with royalties, boi is raking in the $$$$

resident fashionista, looks good in any style and any clothing (and any hair)

currently has 5 tattoos

deeeeeeeeeeeeep voice

seems very manly but is actually the softest and cries the most

knows how to work DEm HIPS

very touchy, especially loves doting on ken

expressive eyebrows

loves his younger sister and wanted to become a bodyguard for her when he grew up

hates bugs holy crap it’s not even a joke he is terrified of them

shy with girls

he’s going to lose his hair at this rate he’s been every single shade of the rainbow and more

professional photobomber/meme

has cute cheekbones that come out when he smiles

is a little bit of a shit to n but we know ravi loves him

debuted as a solo artist in january 2017 with bomb

hongbin

judging since born sept. 29, 1993

vocalist/rapper, visual

savage motherfucker but also smiley cutesy bean who laughs at everything

ravi’s soulmate

signature dimples and toothy smile

very deep but sweet and clear voice

cringe fists when he’s embarrassed

NEEDS MORE LINES

underrates himself and it’s really sad bc he’s way more than just a face if he made it this far

arms and jawline sculpted by the gods

teased for his short legs and baby hands

notable achievement: ranked #7 globally in overwatch for playing hanzo (sorry i don’t know gaming terms)

kind of emotionally constipated. he said he would “follow n anywhere” but mostly just acts like his life’s goal is to be as far away from him as possible

can be kind of mature but automatically turns into a huge dumb when put together with hyuk

well-known for his role as wang chiang in moorim school

recently starred in the drama “wednesdays at 3:30pm” check it out on viki it’s super cute!

hyuk (han sanghyuk)

born july 5, 1995

lead dancer, vocalist, maknae

from daejeon, making him the only member not from seoul

the boss of vixx

a die-hard belieber

used to be terrified of leo but grew 5 inches and muscles and now leo is his punching bag

but honestly everyone is his punching bag…except hongbin

hyuk is hongbin’s prodigy so there’s some obligatory respect there

aspiring songwriter and rapper

potato nose

fiercely competitive

hates aegyo

also a huge gamer nerd with hongbin

once abandoned by 5vixx at a gas station when he was only 16 or 17 and many speculate that this was the beginning of the end of sweet maknae hyuk

the worst cook in vixx, he can’t even fry an egg

always covering his smile

english cover king

very very wild dancer

up and coming actor! he starred in the 2016 film “chasing” as an overly aggressive delinquent with a dirty mouth and has a webdrama coming out in october with apink’s chorong!

list of comebacks and respective concepts:

superhero; may 2012

rock ur body: august 2012

on and on; vampires; april 2013

hyde/gr8u: jekyll/hyde; may/july 2013

voodoo doll: blood and gore warning; november 2013

eternity: time travelers; may 2014

error: androids; november 2014

love equation: probably the most “mainstream” song they’ve done; march 2015

chained up: love slaves; november 2015

dynamite: zelos (jealousy); april 2016

fantasy: hades (death); august 2016

the closer: kratos (destruction); october 2016

shangri la: paradise; may 2017

scentist: perfumers/scent; april 2018

some other non-title tracks that are treasures:

light up the darkness* // spider // love me do* // desperate* // black out

*choreographed by cha leader

vixx lr subunit:

vixx lr consists of leo and ravi. they had a subunit debut in august of 2015 with beautiful liar and more recently came back with whisper in late august 2017. both leo and ravi are heavily involved with song production, with both of them writing lyrics and composing for tracks on these albums.

beautiful liar

whisper

words to say

feeling

beautiful night

chocolatier

important videos:

plan v diary

only u

this iconic hyde performance I’M SORRY

stress come on!

blossom tears

one fine day (subbed episodes here)

bingo talk

white day // bloopers

ask in a box 1 2

king of masked singer n leo ken

asia where vixx loves

star 360 1 2

ken on duet song festival

i want to fall in love

don’t go today

moon of seoul

hyuk’s covers

call you mine

love yourself

photograph

hug (original)

ships: most of the ship names are pretty easy to figure out. the most popular ones are probably wontaek (leo/ravi), neo, keo, raken/kenvi, rabin, luck (leo/hyuk), chabin (n/hongbin).

i hope this helps! let me know if any of the links are funky :)

[convocations]

doya have any advice for ppl who wanna make like, oc wc comic too??? like, im worried people wont take it seriously bc its, fictional cats i made up in someone elses world??

ok so! heres what i have found since ive started this comic

people dont care that much that theyre cats or that its springboarded off of warriors. depending on what youre marketing yourself for, your wc oc comic could mean different things

im an animation student (or, starting this fall anyway lol) so i’ll be talking this from an animators perspective

ive had my portfolio reviewed several times, and every time i include my favorite convocations pages and talk about it with the person looking at my work. people REALLY love seeing it. and they like it for a few reasons

the obvious one being that ive made up my own characters and plot and everything, and im putting it to work. i dont tell people that its a story based off of the warriors universe unless prompted, but even then people dont seem to mind. would it be better that this was 100% my own thought? of course. but people are still impressed that im able to make any kind of story at all. since im an animator, being able to create stories is really important, and making a comic shows a level of understanding of sequential art as well as making character designs that can be effectively used in an art format. (think: drawing for animation vs drawing for illustration. you need to have a design that be useful for your medium)

my comic has been running for a Long time. (2 years this sunday!! wooo!) and the fact that i can say “my comic has been updating for twice a week for two years” is really helpful. one of the biggest pluses that my comic has given me is that people can tell that i can be dedicated to a project and that im a hard worker. making a comic, especially the same comic for so long, isnt easy, and people understand that

strong character designs, even if its all cats, say a lot. showing off how different all my characters look gets a lot of admiration from others. online, its always one of the first things people compliment me on with my art, and even in portfolio reviews, i get the same thing. were all drawn to looking at characters first, so u gotta make sure those first impressions on them count

SORRY I KINDA WENT OFF HERE BUT MY POINT IS.... ITS OKAY IF U MAKE YR FICTIONAL CATS WARRIORS COMIC. people in the art world find meaning in it and will see all of the work you put into it. maybe people outside of the art world will think its silly, but your Art Peers wont

(and if youre anxious about getting looked at as “they only draw cats!” make sure to include human art in a portfolio or something... i had very little cartoon humans, but several figure and life studies and never got smacked with the “animal artist” label hehe)

i kinda assumed u meant this in a professional-ish setting since youre trying to make sure people are impressed... srry if this doesnt apply to you fjghfdjghd this is just what my life is

and if youre worried abt being taken seriously online: animal artists and warriors fans are under every floorboard, you wont have any problem being accepted online

[nofomoartworld]

Hyperallergic: A Revived 1920s Ballet Will Be a Surreal Confection of Candy and Kitsch

Betsy McBride as Swirl Girl in Whipped Cream (photo by Ruven Afanador; images courtesy of American Ballet Theatre)

A Gibson girl with a perfectly coiffed Vidal Sassoon bob wearing a ballgown made of slabs of meat and sausage links; a wide-eyed, silver-haired, childlike waif half submerged in a body of water containing amoebas, protozoa, body parts, and a foetus; Amanda Seyfried as a lady with ermine (in this case, it’s a dead cat) and Katy Perry posing like Titian’s Venus in a “Garden of Earthly Delights” settings — these are just a few examples of the works of pop-surrealist painter Mark Ryden, who, in his 30-year career, brought the lowbrow art movement out of the underground circuit of Southern California and into the mainstream.

So when American Ballet Theatre’s choreographer and artist-in-residence Alexei Ratmansky and artistic director Kevin McKenzie decided to revive Richard Strauss’s surrealist and saccharine ballet Whipped Cream (called Schlagobers when it was originally performed in Vienna in 1924), Ryden was the ideal candidate to create the set and costumes. The libretto features a boy who just received his confirmation venturing into a pastry shop and overdosing on sugar. His excesses cause him to hallucinate, and his delirium takes the shape of a massive whirl of whipped cream emerging from an outsized bowl. He then finds himself at the hospital under the ministration of doctors and begs to be saved by Princess Praline, Princess Tea Flower, and Prince Coffee. Liquors, who are also part of this royal contingent, seduce the medical staff into a drunken stupor, and the ballet ends with an apotheosis of sweets — the original also contains a riot of lowly pastries pacified by vats of beer.

Sketch courtesy of Mark Ryden

Ryden joins a rich tradition of surrealists dabbling in theater work: Salvador Dalí worked on a production of Le Tristan Fou, Dorothy Tanning did the costumes for Balanchine’s The Night Shadow, and Ernst and Miró worked on Diaghilev’s Romeo et Juliette, just to name a few.

This is a first for Ryden, who had no previous experience with theater design save for the dioramas in his “Gay 90s” series, which came with backdrops, stagings, props, costumes, and even miniature light switches. For Whipped Cream, he worked with costume designer Holly Hynes and set designer Camellia Koo, who translated his artwork into sets, props, and danceable gear. “I could never have begun to do this project without their experience and expertise to back up my complete lack of experience and knowledge,” he told Hyperallergic, with more than a hint of modesty. Hynes, who has designed costumes for five American Ballet Theatre productions, was careful to stay true to Ryden’s art and not getting caught up in the theatricality that is part of designing for the stage. To her, the experience was akin to being a midwife. “Mark did all the work making the baby,” she told Hyperallergic, “I just [helped] him birth it.”

In order to avoid undue influence, he didn’t extensively research Ada Nigrin’s original costumes for the Strauss production, which stand out for their elaborate Art Deco elements. Instead, he went straight to the source: “The first thing I did when this project came up was to get a CD of the music,” he said. “The music is wonderful… It contains such a great variety of feelings and moods, from exciting marches to very dreamy ethereal passages. It was fun to listen in the dark and imagine what might be on stage.”

Scenery being produced (image ©Joanna Ebenstein/Cernunnos)

What he imagined was a candy-colored dreamscape paired with his trademark surrealism. Swirl Girl wears a puffy pale pink number that reproduces the swish of icing. Princess Praline (who will be danced by Sarah Lane, Misty Copeland, and Cassandra Trenary) wears a coral-pink tutu with a candy-striped bodice and a matching skirt dotted with white pom-poms meant to represent sugar sprinkles. The costume for Princess Tea Flower (danced by Stella Abrera, Gillian Murphy, Isabella Boylston, and Hee Seo) is more elaborate, in that it reproduces the shape of the tea flower in a realistic fashion: The skirt has rows of olive-green leaves punctuated with blossoms, while the bodice comes with petals that are hand-painted, bedazzled, and face upward. That was Hynes’s favorite item to work on, and the fact that the petals were designed to be positioned that particular way created a unique set of challenges: “When the yoke or basque of the tutu connects to the bodice, we had to but the skirt on top of the bodice, which is the complete opposite of a traditional tutu,” she explained. “I love shaking up tradition, so this was a blast.”

Stella Abrera as Princess Tea Flower in Whipped Cream (photo by Doug Gifford; image courtesy of American Ballet Theatre)

If those costumes seem straightforwardly pretty and cute, that does not apply to all of Ryden’s creations for the production. In fact, for the “Whipped Cream Waltz,” the ensemble number at the end of Act I that Strauss envisioned as a riff on the traditional Ballet Blancs such as the swans in Swan Lake, the wilis in Gisele, or the snowflakes in the Nutcracker, Ryden did not create the expected billowy white tutus. Instead, he looked to Japan’s Zentai fashion, which consists of unitards covering the entire body. “My Whipped Cream ballerinas are a take-off on that theme,” he said. “We added a transparent soft cape made of the most beautiful and fascinating fabric. It is so weightless that it gently moves through the air as if it were made of smoke.”

Mark Ryden’s signature elements are widely present in his artwork for the ballet: The ballerinas are drawn in the style of his wide-eyed waifs; the color pink, from candy-coral to cooler hues, has been used generously in both costumes and sets; the sets themselves feature elaborate trompe l’oeil versions of the moldings and engravings that Ryden favors for the frames of his paintings, and the yak — a big, doll-eyed white beast not unlike the luck dragon in The Neverending Story, to whom Ryden devoted his entire “Snow Yak” series in 2008 — plays an important role in the boy’s hallucination. There are many more of his trademarks, but both Ryden and Koo kept mum about the specifics. “You will just have to come see the show and try to find them all!” said Koo.

Character studies. #abtWhippedCream @abtofficial @segerstromarts

A post shared by Mark Ryden (@markryden) on Mar 10, 2017 at 7:52am PST

#abtWhippedCream @abtofficial @segerstromarts

A post shared by Mark Ryden (@markryden) on Mar 9, 2017 at 10:04am PST

Koo also has words of awe for the production’s builders and scenic artists who were tasked with recapturing Ryden’s painting style. “I do not just mean that they can copy inch for inch Mark’s very detailed final colored artwork,” she said. “It is through their own genius artistry that they really capture Mark’s style and joy and spirit in all of the details, which truly give life and vibrancy to the painted elements of the beautiful world that Mark has created.”

A lowbrow artist is the ideal complement to Whipped Cream, as today’s audiences are more keen to understand the mix of high and low art that puzzled theatergoers and critics during the ballet’s original run. In fact, the production was unanimously panned when it premiered: It was called derivative, banal, derisory, inartistic, of poor taste, and, above all, kitschy. “This whipped-cream morsel is, however, not so easy to digest,” wrote Viennese critic Heinrich Kralik. Perhaps understandably, the ballet’s outsized budget and escapist theme clashed with wartorn 1920s Vienna. “People always expect ideas from me, big things,” Strauss confessed in a letter to his friend Romain Rolland, who won the 1915 Nobel Prize in Literature. “Haven’t I the right, after all, to write what music I please? I cannot bear the tragedy of the present time. I want to create joy, I need it.”

Sketch courtesy of Mark Ryden

While working on his designs, Ryden, a defender of the use of kitsch in art, found himself sharing that mindset. “The use of beauty and joy in art is often judged to be kitsch,” he explained. “I don’t fear the use of kitsch in my art. I believe kitsch is a domain that holds the powerful universal archetypes of the collective consciousness.”

With few productions to date (40 performances in Vienna in the 1920s, a premiere in Breslau, a Vienna Symphony and Volksopera production in 1964, a Milanese reenactment at Teatro Nuovo sponsored by a gelateria in 1989, and a revival at the Gärtnerplatztheater in Munich in late 2014) and such high-profile artistic collaboration, Whipped Cream has the potential, McKenzie reckons, to become a new classic. “Very few people have heard the score, very few people have heard of the tale,” he explains. “So it’s an all new experience. For the people who believe that ballet isn’t necessarily for them, the draw of the artwork, the fact that it is a fantasy tale and it leans ostensibly toward theater [more] than ballet, may produce an entirely new audience.” He sees Whipped Cream as ABT’s own Wizard of Oz. Does this mean Ryden came up with elements as iconic as the yellow brick road, the bedazzled slippers, or the gleaming towers of Emerald City? He is perhaps overly cautious about such enthusiasm. “I guess only time will tell if something in particular stands out and resonates,” he said. “The everlasting endurance of the ruby red slippers is not the kind of thing I feel you can predict or consciously create.”

Sketch courtesy of Mark Ryden

American Ballet Theatre’s Whipped Cream will be performed at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts (600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, California) from March 15 to March 19. A New York run at the Metropolitan Opera House (30 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York) will follow from May 22 to July 1.

The Art of Whipped Cream will be shown at Paul Kasmin Gallery (515 W 27th St), opening May 20.

The post A Revived 1920s Ballet Will Be a Surreal Confection of Candy and Kitsch appeared first on Hyperallergic.

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