#ngl it was fun anatomy exercise as well

[dgdraws]

My art year in review!

I learned so much this year and made a ton of cool stuff! These are my favorites from each month, but it was so hard to choose. A lot of stuff didn't even get posted--I'll be sure to at least post the ones that made it to this list!

It's amazing to see how much I've changed and learned over this year, and to see the things that are emerging as part of "my style."

Here's to another year of delight, creation, connection and fun!

Some monthly reflections beneath the cut, but here's the highlights:

I participated in 3 art challenges, Artfight, OC-tober and Huevember.

I made fanart for the first time!

I created a piece I conceived of before I started drawing

Made some big breakthroughs in techniques and skills in April, July and November

January: My first branch into full character design, Rodd is the culmination of training on Hero Forge renders to make dnd portraits! I was doing this cool thing with neon rim lighting, I should bring that back!

February: I saw a piece on here with this amazing glowing effect, so I color picked it and experimented to figure out what relationship between the colors was making it do that! The answer was saturation. This rose is meant to be glowing from within, and I think I did a good job for my knowledge level at the time! As Chuck Tingle would tell us, it's beautiful because only I could have made it in that moment on the timeline.

March: I spent a million years on every detail of this one, it has at least 5 clipping overlay/saturation layers for lighting, multiple line work groups and I want to rework that background but! I never felt more accomplished than I did when I finished this one. I learned a lot, especially about things I could skip or simplify. And the symbolism really pops off ngl

April: I read Gideon the Ninth for the first time this month and I immediately needed to draw Jeannemary Chatur, Cavalier of the Fourth House, the worst teen to do it. She's the first fanart I ever made and posted! I also discovered a new pen tool with this one, which CHANGED THE GAME.

May: This one is an idea I had written down before I ever picked up the tablet and stylus. I thought I might commission someone to make it, the image of it came to me so clearly during our VTM session I just had to make it real somehow. Well I did it! This is one I will come back to redraw in like 5 years bc I love the concept so much. Also rife with symbolism and inside nods to the Low Kings.

June: I made a bunch of ref sheets in the run-up to Artfight in July. Caleb hadn't even been in my plans to upload, but I had time and inspiration! I will be uploading this and a few more of him <3

July: This is one of my faves from Artfight! This character is Blueberry, by way of OrchidEatsBread on artfight. I have still never played... rainworld? But I love me a slug cat. In July I drew a TON of people, it really drilled anatomy basics into me and how to get clothes looking like actual clothes a bit more. Also solidified some things I would consider "my style" at the moment, like no irises, and my approach to noses and mouths and fingers!

August: Another fanart for the Locked Tomb series, I never posted this!!! Will be rectifying that soon.

September: I got really into javascript and css this month, and I made this to be a landing page image on my neocities website XD I'll get back around to that eventually...

October: At the last minute, I discovered OC-tober and the prompts from @/bweirdart, a worthy follow up to the rush of Artfight two months previous. I developed so much stuff for the Low Kings, including this drawing/character, Amayah/Girl-Z, who has been a figment of my pintrest board for 2+ years.

Huevember: Chasing that OC-tober high, I found Huevember! I did not expect to actually do every day, but it proved to be an amazing exercise! I learned so, so much about color, discovered amazing new brushes and techniques and found I really enjoy working in those one day capsules! I loved a lot of the stuff that came out of this month, including my highest note post ever!!!, but this one is still my phone background and I'm maybe developing an OC world around it. We'll see what happens in 2024.

December: I got hit HARD with the writing bug this month, so this was my only choice for this month but I WOULDA CHOSEN IT ANYWAY. I unlocked something here that I'm really excited to visit again, in fact I'm working on a companion piece rn! This is also fanart btw, prepare for me to get even weirder about this guy in the coming months.

If you've read this far, thank you so much! I have so much fun writing these little reflections and making my posts on here.

xoxo, wren

[shuuenka]

many wild alcale doodles folder: Trapeze artist! Alberu x young noble Cale (The Greatest Showman AU)

might as well pour out all of this au brainrot. warning for incohesive ramblings. 

So actually the one who acquired circus was Choi Jung Soo while his friends Cale Henituse and Lee Soo Hyuk were away. He quickly realizes he can't deal with this alone so he goes to Cale, his best friend naturally. 

Cale is in state of shock as of "CJS r u dumb or r u dumb???", because what disasterous fanacial decision is that? Cale is young noble from Henituse family (they are rich, but not lcf canon rich). 

CJS is begging Cale to join and help as a partner. Cale is like "no.", but he at least promises to visit the circus and help out financialy if its really bad. (ngl he's tsundere he would join anyways). When visiting the circus he meets various folks, and lo and behold, stumbles into Alberu during his practice *cue slow-mo shot*

Cale has a full on crush mode, because have you seen this guy??? 

CJS is surprised as to why Cale suddenly accepts his offer as being a partner, but won't complain. 

When LHS comes back from his trip, he is terrified by his juniors business endeavor.

LHS: i would expect this from CJS, but you too Cale???? 

meanwhile Cale is busy checking out very nice muscles. 

LHS: ...i see.

Alberu is new a hire, has been there for like a week, along with his friend, magican Rosalyn, and his aunt make up artist, Tasha. 

He actually negotiated highest paygrade from CJS, thanks to his scammer smile, but this guy knows whats he's worth ok?  

Cale flipped over when he saw how much CJS promised to pay him and decided to confront this guy about it, but during their convo he quickly realizes that they both try to outscam each other, so that fails and they have a moment of ''mkay that wont work on this guy.'' 

but it's ok, after negotiations Alberu’s pay gets somewhat more reasonable but at the same time Cale has already decided to make Alver a star of the circus, so the pay will go up anyways so. win-win.

Cale absolutely hates being a showrunner, but will do that if CJS can't, he's taking care of the business and money, plus helpes out to manage the programme of performances. CJS is the showman. LSH is helping out where he can, and in the end recognizes that they actually onto something with that circus business

Cale also quickly realizes that Alberu is beauty + brains package, and if at the beginning he had a *a crush*, now he's total (not so hidden) simp mode. Also if you though only Cale is pining, you're wrong. They're both pining idiots. Everyone and thier mother can see it.

They just have good pokerfaces (or so they think...) and there's definitely a betting pool between other circus folks of "when" not if; started by Rosalyn.

(LHS seeeng them fliriting-not-flirting in main area: right in front of my paperwork???)

Cale likes to make Alberu flustered - but joke's on him, Alberu can do that too and with twice as much intensity

Alberu absolutely wears make up for performances, like golden or red eyeliners, and he makes it work!! cue some make outs before performances (make up artist tasha atp is caling cale a demon and telling him to stay away and not mess up Alberu’s make up or so help her gods)

when they get together you bet Cale would randomly walk up in the middle of Alberu practice to get some upside down aerial kisses. he also claims he doesnt want to be lifted. its a lie and Alberu capitalizes on that a lot. 

[the-space-case]

I don't quite remember but I think you've gone to art college -I could be wrong- but what kind of information could you give someone like me who's about to start college in 3 weeks?

well i didn’t go to a college specifically for art--i went to a community college and a general university.

(art college is next semester, assuming everything goes right with the loans and shit)

but uuuuh assuming youve already gone through all that student loan shit and you have your classes and stuff i just have a bit of general tips for ya;

1.) dont buy your textbooks right away. chances are you might not even need them. if its expensive, see if you can rent it for a cheaper price OR split the cost with a friend/classmate and share. or google for a free one u never know. see if someone you know already has it etc etc

2.) Check your school email frequently. you prof will typically let you know about sudden class cancellations and your school will send you a bunch of stuff that may or may not be garbage sprinkled amongst what are probably important documents.

3.) join a club. college is boring af by yourself.

4.) stay on top of assignments. it piles up fast. make specific slots in each day for classwork and do as much as you can as you get it to prevent being overwhelmed/burnout.

5.) the first semester of your college career is, 9/10 times, fuckin awful. ngl i had a 1.9 gpa my first semester but my latest one i made the deans list so just?? keep chugging bro. they call the gen eds knockout classes for a reason. keep going.

6.) if you are in an art program/school, check to see if the art department will pay for some/comp of your supplies. my last college did this, but they DIDN’T FUCKIN TELL YOU UNTIL YOU WERE ALMOST DONE WITH YOUR DEGREE. look before you leap art supplies are pricey. [can u tell how much i hate my last college]

7.) stay busy. visit friends, check out coffee shops, avoid existential dread. dont spend all your time inside studying your ass off and not having fun. youll be drained to death. college should be part technical education part growing as a person. have new experiences. meet new people. go to an art museum. go to off-campus lectures/events. 

8.) actually talk to your student advisor about classes and stuff. This is, again, me hating the fuck out of my previous college, but they didn’t tell you about specific classes because they fucked over the scheduling process, so i missed out on some fun/interesting classes. talk to ur advisor for that good shit/deets/saving ca$h for a more streamlined schedule.

9.) look for scholarships/work-study programs. theres a lot out there. most of them might not apply for u, but even a small amount can save loads later (assuming ur college is expensive af. idk ur life.)

10.) this is mostly for art shit: do a lot of gesture drawings, practice human anatomy sketches/observations, draw what you’re bad at to get....not bad at it, exercise your wrist to build strength and avoid carpal tunnel, and don’t be afraid to experiment with mediums/style. this is your time to double down on furthering your craft without interruption. don’t be afraid to draw in ink or paint with carrots man just fuckin go for it.