#ofravensandgenesis's art

[ofravensandgenesis]

Entry 02. John Seed, A Study in Scarlet. Experimenting with pencil textures and limited color palettes, was testing to see if I can just scribble and not feel the compulsive need to clean the piece up into a more finished piece in CSP. This appears to be a rousing success, I’m fine with this piece staying as is, and admittedly it is largely unreferenced aside from checking what John’s face looks like. This is how I learned that I’ve not payed much attention to how low John’s shirt is actually opened to. The lad has a plunging neckline in-game with how many buttons on his shirt are open and how low his vest is honestly, and I had no idea. x’D That’s why we can’t see much of the bunker key or his sloth scar in the above picture when I went to look at a pic of the scar font—the shirt’s closed too high in addition to having drawn a higher vest unfortunately, and I don’t feel like redrawing a sketch. x’D This was meant to be stress-free and just something I’m able to whip out in a day. I think it came out quite nicely all things considering. :D ♥

[undead-gearhead]

Downtime for the best boy. Referenced from a picture I took of my own Heeler.

Please click for quality bc Tumblr nerfed it!

[chyrstis]

Writing Habits Tag Game

Tagged by @starsandskies! <3 Thank you so much, and boy is this going to expose some fun elements to how I go through things. 

Tagging: @writerofblocks @twistedsinews @guileandgall @painterofhorizons @cobb-vanthss @shallow-gravy @foofygoldfish @fluttyseed @redroci @ma-sulevin @unlikelynick @jackalopestride @geronimo-11 @prometheas @jmcolt @outranks @risenlucifer @tomexraider @lilwritingraven @chichiricatsan @chazz-anova @aceghosts @ofravensandgenesis along with anyone else that’s interested! 

Rules: Bold/color the things that you relate to and then tag some people to play.

I write daily | most days | a few times a week | a few times a month | random

I write most often: when I first get up | later in the morning | afternoon | evening | the wee hours of the night | whenever

In one sitting I tend to write: a few sentences at a time | a few hundred words | a few thousand words | a complete chapter/section matter how long | An outline | whatever comes

I tend to write scenes: in chronological order with no skipping | mostly in order but with some filler/skipping | whatever scene I feel like | who knows what’s gonna come out????

The things that comes easiest to me are: dialogue (can I just triple-bold this?) | description of senses | description of action | description of characters | exposition | other

I tend to write: on a phone | on a laptop | in a notebook | on whatever paper I can find | with speech to text | in the blood of my enemies | it doesn’t really matter to me | on paper first and then typed up | old school typewriter | On a computer

When I take a break from writing, it usually lasts a few days | a few weeks | a few months | it’s kind of random

My favorite thing to do when I’m on a writing break is: recharge with other creative hobbies | read/ consume other media | do something physical | catch up with old friends | work on my WIP in other ways like with playlists or art | other | play video games | get lost in work (yeah, no)

In general, I think my writing habits are: pretty much what I need them to be | okay, but I’m working on making them better | non-existent | not great :/ | i’m excited to develop them further | totally random | perfect for me

[ofravensandgenesis]

A Cold And Broken Hallelujah Chapter 07: And The Sky Falls In Treason

The new chapter is out on Ao3 linked here, at long last! Mind the trigger warning content in the notes at the top of the chapter as always, ‘tis a dark and stormy chapter we have here on our hands. Many important, heavy, plotty things happening. Can’t ever trust the Bliss really, them’s treacherous waters to navigate at the best of times, and the Reaping’s sure as hell not the best of times now is it. :3

I also got inspired and felt like experimenting with a bit of chapter title word art to go with it. May or may not do this for future chapter announcements, we’re playing it by ear here. Either way, I think these came out quite well, the writing and the art. :D Had a blast doing all of this, hope you’re all doing well in these trying times. Stay safe and well, and have a good one!

[ofravensandgenesis]

IT IS FINISHED no seriously, this took ages. First couple of days were fine and motoring along with progress, then I was laid out for a week-ish with health problems. Then once I was well enough again I was back to being fixated on finishing this piece of my lad Joshua here for another handful of days, so I’m super glad this is done now. More talk about the painting, details and process under the cut:

Art Entry 01, Joshua Rook, Junior Deputy of Hope County. Regarding the painting’s execution, stylistic choices, practiced methods, and speculation on further experimentation for skill and stylization. _____________________________ Honestly I thought that the uniform’s large swatches of green fabric would be more difficult than it actually was. Turns out that was the easier part compared to the shoulder patch and metal badge. x’D The metal badge design is based off of and inspired by a custom-ordered cosplay badge design I found while looking for references, in this post here (link,) from v-i-d-e-n-o-i-r’s blog and Far Cry 5 cosplay. There are some differences in the painting’s rendition above, namely I flattened the middle section and made it all concentric polished metal instead of painted and the great seal rendition in the middle doesn’t have silver lineart either. Those choices are as much for aesthetic reasons of eliminating the blue ring so it was all a fairly simple mono-material-looking surface as it was for simplifying having to forego painting the foreshortening that a spherical dome might entail. Also just because the rest of the metal turned out looking good enough that an additional bit of shiny metal seemed like it’d fit right in for this. That being said, the badge design that inspired this one is rad and awesome looking—and I totally didn’t realize it wasn’t quite like the badges from in-game assets until after I’d painted it. x’D So, I decided to stick with this one since it’s simpler and has cleaner lines, and less engraving to pick out highlights on. Metal is very hit or miss for me to get right, so I’m very pleased with how this one came out! :D I think I did well on that one. The shoulder patch originally I was looking at real world references and ended up changing the shape once I actually looked at in-game references on Staci and Joey—who I discovered have slightly different details on their uniforms, like the font for their name tags—Staci’s has an old-timey-looking-font with serifs, Joey’s is a non-serif more modern-style font. Some pictures have them having different buttons on their uniforms either in color or shape (the former being exported assets, the latter being in-game gifs/screenies/etc.) This is also how I learned that the little landscape with the shovel, pickaxe and plough/plow are part of the great seal of Montana. I had no flipping idea that was what it was, looking at the patches in-game. The cosplay community does some great work for that, for which I’m grateful. I ended up looking up references of what the state seal’s design was so as to see the smaller details, and to find out what the motto meant ”Oro y Plata,” meant, leading to etymology googling adventures from there, as usual. All important details to paint though I think here, since Joshua’s deputy uniform is symbolically significant to him and will remain so throughout his story as part of his internal conflict for a couple of reasons. One thing I knew I should’ve done from the start, and reminded myself to do, was the fact that I should paint all skin sections at the same time, so as to ensure they all came out the same shades. I did not do this. x’D I’ll have to actually try to do that next time honestly. Same with the hair sections, while I like how they came out, I do feel the differences between the three major segments in terms of brushwork is not as coherent as I’d like, even if beard hair is not necessarily similar in how it lays to scalp hair, particularly with length and such taken into consideration. Still, not bad. Could’ve used more refs for the backlighting and figuring out how the highlights would fit best on the ponytail, but I think the hair curves turned out nice there in particular. Overall, Joshua’s hair ended up messier than I’d thought with how the locks all end up looping this way and that across his head, but it does actually fit him well as a character for his hairstyle to be messy and loosely held together, but functional. It did end up longer than I’d intended, so we have him likely ending up with a nerdy Jesus hairstyle when it’s down. x’D (Thanks to @undead-gearhead​ for that mental imagery, I shall take great amusement in that should I get around to drawing Joshua with his hair down.) Aside from that, I think I’m slowly improving on figuring out how to paint glasses, though I’m thinking in the future I should test more layered reflective light on them or something where the frames are in contact or close to skin, particularly around the glasses’ bridge across the nose and such. Then there are the other deviation details added—like using dark green instead of the black for the uniform accents. The faded black looks great in-game, but I do think the buttons pop more against dark green instead for this painting. I’m a little bit surprised how well the button-placket section came out, Clip Studio Paint crashed when I painted the first rendition of it, sadly losing all that work. I thought it’d be okay but turns out it didn’t quite get to auto-save that recently enough, but the second go around turned out quite well I think, possibly better. I was originally planning to try to put more textured brushwork across the flat sections of the uniform material, but decided to skip it for speed—I’ll test that elsewhere perhaps, though I think it came out well with the watercolor brushes layered on top of one another like that as is. Among the other smaller details, there’s some tweaks and such for how Joshua’s eye shape, eyebrows, nose shape, hairline etc came out compared to references of Greg Bryk in his role as Joseph Seed. I think Joshua did come out looking like he’s obviously related to the Seeds as I was hoping for, but I’m kind of on the fence that people would look at him and automatically assume it’s Joseph specifically that he’s descended from. I hope so, but either way, that’s how he’s written in-fic. x’D Overall, I would consider this painting a success, though as usual I do wish it’d been faster to finish. I do think this was good practice for detail work, and metal shading, also: buttons. Still haven’t figured out how to paint lips with more pink or red tones, I don’t like the way they look when painted sadly, unless it’s lipstick. That may end up being a stylistic element perhaps, along with how I paint the lines for fingernails and other such details. Fun fact: I have to leave the shading on the eyes for last, or else my brain goes “The eyes are done! We’re done! Call it a day.” I’m not sure why, but so far, leaving them as flats until the end seems to work a treat for keeping me focused on finishing the rest of the work with less mental dissonance. Now if only I could figure out why despite knowing I should do all the exposed skin portions at the same time, I don’t follow through on that naturally as far as inclinations go. Maybe it’s a layer organization thing and perception of wanting, say, the cloth to be done first before working “down” to the hands and such in the sense of working from the head down? I’ll have to think on that some more and test things in the next painting. Perhaps color coding the order of layers to paint will help? CSP does have a nice layer-icon-color function that I’ve dabbled with here and there. There are so many brushes, I really do need to test out more of them, I use, what, four or five total, but primarily somewhere around two or three. Hm, but what to do with texture, and how to utilize it so? Hmmm, as far as personal appeal for methodology goes, I might prefer to use textures in select pieces for more emotional emphasis? If I can figure out how to do that in a messier speed-paint style of things. Rougher textures for conflict, for example. That sounds like an interesting idea to explore, I’ll have to remember that for a later piece. Maybe more heavily textured brushes will also help with the mental itch to refine things to a cleaner-level of refining instead of leaving it in a more organically rough state. Hm, maybe it’s a “mental texture” aversion or something, as far as an interplay between the brush’s texture and the flow of the linework/brushstroke. Perhaps more uneven brushes echo that in a complimentary fashion to better allow less mental discomfort for me personally when trying to paint in a faster, looser fashion? Honestly, very tempting to go try that out sooner rather than later on some art ideas I have, but I’ve been missing my writing very much of late with two time-demanding paintings back to back. So, ideas for a later time to experiment with.

[chyrstis]

Self-Indulgent Sunday

Tagged by @pd3 @nightwingshero @redroci @shellibisshe and @scarlettkat86! You’re all too kind to do so, and I think this is a fine tradition to start. :D

Tagging: @sharky-broshaw @amistrio @tommymillers @softmillers @ma-sulevin @geronimo-11 @finefeatheredgamer @teamhawkeye @guileandgall @painterofhorizons @writerofblocks @sneaky-apostate @marymay-fairgrave @ofravensandgenesis @risenlucifer @tomexraider @faithchel @hawkfurze @raisinghellinotherworlds @fromathelastoveritaserum  and anyone else that’s interested, especially since I’m squeezing this in super late to begin with!

Post a passage, a piece of art, an edit, a gif, anything you’ve made within the last week that you’re proud of and feel like sharing!

Work’s been lingering in the back of my mind over the past week, so I’ve been more than a little scattered in terms of figuring out which WIPs I want to focus on, but a few did manage to win out here. :D

First off, more of the discussion way down the line between Hana and John post-game (as part of the Sharky/Hana/John series) involving books, b/c I might be enjoying it more than a little, and managed to get some more work in on it recently.

---

“John,” she gasped, holding a hand to her chest, “you wound me. Here I was thinking you were a man of taste. Of substance, even.”

The offended look he shot her almost made her lose it. “Taste? You’re talking about an adaptation.”

“I am.”

“Which means liberties were taken.”

“Uh huh,” she said, spinning around to keep walking with him, but with her back to the rest of the hall. “It happens.”

“And I suspect for this one, quite a few liberties were taken.”

John wasn’t much taller than her, but to stay ahead of him, she had to pick up the pace a bit. Keep her steps going to keep from crashing right into him, and the distance between them was dwindling fast.

“Hey, it’s fun! Not the least of which because of the music in it, and I’d have half a mind to make you watch it with me if we actually had it. Just have you sit down and power through it, because it could surprise you.”

“That still isn’t a guarantee that it’ll be a good one.”

“Snob,” Hana shot, and noticed he’d sped up too. They were almost toe to toe now, and she prayed there wasn’t a wall waiting for her, or worse, someone coming from the opposite direction. She’d barrel into them without a thought. “Don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it.”

He hadn’t lost any of his skeptical edge, but the amusement there was hard to miss. And it only grew when he made a gesture with his hand, waving her towards his left, and Hana almost side-stepped into a group of boxes left in the hall as a result.

His left, meaning your right, genius.

She swore under her breath, but quickly shrugged it off. “And it’s far from the worst thing I could suggest to watch. Trust me, I know more than a few winners.”

“And all of them well suited to your…taste, I gather?”

She narrowed her eyes. “Hey, you watch it. Because the odds of you getting invited to this hypothetical movie night are dropping fast.”

John held his tongue after that. Actually closed his mouth, as his eyes damn near twinkled at her, and she had to turn around after that. Doing that was easier than ignoring the blush creeping onto her face.

---

And this entire exchange amused me greatly the first time I wrote it down for the I won’t ask for much AU, but I’ve made a few added tweaks to it recently, and think it totally counts as a decent offering for a self-indulgent Sunday.

---

He’d already said the magic words - and really, tacking fire onto anything made it magical - so Sharky let his grin come back in full force.

“Oh, yeah. Shit, for the numbers you’re looking at, you’ll need something big, like-” Moving his hands, Sharky gestured wide as he visualized it. “A pit a couple of feet across, but not too huge, ‘cause that’ll be rough to light and keep lit, and you can’t just pour more and more shit in there to keep it going. I mean, you can, and it’ll go, but then you’ll have more fire than pit, and I know you...uh, you might not want that.”

“I agree. That might be somewhat excessive.”

Sharky snorted. Of course he’d think that. But when he glanced John’s way, he hadn’t paired it with an eyeroll like he’d expected. No, John had set his chin on his hand as he listened to him, and seemed like he was giving it the same kind of thought he was.

He’d let his eyes travel somewhere off to Sharky’s right, but they found their way back to him before long, zeroing in with an intensity that made his start want to start skipping around.

“But I do happen to know someone with more than a little experience handling such things, so it’s possible that could be avoided entirely.”

The words took a few seconds to click, but the minute they did, Sharky froze in place.

“…Wait, you do?” John’s responding ‘are you fucking kidding me’ look told him all he needed to know. “Fuck!”

John’s smile shifted straight into a frown as Sharky kept on kicking at the ground, swearing a blue streak that wasn’t guaranteed to stop anytime soon. “Is that-I didn’t think that would be a problem.”

“Hurk was right. Should’ve got our shit together quicker, ‘cause we’re always missing out on things like this!”

“What are you-” Sighing deeply, John pinched the bridge of his nose. “Charlemagne, I can count the number of people I know on one hand that regularly deal in flammable items and explosives. People that I know personally, and would borderline even consider allowing within a foot of these things, given their past history.”

“Well, you’ve seriously gotta give me their info, ‘cause I could’ve sworn I had a handle on all of that shit in the county, and yeah, I don’t got a business card, or a phone number to call, but moving in when they know someone else’s got that down? That goes against common courtesy, man. Like, we’re breaking potential pyro bro codes left and right. You don’t just-”

“You! You are the person I know!” John shot, throwing both hands up as he gestured towards him. “You would be the one I’d hire! How you could even think otherwise is beyond me!”

The sound of a throat being cleared made both of their heads snap towards the front, and Sharky nearly did a double-take when it became clear who it was.

“I’m not interrupting, am I?” Joseph asked, looking between them.

[chyrstis]

Love Yourself Challenge

Rules: It’s time to love yourselves! Choose your 5 favourite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc. ) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought into the world. Tag as many writers/artists/etc. as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works!

Tagged by @seedlingsinner @amistrio @shellibisshe (and if you haven’t checked out any of their work yet, you absolutely should) to try and narrow down five works I’ve loved from this past year, and I’m still a little stunned to be able to do this. And that I have more than five, what the heck.

Tagging: @ofravensandgenesis @shallow-gravy @geronimo-11 @fadedjacket @honesthearts @outranks @twistedsinews @writerofblocks @redroci @ma-sulevin @christopherrpike @firstofficeruna @finefeatheredgamer @painterofhorizons @guileandgall @raisinghellinotherworlds @scarlettkat86 @sneaky-apostate and @hawkfurze ! But no pressure or obligation intended at all. 

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1. To cleanse, rinse (but don’t repeat) - The Deputy starts to make progress in John’s region, and with progress comes consequence.

This fic was both my first for FC5, and also the first solid thing I’d written in over two years, so I’ll always have a soft spot for it. I also had fun writing John, but was secretly holding out for Sharky. XD

2. I won’t ask for much (but just this once, I’d like you) - Sharky steals a boat. It just happens to be John’s boat, and when it’s damaged along with his boathouse, John proceeds to lay out a means of having Sharky pay him back.

Planning and writing this out was a whirlwind, but it’s honestly one of my favorite Sharky-centered fics that I’ve written yet. Figuring out how he could fumble into a friendship (and later relationship) with John was great too, and I had too much fun nailing their potential dynamic down.

3. Cold hands (but no cold heart here) - She wasn’t built for the cold. But with him, she didn’t have to be.

I’d wanted to tackle a winter-themed idea, and poke fun at Hana’s cold weather tolerance, but lucky for her Sharky’s good at creative problem solving.

4. Together - She doesn’t think she’ll ever get used to this. Of these nights, and the company she’s able to keep.

There’s no real excuse for this one. JIt’s just a soft and peaceful post-game moment where Hana gets to enjoy some time with her boys, and get a little sentimental while she’s at it.

5. You won’t be the one - A conversation in two parts.

This one went a little off the beaten path, but it was my first real foray into writing John without much of the game’s guidance, and I still really enjoy it.

-

Bonus: With your hand in mind (it’s going to be fine) - The Widowmaker’s brought back to Fall’s End, and with its arrival comes a need to celebrate.

I had to sneak in another Sharky fic, and this one done around FC5 Week was a lot of fun to wrangle. Awkward pseudo-flirting aside. XD