#one day ill figure out my chibi style............

[northernfireart]

could you draw a Chibi 10th Doctor Who and Chibi Rose? please

YOUR WISH IS MY COMMAND!!💥💥💥💥

[blazingflareon]

little style practice thingy ft neat new lineart brush :>

[shirecorn]

how about 17 and 24? what inspires you and how do you deal with art block?

Long post warning.

Art block...

I don't actually get art block, which is probably a combination of neurodivergence and drawing every day for the last 3 years

I wrote an entire tutorial about how to do that, but didn't feel like illustrating it. Would people want to read it even without visuals?

Maybe... I'll just start rambling.

There's a couple different types of art block, and it's really just a philosophy puzzle to get past them. I'm going to assume that the things I think of slow days, or art mud, is a milder form of art block and work through that.

Art block is a symptom, not a disease. You probably have something deep inside that you don't want to face, or don't know how. Sometimes you need to discover the cause, sometimes just power through.

Method 1: Rest

Let yourself just Exist. The act of consuming art is part of the process. Watching shows and playing games, taking a break and going gardening or focus on school. This is what you need for burnout-induced art block.

Method 2: Action

I always choose action, sometimes it means a tiny 2 min sketch per day. Ugly or super simplified. As long as I don't stop moving.

Toss everything. Start every piece thinking you will throw it away.

The act of drawing moves you forward; pinning it to the fridge does not. Don't work things until they are perfect. Work them until they are there.

Art block causes and solutions:

- No Inspiration

Not sure what to draw, nothing seems appealing. Art won't come out like it used to.

Do studies from life or photos. Sketch, paint, digital, traditional, doesn't matter. Rocks, fruit, figure drawing, landscapes, buildings, anything.

Study and copy professional's work. Old masters are best, like rubens, michalangelo (only his men tho) etc because they will teach you anatomy while you work. If you copy someone with a lot of flaws, you will repeat those flaws.

Trace to learn, not to earn. Trace photography and art from anyone you want. Don't post it unless you have the artist's permission or they are dead, whichever comes first. This is strictly work for yourself, on yourself. It's not about the finished drawing.

Find an artist with a fun style and try converting stuff into their style. Don't make that your new style though and especially don't start selling it. Your style is a chimera of everyone you love, not a clone of one person.

Take blurry photos. You don't need a fancy camera or good skills or beautiful subjects. Doing studies from your own photos can spark life into your workflow.

Make challenges for yourself. Randomly generate things to combine. Try fusing characters! Don't try to make it look good, just be fun.

Doodle patterns, swirls, lines, random stuff. Try looking up art warmups and doing some of those.

- Everything Sucks

You finally see how bad you are. Or somehow you got worse. Every piece is a fight and you spend hours trying to get something right only for it to be stiff and disgusting and STILL wrong.

Why are you trying to draw good? It's enough just to draw.

Accept that your art is bad. Every artist can see flaws in their work. Your problem is that those flaws outweigh anything remotely worthwhile and hurt to look at.

So what? You're in a period of growth, not a period of production. Keep that wonky second eye. Let them have hot dog fingers.

Show everyone! Show no one! No piece of art can ever be a reflection of the artist. Not their worth, not their skill. The only thing your art says about you is "Held and moved a pen for a bit."

Make bad art. It's ok. Most of the time, the pressure to perform and get things Right is what made them wrong in the first place. Relax.

- No Motivation

The #1 killer of artists everywhere. On some level you think you should draw, on every other level you think you should stay in bed.

You are not lazy. You wouldn't have read this far in a post about art block if you were lazy. You wouldn't CALL it art block if you were lazy. Laziness is wishing you didn't have to do anything. A block is wishing you were doing something. If you think you can namecall Yourself into productivity again, you're wrong and You need to unionize so that you don't treat You like that anymore.

Consider Mental Illness. Losing interest in something that brought you joy can be a symptom of depression. I know it seems obvious, but if you're waiting for a sign that it's "bad enough," it's bad enough. Seek care if you have the means. Forgive yourself if you already know this.

Selfcare. Examine yourself for neglect. Nutrition, exercise, enrichment, social need, and sleep are all part of the art process. Eat three meals and sleep 8 hours. That's your gaymer fuel. You deserve it, I promise. Depriving yourself of your needs will make your blocks worse, not kick you into making them better.

Identify potholes. Sketchbook falling apart? Tablet cord frayed? Half your pencils missing? Chair uncomfortable? Desk hard to reach? There's a lot of things that you tell yourself to work around and get over. Just because you CAN workaround something, doesn't mean you SHOULD. A difficult work environment can cause secret dread deep inside that you don't recognize and just think you're lazy. What you think of as "no motivation" might actually be "I don't want to deal with my tablet disconnecting every time I move it wrong and I have to wiggle it for a few seconds to make it work again." These little things are like potholes in the road. Sure you CAN still drive through them, but eventually you're going to look up and realize you haven't voluntarily left the house in weeks.

Repair potholes and roadblocks. You might feel bad about buying a new pencil, headphones, tablet, car, etc because technically the old one works if you hustle. But if you're running into so many potholes you've ground to a halt, it doesn't Actually work anymore, does it? Invest, save up, request, and require working equipment and suitable conditions. This stuff isn't just cushy privilege, it's an investment in yourself and your art. You are worth the effort it takes to clear the way. If you can't afford reliable (reliable! not perfect or luxurious) equipment, then say it. If cardboard is all you can afford, draw on cardboard. But know that you deserve canvas, and one day you might be able to make the jump. Acknowledge that sometimes, if you don't have it in you to smear burned twigs on wet cardboard, the problem isn't motivation, but opportunity.

- Haven't Drawn in So Long

A unique type of art block that self perpetuates. The thought of starting again is so stressful you can't do it. Or maybe you'll do it tomorrow. Yeah. Tomorrow for sure.

Face your fears. Are you ashamed of your lack of drawing? Are you anthropomorphizing your paper and thinking it's going to judge you, like "oh NOW you come back >:/" I internalize voices I hear and project them onto other people, concepts, locations, and inanimate objects. Your paper, computer, WIPs folder.... none of that is judging you.

Reframe your WIPs. Do you feel shame when you see "unfinished" projects? Why? Who says you MUST bring everything you start to Finish? You don't have to. A sketch is a finished art piece; it's called a sketch! If a sketch is a fully realized creation, pages that are half colored, 75% lined, or partially rendered are all fully realized creations too. Unless paid otherwise, art is done when you're done working on it.

Lower the stakes. Draw a chibi or grab some crayons. Get messy and slowly ease yourself back into the flow over the course of a couple days. It's fine.

Get a buddy! Find an art meme, do an art trade, get a study subject, or just wing it. Drawing art alongside someone can help you get past that block.

Pretend you never stopped. Don't think about the gap, how long it's been, or rustiness. As far as anyone knows, you drew the mona lisa yesterday and didn't break a sweat. Today, you drew a starfish on your hand with a gel pen. Keep up that streak, good job!

Just keep drawing. Make a goal to do one sucky drawing per day on the back of a napkin. Don't make up for missed days, just pretend they didn't happen. Who's going to judge you? The calendar? That's pieces of paper; it doesn't have an opinion. Draw a cat on it. Done. Keeping up the momentum is a great way to prevent art blocks in the future.

TLDR: Draw imperfectly and toss it. Selfcare is king. Draw often and don't judge yourself.

Art is a process, not a product.

[dailythranduilproject]

Username(s) we can find you under: 

TheMirkyKing - @themirkyking

> What Media do you create?  

Writing, Drawings-pencil and occasional colored pencils/pens, and some edits.

> Where can we find your work?  

A03 and tumblr .  I have a DeviantArt account(under different name) but that is just to look at all the wonderful art out there.

> What would you say you are best known for in the fandom?  

Umm…not really sure as I don’t think many know me…I would have to say for my writing??  LOL

> Do you have a favorite pairing?  

Too many! But my true love is Barduil, then Thrandolas.  Thranduil and Elrond, Sigrid and Legolas (Looking right at @Moonofmorrigan for sucking me into that one!)  And Elrohir and Ela (OC of @damnitbarduil)

> What other fandoms are you part of?  

Yuri on Ice, Avatar the Last Airbender, Game of Thrones, more as a spectator.

> Any advice/words for others in the fandom?  

Don’t shame/troll/hate anon others for what they enjoy, write and create.  There is enough ugliness out there, don’t add to it.  I know it sounds Pollyanna, if you don’t have anything good to say then say nothing- there is REAL person on the other end.  Creative criticism is fine, as is disagreeing with someone, but do it in a constructive way. And if you are thinking that your writing, art or anything sucks, so what?  If you enjoy doing it then do it.  We all have different skill levels and talents- explore them and grow.  Have someone you chat with read or look at them and get their feedback- most people are their worse critic’s, so get that other opinion! Respect others works-no stealing- everyone deserves their work credited! HAVE FUN!  There are so many wonderful people out there, ready to share their joy of this fandom.  :D

PERSONAL > Favorite color?  

Not fair, I like almost all colors but I would have to say greens and blues draw me.

> Favorite Book? 

Really unfair!  So many books have a special place in my heart.  Two Towers- J.R.R. Tolkien; American Gods-Neil Gaiman; All Creatures Great and Small- James Herriott;  Dragonsinger- Anne McCaffrey; Dune- Frank Herbert.  Just a few ;)

> Favorite movie?  

Again- So hard to single out one so here are some of my faves- Singing in the Rain; Spanglish; Howl’s Moving Castle; The Secret World of Arrietty; To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar; Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.

> Do you have a pet peeve? 

Aside from the usual; rudeness, ignorance, intolerance; it’s people who chew their mouths open-shudder!  (Only children are forgiven…barely.)

> What country are you from?  

United States

> Who do you think you might have been in a past life? 

Depends on what time period, but some sort of household staff member- like maid or kitchen help.  Or a squirrel…yeah, probably a squirrel.

>What do you like to do in your spare time other than create the media you work on?  

I enjoy cross stitching, gardening and reading.

>When did you join the fandom?

I have been a Tolkien fan since I was 10 but didn’t really join in the fandom stuff till 2015.

Followers Questions

@mewardy:

1- How long have you been writing?  

I have always enjoyed writing, my mom still has stuff I wrote in elementary school (so embarrassing), but didn’t really start writing and posting after I discovered A03 and Tumblr.  It was great knowing that there was a place to share my stuff.

2 -Why fantasy - especially Thranduil?  

I have always been drawn to fantasy/sci-fi.  I find it more freeing- the options are limitless.  While I usually write modern AU’s there is still an element of fantasy.  Thranduil just drew me in. I liked Legolas in LOTR, but nothing like Thranduil.  While I didn’t really like PJ’s vision for Thranduil, I did love Lee Pace’s portrayal of the Elven King.  For me, Thranduil sparked my imagination- he comes off as cold and arrogant.  He is, but there was more to him, just hiding it.  That is what I enjoy.  Exploring his private life.  He allows for so many different versions and I love writing him and reading how others see him.

3 -Where are you from?  

United States- Seattle.

@sweetfairy1:

1 - How did you develop your super cute drawing style?  

First off- thank you!  I like Chibi styles so I kind of base my stuff off that style.  A mix of Chibi/Shojo??  I think of my stuff as cartoonish.

2 - When you drew Thranduil and/or Bard the first time, did they look similar than they do now?  

My first drawing was Thranduil, and I think they look similar, just a few changes.  And it really depends on what I am trying to draw.  Some I do just as portrait drawings, then the cartoon type and every so often, I try for the more realistic style, as in Manga style-lol

@eldritchmage:

1 - I enjoy your artwork very much, so would like to know how long you have been drawing?  

You are so sweet!  I have been doodling and drawing since I was a kid, nothing serious, I only took a calligraphy class in school and then one art class in college.  I keep thinking of going for more formal learning cause I would like to have a stronger skill set then I have now.

2 - What prompted you to start?  Drawing Bard and Thranduil??  

I saw a chibi Thranduil and I loved it.  Thought, hmmm…lets see how mine would look.  That was it, now I have notebooks, scraps of paper, sketchbooks filled with them.

3 - Do you have other favorite subjects as well as Thranduil and Bard?  

I usually just draw random figures.  I tend to do portrait, and I struggle with full figure- my other half is always at me about drawing whole figures, especially the feet!  And not to draw on lined paper!  LOL

4 - Also, how did you come to develop your distinctive style?  

I really like Manga so that is a big influence.  Then the usual culprits of seeing other artist styles, animated films and such, then wanting to incorporate and explore it in my own fashion.

@bellevox:

1 - Can you tell us about your family and your country?  

I have two older siblings, a sister and brother, but I was the surprise baby so I pretty was ignored by them, unless they needed a punching bag-lol.  My parents are still feisty and active at 80 plus.  I have been cohabitating with my wonderful mate for 23 years, one day he will make an honest woman out of me ;) I was born in the United States, currently live here, but lived in Australia for 2 years- enjoyed it very much.   I like to travel when I can, work permitting.  Over all, I live a pretty quite life, enjoying time with family, going to good breweries and playing games, nothing too exciting. :D

@moonofmorrigan:

1 - What do you consider to be the most challenging thing to write? (Like angst, fluff, etc.)  

ANGST!  I love reading some good angst but I find that the hardest to write.  There is a fine line with it and I just don’t know if I have the skills!

2 -We've worked on a couple of writing projects together. What is your favorite part so far of our current story?  

What I enjoy most with writing with you is the unexpected turns that the story takes.  How I will have a whole course of action planned for Bard and then- WHAM- Thranduil goes in a direction that surprises Bard and now a new course needs to be followed.  I just love that!   Case in point- when Thranduil fell ill and almost died…. I loved the mystical elements that took place.  Of course I would be lying if I said I didn’t like the more nsfw moments, cause those are a lot of fun!

3 - What kind of stories would you like to see more of in the fandom?  

I would love to see more Sci-Fi Au’s.  I am a sucker for elves in space!

@floranocturna:

1 - what is your dream destination to travel?  

Lord, everywhere!  I would really love to be able to travel the world, spend months at a time in a country, getting to know the area and people.  Nothing fancy, just kicking around and seeing more then just the “famous cities”.

2 - If you could change one thing about Thranduil's outfit, what would it be?  

My least favorite of his was that robe he wore in his private chambers!  It was so shapeless, like some frumpy housecoat!  I would have loved to see him dressed in the greens and browns, like how I imagine him before he became King.

3 - Are you an organised writer or do you just write and sit down when the inspiration strikes?  

Soooooo disorganized!  Inspiration with hints of structure.  My notebooks are a mess with hastily written stuff!  Arrows and bullet points everywhere, change this, add that, oh here- he says this!  And my crazy short hand- even I sometimes puzzle over it!

Thank you Mirky, for this great interview.