#started seeing a bunch of these so I figured

[rnbwtrout]

Offering unsolicited advice muahaha

I recommend trying to sketch it out, and work out what exactly you need to learn to achieve the vision, then take a bit of time to study those elements. Then come back to your drawings and try again. Oftentimes the inability to represent something artistically is just that you don't understand how it is actually drawn/shaded. Art is a skill above anything else and as such it needs to be trained and practiced to really be understood. Treat art like a science, trial and error some things and tweak some things, and, maybe not immediately, but over time you WILL get to a point where the visions in your head can be put on paper effectively. The secret though is to not get caught up in perfection, just get as close as possible. When it does click it's so fulfilling, it just takes a bit of a grind.

Example: I'm working on a series of FMAB fight scene redraws; I'm trying to rework the perspective for the scenes entirely. Mostly because I'm a try-hard lol. I started with one and realized I didn't even know where to begin. My grasp of perspective wasn't great, and my understanding of posing wasn't great. So I stepped away for a while to work with the scene elements in a perspective grid, and to understand some poses better. Came back to the idea a couple weeks later and it looks about 85% what I envisioned. Here's where I'm currently at; this is still just the draft, some things still need tweaking, haven't gotten to line art or shading yet. But it's leagues above where I started a few weeks ago.

And here's some of the pages of tweaking and studying I did to get to this point:

If you don't know what to study to figure out how to achieve your vision, I highly recommend browsing other artists who break down their techniques and methods. I started using the 5 point fish eye perspective grid for scenes because I saw another artist use it well in a way that made sense to me. I still don't understand it fully, you can see my envisioned perspective on the Mustang vs Lust drawing is actually not what I was putting in the perspective grid at all LOL. But even still, working with it and thinking through it still helped me envision what I needed to do better. I spent a good 3-5 hours on those perspective grid just redrawing boxes to understand where to place the characters effectively. And it was tedious, but by the time I got to actually redrawing the scenes a bunch of things suddenly made sense. And even still, the perspective isn't perfect, but it doesn't matter because it's close enough and still achieves the vision.

That all being said: just grinding usually doesn't help. You need to grind with a purpose and a vision in mind. I see people say "to learn perspective you need to draw a bunch of boxes in perspective over and over". Which has always felt pointless to me. But in this case, I made huge improvements in my understanding of perspective by drawing these boxes because I had a specific intent and vision in mind for what they represented.

Tl;dr: Grind it out!!! Art isn't talent it's a skill, study it!

Having a sickass art idea that haunts your every waking moment but lacking the talent to fully idealize it in your exact vision

[dailyfigures]

why are bootlegs bad? i get that some are visibly low quality but others only have minor flaws and otherwise look pretty accurate to the real thing. Even prize figures can be a little out of my range (the pjsk ones are going for like $45 on pretty much every site that doesnt have a reputation for bootlegs and I simply don't have the money for that as im young and unemployed) so i have really never had a problem with bootlegs as long as they like have all their limbs and their eyes aren't on their cheeks and the paint job looks fine and such. but I keep seeing people shit on people who buy bootlegs even if they don't look bad (in their words too), is there a moral reason why buying bootlegs is bad?

oh good question anon, there are reasons actually! i present to you; the top 5 reasons why bootlegs are bad!

they are art theft. the artists who design the figures are paid for their work, and when another company rips off their design, it's theft. just like it would be theft if someone made a nice art work, and someone else started making money by selling prints of it.

more bootlegs on the market means more people being scammed! if there are thousands of bootlegs floating around on secondhand market places, it leads to a lot of (unexperienced) collectors unknowingly buying bootlegs. my first figure was actually a bootleg, because there were a whole bunch of bootlegs on the marketplace app i used and i didn't know the signs to be wary of yet. paid way too much for the ugly little bastard

bootlegs can contain unsafe chemicals! the regulations aren't nearly as strict as they are at licensed figure production companies. the dangers of anime figure bootlegs haven't been studied by scientists obviously, but there are many people online who say they have gotten headaches and dizziness from their bootlegs, which also often have a stronger, more chemical scent than licensed figures.

the working conditions of people working in bootleg factories are possibly not great. this is an assumption i make based on the fact that pretty much nothing on aliexpress, temu, shein or any similar website is made ethically. there is no way in hell a $5 bootleg is made by someone who earns a decent wage, let alone the health dangers of those unsafe chemicals that they are working around all day.

they are ugly. i'm sorry they are

i understand it sucks to not be able to afford luxury products right now, but it's not a good solution to buy bootlegs. i swear it's better to be patient and get a real one, maybe you are able to save up, or ask one for your birthday or maybe you'll be able to find a job in the future and have some extra money to spend. it will be worth it when you have a beautiful real figure, that's safe and well made!

[faggottonystark]

look at me im so awesome. Og is from 2020

[aroaessidhe]

2023 reads

The Spider And Her Demons

YA Australian urban fantasy/horror

about a Malaysian-Chinese girl who’s half spider-demon, just trying to keep her head down and survive high school

when she accidentally kills and eats a man in front of the most popular girl at school, they strike up a strange friendship and she starts to learn more about herself and the supernatural world

aroacespec/sapphic ish

[recoveringegg]

I open a package and rehydrate Pavel hidden inside, he is my friend now

At first he was weak for couple days, barely ate, I had to prepare overcooked rice for him with bit of vitamin powder sprinkled on top, his stomach wasn't able to accept anything else

After few days of intensive care he got nourished back to relative health, still not as vivid as he should be, but could at least move around on his own and consume other food, I started just giving him the same stuff I eat, just served in cut out empty pill blisters to act as makeshift bowls until we figure out how to get so small plates

It seams that being instant ramen made him develop fear of boiling water, had to move my water filter to kitchen cause it resembled kettle too much

He found my models from time I wanted to be an architect, he is now living in model of a single family house, I got him piece of foam and a bit of fabric and made him a mattress and set of pillows and duvet for his bed, he also took some leftover scarps and made them into couple rugs

All seamed fine even somehow made himself set of clothes out of leftover fabric, but after couple days of exploring home and tiding it up he became apathetic and opted in for staying in bed most day, I should get him some enrichment

I didn't know what to do so I grabbed one of my trinket drawers and simply emptied it out in front of his house to explore and sat down to observe from the distance, it took him a while to get out of house, he seams not all that trusting, but once he got to a pile he started sorting it, seamed he put away items he got interested in on a side to enjoy later, all was going well, he seamed to have quite a lot of fun until he found my old brick phone, he then got extra excited, started jumping around, hugged it and pushed his little face against it, but then he froze for a moment, as if something was off, he then pushed one of buttons, but it was too discharged to respond, he started looking really anxious, then gentle pushing of buttons changed into climbing on it and massaging all of them, all while panic started creeping into his little body, he didn't make any sound, but I could see him hugging it at the end and sobbing

After that even he got worse, I placed his items on porch but he did not leave his house anymore, he barely ate a fraction of food I delivered to his door, he seamed to be withering, I lacked ideas of how to help him

couple days passed, I resolved to adding sugar to his meals to make them more caloric, but he is still loosing weight

Today I found him collapsed in corridor, needed to remove roof and help him out, he was barely responsive, I moved him to bed and gave him some overcooked rice and water

Day passed and something new have happen, I saw a lifeless bee in front of his house, I rushed towards his house, it must have flown inside thought open window, I worried that he got stinged, but then I saw him bringing his bowl full of water to the creature, upon closer inspection I noticed that luckily it was harmless sick and exausted bumblebee, he seamed better, carrying that bowl was difficult with weakened body of his, but he seamed more vivid, he also ate a lot more that day

Today I left him small container of honey with his usual breakfast and bunch of water, later I saw his plate empty and him tending to fluffy monster, feeding it and comforting it, bee barely moved moved, but it was better

Next day I found him playing with his new companion, bee didn't seam that to have much strenght, but rather enjoyed the experience, after short play with glass marble it got on top of him and pounced his face a bunch with it's antennae, it seamed affectionate in a way

He got finally back in shape, so did the bee, they both nourished each other to health, it was adorable seeing him snuggle up to fluffy six legged individual, I found them napping together later

Next day I found him sobbing again, his friend gone, it have gathered enough strength to fly away without any goodbye when he was asleep, this time he ate and drank nothing for the rest of the day, did not leave bed

Same day later

I didn't know what to do, it seamed that there is no way of cheering him up, he was glued to his bed, no signs of life except for breathing, I then decided to take extreme measures, I went outside to convenience store and grabbed another instant pavling cup, I got back and went to kitchen without even undressing I opened the package and gently rinsed him under tap, cleaning off any spices, then placed him in shallow plate filled with lukewarm water, careful not to cover his nose and mouth and observed him absorb moisture and becoming less stiff, after couple minutes his eyes started slowly blinking then he started coughing, I tilted plate a little to get rid of excess water, he was too weak, it was better to not risk him drowning, I prepped him some overcooked rice and fed him before delivering him with the plate on front porch of the house, owner did not realize the newcomer for a while, allowing new rehydrated pavling to gather some strength, I stayed and observed, after an hour I saw the home owner in a window looking at his brother, but he still had that empty expression on his face and soon after returned to his bed, ignoring what is outside, meanwhile new pavling started getting hungry, hid body screaming for nutrition forced him to stand up from the plate and limp towards the front door where food portioned for home owner laid, before I managed to help him, he fell down with audible crunch, moment that that happen his older brother came to the rescue, wet curled fluffball seamed in pain as it grabbed it's leg, he crouched next it and started hugging it wetting his set of clothes, weak one seamed to be calmed down by it, he closed his eyes and dozed off, then homeowner grabbed him, seamed that being freshly rehydrated means that he was light enough to be lifted even by his weaken brother, moment later patient was in bed and caretaker was feeding him, while also eating every other spoon of porridge I made for them, he also dried him and placed blanket over him

Situation seamed stable fir couple next days, big one made himself a nest next to bed out of leftover pieces of fabric and tended to sick brother, it seamed that due to turbulent start of their relation recovery from rehydration slowed down for new one

a month passed, they are both back to health, younger brother seam to still have issues with walking and needs cane, but he steadily gets better, they both live in their room and have sleepovers at each other's places from time to time, I see them having activities every now and then be it either going through trinkets or traveling around my flat, once found them on windowsill basking in sun and and having snuggles, I placed them a piece of blanket there to lay on in future

dehydrated pavlings for easy cooking. instant pavling cup with seasoning packets and pavling broth

[benevolenterrancy]

*glances at svsss' vol 4 worth of extras, aka 'the whump and smut pile'* you haven't seen anything yet

You guys are seriously taking an axe to my self-control;;; I'm trying to make this series last longer than a single month!! I'm trying to savour things!!! I'm trying to read something else and give the series a bit of breathing room before I pick up the last book but I want the "whump and smut pile" I want that so much I feel like a dog that's getting a treat waved in front of its face .·´¯`(；´д｀)´¯`·.

[weirdbabs]

do you think that before peekaboo started using its limb to create what dimitri sees in his spirit trance, he mightve seen bruce burger and THATS why its monster themed?

[brightsunnydaysofcastamere]

Why do I need a job why can't I just take art lessons and baking lessons and scuba diving lessons and piano lessons and figure skating lessons and woodworking lessons and bushcrafting lessons and pottery lessons and horse riding lessons and sailing lessons and archery lessons and foreign language lessons and climbing lessons and welding lessons and fencing lessons and cooking lessons until I die?

[yakny]

I will never know if...! If you saving me was a part of this selfish grander scheme of yours... or just one small moment of mercy from you. It doesn't matter to me anymore. None, and I mean none, of what you tell me will ever come to pacify my doubts and fears again. It all won't ever come back, and neither will I, Pops.

[loregoddess]

so, again, has this been done before or....?

[darabeatha]

I just think his final ascension slaps SO hard

[seilon]

I just realized I didn’t really announce this despite it being a Big Deal but. finally got a top surgery date and secured it with a big ol deposit. august 5th. kinda hard to process in a way

[boogiewoogieweeb]

it's all fun and games typing up a silly, rickety little au idea in the tags of someone else's post and then suddenly you find yourself expanding on the world-building and plotting out interconnected stories for characters you swore would only make background appearances and your brain is On Fire with the need to write even when you know you can't commit to yet another doomed wip

[wkiwf]

soft & mushy goals and reminders for a better 2025

spend less time on social media (obvious, basic)

maintain my <2 hr. phone screen time (the phone is a tool)

invest more time into creative hobbies

keep up a journal

listen to albums, not songs (be more appreciative of and active in the music I choose to listen to)

take more walks, listen to birds

ground myself again (be more present in the moment, quit floating around in orbit)

get a job

make cool stuff (reread point no. 3)

be okay with embarrassment (i'm already well on that road)

[fruitjam]

so i've finally gotten around to making my new blog after weeks of trials and tribulations (and procrastination).. if you want me to follow you on that one just give this a like~

[burningcomputerpersona]

what an incredible fucking show