#still studying the style how to draw them btw

[creatingblackcharacters]

“The Ambiguously Brown Character™”- The Attachment to Eurocentric Beauty Standards

“maybe im petty but i wish people knew how to draw like different nose shapes. Sometimes I’ll see a character I like but im like that is not what their nose would look like.” @the-eldritch-it-gay

You’ve seen them before. The one character that has brown skin… And everything else about them is… an enigma. They’re not supposed to be white! You know that much… right? You can see what the designated white characters look like, so at least it’s not that. You could claim them as Black, if you want, and sometimes creators even demand that this character is Black. Depending on the quality, you’re either like “no, what the fuck is this” or you’re like “okay they’re cool, we’ll take them”. Representation is important. But… There’s a pit in your stomach that wonders… Are they really? Are they really supposed to be Black, is this really representation, or did the creators just toss a brown person in so all the Brown™ people could “have something”, so that they would look like they cared about “diversity” on their art resume?

Examples

Theseus, in my opinion, looks like a white man with a tan. Dionysus looks a little better with the similar skin tone, due to his purple hair coloration. Apparently people do think that at least Dionysus is a man of color. What’s interesting about both of these characters, is that they’re only about two desaturated browns lighter than Patroclus, a character in the game that we’re supposed to believe is Black (whom, in my opinion, also looks like a brown bucket tool character. I’m still claiming him, he’s my guy. But his design should have been more explicitly Black). Theseus and Patroclus are the two darkest-skinned dead humans in the first game. So… what was I supposed to think about these two? Was I supposed to think they are really dark white people, due to the thin textures of their hair? Are they men of color? Are Theseus and Patroclus supposed to be ashy because they’re dead, is Dionysus ashy because he’s dehydrated from wine? Why don’t the white dead people look off color? Hades was entirely too striking a game in use of color for the browns to look like… this.

Noe and Hibana are interesting. It was complete coincidence, the purple hair and eyes thing btw. Hibana is interesting because Ogun is an unambiguously Black character in Fire Force, and there are at least three other unambiguously Black characters in Soul Eater as well. So we know the mangaka knows how to draw Black people in their style! So… was this on purpose? Is this another of those ‘tanned anime girls with titties’ meant for shounen fan service? I’ve claimed Noe (Case Study of Vanitas) because Black French people exist and France has stolen so much from us already, but it is never actually specified what Noe is. He’s just the One Singular Brown Guy in this show, with regular, untextured anime hair. Are there more brown people in the manga? Is this explained? Because we know who is supposed to be white! If anyone else wants to claim Noe, they absolutely can, because we have no idea what he’s supposed to be. Hot Chocolate thinks he’s Indian, and I’m not going to argue that because… who knows! He very well could be!

My very first lesson addressed this, albeit lightly! There’s a reason that I said that if you gained nothing else from me, that’s what I want you to walk away with. Now that I’m on stronger footing with this blog, I can really get into the nitty gritty of what that really means.

Obligatory disclaimer: we are not a monolith!* As of 2015, it has been researched that African populations have the highest genetic variation on Earth*, with a lot of that genetic diversity in sub-Saharan Africa alone. This means that YES, there very well can and will be Black people with naturally thinner textures of hair, blonde, light brown, and red hair, straight, narrow noses, monotone lips, and lighter skin that comes more often with white people. There are enough genetic combinations within African peoples and of the African diaspora that I’m sure there are plenty of people that look the way people seem to want Black people in art to look, if those genes so express within them.

*as a scientist, I will say: while these papers seem fairly legit and I looked at many related articles and their sources, take Nature with a grain of salt. Though their vetting process has become much better, you can and should always do further reading on your own!

Here’s the thing: the possibility is not the issue here!

The first issue: I don’t have to teach anyone how to draw those features on Black people! It is evident, from the professional and fan art I’ve seen, y’all already know how to draw the features deemed highly by Eurocentric beauty standards. Those features are excessively focused on and promoted as part of “good art”.

The second issue here is that the average artist drawing a poorly done Black person is not considering things like genetic diversity when they draw them (and if they are, it’s usually as an excuse post-confrontation. Yes, I have seen it.) These creators are not designing these characters with the intent of them being Black with those features, they are designing “Black” people with features that they deem most aesthetic and are most comfortable with drawing.

And why do they deem those features most aesthetic? We’ve circled back to the point of this lesson!

Eurocentric Beauty Standards

Definition: beauty standards as defined through a white, western cultural lens, including but not limited to: straight, blonde hair, light eyes, pale skin, high cheekbones, narrow noses, thinness. It’s a way that white western people want other white western people to look to be considered classically attractive… and then enforced that on everyone else.

It affects people of color worldwide. Anyone that has ever had to deal with European colonization or imperialism has to deal with the interjection of Eurocentric beauty standards.

Examples

-Black women, standing at the intersection of Blackness and womanhood, especially deal with the constant pressure of Eurocentric beauty standards, being consistently told to hate ourselves due to our own ethnic features. It’s incredibly damaging to your self-esteem growing up; my mom told me that until I went natural at 17, I was determined to look ‘like a white girl’ because I thought it would make me beautiful, and it hurt her. And as for me, it was a stunning realization that at 17 that I had never really seen my own natural curl pattern before. My hair was in ponytails and such as a child, but as a teenager, growing into my identity, I had always wanted straight hair. I was in love with my coily texture, I couldn’t believe that I’d never seen it. An entire part of my own body, gone unknown, because I wanted to fit a beauty standard I would never reach.

-Kenneth and Mamie Clark: The “Doll” Studies: Black children- age 3-7 were shown white and Black doll babies, and were asked a series of ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ identification questions. Even by that young an age, most of the Black children associated things like beauty, kindness, and positivity… with the white dolls.

-“The Golden Ratio”: a survey was done in Britain (oh boy, here we go) to determine what people felt was the ‘most beautiful’ face, and apparently it all came down to “symmetry”. “International blueprints of beauty” they claimed, were applied, as humans “naturally seek symmetry”. In 2015, according to ye olde Daily Mail, this was the most beautiful woman. You'll never guess:

(It’s not even her natural hair color!)

-Another “research study” using E-FIT (Electronic Facial Identification Technique -- a facial recognition software used to create criminal profiles based on eyewitness descriptions; no WAY that THAT could get problematic!!) to determine what 100 people thought was the “most archetypal face of beauty”.

They came up with a figure similar to Kendall Jenner as the female option.

(Guys, we’re never getting out of here at this rate.)

-We’ve spoken about discrimination against Black hair before, and how natural hairstyles will be deemed less professional or appropriate for school, regardless of the brilliant mind that sits underneath it, and even the history of Black women having to cover their hair so as to “not steal the desire of white men” and ruin the status of white women.

Appropriation:

I try to have nuance on the Kardashians, but I have never liked Kylie, and it’s not because she’s not allowed to do what she wants with her body. I watched the world claim that she was so beautiful, that her kits were why her lips looked “so good”. Everyone wanted to have “full, plump lips” like the ones Kylie BOUGHT. But Black women’s full lips have been treated horrifically since racism was invented. In 2016 I watched racists dogpile and mock Ugandan model Aamito Lagum for her naturally full lips in her MAC campaign, after saying in just 2015 that Kylie’s lips were “top fashion and everyone wants them”. And she lied (not that we didn’t all know that)! She appropriated a look, and she lied about it to move product. And people who had no right to forgive her did so, and everyone moved on to make her a billionaire. Because full lips looked good… as long as they weren’t on a Black woman. I can’t even have my own lips, but she was rewarded with an industry for appropriation. No, I’m not getting over that.

I could go on, but I won’t. So what are some ways to address the existence of Eurocentric beauty standards potentially biasing our creation?

First thing: LET’S TRASH THE IDEA THAT BROWN SKIN AUTOMATICALLY MEANS BLACK.

Black people are not stupid, and we do have expectations. Splashing brown paint on your otherwise white character does not mean I’ll automatically think they’re Black. I’m going to look. When I see brown people in real life, I can usually tell when they don’t look like me. I don’t look at a South Asian similar to or darker than my shade and say “they’re Black”. Blackness is not just skin color, it’s an entire identity and sociological construct. Yes, you can tell us apart.

Acknowledge when you’re holding a bias:

For example: “Tall, dark, and handsome.” What did you picture? You must understand that different people had different ideas of what this meant, versus who it was actually meant to be. Because on its surface, that description includes tall Black men with dark brown eyes and dark hair! We’ve talked about this in lesson 3! Whoever came up with this phrase didn’t mean skin though, they meant hair and eyes- they meant white brunettes. Even in this, it was only meant to include whiteness. And we were all supposed to assume that, be damned anything else.

Part of that is knowing what things do and don’t fall under the category. They were listed off earlier: straight and wavy hair, blonde hair, colorful eyes, thin noses, high cheekbones, double eyelid with round eyes that “show youth and innocence”. People have been going the “aquiline nose” route lately to claim more diversity in nose shape but like… even that isn’t always going to be the case. Every Black person is not going to have an aquiline nose. It is not the “middle ground” of diversity. Draw us with some round noses. We look fine.

Often ignored (in depictions of Black people): afro/coily hair and natural styles, large, round noses, full faces, brown eyes, full figures that aren’t oversexualized, body fat. One of the characters from Craig of the Creek that makes me so happy is Nicole, Craig’s mother. When I look at her design, I see my own mother. I see a Black woman that… actually looks like Black mothers I know. It made me happy and comfortable.

White folk, you even do it to yourselves! I mentioned to a friend once that a good chunk of stories in our fandom with the blonde/brunette white character dynamic read like an Aryan fantasy: the blonde character will be treated like a god on high, the most beautiful of humanity, and then you’ll get to the brunette and it’s “my meek, mousy brown hair, my dull, brown eyes like dirt, and my tanned skin with freckles; no one would ever notice someone plain, nerdy, and unimportant like me until him” lmao like excuse me? Author, you okay there pal? Do you need a hug, lmao? I can’t take it seriously anymore. If y'all are being this mean to each OTHER about not hitting Eurocentric beauty standards, y'all are certainly not being nice or respectful about people of color- who never can- in your content! (and no, exoticizing Blackness is not respectful.) You should look out for how often this happens, and catch yourself when you’re doing it.

Creating with Intent (and the lack thereof!)

(This is so important I made the header larger)

You have to actually consider and reference REAL Black people when you’re drawing Black people. That seems like such an obvious thing, and yet it must not be, because these sorts of arts/the techniques used in them still happen.

For example:

credit to my friend @devilatelier; I asked for the worst Black art ever and he heeded the call!

I abhor art like this, and art that does varying versions of this. To the pit of my soul, hatred. I will not share your work if I catch even a whiff of it. Why? Because people know that this isn’t what we look like! If you get on the computer and type in “Black man with short hair”, option A is not even remotely on the first page. You’ll get nonblack men that show up, thanks to Google’s algorithm (another conversation), but the Black men don’t look like A. If you get on the computer and type “Black man with long hair”, you’ll even get Black men with all textures and styles of hair, including straight! And they still don’t look like B. Go ahead, I’ll pause- go type it in and see what you get. Have you ever seen a Black person that looks like these images? Be honest with yourself. Why do you let them slide, if you haven’t?

Why This Matters

So it’s not about the actual Black people in their lives that they’ve seen, that makes artists draw characters like this, nor a dedication to accuracy. Because if you were looking at us at all, you wouldn’t draw this. And yet, people draw it, and post it proudly. So there must not be any shame behind it, or they at least are comfortable enough with their target audience to think it’s presentable! That begs the question- who is your target audience, and do you include Black people in it?

It’s how people like Jen Zee can have a successful career at Supergiant despite drawing dark skinned people the way she does. It’s because studios recognize when their target audiences are not perturbed by, and therefore will still buy, their product. If poorly drawn Black people does not perturb audiences enough to affect the almighty dollar- or, in fanart situations, the value of popularity- then there’s no motivation to stop doing it! Who cares about the value and the demeaning of Black fans, right?

Think about it like this. You remember how everyone bullied the Sonic studio and they scrapped their entire reel? People do not get that much up in arms in solidarity about the antiblack treatment and depiction of Black characters. It’s how you end up with Wyll Ravengard on the drop of BG3. Because Larian could have stood on business, had some integrity, and said “this is a character we are going to develop, because there will be fans that look like Wyll, and deserve to receive our best efforts at inclusion.”

But instead, Larian said “this is what our majority fanbase wants, and apparently it is not a well-developed Black character” and released that game as it was. To rousing success. That was a choice. The antiblackness of both the fans and the studio, via their lack of concern about Black gamers, was involved in making that decision. We have to let go of the idea that antiblack racism is incidental, and not a part of the process- and that includes in character design.

I cannot tell you how much it shrivels my heart inside when I see a “Black” character with wavy hair. One, because I know the artist’s first thought was not to have a Black character with wavy hair, but because they draw white people with that hair and thought it was transferrable. Two, because if you wanted the aesthetic of hair down to the back… Locs could have worked! The same shape would be there! You can style locs in any way, and it would be fine! Even if you wanted them to have thinner hair, fine, but… I can see where the intent (and the lack thereof) is. We can see when you aren’t even trying for us!

I asked Angel how he felt about creating the “white man with the brown bucket” images, curious about how he felt given that he is more than capable of drawing Black people. His response was noteworthy, and consistent with my hypothesis:

“Thinking about it, these two drawings have been the most difficult thing I’ve had to draw, period. And it’s the first time I’ve actually felt nauseous during the drawing process from start to finish. I constantly felt like I was fighting off the part of myself that knew better, telling me that this is wrong. It felt like a betrayal, knowing what Black people actually look like and still choosing to be disrespectful. Especially because I worked on the first two and immersed myself in references and also Black youtubers, researching Black hairstyles. It felt like a betrayal to all of that to call these two (deliberately poorly drawn) characters Black, because they’re not. None of the Black people I found during my research (both photo references and videos) looked like these. at all. It felt cheap, it felt lazy. Creatively lazy in the way that you just take a white person and paint-bucket them brown and call it a day. In the way it makes you feel no pull to change what you do, or learn something new. Kinda like a thought terminating cliche. Unlike the first two, I used no references for them, but I mostly based them off of actual designs I’ve seen in fandoms, both fanmade and not.”

Conclusion

So what I want us to consider for now is: if we know that’s not what Black people look like, but so many people are willing to do and/or accept it without any mental dissonance… how much do they care? Why is this allowed to ‘pass’, if we recognize that it is not accurate, unless we think what we are being presented with is acceptable? Or at least, not worth fighting over? Why not? Why do you not think that this Black character deserves to be unambiguously Black? And why does that ‘better’ way to exist always come back to whiteness?

We’re going to get into this, as well as more into the other, more overt and equally harmful manifestation of these beliefs in the next lesson on Whitewashing! But I want you to simmer on this part, first.

When you draw a character that you want to be Black, not only should you keep in mind your intent of how you’re going to draw them, but it also means putting in the work to make sure you’re doing so. You do not put pen to paper and “accidentally” draw a white man lol, it came from somewhere- let’s shatter that connection that views white features as superior, as 'ideal for attention grabbing', so we can create better. Because remember, it is the thought that counts, but the action that delivers!

[nights-at-crystarium]

You know what, I assume that people always read my pinned, or notice the pointer "new reader? start here" in every new Fragments' episode. I might be deluding myself. So hi hello lemme TALK ABOUT MY COMIC.

Before I get too rambly (and I mean RAMBLY), here's a quick intro. Fragments is a comic focused on feels and slice of life, made by a queer guy, aiming to ~character study~ the main cast (Vivi, Raha, Alisaie, Feo Ul) and fill in the gaps in canon (or linger in canon moments that needed more air imo), the tone ranging from angst to fluff to meme. Good punches require a good windup, so please don't expect angst anytime soon :3c

The story's segmented (fragmented, heh) into episodes. Episodes 1-11 take place in ARR, you can enjoy them with no worry about spoilers. Episode 12 onward is ShB, with all the spoilers and lorebending.

My storytelling style assumes you haven't only played through ShB, but know it like the back of your hand, i.e. it's for nerds and thinkers. Of course there's plenty of silly moments that don't require any deep knowledge, but the overarching story does. Often I skip canon events, only hinting that they took place, simply because I don't wanna retell the msq 1:1, I've got plenty of original scenes waiting to be drawn. You're in for a treat if you like obsessing over emotional and moral implications of things. And, yes, this's a story about a morally grey mc. Don't expect to be spoon-fed "and this's why that thing's bad, kids".

Currently I've outlined all the main story beats up until post EW, so it's like, not being winged as I go. Yes I refine things here and there, but I know where I'm going. I'm going ham!!!! With the lorebending post ShB. Initially I didn't plan to, but the more I learned about Vivi and personally grew as a writer, the more courage I got to "divorce" from canon. The general xiv story may still be good wherever it's headed, but it's not suited for an established wolgraha, so I'm making food for myself.

Everyone imagines the lil scenes from their wol's life, I'm taking that a tiiiiiny step further. Fragments tells a cohesive story that's looking to be the longest project at least in our corner. I can and will hyperfixate on this for years.

I started out just like many others, being hit with ShB like a truck, I wanted to put a catboy under a microscope and rotate him forever. Although I'd already been drawing for decades, I didn't have the comic-making skills yet, or eloquence to write the dialogue, so I spent the first half of 2022 self-studying, just because I needed a mouth to be able to scream about my ship.

Vivi didn't exist prior to my obsession with Exarch. He was made for this, he started out as a reagent (or a foil, now that I know fancy writing terms) for a rich and fun chemistry, and keep myself entertained for years, first and foremost.

Me, a fool: okay let's make a guy that falls in love with Exarch in this particular moment, what kinda life must he have led to- Me: ....oh no

The chemistry quickly bubbled up and exploded in my face, involving not only Exarch, but other characters (first as a means to subtly tell about Vivi, then they also demanded their own screentime), and here I am, sitting with a massive script on my hands, drawing my blorbos every day. Thanks for enabling that btw.

I care about characters a lot. I ask a lot of whys and hows. I'm critical-minded and burned on many bad stories that did their characters dirty, and I wanna be an opposing example. What I'm doing is extremely ambitious and risky, yes, but I can only invite you to tag along and see if I stick to my word.

The internet's a cruel and unforgiving place nowadays, and here I am, pitting my passion against what feels like decaying humanity. I'm making this comic to keep myself happy above all else, being sincere and cringe because life's too short to be anything else.

Thanks for reading this, and if you haven't yet, read Fragments here!

[alienstarzz]

୨୧┆Alien Onceler Au update or smth idk.

︶⊹︶︶⠀୨୧⠀︶︶⊹︶

He now has a new design/concept sheet. I still hate this what In the world is bro doing.

Here's some information about this au so far:

This au centers around the intergalactic alien creature named "Space-ler." Later nicknamed "Star-ler."

Of course, he was the inventor of the thneed. Made millions from it. The lorax trying to stop him multiple times.. bla bla bla...

(Btw in this, au truffulas do not produce air at all. They live off of Stardust pollens.)

Here are a few things that caught my eye from @articskele reblog of my previous post!

(Answered from top to bottom.)

Yea alien Viktor :3

I don't play any kirby games, I didn't know that lol

The truffula flower can be made into tea— however, aliens can not drink or eat anything at all. They have no organs. No form of digesting their foods. They are only pure bone, skin/meat, and hair. ^_^ if you were to cut them open. You would only see bones. If you would like to see something like that, I would be more than happy to draw it!

He could be a mix of a shark and alien. I'm the one mainly in charge of the alien features and everything. He's part of the shark ones. I might have to ask him a few things abt his sona :3 I'm not sure how to answer this

I was actually going to add some sort of biology in this au, I'm studying a few things abt it, so if I find smth, I consider interesting, I can add it into the au or add it as a fun fact!

Yes, unless if you're closer to the sun or have a star nearby you, you have no form of light. But aliens don't need light. Picture this. You can see the person in front of you, but only... "White outlines?" You can't see their colors, just a shade of black with outlines of what they look like. I'm not sure if this makes sense.

This is going to be a bit disturbing. But, if a dead astronaut is found in an abandoned space shuttle, aliens can use the dead body and "harvest" it to wear the skin. When space-ler wanted to do this, he was scared at first, so he asked his brothers to do it for him.

The glowing blood is actually a cool idea! I may consider using that :3

Their are aliens with curly antennas. When I first used to make alien ocs a year ago around June, my art style was very different. Around April, I changed my art style to look like a cartoon! My art style was inspired by invader zim, Panty and Stocking, and Randy Cunningham 9th grade ninja! Which explains why my art style is blocky and stuff 😭

Nightcore? I love nightcore pls link it or idk

I will check out the color pallettes!! Thank you so much!

Thank you for these wonderful questions :3 it gave me a few more ideas for this au and it was fun to answer them ^_^

NOTE:

I have a few ideas for the story to this au, or well space-lers overall backstory ? Ig??

This au will contain topics such as suicide, family issues, and neglect. I will ALWAYS add a warning before posting abt him if they contain these!

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[calithso]

do u have art tips (for like anatomy and face expressions and angles)? I was scrolling though your ACC and when I tell you I’m eating ur art, I’m actually digesting it as we speak, I love it sm 😭😭

TRACE!!!! IDC WHAT ANYONE ELSE SAYS. TRACE ART AND LEARN FROM IT. USING 3D MODELS IS OKAY ‼️‼️ PROFESSIONALS DO IT AND YOU CAN TOO ‼️‼️‼️

but of course, don't post it online or claim it as yours, that's just wrong 🫶

BTW THIS IS JUST WHAT I DO. IF ANYONE ELSE HAS SOME TIPS, DROP THEM IT'LL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED!!

art rules are meant to be broken-💥💥💥

i think i'm the worst person to ask for tips cause i don't follow my own guidelines. i've only recently started to use references but i'm usually too lazy to search for them. which is pretty bad since i can't really visualize stuff in my head (your artist has aphantasia)

when i do half body to full body poses, i just use 3d models and start from there. i usually adjust things to my liking after i copy out the pose. i'm still currently learning anatomy so idk what tips to give about it rn BUT i do have some tips

i think angles helps a lot with what mood you want to convey in a drawing. it may also help with expressions. you can use boxes for drawing different angles of the head. i do this when the angle of the head i'm drawing is hard to draw.

an example on how i used it:

another thing you can try is to learn an artist's anatomy style by drawing guidelines on top of a drawing like this:

see how everything is placed and what bodypart is line with what like: the eyes are in the same height as the tip of the ears, the elbow is line with the dip of the waist, etc.

just adjust stuff to your liking. your work doesn't have to be super anatomically accurate, if it is, there's a possibility that the pose might look stiff so change up some things and exaggerate them. just practice some angles, it'll become muscle memory in time.

if it looks nice, then it's good enough ��

observe and redraw. it's just copying art styles i like and attempting to incorporate it into my own art. my art style inspos are wildwolf_group and donaldakron (i’m also absolutely in love with their lighting and shading) on twitter because the way they draw hair is so nice.

study art styles 👍 i like looking at their sketches and studying how they do specific things like hair and faces in different angles. pinterest is a huge help if you want art inspo. it's okay to copy poses from artworks but be careful to not copy it entirely if the pose looks complicated or unique, you might get accused of theft 😓 (it's brutal out here)

if you want more art tips, i recommend watching bluebiscuits's videos on youtube. speedpaints have also helped me a lot in the past (we need to bring them back <///33) i also recommend watching art streams. i spend a lot of my time on twitch. it helps understand how an artist draws and may also provide inspo.

some art streamers i frequently watch are: uqi32, yyebuan, meanddeadlines, eo58, mikamuse, Teikki_, hazmatEN, jianrouVT, manda, KandaEm, neg_illustration, AmefuRin, owohiropon, shengtaki, thekansta, pixzli, gravitydusty. I KNOW IT'S A LOT BUT I'M ON TWITCH 24/7 😭

there's also user-cm2co1hw2u (twitter: pdman2) and kuzuvine (twitter: ksk535) on youtube

that's all for now. if some of you have more questions (whether personal or art related) just ask away. i don't bite :)

[skylinx2o]

Gremlins on discord asked me questions about Pebble, so I shall answer >:3

1. What really happened to Pebble after he got taken away from that mysterious man?

He took him to the mortal realm, and they stayed in a cottage/shack for a while. Pebble was locked in one of the rooms, and well, while the man treated him okay, and even with care, he just seemed a bit manic still.

2. If Pebble was to be put into the scroll what would happen to him?

Well, Pebble doesn't have a past reincarnation yet, so he would just be himself. If he was put in it by an antagonist, he would be scared and worried, but he would just follow what Nezha taught him and try to find some safe place before Nezha showed up… But if he was put in the scroll by the Jade Emperor for some reason… Well, he just breaks down and cries a lot. He would question why Nezha didn't stop them :p But, if the Ink Curse found Pebble in the scroll… He would turn into Nezha and torment him that he's not good enough, that everyone judges him, and they only pretend to be nice, that he's a burden and because of his supposed destiny he will never be seen as a valuable person.

3. Does Pebble feels any sense of insecurities on himself or he is okay with the way he is?

He's insecure about how much value he has. He wants to be useful, help people and make Nezha proud. But celestial realm's high standards make him question if he's ever doing enough, studying enough, despite him going over and beyond in his studies.

4. Can Pebble still fly?

Pebble can fly in his dragon form, just not as well as other dragons. He might lose a bit of balance every now and then because of the lower part of his body.

5. What is Pebble's relationship to other celestials and the Jade emperor?

He doesn't pay attention to other celestials. Of course, he doesn't like how they talk about him, and their words does affect him, but Nezha's opinion is the most important to him. Well, some are nice, of course. But Jade Emperor… Well, Pebble is scared of him. Because the Jade Emperor, after everything that happened, is cautious about any possible threat, and a powerful dragon child makes the Jade Emperor watch him like a hawk for any little mistake.

6. Does Pebble get along with Atlas? (Atlas is one of my other OCs btw)

Atlas would absolutely love Pebble, he would be like a second parent to Nezha. Well, technically they would be siblings in that context, since both are taken in by Nezha? Anyway, they're family.

7. What is pebble relationship with Erlang and Xiaotian Quan?

Pebble would probably think that Erlang is pretty cool. He doesn't get many opportunities to talk with him, but he likes his style. And well, Xiaotian Quan… Doggo. He wants to pet him, but doesn't ever ask to. Since still, kinda feels intimidated by the older gods.

8. What is their first prank that they did at Ne Zha?

His first prank was as a baby. He hid in a tipped over giant vase for a whole day. Nezha practically turned the Celestial realm over. He started to think someone kidnapped him. And Pebble stayed quiet until Nezha found him.

9. Has they and Ne Zha ever caught themselves in a huge argument?

Not really, at least not yet…

10. Does pebble usually sleep with Ne Zha or sleep alone?

Well, when Pebble was a baby he would scream every time he would be taken away from Nezha. He sleeps with him less the older he gets, but he still loves to snuggle as they sleep

11. What usually pebble and Ne Zha did when they are bonding?

When Pebble was little, they would play games and stuff, or Nezha would read or tell him stories and old legends. Pebble also loved going to meetings with Nezha and watch him argue with others lol Nowadays, Pebble also just likes when they both sit outside and talk. Pebble also likes when Nezha watches him make ink drawings and talk about them.

12. Has pebble ever complain about Ne Zha cooking?

Does Nezha have time to cook? Well, Pebble appreciates his mentor trying, but… Well, the celestial kitchen is right there Xdd

Vote me boy! :3 👍

@lmk-oc-competition propaganda ✨

[herotome]

Finally-official-devlog #112

Also known as FOD112 hi-ho, Wudge here.

Gosh there's just. So much. I'm actually drafting this devlog a few days early so that I'm not suddenly overwhelmed on devlog Tuesday again. But without further ado-

This is the big cheese right here -- each character has their own layer, each character's clothes and expressions have their own layers, and there's a separate layer for the soft orange lighting on top of it all. 😭

On that note, here's most of the individual image files that create the CG with their powers (and my code) combined:

And since this is a cropped version of a BIGGER CG (featuring ALL the love interests sitting together), I had to tinker with the position code a great deal to properly feature these three goons Of course it was worth it of course twas merely at the cost of all my energy and sanity at the prospect of eventually possibly also adding in blinks and expression changes--

Mad props as usual to the sweetwonderfulamazing Remnantation who first completed this CG -checks watch- sometime last year! With some additional edits by me since then~

And, did you happen to notice something new in the lower right?

Tadah... a brand new click-to-continue icon animation! I made (mostly) all by myself! The lil sparkle burst is free from production crate, but I drew the star and added the rotation code... ... Honestly, the hardest and most time-consuming part of this was finalizing the design. Originally I was gonna make it rotate 45 degrees, flip, rotate 45 more degrees, flip, etc-- and messed with that concept for several hours before scrapping it for a simpler, more graceful idea. :| Part of the process, I gots to tell myself, part of the process...

Next up is Jade's powers, as you may have seen in the preview last week. Much like the CTC animation, I did a lot of research on other ideas - various glowing VFX like vertical veins across the cheeks and smoky rising from the eyes, as well as a bigger low opacity character zoom effect - before settling on something simple. Jade's power usage here is... pretty mild in context, and I figure I can always store the more dramatic animations for later in the story.

Here's a still of the effect btw:

Her eyes look like headlights lmaooo. Honk honk!

Do I have more to update with? Believe it or not, yes.

I made some icons, which took a fair amount of trial and error: on the left you'll see an earlier draft, on the right are my more final redesigns from the same day(...night. midnight. I worked on these until midnight).

I had to look up some guidelines because most of my previous icons did NOT look good or legible when sized down to 50x50 pixels. What I learned was, tadah, I had to draw with an unprecedented line width of 200 pixels! (For non-artists: I typically draw with a pen width of 12 pixels at most).

I also studied the icon styles of Persona 5, which saved me a lot of time - they had a cool stylistic choice of diagonally tilted color blocks and thick black outlines.

Here's yet another gif of icons in action...

Did you see them? Did you?? For a split second, in the upper right.... Still gotta adjust some of the text overlap, don't look at that.

Oh and the "How to play" page is brand new. I coded it from scratch... That also took all night...

... Oh. Oh. And remember your MC's phone?

This old thing? Yeah. Visual upgrade:

Also rendered and colored in by Rem <3 Where would I be without them...!

The text, though, can be updated in code!!!! I spliced the phone into layers, with the screen on top and code-generated text just below it, so I can update the caller ID at any point in-game without making any new images.

Took a little while to get it to work... honestly it doesn't look 100% centered... but it's fine. This is fine...

And then... more code. After much tears, blood and strife, I got a musical crossfade to work. It shouldn't have been challenging but it was a nightmare -- when calling the crossfade the second track would either not play at all or its volume wouldn't change and I was starting to develop a preference for eating gravel. But I persisted, found a much simpler code that actually works. After the tearsbloodstrife.

And...... lastly... I simplified this big block of code:

vbox: pos (269, 76) add "sprites/MC/mc[mc_number].png" hbox: if mc_number ==1: text "DEFAULT" style "MC_label_text" elif mc_number ==2: text "LAVENDER" style "MC_label_text" elif mc_number ==3: text "PETUNIA" style "MC_label_text" elif mc_number ==4: text "SUNFLOWER" style "MC_label_text" else: text "TBD" style "MC_label_text"

...(not properly indented bc tumblr is mean 2 me)...

down to these lines, to make my future life easier:

default PrintMC = ["Default", "Lavender", "Petunia", "Sunflower", ""]

text PrintMC[mc_number] style "MC_label_text"

Two!!! lines!!!!!

🎊

Instead of typing out additional if/else lines, I only need to add new names to the PrintMC list. Won't really affect the player at all, but it's a HUGE quality of life update for me!

...Anyway that's it, thank you for checking in. <3

Stay safe and keep warm,

Wudge.

PS screw it I'm gonna queue post this early.

PPS have you listened to our composer's new single yet? No?!?!?!

Every click, every listen helps, and every song of his is a BOP that deserves recognition!

ok that's all for real now xoxoxo,

wudge (again)

[lemon-wedges]

Just wanted to ask (and feel free to not answer), but how do you draw so much so quickly? I'm always impressed by how fast you doodle or paint. Also, wanted to say that I appreciate your Barok and DGS art as a whole.

and with this ask i have finally reached an artist milestone 😭

Well theres a short answer and a REALLY long answer (which ill put under cut when i get there).

short answer: practice + refs

which.....can be an annoying thing to hear. And as someone who studies art and has bought a LOT of online courses trying to figure out how industry people can just churn out work like nothing. it feels like a let down every time i find out their big secret. just practice and photo refs. Every. Single. Time.

LONG ANSWER:

its how you studying your refs. heres how i do mine

sorry if this is rambly. but ill try my best to at least be clear. BUT THIS is the EXACT way i taught myself how to be quicker.

I do not know if youve taken any art classes but essentially one of the ways to study gesture drawing is by first tracing ur photo ref to get a sense of the flow/proportions of the body. youve probably seen a billion of these tutorials floating around:

So last year around hmmmm june/july? i was NOT looking to get better at my anatomy or gesture. i was actually trying to get better at clothes. but my problem was it took me so long to draw out a figure (which i was fine with cause i liked how my people looked at the time) that i could never really just focus clothing part.

So i told myself look. ur not looking to draw in this style like this forever. so for now SIMPLIFY SIMPLIFY SIMPLIFY!!!! I WANT THE BAREBONES OF A HUMAN HERE TO MAKE A MANIQUIEN FOR CLOTHES OK

but how do i do that....

Im gonna use this piece as an example from my rise and yosuke fashion palooza month. FIRST u see i got all my photo refs together. i like those poses on the right and i want to switch out the clothes for the other ones i picked out. i trace out my poses. kind of like the tutorial up top but since this is about draping i was focused the exact places their waist/arms/legs/etc would bend.

and like the tutorial u turn off the photo ref and do a drawing based off that traced piece.

then i would turn on my refs and add on my clothes

And after a month of just doing that over and over and over. i was surprised to find that figures and poses were so much easier to understand when i would break them down like this. and once u get familiar with them the faster and more confidently you'll draw them.

I and still do this btw. heres my otasune from the last week

i used photo refs for all my sketches. if i cant find anything online to match what i want i just take photos of myself. and some might say well arent u just relying on reference TOO much?

AND AGAIN take it from someone who has spend a lot of money buying classes from their fav artists in the industry. The Secret of how they churn out so much cool work so fast always turns out to be this. practice and photo refs.

Every. Single. Time.(tho this is omitting a lot. im not getting into like they way they stylize their art work. that actually the fastest and funnest thing to do once u have ur base down)

Now PAINTING

The thing is, i dont actually post up all my work on this blog. So theres a ton of stuff you havent seen me do. These are some paintings i did 2 years ago for a class.

I already know how to pick my values and set up lighting. When you see me painting my figures now. i am not focused on learning these basics im actually just honing a technique.

you might see me post readmores with these kinds of wips. I lay in all my colors and lighting with the lasso tool. ALL THE MAJOR DECSIONS ARE DONE HERE

(the little miniature i add on the side basically tells me what the overall feeling is going to be when i blend in the lineart to be cohesive with my colors) ( also if you had any questions on my prepainting process tho. feel free to ask!!!)

and if you compare this wip to my finished piece youll actually find that i dont stray that far from what i've laid in.

everything happening at THIS stage is about feeling out how i want the textures to blend with one another and getting funky with some brush strokes.

and thats it? im not sure if any of this is helpful but if anything. i hope you come away from this feeling like what ive been doing here is nothing special. "THATS IT???? THATS ALL THERE IS??? well i could have done that :T"

exactly man. you can do ALL OF THIS aND MORE!!! I BELIEVE IN U :D

but ill let this be the last thing i leave u with my friend: my barok sketch and the refs i used for his boobies

[cobacou]

When you first started drawing Wukong and macaque was it diffrent from the one you have now or the same? And if so how long or how did you wanna start drawing them like that : D! I LOVE LOVE LOVE UR ART BTWS HAVE A GREAT DAY OR NIGHT OR AFTERNOON 😋‼️‼️‼️

even in my earliest and oldest shadowpeach art I tried to depict them as plus sized and old, I didn't really know much about anatomy or how to depict someone looking old (I still struggle with it a lot) but it has always been my vision since the beginning!

literally spent months learning and studying muscles and body form to be able to draw them fat just because I really really wanted to do it and it just didn't look like that initially, so I spent hours studying just because of it.

when it comes to their designs now appart from their body types I've always seen macaque as having more rough shapes like rectangles, spikes, triangles, while wukong a more softened shape like circles, spirals, squares, that's just how I've always liked it but I was still studying realistic anatomy for me to start stylizing it, so I put a pin on that and came back to it later once I felt comfortable enough to explore more fun shapes to depict their bodies and figures with.

I adore their hair a lot, I love how spiky macaque's hair and how it has moon shapes, I originally didn't do moon shapes until I figured I could literally add them so I did. as for wukong, I've always done his hair in a rounder way, eventually just deciding to straight up draw cartoony curls and it developing into a cloud, his cloud shaped hair is still my favorite thing I've come up with design wise.

one of my biggest inspirations to how I draw wukong is literally the original Akira Toriyama style from the dragon ball manga, I'm not a huge fan of the anime and new style due to how much the roundness and chubbiness of the style is taken away, which was literally my favorite part of it.

right now I'm pretty happy with how they look, I still want them to look like old men and feel like I don't nail it well enough yet, but I'm still figuring it out! I just experiment a lot with them, they're my favorite.

btw thank u so much!! I appreciate:)c

[strangeaxel]

I'll probably post a drawing of all the guards or something like that today. I also gotta make another drawing for the pinned post, I don't like to have my old knowledge of the style up there(?) ah, idk i think it's better to have an upgraded version.

I'm so excited for the halloween ask special WIWIIWIWI btw, asks that have been sent after i closed the asks will not be answered until i open the asks again because you know... THEY'RE CLOSED, i have to answer the old ones, the ones I'm answering rn like the Mike and Toy chica one (Lol xD) are old, they been sitting there for days. I would prefer people not sending asks if my pinned post says "closed" since u know, I can't answer them rn. I just have my ask box up there still in case anyone wants to talk to me or ask something like idk... "What ya your pronouns??" Or idk "how do you study this? How much time have you been drawing?" (No one asked that but it would be cute, i love answering art questions, i love helping people to get the best of their art out there and improve jsjs) :p

AHHH i just wanna draw all day MAN I WANT TO DRAW ALL DAYY. "I LOVE ART CHARLIE, I LOVE AAAARRRTTT" I don't wanna get out of bed tho <\3 i guess im gonna draw at night or maybe tomorrow. I'm also really glad people are enjoying my art, i haven't been in public posting for years, i only show art to my mutuals and friends so seeing how much people are still into this au and wanting to see art about it (mostly purplephone and silly things from the 2010s) makes me so happy tbh, it's amazing, i already have almost 200 followers tf?! That's really something-- thanks a lot. Sorry if i sound like a crazy person when writing on my "diary/blog" sometimes i just write what comes to my mind and sometimes i really repeat myself since idk... That's just how it is(?) the only thing in my mind is drawing and this au jsjs i hope that's not annoying because i have tons of enthusiasm to share and you can't scape it unless you block me :))

I been thinking a lot about animation too, i thought that maybe one day i can sit down on my desk and start learning animation again, i used to be really good at animation as a kid but now i just don't have the "strength" to do it as i used to. I thought i could make some simple night guards animations, maybe showing some expressions or something like that or doing simple interactions with each other.

[sethcoart]

Heyo! Just wanted to say and ask that I really like your art. I love the sketch -vibes it gives and how gender-neutral it is. Especially for Catradora. How did you discover your artstyle? What inspiration(s) or tips? Sorry if it's a common question but was curious to know. Thank you for your time!

first of all thank you SO MUCH!!! :D

Honestly i never realized i drew catra and adora so gender neutral until ppl started pointing out msmddmkdhj /pos

And i guess i discovered through studying other styles. I always looked up to other GREAT artists as a beginner, and i still do that too!! I love finding new artists and taking a little bit of their style with me. I have MANY artists that i take inspiration from, so i can't really name one.

A great tip that i learned after some years of studying anatomy, is to study other artist's anatomy, a little bit from those with more simple and/or complex anatomy. Sure, you could study a photo of a real person, but i found that seeing other artist's anatomy is less intimidating, since it's already broken down for you !!

Another tip is to not be afraid of making mistakes. Perfectionism kills the artist, so do not be afraid of trying something new.

And DO NOT BE AFRAID OF CHANGING ART STYLES!! once you just open up to new stuff you'll improve so much. That helped me a lot, especially if you're feeling stuck as a artist.

Lastly, draw for yourself and have fun. i know it may seem dumb but sometimes we get so lost in the idea of being a big artist that we lose track of ourselves. So remember to have fun!!!

and btw thank u for the questions!!! i really don't mind answering them, i find it quite fun actually

[draconicdeityarts]

Hey there! I love you’re semi realistic, semi cartoonish art style bro! I hope you don’t mind me asking but what software/mediums do you use? I am trying to work on my lighting and shadows and textures but I have no clue how artists like you achieve such detail

First off- thank you so much! I truly appreciate it. And second- oh my goodness I am so sorry for how long this ask has sat in my inbox! I hope some of this can still help you :’D

As far as software goes, I’m almost exclusively working in procreate as of late. There’s plenty of great programs- if you need something free and desktop based, I highly recommend Krita. I have a few brushes from different packs that I often default to. You can see them all and links to said packs through this answer I gave to someone asking about my brushes earlier:

As far as detail in my work goes, that’s just through a loooot of practice and doodles and drawings. I’ve been drawing since I could pick up a pencil, so I’ve had a lot of time to figure out the way I like to do things- but even then I have so much to learn!

I do, however, work in many traditional forms of media as well! I haven’t done so as much lately since digital doesn’t require cleanup, but I honestly believe that working in traditional for my entire life up until 5 or so years ago has a hand in how I approach things digitally as well. I’ve done pen and marker illustration, pencil and colored pencil, acrylic painting, as well as 3D work. I’ve worked in a lot of media and I want to get around to trying as much as I can when I have the energy to! If you have questions specifically about what traditional media I use or work with let me know!

When it comes to improving on rendering, doing small studies of images you really like the lighting in helps a lot for me. Learning how to break light in a photo down to simple, blocky shapes helps to figure out getting an initial layer down to refine later when doing full pieces! When rendering a character, especially if drawing something that isn’t in a scene, I always recommend marking out the direction the light is coming from as well as color of the light before even starting, so that you can determine where highlights and shadows would be placed in an initial blockout. Keep in mind there’s different kinds of light in a piece- I would recommend looking into tutorials about direct light, indirect light, reflected light, etc to get a better feel for how it works- while I do my best, I don’t think I am quite skilled enough to explain those nuances.

When approaching most textures, especially unfamiliar ones, references are my best friend always. It might be a good idea to just do test sheets/practice making the textures that would be useful to you on occasion! And in the end, textures also tie into lighting as well, since a lot of what makes textures super distinct is how light hits them, especially when it comes to things like metal. It may be a bit of a hot take, but in a lot of cases I tend to avoid a lot of digital texture/object brushes, especially those meant to simulate natural textures like leaves, and I do those textures manually instead. I just personally like having more control over those shapes and feel it looks better when each texture is made intentionally by hand! Sometimes I do use texture brushes especially for backgrounds, abstract work or subtle layers, especially if I’m working on something very fast, but it’s not my first choice. However I do know there’s plenty of artists who use texture brushes in ways that look great, so that’s just personal preference. :)

I do apologize it took me so long to respond! But if you have any specific questions, my dms are open and I want to start replying to y’all more!

[acaplaya-musings]

Voiceplay Visuals: Dream On

Perhaps a bit of a shorter post than some of my recent/previous ones, but Voiceplay's video for Dream On is certainly far from dull, and the arrangement (a collaboration between Rob Dietz and Geoff) is absolutely killer!

The video for Dream On was released on the 9th of April, 2022, and features Omar Cardona, back again!

Don't have a ton to say about outfits/costuming in this one (though shoutout to Geoff, who is credited with "costuming look", as well as co-direction and overall video (he's a polymath genius I swear)), but might as well "shine a spotlight" on everyone individually, since I don't expect to have a lot to say for this video otherwise, and the vocalists all start off by themselves in the video before "banding together".

Hey Geoff isn't the only one with exposed shoulders for once! 😝

Cesar is, yet again, a style icon. And according to an interview he did with Mortius (that was simultaneously a reaction video for Dream On), the little "smoky eye"/eyeliner look he's got going on here was his idea! Love that for him!

(Also shoutout to Rick Underwood for yet again being a makeup whiz!)

Actually wait I forgot, uncovered shoulders actually outnumber covered shoulders in this one!

(Also this was filmed in some old school I believe? I think maybe Cesar's old school or something?)

There he is! <3

(Also love the fingerless gloves 👌)

Random fun fact: I used this shot about a month ago (though for you reading this it'll be more like 2-2.5 months ago) as a pose/proportions reference!

(And peep the little white-grey streak of hair framing his face <3 )

And of course I haven't forgotten about Layne! (No clue what he's wearing over his shirt, but my brain always thinks of a bulletproof vest, though that's obviously not correct)

(Also it's getting frankly a little embarassing now that back in my This Is Halloween post I was like "hey is that tattoo on Layne's wrist real? I've literally never seen it before", when apparently it has been visible at least a couple of times since, and I'm obviously not always as observant as I like to think I am 😅)

Fun fact: apparently Omar and Cesar are good friends, stemming from the fact that they used to be roommates? And now one of them is a permanent Voiceplay member, and the other is a frequent Voiceplay collaborator? (And had sung with them before Cesar joined the group, even). What are the odds? Like how freaking close-knit is the singing/acapella community in Florida?

(Btw that is one hell of a mohawk, Cesar! Go off!)

Group shot! (Also peep the book just behind Eli and Omar (that I only just noticed) - is that the same one Eli was holding/drawing in earlier?)

(Cesar matching Geoff with the fingerless gloves!)

"So how many lines and textures do you want in your clothes for this one?" "Yes" (No seriously, there is a lot going on with the outfits in this one. I'm not judging or criticising, but I would hate to try and draw them!)

Very brief but very cool distortion effect!

Obligatory "he's so pretty" screencap 😁

Screw it, have another Geoff hair study!

(I'm amassing a fair collection of these now, though I'm contemplating going and doing some more for older videos at some point so I can have a better visual representation of the main stages of growth, before it reached shoulder-length)

Is Layne in the freaking boiler room or something? (I'm not super familiar with boiler rooms (not super common in Australia, that I know of), but that looks like that would be an example of one!)

The "tenor trio" absolutely giving this performance their all! (As they always do, of course)

I'm doing this post on the same day (or well, night now) as the post I did for The Dragonborn Comes, so I'm still eagerly awaiting the video for Omar's newest collaboration with Voiceplay, and I can barely wait! It's gonna be amazing, I can feel it!

[cutiedwaekki]

maybe art nerd!hyunjin in highschool always had a crush on jock!changbin but he never gave him a chance—then fastforward to college, hyunjin is a painting major and sees changbin has transferred to his college, but that hes gained weight/is an ex-jock now trying to pursue music. suddenly changbin is seeing what he missed out on, and hyunjin’s highschool crush has blossomed (in more ways than one 👀)

PLEASE THAT WILL BE ILLEGAL TO NOT MAKE A FIC OUT IF THIS IDEA

btw thank you for it i really enjoy writing it and i hope you'll enjoy it as much as i did :D

Contain : weight gain , tiny bit of angst , kind of smut at the end but still SFW since it does not mentionned , me being a simp

MIXTAPE : OH

He looked like a fool watching him from afar, but he didn't know what else to do. Hyunjin was afraid, afraid to talk to his crush, who was none other than THE high school soccer player, Seo Changbin.

Yet they knew each other from afar; Seungmin was close to one of Changbin's friends, who was none other than Minho, so they'd sometimes exchanged a few banalities, although it never really went beyond greetings or things like "how are your classes going?" or "how's life treating you?

See, the reason they weren't close was that Hyunhin couldn't string two words together without blushing, such a cliché thing. What was even more of a cliché was that Hyunjin wasn't very popular, although behind his thick glasses and acne was a handsome man who didn't give a damn about his looks and devoted his life to just two things: art and Seo Changbin.

It all began when two idiots found it amusing to take hyunjin's glasses and throw them between them so that he couldn't get them back. The poor guy was crying and begging them to stop. Unfortunately, his crying only worsened the situation. But that was without the help of the brunette who, in an authoritative voice, came between them and told them in a tone of voice that would make you shiver. He lectured them at length and made them swear not to do it again. (although he knew that wasn't going to stop them) Hyunjin stood up and picked up his glasses to admire his savior. He could have sworn he blushed the moment he saw him, not knowing what to say without turning as red as a tomato.

Some liked Changbin for his athleticism, others for his muscular physique, but Hyunjin loved him for his personality (although the rest was also unanimous). He liked how, despite his popularity, he kept it simple, how he helped students with math problems, fought student bullies. He was a real superhero that he fell in love with.

And yet it was all one-sided...

He was well aware of this, and liked the relationship just the way it was, allowing him to devote himself to his two passions, ending up with two notebooks full of drawings or drafts of Changbin in various situations. It could be just the brunette at a match, or in a classroom looking out the window. But he imagined things too, like the two of them holding hands, sitting on a bench with a little heart between them, symbolizing their love.

So imagine his reaction when Mr Park decided that Changbin should help him in maths after his result in the last test... Of course, he couldn't have imagined anything better! He was finally going to have a moment alone with his crush! Just the two of them revisiting a subject. Not that he imagined it would end in romance, but let's let the 16-year-old dream...

☆ ★ ✮ ★ ☆

He had prepared well for this day, dressed in his best clothes, wore his hair in a different style from his usual bang and even put on a little make-up to make his skin more beautiful. He was only going for a coffee and studying, but he loved the feeling that he could be desirable and that Changbin could find him handsome.

But once at the café, the atmosphere was far less romantic than he'd expected... Their table was already a mixture of large algebra and trigonometry manuals, while the rest of the space was taken up by empty plates piled high, showing that Changbin had already been there a while and had definitely eaten well in his absence.

"Oh, you're here already! Good, then we can get started!" he said with a slight smile as Hyunjin, perplexed, placed his bag on the back of her chair, disappointed that the brunette hadn't paid him any attention for a moment. All he did was give him exercises to do and correct him if need be, while he in the meantime was enjoying an extra slice of triple chocolate cake.

Come to think of it, Changbin really was a big eater. He always saw him nibbling on something or drinking a sweet drink, but that was probably because of all the energy he expended playing soccer or working! And then, when the brunette wasn't paying attention, Hyunjin looked at him out of the corner of his eye. He wished he was that cake, or at least that he looked at it the way he looked at that slice of cake. It must have been his third or fourth slice, judging by the plates on the table and the fact of imagining he'd eaten so much, Hyunjin felt a little tingling in his crotch, which he hastily hid with a shy hand. In the end, he was grateful that Changbin wasn't really paying attention to him.

In the end, after about twenty exercises and nothing morr, Changbin received a call from his coach asking him to come back urgently. Except he'd left in such a hurry that he forgot to settle the bill .... Fortunately, Hyunjin loved him dearly, for although love was priceless, his wallet had its limits...

☆ ★ ✮ ★ ☆

- "And he let you pay like that? What an asshole, I knew he was a real asshole!" cried the tallest's best friend. Seungmin was the exact opposite of Hyunjin. He was very open and spoke his mind without a problem, which made everyone hate him but also fear him and his sarcastic remarks that had a way of stinging where it hurt.

-"Shut up" Hyunjin then placed his hand over his mouth to prevent Seungmin from uttering any more words, leaving the puppy like to shout incomprehensible things for Hyunjin to release him. Then he came to bite him gently on the hand, causing the oldest to scream dramatically and hold his hand in pain while his best friend laughed his head off. "Don't shout so loudly he can hear you", he said, earning a nudge from his friend before they both noticed a troop gathering in the distance. Curiosity may have killed a cat, but what were they going to lose by listening to some gossip?

If only Seungmin had known beforehand, he would have saved Hyunjin a lot of trouble .... You see, it wasn't gossip but a sad truth that touched many students. The school jock Seo Changbin, a student loved and admired by all, had received a scholarship to study in the United States, leaving a great void in the school, which seemed to live thanks to him.

Of course, some people didn't care, like Seungmin, who seemed to appreciate him, but all his fans and even friends seemed surprised by the news. The worst was Hyunjin, who didn't know what to say. He wasn't going to be happy about his first one-sided love, was he? His first platonic love? His first love? His first love ....

Oh yes, he cried for him, sad that he'd missed his chance, sad that they could have gotten to know each other better, but especially sad that he'd never see him again...

... At least that's what he thinks ...

☆ ★ ✮ ★ ☆

By the way, what had become of Changbin? The former sportsman who had gone to live in the United States on a scholarship? Well, without knowing it, things had taken a different turn for him.

The poor man had accepted a poisoned gift, thinking that everything would be just fine over there, that sport would be his number one passion and that nothing would stop him.

However, within the first week he realized a major problem he hadn't thought of: the language barrier. Sure, he'd had English lessons in middle school and high school, but was that enough for him to face an English-speaking country on his own? Unfortunately, in his new school he was regarded more as a curious beast than a student. After the first week he soon felt lonely, and discovered that his old friends from Korea were really only there for his popularity. Poor Changbin didn't know what else to do with his free time.

But remember what I said earlier, Changbin has a big appetite, and what better thing to do in a country like the USA than try out all the different foods and fast-food outlets that weren't available in Korea? After all, he was also practicing his English by ordering, so he justified ordering half of the dishes offered simply to improve his pronunciation. Well, the conclusion after a year there was clear and unambiguous. When he set foot in Incheon airport, his parents were surprised to see how much the USA had changed their son.

For one thing, he had now given up soccer to devote himself to his new passion: music. He confided in them that for several months he had been talking to two music students in Korea and that they were planning to form a three-man crew where they would write and produce music. Admittedly, it's not the most prolific career, especially if it's underground, but Changbin's parents only wanted him to be happy, and the fact that it's all he talks about day and night by message or phone call could only put a smile on their faces to see that their son had rediscovered the joy of living after his bad start abroad.

And the second surprising element was much more visible. A year earlier when he leave them, he'd been wearing a baggy black T-shirt and skinny jeans that highlighted his muscular frame, but now the T-shirt barely covered his midsection, and although he was wearing sweatpants, it was easy to see that those old skinny jeans no longer went over his thighs, which were now even thicker than before!

So conclusion: in one year he'd given up his dream of becoming a pro soccer player to become a music producer and had put on weight, a lot of weight... but hey, he felt much better this way, so what were his parents going to say? Nothing, of course, they were used to him being a big eater, it just didn't show in the daily exercise he did. Now that his only physical activity was going to the nearest grocery store to buy his favorite snacks, no wonder he'd become so chubby.

Moreover, when he met Chan and Jisung for the first time, both of them had adopted him as their new friend/member of their crew and for the first time in years, he felt loved but above all in tune with what he was doing. Now all he needed was to be transferred to a college where he could take courses and officially become a producer. He'd chosen a college on the spur of the moment, taking the same one as his friends so they wouldn't be separated, otherwise it wouldn't be as much fun.

☆ ★ ✮ ★ ☆

But back to the present moment. Hyunjin finished painting his canvas, it was six fifteen and he was starting to get hungry after painting non-stop for over two hours and his stomach kept begging him for ramyeon from the local seven eleven so for once he listened, took off his apron, grabbed his keys and headed out of his apartment straight for the corner supermarket. Once there, he headed for the aisle where all the local ramyeon were laid out, and just as he reached for one of the spicy beef-flavoured boxes, another hand on the other side grabbed the same box, and they both turned to look at each other before Hyunjin almost jumped when he recognized that familiar, they both changed thier faces.

That triangular jaw, now round like an animal pecking at food, that big nose, those small, tiny eyes, that curly hair hidden under a cap. Yes, it was him, his first love.

-"Wow! Hyunjin, it's been ages! Do you remember me? We were in high school together" exclaimed the brunette with the same playful air that animated the youngest's memories. Even after all these years, seeing him like this again made his heart leap out of his chest. But he was no longer that shy high-school kid who blush every time he talked to his crush! He wanted to show that he had changed too! "Yes, I remember! Seo Changbin, the high school jock! "he exclaimed, smiling, before finally detailing the brunette from top to bottom, almost choking on his saliva.

Let's just say that seeing how fat the high-school jock had become and didn't seem to hide it made Hyunjin blush and think he'd done something wrong, but Changbin didn't seem to mind, after all he was too busy staring at the young man in front of him. After all, he was also surprised to see how the shy, bespectacled, acne-faced high-schooler had changed. He was handsome, effortlessly elegant and the brunette's heart almost missed a beat.

-"We've got so much to talk about! Come on, I'll buy you something to eat" declared Hyunjin as he grabbed his Ramyeon, followed by the brunette who did the same, not forgetting to take some other snacks to satisfy his "little" hunger.

They then sat down in a corner to prepare their bowl of ramyeon and enjoy their meal with a view over the campus as the sun began to set. Of course, in high school they hadn't been close and hadn't talked much, but now, five years later, they were reminiscing about the good old days and telling each other what they'd become. "So you study here too? No way, we'll be seeing a lot of each other then," said the tallest, nudging the oldest, who chuckled. Who knows how long they'd been talking... 2 hours? Maybe 3? But in the end, it was as if they were old friends ! Hyunjin had even ended up saying "See you tomorrow, handsome boy", with Changbin retorting "See you later pretty boy", followed by a wink. By the time they got home, both were blushing as they realized how strange their last sentence sounded, but that didn't stop the flirtation between them from taking root.

☆ ★ ✮ ★ ☆

-Hyung, are you coming? There's an art show."

- "Binnie hyung are you coming to eat? I saw a restaurant nearby that you absolutely must try".

- "Hyung let me draw you!"

- "Hyung eat this you're all pale"

This was the kind of phrase Changbin heard from Hyunjun on a daily basis and didn't want it to stop for anything.

-Hyunjin wait for me! You're taking too big a step".

- "Not so fast Jinnie, I've only just finished eating and I'm too full to walk!

- "Paint me like one of your French girls Jinnieee ~"

- "Jinnie look what I've done!"

- "I wrote this, can I sing it to you?"

These were the words Hyunjin heard from Changbin. These simple words sometimes destabilized him, but the more the days went by, the more he realized that his crush on Changbin had intensified with time, and that now he could say it frankly: he was in love with him. He loved everything about him, his way of being, his laugh, his smile, his curly hair, his humor. But what he also loved more than he let on was his body, every curve of which made him shudder. His wide hips that stood out no matter what he wore, his fat, thick legs that took up all the space when he sat down, his plump belly that peeked out of his tops and rested on his thighs, his breasts that recently resembled those of a woman.

He didn't know what turned him on so much, the fact that he'd put on so much weight since high school, was it that he was eating so much in front of him or that he was unselfconsciously pushing Changbin to eat more and more? The fact was that he was very attracted to him and, given the numerous sketches he'd made of his plump body in any position, it wasn't going to stop.

But what did Changbin think of all this? Well, in high school he knew that Hyunjin was in love with him, and it was obvious enough that everyone at school knew about it. But he blamed himself, he blamed himself for not having given a chance to that nerd in high school with whom he now spent his days, but on the other hand he was happy that he could now make up for that time. He loved the connection between them, the way they acted like a coupke without actually being one. The way Hyunjin put a lock of hair back behind his ear when he complimented him. His petillant eyes showed her one of his paints, his dramatic side. Let's face it, he was in love with him too.

At this point, nothing was going to separate these two souls, so when were they going to confess? One day. Or rather one night, one night when Hyunjin was behind on his homework because he'd run out of inspiration, one night when Changbin came at his home with snacks to spend time with him.

☆ ★ ✮ ★ ☆

-This is the first time I've seen you lack inspiration! What do you have to paint?" Asked the brunette slumped on the sofa with her mouth covered in icing.

Hyunjin then began to blush before looking away, shy of saying aloud the subject her class was dealing with. "Well ... um ... it's rather embarrassing to say but ... I have to draw a body ... naked" he said, ticking off his fingers as Changbin almost choked on his own saliva.

-I understand better why there are so many art students" joked the brunette, lightening the mood, before a soudian idea popped into his head: "If you need a model, I can volunteer. That is, if you want me to.

Hyunjin raised his head and locked eyes with the brunette, surprised by what he'd just said. Was he really proposing to pose nude for him? How could he keep quiet? He was both excited and embarrassed by the idea, but barely had time to accept when Changbin returned a few minutes later wearing one of his bathrobes that he couldn't even close, anyway it was only for a short while since the important thing was that he was completely naked.

-W-When you're ready, let me know" declared the youngest, his head turned away to give Changbin as much privacy as possible until he was comfortable.

-I-I am! Replied the brunette before dropping the bathrobe to the floor and positioning herself a few feet away from Hyunjin, waiting for him to order her to do something.

So the youngest slowly turned his head before detailing the brunette in order to think of the best pose he could do that would highlight his curves. In theory, at least, that's what he was doing, because in reality, he was just ogling him and realizing how fat the oldest was, so fat that his belly hung lightly over his thighs, hiding part of her intimacy. He then saw that his pale body was covered with pink stretch marks, accentuating his gain and further arousing the painter.

☆ ★ ✮ ★ ☆

So for the next few minutes, Hyunjin gave some poses that Changbin had to do, but nothing came of it, according to the painter, who, after taking a good look at the brunette from top to bottom, asked him to strike a new pose.

-Hey, I'm posing so you can paint, not to ogle me" declared Changbin after catching the youngest in the act of admiring his ass. "I-I don't know what you're talking about! denounced the painter, wearing a false look of shock. "If i'm that much exciting, say it it'll be quicker for both of us".

- "Faster for what?" he asked intrusively.

- "You want to play it that way? Isn't that explicit enough?"

-No, I really don't see it.

- "Two men obviously very attracted to each other, one naked and the other ogling ... is that explicit enough?!"

Suddnely Hyunjin's heart missed another beat, he thought he'd heard wrong.

- "W-What... are you attracted to me?" he said in shock

-More than that, I love you, but that's not the point," changbin confided, cheeks flushed as he crossed his arms to look away.

- "If that's what it's all about" declared Hyunjin in turn, before rising from his seat and walking towards the oldest without even bothering that he was naked.

He approached until only a few centimeters remained between them, their faces close together, Hyunjin felt changbin's soft breath against his neck before adding "I've been dreaming of this for years" before taking the brunette's face before anchoring his gaze in hers "so what are you waiting for? I'm getting cold" Changbin begged, before the tallest took action and lifted her between them for a gentle kiss. And then followed another tender kiss. And then another heated one. Then another more passionate. Then Changbin was not the only one without clothes...

It would be better not to describe what happened next, that was reserved only for them, that memorable souvenir of their love, of their bodies straddling each other. Now they were united and nothing was going to separate them.

Just goes to show, even the most clichéd stories have a happy ending.

☆ ★ ✮ ★ ☆

- "You should display this painting in your home"

- "Me too but I prefer to keep the model with me it is even better

[digital-chance]

steve rogers - a brief (nonsensical) character study/analysis

so i rewatched all the mcu movies with steve roger in them using this lovely youtube video. spoilers for the entire things! consider this your warning.

here's my takeaways in no particular order:

he still wears the same clothing style he wore pre-ice. often button ups, work boots, plain denim jeans, sometimes a leather jacket (often brown). later on in the mcu he started wearing plaid flannels which is funny to me because he does not give a SHIT about modern fashion. give him his old man clothes please and ty. adorable.

marvel did not give the man much character development. they said he's going to go through war and hell and death and fuckery of emotions. sure he's going to learn how to move on but that's off screen and don't really expect much change fuckers. this fucking pisses me off if you can't tell. he's such a long-time character with so many areas where he could be developed and marvel just said fuck that he's an "old man and a soldier with some funny moments" and that's all you're getting.

also he had 5 minutes MAX of screentime in infinity wars :(((( fucking hate that give my man justice

he's so funny????? and so fucking sassy???? like how did I not know this???? love the guy

he broods a ton when he's sad and cracks jokes to cheer others up when they're sad. very sweet but I feel like that marvel could have expanded on this in some way.

he's also very acrobatic which is somehow surprising to me but also at the same time it makes sense??? idk man but you do your flips bbg

also love the way they planned his fights. they really use his full body. reminds me of old greek and roman statues with the flexing muscles. (those are my favorites statues if you can't tell) it's satisfying to watch and I want to draw it or make a statue of him now tyvm.

in endgame tony started talking about his ass which sparked an entertaining side tangent. like you really didn't need to???? but I'll take it. i forgot that steve called HIS OWN ass the "ass of America." I was in and still am in shock from this whole situation.

when he met his other self (or smth I don't remember) in endgame one of the last things he said to other steve was "bucky is alive" (see points below). interesting how seeing the compass with peggy didn't phase other steve much.... also that fight is fucking ridiculous 1000/10

he says so much romantic/gay shit about bucky??? like "even when I had nothing I had bucky." very angsty and homoerotic I love it

the ending with peggy and him being old is plotted so shittily. literal garbage. i wouldn't have minded him being with peggy at all (love her sm btw don't mistake this for me hating her) if they had done it right and given cap a plausible reason and justification for him staying. sure, he misses her. sure, visiting her. but wouldn't staying with her fuck up everything??? literally everything????? like the avengers wouldn't exist everything????????? FUCK that ending.

not exactly fully cap/steve but chris evan's shoulder to waist ratio is absolutely delectable. love that they highlight that with the suits designs.

also what the fuck was infinity wars when he had a fucking beard and longer hair??? loved it but it kind of came out of left field. plus he looked a little silly fighting with the long hair bc it kept getting in his face. you would've thought that he would wear a helmet during that fight but Not Today ig...

last point I promise. but the romance with sharon carter (i forgot her name but i think that's it) was GROSS. whats her face is peggy's GRANDDAUGHTER. so now that he's too old for peggy he had to go for her granddaughter?????? YUCK. especially so because he went to peggy ANYWAYS in the mcu. to the comic writers and marvel: stop. that's fucking gross and quite honestly unneeded.

kind of a serious man with some unexpected twists, like the humor. and that was just the MOVIES. fucking hate some parts of the comics. (why are there so many universes ughhhhh) love steve though what an interesting fellow. might add on more thoughts later if i remember/want to.

[ellathoompson]

Not sure how often you've been asked this, but do you have any general advice for making art as someone with autism and adhd? I know autism is different for everyone, but I've recently come to believe I have it, so I'm just hoping I could learn something new to help reduce the mental friction I have with art.

Hi @ohrobro ! Oof it’s hard because I still struggle a lot with both my ADHD and autism when it comes to art and getting stuck haha, my time management is horrific and my brain is often scattered, and I’ll forget about projects I’m working on and move on, but I would say my hyper focus and hyper fixations are my strength.

So I think my advice is… if you have any super strong interests, draw those!! Write those!! Hyper fixations can give an insane amount of passion and focus that can override executive functioning issues, to where you can learn and absorb things so much faster when they are related to it. Make fan art of your favorite media, try to study the behind the scenes work of the artists that make your favorite media and hopefully you’ll find that you’ll be very excited to learn it and that it’s easy to absorb. Get as detail oriented as you can, and maybe try out different styles while you’re at it! You may feel shame for being too slow or for not being able to finish projects because you move on (I do both) but remember that you are working with a very different brain than the average person, and that you won’t have a linear line of production as people expect and that’s ok. Don’t feel ashamed drawing lots of fan art or writing lots of fan fiction, it’s a great way to learn for people like us who are special interest oriented I believe!

Welcome to the nuerodiverse community BTW!🌈❤️ I hope this advice was what you were hoping for 😅 and if you have any more questions you can hit me up. I may or may not be able to answer them haha.

[proxythe]

Hi! I love your art style! What art program do you use and what sort of brushes are your favorites? Would you ever consider posting a coloring tutorial bc i think one of my favorite aspects of your art is how you put colors together! I hope you have a good day !

haiii thank u!! i use procreate !!

i’m really bad at explaining things, especially my process since i’m not a professional artist or anything and i just draw on autopilot 😭 but under the cut i tried to put some stuff together that i hope will make sense to u !!

ill put stuff in the alt text in case my handwriting is hard to read ‘^_^

first of all, these are the main brushes i use:

i’m sorry but unfortunately i can’t remember where i got any of them, so hopefully if you google it u can find ones that are similar if not exact. & btw all brushes i use are free downloads so there shouldn’t be any problems if u find & want the same ones i use

i like to look for brushes for my lines that remind me of pencils & honestly i’m still looking for a perfect free lineart brush bc my current one is unsatisfactory for me sometimes in my vision for a drawing.

now for coloring i put some visual “guides” together but, like i said i’m rly shit at explaining my process so i really hope this makes sense for u:

this is normally how i color skin:

& this is how i color hair:

if ur confused about any of it i can truly try my best to explain but i am Truly genuinely sorry if this shit makes no sense 😭

LASTLY, this is the finishing touches i put on my drawings:

i’ll try to explain further here if this is too little info.

so to begin my final touches on my art, i flatten the entire drawing into one single layer, then i duplicate that layer.

on the duplicate layer i apply this:

and i look for a gradient map thing i think looks best with my coloring. occasionally (and for this drawing specifically) i look for a layer setting that looks good with the gradient map. most of the time for me they’re kinda wack but for this one i enjoyed it and applied it

after the gradient AND layer setting are applied, the drawing looks like this:

and finally:

after the coloring & filters is all done with, i flatten the entire drawing into one layer and apply noise to it. like barely any tho, 1 % or 2 % is good for me, and then the drawing is done.

i hope this helped 😭😭 like i said i’m not a professional artist. i don’t study colors or color theory. my initial lineart is my lineart for the whole drawing, i don’t do a rough sketch. i honestly don’t really know shit about drawing i just do it LOL that’s why i needed to show u visuals bc i don’t know the actual names for any of this stuff. i hope u understand & enjoy