#the Fibonacci sequence. i thought it fitting | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

unflirtysimmer · 5 months ago

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After the waiter left with their orders, the conversation between Mercury and Travis continued to flow, but now there was a subtle undercurrent of nervousness. Mercury was still trying to strike the right balance between being open and hiding parts of herself—parts she couldn't afford to reveal just yet.

“So, what about you?” Travis asked, his gaze curious but friendly. “You said you like working out... but what else do you do when you're not at the gym or reading?”

Mercury hesitated for a moment, her fingers tapping gently on the edge of her water glass. “Well, I guess... I like to explore different places around town,” she said, keeping her tone light. “There’s always something new to see, whether it’s a park, a hidden coffee shop, or even just a quiet spot to think.”

“That’s cool,” Travis said, nodding. “I think I should get out more. I kind of get stuck in my own world sometimes with programming and gaming. You know, it’s easy to forget that there’s a whole world outside.”

Mercury gave him a small, reassuring smile. “I get that. Sometimes, the best thing is just to get outside, even for a little while. It’s refreshing.”

She felt the conversation shift, but still, she remained cautious. She couldn’t give too much away about herself—not the full truth, anyway.

“So,” Travis began, leaning forward slightly, “anything you’re really passionate about? Something you could talk about for hours?”

Mercury’s mind raced, trying to find something safe to mention. “I guess... I’m really interested in how things work. Like, the way systems operate, whether it’s a workout routine or... even the way people interact. It’s fascinating how everything fits together in some way.”

Travis raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. “So, like... you’re into problem-solving too?”

“Yeah,” she said quickly, flashing a small smile, “I guess you could say that. It’s the way my mind works, I guess. I like finding solutions, figuring things out.”

“That’s cool,” Travis said, taking a sip of his drink. “Kind of like me with programming. It’s all about breaking things down and seeing how it all fits together.”

Mercury nodded, trying to keep the conversation flowing smoothly. But she couldn’t help letting slip a little quirk of knowledge. “I’ve always thought it’s interesting how... numbers and patterns can be so connected. Like, how the Fibonacci sequence shows up in nature. It’s kind of amazing, don’t you think? How mathematics can be this hidden language, present in everything.”

Travis blinked, clearly impressed. “Yeah, that’s true. I never thought about it that way. It’s like everything has its own kind of code. That’s pretty deep.”

Mercury gave a small, quiet laugh, feeling a sense of pride in having shared something that felt a little more hers than the surface-level talk about games and work. She didn’t mind showing off a little bit of knowledge, as long as it didn’t reveal too much.

“So, uh...” Travis trailed off, seeming to consider his next question carefully. “Tell me something about you that I wouldn’t expect. Something... unusual?”

Mercury’s heart skipped. It was a simple question, but it felt like a trap. She couldn’t just reveal the truth—she couldn’t tell him she was from another world, or that she had been studying Earth to figure out how humans really felt, what made them tick.

She smiled and leaned back in her chair, trying to keep the mood light. “Well, I once spent an entire night getting lost in the city... on purpose. I was trying to see if I could navigate my way out without asking for directions. It was... an interesting experience.”

Travis laughed. “That’s bold. I’d probably get hopelessly lost and end up calling an Uber.”

Mercury’s smile widened slightly, relieved that her answer had passed as quirky rather than strange. “I guess it’s about trusting yourself,” she said softly, leaning in a little as if to emphasize her point. “And realizing you can figure things out on your own... eventually.”

There was a pause in the conversation, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. Mercury could feel herself starting to relax again, her nerves easing as the evening went on. She had to remind herself that this wasn’t about being perfect. It was about connecting, even if it was in small, unexpected ways.

Travis smiled and picked up his drink. “You know, I admire that. I’m usually the type to overthink things. I could learn a lot from someone like you.”

Mercury’s heart fluttered a little at the compliment, but she tried to keep her expression neutral. “Well, I don’t always have everything figured out,” she said with a soft laugh. “But sometimes, you just have to trust the process, right?”

“Exactly,” Travis agreed, smiling. “It’s all about letting things unfold.”

Mercury gave him a small nod, her mind turning. She had to admit, she was starting to understand the rhythm of the conversation. It wasn’t perfect, and it wasn’t a deep, life-changing connection. But it was real—at least for the moment.

#ts4 #the sims 4 #ts4 gameplay #ts4 legacy #talc #tslc gen 1 #the space legacy challenge #mercury milky-way #travis scott

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jonathankatwhatever · 1 year ago

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I’m having a bunch of extremely straightforward thoughts. Of course this is true. Of course that is true. This extends to you or rather the issues of doubt concerning identification. I’m trying to say those issues are renormalized, that they take known and fit across the gap of unknown. Known is harder to measure when it’s not physical, but the Julia set and the Mandelbrot set, call them together JM connect gs - it’s literally the iterating square of a complex number, centered at 0 or not.

Trying to say that the M set doesn’t just count the rationals: it makes them. That’s because the M set is centered at 0 on the real line. Set yourself at 0 and this is all that made available.

It’s now 12 Mar 2024 and I don’t have much memory of typing this yesterday. Not sure why. But I wanted to include them because I was obviously processing that this is what I’ve been looking for, in concepts so deep and dense that they allow all the perspectives we can imagine, just as every single rational number appears in visual form which counts up the numerator and denominator, and just as the Fibonacci sequence appears, in each and every cas as though there’s an Observer counting, which is true in the sense that we can locate this O in the - say it - the 1Space, the 1 count, which forms the line between divergence and convergence.

No wonder I’m exhausted, what with you and the demands that puts on my brain and this depth of imagery. That which assembles but which cannot be achieved can be achieved only in perspectives because that which assembles is uncountable, which is why the Cantor set appears in nature, because the underlying processes which generate reality are constructing within the D3-4 Space. Don’t go into the more exact description of gsSpace, please. Okay, trying to glide past that attractor, a trail with known contours, where the End is uncertain means I want to explore that rather than pass through it as though I went along that path and completed it as part of my overall slime mould existence. Slime mould makes a lot more sense when you see it as a set generated in gsSpace.

So, if you locate these sets, call them JM within the D3-4 Space, then we need to connect that idea to them representing actual stuff, which we have, then we have encoding at levels. I took out the word infinite. Don’t want to throw that around. Encoding at levels because if it can count this or that way, then it can count using SBE and fCM to define characters, words, stories, etc.

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emyersarts246-003 · 1 year ago

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Project 1: Music Festival Design System

Week 5 - Typographic Design: Form and Communication by Rob Carter

Chapter 5: The Typographic Grid

The grid is one of the most important design elements. It allows designers to organize different elements in a visually appealing and sensical way. Grids have been used to arrange type and words for centuries. Movable type relied on this technique in order to arrange the letters in words into paragraphs and lines. When elements are introduced into space they create a spatial organization that changes as they change. These grids rely on changing ratios and proportions, like the golden section. This is usually found in nature. Another common one is the Fibonacci sequence. It is a mathematical interpretation of the golden sequence. Grids are a flexible foundation.

Single-column grids: This is a more simple grid, but the right type, size, and formatting can greatly affect its effectiveness.

Multi-column grids: They vary greatly, but are created by squares and rectangles. They can have margins, text columns, and column intervals. Within this structure, you need to focus on text size, line spacing, and line length.

Improvisational structures: They begin from other grid structures but are changed to suit different visual elements.

Grids are invaluable for design work, especially when designing posters. I chose a multi-column grid for my poster design because I found that it was the most flexible. I wanted a flexible structure because I wanted to experiment a lot with layout and visual interest. I feel this structure most suits my poster because it is for an indie/alternative music festival, which lends itself to a more experimental look. I am currently experimenting with an improvisational structure. I skewed the date and location on the poster, and am looking into skewing a second component so it is more emphasized. My layout has a very vertical look to it, based on the structure I chose, and I would like to make it a little more interesting to look at by introducing more experimental touches.

Update: I experimented with the angle of the block of text for the performers and days. I skewed them to the same angle, while keeping the headliners without an angle. I also added designs that I thought fit the visual aesthetic of the poster. I made a second version with a slightly different layout as well. I thought the text did not look like it had much purpose/structure so I played around with how to make it more thoughtful. I'm still workshopping it though. I also worked on an idea for the merch. I'm still working on the back and its placements.

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rhythm-catsandwine · 2 years ago

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Seashell

Authors note: Fibonacci sequence. But just how the shells are placed. This also references how I feel the energy of others. The tiny other references to the occult.

This one is not very slashy.

The first bit is set during the Lteralus era. The second bit is set later. Idk exactly when or where.

1,1,2,3,5,8,13…..

Shells lay by knowing hands on a canvas of sand. He watched his creative bandmate, ignoring the sunset “A spiral?”

“Yeah.” Adam’s eyes almost looked golden brown or amber in the late sun. “you’re my best friend.” Echos of the past rang through his ears like waves. Dark braids shook back and forth at the beer offered to him.

Off several feet away they heard Maynard and Danny. The drummer laughed at something the other said. Buzzing continued over wine.��

“Wot?”

Adam was lost in thought. Walking through shadows, moon, and stars. Wandering but never truly lost. Red and Yellow turned to inky black.

Justin ran his thumb over that seashell from that day. Maybe Dan was right and some things held on to energy and moments in time. He could almost hear the waves and the long conversations that ended after nightfall. Words ended but created something new. The pieces did fit. They did fall away at times but they always found their way back together.

Before and after Peach it scared him a tiny bit. Now he sensed the others before he saw or heard them.

“You kept that?” Adam was suddenly beside him.

“Yeah.” Two energies mixed.

#writersmonth2023 #ashland writes #tool band rpf #tw rpf #cw rpf #seashell #day 3 of prompts

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itsalltears666 · 2 years ago

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Nu Metal MC

!silly little headcanons!

You are an MC who listens to metal, nu metal, and alternative music. Your music taste has rubbed off on the demon bros! Here's what I think they would listen to!

Lucifer

You can't tell me that Lucifer doesn't like System Of a Down. With their political, anti-war lyrics, Luci is on that like white on rice.

He claims he isn't fond of your music, but one time while walking past his study, you heard "Attack" by SOAD playing. He denies it to this day.

Asmo

He for SURE listens to the Deftones. Deftones were made for the horny bitches, and he's one of them.

He'll rub himself in front of the mirror with the Deftones playing in the background. We've all been there, I don't blame him.

Satan

He seems like a Limp Bizkit kind of man to me. He's so angry all the time, and once he heard you play Limp Bizkit near him, he wrote the band's name down on his bookmark for later.

When he's in a fit of rage he'll play a Bizkit song to help him let go of his anger. What can he say, it's just one of those days.

Mammon

He's a fan of Rage Against the Machine. He's the definition of " fuck you, I won't do what ya tell me."

He heard you play "Bulls on Parade" and that was it. If Lucifer tells him not to do something, he'll listen to Rage Against the Machine to pump himself up and do it anyway. No wonder he's always in trouble.

Beel

He is a man of good taste in food AND music. He likes Primus.

He thought they sounded kind of weird at first, but he then realized some of their songs are REALLY good to work out to. His favorite album is "Pork Soda", that's self-explanatory.

Belphie

Belphie is a Korn lover.

Belphie is a bratty one, and brats love Korn (as do I)

He heard you play " A.D.I.D.A.S" and the shit eating smirk this man had on his face makes your eyes roll just thinking about it. He'll tease you for listening to it, but for sure will jam out to it later in the attic.

Levi

He likes Coheed and Cambria due to the "viking battle" sounding music. (Best way I can describe it, but you know what I'm saying)

When he's in cosplay where swords are involved, he'll blast Coheed and pretend he's fighting a real-life boss battle in his room.

BONUS

Solomon

He's totally a Tool fan.

Fibonacci sequence ain't got nothing on him.

#obey me shall we date #obey me headcanons #obey me nightbringer #obeymelucifer #obey me mammon #obey me leviathan #obey me asmodeus #obey me satan #obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegor #obey me solomon

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winterandwords · 3 years ago

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Word find tag (sunshine, doubt, betray, reach, warning)

@isherwoodj tagged me to hunt my WIP for sunshine, doubt, betray, reach and warning. Thanks for the tag!

It feels like ages since I've done one of these! Here goes...

SUNSHINELIGHT

He tells the curtains to open and the assault of sunlight through my eyelids is too much. My stomach churns and I reach for what’s left of the whiskey I wasn’t meant to steal and bring back here yesterday, abandoned next to the couch I passed out on last night.

DOUBT

“I’ve tried that plenty of times. It’s all right, but it’s not going to have the effect you think it will. It won’t do what I need it to do.” He opens the kit, fits a broad stroke nib to the cauteriser, and fires it up. Then he pulls the neck of the sweater that isn’t my sweater to the side. “It will when I do it.” I’m doubtful, but whatever. “Fine.” He strokes a cold thumb across an area of untouched skin below the self-inflicted scars on my collarbone. “You have to ask.”

BETRAY ABANDON

“I got tenth, twenty-second, and seventy-third floor.” She pulls out another pack. “And these. Premium rooftops. These hit hard. Real hard. Wild abandon right at the start, a blast of freedom, then brutal panic just before the final rush. I was going to take out the last-minute regret, but I thought better of it. It’s part of what makes these so hot.

REACH

“Death Spiral. It’s part electrocution, part MDMA, programmed through a Fibonacci sequence.” Gillen attaches his own cell. “It’ll level out in… fuck.” His kicks in too and he snaps into silence with a sudden gasp of bliss and a rare smile that actually reaches his eyes, as if he’s only truly happy when he’s dying.

WARNING

And I’m angry. With him. With myself. With the whole situation. Words come out by themselves. “I don’t know. Maybe we were only together in the first place because I was useful. Maybe none of it meant anything to you. Maybe nothing ever does.” He finishes his coffee, gripping the empty cup in fingers with scars that stand out against whitening knuckles, and we’re at war. “Together? Is that what we were?” “Wasn’t it?” “How would I know if nothing means anything to me?” He loosens his hold on the mug and goes to set it beside him again, then with no warning, he hurls it across the room at my face.

Ughhh...I'm trying to do cute things with text colours to break up text walls and make posts more aesthetically pleasing, but Tumblr is refusing to acknowledge what I'm actually highlighting and applying to colours, font weight etc to. So it creates random bits of bold or unbold text, and random bits of colour that aren't meant to be there, and I don't have the patience to pick through the quite frankly horrendous mess of the HTML editor with all it's repeating tags that happen as a result of whatever fuckery is causing the wrong bits of text to be affected. ANYWAY. I'm trying. The fuck-ups aren't my doing. It's Tumblr being Tumblr. "Here, have this rich text editor that doesn't work" 🤣

Long live OPEN TAG day! If you see this and you'd like to join in the game, your words to search your WIP for are smile, cry, laugh, and scream.

If you're new to word find tags, remember you don't have to have the exact word. Like if you have laughing instead of laugh, that's fine. If you need to thesaurus your way to grin because you don't have smile, that's cool. It's just a game. Do it in whatever way gets you involved 💜

#my writing #project frequency #writeblr tags #word find tag #wip excerpt

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never-dim-your-light · 4 years ago

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Fibonacci's Heart

Image credits to Laura Makabresku - original

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Fibonacci believed that patterns and sequences existed in all forms of nature. Basically, that everything was predetermined by the laws of a Golden Ratio or Divine Proportion. Well, His theory is used to a certain degree in modified form in some financial and trading analysis. But overall, his original concept and belief in his discovery is largely dismissed and seen as more of an abstract idea for a hypothetical problem regarding rabbits in 1202 AD Pisa, Italy. Regardless, In a world where religion is more doubted than ever - and cruelty abounds - I don't see a negative in accepting Fibonacci's Sequence and his Golden Ratio as fact.

"The ratio is always the same: 1 to 1.618 over and over and over again. The patterns are hidden in plain sight. You just have to know where to look. Things most people see as chaos, actually follow subtle laws of behaviour. Galaxies, plants, seashells – the patterns never lie, but only some of us can see how the pieces fit together. Seven billion, eighty-million, three hundred sixty-thousand of us live on this tiny planet. And few of us will be the ones that are able to really see these connections, what they mean, and what truly matters.There’s an ancient Chinese myth about the red thread of fate. It says that the gods have tied a red thread around every one of our ankles and attached it to all the people whose lives we are destined to touch. This thread may stretch or tangle, but it will never break. It’s said to have all been predetermined by mathematical probability.The ones whose lives need to connect. Today, we’ll send over 300 billion emails, 19 billion text messages, yet we’ll still feel alone. The average person will say 2,250 words to 7.4 other individuals. Will these words be used to hurt or to heal?"

When I was young, I drew little hearts on everything. As I grew older, I discovered a very large part of my reality lacked any real, & compassionate human hearts. Maybe, we secretly draw these hearts in our youth, to make up the difference for the ones we never really discover in our lifetime. The ones we want to see in others, but cannot, or do not. Ancient Egyptians believed, the only way to enter the after life was to answer a series of questions correctly& honestly. As well as to have a heart no heavier than that of a feather. A metaphor? Quite possibly. But intriguing all the same. Every culture has its traditions & rites of life & death. I strongly believe in cremation. I read somewhere, that the temperature at which a body will burn, is not enough. Because the Human Heart, with all of it’s muscle, will remain. Therefore, the temperature of cremation is determined by the Human Heart. Finally, Yet again, After all of the rituals of death are over, I read something I never would have even thought about before.…… Although the Kingdom Of Joy is guarded from all evil by red doors, keeping bad spirits OUT… It also traps all of the good spirits IN… Therefore: A Red Door That Stays Forever Closed, Is Worse Than Having No Door At All…

-my rendition of a series of stories which I could never attribute to any clear source

#text post #renditionofanoldfable #fibonnaci #fibonnacisheart #laura makabresku photography #creditinphotocaption #Alwayscredityourphotographer #red door #ancientegyptian #human hearts

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hazelenergy · 5 years ago

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How I Digitally Paint like a Scenic Artist/Designer

Aka: how I did this and put my degree to good use.

LONG POST WARNING

Step 1: Research.

First off, get to your image search. If you are going to be using Google, you may want to type “-pinterest” in the search to eliminate the countless boards.

I had to figure out clothing that is vaguely late 1800s. I found a multitude of reference images that were fancier clothes- but I wanted to find images of clothing for kindred across all social classes. Photographs from the era and paintings are your friend. They will more accurately showcase what was worn.

After Fashion research comes location research. The 1890s in America is known for the rapid industrialization. Factories were getting bigger and work days were getting longer. But, I wanted the moonlight to be cascading into the place, illuminating the scene. This means I needed to find a structure that had skylights or let sunlight in. And the best images I found? Slaughterhouses. Fitting, huh?

The same rule for fashion still stands- if you can find photographs or paintings from the era- they’re better. There are tons of places still standing today from the 1800s. But today, they look WAY different. Ya know, Abandoned! So just be sure to take this into consideration if you search “abandoned slaughterhouses” or go trespassing like I did.

Lastly, pose research. Finding the poses for a fight scene can be tedious. So, I enlisted some help from a few fight choreographers and stunt men. You can record their fights and play them back at quarter or half speed. You can also get a mirror and flop on the floor a bunch. I did both. This lets you see the action/motion lines you are going to replicate in the drawing. Heres how we initially did fina’s pose:

And sometimes you have to go back and get a clean shot. I ended up using this pose for the axe.

Step 2: Set up and Background!

When you open a new file, set it to the dimensions and resolution you want. I was working at 600. Usually, I’m working at 300-350. You can always reduce resolution. Its hard to prevent fuzzy lines if you increase it later.

I cannot stress the following enough:

You work background to foreground. Big Shapes and areas to little shapes. Work your way forward. What this means is you need to fill in as much space as possible first. Then build your details. I prefer working as follows: Big Solid tones, Soft shadows, Dark Shadows, Highlights, then final blend. Once you finish this, put an overlay on top. This knocks everything back and helps create the illusion of depth. See this at work with the video below or here

Step 3: Figure Drawings + Composition

Utilize that research and images you collected to pose your characters. I create subfolders for each set of figures. Organization is important here. This will help keep you on the right layer and prevent the eternal digital artist struggle of “Fuck that was on the wrong layer!”

Even after you move on to lineart and shading, Keep the sketch layer as a reference. You may need to see what youre original notes/ figures looked like as you do the lineart and shade. Don’t be afraid to move them around and alter the composition rn. You want to be able to make changes. Make notes! Detail light sources!

I’m about to through out some art jargon:

You want to think about asymmetric balance. The easiest way to achieve this in an eye-pleasing manner is to use the Fibonacci spiral. Yeah. This boi:

Place your figures and actions in a similar sequence to the spiral and the viewer’s eye tends to naturally follow it. This is sometimes called the Golden Ratio in the art world.

Doesn’t need to be perfectly on the spiral. You can break it- but its an excellent tool to plan how things move in the piece.

Step 4: Lineart

Once you got things sketched- its time to do the lineart. I’m using clip studio paint’s standard brushes. Nothing fancy. I often switch between the G-pen and the For Effect Liner. Mapping and Turnip are for thicker lines.

Usually I set these pens to a specific thickness depending on where I’m drawing.

My background figures are lined at 0.05 thickness, the midground is .1 to .2, Fina is .3 and the foreground is .4. I set my stabilization high to help keep my lines smooth. Stabilization 100 means there’s a significant delay between where the pen is and the cursor. I like the stabilization to be at 20 for freehanding and at 50 ish for outlining. Dont become completely reliant on the stabilization though. Good and smooth lineart is drawn from the arm not the wrist. Your range of motion is severely limited if you only move your wrist. Practice moving from your elbow and you’ll be surprised how much smoother your lines get.

Once I finish lining the figures, I usually go around it with an outline. This does three things:

1. Solidifies the figure and cleans lineart for paint bucket tool. More on that in the next step.

2. Its a stylistic choice. Helps give it that comic book feel with a heavy outline.

3. Pushes figures forward or back in the composition. Thicker outline helps denote that a figure is farther forward than another. My background figures have no outline to push them away

Step 5: Digitally coloring

For each figure you are going to select outside the lineart.

Create a new layer under the lineart

Invert the selection. Paint bucket. You should now have a solid shape of the figure under the lineart. Do not deselect.

Create a new layer above the one color. Title it solid colors. Paint in thick, solid tones. I like to use the mapping pen and turnip pen to color in my solid tones: skin, clothing, hair, etc.

After that, deselect. Create a multiply layer if you can. If your program does not have a multiplier function, Pick a tone you want to use for shadows and lower the opacity (usually 30-40% I like to use lavenders or blue tones). It will not be as vibrant, but you can edit it in post. Select off of the solid colors layer. I like to start with skin tones. Use the airbrush tool to create soft shadows. You don’t want to create harsh lines on this layer.

Then repeat this process with harsh lines.

Then knock it all back with an overlay. If you dont have the ability to create an overlay, you can again drop a solid color and lower the opacity, but you’ll have to mess with the color balance/ brightness/contrast to let all the hard work come through.

You’re going to repeat this for every single figure. Here’s a few color theory tips though.

Your overlay colors should be darker (not more vibrant) in the foreground and lighter (avoid using pure white) in the background. This helps with the depth of the piece. Things closer tend to be darker (not always true, depends on lighting)

You can choose to use color theory to aid your shadows. Instead of choosing black or grey for shadows, choose a complimentary color. I used a lot of green for this piece, I used red for really dark shadows. Its not that black drains color- its just loses some depth if not used carefully.

Keep your colors consistent. Helps unify the piece. You can strategically break the consistency to draw focus. For example, Fina is the only figure with a true blue overlay. This helps her stand out from the other figures who have reds and greens.

Step 6: Touch Ups and Final Renderings

Now comes the most tedious part. If you’re like me, your computer fans have been whirring for the last few hours trying to render this monster of a file. If you havent already, SAVE FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS GOOD

These are the last four layers I have for the entire piece. Here, I am trying to create effective and believable lighting. This kind of work I have only been able to achieve in clip studio or photoshop. You can do it with normal layers, but choose your colors CAREFULLY. Stay away from pure white. Carefully utilize your knowledge of light and shadow to create soft highlights. Harsh lines tend to be a stylistic choice for me. The final layer, subtract, dulls out harsh red tones. I used this as a final overlay to help put everyone and everything in the scene. Without it, things are a little too green and skin tones are a little too blushed for vampires.

The challenge here is I want to tone down the red, but not lose the vibrancy of the blood. So, shift it to a blue. This also helped reinforce the “nighttime” effect. Its only a slight change.

Final thoughts:

Whenever you finish something, its important to reflect.

1. I am so FUCKING PROUD OF MYSELF. This is easily one of the most complicated pieces I’ve done in a while- and I’ve made 16′ tall faux stained glass. Brag. Let yourself feel awesome cuz you just made something awesome.

2. I timed myself on the piece. I could have easily spent another 7 hours on it. But its important to know when to stop messing with it. Partially for budget reasons but also when you get down to the details you can make yourself go insane. Theres also a ton of detail work I lost cuz of overlays or its just too small to notice. Fina’s face? hard to see cuz its not close enough.

3. I needed to take frequent breaks for this piece. That was good. Resting and stretching was very important. That is one of the reasons why I was able to work so fast.

4. I started doing more digital art in April 2020. I have to say, practice makes perfect. I practice drawing and digital painting for at least 3 hours a day.

That discipline has allowed me to improve so rapidly. So- I don’t wanna hear shit about I can’t possibly get this good! Or I couldn’t even draw a stick figure! BULLSHIT. You can. Get yourself some free software like Krita or Autodesk sketchbook and start playing!

And thats what I got! Thanks for coming with me on this long post!

#digital art #my art #okay to reblog #how to #long post

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dawnscngs · 4 years ago

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GENSHIN AU / VOICELINES: WILLIAM JAMES MORIARTY

Name: William James Moriarty

Vision: haha, what vision? (Pyro)

Weapon: Sword, hidden within his walking cane— which he does not actually need. Can also wield firearms, but does not have a preference for them.

Constellation: Flos Sanguinum

Nation: Fontaine.

Affiliation: The Lord of Crime / The Moriarty Family

Occupation: Professor, Vigilante Mastermind

Special Dish: Red Velvet Cupcakes

Blurb.

A young professor from an affluent family. He does not charge for his lessons and accepts students from all walks of life. Beneath the veil of propriety, however, William is a vital piece of an underground network known collectively as ‘The Lord of Crime’. This organization deals in information, as well as punishing those who the law cannot or does not touch.

Voicelines.

Hello: William James Moriarty, at your service. In addition to teaching mathematics, I also run a consulting service. It’s quite lovely to meet you-- Should you find yourself in need of assistance, feel free to seek me out.

Chat - Sleep: Hm...? Oh-- Yes, I am quite alright. Excuse me for drifting off, I’m afraid I didn’t get much sleep last night.

Chat - Tea: This? It’s a blend of Darjeeling with strawberry and hibiscus; I’m quite fond of it. Allow me to pour a cup for you.

Chat - Class: Ah, you’re just in time for my next lecture. You’re welcome to stay for the lesson, if you’d like.

When it rains: Ahh, how dreary. Still, the smell of rain is quite nice. What do you say we find some shelter and enjoy the weather from inside?

When the sun is out: My, what a lovely day. Perfect for a walk, don’t you think?

When lightning strikes: As fond as I am of the sound of thunder, I would prefer to avoid its companion, if it’s all the same to you.

When it snows: For many, winter brings only the threat of death. I’ve never been fond of the cold.

Good morning: Oh dear, is that the sun already? It seems time has gotten away from me again... Ah, well. Breakfast?

Good afternoon: Hello! It’s nearly my lunch hour, if you’d care to join me. I would love to hear more of your adventures.

Good evening: What a beautiful sunset...

Good night: You’re up a touch late, are you not? Take care not to over-exert yourself. Me? Oh, I’ll be up for quite a while yet.

About William - Ambitions: One day, I’d love to see a world where everyone stands on equal footing. Where those who take advantage of others don’t go unpunished... Ah, but even if such a world could be built, I doubt I’ll be around to see it. Still, I’d like to help shape it, while I’m able.

About us - Distraction: It’s nice of you to visit me so often. I suppose I don’t mind the distraction as much as I thought I would. You’re good company and speaking with you is never boring.

About us - Family: Oh-- hang on a moment, your hair is all out of place... There we go! Ah... Forgive me, Traveler, you’re practically a part of the family, now, I’m afraid I acted on instinct.

About the vision: Visions are a funny thing, don’t you think? I can’t imagine why an Archon would see fit to grant me such a thing, and yet...here it is all the same. Let’s keep this our secret, alright? I’d rather not lay all my cards on the table at once- you never know who’s looking.

Something to share: I enjoy novels, but the theatre is where my heart truly lies. Have you seen anything good, recently? We should go to the Opera sometime, I hear this season is looking quite promising!

Interesting things: I’m quite fond of the Fibonacci sequence! Did you know that in observing the geometry of plants, we often find that there are recurrent structures in the arrangement of leaves, branches, flower petals, and seeds which follow the spiral? It’s fascinating how mathematics can translate into nature.

About Louis: Ah, Louis? It is difficult to overlook the resemblance, hm? He is my little brother. We were all the other had, once. I wish only to ensure his happiness in the future, as much as I possibly can. Although I’d rather you not tell him this, I can’t help but feel that he deserves... better than having me for a brother. Should something ever happen... might I make a selfish request of you? Check in on him from time to time. He has endless potential, he only needs the chance for it to flourish.

About Albert: I have never known a man with even half as much willpower as Albert has in spades. Were it not for him, Louis and I would certainly be much worse for wear. He is as dear to me as my own blood, make no mistake. There is not a thing I would not do for my dear elder brother.

About Fred: Fred is an earnest lad. Despite leading a difficult life, his heart is still good. He has a strong desire to learn and to protect those who cannot protect themselves. It’s an outstanding quality, and he is an outstanding young man. He has quite a way with flowers too, you should ask him about the garden sometime, he’s done a beautiful job. It really only shines thanks to his hard work.

About Moran: Colonel Moran is quite a steadfast person. His ability to push through adversity is second to none. I admire that, as well as his uncanny ability to communicate and understand others without a word. He is a man who understands his own heart and lets nothing hold him back from what he needs to do, and he has been one of my dearest companions for a long time.

About Bond: Mr. Bond has a wonderful presence, doesn’t he? I can’t help but feel that his energy brings a nice lift to this place-- I can scarcely imagine things without him, nowadays. I suppose that’s one way to know when you’ve found a family, though, hm? If you can’t see your life without them, then you should make certain to keep them close. No matter how recent an addition, James is irreplaceable.

About Jack: My father is nothing but a distant memory, now, so fogged and distorted that not even I can recall his face. Instead I will happily consider Jack as the closest I will ever get. He has taught my brothers and I all we know in terms of battle— defending ourselves and one another, and I will forever be grateful and hold him in the highest regard.

About Sherlock: Mr. Holmes is far from proper— loud, energetic, wonderfully expressive… His lack of manners is truly refreshing! When we are together, I find myself feeling more free than I have in… Well, recent memory, I suppose. His mind is something truly incredible and when he looks at me, I feel as if he really sees me, and even understands. Every moment I spend at his side is impossibly thrilling.

William’s hobbies: I love a good game of chess! Do you play? I would be happy to sit down for a match, if you’d care to humor me. Oh, this? Don’t mind it, I am simply fond of this particular Queen piece, so I trade out for her no matter the board I use.

William’s troubles: The path I’ve chosen...It will be better for everyone I love, in the long run, and yet...I fear I’ll never be able to come back from it.

Favorite food: Louis’ cooking is my favorite, without a single doubt! I find myself craving his omelets nearly every day, regardless of how far from home I may be. Everything my brother makes tastes...like home, and even if I had any talent for cooking, I would never be able to replicate it.

Least favorite food: I’m far from picky, but I’m afraid not even I consider the mistakes I make while trying to cook to be edible, even in the slightest.

Feelings about ascension - Intro: Ah? Hmm, what an interesting development...

Feelings about ascension - Building up: For the sake of everyone, I cannot stop here.

Feelings about ascension - Climax: Tempered steel is far more difficult to break. Perhaps, like this, I can truly make a difference.

Feelings about ascension - Conclusion: This power...It will all be used to shape a new day.

#【 𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕖𝕤: 𝕨𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕚𝕒𝕞 】♕ GENSHIN IMPACT AU

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se-anubis · 5 years ago

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Afro-Magic Tip

For people that can't stay focused while meditating, don't stay focused.

I use math to help me keep a singular thought process on track and clear the rest of my mind. I do multiplication tables forward and back wards, I double numbers, or recite Fibonacci sequences. I'm not focused on a sungle thought, but I am cincentrating all or a majority of my cognitive brain on a single process. And I can usually do it to the natural rhythm of my breathing or heartbeat.

Of course, math may not work for you. Try the alphabet. Or maybe there's a song that won't turn off in your head, don't force it out. Lean into it. Play the song over and over and over. Visualize the words. Make the song fit the rhythm of your resting body.

A fully clear head meditation can't always work for everyone. Let your brain wander if you need to.

#afro pagan #afro witch #meditation #african spirituality

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beckzorz · 6 years ago

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Clever Fingers (one-shot)

Pairing: Bucky Barnes/Reader Words: 2815 Warnings: Swearing Summary: An exchange on the metro doesn’t quite go how Bucky expects. A/N: So after breaking a lot of hearts, I thought I’d soothe some spirits with a light-hearted one-shot I frankensteined out of three prompts. (That’s a word, right????) Thank you to @shield-agent78, @19mrs-rogers18, and @piensa-bonito for the following prompts, respectively: brush of the fingertips, lips, and rendezvous. Hope you all enjoy! Let me know what you think, but go easy on me—I wrote this in a hurry today. Just for you 😘

Bucky taps his fingers on his thigh. Tap, tap, tap-tap, tap-tap-tap. Fibonacci sequence, tap code, Morse code—he loses track fast. It doesn’t matter, not really.

He’s leaning against a pillar on the subway, his eyes half-obscured by the brim of his cap. He peeks out as the next train comes in, scanning the cars for the right number, but no. Not yet. There’s a specific train he’s looking for, and a specific car. He’s in place to slip in the right door, but he has to wait for the right train.

The rendezvous point is more specific than usual, in that way.

It’s got the makings of a good plan, but then there’s the short time window to retrieve the package. Someone—and Bucky doesn’t know whom—is going to slip him a thumb drive in the space between this stop and the next.

Three minutes, tops, and with zero chance to scout ahead of time.

Well, he’s dealt with worse. At least he’s not supposed to be killing anyone.

A cluster of schoolkids bounds onto the platform, loud and uniformed with heavy backpacks and a third of them with smartphones out. They’re young; twelve, thirteen? It’s been so long since he’s spent time around normal kids that he can’t tell.

Yeah, thank god he’s not supposed to be killing anyone.

It’s another couple minutes before the next train arrives. More people mill onto the platform. Rush hour is still seventy minutes away, give or take, so it’s not painfully crowded. Just uncomfortably so. No one bumps into him, at least. Fortunately, he can stop worrying about the platform, because this train is the right one. He ambles inside with feigned indifference and makes his way to the end of the car, where he leans against the wall, hands tucked into his jacket pockets.

Bucky studies the people in the car. The students, of course, making a ruckus at the other end of the car. A family here, another there. A few scattered businessmen and women with their heads buried in their phones. One’s even on a call. There’s a young woman with a baby strapped to her front sitting near him, another a few seats away with a quiet small dog in a bag, and a third in an oversized sweater asking for money.

And there, at the far end of the car just before the students, is someone with eyes on Bucky. A young man with airpods in, his dark eyes wide as he stares. When Bucky catches his eye, the young man smiles and looks down, cheeks darkening a little as he pulls out his phone.

Embarrassed for being caught staring, or…

Bucky pushes himself off of the wall and grabs onto the overhead pole as he starts towards the young man.

Halfway between stops, now.

“Excuse me, sir, do you have a dollar?”

Bucky takes in the woman in front of him in a single glance. She’s not quite meeting his gaze; one hand is held out, the other is stuffed in her pocket. Her jeans are frayed, shoes dirty, hair more than a little unkempt.

“No, sorry,” he says. He brushes past her, nudging her a little out of the way as he makes his way to the young man. Behind him, the beggar approaches the next person.

“Excuse me, ma’am, do you have a dollar?”

By the time Bucky makes it to the man at the other end of the car, jostling has knocked a few other commuters against him, and the train is slowing. The dark tunnel is replaced by the next station rolling into view.

The young man perks up when he spots Bucky.

“Hey,” Bucky says. He licks his lips, taking in the young man’s thoroughly unextraordinary appearance. Reasonable outfit, sensible sneakers—if a little flashier than necessary—and a guileless smile.

“Hey man!” He’s excited, clearly. He holds up his phone. “Can I get a selfie?”

Bucky’s heart stutters. “Uh—sure.” He plops down beside the young man, forces a smile for the camera, and waits for the delivery.

The doors open.

“Thanks so much, man!” The young man is grinning outright now. He pops to his feet. “This is my stop! Have a great day!” He rushes out of the train.

Bucky stands up slowly, stomach clenching. This is a transfer station; it seems like half the people who’d been on the train had left, and a totally new crowd was filtering in. A middle-aged woman slips past him to take his abandoned seat, pulling out a book. An old man sits across from her, using the pole to ease his drop down. A third of the schoolkids are gone.

And Bucky’s screwed.

He grips onto the nearest pole, head ducked so all he can see is the floor. His vision swims as the train lurches on.

How? How did he miss it? What did he miss? Did Tasha’s contact even make it?

He whips out his phone from his back pocket, left hand shaking a little. The screen is blank. No alert, no cancelation. Nothing at all, except a sinking suspicion that he’d fucked everything up.

The mission parameters were clear as glass. Exchange on this train, between the two previous stops. No repeat, no second chances. The drive’s even set to wipe its contents in another two hours.

Not nearly enough time to fix the mess he’s made.

The train slow again, and this time Bucky bursts out ahead of anyone else. He whips his head around, staring along the platform, but it’s wrong, all wrong. Wrong stop, wrong time, wrong, wrong, wrong.

A warning beep, and then the doors slide shut with a thump. Bucky spins to watch the subway leave. It pulls out of the station.

With it goes any hopes of fixing his mistake.

—

Bucky scrubs his hands along his face. The scrape of stubble on his right palm is grounding, more grounding than the haunted look in his eyes as he stares at himself in the cracked bathroom mirror.

He can’t remember the last time he failed a mission this simple. Had he ever? He’d always done his job, always succeeded…

The buzzer rings.

Bucky groans, but he makes his way over to the intercom.

“Hello?”

“Let me in!”

It’s Natasha, sounding as annoyed as anything. Bucky sighs and buzzes her in, forehead pressed against the wall. Soon enough, she’s pounding on his door. He lets her in.

“Finally! Why didn’t you get in touch? Where is it?”

Natasha barrels inside, red hair flying behind her in a wave as she spins in a circle, looking for—

“Whaddya mean?”

“The drive, idiot! They said it went perfectly, at least on their end…” Natasha draws up short, eyes narrowing as a smirk grows across her face. “Oh my god, did you not realize it? They got the jump on you?”

Bucky’s head is reeling. “This wasn’t a fight,” he says, but Natasha’s already digging in his pockets. He swats her hand away from his ass—“It’s not there, Tasha!”—but she only flashes him a wicked grin and keeps looking.

“Aha!”

Natasha yanks her hand out of his jacket’s right pocket.

In her hand—the drive.

“What the fuck?!” Bucky yelps. Natasha dives for the laptop on the coffee table and slams the drive into the USB port.

Bucky falls straight to the floor, tailbone rattling from the impact.

“What the fuck.”

Natasha chuckles. “I was wondering why my contact was so blasé about the delivery. Guess she thought you’d notice her.”

Her?

“Or at least be a gentleman enough to give her a dollar,” Natasha finishes.

Bucky could’ve kicked himself.

—

Thank god for small miracles—Natasha promises to keep his slip-up to herself.

That doesn’t stop her from making private jokes at his expense, of course.

Of course.

—

There’s a party downtown a few weeks later. Data from the drive targets it as a potential spot for a weapons deal, a big one, complete with alien tech.

“I don’t know how the hell there’s even any unclaimed alien tech left on the planet,” Bucky grumbles.

Natasha snorts as she climbs out of the taxi behind him. She fluffs her dyed hair and pushes her bright plastic glasses up her nose. Her shoes are dangerously tall, more so because Bucky knows just how dangerous heels can be in Tasha’s hands. And she’s packing a lot of heel tonight.

Among other things.

He really doesn’t know how she hides so much in such tight clothes.

Then again, people might well ask him the same tonight.

Bucky had let Natasha pick his outfit for a change. It’s one of many favors she’s blackmailed out of him to keep his gaffe a secret. He can’t really blame her; lord knows he’d probably do the same. He doesn’t look bad, but it’s far from his usual layers. Natasha had brought out the holographic cover for his arm, with strict instructions to keep it dry, to go with a fitted t-shirt with a dark floral print reminiscent of a jungle at nighttime. And then the jeans, which look far too snug, but they’re a stretchy fabric perfect for dancing.

And ass-kicking.

If it comes to that.

Natasha leads Bucky past the long line. The bouncer lets them in with a private nod for Natasha; the wonder of bribes, or is he a connection?

Doesn’t matter, Bucky decides as the music starts to thrum straight down to his bones. It’s a couple flight of stairs down to the flashing ballroom. Natasha slants a smile at him before she melts into the crowd.

Bucky’s mission is simple: backup. His phone is waiting in a hidden pocket on his jeans, safe from prying hands and close enough that he’ll hear as soon as Natasha needs his help. In the meantime, recon.

Bucky makes his way to the bar along the left-hand wall, a few steps up from the packed floor. It’s as good a view as he’ll get before making his way to the balcony. He scans the room as he waits for one of the bartenders to get to him. The music is loud, but he can hear a few conversations here and there. A couple to his left, a group of single women to his right. There are a couple of uncomfortably young faces—is he getting older, or are there kids in here with fake IDs?

Both, probably.

“Want something?”

“Yeah, whiskey on the rocks.”

Bucky slaps down some bills in exchange for the drink. He slips out from the press of people at the bar and climbs up to the balcony that lines the ballroom. From his spot by the railing, he can see the dj bopping his head to his beats, the lighting rigs on the stage, and even Natasha, weaving seamlessly among the crowd. He downs his whiskey, the burn an old memory.

Someone nudges his arm as he drops his empty glass on a passing tray.

“Scuse me, you dropped your phone.”

Bucky shakes his head without looking at the woman beside him. “Not mine.”

“Really?” There’s amusement in her voice.

Bucky finally glances to his right. “Listen, it’s not—” His voice fails him.

Oh.

The phone in her hand is totally his. Bucky frowns.

—

Inside, you’re laughing.

Bucky Barnes’ eyes are glued to the phone in your hand. His phone, the one you’d swiped while he was ordering a drink.

“How the…”

His gaze snaps to your face, and sudden realization clicks.

“You,” he breathes. He huffs, a smile tugging at his lips. “Shoulda known. You’ve got clever fingers.”

Bucky looks you over without shame, his pupils darkening as he takes you in. Your disguise on the metro had been good, but for all that his disinterest had been the point, you can’t can’t help the thrill that runs through you as he licks his lips at the sight of you.

He holds out his hand for his phone; his fingers brush yours as you hand it to him. The light touch leaves your hand tingling.

“Do I still owe you a dollar?” he asks, voice low.

You tilt your head and study him. The hair brushing his cheek, the sparkle in his eye, the dimple in his chin; all that, and you can still feel the phantom touch of his fingers on yours. The other day, you’d been too wrapped in character to appreciate him, but now…

“I’ll settle for a dance,” you tell him.

“Well, if you insist.”

But he’s smiling, and there’s a fresh bounce in his step as he grabs your hand and tugs you towards the stairs.

A slight movement below catches your eye. You stop short, eyes narrowing as you watch a string of men file down the hallway towards the restrooms and the back exit.

Bucky steps close. “What?” he murmurs, his breath hot on your ear. You suppress the shiver that runs up your spine.

“Seven o’clock.”

His eyes land right where yours are. “Ah.” He lets go of your hand with a sigh. “That dance is gonna have to wait. Sorry.” Bucky forces a smile and hurries off before you can cut in edgewise.

You gape after him.

Really!

You’re hot on his heels as he patters feather-light down the stairs and along the side of the room to the back hallway. You hurry ahead to catch the back exit door before it swing shut. When you slip through, panting, Bucky spins, eyebrows flying to his hairline when he spots you.

“What the hell are you doing?” he hisses.

“Helping,” you say.

The door opens again—it’s your contact, Natasha.

“Oh, you made it!” she whispers. “Come on, Bucky, no time to dawdle.”

Natasha leads the way up the stairs, pulling a pistol from under her dress and carefully loading it. You reach under your shirt and grab the gun from the chest holster against your skin. Bucky huffs with the same amusement as before as he preps his own, though you can’t help but notice that his eyes had lingered on your exposed skin.

But you can think about that later. Right now, time to focus.

—

Five minutes later, the arms deal is broken up thanks to some excellent feats of acrobatics from the two Avengers and some well-aimed shots from yours truly. Natasha calls in SHIELD, pacing barefoot now that one of her heels has broken off after she lodged it in one of the prone men’s thighs.

Serves him right, really.

Bucky tugs you aside. His hand is cool on your arm. For a moment, you’re startled, then you remember: under whatever disguise he’s got on, that hand is metal.

Well, this is the Winter Soldier, after all.

You smile up at him, adrenaline still running fast through your veins. “What’s up?”

“I underestimated you three times now,” he says. His eyes flit across your face, apology and hope painted on his features as he finally meets your eyes. He steps closer. “Feel like maybe I owe you more than one dance.”

He’s close, dangerously close. You can feel his radiating body heat, and his broad chest is only inches from yours. You can smell him now too, without the press of bodies and despite the metallic tang of blood. There’s some of it on his cheek, and you lick your thumb to wipe it away. Bucky swallows, never taking his eyes from yours. He reaches up and wipes a spot on your jaw clean as well. Your breath catches from his gentle touch.

“Can you forgive me?” he asks.

You bite your lip to hide your smile, but Bucky sees right through it. He smiles back, eyes crinkling as he tangles his fingers in yours.

“Three times, huh?” you say. You tilt your head towards Natasha. “Think you have this handled, Agent Romanoff?”

“Hm? Sure, why?” Natasha’s eyes narrow as she spots you and Bucky standing together, hands linked.

“This man owes me some dances,” you tell her. “And I don’t intend to let him slip away again.”

“Third time’s the charm, huh?” Natasha asks, grinning.

Bucky presses a kiss to the crown of your head and squeezes your hand. “Guess so.” He lowers his voice and tugs you back towards the party. “I ain’t letting you and your clever fingers get away, either.”

“Don’t worry, Bucky,” you say. He raises an eyebrow at your cheery tone. You just grin. “I’ll make sure they get put to good use.”

“You tease.” He wraps his arm around your shoulders and presses a sloppy kiss to your cheek. “Guess we’ll hafta see whose got cleverer hands.”

“I look forward to it. But first, Mr. Barnes, you owe me some dances.”

“Yes I do.” Bucky clears his throat and offers his other hand with a flourish. “May I have this dance?”

You press your cheek against his shoulder and smile.

“Yes you may.”

#bucky barnes imagine #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes x reader #bucky x you #bucky x reader #bucky barnes x y/n #winter soldier imagine #winter soldier x you #winter soldier x reader #winter soldier x y/n #becca writes

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grimelords · 6 years ago

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My August playlist is finished and while it does unfortunately begin with Tool it also has two of Elvis’ gospel songs on it so please believe me when I say it takes a turn! Everything you could ever want over three hours of music from 70s christian hippie cult music to a funky remix of Also Sprach Zarathustra to Ante Up.

If you’re interested in getting these emailed to you instead of having them mysteriously appear and clog up your dash, I’ve started a tinyletter you can subscrine to at tinyletter.com/grimelords

but in the meantime,

listen here

Lateralus - Tool: Tool is on streaming now and they've got a new album out and so it's a very nice time to reinterrogate a band that meant a lot to teenaged me that i have almost completely exorcised from my life since. What's interesting firstly is how much better it is to consume their music digitally than it ever was in any physical format. They apparently resisted making it available for so long for nebulous reasons of artistic control and intention, wanting a say in how their music is listened to - they design these long and overwrought albums to be experienced as a whole. My contention is that as a whole album, start-to-finish, is one of the worst ways to listen to this band. Tool have maybe 12 great songs across four albums and every single album is around 70-80 minutes, pushing the limit of the CD. Which means for every great song there's at least two ambient interludes, Bill Hicks samples, 90s alt comedy bits (Die Eir Von Satan is just menacing music and a menacing voice reading out a weed cookie recipe in german, now that's what I call comedy) that really add nothing to the experience of the album on a casual listen. Being actually able to listen to these songs on their own, and playlist them and pull them apart from the mire is so refreshing and makes experiencing this extremely exhausting band actually pleasant for once. That's not to say ambient interludes and sketches and whatever aren't worth it, I absolutely love that shit and a lot of my favourite albums are absolutely chock full of that sort of thing - just like, don't make me do it every time. Their new album seems to reflect this at least a little bit, with the more overarching themes and arcs of the previous albums replaced by more singular and self-contained long songs interspersed with dedicated 2 minute interlude tracks. The runtime blows out to an hour and a half unrestrained by physical limits but it seems to contain more actual music and less funny than any other Tool album which is a welcome change. I'm still lukewarm on the album itself, it seems to just be a complete rehashing of the ideas on 10,000 Days (to the point of almost note-for-note repetition of some old riffs and themes) which is a bit disappointing considering how long they've apparently been working on it. I'll give it more time because Tool albums always unfold over multiple listens but for now they kind of just sound like the dad-rock version of a once extremely edgy 90s band - which I guess they are now so that makes sense. As for Lateralus, I think it's their best song. The perfect combination of Joe Rogan spirit science woo-woo sacred geometry fibonacci sequence 'open your mind' bullshit and good old fashioned riffs, it's the best of both halves of Tool and great starting point if you've never listened to this band and are interested in becoming insufferable.

Mars For The Rich - King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard: This album is so good and it's finally converted me to being a full time King Gizz guy so look out for a lot more of that in the future. It's a thrash metal concept album about ecological collapse forcing the rich to flee to mars and the poor to flee to venus where they lose their minds and fly into the fire. I spent a little while the other day obsessing over the insane vocal leap in this absolutely incredible song when he jumps down an 11th on 'mars for the riiiiiiich' somehow effortlessly.

Pattern Walks - Cloud Nothings: The interplay between Cloud Nothings second and third albums is something I think about a lot. Attack On Memory is a visceral experience of depression and living in your own head where Here And Nowhere Else is about being able to finally move past it, and living with it. There's a good quote from the singer on the Genius page for this song where he says "It was almost a response to “Wasted Days” on the last record. It ends with “I thought I would be more than this” over and over and this one ends with “I thought” over a beautiful bit of music which is an easy way to explain the way I was thinking when I was writing this record. I wasn’t as depressed as I was when I was making the last album. Before, I felt like nobody liked the band and I was doing it for three years. I was not in a good place. Now, I had more time to think about why I felt that way. It’s a positive song."

M.E. - Metz: Metz put out a B-sides and rarities album a couple of weeks ago and then they put out this Gary Numan cover on it's own for some reason. It's very very good! I love just putting a generally harder edge on it without taking anything away from the spirit of the original. I also, somehow, didn't realise that Where's Your Head At by Basement Jaxx was a Gary Numan sample until I heard this cover so we're all learning every day.

The Ocean And The Sun - The Sound Of Animals Fighting: Here's what's good: having the last third of your song just be a monotone voice reading from a CrimethInc anarchist zine over swirling guitar ambience. The drums are so good in this, Chris Tsagakis makes me want to muscle through the ska and listen to RX Bandits more, he’s just that good. The extremely crunchy part in the chorus especially, it switches through like three different distortions and sounds absolutely great. I’m a big fan of anyone that can make a very straightforward groove like the main one here really work just by absolutely leaning into it.

Uzbekistan - The Sound Of Animals Fighting: Uzbekistan is the most out-there and wild song on this album which was sort of mostly a way back into post-hardcore for TSOAF after Lover, The Lord Has Left Us.. which was perhaps a little too-out there for most. (seven minute closing track of a guy singing John Cage's Experimental Music essay over formless tabla and mandolin). The drums alone in this are worth it. The way they transition in and out of the super distorted electronic parts is so good. This song fortunately also has a section where someone recites poetry over electronic noise and a second voice whispers 'who holds your strings? wake up..." over the top near the end. I will love and defend dum-dum pretentious music until the day I die.

Gangsta - Tune-Yards: I love Tune-Yards and I'm incredibly interested in the way she interrogates whiteness. It's a complicated thing to get into in this playlist post but when she first turned up, a lot of people assumed she was african american just by the sound of her voice and music - it reaches and pulls from a lot of african music in a very postmodern sort of way and when people found out she was white, straight, cis and from New England it kind of felt like a betrayal for some people. On her 2018 album I Can Feel You Creep Into My Private Life she digs into it a lot in a way that becomes almost uncomfortable for what is ostensibly a pop album. An NPR article about it at the time said "Ever the student, the Smith-educated Garbus, who writes most of Tune-Yards' lyrics, designed an anti-racist curriculum for herself. She attended a six-month anti-racist workshop at the East Bay Meditation Center. She read the work of noted anti-racist educator Tim Wise and explored the activism of Standing Up for Racial Justice, a nationwide, progressive activism network dedicated to "moving white people to act as part of a multi-racial majority.". That's a lot. This song, Gangsta, from her 2011 album when all the hype was fresh feels like a pretty early look into the mindset she'd later fully fledge out of interrogating white identity and cultural appropriation while also participating in it. The lyrics are simple but they get to a simple point, "What's a boy to do if he'll never be a rasta?" is basically making the same point as Ras Trent by The Lonely Island except it's asking where else does Ras Trent fit? Can a white guy participate in anything like that in a way that's not cultural appropriation, and how can a culture like that participate in the larger world without being appropriated? It's 2013 tumblr discourse but it's still churning for a reason I suppose.

Ante Up (feat. Busta Rhymes, Teflon & Remi Martin) - M.O.P: An all time great Violence Song, in the same genre as Knuck If Ya Buck and X Gon Give It To Ya. Opening with "'this shit feel like a whole entire world collapsed" is such an insane way to open a song but the absolute whirlwind of threats that follows makes it feel warranted. "Fuck hip-hop, rip pockets, snatch jewels" is sooo good. I don't even care about this song I am just straight up robbing you. The absolute power in the rhythm of the overlapping getemGETEMgetem hitemHITEMhitem part is just so, so strong. It's like a VR experience of being fucking robbed.

Awake (feat. JPEGMAFIA) - Tkay Maidza: It seems like Tkay is finally nailing down her sound and she’s absolutely killing it. She’s been through a few different styles since she started out and now she’s really hit on something that’s very distinctly her with this and her other new song Flexin and I cannot wait for the album.

Big Head - Ms. Jade: Ms Jade had one album in 2002 and then basically disappeared which is a shame because she's got a very interesting approach. The star of the show is as usual, Timbaland. The man is a singular voice somehow making the tabla and a wikiwiki noise his signature sound. I love the drone of the raps interspersed with the vocal spikes and I love the chorus as the gospel vocals surge up from underneath. This whole song is just completely bizzare in its construction in a way that works perfectly and feels strangely.

Titanium 2 Step - Battles: Battles are finally back and I’m fucking bouncing off the walls. They’re a two piece now and it does not seem to have slowed them down at all which is very exciting. I can’t think of any band that has ever continued with only half of their original members and also moved forward radically every time. Everything about this song is great: the super strength drums, the hypercolour guitar and the vocals that are just screaming absolutely whatever you like whenever you like. It feels closest to Ice Cream, and Gloss Drop in general more than La Di Da Di but i’m so excited to see how the new album sounds - and how they adapt their old material live now that there’s only two of them.

Dancing Is The Best Revenge - !!!: I’ve never actively listened to !!! for no good reason, but plenty of times in my life I’ve heard a song playing and been like damn what the FUCK is THIS?! and it always turns out to be !!!. This is yet another example.

Skitzo Dancer (Justice Remix) - Scenario Rock: The first clap in this is one of the best sounds ever. Right after 'so you think you've seen and heard it all' everything drops out of the mix for this one very comedy clap and it makes me smile every time. The rhythm of the Disco!... Disco! Disco! part near the end is one of those things that's just always playing in the back of my mind, which as far as constant reminders go it's not the worst. I've also over the last week or so been a big fan of this 11 year old youtube video I found of some guy covering the bass on this song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0DLAUaV3f8

16:56 - Danger: Danger had a new album this year that I don't think I gave enough attention to because I relistened and it's very good. He spends the majority of it refining his original sound but it's such a distinct and original niche that it works out great. The songs are so densely layered and frankly just sound so beautiful! Which is a strange thing to say about 80s inspired electro but it just does. The strings and timpani in this about halfway through are just a gift as well, I love it.

Also Sprach Zarathustra - Deodato: As part of my ‘thinking about Elvis’ I was looking up a live album of his called Aloha From Hawaii Via Sattelite which has a very good cover which doubles as an illustration of how my proposed international peacekeeping satellite will function, projecting an immense Elvis themed blanket of darkness over ‘troublemaker’ regions to immerse them in an eternal freezing night until they’ve settled down. Anyway his entrance music for this this concert in Hawaii is Also Sprach Zarathustra, which is a very very funny thing to do and I think gives an appropriate measure of his status at the time. When I told my girlfriend about this she directed me to this bonkers jazz funk version of it by Deodato which deservingly won a grammy in 1974 for Best Pop Instrumental Performance.

Hollywood Forever Cemetary Sings - Father John Misty: I’ve resisted listening to Father John Misty for a long time because he just seems like a real asshole. A big brain man genius that saw what Lana Del Rey was doing and thought “what if.. me?”. But I can’t deny this song, it’s absolutely magical and as far as songs about fucking in a cemetery go it’s definitely one of the most singable.

Remember / Medicine Man - Yma Sumac: In reading about the Hollywood Forever Cemetery and who was buried there, I learned about Yma Sumac. Yma Sumac was a Peruvian soprano with one of the most incredible voices I've ever heard who was an absolutely huge deal in the 50s when Americans were clamouring for the exotic, real or imagined. She made extremely good mambo music and claimed to be descended from the last Incan emperor. Her popularity faded after the 50s and then for an unknown reson in 1971, ten years since her last album, she made this rock album. It is insane. It's the best example of 'voice as an instrument' that I've ever heard. She is making every kind of sound possible with a human voice and her range seems completely limitless. She's just as comfortable in a piercingly high whistle register as she is in deep guttural growls. About 2 minutes into Remember she just straight up jumps four octaves in a row just to flex. She also sings in a way in the second verse of Medicine Man that I've never heard before that sounds like she's blowing out her cheeks and then singing with her mouth almost closed. It's absolutey bizzare and I love it so much.

This Thing - King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard: Listening to the other album that King Gizzard put out this year is really making me appreciate how much of 180 Infest The Rats Nest was for them. This album is basically a Black Keys album of groovy fun songs about fishing for fishies with fantastic harmonica work and it makes it look even more like they just snapped when they did the next one.

The Warrior (feat. Patty Smyth) - Scandal: I've been very passively watching GLOW since the second half of season 2 and now I'm very passively watching season 3 and this song was the opening credits theme for the first episode. It fucking rocks I don't know why they don't just make it the theme song all the time. This sort of 80s hard-rock pop is very good when it's good and extremely bad when it's bad and I wonder if we'll ever see any sort of revival of it once 80s nostalgia nostalgia takes hold in 2030. Being a singer named Patty Smyth is very funny also. She's billed as a feature even though she was in the band because she left to try a solo career as soon as it was released, possibly even before. She is also John McEnroe's wife I just found out. What a life.

A Girl Called Johnny - The Waterboys: I found this song because I was googling to see if it's possibly to get a random album from spotify and instead foumd a guy on rateyourmusic who was generating random rym album pages and then listening to whatever came up if it was on spotify - which seems just as good. This was one of the albums he talked about and he seemed to like it so I listened and I did as well. Sometimes the best way to find new music is throw dice on the internet and see what comes up.

New Year's Eve - City Calm Down: The new City Calm Down is one hundred percent great and I have such admiration for them for making a complete left turn with their sound and sounding like a completely different band since their last album but being equally as great in both forms. It's very inspiring and it's also the second song of the month I've heard for the first time while walking around Richmond that's mentioned Richmond. Very spooky.

Cruel Summer - Taylor Swift: It's fucked up how good Lover is when ME! and You Need To Calm Down were so bad. It feels like they changed direction at the last minute and changed the tracklist dramatically because those two songs seem sort of wildly out of place, along with London Boy. It's so uneven it's basically two albums in one but when it's good it's extremely good. This song is fucking powerful. The way she straight up screams "he looks so pretty like a devil"? Amazing. What a crazy thing to shout. If you're interested I also resequenced Lover and took London Boy off it and it's a far better album in my opinion https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3LN1uAhp8BS8Ms4bgmHiVP

Kelly - Van She: I have no idea why but this is in the opening paragraph of Van She's wiki page: "Their label introduced them as a "new band from Sydney fresh on ideas, fresher than Flavor Flav, fresh like coriander, fresher than the Fresh Prince, fresher than fresh eggs."[2] Despite these claims, the band began with a sound very much rooted in the 1980s, heavy on synthesizer." which really makes me laugh. Van She had a very specific mid-2000s indietronica thing going that was really good as this song proves but they also did a bunch of remixes under the name Van She Tech that are very out there and completely different to the main band. Their remix of UFO by Sneaky Sound System I'm sure I've yelled about in these posts before, it's absolutely phenomenal. Anyway I guess what I'm saying is get you a band that can do both.

Shadow - Wild Nothing: Somehow I missed Wild Nothing back when they were a big thing and only listened to them this month. I listened to this whole album while I was doing housework and when it finished I though 'that was nice' and could not remember a single thing about it. That's the beauty of shoegaze! I had to listen to it about five more times for it to stick and now I'm getting more and more out of it every time, I love it.

Heaven's On Fire - The Radio Dept.: Years ago when I was having a major 'depressive episode' for about a fucking year I listened to this album Constantly and as a result for a very long time I couldn't listen to it without inviting megawatts of bad vibes back into my brain. Thankfully through hard work and time passing it appears I've fully healed my assosciations with this album which is fantastic news because it is delightful start to finish and worth getting obsessed with again.

Crystalised - The xx: It's nice to see news articles posted almost every day about which albums are turning ten years old. It makes me feel one million years old and viewing the world from a television in my hermit's cave. It feels hard to overstate just how much quiet influence the xx have had over the music landscape since 2009. Without The xx we don't have Royals and without Royals we don't have You Need To Calm Down, so. Something beautiful of theirs that I think is sad hasn't caught on in the intervening years is the idea of writing romantic duets when duets had been out of fashion for so long. They wrote a whole album of them and continue to! There's a beautiful contextual depth to it, in that it's two queer people singing not exactly to each other but with each other. In an interview they've called it 'singing past each other' which is a very nice way to put it.

Aspirin - Tropical Fuck Storm: I really appreciate the continual development of the guitars in Tropical Fuck Storm where they sound so pencil-necked and reedy in these angular little melodies and then sometimes explode into thick cacophanous howls, but what's especially good is in songs like this when they don't explode and instead just sort of sprout tendrils and crawl around each other. They're really drilling down on a very singular and very unsettling sound and I really love it. It is also a very interesting feeling to be walking around Richmond listening to this album for the first time and having him mention Richmond. Spooky even.

Pasta - Angie McMahon: "My bedroom is a disaster / my dog has got kidney failure" is an all-time great opening lyric for me. I love the way this song kicks up from the doldrums, like forcing yourself to do something just so you've done something today. Angie McMahon is so great and I'm getting more and more out of her album every time.

If I Had A Hammer - Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash: The way this song is performed here is so fucking cool. The guitar tone, June's voice and the general energy of it is just absolutely electric. It feels like Highway 61 Bob Dylan where it's still folk but it's got this massive power in it. The solo fucking rips in that very old fashioned way and when it finishes and that riff comes back in by itself it's just great.

Elvis Presley Blues - Gillian Welch: I was thinking about this song because I too was thinking about Elvis. I thought for a long time that the lyrics to this were ‘didn’t he die?’ and not ‘day that he died’ and I think I prefer mine more. Idly thinking about Elvis like “whatever happened to that guy? Must be old now. Wait, didn't he die? No way to know I suppose.”

Everything Is Free - Sylvan Esso: Rolling Stone had a very good article and interview about how this song about napster has had a resurgence and remained relevant through the streaming era which is a very good read. I love the original and really this version is very similar except for the one key difference where they really dig into the anger and frustration at the heart of it in the 'fucking sing it yourself' line. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/gillian-welch-everything-is-free-courtney-barnett-father-john-misty-725135/

It's Nice To Have A Friend - Taylor Swift: This is the strangest song on Lover and one of the best, I absolutely love it. It's a very old fashioned kind of Taylor Swift Love Story type song but it also has a a fucking trumpet reveille in the middle, so that really spices it up a bit. I also keep accidentally listening to this backwards - there's a few phrases like when she sings 'it's nice to have a friend' where the 'friend' lands on the offbeat but is accented like it should be ON the beat and because of the way the music is in this where it's just the steady pulse it's hard to tell whether the chime is supposed to be on the beat or on the offbeat. It feels like it sort of slides back and forth throughout the song depending on what everything else is doing around it. I don't know if that's intentional or not but it's a very interesting effect. This song is also, in my estimation, about a woman and is detailing a fantasy Taylor Swift is having where she can come out to the world with no fuss and enjoy a simple fairytale love story as a gay woman.

Psalm 42 / Chant For Pentecost - The Trees Community: I have a mental list of albums I google every few months to see if they've been added to streaming and by the grace of god one of them finally has been. Years ago I used to listen to this almost every night to fall asleep and I think it brainwashed me slightly in a delightful way, and now I finally have it back again! This is proper hippie music: a bunch of long haired new york christians who drove around the country in the early 70s in a school bus playing their elaborate and beautiful music for anyone who wanted to hear it. The multilayered, multi-movement construction of these songs is completely entrancing to me. It's not a hollow beauty, but one that brings new meaning to old words in the way they stretch and snap and waver throughout the song, moving past each other and through each other as it moves forward. I absolutey love it. Chant For Pentecost is a good illustration of the other side of them, a short song that starts sweet and turns almost maniacal. There's a wild-eyed feeling to the harmonies and the way this melody sits on a single tone for such long stretches before the frankly scary conclusion.

In My Father's House / Working On The Building - Elvis Presley: The backing vocals in these, and especially the bass vocals are so incredible. The way they work in the second verse of Working On The Building is so great, Elvis is the lead vocal but the middle harmony and somehow it just works perfectly. The harmonies is In My Father's House are amazing. The bass solo is mind blowing and the part about halfway through where Elvis swallows the mic and says "jesus died upon the cross [VRRMER] sorrow" is very funny. It's got it all.

The Greatest - Lana Del Rey: Norman Fucking Rockwell is an absolute masterpiece and this is the best song on it. Lana has always had a knack for this apocalyptic feeling but this is a whole other level. https://www.stereogum.com/2056565/lana-del-rey-norman-fucking-rockwell-review/franchises/premature-evaluation/ The Stereogum writeup for this album was really great, and really nailed my opinion of her whole character thing as well, but he described this song as her version of that video that Ted Turner commissioned for CNN to play at the end of the world and it's really a perfect description. The part at the end where she says 'Kanye West is blonde and gone' is so chilling to me. Like Kanye losing the plot makes sense because he's only a few months ahead of the rest of us. He’s been a thought and culture leader for so long and it only makes sense that he’s spun off into space in these last days before it all wraps up.

listen here

#playlists

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almostdarktrash · 6 years ago

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Beauty of women and the phi of men

Years ago, in a London hotel, when the Punjabi girl (an air hostess of an erstwhile airline), after primping in front of the mirror, opened her arms wide and asked me how did she look, I ran into them in a jiffy and said, "You are the prettiest to my eyes." Yes, I really meant it. She did look dropdead gorgeous. Then with the passage of time in life, as scenes changed, I found many women fall in that "prettiest" category.

Though I am one of those who believe that, in life, everything happens in a particular pattern, I miserably fail to see any pattern in my obsession.

When one of my friends on the other day showing me Bella Hadid on the cover of Vogue and asked me what mark would I award her out of 100, I gave an abysmally low number.

I really believe that if we juxtaposition the American supermodel Isabella Khair Hadid and our own Vidya Balan and ask men to choose the one who they would want to date, I am sure the majority would slant towards the latter.

But, if you swear by 'the science of beauty', Hadid should win most hearts. Going by some Fibonacci numbers and the so-called golden ratio called phi, Victoria's Secret model, Hadid, was declared the most beautiful woman on the planet.

If we can forget our Vidya Balan and Bella Hadid just for a while, in the 13th century AD, an Italian mathematician, Leonardo Fibonacci, discovered the sequence that converges on phi. The sequence would start with 0 and 1, and the next number would be the sum of the previous two numbers. Thus, each new number in the sequence is simply the sum of the two before it...like 0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13... and so on. And if we take the ratio of each number to the one before it and go on till the point where it converges on phi, the magical number would be 1.6180339...This is what is called the golden ratio. If we apply this ratio to the proportions of a rectangle, it will be the most visually satisfying geometric form. Pyramids were built on this basis, and later Leonardo da Vinci used this divine proportion in his paintings. Nature too is on this proportion. Researchers say even every leaf on the stem of a plant grows in this golden angle so that the new leaf collects enough sunlight without throwing the leaf below it into too much shadow. There is also an argument that says this magical sequence was first discovered by Indian mathematicians as early as in the 6th century AD.

So what? What has that got to do with Hadid or Vidya Balan? The US-based cosmetic surgeon, Dr Stephen R. Marqardt, created a face mask based on this proportion, and Hadid's face is the closest fit to it. Her eyes, nose, ears, lips and chin ...all are in that proportion. Marquardt believes if life is biology, biology is physiology, physiology is chemistry, chemistry is physics and physics is math, life should be maths, and hence phi is divine.

But in reality, no man would apply, even in his craziest dreams, the Marquardt math and say the woman is pretty. When I was a schoolboy, I loved actress Lakshmi in the movie Julie and thought she was the prettiest woman on the planet. Then as an adolescent, I realised it was not Lakshmi but Dimple Kapadia in Saagar. Then, at one point in time, I thought the Argentine tennis star, Gabriela Sabatini was by far the prettiest. Would any of them fit well with the Fibonacci numbers? At least, my Punjabi girl (should I say 'woman' now!)? Who cares for these numbers?

Kahlil Gibran is perfectly right when he said on beauty,

The aggrieved and the injured say, "Beauty is kind and gentle.

"Like a young mother half-shy of her own glory, she walks among us."

And the passionate say, "Nay, beauty is a thing of might and dread.

"Like the tempest, she shakes the earth beneath us and the sky above us."

The tired and the weary say, "Beauty is of soft whisperings. She speaks in our spirit,

"Her voice yields to our silences like a faint light that quivers in fear of the shadow."

Beauty is life when life unveils her holy face. But you are life and you are the veil.

Beauty is eternity gazing at itself in a mirror. But you are the eternity and you are the mirror.

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shadowpaint-lisam-blog · 7 years ago

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Tool, Fibonacci, and You: An Extended Discussion

So I’m listening to a recent @therealjacksepticeye video and he mentions Tool’s use of the Fibonacci Sequence in their song Lateralus. As a long time Tool fan myself, as well as someone who loves looking into this kind of shit, I was pretty happy, to say the least. However, this isn’t the band’s only use of the sequence. Given that I’m sure some of his fans are at least somewhat interested in learning more, I thought I’d make a little post, going into more detail. (Grab a drink, this’ll be a long one.)

Now before I get too ahead of myself, allow me to give a brief explanation of what the Fibonacci sequence is:

“The Fibonacci sequence is a sequence of numbers in which each successive number in the sequence is obtained by adding the two previous numbers in the sequence. The sequence is named after the Italian mathematician Fibonacci. The sequence starts with zero and one, and proceeds forth as 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55 and so on. The Fibonacci sequence is widely used in applications pertaining to mathematics, science, computers, art and nature. The Fibonacci sequence is also known as the Fibonacci series or Fibonacci numbers.“

(Source: https://www.techopedia.com/definition/15823/fibonacci-sequence)

Now you might be wondering “What the hell does this have to do with some metal band?”. As Sean mentioned in his video, the lyrics do make up a Fibonacci sequence. The song in question can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tcW-j7KFgY

Here are the full lyrics, along with the syllable count of each line:

[1] black[1] then

[2] white are

[3] all I see

[5] in my infancy

[8] red and yellow then came to be

[5] reaching out to me

[3] lets me see

[2] there is

[1] so

[1] much

[2] more and

[3] beckons me

[5] to look through to these

[8] infinite possibilities

[13] as below so above and beyond I imagine

[8] drawn outside the lines of reason

[5] push the envelope

[3] watch it bend

Now that is neat in and of itself. However, Sean DIDN’T mention that this song isn’t the only instance of the sequence being used by Tool, and, seeing as Lateralus is also the name of the album that this song is on, I think the sequence in the song might have been a clue of sorts.

*Quick note here: To my knowledge, Tool hasn’t confirmed if the following was intentional. Because of this, some fans have spoken out against it.

But then again... Maynard James Keenan, lead singer for Tool (as well as A Perfect Circle and Puscifer) has been known to be a bit of a troll to both fans and the press. Seriously, Google “maynard james keenan troll“. You’ll find plenty of examples.

What do I mean? The answer lies within the whole album. Not the fact that there are 13 tracks (though 13 is a Fibonacci number), but in the order of the tracks. Here’s the official listing:

1. The Grudge

2. Eon Blue Apocalypse

3. The Patient

4. Mantra

5. Schism

6. Parabol

7. Parabola

8. Ticks & Leeches

9. Lateralus

10. Disposition 11. Reflection 12. Triad 13. Faaip De Oiad

Now here’s the interesting part: Fans have put together an alternate order that has come to be known as “The Holy Gift.” In order to hear this, you need to rearrange the tracks so that they are in the following order:

6. Parabol

7. Parabola

5. Schism

8. Ticks & Leeches

4. Mantra

9. Lateralus

13. Faaip de Oiad

1. The Grudge

12. Triad

2. Eon Blue Apocalypse

11. Reflection

3. The Patient

10. Disposition

I found an article that does a good job explaining the math behind it, so I’ll just quote them here:

“So the final track order is 6, 7, 5, 8, 4, 9, 13, 1, 12, 2, 11, 3, 10, or [6,7] [5,8] [4,9] [13] [1,12] [2,11] [3,10], which is a “triad” of pairs divided by a split – or “schism” – in the middle. This, also, is not all.

2 of these tracks namely, Mantra and Eon Blue Apocalypse are non-lyrical, almost non-musical tracks. So that leaves us with 11 actual tracks. Now, to create a split, or a schism, 11/2 = 5.5

Taking the mean, in whole numbers 11/2 = 5. The fifth track of the album is called, yeah, Schism. Now here are the first few lines of Schism:

“I know the pieces fit ’cause I watched them fall away.

Mildewed and smoldering. Fundamental differing.

Pure intention juxtaposed will set two lovers souls in motion

Disintegrating as it goes testing our communication”

(Source: https://unbumf.com/tool-fibonacci-secret-album-holy-gift/)

I’ve been listening to The Holy Gift as I worked on this post, and I actually do like it better. Don’t get me wrong, Lateralus played in it’s “official” order is great, and you should check it out if you’ve never listened to it. But the reorder seems to flow better, IMO. They just seem to transition from track to track more smoothly.

The Holy Gift can be listened to in it’s entirety, thanks to Youtuber hiabovetheclouds . https://youtu.be/COTrB7N7EOA

I hope you enjoyed this little essay of sorts. If you’d like to learn more, below are some links that talk about this further.

Btw, for anyone that’s curious where the name “The Holy Gift” came from...

“So the "secret" of "The Holy Gift" is supposedly organizing the songs in a pair of spirals with number 13 in the middle. The first pair of the sequence is "Parabol," + "Parabola," tracks No. 6 and 7 (13/2 = 6.5), the latter of which features a line saying "Recognize this as a holy gift."

(Source: https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/so_tool_have_a_secret_album_called_the_holy_gift_heres_what_it_sounds_like.html)