#the original doodle on the side of a canvas is from the end of MAY...

[couch-house]

it is with a heavy heart i must announce the fankid-enjoyer has made another fankid 😔 this is comet... ive been playing with him for a while. he's a couple years younger than johnny jr and umm well I'll tell you more about him later. when i post the other pile of drawings i have of him.

[comradekatara]

Do you have any modern Zukka headcannons? Thanks for your hot awesome takes all the time

i’ve gone over some of these points before, so some of y’all may recognize the continuity of the atlahsaucu (atla highschool au cinematic universe). this is a long one, and it’s *gasps* chronological… 

they first meet in junior year art class. sokka resents how well zuko can draw and paint seemingly without any effort whatsoever, meanwhile sokka tries really hard and all his art comes out like disgusting little blobs on the canvas. zuko resents sokka for being cool and hot. how dare he. 

one day, they get a bit carried away, and sokka and suki start making out in the middle of the hallway. zuko, whose locker they are directly on top of and who has class at this very moment, is not amused, and he, politely as he can, coughs and request that they move out of the way. sokka merely holds up a finger as to say “one moment please” which enrages zuko (justly, tbh) and he yells, “what the fuck?!” 

sokka’s like “man what’s your fucking problem why are you such an asshole and so good at art” and zuko’s just like “????” and “what in gods name are you talking about????” and the yelling causes a scene which lands them in detention. sokka has never gotten detention before (though he has gotten several warnings in the past, but it’s kinda hard to be mad at the guy whose girlfriend just died for being distracted in class) and he’s freaking out that this is gonna go on his record and he’ll never get into stanford or mit or princeton or– meanwhile zuko is just asleep at his desk. 

once zuko wakes up, sokka, bored out of his mind, jokingly proposes that they sneak out through the vents and make a break for it, but zuko, either not understanding that sokka is joking or not caring that sokka is joking (it’s unclear which) is like “yeah we’d just have to be quiet.” sokka, who has now decided that zuko is batshit crazy, but has also decided that he is living on the wild side, a real bad boy rebel who’ll never make ivy league because he got detention that one time, is like “yeah okay” just because he spent a lot of time entertaining this hypothetical and now he’s deathly curious to see if it’ll work. 

amazingly enough, it does. adrenaline carries them outside the building and into freedom as they run as far as their legs will carry them until sokka stops to panic that he is now a certified delinquent, and delinquents don’t get scholarships, and if he doesn’t go to a good school then he’ll never get a good job, and if he doesn’t get a good job then how is he gonna support gran gran?????? and zuko’s just like “wait, hold up.”

zuko admits that he fully thought sokka was some type of meathead jock who makes out with his girlfriend in the hallways and thinks he’s too cool for school and sokka’s like “she’s not my girlfriend and also what.” zuko is confused as to why he would make out with someone in the hallway if she wasn’t even his girlfriend. he also realizes that he doesn’t actually know his name. so sokka explains that yeah they’re in love and spend every waking moment together but no she’s not his girlfriend; he doesn’t do relationships and neither does she. and also he introduces himself. 

and it takes zuko a moment because he’s really bad with names and faces and putting faces to names and, people, in general, but then he’s like “oh my god you’re that sokka.” and sokka’s just like “yeah i’m pretty sure my name’s not that common???” but zuko is just like “i think my sister is planning to murder you someday.” and sokka just slaps his forehead. of course art class asshole is related to debate class asshole. 

only zuko’s not really an asshole he’s kinda just a weirdo. a quiet little freak who paints good. sokka can vibe with that. especially after zuko assures him that none of this will go on any sort of record whatsoever because bumi is old, and batshit, and senile, and clearly doesn’t give a fuck. sokka laughs, and this leads into them talking shit about everyone they both hate, which they realize are all the same people, somehow. seeing their own petty bitterness mirrored back at them, they realize that they’re kind of both snobs, but in a fun way. 

they walk through town until it gets dark out, and then they go their separate ways. but next monday they sit together in art class, and their teacher yells at them to stop whispering. sokka is just drawing little triangles across the page because he’s just come from trig and he’s very sleepy and doesn’t really feel like feeling inadequate right now. but zuko’s like, “what are you drawing?” and sokka looks at the page of triangles he was unconsciously doodling and scoffs and says in an affect, “can’t you tell? it’s a cubist take on degas.” and this is the funniest shit to zuko. but of course he then gets yelled at for laughing. 

they’re friends after that; they just are. sokka invites zuko to lunch with his friends, at which point zuko meets toph and suki, who are, of course, the fucking coolest. 

azula sees zuko talk to sokka or suki occasionally in the halls and demands to know what it is they’re talking about. zuko’s like “i dont….. remember?” but azula is certain that they are only friends with him as a means of getting to her, because they desire to crush her. zuko’s like “i don’t even think they know your name.” indeed, they do not. but sokka does stop calling her “debate asshole” in favor of “zuko’s sister,” so that’s something. 

the first time zuko goes to sokka’s house, it is because sokka insists on showing him both back to the future movies. (there is no third one it does not exist.) for reasons unknown to him, zuko is terrified. he wears his favorite sweater that day. it is near-identical to all his other sweaters. he doesn’t understand the first one at all. the second one he remarks “oh that was kind of like hamlet.” that makes sokka really happy. at some point zuko goes to get a glass of water and sokka yells from the couch to bring him back a popsicle from the freezer while he’s at it. zuko complies, but he takes it just before katara goes to get one. he nonchalantly tells her that it was the last one, and she makes a very big show of throwing the box out. she fumes all night that sokka let that rude little bitch into her house. sokka pays her no mind. 

mai and zuko are still together at this point, and because mai is dropping hints big enough to pierce through even zuko’s thick skull that she’s feeling left behind in favor of zuko’s new friends, he asks them if it’s cool that she join them for stuff. they’re all like “yeah of course” and mai pretends not to care. they all like mai, especially toph, but all agree that her relationship with zuko is super weird. toph and mai become super tight, and it’s clear as day to toph that mai is in love with ty lee, even if mai is not fully aware of this fact herself. suki, who has been secretly hooking up with ty lee this whole time (don’t worry, sokka knows, and he high-fives her whenever she brags about it), is just like “oh noooooo……” toph insists to mai that she dump zuko, and without mentioning ty lee once, is able to convince her of it just by reminding her that zuko is a super inattentive boyfriend and she deserves better. she does. zuko feels sort of…relieved? he doesn’t know why. he loves mai. he really does. but it’s also like a weight has been taken off his shoulders.

zuko doesn’t really know what to do about the fact that his sister is serial-killer level obsessed with sokka, other than try to ignore it. azula is always attempting to pry information out of him because they seem to be, at the very least, casual acquaintances so he must have some leverage by now, right??? she is never allowed to know that he knows where sokka lives, because he is afraid that one night sokka will simply find her hiding in the bushes with binoculars searching for any sign of academic struggle. sokka is blissfully unaware to most of these shenanigans. to him, she is like a buzzing fly occasionally hovering around his face. 

that summer, they divide their time between working on college applications and going to the park together to just sit and read. it’s literally the most fun zuko can ever remember having. 

english was always sokka’s worst subject because he is terrible at organizing his thoughts coherently and always ends up going on little tangents about the origins of butter churning or digital watches in a paper that was supposed to be about sense & sensibility, but his teachers are usually charmed enough by him that they see his essays as a fun challenge instead of a giant red X. but pakku loathes sokka. and he loathes his sister, whom he had taught the previous year. sokka complains to katara about it, and she just goes on a rant about how horrible and boring and bitter and raggedy he is. but sokka, who, unlike katara, desperately wants to be liked by everyone, feels the need to prove himself.

he goes to the best english student he knows. “hey, you’re really good at english, right?” he asks zuko, to which zuko responds, “i should hope so. it is my first language.” it is unclear whether or not zuko is being facetious or just very perplexed, but sokka laughs anyway. he pleads for zuko to “tutor him” and zuko’s like “but you have all A’s?” he agrees anyway, of course. zuko spends a lot of time on jstor, so he know how to write good. he helps sokka outline his essays in a way that works for him, but mostly it’s just an excuse for them to hang out and eat snacks. at this point, katara likes him and does not mind the fact that he is in her house, eating her food. she walks past the kitchen to be like “what u guys up to? oh, nerd shit?” 

sokka and mai accept to the same college, and zuko isn’t sure why he feels so weird about that. they’re gonna be in completely parts of the country, only sokka and mai will see each other all the time, especially because they’re bound to be in some of the same classes together, knowing them, and that’s just weird. like, yeah, they’re friends, and yes, he might be semi-aware of the fact that they hang out without him, like, all the time, but this is different. this is weird. zuko asks mai if she thinks it’s weird and she just raises one eyebrow and goes, “no???” and zuko’s like “oh..okay..”

they don’t see each other all that much in those four years, but they’re always taking pictures of ridiculous passages from the books they’re currently reading and sending them to each other, because they just can’t kick the habit. they both learn a lot in college. sokka takes as many classes as humanly possible. zuko changes his major a lot. toph doesn’t go to school there, but she moves in with sokka once she graduates. zuko learns a lot about himself. 

once sokka graduates, he and toph decide to get an apartment in a different city. sokka asks zuko what his plans are once he graduates and zuko’s like “bruh, like i’ve ever planned for anything in my life” so when sokka’s like “wanna be our third roommate” it’s a no-brainer. 

sokka picks zuko up from the train station, and zuko is just so overwhelmed by the casual thoughtfulness of the gesture that he instinctively just kisses him, in the middle of the station. zuko is mortified for a brief moment but then sokka is just like “cool.” (sokka later inwardly laments saying “cool.” who says that?? what, is he abed from community???) 

sokka tells zuko “just fyi, i don’t do relationships” and zuko is like “yeah, i know, you say that literally every day” but then toph slaps him (”sorryyyyy that was an accident” “no it wasn’t!”) and tells him to get his shit together. so sokka goes to zuko and says, “this may sound insane, but i think i’m afraid that if i love someone, they’ll die” and zuko’s like “oh. i’m afraid of that too.” and that makes it somewhat easier. 

ever since mai made them watch over the garden wall, they’ve really wanted frogs so that they could name them after the discarded jason funderburker names. they get their frog terrarium and it’s glorious. 

zuko has always wanted a cat, but he knows how sokka feels about cats so he does not bring it up. but one day, as he’s walking down the street, he stumbles across a little black kitten in the cold, shivering, limping, and missing one ear. he drops whatever it is he’s doing at the moment to bundle it up in his scarf and take it to the nearest vet clinic. the kitten is so indebted to him that he physically does not have the willpower to let it go anywhere else but home with him. 

it really doesn’t take much convincing at all for sokka to agree to keep jiji (yes, zuko is just incapable of not naming his pets after fictional characters) especially because toph threatens to kill herself if he doesn’t. sokka is just like “woah there calm down you guys. we can keep the cat.” and theyre like “yay sokka youre the best!!!” and he’s just like “oh my god did you think i was gonna make you get rid of this tiny kitten with only one ear.” 

zuko has a face for telemarketing. he also does some freelance writing. toph gives sokka very sound legal advice in regards to how to patent all the weird yet supremely useful inventions he keeps stumbling onto. after all, after tim cook offered him $$$ in exchange for that microchip he designed, he sort of doesn’t need a steady job. toph is really good at bullshitting rich people so she makes way more money than she should with those creepy statues of hers. they recognize how unstable their sources of income are, but sokka is really good with finances, so it works out somehow. when katara comes to visit them she complains that sokka has joined the 1% and is hoarding his wealth like the capitalist swine he is. sokka’s just like “katara did you only come visit me because you need money?” and katara’s like “well i won’t lie, so – yes.” 

sokka eventually convinces zuko to go to grad school. naturally, zuko thrives there. sometimes zuko will wake up at 3 am and sokka will very intently find him writing the word “nihil” in a notebook and sokka’s like “what’s up” and zuko’s like “NOTHING.” and then proceeds to be like “don’t you see??? there’s no declension!!! everything makes sense now!!!!!!!!!” and rambles on and on incoherently. sokka’s like “oh god i just realized this is how i sound to everyone all the time.” 

sokka takes zuko to the worst plays he can find, and then they sit in a 24 hour diner while zuko rants about everything wrong with said play. sometimes he even takes notes. this becomes a weekly tradition. 

zuko reads sokka’s shelved manuscript on the history of cartography and helps him whittle it down to only 400 pages. he’s not a very harsh editor, but he did cut the thing by 150%, so that’s a start. 

zuko teaches sokka how to paint.  

[realityhelixcreates]

Lasabrjotr Chapter 74: Lessons and Dreams

Chapters: 74/?

Fandom: Thor (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe

Rating: G

Relationships: Loki x Reader

Characters: Loki (Marvel),

Additional Tags: Post-Endgame: Best Possible Ending (Canon-Divergent),

Summary:  You are troubled by dreams, while Loki seeks ways to make things easier on you. You receive an unexpected visitor.

They day was almost upon you. The decorations were all up, your drum beat and chant were properly memorized. Several Avengers were on route, and parts of the semi-built city had been cleared and cordoned off for the festivities. Buridag was almost here.

You had your cloak and armor. You had your drum, and your parts memorized. You had your beloved prince, and your Valkyrie escort. There were some things missing though.

You wished Nanna Beth could have been here to see this. You wished someone from back home could be here to see this. Someone other than Todd, who damn well didn't deserve it, but would be here anyway. You had the feeling that, if you asked, Loki would have had him barred from attending, but you didn't want to go down that road. You were supposed to be a grand symbol of the integration of humans and Asgardians, and you didn't think you could do that honestly while at the same time excluding people just because you didn't like them, and they were awful people. Which Todd was. Ugh, why hadn't he gone home yet? He hadn't spoken to you, or tried to contact you, and he didn't even seem to be trying to cause trouble. It was weird.

And then there was the issue of the bull...you still didn't know what to do about it. You were coming to the conclusion that you would simply have to endure, and somehow go on with your life. Would it be good for you? To further experience and understand the importance of death? To become a symbolic provider of plenty for the gathered celebrants?

You would just have to clench your teeth and deal with it. It was one of those hard lessons you would have to learn as the lover-and advisor-to royalty.

You'd probably never touch a hamburger again though.

Sleep had been coming to you only reluctantly; the long, stretching moments after closing your eyes for the night were filled with thoughts and questions about Ymir's Dreamscape. You were not permitted access to the artwork-no one was. For all that it was contained within the protective confines of the shield and size-changing devices, it was still considered too precious for informal handling.

But it haunted you. You saw them painting in your dreams, shapes and concepts you had difficulty understanding. Glancing over their shoulder at the workings of a truly alien mind, and hoping not to be noticed, though you were no more than a mote in their eye.

Streaks of color. Clusters of circles. Shapes that were nearly anthropomorphic, yet wrong somehow.  They drew and drew, in between millennia long stares of contemplation, watching the asteroids clump up bigger and bigger. Occasionally they had to brush them away from their immense body.

They had more fingers than you did, and each one was stained with color, almost all the way to where they joined with the palm. Crackled veins of colored light pulsed up and down the fingers, from a bright spark on the tip of each; it flashed whenever they dragged their fingertip along the canvas they had created.

You couldn't see the whole thing: it was so big, and so far away, and they weren't done making it yet. You would always wake up before they were finished. You would see the colors more vividly in the daytime; certain hues of red and blue, purple, yellow, orange, and green-they popped out at you. Each of the great beings fingers traced its color into your eyes.

Your lessons had tapered off, to give you time to concentrate on the festival. You weren't though; artwork occupied your mind. You doodled approximations of the things you saw in your dreams, close, but never quite right.

You tapped your drum, and recited your chant, the ancient words spinning back countless aeons, and thought about colors.

                                                                        ******

Loki stood out in the paddock and watched the bull. It was a proud creature; it walked the confines of the fence, confident in its great strength and prowess, munched its hay secure in the knowledge that it could not be bested.

It died tomorrow. He would swing the sword he almost never used, and bring the feast to everyone. It wouldn't be the only one: There were pigs and chickens and sheep, already butchered and ready to go, it was just the bull that was symbolic.

“Magnificent beast, is he not, my liege?” Andsvarr asked. “Shame about the public execution though. I know it's tradition, but it seems a bit gratuitous.”

“You speak very freely today, Alarrson.” Loki said. “You lack guile. Say what you came to say.”

“Er, I apologize your Highness, I did not know how to broach the subject. Have you perhaps spoken with your good lady about the bull sacrifice?”

“Not beyond discussing it as a part of Burdag tradition. Otherwise, she has been rather busy learning her ritual.” He paused, realizing Andsvarr knew something he didn't. “Why? Has she confided something in you?”

“I would say that she has, your Highness.” Andsvarr said. “Has she brought up her discomfort with this sacrifice to you?”

“She has not...Though now that you do, I can't say I'm surprised.” That may have something to do with your increased tension lately. The way your mind had been wandering. There was a great deal of stress on you; perhaps he should have thought more about how the live sacrifice of the bull might effect you.

“Humans used to make such sacrifices very often, from what I've read.” Andsvarr continued. “It's one of the customs we shared. It's much less common now, I hear, but since she came from a smaller farming settlement, I would have thought she'd seen one before.”

Loki shook his head. “Her community is agrarian, and a monoculture at that. While I was there, I saw no livestock at all. Just endless corn.”

“Weird stuff.” Andsvarr commented. “But tasty. And so many applications.”

“It is not, I think, only the sacrifice that troubles her.” Loki said. “It is the sacrifice on top of everything else. If that doomed giant hadn't woken up...”

“If we hadn't been digging in the ice.” Andsvarr pointed out, then withered under Loki's stare.

“Don't think I haven't thought the same.” Loki said severely. “But my brother has been studying the humans effect on their own planet, and he tells me that the melting of the ice may have been inevitable. They will awaken, no matter what. Better now that we are prepared. But it shan't be before Burdag, so now I must think of what to do with him.” He gestured toward the ox. “His fate is sealed, but I wonder if there is some way I might change the presentation? Removing her from the ceremony would reflect poorly on the public, but...”

“If it pleases...” Andsvarr interrupted after the pause. “There was talk in the barracks about something one of the gate guards heard from an islandpostur man, that the bets were on whether the Gävle goat would burn this year, and when. I looked it up because some of us were placing bets. You have a hand phone don't you? If you look, you might have the same idea I did.”

“When did everyone around me decide that cryptic was the way to be?” Loki complained. But he realized that Andsvarr was allowing him to claim credit, rather than trying to dictate to royalty.

Andsvarr went off to his drills, and Loki left the ox to his munching. A quick check showed the Gävle to be a kind of effigy, composed of straw-a stand in for a real goat. This was how human civilizations got around the ritual spilling of blood. By sacrificing in the shape of the original.

He saw instantly what Andsvarr had. But how to make it work? The sacrifice and butchering was to be done right there on the spot; obviously, that couldn't be done with straw.

But a container covered in paper and flour paste, shaped like a cow...

Maybe.

He needed to find Beli.

                                                                   ******

There was a flat, dry area outside of Asgard and Trolerkaerhalla that was reserved for the landing of small planes and other aircrafts. It was cleared of snow, and roped off so that the air travelers could get inside the city as swiftly as possible, but that didn't stop the more die-hard of admirers from putting on their warmest clothing and waiting to catch a glimpse of who was coming to the festival. Some of the arrivals were no one of note to the observers, but a few of them garnered great attention; The Vision, in his bright colors, Maximoff, and Dr. Banner, as uncomfortable as ever with the cheering and applause.

They weren't the only important people to have answered their invitations: representatives and ambassadors from all around the North Atlantic Sea were coming in-from the relatively nearby Faroe, Shetland, and Orkney islands, as well as the Hebrides, whose names you were just learning.

You were at the gates to greet these esteemed visitors, speaking what little Icelandic you had managed to learn. There were a surprising number of representatives; it seemed like everywhere in the North wanted to be there-people from each of the Scandinavian countries and various areas within, to the larger island countries; Scotland, England, Wales, Ireland and North Ireland.

You still didn't quite know the difference, but you knew it was important enough not to ask.

There were also people from such far-flung places as Svalbard, Greenland, Germany and Estonia. In fact, it seemed as though most of Atlantic and Baltic Europe had sent someone. To your surprise, Canada and the United States had also come, even though they didn't recognize Asgard's sovereignty.

And then there were the anthropologists, journalists, even a few 'local' celebrities. Everyone wanted pictures of or with you, and you hoped that none of these people would turn out to be horrible, since pictures of you with them were going to be on the internet forever now.

You couldn't help but side-eye the religious representatives- some Christian, and some Heathen, from all the surrounding countries, and from within Iceland itself. You weren't sure what the Christian leaders were doing here: Asgard, by its very existence, posed a great challenge to their faith, so perhaps they were facing that challenge head on? Or perhaps it was to gather information. You didn't think they would have much success in proselytizing here, as it was hard to convince people to turn to a god that wasn't well known for answering directly, when the Aesir they'd grown up with were just right there. And it was extra hard to force conversion when you didn't have a weapon capable of harming the people you were trying to force.

The Heathens didn't make you any more reassured: speaking to Sofie had taught you that there were definite problems within those communities, racism and authoritarianism chief among them. Though, like any group of people, there were plenty who didn't accept such things. It just wasn't easy to tell by looking.

None of this was anything you'd ever had to think about back home. Diplomacy, poise, professionalism, visibility, navigating complex social and political relations-what use did a simple baker have for such as these?

You hadn't baked in weeks. Your time was mostly sucked up by lessons and political stuff, and though Loki had promised you respite after the ceremonies, you still couldn't help but wonder if that part of you life was simply over.

The cooks had learned your cinnamon roll recipe, and most of Asgard was picking it up. Loki was spoiled for cinnamon rolls these days, and showed no sign of growing tired of them. You wanted to introduce him to cornbread, snickerdoodles, or even no-bake cookies, but there just hadn't been time. Everything was lessons and dreams.

The sun dipped low, and though it was still early in the day, you would be going back inside once darkness fell. It simply got too cold to stay out. Luckily, it seemed that all the visitors had the same idea, and the stream of representatives and celebrities trickled off with the fading light.

Soon there was only one plane left, tiny, even smaller than the flock of already small planes that had come and gone. Only two people disembarked, no bodyguards, and they struggled against the strong winds. At least they were properly dressed in warm coats. Coats that you recognized.

No, there was no way. No possible way. But they were here.

“Daddy!?!” You squealed, and threw yourself into his open arms. Professionalism could be damned.

[roastedlizlow]

Series: Bad Apple Wars Pairing: Shikishima/Rinka Prompt: Colors WC: 4266 Author’s Note: This is based upon the alternate universe my friend and I have on our dead rp blogs for Shikishima and Rinka! In essence, it’s outside of the events of the game, where Rinka meets Shikishima, two years her senior, a curious young man who goes to a different school (the same one as Watase, actually). This is not the Shikishima from his epilogue, as you know, he’s not from the era he was in... anyway, I really, really love Shikishima; I cried a lot over him after his route. Follow the sun into your perfection... 

                                                                            ALSO READ ON -> AO3 !

It’s okay if she doesn’t understand. She treats him as any other. She doesn’t seem to think a single touch will shatter him; in fact, it’s been quite the opposite, has it not?

What would his uncle paint upon these walls of white? Something incomprehensible... but not tragically so. It’s okay not to understand the original intent. That’s what it means to live, isn’t it? To make your own meaning of things, and try... He closes his eyes, wondering where the last bit of vibrancy went. His mother, downed in a gown so similar to the walls.

Wasn’t she absent of it last time?

Has she decided to be more open?

“Natsuhisa... you really mustn’t wander around so...”

Ah, that’s right. She told him, told him to be sure to wait for the car to pick him up, because walking alone might tire him. On whims, he leaves without hesitation, even asking the club he is supposed to be a part of leads to nothing but fascinated confusion. What causes him to go so far? What pushes him to explore beyond the limits his body has unfortunately set? Stubbornness? Desire? One can yell the question, but not a word will echo back.

And the young man smiles still, a serenity to it akin to no other.

“Mother, I am simply... ‘living.’ Is that not what you wished for me?”

“I don’t understand... all of it, I don’t understand... You nearly collapsed earlier, did you not? Natsuhisa, why...”

“I was curious about the cute little butterfly that fluttered so... he found his way to rest upon a flower I knew, so I wished to see how the flower welcomed him. And she bloomed, accepting the butterfly...”

And there’s no less than that simple smile upon his lips, painted so, the look in his eyes glittering with the remnants of curiosity. His mother, dressed in grey, gently pats his head, rubs his cheek. ‘She will weep again soon,’ Natsuhisa thinks, ‘her beautiful tears will spread across the worldly plains and give light to all sides of her again.’

‘I apologize, Mother, but I must follow this thread, the wind, my feet, so long as it remains to be unraveled, until it turns me to dust, until I am but ashes upon the breeze.’

He muses to himself, lifting his sketchbook from the bedside as she silently leaves. The over-sized pad… while not as quaint as the smaller ones he has elsewhere, is the one he bought recently, and requested it not leave him, especially on days such as this. Inspiration needs plenty of room to manifest itself, so that the roots do not get too muddled and tangled up within themselves.

Does he… love painting? Does he hate it? Why does he have this impulse, this infinite urge to keep moving a pencil, a paint brush, whenever a canvas is in front of him? Even now, he wishes to cover these confining walls with a mirror of the sun, so that the warmth he has learned of may continue to reach him, so that the loneliness he…

No matter.

This is what he’ll continue to do. There aren’t any unread books seated on his bedside, nor does he feel the need to ask for any others. He must draw, fill that calling void, that beautiful, sobbing barren land.

Nothing but the slight scratching of his pencil fills the air. It is enough to bring him some solidarity, though he has more interest in exploring and finding a spot outdoors to sit and observe, fill the page with what he sees rather than what he recalls. His focus draws upon the page, regardless. He’ll shut himself away, find a way to communicate.

That’s right. Just one drop is enough.

“Young Master,” a knock at the open door comes soon, sound and steady, from Shikishima’s personal butler, but the boy doesn’t pay it any mind.

“Um…”

A girl peers out from behind, further bringing to surface the supposed difference between their lifestyles. And she, she asks herself, why is she visiting, when she had to be escorted in? Why is she so worried about him? Why is she thinking about him so much? Why is she acting on this?

“Young Master, this young lady is here to visit you,” the butler repeats, but in the end, he concedes to just allowing Rinka in, after sizing her up to be absolutely no danger. Should anything arise, he’d be right there, anyhow. Oh, how much the man has put up with, being in charge of caring for a youth with endless presses for discovery!

What about the time Shikishima came back, struggling to breathe from ‘joyful’ laughter, covered head-to-toe in dirt? How unsuitable for such a high status, weak child, finding adoration in dying blooms and crawling, shelled critters. But, the butler keeps a straight face, because things would be far different if the boy had been different. Perhaps, he wouldn’t be so endearing, either. He leaves the two high schoolers alone with those thoughts at hand, but considering the girl doesn’t hear his steps anymore, he’s stationed beside the door.

“Please… pardon the intrusion,” her voice is hardly above a whisper, perhaps due to the feeling of the environment: A bare, hospital room… Somehow, this empty feelings makes her uncomfortable. Funny, coming from someone like her.

‘This doesn’t suit him…’ but she’s coming to conclusions, making assumptions based on her biases, what she thinks knows about him, but even that’s new for her, isn’t it? She, the one that used to do the bare minimum, entirely average and pulled by the flow, she the one who had no drive, no ambitions, no dreams, slowly begins to beat on the edges of her comfortable box and break out. It is this what it means to live? She wonders, if these emotions really…

Next to this… weird, incomprehensible boy… has she started to etch a spot where she belongs?

She doesn’t know. She really doesn’t know.

How does she process the vibrancy that she’s been introduced to? How does she plan on moving forward?

It spins, but she approaches his bedside after steadying her pace, and it isn’t until she’s beside him.

“Good morning, Rinka,” he says without batting more than an eye, as if he hadn’t been lacking notice until just a second prior. He places his book down, pen sitting atop, and Rinka can’t help but see an image in progress – a flower? It resembles one, she guesses, not that she can completely tell.

There’s a lot that’s changed for her. She doodles on her papers, little floral patterns, butterflies, caterpillars, the sun. She feels comfortable, she’s interested.

How beautiful, the light surrounding her makes her look, her pure soul still over untainted – ah, but her aura…

“Shikishima-san, did you just wake up?”

His fingers move ever so slightly, as if tracing an image on his blanket, as if he really hadn’t stopped drawing. But, he’s still taking in her, how she appears, how he breathes… Her blue uniform is a stark, welcome contrast upon the unstained backdrop, a lovely splotch. Is she worried, curious? What a stubborn, interesting flower.

“Just a tide’s passing before…”

He’s… ‘happy’ she visited, of her own choice. Not leaving him alone, she keeps trying to ‘get’ him, even when his words cut him off, even when his eyes shut and his ears are covered. She gently makes sure he’s alright, that he can go on, and supports him. He wonders… did he ‘hope’ she would come? Has he come to ‘want’ to create more, and actually enjoy it, because of her? Why is that?

Why, why does the sun take such effect? What could it mean for him?

Ah, he likes her.

That’s the way to put it best, in terms that might get things across, but it’s okay if she doesn’t understand. She treats him as any other. She doesn’t seem to think a single touch will shatter him; in fact, it’s been quite the opposite, has it not?

He, truly he doesn’t know much at all, either. An odd soul, moving upon whim, without grounds, without direction, so aimless that he truly believed that would just fade, just like his uncle. He’s been tumbling through life, sheltered, told that what he pursued was senseless, unsuitable for someone of such status, so he should keep, keep to the cold white.

But she, she has managed to pry open the cycle he has been engulfed in, resting on his withering petals, breathing again a hope in them. That’s is how powerful the sun’s rays are, he cannot help but want to peak at them. His greatest sin now, the burden he has placed upon those that care, does he deserve the view? She… She is so much more, astonishing, outstanding, the furthest reaches are those she can chase.

“Oh!” Just as he wanders, she reveals an array of colorful art supplies, “The people from your club told me to give you these… They said it’s probably not the same quality as the kind you buy, but…” Carefully, she sets them down beside his bed. How thoughtful, how beautiful. Those kids, perhaps they worried for him as well? The one who hardly stops in, only to show them parts of his adventures does he actually bother, to which he finds that they can’t understand either.

But, he’s become rather fond of that field of flowers, so he can’t just leave them. Does he trouble them? Her? Terrible. What a scoundrel he is, foolishly causing everyone about him sadness. But, he cannot be different, because he believes this is all he can be. Floating, he’s floating… but the sun is paving his way, ever still. What right does he have?

Why did she go to see them? That is something he decides he will not ask, or presume his assumption is correct on. There is no need to tie that part down. The sun is here. She gave those flowers a glimmer, and then rose higher in the sky.

His mind dwells more so then, however, so his words speak their volumes.

“Perhaps, I am a wilted sunflower, biding time, coming to my calling of making way for those smaller, stronger, to come out of the shadows and bear the embrace of the sun.”

“No, um…” She tries to find footing in her soon-to-stem words. How is she to play into a metaphor she can hardly grasp? How is she to venture into a field such as this? “I think, you were dormant… some flowers come back every year, just as pretty as the last, don’t they?” Rinka isn’t really sure, since it’s not like she’s every really gardened, at all, but it sounded right, “Maybe you just hadn’t woke up yet..? But you shouldn’t, um…” It’s more difficult than she thought, perhaps, to speak her mind, and to a figurative image like this this, but she gathers up her strength and pushes out her last words, “…want to wilt away. People want to see you bloom too.”

Her voice, even if the impact doesn’t settle in for her, mean so, so much.

‘I… as well… Maybe… I am allowed to leave my mark upon the world, and stay as well…’

Can he stir emotions like this? How? How can he do it? How can he compare to what she believes for him?

He is warmed as she notices the slight surprise in his gaze, trying to put on a weak smile, as if to comfort him, or even to push off what she said as not being serious. Uncertainty in how she phrased it, but eager settlement in the ideas themselves.

Basking in this moment, he feels his head is clear enough to think, and then it strikes, something that he must do, something he has to do, right now.

“Rinka, please hand me one of those…” His gaze turns to the adorable collected gift upon his bedside as he picks up his sketchbook once again.

“Okay..? But… Shikishima-san, which one?” Rinka reaches, returning them to her hands and opening the package, staring down at them intently.

“Any of them. The sun’s ray shine on all after all.”

So she resorts to closing her eyes and picking at random, holding it out for Shikishima to take, and he gets to work, moving and using them wordlessly, setting them down and requesting another when the one before has been used to satisfaction.

Once again, Rinka searches for any answer she can find, but she will not locate them.

---

Eyes peer up at the completed work, which hangs within the gallery of silent truths. They tie not his name to the painting for fear, for caution, that recognition will skew words and ripple hesitation. In this much, Shikishima Natsuhisa becomes more certain in himself, in the fact that his presence will not yield itself to the lightest of breezes.

“It’s very… unique,” a woman says, “The choice of colors here, they seem to be of a particular order…”

“Yes, yes, look closer!” a man chimes in, “the darker portions of the petals fade into the lighter ones. Clearly this sun has saved the flower.”

Rinka really can’t follow all the symbolism that the critics grab at, but the piece still… she finds tears coming down her face, blurring the variety of shades to an even more unified picture. Somehow, that mess of colors is perfect to her, born of her choices and his determination. It’s hard to believe, that she was – is – a part of this.

She feels his hands touch her cheek and soon, she’s looking right at him, though her sight is still clouded by the rain. Such affection, in such a public place… it’s embarrassing, and she feels so hot, gaping, her cheeks reddening – “Um…”

“Your tears are beautiful,” he speaks. “A shining glimmer of dew, dripping of the leaves of a bloom…”

He’s no longer gazing at the distance when he looks in her direction, not as often at least. And this, this makes Rinka happy, so happy she doesn’t have the power in her to do anything more than place her hands on his own. Enveloping, bubbling, this slight touch stirs upon her heart.

Everyone can bring something to the table, even when they’re not particular good at something. Rinka has never considered herself someone that excels in any one particular area, but in times like this, it’s as if she’s told that herself really is enough, as she is, so long as she has spirit, and makes her want to try her best and see where it leads.

The clatter about his piece reaches her ears again, this time it is about the artist himself, not the content, which snags the air.

“This is the first time I’ve seen this artist, a newcomer then? Are they here? I would love to speak with them over this.”

“No, there’s no contact at all.”

Rinka’s arms fall back to her side, Shikishima retracting his own, as she steps over, closer, to the piece.

“Before summer comes spring, the time when blossoms are first able to open their hearts to life’s rays. As the cycle presses on, they will find themselves giving way to the cooling of fall, and the chill of winter, still searching for the sun as they close their eyes. But spring is where beginnings comes to bare their first gifts of fruition,” Shikishima explains as Rinka looks closer at the name he signed for the painting, printed upon the plaque underneath. He leans in, looking over her shoulder, so close that his speaking tickles her ear. “We mustn’t forget that all roots and stems must sprout from seeds, springing up into their place.”

Until he feels he has fully bloomed, he will use the princely alias of a lukewarm but refreshing breeze.

“So that’s why…”

“Yes,” Shikishima confirms, “One day, perhaps, this butterfly will shed his cocoon comfortably. But for now, I am a summer flower locked within the guard of the spring.”

All these levels, melding together, fresh for the season.

And again, she reads the plate underneath his creation, “Haruhiko-san…”

Gradually, they will come to the day where he can accept more and more beyond those walls of white, that every section of the wind is a different sound.

“Yes. Now, these bees are rather busy, and I’d rather like some air. For a fresh perspective, we must escape the one that holds us first. Shall we, Rinka?”

She nods, following him out of the gallery, his breathing only just a little uneven, probably because of how heavy and crowded the atmosphere was, despite being so reserved and regal. Even she had begun to get a little winded, from both a combination of awe and the amount of people, so she can’t imagine how much it affected Shikishima.

Concerned, reaches out, and he, as though following the thread of her cue, links his arm with hers, using her, just a bit, as support. “Thank you.” He says.

“You’re welcome.” She answers, and she catches a glimpse of his lips, curled into a smile that’s familiar, but more intense, and she immediately knows why.

It’s genuine, as inviting as a clear, summer day.

---

Later, she’s invited to his home for a small visit; in order to get to know him better, she finds herself unable to refuse. In fact, the speed she accepts surprises her. His home, too, is rather overwhelming, vast in size, and in value. Truly, the Shikishima family is powerful, influential, and known.

She struggles to take in his room, how clashing it is, how colliding from the image he thinks of and the image he wears. Even the canvases he has are covered with cloth, not revealing the beyond imaginable marvel beneath them. Every nook and cranny rings of a mess once there, but every dribble leads somewhere, right? Like a growing gem, a growing sprout, a section seems to not seem… as plain as the rest them.

But Rinka can feel this for herself as well. Once grey walls gradually become less bare. The first addition, a sketch he did of what he claimed to be her (though she found it difficult to connect). The second, the first letter he sent her, hand delivered by his butler to her school, because texting isn’t so ‘good’ for him. The third, a collection of purikura prints, from the day he got ever so curious, and insisted they try it out together.

His smile is so bright in them, and she… remembers having fun, too.

What does his wall contain? The first she notices must be pieces from the members of the his art club, ones likely to commemorate the fact that he will be graduating soon. “Thank you for everything, senpai!” a note reads beside one of them – well, it says more, but the distance and messier strokes makes it harder to read.

The next, is that the little doodle he asked her to try? So he kept it... How sweet of him. She’s really thankful, thankful that he hasn’t given up, that he’s help her so much.

“Rinka?” He says, looking over to her from his seat, “What encases this butterfly’s curiosity?”

“Your walls…”

“Ah, yes, I wished to paint one of my walls… I began, actually,” he motions to one of the corners, where aimless brush strokes of different colors appear against the otherwise spotless plain, “But Mother gusted in and asked of me to not fume my resting area, so I was stopped for now… Perhaps I will asked make something of another room’s wall…”

It’s just like him, to start something so suddenly like that. ‘When there is a canvas in front of me, I cannot help but paint all that I find beautiful upon it.’

All of this, it’s breathtaking to the young lady.

Shikishima muses once again over what his uncle would paint, and it’s still beyond him, because his uncle isn’t him. He looks over his walls, and then back to Rinka, then sets about adjusting what he had been working on just slightly. He has to update and capture the her of this moment, he decides. He wants to paint her, the sunflower. This, this is his desire, a fuel that doesn’t burn out so easily.

As he works, an idea strikes him, another exploration, another trial, another experimentation. Without ceasing, without looking up, he casts the reel.

“Rinka, soon, let’s go out on a small, outdoor adventure. Somewhere fresh, and I’ll bring along the soil bed of what we need to plant ourselves.”

---

They sit somewhere where they can enjoy the company of one another, allowing the gentle breeze to hug them as they take in the crisp air, which in turn fills their lungs cleanly. It’s wonderful, calming, to be able to thrive in the moment, just like this.

Before them lays a set of paints and a clean white canvas, awaiting the story they wish to breathe life into upon it. Shikishima smiles, carefully taking her hand in one of his, carefully leading her finger tips to the different shades, which he then presses down into.

“This is odd, Shikishima-san, but what… exactly are we… you doing?”

He doesn’t immediately answer, motioning for her to be careful not to get paint on her clothes as he releases her hand, then dipping his own in, covering his digits with the variety of paints.

“You… too? Are we really finger painting?”

He nods, a laugh placed upon his lips, happiness seeping out, “Yes. I’ve wanted to try this, to allow us to once again together root our wills down, eternalize that the little flowers have met butterflies and have since let their hearts soar. No longer do they cage themselves…” there’s a brief moment of tears, and Rinka’s about to scramble to find something for him to dry up when they suddenly cease.

And ever so carefully, he places his paint-dipped hand atop her own, palm down, weaving his fingers between hers. Guiding their new brushes to the canvas, together, they gradually paint a picture of circles, their mismatching colors fanning out and pinching until a mass is formed.

When he releases her and pulls back, she looks it over.

Yeah, she doesn’t understand it at all. Yet, the emotions are all the same. She feels the sticky, dry layers settling in, but she doesn’t mind it. That will wash off, but this memory won’t leave her. Rinka glances between the canvas and him. What does she say, when she’s so overcome? What should she do, when he’s giving her smile that?

With the way he is now, she wonders, why he ever denied himself the same merits others around him have. But, maybe it’s because she didn’t know what it meant to be alive either. She had simply existed, if it could even be said that she went that far.

“There are many flowers, all waiting to take their bloom. They reach, reach until they even get a glimpse of their sun.”

Shikishima speaks, so she continues to listen.

“Along their period of growth, they meet others. The others may be different, introducing new shades upon those they meet, but their shared goal gifts them with strength. Every year, they will clap their leaves, shed inches of their worries, and attempt to begin anew, mingling once more

“Perhaps they will stumble. Such is in their nature to tumble so…” He says this with fondness, and Rinka cannot help but feel a swell inside her as well. “Delicate, broken,” he places his hand on his chest, not minding the bits of paint that are still on his fingers, “flowers can survive on their own, but they do not ‘live’ until they are planted with others, free from unstained isolation, creating a ground bouquet… That is why, this life is beautiful…”

Until something wormed its way into the changing their lives, they had been both stuck, stuck in blue, a cycle where a single curtain engulfed them, numbly blinded them.

“I… I’m glad.” She says, touching her face. She’s tearing up, isn’t she? But this pot of feelings, she can’t explain any of them. It’s foreign, feeling so much at once, but she doesn’t hate it. He can apologize for bring emotions to her, but she won’t ever hate him for filling her up with life.

“Oh, you got paint all over your face. Though, you really are a dreadfully cute bloom that way too…” His voice is so soft that she is mesmerized. He comes closer after grabbing a clean rag, but instead decides to bring his face so near that their noses are touching. His eyes close and he breathes in. Yes, she’s the person that’s become the subject of his affection, his sun, the cause of him learning that he can find true passion in the little things.

Shikishima Natsuhisa cannot help but find himself attached to Rinka.

He pulls back, dabbing the cloth on her face, to help her out, finally.

“Shikishima-san..! You’ve got paint on your nose now as well…”

“Do I? I was just as careless as you, then. We’re quite the mess together, it seems. Just look at us.”

He holds up his dirty hand, and releases a small laugh.  

“When the time comes, we should view the soft, pink petals that wished to soar,” a reminder of how brief but gorgeous life is, fleeting, dreaming, doomed to morality, which makes it all the more… precious.”

Make the most of this life, his life. He, a young artist, must do so… because his wish… he wishes to live.

“And then we will bear witness to spring’s green fleeing to make room for summer’s orange adoration.”

[itssiennatheasian]

How to Draw a Mystic Moon Illustration in Procreate on iPad

What You'll Be Creating

The moon has always attracted people, not only from a scientific point of view as an astronomical object, but also because it is believed to have some magical aspects which influence our lives. It can even be frightening and sometimes creepy! 

If you've ever heard of selenophobia, you probably know what I mean. Selenophobia (from the Greek word seleno, meaning "moon"), also known as lunaphobia (from the Latin word luna, meaning "moon") is the fear of the moon. Like many other phobias, selenophobia originates from painful experiences during childhood.

You may believe it or not, but as for now, let’s get some inspiration from this side of the moon’s nature and draw a mysterious illustration in Procreate. We’ll start with a very rough sketch, discovering all the basic features of this drawing application, and gradually moving to building shapes, colouring them, and adding textures up to the end result. Interested? 

Oh, and by the way, you can get the Mystic Moon source file together with other file formats on Envato Elements. This file will allow you to see how everything was made and organised by going through the layers. You will also get a layered Adobe Photoshop file which is convenient to use for your personal or commercial work. 

Let’s begin!

1. How to Draw a Moon in Procreate

Step 1

I’m using an iPad Pro and an Apple Pencil to create illustrations in Procreate. However, Procreate also supports other models of iPads (with iOS 10.0 and newer) which work with other styluses listed in Actions > Devices. The Apple Pencil itself is not on the list, though all its functions are fully supported by the app as well. While choosing your device or stylus, please keep in mind that Apple Pencil works only with iPad Pro, so always check the full information and compatibility of devices and apps before purchasing.

Step 2

Open the application, and let’s create a New Canvas by clicking the Create (+) icon in the top right corner. From there we can either select one of the canvases from the list or create a custom one. The number of layers in our file depends on its size. The higher the dimensions, the fewer layers you’ll be able to create. 

Let’s make a 3500 x 3500 px canvas that will allow us to make up to 12 layers, which is more than enough for this project.

Step 3

I usually start my illustration with a rough sketch. Let’s open the Brushes tab and select an HB Pencil brush from the Sketching set. 

We already have one empty layer by default, so I just pick the brush and start doodling. I can control the Size and Opacity of my brush by moving the two vertical sliders on the left side of the screen.

Step 4

Once I’m happy with the overall idea of my future illustration, I open the Layers panel and tap the layer to reveal a menu. Tap Rename and change the layer name to “Sketch”.

Step 5

Here is what I ended up with. It is pretty simple yet detailed, which will help me to focus on shapes and colours.

Step 6

As you may have noticed, we already have a “Background colour” layer in the Layers panel by default. It allows us to change the colour of the canvas by tapping and selecting the desired colour on the colour wheel. Let’s pick a nice tint of dark blue for the night sky.

Step 7

Now let’s tap the “+” icon in the top right corner of the Layers panel to make a New Layer. Then open the Brushes panel and pick the Ink Bleed brush in the Inking set.

Step 8

If we swipe to the left through all the brush sets, we can tap the “+” icon and create a New Set. Then we can drag and drop any existing brushes in this set for quick access.

Apart from that, we can edit the settings of any brush by tapping it. Let’s tap the Ink Bleed brush and edit the Stroke > Streamline parameter by setting it to 5%. This function allows us to smooth the line while drawing, which gives higher control over the strokes.

Then go to General > Size Limits and make sure that the Max slider is set to maximum.

Step 9

Now we can pick the pale yellow colour on the colour wheel (top right corner) and draw the outline of the moon, using our sketch as a reference. We can also pinch the canvas with two fingers, zoom it, and rotate for our convenience.

I also move the Size and Opacity sliders all the way up to make the line thick and solid.

Step 10

Once we’ve created a closed path, we can either scribble inside to fill it with colour or we can tap and hold the colour circle in the top right corner and drag and drop it right onto our shape.

Step 11

Let’s open the Layers panel and tap the N letter on the Sketch layer. From here, we can switch between the Blending Modes and change the Opacity of the layer. Set the Opacity to 45%, making the sketch semi-transparent.

Step 12

When using a textured brush, you may notice some empty spots or strokes after filling the shape. Use the Ink Bleed brush to paint inside the shape, eliminating the blank spaces.

Step 13

Now let’s Alpha Lock our moon layer by swiping to the right with two fingers. You will see the layer thumbnail background become checkered. Once you’ve Alpha Locked the layer, you’ll be painting inside the shape, without crossing its edges, which is very convenient for adding shadows, highlights, and textures.

Step 14

Now let’s add some texture to our moon. First of all, let’s select a darker colour. If you already have another colour selected, tap the square that's located between the Size and Opacity sliders, and move the magnifying circle on top of the moon to pick its pale yellow colour. 

Open the colour wheel and select a darker colour.

If you want to change the options of the colour picker, you can go to Actions > Advanced gesture control and switch between the settings of the Eyedropper.

Step 15

Let’s go to Brushes > Sketching and pick the Bonobo Chalk brush. Lower the Opacity and start painting over the moon, adding texture.

Step 16

Now lower the Size and draw along the edges of the moon to make it more three-dimensional.

Step 17

Now let's create a New Layer, pick an orange colour, and choose the HB Pencil brush. Start scribbling over the darker areas, adding a realistic pencil texture. Make short parallel hatches, the same way as you do it on paper.

Step 18

Continue adding pencil strokes along the edges. Then pick a light-yellow colour and fill the center of the crescent as well.

Here you can see the layers that we're using in this step.

Step 19

Let’s make a New Layer and take the Ink Bleed brush. Use a dark-orange colour to add short strokes for a cartoon effect.

Lower the Opacity of the layer to 60%, making the strokes semi-transparent.

Step 20

Now that our moon is finished, let’s Group all of its layers together. Select the top layer and swipe to the right all the layers beneath it with one finger. You will see a light-blue selection and a three-strokes icon appear in the top right corner of the Layers panel. Tap the icon to create a Layer Group. Now we can rename it and fold by tapping the arrow icon.

2. How to Draw a Star

Step 1

Let’s unlock the alpha on the Moon layer by swiping it to the right again with two fingers. You will see a solid background on the layer thumbnail, meaning that now you can paint anywhere on this layer.

Let’s use the Ink Bleed brush again to draw a star that we have on our sketch layer.

Step 2

I want to move the star a bit as I don't like its current position. It looked fine on the sketch, but now the composition is quite unbalanced, so let’s see how we can center its top point with the top tip of the crescent.

Let’s tap the Freehand Selection in the top panel and make sure that Freehand option is selected in the bottom panel. Now we can draw a circle around our star, creating a selected area.

Step 3

After the selection is created, tap Transform and select Freeform in the panel below. Now that our selection around the star has changed to a square, we can move it around without affecting any other elements on the same layer.

Step 4

Use the Bonobo Chalk brush and switch to lighter and darker yellow colours, adding that texture touch to the star and making it more three-dimensional.

Step 5

Both main elements of our composition are ready, so let’s make them pop out of the background a bit more.

Create a New Layer right above the Background colour layer. You can reorder the layers by simply tapping and holding a layer and then dragging and dropping it to the desired position in the Layers panel.

Use the Bonobo Chalk brush and a dark blue colour (slightly lighter than the background) to create a subtle mist around the moon.

3. How to Draw Floral Elements and Herbs

Step 1

Now let’s unleash our imagination and draw out all those herbs and flowers from our sketch by adding more details and life to them.

Create a New Layer, take the Ink Bleed brush, and start drawing out the first branch growing from the bottom tip of the crescent. I’m using a dark-blue colour for this one, starting with a thin, arched stem and then adding rounded leaves along the stem.

Step 2

Continue using the same colour to add more elements around the moon. First of all, add a few floating leaves next to the first branch. Then draw a second branch growing from the bottom of the crescent. Place it right above the yellow surface, thus adding contrast.

Move on by adding other branches and leaves. I’m also using the Erase tool with the same Ink Bleed brush, cleaning some spots where I don’t want the leaves to overlap with the yellow shape of the moon.

Step 3

Once you’re happy with the dark blue plants (by the way, you’re always able to return to them later and add whatever details you want), create a New Layer and use a greyish-blue colour to add those leaves and flowing stems. Make the new grey plants partially overlap the dark-blue ones from the previous layer.

Try to maintain the balance in your composition by adding branches of more or less equal length on both sides of the moon. Don’t forget about the floating leaves—speckle them around the branches as well.

Step 4

Now it's time to create the next New Layer. Pick a light-yellow colour and start adding bright strokes to our image in the spots where they are really needed.

Step 5

I have some plants here that consist of a grey stem and light-yellow flower bud. In order to add those buds, I simply create a New Layer and place it beneath all the other floral layers so that my additional yellow elements will always be partially hidden beneath the top layers of herbs.

Step 6

Once I’m happy with all the flowers and plants, I make sure that everything looks balanced enough and there are no empty spots or, on the contrary, areas overloaded with elements. 

I’m using one of the yellow layers to speckle some stars around the moon by drawing dots of various sizes with the Ink Bleed brush.

Step 7

Now it is time to add a textured touch to all the floral elements! Don’t worry, you won’t have to draw a shadow on each leaf and flower manually. 

First of all, let’s Alpha Lock each of the floral layers by swiping to the right with two fingers. If you do everything right, you will see a checkered background on the thumbnails.

Now take the Bonobo Chalk brush, and let’s start with the dark blue layer. Select a darker colour and go over the layer with wide strokes, adding grainy texture to all the dark-blue pieces. Then decrease the Size of the brush and go over the areas that need some more intense shadows, like the places where the leaves overlap or the spots where leaves grow from the stem, making the stem darker. This way we’ll visually separate the layers from each other, bringing more dimension to our image. 

Step 8

Now let’s blend in some highlights. Pick a lighter yellow colour and draw over the tips of the leaves, adding a subtle silver glow to them.

Step 9

Work over all the dark blue layer and don’t forget to zoom out in order to check how the overall image looks at this stage.

Step 10

Now let’s switch to the grey layer and do the same for the greyish-blue plants. Start by adding those shadows and go on to the highlights, making all the tips slightly lighter.

Step 11

And finally, the yellow layers (both top and bottom ones)! This time, try to achieve a golden look by using orange for the shadows and light yellow (almost white) for the highlights.

Step 12 

Once you’re happy with the floral elements, make a New Layer on top of all the floral layers, and let’s add some more mystic glow. Go to Brushes and select Airbrushing > Soft Airbrush. Pick a light-yellow colour.

Step 13

Decrease the Opacity and draw very light round spots around all the yellow-gold elements, making them really stand out and glow.

Step 14

We can add some more volume to our image if we create a New Layer in the Moon group of layers (Shadow layer) and use the Bonobo Chalk brush to make subtle shadows in the areas where leaves are placed on top of the moon. We can play with the layer options by setting it to Multiply mode and decreasing the Opacity to 80%, making it more subtle.

To the Moon & Back! Our Mystic Moon Image Is Finished!

Great work! Now our mystic moon illustration looks balanced and complete! I hope you’ve enjoyed following this tutorial and discovered new opportunities of using your iPad as a fully featured working device while creating beautiful pieces of art in Procreate.

By the way, once you’ve finished with your image, you can always share it and export in multiple formats, including the original Procreate file and a layered PSD file for Adobe Photoshop, which gives you even more flexibility and a wider range of opportunities! 

You can get the Mystic Moon file in various formats on Envato Elements, to see how it was made and how the layers are organised. Apart from that, you’ll get a layered PSD file which is easy to use for your personal or commercial designs.

from Envato Tuts+ Design & Illustration http://ift.tt/2yORBZi via http://ift.tt/1dVCCOJ

[wood-mockup-presentation-blog]

Show off your ideas with a brilliant mockup

As a designer or project/brand owner, you will benefit greatly from these best free logo mockups. Designing the artwork is one thing, but presenting it in a unique and original manner is a completely other thing.

There is no wonder that ready-made mockups are ideal for enhancing and showcasing the design work. However, to find right free mockup templates for designers can be a pain especially when they are up against a tight deadline. To ease the burden of searching for those design resources, we’ve currently rounded up the 10 best websites with free mockups for designers. If you know another great resource, please comment below to let us know!

Wood Mockup Plus

Wood Mock plus allows you to make mockups for mobile, web as well as desktop apps, with a library of ready-made UI components and free icons.

Free PSD Mockup Collection

Here are lots of handpicked and free mockup templates PSD designs created by designers and agencies across the world. A highlight is that each free mockup is featured with a thumbnail and a link directing to the download page. It’s easy to navigate by the classified directory.

Great designers doodle, and the best make something new every day. Canva makes it easy to bring your ideas to people with plenty of tools to craft quick mockups of websites, apps, print layouts, or anything else you can imagine. Whether you’re creating a mockup for a freelance client, or generating oodles of thumbnails, let us help you create a brilliant mockup design, so you can focus on polish and precision.

Have fun experimenting with your design

Change     the images. Upload your own images or choose from our stock library of     over 1 million photographs, graphics and illustrations.

Change     the fonts. Choose from over 130 fresh fonts.

Change     the background. Choose a background from our library or use an image.

Change     the colors. Change the color of your text boxes and text to add extra     flair.

Logo Mockup

Brand yourself the right way and have a better understanding of your logo from the early stages. You can keep on brainstorming it and trying out different logo mockup templates until you are fully satisfied with the outcome. In other words, these are also great for prototyping and keeping the workflow at the highest degree.

Tshirt Mockup

 While the main design of the T-Shirt matter most, you might be a brand which likes to keep things simple and detail-oriented. If that is the case, create a clothing label with your logo on that goes on the side of the short sleeve. With a neat logo, this is definitely something that will capture everyone’s attention right away. Have in mind, you can change the color of the tee garment, as well as the color of the label. Moreover, the mockup also gives you a chance to edit it with additional text overlay. For a quick solution, head over to Placeit and have the outcome available shortly after.

 Coffee Cup Artwork Mockup

 You will find all bunch of different templates on this list that will unlock a whole new horizon of possibilities. From the more simplistic ones to more creative and one-of-a-kinds, here we have something for everyone. If you are a coffee brand or your run a coffee shop, a pub or even a restaurant, if you would like to have branded coffee cups, this is the ideal mockup for you.

 Sign Logo Mockup

 Logo plays an important role in brand awareness campaigns. Without a good logo that will represent your business, you may have a hard time getting people to know your brand. If you’re looking for a mockup to test your logo on signage, you better check this freebie! Here’s Lightbox Display Signage PSD Mockup that you can freely download for your evaluation. It features lightbox signage with a nice glowing effect. It comes with smart object layer where you can insert your own logo or branding into the scene with ease. If you wish to change the color of the background that’s also possible so it can fit your requirements.

 Shop owner Logo Mockup

 If you are a shop owner, chances are, you will have a big sign outside, on the facade, that will scream your brand. For your convenience, here is an excellent Sign logo mockup featuring a building and a massive banner just above the entrance for you to add your artwork. If you are not already a well-known brand, this is one of the best ways to make a compelling and interest sparking brand awareness. Even if you are a general shop, this template is a fantastic solution to refine the design to make sure the end look is a striking one.