#this is an issue for all my digital art but with this I really felt it cause the colours look different on every screen I own

[violetscanfly]

Vampire Wei Wuxian & (Ex)Vampire hunter Lan Wangji

[gaybananabread]

Hii! I hope I'm doing this right 😅

The amazing digital circus, Lee Jax! Ler ragatha!

Banana,oranges,lemons please!! :3

Absolutely fine if your not able to do it but just a request :D

(oh no I forgot something 😅😭 Can the most focused on spot be the ears please!! Super sorry!)

Fruit(s): Bananas, Oranges, Lemons

You’re all good, Anon! Jax is such an ass and I’m here for it (⁠ ⁠´⁠◡⁠‿⁠◡⁠`⁠). I’ve been pretty sick this week, so I’m sorry if there’s any mistakes or quality issues (ミ⁠●⁠﹏⁠☉⁠ミ). Fair warning, the bunny man is quite the prick in this because I like bickering. Thank you for requesting, and I hope you Enjoy!

Lee: Jax

Ler: Ragatha

Summary: Jax is being a total brat, sassing and picking on all the other characters. Ragatha has enough, giving him a lesson on manners he won’t soon forget.

Warnings: none! This is a tickle fic, so if you don’t like that, scroll away!!

The Amazing Digital Circus was…an interesting place, to say the least. If one could get over the fact that a likely-sentient AI entity ran a digital fairgrounds that nobody could ever escape from, their minds twisting and going down a deep spiral of paranoia and uncertainty until they lost their sanity, it was kinda cool. That first part was a pretty big hang-up for most, though.

Jax, however, had grown pretty used to the madness. He had his wit and sarcasm as a coping method. Why worry about your own misfortunes when you can laugh at someone else’s? The rabbit took every opportunity he could to quip, snicker and poke fun at his fellow characters. He got on everyone’s nerves. 

His antics really got to one being in particular: Ragatha. 

She felt as if she could tear his ears off some days. Jax would always bully the others, but he had been horrible that day. Pomni was still getting used to things; the poor thing didn’t need another reason to fret. His jokes were only putting everyone on edge, and that jester was already on a narrow ledge… It needed to stop.

“Wow Gangle, I didn’t know you could actually do something productive. Color me shocked.” Jax hovered over her, looking down at the ribbon being’s drawing. It was some sort of fan art, though he couldn’t name the media. It didn’t look that accurate, and he wasn’t that much of a nerd before he put the headset on… 

Before she could think to be shocked at the half-praise, he quickly put the dickery in his words. “Shame it’s too trashy to make out whatever you drew. This place is enough of an eye-sore as is.” 

The tears on Gangle’s mask rippled as she sniffed, trying not to let his mean words get to her. It didn’t really work; she’d put a lot of effort into that… She clutched the drawing to her chest as she ran away, her mouth line quivering. Jax just chuckled, not really caring that she ran off. It was just a joke. Not his fault she couldn’t take it.

Ragatha put her hands on her hips, marching over to Jax. He rolled his eyes, preparing for the lecture. “JAX! What is wrong with you?! Gangle worked really hard on that! You…you need to quit being such a jerky prick!”

The wide smirk stuck, though his eyes widened slightly. It was hardly a solid insult, though coming from such a typically passive-aggressive person, it was surprising. Didn’t know she had it in her…heh.

Jax’s snarky smirk returned, his eyes forming amused crescents. Hello, new source of entertainment… “Relax, dollface! Crybaby’s fine. Just havin’ another pity party.”

She scoffed, letting her typically suppressed temper show. “Seriously? You told her that those amazing drawings were trashy! Why are you such a bratty bully?” Her tone was as curious as it was disappointed. Eugh…

“I’m not a bully. I just say what I see; not my fault you babies can’t handle the truth.” Okay, maybe he was going a bit further than he normally did. He was bored, and the banter was actually amusing. As long as he danced on the right side of the line, he’d be fine. “Like you. I mean, I get this place knows our minds or something, but it really nailed you. Trashy scraps and frayed yarn.” 

This little…ugh! He was bringing out a side of Ragatha she didn’t know she still had. “Oh really? And what’s that make you, cotton tail? A bargain bin, carnival prize knock-off?”

Jax actually chuckled; finally, someone fun. “Nah, I’m just better. Taller, good-looking, not made of sewn together *boink*. I’d say it did me right.” He smirked, leaning in and getting to her level. “You found a nice 1830’s girl yet? They’re all about raggedy scraps.”

Oh, that was it! She glared, her upper lip curling as she reached for him. The lanky jerk leaned away just in time, taking off in the opposite direction. Okay, so it was possible to make her mad…totally worth it. 

Ragatha chased after him, going over revenge plans in her mind. She normally tried to avoid conflict, but Jax was out of control. Rabbit stew seemed delicious, even if it would only be a simulation… 

Jax tried to find literally any not-obvious spot to hide, but everything was ginormous and solid, a vengeful Ragatha on his heels. He just ran for his life. He might’ve made it, too, if he hadn’t tripped on something. “What the-” He went down, face-planting on the bouncy floor. Gloink…of course. He could’ve sworn it smirked at him, even though they had no mouths.

The doll was on him in seconds, quickly pinning him to the floor. For fabric and stuffing, she was pretty strong. Before he could think to fight back, his arms were pinned above his head, the girl straddling him and blocking his every escape. “W-woah doll! At least buy me dinner first!” That one was kinda stupid, but it was there.

The smoldering glare that comment received finally shut him up, if only for a moment. So many ideas, so little time… But she couldn’t do anything to hurt him. One, it wasn’t physically possible, and two, she was better than that. He still needed some kind of shove in the right direction… Ohohohooo, that’s perfect.

“I think you need to learn some hard lessons, Jax. Respect for your friends, and when to shut up.” The tone of her voice was surprisingly playful, even if it had a serious edge. He didn’t know whether to be scared or relieved. 

He wasn’t sure what she was up to. That is, until he felt one of her mitten-esque hands on his stomach, wiggling into the furry surface. Unable to bite his lip, giggles slipped past his defenses, greeting the smug doll. “W-whahat the *bloink* ahare you dohohoing?!” 

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m showing you what happens when you’re a snarky dork.” Ragatha smirked, keeping his hands pinned firmly above his head. “W-whehen dihid you gehehet strohohohong?!”

She tsked, trying not to take offense to that. “You need a filter, Jax. Apparently Caine’s isn’t enough. My way is a bit more…hands-on.” Ragatha went to town on his belly, digging her fabric fingers into his midsection. 

Squealing, twisting and turning, Jax tried anything to escape. He might’ve had the height advantage, but when it came to strength and endurance, he was surprisingly out-matched. Also, apparently very ticklish. Shocks across the board.

Jax kicked his feet, the pads thumping against the floor. She cooed, teasing him further. “Aww, guess you really do live up to your character, Thumper.”

The tickling wasn’t even the worst part, though it did come in a close second. It was the teases. He honestly didn’t think she had it in her, but *sproing* he was wrong. Ragatha squeezed his hip, making him jolt and squeal. “R-RAHAhagathaha!” Okay, make that a tie.

His laughter, to Ragatha, was honestly adorable. Who knew a jerk like him could be so ticklish, much less have a laugh like that. It was bright, bubbly and uncontrollable. Hearing her friends laugh, no matter how rude, was something special. She could listen to it all day, though she didn’t quite plan on going that far. 

While the silliness wasn’t hurting him, his pride was being battered to bits. No matter how much he wriggled and writhed under her, he couldn’t manage to break her hold or knock her off. Beyond that, she just had to keep exploring his spots. “Youhuhu lihittle- GYAAAHAHA! NAHAT THEHEHERE!” Like that one.

Ragatha's eyes widened as she rubbed the base of his ear, not expecting the spot to incite such a reaction. She wasn’t complaining, though. “Geez, Jax. These floppy ears are so sensitive! I have got to tell the others.” The doll switched between each ear, making sure neither felt left out. They twitched and flopped, but couldn’t avoid her skilled hand. 

Even though he was the most prideful of all the characters, her tickling was really pushing his limits; he just couldn’t take any more. Abandoning his ego for a moment, he cried out. “O-OHOHOKAHAY! IHI’M SOHAHAHARRY! P-PLEHEHEASE NO MOHOHORE!” 

She took that as her cue to quit, releasing his arms and climbing off him. The rabbit man immediately curled into himself, giggling like a toddler. She did notice, however, that he was still wiggling slightly, his closed eyes moving as if he had a twitching nose. He was clearly happy, though she bet he’d never admit it out loud.

“Y-youhuhu…youhu’re dehehead!” The threat would’ve been a lot more menacing if he didn’t look and sound like he’d had the time of his life. “Uh-huh, sure. Just try to be nicer, okay Giggles?” Ragatha pat his head, walking away and going to find Gangle. Knowing her, she would need similar treatment, though for very different reasons. 

Jax took deep and giggly breaths as he tried to calm himself. That was…wow. He didn’t even think stimulation like that was possible in the Circus. Then again, Caine did say the only thing he couldn’t control were their minds. How his mind felt right then…he’d rather not talk about it. Her plan had worked; he’d definitely be thinking about that encounter for a while. Maybe not for the intended reasons, though…

[ari-leah-arts]

Hi Ari!

I’ve always been a fan of your severitus art  and I’ve started to pursue digital art as a hobby, i only have procreate and I struggle to draw without using a reference. I was wondering if you have any tips to help, especially that I will usually be drawing Snape and Harry 

Thanks in advance! 

Hello!

Thank you! I'm delighted to hear you're picking up on digital art! It's a truly fun medium. I'm familiar with procreate, though I'm trying to stop using it. Nothing against the program(long story). SO. I want to address "I struggle to draw without using a reference" .

-clears throat- This is NOT an issue. Using a reference does not make you a lesser artist, or at all symbolize lack of skill. ALWAYS use a reference, even if you're sure you don't need one, you may notice something regardless. I have a bachelors in Illustration with a Concept Art Concentration and I STILL USE REFERENCES. Dreamworks, Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, DC, Wizards of the Coast artists, they all use refs. I know this because they were the ones who TAUGHT me. Allow me to prove a point->

These are all WIP screen captures I've sent to servers I'm in. I'm using refs. When I'm at my PC?

Please, don't ever feel like using a reference is like wearing training wheels, or CHEATING. IT'S NOT and I know there are people out there saying otherwise and they ARE WRONG. Do I use a ref for everything? No. But I do for a good 85% of my work. It can be a color ref, a mood ref, a pose ref, doesn't matter. There is very little I don't need a ref for. Let me put it into perspective.

Darth Vader is the only subject(besides dragons) I 99% of the time don't need a ref for(sometimes I open my Vader model for tough head angles or take photos of my mask replica). I have been drawing Vader, consistently since I was SIXTEEN. I've been drawing him for 13 years. After 13 years, yeah...I don't need a ref. Like with anything, PRACTICE is key. Repetition makes for great xp points. Do I use a reference for Severus? Yes. With my Sev, I created a face I felt fit my vision of him using Alan Rickman and JK's sketches as a base. After that, I used my OWN work of him as a ref just to ensure I kept him in the same style. For Harry and Snape. Don't rely on the actors. You don't NEED to. My Snape looks nothing like Alan. You don't have to worry about likeness with these characters unless you are aiming for the actors. All I really grabbed from Alan for my Snape was his hair and robes, which I began altering over time. Have FUN with these characters. Go off what the books say and create your OWN VISSION. I did.

Sorry for the long reply. oops. I'm adamant/passionate about this.

[jorrated]

Some super stray thoughts I had while reading STCO so far:

Knuckles would NOT prioritize his past over Tikal’s suffering are you crazy in the head!!!!

Zak Simond-Hurn’s art is really charming, if it wasn't for the digital onomatopoeias, I wouldn’t mind having this style by a base for an official sonic comic! The design for the red echidna villain however… HM. Not pleasing to the eye.

I like that Ebony are having a bigger role on the fist few issues! But also Ebony’s constantly referring to Super as his friend and doing things to bring him back. Like I get it but also is this going to be her only trait now? Girl…

And porker is going on adventures again. Actually I don’t think they ever explained why Porker went back to being more adventurous in the og comic, participating in Chaos defeat and all. Not against it, and I like to see he still has a bit of bite and wasn't reduced to only a coward, tho it would’ve been cool to see at least a comment on how hes back on “adventuring”.

It’s cool to see Amy dealing with grief over Jhonny (I’ve given up trying to write his name correctly, too weird for me), but IDK. Amy probably was the best grounded character in that situation, so it feels weird to see her distressed over it? I don’t know how to explain it but in my eyes, Amy’s grief for Jhonny would definitively be more melancholic than scary/guilty. I’m glad they are trying to flesh out Amy more, but it doesn’t feel very cohesive with the comic to me. And Jhonny-zombie the killer… a bit tacky but in a funny way.

WHO…. Designed Vichama. I just want to talk. Tell me why you made him look that way. What is that. What went through your head. Dude. I get that Ebony has considerably more anthro body features than the other animal characters, but I feel like Vichama crosses the line into the “gross valley”. If he were drawn closer to how Zachary is I probably wouldn’t care, he probs would’ve looked like an Archie character. But the bulging muscles are kinda upsetting to look at. Cover up man.

So Shadow was created by some enemies of the echidnas. Noted.

Big and the Drakon prosecutor are actually really cute. I like them. Knuckles trying to break Ebony’s spell on Tikal is making me fume. HE WOULDN'T TRY TO DO THAT!!!!! He maybe would be a little desperate trying to trigger some memories but he wouldn't knowingly hurt someone to get information!!!! There is a pannel tho in this part of the comic that makes Knux ask “Where is Porker” and then “Where is the emeralds”. THAT is Knuckles to me, checking in on people before anything else.

Knuckles not being able to carry Big is bullshit. KNUCKLES PUNCHES ROCKS IN HALF LMAO. It’s fine I assume they need to be separated for a reason.

ROUGE STICK LEGS. Somebody please give my girl a double cheeseburger with extra fries and a big gulp of soda.

Actually I love that Rouge is a cunt here. Girlboss!!!! Stole this dudes emeralds AND left them to die, queen shit. Didn’t work but she did have the intent to kill them.

Big wouldn’t eat his friends….. He’d never eat Froggy, and DP (Drakon Prosecutor) even tho looks like a fish, Big considers a friend. BIG WOULDNT THINK ABOUT EATING HIS FRIENDS!!! HE IS A KIND BIG GUY!!!!!!!!!!!! ← most egregious mistake until now. Fucking funny tho can you imagine dying by vore They kept Mighty funny, that’s good.

MMMMN. I like that Sonic is consistently arachnophobic. Really nice continuity. How he first met Shadow tho… It felt underwhelming? Like yeah we know they were going to meet some time but IDK. The framing/pacing is weird to me. Either have them meet quickly at the start of the issue and Sonic is like “IDK WHO that guy is but I don’t like him!!!” or have them meet at the end of the issue, but only show Shadow in shadow (lol) to hook to the next issue. Shadow’s bland ass “I am Shadow” has the same energy as two kindergartners introducing themselves first day of school.

Shadow’s personality is interesting tho. I like him being a bit cocky but not too much, it’s a good take on him, plus he bounces off Sonic pretty well. I do wonder what the hell they’re going to do with him tho.

Awn… acknowledgment of some of the chaotix families… Blockhead Bill my dude

Tikal being given more of a spotlight is neat. It doesn’t give her much, but it’s refreshing to see her thoughts and intentions. However, I can’t help but think that she was mainly inserted to aid Knuckles and be a well of angst. Like IDK, Knuckles has moments mourning his past, or wondering if he will ever understand his ancestors, and Tikal well… She sees things rather than feel? If that makes sense? Like in this comic she is able to see a bit of the past and think “wow this is horrible! Must be a nightmare!” but she doesn’t feel despair? Or anything much? The only moment so far she felt despair was to make Knux Angst, like “ooooh shes suffering so we need to wipe her memories, that means Knuckles wont have his backstories :(“. Smells fishy.

Oh wow, Shadow has an actually interesting backstory here. It gives a reason to follow Robotnik, hate Sonic, not give a shit, aaaand its ambiguous enough you can probably pull off whatever. Fucking congrats STCO writers.

Fave image. What the fuck are they even doing here. Freaks.

Hm. No thoughts on Shadows maybe death. Thematically it’s interesting and all, but we don’t get enough time with him to give a shit. Unless I’m reading it wrong it seems like Shadow is sacrificing himself to save Robotnik, but IDK.

Grimer develops a situatioship depression.

2007 ANTI-ASIAN RACISM. BAD.

Bro what’s with this Knuckles characterization. He would NOT be mean to Tikal. If anything he’d probably be a bit overbearing, trying to give attention to her even if she didn’t want it. I get trying to tie him living his whole life alone being overwhelmed and feeling frustrated that Tikal can’t give him answers, but he wouldn't treat her like crap what is this. I like Porker’s and Knux bro moment, but that doesn’t make up for treating Tikal badly for no reason. Where’s her catharsis? She’s probably just as confused and desperate as Knuckles but she doesn't get any of these moments. Sigh. This idea could’ve definitely worked if Tikal was pushier or more imposing, but like she doesn’t do much, so Knuckles just snaps and it feels off. Knuckles’s stories are probably the issues with the biggest potential, but the writers for sure squander him the most, whomp whomp.

“One of Sonic’s fears is seeing Amy settle down with someone else” no it isn’t shut the fuck up. And the fact they put this on the same level of fear as Jhonny death is deranged.

The tonal whiplash between character comics is p funny honestly. You’ll have one really serious comic followed by a comedic one, lil bit of a mood killer. I guess STC also did this, but to me it at least wasn't jarring like this. Like how am I supposed to process Big getting shot, after Knux and Tikal experiencing the worst nightmare of their lives, living the trauma of seeing million of dead echidnas, after Vector put angel island as a security fund for his ship LMAO.

SONIC CHARACTERS HELPINH OUT THE POLICE SFAJHBJHBWRKJBJB??????!!!!!!!!????????????????????!!!!!!!!!????????11111111!!!!!!!111!!!!111!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hate this actually.

These Shorty and Tekno comics…… I don’t know what it is about them but god. I just don’t like them! Firstly that now it seems they are a completely separated duo from the rest of the team. Like They don’t interact with Sonic or Amy or whatever. Secondly.. Shortfuse is TOO nice. It doesn’t feel like him where is his tantrums??? And this isn’t a diss on the artstyle itself, cause I think it looks pretty nice and cute, but I don’t think it’s really fitting for the characters? Tekno and Shorty look like they’re in a shoujo manga.

I really like how Sonic is now a loser LOL. He got canceled to hell and back.

Finally Rouge makes and appearance. Kinda only realized how little she showed up during the SA2 adaptation.

Grimer destroying Sonic’s reputation is actually kinda nice. I like that they acknowledge his Robotnik situationship depression, tho I think it’s a bit over the top have him be behind EVERYTHING. Still like it tho. Go gross boy go! (Also the art in this issue is REALLY solid, wow, Zak Simond-Hurn really is my favorite artist from the STCO group).

At some point I think I need to stop complaining about Knux’s characterization. But I Do Not Like How They Write My Boy. Doc Zach is still serving cunt so that’s great. Go grandpa go!

It’s kinda awesome to see how the issues expanded through STCO’s run, but I think having so many stories at the same time kinda makes stuff bloated. Like I’m sure I’ll forget some parts of this, even if they are short bits. Like do we really need to follow 2 sonic stories and 2 amy stories at the same time? I think it would’ve been better to pace this with a limit of 3-4 stories MAX per issue. And then once a character story is done, release the next story with the same character. Sonic and Knuckles are kinda always going to be there, having the biggest pull on the comic’s lore and story, so the other ones could cycle out between amy, tekno, shorty, tails, sonic’s world, chaotix, and so on. I haven’t read some of the other non-sonic stories like decap n attack, but those could be thrown in the cycle too!

Actually I love that DP is just hanging out in Big’s restaurant. It’s goofy I really love it.

I wonder how old Sonic’s gang is supposed to be here. Like in theory some years have passed in the comic, but how many. It’s not important at all but Amy is seen drinking wine with Chrysalis and it’s like?? Is she a kid?? Is she an adult?? Is she underage drinking? Again it’s not a big deal, and I don’t even think these characters need a specific age but IDK this was odd to me.

Oof the multiple stories at the same type problem came instantly. I like how Amy acknowledges the losses of the group, Sonic is “evil”, Jhonny is dead, Tekno is missing and stuff, Porker has PTSD and cant fight… But like. That feels so weird when you have a story right next to it with Amy and Tekno together!!! This is why the pacing and bloating feels whack, the comic has continuity with SOME of the stories but not all so its confusing. I know the OG comic had moments like these but because it had less stories per issue, it was way less noticeable, and usually were one-off stories I think.

And on the topic of Porker, I did mention before how he just kinda.. went back to being more adventurous? But know the comic insists that he can’t do it? Man this is kinda messy. I don’t mind Porker starting to become more adventurous again and then maybe regressing a bit in recovery, being too much for him, but it doesn’t feel like that is what it’s being intended here. It feels like someone read STC and maybe skimmed on STCO and then wrote this, so it feels out of place? Like you have porker in the first issue of STCO going on a mission no problems at all, but then on another issue he goes on a mission to blow up an eggman database or smth and hes freaking the fuck out being nervous all the time. Like which is it!!!!! I don’t mind him progressing and regressing on his trauma but at least acknowledge or be consistent with it! Is it because the underwater mission didn’t involve Robotnik? Is that it? Who knows.

I get that Knux and the crew planned to bait Zachary and shit, but like, then why did they act like that in the previous issue? Like the plan was to break the shield so why did Porker said to Knux be careful about it? Girl. This information is only given to bait and switch the audience and it doesn’t work. Porker and Knux have no reason to pretend to not have a plan when they are alone what.

Tails working with cops I’m going to kill myself.

Oh so like. The special zone is dead for real. Like for real FR. Jesus. Could’ve let the characters grieve a bit huh.

Really liked the #250 issue (Tho its funny that I complained about the number of stories per issue, and then #250 has ONE story LOL)! It’s awesome to see the different arts from the varied artists on the STCO team. And even with my complains and whining, it’s an impressive project full of love, good to see stuff like this!

TURBO TURBO TURBO MY BOY TURBO!!!!

The art on this issue is great but some of the flow of the dialogue is off, as in, sometimes I don’t know which speech bubble I’m supposed to read next, cause usually you go left to right, but it seems this story follows top to bottom for speech bubbles and left to right to panel. Not awful but it did throw me off, and it does fuck up the pacing.

um. hi shadow? ok.

(Only read until issue #250)

[overtheimaginationwall]

Favorite boss(es) in No Straight Roads?

Least favorite?

(Sincere apologies. I've been holding this one for more than a year in my box, so I hope you don't mind a really late reply ^^")

(Also Happy 3rd Anniversary, NSR!! 🎉)

I will tell ya honestly - they all are my favourites!

Tho if to be more specific I decided to set them up by TOP.

1. Sayu

Oh Sayu, my beloved <3

The Best Virtual Idol and The Reason I bought this game in the first place!

Her music and style of battle was the most fun and dancy! I still vibe to it to this day-

Sooo many references to Internet Culture and Digital Art fills my heart with warmth and gives me determination just like her song itself as well!

Funny Useless Fact: She is the only boss I've beaten on Rank B on my first blind playthrough!

2. DK West

He's OUR MAN, He's THE BEST!

My second favorite and at the same time the hardest for me to beat.

I personally didn't adore RAP genre at first and never seen anyone preform it as an actual entertaining battle until he showed up...

HOLLY MOLLY DESPITE ME BREAKING MY THUMBS WHILE GOING THROUGH THE PAINFUL DODGE GAME - HIM AND ZUKE RAPPING FELT LIKE I'M WATCHING DISNEY-

LIKE-

I STILL HAVE IDEA IN MY HEAD TO MAKE A SORT OF ANIMATIC WITH "FIRST ENCOUNTER" ALONE!!

Anyway, despite damaged fingers - 10/10, would fight again!

Funny Useless Fact: When I was drawing him for the first time I listened to his theme on loop for 4 days straight in order not to get myself distracted or lose motivation, so I finish the piece.

3. Yinu

Oh, sweet child...

I love Yinu and her theme lots even if I'm not that big of a fan of Classical Music. And her backstory...Gosh! It made me cry a lot.

And I'm still feel ashamed of breaking the piano ;;-;;

Love the pace of how music goes with the fight and it feels even better when you get into actual rhythm. There were issues that gladly wore off thanks to practice and fighting this boss over and over.

Tho those slamming cords haunt me whenever I listen to the song off-battle-

Funny Useless Fact: I didn't like her Mother at first but when I read more about her and relationship with Yinu my opinion completely changed. And this is why I would nominate No Straight Roads for The Best Storytelling and Character Design.

4. EVE

Two-faced, tall woman.

Used to be one of my favorites but due to some circumstances I can't look at her the same way I used to but I still adore her as a boss!

I honestly love her style of the fight and music that changes depending on who you play.

Tho fighting her is literally like eating a lemon but eventually you kinda just accept your fate and roll with weird artistic antics happening around you.

And EVE herself as a character is so fascinating. Like this is the moment where I started to see that these aren't just bosses, they are actually characters that tie this little but complex story together bit by bit. And this is why I would nominate No Straight Roads for The Best Storytelling and Character Design AGAIN!

Funny Useless Fact: EVE was supposed to be a next character to have a complete and detailed art of but due to my forgetfulness, difficulties with her design (and many other things) - it was never finished but I hope to get that dusty sketch out of WIP folder someday.

5. Tatiana

The Bitch. The Boss.

I don't really like her music and rhythm but I can forgive that since it is kind of fitting for conflict between her and the BBJ.

She tries to hide her true image throughout the story and the fight but ultimately crumbles cause escaping from the past isn't the best option to improve.

I love her design and personality and I wish there were more villains like her. Strict, simple, stoic and yet well-written.

Funny Useless Fact: I've never drawn Tatiana until NSR announced their release on Steam with addition of Fanat Graffiti Contest that I certainly didn't want to miss out on. It was difficult but I did it and ngl, I am still proud of the results.

6. DJ Subatomic Supernova & 1010/Neon J

I can't really say anything much about both of them. Sorry, guys...

Their designs and personalities are fun and well-made but due to one of them being the first you fight as "tutorial" and the other appears only at the end of a fight. (1010 band doesn't count as an actual boss to me more like a part of it) They didn't struck me much as the others did...

I will say this thou: their backstories are interesting. One is an academy astrology teacher with a goal of achieving the stars and other is a war veteran who just wanted everyone to live in peace and he himself despite everything never stopped his passion for doll-making and making people happy.

Just simply, beautiful...

Cool Science Fact: Their VAs are GOLD!

[fuwushiguro]

𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭

I'll try and keep this short and concise but you all know I talk too much lmao. I think I'm done w this blog and probably tumblr in general. I have nothing left to give, I'm exhausted and upset and I'm really tired of circling back to this so often. I haven't been interested in writing for a long long time but I get sudden inspiration to write and then choose to share and the lack of interaction is just so damaging. I don't think it would feel as bad if I hadn't had so many fics in the past get to like 1k notes or more, now I'm lucky if I get 30. And to be honest even then half of the notes are me boosting my own posts. It's just so crazy to think that my blog performs so poorly and has so little interactions considering my followers are a five digit number.

I do feel really abandoned and sort of shunned from tumblr and I wouldn't wish that on anyone personally. I always liked to think being on tumblr and having friends here was about supporting people and being kind but tbh it's not felt like that for a long time for me. I just have no desire to write, it's so thankless and disheartening.

I'm really enjoying doing art though even though that isn't doing well either. It actually feels a lot more worth my time to see a piece of art I've made with my own hands, obviously it would be nice to get interactions and stuff but it doesn't feel as hurtful when it doesn't.

It's just too frustrating at this point to keep logging in and seeing how poorly my stuff is doing compared to others. I don't doubt that there are others having a similar issue with interactions but I'm not interested in fighting a losing battle anymore, especially when I'm seeing other blogs getting like 8k notes on their fics and stuff. Not that those blogs don't deserve it! It just makes me think that I'm doing something wrong. All I've tried to be in my time here is nice and supportive. I love my followers and moots and the friends I've made and will always cherish but I think fuwushiguro is dead unfortunately.

Thank you all for supporting me for so long. It means a lot to know how many of you have stuck with me through everything and took the time to tell me how much you love my work and stuff, I'll never forget it.

Like I said, I'm still enjoying making art. I'll probably post stuff now and then over at @b-imbou if any of you want to support me over there. I have some other art socials too if any of you are interested feel free to ask. It'd be nice to keep in touch with you guys and keep sharing things I'm passionate about with you.

But, if not, thanks for everything.

Take care everyone!

Love, Luxe 💞

[stranded-ziggy]

Some advice for my fellow artists who are uncertain about doing commissions or monetizing/promoting their art in general:

Have equal parts respect for yourself and your client, and if you sense they do not respect you or your work, turn them down before any money is exchanged.

Mutual respect is so important in avoiding scams and people who will break your T&Cs, that's why I recommend turning down anyone who participates in supporting AI art and NFTs. These things have drawn crowds of people who actively have disdain for artists.

You may be asking "but Ziggy, why would someone hate artists? We just draw our blorbo's and help each other do that."

Damn right we do, but these people are jealous that we've found a way to still have fun in this dystopian hellscape we live in while their crypto keeps crashing.

A good mindset to have when learning to respect yourself and your craft if you struggle with that:

You've worked hard to gain the skills you have, it's admirable, there's people out there in awe that we can paint or draw even vaguely accurate things.

In this online space where everyone seems to be the next Da Vinci it can feel so demoralizing to be an artist, but think about it, before all this online BS you probably would have been one of the best artist's in your town!

(Actually, if you don't have crushing social anxiety like myself, consider doing art for local people, I did this once before and got paid very well, it was a traditional piece though, not sure if you'll get far doing digital art only like this but who knows! You might have local TTRPG groups who need some art.)

Finally, I'd like to say something about making your online experience better in general:

Have patience!

Social media thrives on people getting angry and afraid, sometimes rightfully so! But we gain so little (in fact I would say we lose more) by falling for fear mongering and dog whistles.

If you're just trying to run an art account, surround yourself with fellow artists, support each other, whether by boosting their art or sharing the occasional bit of advice.

I'm not a perfect person, but I try and be a force of positivity where I can, especially as my platform grows, sometimes this slips when I'm feeling the weight of the world but that's fine too, it happens.

In general, just make sure you have a support system that you can vent your frustrations to outside of twitter and tumblr.

We do need to speak out against things like AI and our unfair treatment by corporations and social issues that seem to get more and more frightening. But there's so many people out there who *want* you to be angry, and who profit from it and will use it against you.

So when you see something inflammatory, ask yourself why it's there and if you really want to directly interact with it and boost it to your followers.

Thank you if you read all of this! I hope it's helpful, but really I just felt like blabbering for a while x'D

[wasyago]

Hey it's me again lmao You were wondering what specifically I was struggling with and I had to kinda take a moment to think about it, these are some of the examples I have digitally (there are a lot more traditional examples but I felt bad putting them on here already lmao). The reason I suppose I struggled to articulate my issues with drawing him kinda just boiled down to "it doesn't look right" I'd say my biggest struggles are the face shape, hair and just proportions of everything. Sorry if this is a bother, you don't have to answer this if you don't want to, but thank you for taking the time to understand in my last ask.

hehehe don't worry its not a bother, i love analyzing art so this is basically enrichment for me >:3!!

(a little disclaimer that all im saying will be from my perspective and according to my preferences in designs. its pretty obvious since you're asking me, but i feel like it needs to be said. also im sorry if im too harsh with anything)

face shapes can definitely be tricky, because even the slightest changes are super visible... you (in these drawings) tend to draw longer faces and define the jaw and chin. it might be worth it to try and bring out the cheeks or cheekbones a little. cheeks add roundness to the face and take some of the attention from the chin. cheekbones make the face feel more defined and sharp.

also try to leave some space between the eyes and the hairline, so they don't go over each other and have some space for expression. im not directly saying to draw a bigger forehead, because its really up to your style if the eyebrows sit where they should anatomically be or if they're more cartoony and go up higher, so there might be a lot of space that isn't actually considered a "forehead".

i really like the nose shape you draw for him, this sort of "v" shape, its super cute and looks interesting! so im not touching it, i like it.

another thing, you draw the guidelines for the face, like the lines that go through the middle vertically and horizontally, and its really good and helpful! but remember that those are just guidelines, they don't define the face, and sometimes they can be more constricting than helping. sometimes the face features go below or above them or shift because of perspective! not saying to completely not use them, especially if you're not feeling confident, but lowering the opacity on them or making them thinner would help!

and somewhat relating to the guidelines: you know how you draw the corners of his eyes on this middle line, but then the upper and lower eyelids go around it? this makes the eyes feel much higher on the face than they are. the inner corners of the eyes i would call one of the more charismatic parts, because they feel like the place where the eye starts, and then the direction the eyelids take is what brings in the character.. if that makes sence? by having both the inner and the outer corners of the eye on the same line, it removes the character, because none of the corners are dominant and they're not dynamic. by making one of the corners higher or lower than the other, it creates a more dynamic shape. and also removes the problem where the eyes feel like they're too close. this really is much easier to explain in a drawing....

sorry im on my phone rn

for the hair i think you're doing well! just remember to leave some space for the back of the head and above the hairline, because the face sits on the head but it's not the head itself, so there should be some area around it too. and also that hair have weight and volume and they go over the shape of the head and don't stick to it.

also don't foget to leave room for the neck! there's space between it and the chin, and there's space between it and the back of the head. and head doesn't have to sit directly in the middle of the neck, it can move from side to side and create interesting shapes depending on the angle.

and i guess yeah! experiment with shapes, sizes and dimensions, if something is wrong you can always erase it and draw again!

[bosskie]

Don't Get Molluck Mad

I felt like drawing or doing a Molluck dub but I chose to draw and do the dub later. (I really wanna make a Molluck dub, I miss doing those dubs...) I kinda shouldn't draw this much, got other stuff to do, but I have started to finally feel better when I decided to draw more. Like that one saying goes, or the one I have heard, 'Do you wanna do well or do in a way that makes you feel good?'.

Even these are just sketches, they do take me like 3-4 hours since I feel like I still do not know how to draw him... When I was drawing that previous colour pencil sketch and this one, I felt like giving up and it's not even unusual that I feel so but I just kept drawing. It feels like I always draw Molluck in a different way... I still feel like I don't draw him in a right way, there's always something wrong... I saw that this looked somehow odd while I was drawing this but couldn't figure out how... But when I took a closer look at this as a photo, I could see it better and edited this a bit digitally to fix the main issue. But I also tried to fix this on paper but eh, I don't know if it looks better or not... Well, gotta just learn from my mistakes and draw better next time. I also don't know how much taking a photo affects stuff since it's difficult to get the right perspective... I do have a scanner too but well, it has some issues and doesn't wanna always scan stuff, so I don't feel like using it. It's like 20 years old scanner.

Now, I just see how I have drawn too little during the recent years... It feels like I have already drawn more now than I did last year... Man, my skills need so much practice... I feel so frustrated right now... It just feels like nothing I draw looks good to me... That's why I don't wanna update the photo being the current paper one... Luckily I do know what's wrong with my stuff but well, that's like the only stuff I see... Well, I still try to post these, even all my mistakes I do in these tend to haunt me...

Sometimes I have thought about making a collage of my favourite Molluck pieces but I feel like I cannot since those flaws... They are just too much for me... Well, the good thing at least is that I do improve all the time and I guess that's why my flaws look worse and worse to me... I have heard about this effect among artists. It's so odd to see your artwork look good one day but later on, it looks so terrible... Man, art is odd and hard... But I just gotta keep drawing, even if I feel like crying, then I gotta draw and cry... There's no other way to learn than just drawing and I got so much paper, so gotta fill them all!

[robohaven]

What is Affection Game?

The Overview

Affection Game contains a small deck of cards and guidelines through the mechanics of intentional conversations.

By following the steps, you will:

thoughtfully invite people to meet with you

create a space that is comfortable for you and your companion(s)

choose cards for each session based on your levels of comfort with each other

practice your listening skills so everyone at the table feels considered

share what you appreciated learning about your companion(s)

Why did I make this game?

The condensed version is: I reunited with someone very dear to me, and when we decided to start a relationship together I realized... wow I am bad at communicating my feelings. Emotionally constipated, if you will. Great at performing, but bad at actually revealing what is underneath all my armor and costumes.

My partner and I both make games, so it made sense to develop a card game for us to communicate through.

Affection Game has grown with that relationship and my own personal development since 2017, all the way until mid-2022 when I was finally satisfied by how I worded the prompts. By that point, I realized my communication issues stemmed from anxiety, and I knew I needed these cards to help me overcome my fear in order to advocate for my needs and speak about my insecurities.

So yeah! The game says “You Win With Vulnerability” in the physical box art, and it rings true. Speaking up for my needs and opening up to navigating differences in a relationship with kindness really helped my relationship survive a lot of my historic bad habits.

A word of caution!

Full disclosure: the game by itself doesn’t make relationships better.

You and whoever you invite to your table must have the intention to be there for each other as both separate parts and pieces that make up a sum. All must be willing to navigate difficulties and celebrate strengths together. And you ultimately should make improvements that feel good for yourselves and each other.

I will always be anxious and have insecurities, but I can find ways to focus more on the fondness I have for my long-term partner. I can use those kinder feelings to fuel how I talk about my needs and insecurities.

Basically: your game sessions will only be as good as the energy you and other people bring to them.

Where can you get this game?

Get the digital game on the Roll 20 platform

Get the physical card game on The Game Crafter site

If you play, let me know how you liked it! I love to learn how my game is used in different relationships (even if the result is “my partner felt so uncomfortable they begged me to never bring these cards out again”)

If you have any questions about the game that I haven’t answered yet, drop them in my ask box! A ton of work went into this game that I forget to mention when I'm writing these things unprompted on my own!!

[dear-alex-chill]

An update

Lately I haven't been active and it's spanned much longer than I intended. I originally thought it was the Team Science Zine sucking up all my energy (that zine was awesome but a beast to make) but I now realize that may have been me trying to convince myself of an untrue reality. I've been exhausted all the time with no time for me. I'm also dealing with more personal issues and being in a period of transition uses a lot of spoons. Hopefully I'll resolve some issues through therapy or other means but it's a lot to balance and I don't necessarily have the resources to take on everything. Unfortunately, art and writing has taken a backseat for the time due to everything going on. It is what it is, I hope to create again one day. However, the end of DAC as an account may be nearing.

I know I've been silent/quiet for months. I know I've not finished anything. I have few WIPs but they're limited in development and not something I want to post. Overall the Dear-Alex-Chill account is fading on all fronts and I'm not sure I want it to revive. I know my stuff rarely shows up in places, in part because of the niche I drew myself into, but also a lack of relevancy in what I produce. I honestly haven't touched digital art in a while, I do miss it. However, I'm exhausted constantly or I'm under the perception I'm too busy to do it, carving time is hard right now. I am considering leaving everything up and just sorta orphaning my account, I would never delete my writing and I don't like the prospect of deleting my art, but actively maintaining a social media like that is taxing and not something I can do right now. DAC might turn into an archive of sorts and when I'm ready I'll start anew entirely with a new name and page. Or maybe I'll come back in a while ready to get going again, I'm not sure.

Some of the lack of desire to revive was a slightly toxic culture. When things blew up around me (not really at me though but like Tumblr? Yk) I felt the need to step back and a part of me just never wanted to return. Moots, I love you guys, you're the reason I stayed so long. But sometimes it's hard to want to engage in a community of people that dislike you and that you generally dislike, it's tiresome. Wacky and Sikyu especially, you guys were awesome to talk to (I'm just mentioning you two specifically because I feel really bad for leaving you guys with no context after months of hyper-dumping hcs and ideas. Anyone I've repeatedly dmed or shared my hcs with and talked to, I do miss you all. Everyone is owed an apology but that's a lot of names to write.) It's hard to stay in a place you don't want to be, especially when you feel you're leaving those close to you, but I think it's of my best interest to step away from DT and TtS/RTA.

To my followers, I'm sorry you haven't gotten what you followed for.

To the anons and haters, cool. Have fun with your lives, I believe in karma but don't act on it, it's not my job to enforce karma, that's the universe's job.

To my mutuals/friends, I haven't forgotten you all and I do think about you. It's just hard to reply or I feel bad reaching out after so much silence. Hopefully I'll be chatty again or return to some normalcy later and I'm sorry I didn't tell any of you earlier.

Overall this just serves as a message/wellness check. I'm still here, I still lurk, but I don't really know if I want to stay active. When I decide to either orphan or revive, I'll let you all know in a new post, but for now here's what's been happening. I love y'all.

See ya later.

(yes this was on insta in slides form, Tumblr hates me uploading more than 3 photos at a time)

[vaelzz]

It's a bit ironic finding this in an old folder of crude idea sketches. I remember having so many different ideas for things I wanted to do but I didn't have the skill to actually do any of it. So I decided to learn art and painting digitally but I couldn't focus for the life of me which is funny because that whole ordeal is how I discovered I had ADHD. I could barely force myself to do it even if I shut off all distractions and isolated myself. The part that's ironic is that I became adequately medicated with Vyvanse since December and now I can actually focus. That means I could finally learn art like I wanted after all those years after beating myself up over it. I improved drastically in a short period after starting medication. Except I felt sort of demotivated due to AI art now becoming quite prominent so spending 10-20 hours in my bedroom on a computer screen in Photoshop felt even less rewarding and there are all these different things I want to learn but need to choose between. So wasting that amount of time to make something that barely anyone cares about isn't worth my time in the slightest. In a way I do feel sort of sad that I just didn't stick to photography and what I was doing. The issue I had was this sense of an imposter syndrome because I'd take my own photographs and then paint over them digitally in Photoshop with my Wacom. It felt too easy after awhile and I started to beat myself up for it and I felt quite talentless. It was this odd halfway between photography and painting and later on with advancing filters some people would assume it was done via an app so it felt like it discredited any actual work or effort I had put in. Now it's the exact same with any digitally made art form with how far AI and diffusion based models have grown so that alone has completely destroyed any motivation I have for manually making digital art in a painstaking manner so all I've really done is complain about it and gatekeep myself from making art with diffusion based models because "it's too easy". I realise I did the same thing with photography so I've finally decided I'm going to try and get over myself and make the switch to making art with diffusion based models. I've been learning it for the past week and it's not actually a magical masterpiece generator. (most of the time) So it does still require a bit of work put into it but given how my brain is wired it fits me perfectly really and in a way it's exactly what I wanted when I first started art because meaning and expression is more important than the actual tools used to create it. In a way I do partially feel ripped off for wasting all those years but honestly that isn't exclusive to art but rather my overall mental health but the knowledge and skills I gained are still quite helpful and beneficial for using these models so all is not lost. TL;DR i try make stupid brain think less n just make art ig

[adviceformefromme]

Hi hon, I've always loved your blog and advice—and I'd love to have your guidance and thoughts on my issue.

I carry a lot of guilt and shame over making a terrible mistake 5 years ago, which led to the fall of my longest childhood friendship (16yrs at that point). I thought I was able to accept it, but I still have dreams about my friend that reopens the grief I have for our friendship. Today's dream was probably the worst; it featured them being willing to mend our relationship, us interacting like normal, planning to get matching piercings together, and it felt so real, I was so happy.

I came across their social media acc while taking off followers from a personal art account I hope to invest in this year. I was rly tempted to check on their ig reels and YouTube, but knew I shouldn't and decided not to in the end. If me no longer being in their life makes them able to live their happiest and most fulfilling life, I want that for them, I want to be happy for them. Even if it does hurt/make me sad. It wasn't a perfect friendship, but they were my best friend. I want to heal from this as much as possible, since healing completely is prob unrealistic.

I have a group of close friends, ppl who are much more communicative w me, but we all live far from each other so we only interact digitally. I've moved so many times in my life, that digitally is also the best way for me to keep in touch w any irl old friends—it's hard to keep irl friendships strong when you don't see them in person as much as you could in the past.

Tbh I'm kind of a loser. I'm jobless w/ no degree & don't have a driver's license. I know my lack of motivation to get my life together contributes to the lack of opportunities in seeing my friends in person. I am so comfortable in my home environment, even if emotionally/mentally abusive and fear change even if I know it's good for me. I have dreams and yet I'm scared to make steps towards them. That's a whole other thing tho.

I don't know what I need to move past this mourning. I want to stop carrying this sadness with me. I feel it bear such a heavy weight in my chest. I'm at fault and to blame and i feel terrible for being a bad person/friend to that person, even if I know I'm a better/good friend to the ppl currently in my life. Please help me.

Hey sweetie, I sense so much sadness in your message from how you describe your life, to your loss with your friend. I would recommend journalling or releasing your emotions through some form of expression. It needs to be expressed. Write, cry, paint do what ever you need to do to release these emotions because it seems they are completely weighing you down and hacking away at your self esteem. Writing your friend a letter did come to mind if you really want to let them know how you feel and if it would shift some of the pain you've been feeling. I can't recommend forgiveness healing enough! I've wrote about the process here. The journey to loving yourself and being kind to yourself is a process, especially if you are going from a place of feeling low confidence and self belief. But please don't give up on your hopes and dreams. They are within you for a reason. You are not a bad person, you are human and we all do things we wish we didn't, all we can do is show up better. Do our best each day. Listen to those positive affirmations instead of the music that brings you down. Choose the foods that give you energy, instead of foods that give you the food comma so you actually feel motivated to do your best. Read a book that inspires you, watch a documentary about struggle to success. Go help someone. Do a random act of kindness. Plan your tomorrow. Choose to wear something that makes you feel special. Brush your teeth before bed. Light an incense stick. There are so many little things you can do each day to add some light and love into your existence. Lean into the goodness and I promise the heavy weights of the world will start to shift. You'll start to feel a little lighter day by day. But it will be worth it. The light is within you, keep tending to your fire.

xoxox

[ask-jaller]

Update

@mask-of-prime, here:

I was inspired by another post in the Bionicle tag just now and felt like opening up about my inactivity on this blog for the past 5 years:

Content Warning for adverse internet-related experiences and resulting emotional struggle:

As you may know, sometime in 2018, my hyperfixation from Bionicle completely shifted into a hyperfixation on The Lion King.

Shifting main fandoms has allowed me to start fresh from a dirtied reputation in the Bionicle fandom as a young teenager and has allowed me to start fresh and more mature as a young adult. Joining an art-oriented fandom has even saved me from a steady decline in art.

However, what with the focus on digital art and more focus on things related animated works (what with that being a career goal and all), I've been shifting away from designing MOCs, making Bionicle-related fandom ramblings, particularly of comfort characters, and inevitably, RPing as Jaller, Tehutti, Macku, and my Self-MOC Tiridak.

Not only did focusing on a whole other flavor profile of fandom experience with TLK make it hard to switch back to Bionicle, but so did the poor relationships with other Bionicle fandom members I've caused:

I would portray Jaller extremely out-of-character, I had this uncontrollable need to make him this constant whump character, and I would be very insensitive and inexperienced with subject matter that I would choose to bring myself and RP partners into. Looking back at it now, forcing roleplayers to do what I wanted to do and me making the stories we'd write super weird and self-indulgent is a manipulative tactic comparable to grooming.

But yeah, it's these things that would lead to constant frustration with other roleplayers. This frustration and overall cringe subject matter I wrote or did would result in criticisms from fellow fandom members that I took way too hard, and was an early point in internet-related depression that manifested in anxiety and anger issues that I still face to this day.

There were some people who were genuinely rude about my RPing and it would get things nowhere, but even constructive criticisms would hurt just as much for some reason. I would just always be sensitive to displeasing people and seeing them angry, and I would harbor feelings of disgust with both them and myself. I think it might be Rejection-Sensitive Dysphoria, which makes it really hard to control negative feelings after real or even perceived rejection.

Buy yeah, I just remember never wanting to talk to other Bionicle fans again and developing a huge prejudice assuming everyone in the fandom was blunt and rude all the time. Thing is, years went by, people's attitudes changed, and a new generation of fans with a completely different outlook had changed the flavor profile of the fandom as I still continued to check the tag daily.

In that fandom change, I discovered the Bonkle Word Game. The introduction of the Wordle-based Bionicle game called Bonkle caused me to slowly get back into Bionicle by looking up vocabulary on the BS01 Wiki, and has ultimately allowed me to become duel-fandomed, so now I'm fixated on both Bionicle and TLK. Specifically, I became fixated on working on my OC universe called Terra-Magna, which has completely different worldbuilding from the rest of Bionicle, but still technically considered an alternate universe if we're following Spiderverse possibility logic. So I'm mostly on a kick with OCs rather than favorite canon characters, now.

But anyway, I think what all this means is that if people would really like me to go back to RPing as Jaller, I probably can as I feel better about it now, now that I got all of these messy thoughts out. It's just that I think I'm still not very good at roleplaying and I never really did learn much about it to develop a true passion for it. There's also the decline of Bionicle RP over the last decade, possibly due to how much the internet has changed from a not-so-private escape and the prevalence of cringe culture that I'm sure everyone has an internalized form of to some degree nowadays.

[tamelee]

Hii, when are you uploading your next art? It's been like ages lol. Also how's your progress on manga going? And can you suggest some other artists you know, artists like you? Since you also started from 0 followers at some point and your progress on your art is also very inspiring and i guess you know many different artists. I'm searching for inspiration and looking for some Low key artists from other fandoms. I'm slowing trying to improve on my digital painting skills. Still at level 1. Who do you look up to for your inspiration? Sorry, this became a pretty big ask hehe.

Hi~ 💕

Ages? Yeah, ... a little over a month now. I know that because I keep track on it. I pretty much keep track on most things. I do this thing where I plan a few weeks ahead and it is supposed to make sure I have more time left because of the planning but it doesn't account for roadblocks such as wrist pain, technical issues with tablets etc-, mental states, stress, health declines or others. So.. I haven't uploaded anything in a while but I never stopped creating ^^! In fact, I'm learning every single day so that I can create more, "better" (subjective) and build a skill-set that will help me be able to make what I want. I felt like I was making art aimlessly, but having a goal helps. Though, by chance, since you're wondering- this week for sure!

And within that planning is of course the Manga! The process is a lot of fun, but also there is science behind Storytelling and I'm using what I know and learning during my graduation process as well in order to create it. That's why I didn't start drawing until I am completely happy with the story (...and now don't mind so much that my previous draft got lost even thought that was so painful lol). I was so ignorant about it though, thinking I could just... create a Manga. Like c'mon. I knew so much time and dedication went into it and yet I thought I could just... do it 😆 but also, it is this dedication that made me able to do most crazy things in life so why not. If I'm going to spend idk how many hours on this then it better matter to me. I don't want Naruto and Sasuke to just drown in some plot, I want them to actively pursue something they care about and struggle, have dark moments and conflicts... heh.

When I first started drawing.. surprisingly I didn't have that many inspirations. I had no clue what I was doing and so what inspired me was the little art-community around me on Instagram because our goals were similar. My goal to finish Inktober, a wish to "someday create a webtoon" and seeing artists around me upload their art was what inspired me. Then, talking about art, each other's uploads, our obsessions- it was all a lot of fun and helped me improve and so did they! Of course you don't have to go there, you can find artists at any stage of their journey anywhere but really try to find artists and art that you like because your style will grow from that and eventually become your own.

I guess a few artists really stood out to me then, but they're literal gods and nothing like me 🥹..they're; wlop, Z ed, Ruan Jia, Zeen Chin, Guweiz and Dao Tong Le. I had a splash art phase where I fangirl'd (still do) so hard over Bo Chen, Sean Tay, Alex Flores, Cheng Du (crow god), Foritis Wang, but there's also Paul Nong, Ley Bowen, Inhyuk Lee... and for storytelling art there's Kan Liu which art I love and Toni Infante and ooooh Astri Lohne's brushwork is amazing as well. Song Nan Li has a few artworks that I've stared at for days and would love to study someday. Jaz Chiang too. Krenz Cushart has a course that I want to purchase because those colors are sublime... and oh, I'm probably forgetting SO MANY right now but I could go on forever tbh. Lemme talk about artists and their art and I won't be able to stop. There have been many Instagram artists that I've followed but I'm not currently active on there until I graduate so I don't really remember but if you're looking for Twitter/SNS/Naruto specifically then you can look through my following-list or my reblog account here @re-tamelee. Nsfw-warning on Twitter (@ tam_e_lee) though. I think currently a few that inspire me regarding story/expression are helenpeanut, velinxi, Kishimoto, Ramón Nuñez, Moryo, Ryo Yambe, Rias Coast, Yusuke Matsumoto, Bengal, Hong Soonsang, Horikoshi- and still a few others... I'm not sure what you mean by 'low-key' or if this is not what you're looking for but I hope you can find some inspiration from this post and have fun looking at these amazing artists' art! ^^ Thankyou for your lovely ask, have a nice day 🌷 Happy drawing!

[slurpygunch]

Y'know what? I'm pretty excited about 2024, in my personal life. A lot of good things to come.

For one, my birthday is just a few days away! I'll officially be turning 21, isn't that cool? I'm very likely not going to actually use that fact to buy much alcohol or weed or whatever, but I can finally go into 21+ businesses, y'know? My girlfriend has been old enough for a little under 2 years now, and she's really been looking forward to going to such places with me. It seems fun!

I've also got a video appointment right after my birthday, which might be the final appointment before I can officially start receiving a prescription for my ADHD! I really look forward to that. I took Adderall for it in the past, and it really went well, really calmed me down, made me... singular. Felt good to get things done and enjoy media in peace, without The Sludge getting in my way.

Having my ADHD under control will also make it easier for me to focus on pursuing more... meaningful things, like working on my little roleplay worldbuilding project, and starting to practice making digital art, and learning how to ride my bike. Stuff that I really do care about, that I really am excited for, but just haven't gotten around to doing, due to... the sludge.

April first, all fast food workers get an increase to their minimum wage, including me! It'll effectively be a 25% pay jump in my case, and that's pretty dang exciting. Even if my work reduces my hours a bit, it'll just mean making the same money and having more free time. Win-win, so long as I don't get laid off or something, which would really suck.

Some time during this year, my uncle that I live with will move out, and that'll be pretty momentous! I've been dealing with him for about... two years now? and I'm really looking forward to not spending another year being his roommate. It's a multifaceted issue, but the gist of the symptoms is that I can't really put effort into decorating the house I live in, or leave food or hygiene supplies out, because he'll rearrange things or use my stuff. Chronic issue, no solution has worked, just want him gone.

If I no longer live with him, my girlfriend of about 28 months can start staying with me for extended periods of time, and maybe even move in, ooh! That'd be so wonderful. We have so many things we can do when we live together, or at the very least spend a lot of our time together!

This year is also a major election year, the first one I'll be old enough to vote for, and that's not necessarily a good thing, but it could be! and regardless, it'll certainly be interesting.

Some good things are coming to my games, too! MC: Better Than Adventure gets a really cool update, Warframe gets cross-save permanently, and I'm betting Ultrakill's seventh layer will get its missing extras, which would be super majorly cool.

I'm excited for 2024. I'm really, genuinely optimistic that I can find a lot of good this year, and I intend to try.

Thanks especially to @sewahsworld for being with me in this journey, and @basicskellie for being such a good friend :)