I think 90% of my gripes with how modern anime looks comes down to flat color design/palettes.
Non-cohesive, washed-out color palettes can destroy lineart quality. I see this all the time when comparing an anime's lineart/layout to its colored/post-processed final product and it's heartbreaking. Compare this pre-color vs. final frame from Dungeon Meshi's OP.
So much sharpness and detail and weight gets washed out and flattened by 'meh' color design. I LOVE the flow and thickness and shadows in the fabrics on the left. The white against pastel really brings it out. Check out all the detail in their hair, the highlights in Rin's, the different hues to denote hair color, the blue tint in the clothes' shadows, and how all of that just gets... lost. It works, but it's not particularly good and does a disservice to the line-artist.
I'm using Dungeon Meshi as an example not because it's bad, I'm just especially disappointed because this is Studio Trigger we're talking about. The character animation is fantastic, but the color design is usually much more exciting. We're not seeing Trigger at their full potential, so I'm focusing on them.
Here's a very quick and messy color correct. Not meant to be taken seriously, just to provide comparison to see why colors can feel "washed out." Top is edit, bottom is original.
You can really see how desaturated and "white fluorescent lighting" the original color palettes are.
[Remember: the easiest way to make your colors more lively is to choose a warm or cool tint. From there, you can play around with bringing out complementary colors for a cohesive palette (I warmed Marcille's skintone and hair but made sure to bring out her deep blue clothes). Avoid using too many blend mode layers; hand-picking colors will really help you build your innate color sense and find a color style. Try using saturated colors in unexpected places! If you're coloring a night scene, try using deep blues or greens or magentas. You see these deep colors used all the time in older anime because they couldn't rely on a lightness scale to make colors darker, they had to use darker paints with specific hues. Don't overthink it, simpler is better!]
Hi!! I don't know if anyone has drawn this before (sorry if they have!! I couldn't find any evidence of it) but I have recently been plagued with the question of "what if Machete and Vasco were in Bluey?"
Well. Now we know.
To my knowledge, the only Bluey dogs who wear clothes are the ones in uniforms. TECHNICALLY Machete's outfit could count, but I left it out because it's not typical of a main character. He must be naked 😔
Random moments between Vaughn & Goro that make them fall in love with each other a little more 10/?
"When I lived in Yucca for a brief moment, right before moving to night city, I always looked up at those mountains and wondered what it'd be like to reach the top. I managed to do just that quite a few times actually. When I say it's magical up there, I fuckin' mean it. The wind blows so gently.. the air whistles softly.. The quiet.. almost too quiet, but the type of quiet I crave. It's the type of place to bring someone you love to get away from it all, an escape from civilization. You'd leave a changed person, you'd leave with a healthier relationship. I encourage it, you'll find peace." - Vaughn ♥︎
★ : you and your f/o haven't seen each other for a little longer than usual. it wasn't a welcome change in neither your not their eyes, so as soon as they finally show up (free for you to grab and trap into a bear hug) you waste no time in pulling them in for a kiss. chaste or passionate as it may be, it still leaves them dazed and grinning from ear to ear.
"i wanted to do that first!" they exclaim softly. the look in their eyes spells nothing but amusement and joy.
"too bad." you answer as a few giggles escape your mouth and their hand reaches out to hold yours.
the first thing f/o does the next morning is get their revenge in motion: immediately when your figure slips into sight, maybe still a little sleepy or tired, they plant a loving kiss on you, just the way you like it. the good morning that was about to leave your mouth gets stuck somewhere in your throat as you mindlessly lean into your beloved.
when they pull away to examine your flushed cheeks, it's like there's something triumphant in their smile.
IDK if I'm phrasing this correctly, but in my brain, Vasco is, like, the personification (caninification?) of an afternoon chilling on a back porch swing.