theshadowwithglasses16

[theshadowwithglasses16]

Forest of Reflections- Art Process

This forest was incredibly tranquil and silent, with an occasional rustle of the leaves by the wind. The trees were densely packed, except for an obscure little road that twisted between them, left behind by those who passed there before. The ground was covered with interconnected roots like earthy webs that sprawled endlessly into the distance. They appeared to form wide stairs across the rough turf and stones.

The path opened up to a clearing with ancient trees and the silence erupted into a cacophony as the magic crackled mid air. The hero felt as if she was plunged head first into cold waters that instantly cracked into a million mirrors, revealing a new passage leading to higher grounds.

An elusive shadow followed her up the fragile steps, as she climbed ever so carefully as to not crack the thin glass. She couldn’t brush off the thoughts of the world just crumbling away beneath her into the abyss.

The reflections changed chaotically, making it difficult to see where she was going. Her mind wandered endlessly, travelling through many places at the same time, some of them she knew from memories, while others she didn’t recognize. The realities blurred together, as the sharp edges revealed too many things to see a clear picture. However, she noticed various oddities that she couldn’t explain, revealing new things she never noticed before.

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I usually strive for balance in my works, in this case it’s the balance between sharp lines and curves, making the painting feel less threatening and more mysterious. I start with a palette I like, usually based on my current mood. In this case I took an older sketch I did for 2021 dailies and I used it as the base for this painting. That’s why I love generating lots of quick sketches, so I can pick my favorites later without worrying about the time, but I’m also not afraid to go outside my comfort zone with new colors and ideas. I believe first impression is really important for each painting, as it needs to catch the attention before all of the details can be examined.

There are a few important things I make sure to cover in every painting- the colors/mood, the visual focal point (check greyscale version of the painting), adding something new. Since this project is about adventure and journey, I want to add something new to each piece, but also connect it to the previous work.

Keep in mind I do a lot of various details subconsciously, the only thing that I focus on is what feeling I want to achieve, or the theme of the painting. So, I take the time to follow that goal until the painting feels complete. I take a lot of breaks, usually working on a couple of painting at the same time. I love listening to various music while painting, and it does a lot for setting the mood and it helps me draw for a longer time, otherwise I get restless sitting for long periods of time.

Adventure series is a sort of journal for me, it’s about exploration and self-reflection. I want to keep developing it and as things progress hopefully evolve it. However, I’m careful at not giving any promises since I don’t know what I can achieve but mostly how long it will take, so I do my best. I love to improve my various skills, and it might not be obvious, but it actually takes me a while to write a description for these paintings. Usually, the hardest part is getting started, but once I have a general flow, it’s a lot easier to edit the text until I’m happy with the final. 

[theshadowwithglasses16]

the brass ring of unimaginable swag, 2025

[theshadowwithglasses16]

@importantcatpics

[theshadowwithglasses16]

[theshadowwithglasses16]

I haven’t done realism in at least 5 months ugh

Reblogs appreciated lmao

[theshadowwithglasses16]

Mom says stfu or we’re not going to Dairy Queen

[theshadowwithglasses16]

me holding a gun to a mushroom: tell me the name of god you fungal piece of shit

mushroom: can you feel your heart burning? can you feel the struggle within? the fear within me is beyond anything your soul can make. you cannot kill me in a way that matters

me cocking the gun, tears streaming down my face: I’M NOT FUCKING SCARED OF YOU

[theshadowwithglasses16]

ed zitron, a tech beat reporter, wrote an article about a recent paper that came out from goldman-sachs calling AI, in nicer terms, a grift. it is a really interesting article; hearing criticism from people who are not ignorant of the tech and have no reason to mince words is refreshing. it also brings up points and asks the right questions:

if AI is going to be a trillion dollar investment, what trillion dollar problem is it solving?

what does it mean when people say that AI will "get better"? what does that look like and how would it even be achieved? the article makes a point to debunk talking points about how all tech is misunderstood at first by pointing out that the tech it gets compared to the most, the internet and smartphones, were both created over the course of decades with roadmaps and clear goals. AI does not have this.

the american power grid straight up cannot handle the load required to run AI because it has not been meaningfully developed in decades. how are they going to overcome this hurdle (they aren't)?

people who are losing their jobs to this tech aren't being "replaced". they're just getting a taste of how little their managers care about their craft and how little they think of their consumer base. ai is not capable of replacing humans and there's no indication they ever will because...

all of these models use the same training data so now they're all giving the same wrong answers in the same voice. without massive and i mean EXPONENTIALLY MASSIVE troves of data to work with, they are pretty much as a standstill for any innovation they're imagining in their heads

[theshadowwithglasses16]

[theshadowwithglasses16]

every time i think, i take 10 damage

[theshadowwithglasses16]

[Image ID: A picture of a bee and a wasp, both labeled. Both are colored yellow and black. Facts are listed about each one in their respective columns.

Bee:

Cute and fuzzy, like a friend

Make honey

Come in pretty colors with different occupations (blue orchard bee, carpenter bee)

Pollinators!

Freeloaders who will come build hives in the walls of your house

Communicate with dancing

According to all known laws of aviatin, honey bees can fly up to 15 mph

Like sweet things

Over 20,000 species--not just honeybees!

Wasp:

Cool and sleek, like a motorcycle

Prey on pests

Come in pretty, iridescent colors (ruby tailed wasp)

Will try to mooch off your drinks (so check your cans!)

Pollinators!

Leave you paper nests that you can sell to collectors

Communicate with smells

Like sweet things

Over 30,000 species--not just [kind I hate]

At the very bottom, in smaller text, is the URL bug-maniac.tumblr.com. /End ID]

NO ANTI-WASP SENTIMENTS ON THIS POST

[theshadowwithglasses16]

[theshadowwithglasses16]

[theshadowwithglasses16]

Witch Tip For The Day - Small Magics

Once you advance beyond the basics (pretty much when you start moving from What and When to How and Why and feel a decreased need for peer review alongside a greater trust in your own judgment), a goodly part of your witchcraft will be made up of things that you will never be able to explain to other people. Little personal rituals, intuitive understandings, flashes of insight, spur-of-the-moment spells, the use of unorthodox items and components that suit your needs and purposes.

You will find ways of working and feeling and connecting and casting that will be unique to you and your life experience. And you may not feel much like sharing the finer details. If you had to write it all out, it probably either wouldn't make much sense to anyone but you or it would be difficult to put into words. Many things will boil down to, "I just do the thing because of reasons."

You'll also find that a great deal of your craft will be made up of small magics that you do reflexively or out of habit or when the opportunity arises, as opposed to large-scale highly intricate castings which require lots of planning and preparation. And in a broader sense, without getting into the whether-to's and the why-for's of various traditions, that is how it should be.

Everyday personal magic is just as important to know and understand and practice as any full moon ritual or choreographed group casting. Because those small magics will be the heart of what makes your craft yours.

It does not particularly matter if your spells are powerful. What matters is that they are EFFECTIVE.

Happy Witching!

[theshadowwithglasses16]

[theshadowwithglasses16]

[theshadowwithglasses16]

Now, a Science Fact! ❄️