toytle - Tumblr blog

[toytle]

i love your art, it’s just amazing! Beautiful linework, I hope to someday be as good as you are 🙏

and i love all your dc hcs! especially barry :D

THANK YOU i rly have to start sharing more of my non-barry hcs bc it’s starting to feel like this

except he still looks like the guy on the right LOL

[toytle]

bonus to this post

his hairclips got lore, his bowtie got lore, it’s abt time barry’s wing wispies got some lore too 🪽

[ID in alt text + below cut]

ID: Fan comic of a trans Barry Allen AU when he was a kid.

PAGE 1:

NORA: [turning Barry around from reading a comic book] Oh no! What happened to your hair tie?

BARRY: [points to bowtie]

NORA: It doesn’t bother you that it gets in your eyes like this?

BARRY: [shrugs] I dunno. It’s a lot of work.

NORA: A lot of work? Hmm, it has been getting long, hasn’t it…

BARRY: [goes back to reading, not even listening]

-

PAGE 2:

[1 haircut later…]

NORA: [admiring the haircut she gave Barry]

BARRY: [hopping off seat] It feels so much lighter!

BARRY: [running up to mirror, observing new haircut]

BARRY: [pressing nose up against glass, eyes sparkling, thinking] Woah.

-

A comparison chart of Barry’s hairstyles in his childhood. The first is in a ponytail tied with a bow. Barry is pouting in uncertainty. The second is loose and messy, having traded out his hairbow for winged hairclips that do nothing to keep the strands out of his face. Barry is looking at his clips, smiling eagerly. The hairbow is now on his shirt collar like a bowtie. The third is cut short, similar to his adult hairstyle, but with strands at the sideburns framing his face. Barry is looking up, in awe of having short hair for the first time. The last is the same as the third, but the sideburn strands are now tucked behind his ears in the shape of wings. Barry is scrunching his face up in a wide smile. /end ID

[toytle]

Hi! I love your art style it's like. Breathtaking. And your hcs on barry are some of my favourites of all time?

What do you think of "The Ballad of Barry Allen by Jim's Big Ego as an analysis of Barry's character?

are you asking or are you telling me 🤨 lol THANK YOU i put all my headcanon power into him <3

for the ballad, i love their song stress, and this isn’t bad at all as far as fansongs go. but there’s a reason i don’t include it in my barry playlist, and it’s ultimately bc it doesn’t fit my narrative haha

the song was made in 2003 and i haven’t read many comics before then, so idk how well it aligns w barry’s characterization prior to flashpoint, but i’m basing my playlist off post-flashpoint, so that’s where a lot of the differences will lie

for starters, the song only includes one half of barry’s relationship to his superspeed, and it’s important to me that a barry interpretation includes both sides of that coin. instead, it’s playing on the idea of the dark side of the hero fantasy, an inherently optimistic genre. which, fair, being a superhero sounds like a nightmare, but that angle is less novel to me when that’s the extent of the analysis (and i’m a little over the whole “i hate being a superhero” storyline in general, personally). the song is basically abt how much it would suck to have superspeed bc the world slows to a crawl and you’re left behind bc no one else can keep up w you. and it’s true, that is a very real setback! especially for someone like barry who’s already prone to self-isolation and time management issues! but what does the song actually have to say abt him as a character?

the thing is, barry isn’t a “i wish i wasn’t a hero” kind of guy. he’s a “could i be so strong [to give up the flash]? or do i love the thrill of these powers too much?” kind of guy. he’s a “knowing what i know now… if i could go back in time… maybe i would’ve been somewhere else the day lightning struck my lab and electrified those chemicals, ready and willing to forfeit a life of dodging deathtraps and battling villains… who am i kidding? there’s no going back. no do-overs. like everyone else, superheroes can only follow the path destiny has laid out for them, whatever lies ahead.” kind of guy. yes, barry is caged by his superspeed, but it would be misleading to not present it first and foremost as the very thing that frees him. it’s a double-edged sword that gives him purpose, and that freedom in obligation is what motivates him to keep going. as a wise man once said, “all you can do is go forward.” (“thanks.” “superman is pretty smart isn’t he.” “hm.”)

i think the real kicker for me was this lyric: “i’ve got time to think about the past… how my life was so exciting before i got this way.” my sincerest apologies to mr. allen, but he does not feel complete to me without his mother’s death or his father’s false imprisonment. this backstory contextualizes everything for me. his life was NOT exciting before his superspeed, it was lonely and full of escapism, either in his sci-fi/comics or his dedication to finding justice. i am of the belief that barry didn’t truly start living until he got his superspeed, over 2 decades of waiting around before he rly understood freedom and what it meant to live for himself. i get what they’re trying to do here, but this is what i mean when i say it feels like the song characterizes barry around the concept of his speed rather than how barry’s speed defines him as a person

ik i can’t expect a 4min song to include every aspect of a character’s timeline/development/nuance (esp before some of that even existed lol), but my issue isn’t that it doesn’t cover enough ground—it’s not bad that they had a theme and stuck by it, i actually love the lyrics from a speedster perspective. my issue is that i don’t think this is a good framing for barry’s character as a whole. for all his regrets and suffering, barry is optimistic to the point of denial. choosing this to be The theme to represent barry just. doesn’t feel like barry to me. it’s more like barry is the placeholder subject as an excuse to sing abt superspeed

if this was somehow less overtly a “BARRY ALLEN FANSONG” and maybe more metaphorical or even non-fandom, then it would be a dif situation and i might have dif opinions. at the end of the day, this has more to do w my pickiness than the quality of the song, and the fact that it even exists is so exciting for me as a barry allen enjoyer first, human second. but if you’re going to call smth a character study, i Will be getting my hopes up

[toytle]

this is surprisingly cute without the lineart too

[toytle]

bonus to this post

his hairclips got lore, his bowtie got lore, it’s abt time barry’s wing wispies got some lore too 🪽

[ID in alt text + below cut]

ID: Fan comic of a trans Barry Allen AU when he was a kid.

PAGE 1:

NORA: [turning Barry around from reading a comic book] Oh no! What happened to your hair tie?

BARRY: [points to bowtie]

NORA: It doesn’t bother you that it gets in your eyes like this?

BARRY: [shrugs] I dunno. It’s a lot of work.

NORA: A lot of work? Hmm, it has been getting long, hasn’t it…

BARRY: [goes back to reading, not even listening]

-

PAGE 2:

[1 haircut later…]

NORA: [admiring the haircut she gave Barry]

BARRY: [hopping off seat] It feels so much lighter!

BARRY: [running up to mirror, observing new haircut]

BARRY: [pressing nose up against glass, eyes sparkling, thinking] Woah.

-

A comparison chart of Barry’s hairstyles in his childhood. The first is in a ponytail tied with a bow. Barry is pouting in uncertainty. The second is loose and messy, having traded out his hairbow for winged hairclips that do nothing to keep the strands out of his face. Barry is looking at his clips, smiling eagerly. The hairbow is now on his shirt collar like a bowtie. The third is cut short, similar to his adult hairstyle, but with strands at the sideburns framing his face. Barry is looking up, in awe of having short hair for the first time. The last is the same as the third, but the sideburn strands are now tucked behind his ears in the shape of wings. Barry is scrunching his face up in a wide smile. /end ID

[toytle]

reminding myself to give him shoes bc i forgot white ppl don’t take them off in the house

[toytle]

[ID 1: kid barry allen fanart, looking up from reading a comic book.

ID 2: kid hal jordan fanart with a worried expression.]

[toytle]

now in color (kinda) 💚

[ID: young hal sketch with a winking tongue out expression, shaded in green.]

did a hal warmup that is… very telling of my joseph joestar phase

[ID: young hal sketch with a winking tongue-out expression.]

[toytle]

i love your art so much. your lines are so beautiful!!! goals for me someday to be sure. thanks for sharing your talent ♥️

thank YOU for enjoying it, i’m honored to be considered an art goal ^__^

[toytle]

#i also love how the parts that distract them tell their own little story/show their priorities hehe #hal's gray hairs and barry's fidgeting hands... i love these too <3 great work!! (@f0rvalaka)

YOU’RE THE FIRST PERSON TO POINT THIS OUT!! i’m so happy that you noticed the little story i tried to represent in their priorities, it's smth i try to keep in mind when i draw them together…

what can i say, i'm a sucker for opposites attract U__U

“Sorry, were you saying something?”

[alt text ID, close-ups + ID below cut]

IMAGE 1: Lovecore-themed Halbarry fanart of Barry Allen daydreaming about Hal Jordan. Barry is in a dress shirt with heart buttons and rolled up sleeves underneath a heart-patterned argyle sweater vest. In his Flash ring-adorned left hand, he fidgets with a heart-themed pen. He rests his chin in the other hand, wearing a FitBit with a beating heart on its screen, as his blushing cheek is pressed up into his bright, distracted eyes and obscures an obvious smile. He looks distantly to the corner as a thought bubble floats above him, playing out a montage of his favorite Hal traits as follows: his freckles and budding graying hairs, his smile revealing a chipped tooth gap, and his tummy showcasing lovehandles and a happy trail as his shirt lifts up.

IMAGE 2: Lovecore-themed Halbarry fanart of Hal Jordan daydreaming about Barry Allen. Hal is in a dress shirt and pilot jacket, decorated in various heart patches. He’s also wearing heart stud earrings and heart dog tags. He sits back casually with one arm resting on his stomach and the other leaning back on a couch. He turns his head to the side into the palm of his hand, squishing his face and obscuring a slight smile, playing off his bashfulness for nonchalance. His eyes are half-lidded, looking away to the side, as a thought bubble floats above him, playing out a montage of his favorite Barry traits as follows: his strong yet slender hands fidgeting with his Flash ring, his beaming eyes glancing in Hal’s direction, and a running shot accentuating his ass and thighs in gym shorts.

IMAGES 3-8: Respective closeups of Barry and Hal’s faces, hands, and clothes/accessories.

[toytle]

that’s 70hrs total. completely unnecessary and unprecedented, i hope smth like this never happens again.

(it will happen again)

[toytle]

“Sorry, were you saying something?”

[alt text ID, close-ups + ID below cut]

IMAGE 1: Lovecore-themed Halbarry fanart of Barry Allen daydreaming about Hal Jordan. Barry is in a dress shirt with heart buttons and rolled up sleeves underneath a heart-patterned argyle sweater vest. In his Flash ring-adorned left hand, he fidgets with a heart-themed pen. He rests his chin in the other hand, wearing a FitBit with a beating heart on its screen, as his blushing cheek is pressed up into his bright, distracted eyes and obscures an obvious smile. He looks distantly to the corner as a thought bubble floats above him, playing out a montage of his favorite Hal traits as follows: his freckles and budding graying hairs, his smile revealing a chipped tooth gap, and his tummy showcasing lovehandles and a happy trail as his shirt lifts up.

IMAGE 2: Lovecore-themed Halbarry fanart of Hal Jordan daydreaming about Barry Allen. Hal is in a dress shirt and pilot jacket, decorated in various heart patches. He’s also wearing heart stud earrings and heart dog tags. He sits back casually with one arm resting on his stomach and the other leaning back on a couch. He turns his head to the side into the palm of his hand, squishing his face and obscuring a slight smile, playing off his bashfulness for nonchalance. His eyes are half-lidded, looking away to the side, as a thought bubble floats above him, playing out a montage of his favorite Barry traits as follows: his strong yet slender hands fidgeting with his Flash ring, his beaming eyes glancing in Hal’s direction, and a running shot accentuating his ass and thighs in gym shorts.

IMAGES 3-8: Respective closeups of Barry and Hal’s faces, hands, and clothes/accessories.

[toytle]

did a hal warmup that is… very telling of my joseph joestar phase

[ID: young hal sketch with a winking tongue-out expression.]

[toytle]

was reading some batman: urban legends and I liked how these panels with ur guy looked. silly fellow

ohhhh my god ive had these panels since day 1 of my dc dive but i could never find the source for them, you’re a godsend

[toytle]

ART INSPIRATIONS

DC ARTISTS:

Greg Capullo:

- insp. even before i got into dc comics

- strong, intentional linework

- mature faces/wrinkles + masculine features + soft, expressive eyes

Carmine di Giandomenico + Ivan Plascencia:

- barryisms (#1 influence besides FPP)

- bruceisms (esp from The Knight)

- hair wispies + geometric clothing folds

- use of gradients + “hard edge” shading

Alejandro Sanchez:

- idek if there’s anything specific abt his coloring that gets me, all ik is that i’ve watched every single one of his process vids on youtube like coco melon

Other: Jorge Jimenez, Dan Mora, Gleb Melnikov

ONLINE ARTISTS:

jadenvargen - concepts/composition, colors, expressiveness, rendering

fozzie - toony style, expressions/body language, character interactions

twinkiesdraws - simplifying/tooning characters, combating same-face syndrome

hamsterdancen - lines, doll/toy vibes, facial proportions

soreeeeyu - anime/doll proportions, cutesy girly vibes

_velow - animals/furries

NON-ARTIST INSPO:

General Media: Littlest Pet Shop (toys), JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure (the reason i can draw men now lmao)

Other: vintage lovecore, dolls/customs, good ol’ people-watching

[toytle]

Hi! Just dropping by to say that you're one of the biggest art inspiration i have and please keep up the good work and i hope you have an amazing week. Thank you so much.

thank you, i will! both on the good work AND the amazing week :]

[toytle]

happy birthday barry, hope this one doesn’t give you war flashbacks 🎉

redraw + remix of Flash: Rebirth vol. 4

[ID in alt text + below cut]

Fanart comic of Barry Allen’s birthday, page 1: Barry is rigid in shock as Iris pushes him towards his surprise birthday party. Along the side are panels of each guest wishing him a happy birthday as bloodied flashbacks play behind them of the moments when Eobard Thawne had murdered them.

Page 2: Panel 1 is a close up shot of Barry with a horrified expression, beset by a red background reminiscent of the bloodied flashbacks. He manages to get out the words: “Thanks… everybody….” Panel 2 is Barry walking away from the guests, touching his face in distress. He says, “Sorry. I’m really glad to see everyone… I just… Just gimme a minute….” One of the guests behind him suggests, “Maybe he’s a little shellshocked?” The red background continues to swarm him. Panel 3 is a closeup of Barry’s face as an off-screen voice says, “Hey, buddy….” His fingers slowly slide off his face as he looks up in its direction.

Page 3: Panel 1 reveals Hal Jordan holding a box and wearing a smile. He says, “Looks like I’m right on time.” The red swarm surrounding Barry doesn’t seem to touch Hal. Panel 2 is Hal handing Barry the box, which contains a model plane, as he says, “Happy birthday, Barry.” Barry takes it in his hands with a worn but blank expression. Panel 3 is much the same with Barry unmoving as he’s processing the exchange. Panel 4 is Barry suddenly giving Hal a fond, sarcastic smile as he says, “Great gift, Hal. I especially liked it when I gave it to you for your birthday two years ago.” The red swarm gradually dissipates from each panel, clearing up entirely in the last one.

Page 4: Simplified doodles of Hal and Barry stand in the large, empty space of the page. Hal has one hand in his pocket and the other gesturing in explanation. His expression is embarrassed but good-humored as he says, “Really? You sure? Uh… Haven’t been home in a long time, so….” Barry responds, “Too long… I’m just happy to see you, buddy.” He holds the gift close to himself with an innocent, close-eyed smile. An arrow points to him, reading: Literally snapped out of it to be a little shit. /end ID