contact-guy

[contact-guy]

teehee

Made myself laugh drawing that first panel...this is part two of THE SIGN OF THE FOUR, part one here!

(this is part of the Watson's sketchbook series)

#some facts should be suppressed WATSON

[contact-guy]

Made myself laugh drawing that first panel...this is part two of THE SIGN OF THE FOUR, part one here!

(this is part of the Watson's sketchbook series)

#lesbian mary morstan has entered the chat #watsons sketchbook #my art #sherlock holmes #john watson #drugs cw

[contact-guy]

i've recently started using the phrase "the contact guy chronology" very seriously in my head when thinking about the order of the stories, to me you are a holmes scholar now

Huge compliment, thank you so much. Once you accept that any inconsistencies with dates and references to prior cases can be explained by Watson being too gay, it all gets easier

[contact-guy]

Get ready to meet Mary Morstan today or tomorrow, whenever I have time to finish the next update…excited to introduce her

(content warning for drugs, scarring, and needles!!!)

This is part one of THE SIGN OF THE FOUR...please bear with the angst, but Holmes and Watson are sooo bitchy to each other in the opening of this story and I wanted to dig into it.

(this is part of the Watson's sketchbook series)

EDIT since someone asked - these are all direct lines from the book except for the section that starts with "you will have work again" and ends with "I know there have been rumours", which is my little addition to explain certain things

#Tbh loving the chance to draw more women in these comics #I am but a humble lesbian #at the end of the day #drugs cw #needles cw #scarring cw

[contact-guy]

(content warning for drugs, scarring, and needles!!!)

This is part one of THE SIGN OF THE FOUR...please bear with the angst, but Holmes and Watson are sooo bitchy to each other in the opening of this story and I wanted to dig into it.

(this is part of the Watson's sketchbook series)

EDIT since someone asked - these are all direct lines from the book except for the section that starts with "you will have work again" and ends with "I know there have been rumours", which is my little addition to explain certain things

#the girls are fighting #also if anyone needs additional content warnings please let me know! i'm new here #watsons sketchbook #acd holmes #sherlock holmes #drugs cw #needles cw #scars cw

[contact-guy]

(cw drugs)

sign of the four is far from my favorite Holmes story but it's got a HELL of an opening. Watson watching Holmes meticulously inject himself with cocaine. The quasi-romantic description of his 'long, white, nervous fingers'. Describing it as a 'performance' done with 'extreme deliberation', presumably for Watson's benefit. The reveal that he's been doing it three times a day for months. Watson being intensely worried for his friend, but not having said ANYTHING for months because Holmes is too 'cool and nonchalant'. Finally only speaking up because he got accidentally drunk at lunch, and then desperately trying to sound casual as he asks if Holmes is doing morphine or cocaine. And then Holmes offers him some. toxic situationship of all time.

#three times a DAY for MONTHS #dude what is going ON #drugs cw #sherlock holmes #acd holmes

[contact-guy]

Compelling points

forgot I made this for myself like six months ago lmao

[contact-guy]

forgot I made this for myself like six months ago lmao

#'a poorly organized tumblr webcomic doesn't count' i tell myself

[contact-guy]

running into a trans girl while you're out and about makes the entire miserable errand worth it, whatever it was. like glancing upward at just the right time to see a shooting star. I spot a trans flag and it sincerely ceases to matter that the bus is crowded and it rained unexpectedly and my shoes are soaked through and my headphones are dead. I am happy to be on that specific bus on that specific day, because you're there too.

[contact-guy]

Came across this poem and learned that it WAS published just in time for Watson to read during the years he thought Holmes was dead. If you care

#flinging myself to and fro #in agony

[contact-guy]

Came across this poem and learned that it WAS published just in time for Watson to read during the years he thought Holmes was dead. If you care

#hurting myself emotionally 4 no reason #acd Holmes

[contact-guy]

Please join me in imagining THE ADVENTURE OF THE COPPER BEECHES from the perspective of a girlfailure with great hair, as she attempts to shoot her shot with a famous detective and make some money. Neither of these work out for her particularly well, but she comes out of it with a great story to tell at parties.

this is part 1, there will be a part 2!

(This is part of the Watson's sketchbook series)

#part 1

[contact-guy]

THE COPPER BEECHES part two (pt 1 here), the conclusion. According to Watson: "As to Miss Violet Hunter, my friend Holmes, rather to my disappointment, manifested no further interest in her when once she had ceased to be the centre of one of his problems, and she is now the head of a private school at Walsall, where I believe that she has met with considerable success."

(This is part of the Watson's sketchbook series)

#part 2

[contact-guy]

Please can Holmes and Watson at least have a nice time at the concert pretty please?* Ahhhh I am pining with them, I just want them to be happy for a second pleeeaaase (gross sobbing)

*I guess you're not planning on actually drawing that but I needed to SAY it I am losing all my hair and my teeth because of your drawings (compliment)

just for you, anon

#sherlock holmes #john watson #acd holmes #my art #watsons sketchbook

[contact-guy]

A general cane guide for writers and artists (from a cane user, writer, and artist!)

Disclaimer: Though I have been using a cane for 6 years, I am not a doctor, nor am I by any means an expert. This guide is true to my experience, but there are as many ways to use a cane as there are cane users!

This guide will not include: White canes for blindness, crutches, walkers, or wheelchairs as I have no personal experience with these.

This is meant to be a general guide to get you started and avoid some common mishaps/misconceptions in your writing, but you absolutely should continue to do your own research outside of this guide!

This is NOT a medical resource!!! And never tell a real person you think they're using a cane wrong!

The biggest recurring problem I've seen is using the cane on the wrong side. The cane goes on the opposite side of the pain! If your character has even-sided pain or needs it for balance/weakness, then use the cane in the non-dominant hand to keep the dominant hand free. Some cane users also switch sides to give their arm a rest!

A cane takes about 20% of your weight off the opposite leg. It should fit within your natural gait and become something of an extension of your body. If you need more weight off than 20%, then crutches, a walker, or a wheelchair is needed.

Putting more pressure on the cane, using it on the wrong side, or having it at the wrong height can make it less effective, and can cause long term damage to your body from improper pressure and posture. (Hugh Laurie genuinely hurt his body from years of using a cane wrong on House!)

(some people elect to use a cane wrong for their personal situation despite this, everyone is different!)

(an animated GIF of a cane matching the natural walking gait. It turns red when pressure is placed on it.)

When going up and down stairs, there is an ideal standard: You want to use the handrail and the cane at the same time, or prioritize the handrail if it's only on one side. When going up stairs you lead with your good leg and follow with the cane and hurt leg together. When going down stairs you lead with the cane and the bad leg and follow with the good leg!

Realistically though, many people don't move out of the way for cane users to access the railing, many stairs don't have railings, and many are wet, rusty, or generally not ideal to grip.

In these cases, if you have a friend nearby, holding on to them is a good idea. Or, take it one step at a time carefully if you're alone.

Now we come to a very common mistake I see... Using fashion canes for medical use!

(These are 4 broad shapes, but there is INCREDIBLE variation in cane handles. Research heavily what will be best for your character's specific needs!)

The handle is the contact point for all the weight you're putting on your cane, and that pressure is being put onto your hand, wrist, and shoulder. So the shape is very important for long term use!

Knob handles (and very decorative handles) are not used for medical use for this reason. It adds extra stress to the body and can damage your hand to put constant pressure onto these painful shapes.

The weight of a cane is also incredibly important, as a heavier cane will cause wear on your body much faster. When you're using it all day, it gets heavy fast! If your character struggles with weakness, then they won't want a heavy cane if they can help it!

This is also part of why sword canes aren't usually very viable for medical use (along with them usually being knob handles) is that swords are extra weight!

However, a small knife or perhaps a retractable blade hidden within the base might be viable even for weak characters.

Bases have a lot of variability as well, and the modern standard is generally adjustable bases. Adjustable canes are very handy if your character regularly changes shoe height, for instance (gotta keep the height at your hip!)

Canes help on most terrain with their standard base and structure. But for some terrain, you might want a different base, or to forego the cane entirely! This article covers it pretty well.

Many cane users decorate their canes! Stickers are incredibly common, and painting canes is relatively common as well! You'll also see people replacing the standard wrist strap with a personalized one, or even adding a small charm to the ring the strap connects to. (nothing too large, or it gets annoying as the cane is swinging around everywhere)

(my canes, for reference)

If your character uses a cane full time, then they might also have multiple canes that look different aesthetically to match their outfits!

When it comes to practical things outside of the cane, you reasonably only have one hand available while it's being used. Many people will hook their cane onto their arm or let it dangle on the strap (if they have one) while using their cane arm, but it's often significantly less convenient than 2 hands. But, if you need 2 hands, then it's either setting the cane down or letting it hang!

For this reason, optimizing one handed use is ideal! Keeping bags/items on the side of your free hand helps keep your items accessible.

When sitting, the cane either leans against a wall or table, goes under the chair, or hooks onto the back of the chair. (It often falls when hanging off of a chair, in my experience)

When getting up, the user will either use their cane to help them balance/support as they stand, or get up and then grab their cane. This depends on what it's being used for (balance vs pain when walking, for instance!)

That's everything I can think of for now. Thank you for reading my long-but-absolutely-not-comprehensive list of things to keep in mind when writing or drawing a cane user!

Happy disability pride month! Go forth and make more characters use canes!!!

#reference for future comics! #totally drew watson with his cane on the wrong side like a FOOL

[contact-guy]

THE COPPER BEECHES part two (pt 1 here), the conclusion. According to Watson: "As to Miss Violet Hunter, my friend Holmes, rather to my disappointment, manifested no further interest in her when once she had ceased to be the centre of one of his problems, and she is now the head of a private school at Walsall, where I believe that she has met with considerable success."

(This is part of the Watson's sketchbook series)

#“Holmes is a misogynist” “Holmes actually respects women” have you considered a secret third option: Holmes is terrified of women #watsons sketchbook #my art #sherlock holmes #john watson #acd holmes #acd canon #violet hunter #mrs hudson #drug mention cw

[contact-guy]

lol THIS ENDED UP BEING SO LONG but it's such a cute story opening that I had to draw Watson roasting Holmes's messiness for the newspaper and Holmes skillfully maneuvering his way out of having to do chores. It's all canon, even the indoor sharpshooting, except for the bit about the cold bath.

canon text under the cut:

An anomaly which often struck me in the character of my friend Sherlock Holmes was that, although in his methods of thought he was the neatest and most methodical of mankind, and although also he affected a certain quiet primness of dress, he was none the less in his personal habits one of the most untidy men that ever drove a fellow-lodger to distraction. Not that I am in the least conventional in that respect myself. The rough-and-tumble work in Afghanistan, coming on the top of a natural Bohemianism of disposition, has made me rather more lax than befits a medical man. But with me there is a limit, and when I find a man who keeps his cigars in the coal-scuttle, his tobacco in the toe end of a Persian slipper, and his unanswered correspondence transfixed by a jack-knife into the very centre of his wooden mantelpiece, then I begin to give myself virtuous airs. I have always held, too, that pistol practice should be distinctly an open-air pastime; and when Holmes, in one of his queer humors, would sit in an arm-chair with his hair-trigger and a hundred Boxer cartridges, and proceed to adorn the opposite wall with a patriotic V. R. done in bullet-pocks, I felt strongly that neither the atmosphere nor the appearance of our room was improved by it.

Our chambers were always full of chemicals and of criminal relics which had a way of wandering into unlikely positions, and of turning up in the butter-dish or in even less desirable places. But his papers were my great crux. He had a horror of destroying documents, especially those which were connected with his past cases, and yet it was only once in every year or two that he would muster energy to docket and arrange them; for, as I have mentioned somewhere in these incoherent memoirs, the outbursts of passionate energy when he performed the remarkable feats with which his name is associated were followed by reactions of lethargy during which he would lie about with his violin and his books, hardly moving save from the sofa to the table. Thus month after month his papers accumulated, until every corner of the room was stacked with bundles of manuscript which were on no account to be burned, and which could not be put away save by their owner. One winter’s night, as we sat together by the fire, I ventured to suggest to him that, as he had finished pasting extracts into his common-place book, he might employ the next two hours in making our room a little more habitable. He could not deny the justice of my request, so with a rather rueful face he went off to his bedroom, from which he returned presently pulling a large tin box behind him. This he placed in the middle of the floor and, squatting down upon a stool in front of it, he threw back the lid. I could see that it was already a third full of bundles of paper tied up with red tape into separate packages.

“There are cases enough here, Watson,” said he, looking at me with mischievous eyes. “I think that if you knew all that I had in this box you would ask me to pull some out instead of putting others in.”

“These are the records of your early work, then?” I asked. “I have often wished that I had notes of those cases.”

“Yes, my boy, these were all done prematurely before my biographer had come to glorify me.” He lifted bundle after bundle in a tender, caressing sort of way. “They are not all successes, Watson,” said he. “But there are some pretty little problems among them. Here’s the record of the Tarleton murders, and the case of Vamberry, the wine merchant, and the adventure of the old Russian woman, and the singular affair of the aluminium crutch, as well as a full account of Ricoletti of the club-foot, and his abominable wife. And here—ah, now, this really is something a little recherchè.”

He dived his arm down to the bottom of the chest, and brought up a small wooden box with a sliding lid, such as children’s toys are kept in. From within he produced a crumpled piece of paper, and old-fashioned brass key, a peg of wood with a ball of string attached to it, and three rusty old disks of metal.

“Well, my boy, what do you make of this lot?” he asked, smiling at my expression.

“It is a curious collection.”

“Very curious, and the story that hangs round it will strike you as being more curious still.”

“These relics have a history then?”

“So much so that they are history.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Sherlock Holmes picked them up one by one, and laid them along the edge of the table. Then he reseated himself in his chair and looked them over with a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes.

“These,” said he, “are all that I have left to remind me of the adventure of the Musgrave Ritual.”

I had heard him mention the case more than once, though I had never been able to gather the details. “I should be so glad,” said I, “if you would give me an account of it.”

“And leave the litter as it is?” he cried, mischievously. “Your tidiness won’t bear much strain after all, Watson. But I should be glad that you should add this case to your annals, for there are points in it which make it quite unique in the criminal records of this or, I believe, of any other country. A collection of my trifling achievements would certainly be incomplete which contained no account of this very singular business.

-The Memories of Sherlock Holmes: The Musgrave Ritual

#old art but #reblogging bc the next Watson’s sketchbook is taking me weirdly long