#I want to try get better at movement and flow in my art

[noodles-and-tea]

:))))

#back from school #I want to try get better at movement and flow in my art #I just feel like my stuff is too stiff yk #what can ya do I guess #my art #pixar luca #luca paguro #alberto scorfano #luberto

[p4p1l0nn]

lover boy.

pairing: mark x fem!reader

content warning: 18+, slight choking, slight clit play, perv!mark

a/n: just spicing things up a bit ;)

it's not uncommon to find you strolling around the house without a bra. one might say it's your signature at-home fashion statement. no underwire, no problem — just the laid back charm of embracing the freedom within your own four walls.

today is no exception. no fuss, no worries. you continue being authentically you, leisurely walking through the shared space in your braless glory. the sunlight gently filters through the curtains, casting a warm glow on your carefree silhouette.

unfinished chores turn into a kind of impromptu dance, a relaxed ballet as you effortlessly float from room to room. mark, usually used to your chilled-out vibe, starts picking up on the subtleties of your unbridled ease. the way your laughter rings out freely while folding laundry and those random spins in the kitchen while whipping up something tasty.

mark, being mark, can't help but sneak a few glances. there's a subtle change in his demeanor, like a light bulb flicking on in his brain. he's starting to see the beauty in your straightforward comfort. you're not even trying, but in his eyes, you're creating a mosaic of everyday moments that radiate a surprising charm.

in the kitchen, you wield utensils like a culinary wizard, the smell of your cooking wafting through the air. the familiar clatter of pans becomes a rhythm that mark finds himself vibing to, caught up in the symphony of domesticity.

you reach for spices on a high shelf, and mark can't help but appreciate the natural flow of your movements. in his head, he's mumbling, “damn, who knew grabbing spices could look so . . .” he shakes off the thought, not wanting to sound too much like a pervert.

mark, while watching you, says with a chuckle, “you've got this whole domestic goddess thing down, huh?”

you grin, “well, someone's gotta keep this place from turning into chaos.”

and there it is. your simple response does something to him. maybe it's the soft sigh escaping your lips, a sigh of satisfaction from all the hard work you put into cooking. he can't quite put his finger on it, but he's sure there's just something about you looking so small in his shirt. the right side slips off your shoulder, exposing your collarbones.

mark can't help but let his mind wander into more perverted territories. “well, isn't this a delicious sight? i'm not just talking about the food,” he mumbles, a sly grin playing on his lips.

you glance over at him, catching the mischievous glint in his eyes. “what's that look for?”

mark, with a smirk, replies, “just admiring the view. you, in my shirt, cooking up a storm. it's like a feast for the senses.”

you roll your eyes playfully, “feast for the senses? mark, you're being ridiculous.”

mark chuckles, “ridiculously accurate, you mean.”

as you continue with your culinary magic, mark keeps his thoughts going. “i must say, this kitchen has never looked so appealing. or maybe it's just you. hard to tell.”

you blush, trying to play it cool, “stop talking nonsense, mark.”

mark grins, “nonsense? i call it appreciating art when i see it.”

“you're getting all shy now?” mark smirks, strolling into the kitchen when you don't immediately respond. up close, he sees you wearing a tiny short underneath that oversized cloth of his. he shifts slightly to the side, aiming for a better look at your face.

as he takes in the sight, he notices beads of sweat forming on your forehead, some hair sticking to your face. but to mark, you look hot. really hot. he licks his lips involuntarily.

you, on the other hand, glance at him with a mixture of shyness and amusement. “mark, can you not right now? i'm trying to cook here.”

mark grins, unabashed. “is it just me, or is it getting hotter in here?”

you shake your head, laughing off his perverted remarks. “stop exaggerating. it's just the kitchen, mark.”

mark leans against the counter, still eyeing you appreciatively. “well, the kitchen's never been this . . . steamy before.”

you playfully toss a piece of lettuce at him. “quit it, or you won't get any of this deliciousness.”

mark catches the lettuce mid-air, winking at you. “i can always settle for a different kind of feast, you know.”

rolling your eyes at mark's lingering gaze, you dismiss his comments and focus on the simmering pots on the stove. the aroma of the food intensifies, signaling that your cooking creation is nearing completion. you decide it's time to enlist mark's help in setting the table.

“mark, can you set the table, please? the food's almost ready,” you request, gesturing toward the dining area.

mark, being the pervert he is, can't resist turning the innocent request into something more. “gosh, i love it when you beg,” he says with a sly grin, his gaze locking onto yours as if daring you to react.

you shoot him a playful glare, not entirely surprised by his antics. “i'm not begging.”

but mark, persistent in his teasing, takes a moment to look at your face before slowly saying, “beg again, baby.”

you feel a sudden rush of shyness, caught off guard by the unexpected turn in the conversation. “mark, seriously? just set the table,” you mumble, trying to hide the flush creeping up your cheeks.

“but i can't move, baby,” mark said, his voice carrying a deep groan. surprised by his boldness, you turn to look at him, only to find him palming himself and squeezing his bulge while letting out a content sigh.

it stirs your mind a bit, but you decide to play it cool and pay no attention to his provocative display. closing the stove, you tiptoe to retrieve the plates from the cabinet. unbeknownst to you, mark takes a discreet peek from below, his gaze lingering on the exposed skin as your shirt rides up.

“seriously?” you call out to his actions.

he smirks, acting innocent. “what? just admiring the view from down here.”

mark quickly discards his hand, offering to take the plates, citing your difficulty in reaching them. you appreciate his seemingly helpful gesture, and he sports a sheepish grin.

“sorry about that earlier,” he says casually as he reaches for the plates.

you nod, still focused on other preparations. “just get the plates, please.”

with a sly grin, he seizes the opportunity to grind his hard dick against you as he retrieves the plates. your gasp reveals your surprise, and mark, the mischievous charmer, continues his playful tease.

“oops, my bad again,” he says, feigning innocence.

you catch onto his mischievous intentions, deciding to play the game too. before he can even grab the plates, you grind your ass directly into his bulge, earning a deep, low groan from mark. in response, he tightly grips your hips.

“careful there, princess.” mark says in a seductive tone, his voice laced in desire.

“you wanted this, so i'm giving it to you,” you reply, maintaining a playful tone. mark stays quiet, leaning in with a dangerous proximity. his lips hover dangerously close to your ear, and he nibbles.

mark smirks, his warm breath sending shivers down your spine. “giving it to me, huh? careful what you wish for, princess.”

you roll your eyes, challenging him, “oh, i can handle it, mark. can you?”

mark, undeterred, whispers, “i guess we're about to find out.”

without a warning, he slipped his hand into your shorts, his touch sending an electric thrill through your body. a gasp escapes your lips, caught off guard by the sudden bold move.

his cheek presses to yours as he said, “now, let's see how far you're willing to go.”

the proximity intensifies the already charged atmosphere, and you can feel the heat radiating between your bodies.

in response, you turn your head slightly, capturing his lips in a passionate kiss. the taste of neediness lingers as your tongues dance in a rhythmic exploration. mark's hand, still nestled in your shorts, becomes more daring, tracing patterns that send shivers down your spine.

his fingers ventured further, reaching past your panties. he forced his way to your slit. caressing you with no shame on his face. “ah, baby, wet already?”

you gasped. unable to control your tongue. stomach filled with fireworks as mark's delicate fingers does its wonders.

“just for you,” you reply with a smile. mark, unable to resist, turns you around, capturing your lips in a heated kiss. the intensity builds, each touch sending electric pulses through your bodies.

both of you sigh into the kiss, caught up in the intoxicating moment. mark trails down to your neck, leaving a few marks. as you catch your breath, mark compliments you with a whisper, “that's my good girl.”

you wrap your arms around mark's shoulders, bringing him closer as the heated make-out session continues. mark, caught up in the intensity of the moment, lifts up your shirt to feel the warmth of your skin, squeezing it gently.

slowly, his hands making their way down until he grabs a handful of your ass. you gasp into his lips, and mark takes it as a sign to deepen the kiss. he slips his tongue into the dance of passion, as every touch and movement adds to the fiery exchange between you two.

after the passionate makeout, you and mark catch your breath, leaning on each other's foreheads. mark gazes at you lovingly, his eyes tracing the contours of your face — your eyes, nose, and lips. eager to feel closer, he guides your hand to the nape of his neck, and you comply, wrapping your hand around it.

your touch elicits a satisfied sigh from mark as he briefly closes his eyes, savoring the feeling. feeling emboldened, your hand trails down slowly, gliding from his throat, to his chest, then to his abdomen, and grasp his confined bulge, undoubtedly swollen by now and yearning to be set free.

soft moan escapes from mark's lips, “let's move this to the bedroom, so i can feast on you until i'm satisfied.”

#nct smut #nct dream smut #nct hard hours #mark lee smut #nct mark smut #nct 127 smut #nct hard thoughts #mark lee hard thoughts #mark lee hard hours #mark lee x reader #mark lee x y/n

[art]

Creator Spotlight: @velinxi​

Hello! I’m Xiao Tong Kong, better known as “Velinxi.” I’m the creator of the webcomic Countdown to Countdown and have been doing freelance artwork since I was a teenager. I love telling stories with my illustrations! Tumblr was where I first got my start as an artist, specifically a small fandom artist as a hobby… and now I’m somehow here! When I’m not trying my best to stay awake in front of my tablets, I’m usually cooking, gaming, or sleeping. Sometimes all three, in my dreams.

Check out our interview with Velinxi below!

Did you originally have a background in art? If not, how did you start?

Yeah! I’ve basically been on track to become an artist since I was a child. I went to a middle school with an emphasis on arts and a high school specializing in it. I went to SVA briefly for computer arts but dropped out to pursue freelance and webcomics after my first year.

Over the years as an artist, what or who were your biggest inspirations behind your creativity?

My biggest inspirations growing up were Yuumei and Shilin Huang, two titans on DeviantArt back in the day. They still inspire me today, but the list of inspirations has grown exponentially over the years, including artists, movies, entire art movements, etc.

What was your thought process behind the creation of your webcomic, Countdown to Countdown?

Well, Countdown to Countdown started as a passion project back when I was 15, in high school, and pretty depressed. I just wanted to draw whatever story I thought was cool, inspired by my favorite media at the time. There was a very loose beginning and outline, but I was truly just writing as I drew the story. That’s why I had to stop the comic in 2018 and restart from scratch the year after. Now, the story has a set story and a clear outline. It still has similar roots, characters, and themes of neglect, abuse, and escape—but I think the story is a lot easier to follow now. It’s got an artstyle I can actually keep up with in the long run. The origin of why CTC exists also remains the same: I simply wanted to make a story I wanted to read for myself. Which happens to be about two dumb boys with superpowers navigating a hostile world that wants them dead or caged—together.

Have you ever had an art block? If so, how did you overcome it?

Oh, all the time. It’s part of the process. Personally, though—I just have to draw through it. Every month on my Patreon, I have my patrons vote on a theme I have to draw by the end of the month, and I try my best to make it as interesting as possible. I draw quite a few—tens even, of doodles or compositions for each of these themes to try to make something that tells a story while still being aesthetically pleasing and clear. I think pushing myself like this helps with art block, really. I also do remember to take breaks and simply consume other media I like! It gets the inspiration juices flowing.

Advice you would give to an aspiring creator?

If you do one—your first webcomic should be a short, fun, messy thing. It’s not often you can get it right the first time, but you’ll certainly learn a lot through sheer experience. This goes for a lot of things in art, to be honest.

What is a medium that you have always been intrigued by but would never use yourself?

3D Animation. I briefly learned it at SVA, and I think that’s enough of that tech for me. I accept that there are some things that are truly beautiful if done right, and I am too simple and lazy for it.

What is your goal for the rest of this year?

Get Countdown to Countdown book 2 finished! And live HAHA

Who on Tumblr inspires you and why?

@yuumei-art on Tumblr, still! They’ve been a huge inspiration for digital artists and storytellers online for years. I have no doubt that many digital artists of my generation have been influenced by them, and they’re still here, making beautiful art and stories. It’s a thing to behold.

Thanks for stopping by, Velinxi! If you haven’t seen her Meet the Artist piece, be sure to check it out here. You can also follow her for more amazing art over at her Tumblr, @velinxi!

#creator spotlight #artists on tumblr #velinxi #xiao tong kong #countdown to countdown

[vympirestake]

— No Better Sight

— bo sinclair x afab!reader, 🔞,mostly just smut without plot, fluff, lowkey bodyworship, slight aftercare

— gentle degradation, unprotected, not proofread

═════════════════════════════

Bo Sinclair had never had much of an eye for beauty. Instead, he found his own art in the oil covered grime of his mechanics shop. He had little care for the appearance of anything in the rundown town he called home.

Though, at the sight before him, Bo figured it didn't take an artist to know he was the luckiest man in the world. The last golden hues of sunset crept through the decrepit curtains of his room; indescribably illuminating your figure bouncing on his near aching cock.

"Look at you go, darlin'," Bo drawls against your bruised lips. His eyes drag down your body, feasting on every curve and crevice he knows all too well. He catches your lips once more only to slip his thumb into your all too eager mouth when he pulls away. Groaning at the feel of you suck around him. "Just my sweet little slut, aren't cha' honey," His voice dropped for a moment, dripping nothing but lust and love. He allowed you to continue sucking his thumb before slowly removing it once again.

Your moans were like music to his ears and, though he loved hearing them, Bo enjoys feeling them even more. So, despite the desperation of the moment, the man before—and below—you pulled you down into a gentle kiss. His thumb gliding down the curves of your jaw, cuping his hand at your chin to keep you steady. Keep you exactly where he wanted you.

You whined at the loss for only a moment before Bo began gently circling your clit. The shock of almost painful pleasure, courtesy of Bo insisting on eating you like a man starved earlier, making you cry out and your hips stutter in their movements. Moans and chants of Bo's name flowed from your lips, trying desperately to regain your rhythm.

A groan sounds from Bo at the sight, his free hand flying to your hip to aid your desperate grind. His other only continuing its assault on your clit.

"That feel good, doll," he asks.

"Yes! Yes, please, feels so good," you move your hands to find purchase on his shoulders.

"Oh," he tilts his head to get a better look of where you connect, "I bet it does from how you're clampin' down on my cock like that." Your desperate bouncing now became a frantic grind again Bo's hand. Begging for just a little bit more friction to finally push you over that edge. Seeing how close that sweet release was to overtaking you, Bo slowed to a torturous pace.

Feeling his hands come to hold your hips almost still, you let out a pained sob into Bo's shoulder. "No—please, Bo. Please keep going." You tried to bounce again but the grip Bo held on your hips was too tight. Your hands slide to his chest, nails digging into the tanned flesh. "I'll—I'll do anything just please, keep going." Bo hadn't allowed you another moment to ask before he flipped your positions.

Bo released his grip on your hips for only a moment to settle your thighs comfortably on his scarred forearms. As he reaches to grasp your waist he growls out, "arch your back for me, honey. You know how I like it."

You comply with his command, arching your back just a little, feeling how his cock shift to his new spots inside you. The feeling making your hips now shift and buck in anticipation.

"Bo, baby, please," he shifts his weight down closer to you, "need you s'bad. Please, need your cock," you shift to steady yourself on your arms, leaning into him. At that, Bo gives a sharp, gentle thrust. Enough to have your eyes rolling and head leaning back. He chases your neck, lips kissing and sucking on the column of your throat whole building his pace.

The angle now allows you to feel him hitting deep into your soaked cunt. The sound of wet skin slapping reverberates around the room and though the sun no longer shines through the blinds, Bo can't look away. He pulls himself from your neck, watching your lips part to allow a symphony of moans to escape.

"Open your eyes, doll. I want you to look at me when you cum." You do as he says, catching his lust-blown eyes as he, again, brings a hand to toy with your clit. A sharp cry of his name slips from you while your body arches up towards his own. Arms flying around his neck to find something to hold onto.

"'m close, Bo! Please don't stop, need t' cum," you cry out. Bo quickens his pace, his fingers rubbing circles into your clit. He can't focus on anything other than the need to feel you clench around his length.

He leans his head around to hover his lips just over yours. In a low tones he drawls out, "do it, cum for me. I want you to, baby, my good girl." He stutters out more but you don't notice. The tension in your core finally giving way to an explosive climax. Your hands scramble, nails clawing at Bo's back and bicep while you float from your high.

The feeling of you clenching down on him has Bo releasing with a low growl. The sensation of him filling only aids you, nearly sending your overestimated body into a second climax. Bo's arms slowly give way, releasing your legs to the bed and gently bringing himself to somewhat lay on your heaving chest. For a time, you breathe together. Caressing the parts of the other you can reach and slowly coming back to each other.

Bo is the first to move, shifting his weight to instead lay beside you. Pulling your limp body into his arms, tucking your head gently into his chest while he slowly smoothes you hair. In your tired haze, you bring a leg to rest over his own.

"So good, honey, always such a good girl f'me." Bo brings his head to rest in your hair, placing a gentle kiss while soaking in your scent. Chuckling at the slight 'mhm' he receives in response.

He'll run a bath in the morning, but for now Bo settles in next to you. Content letting everything but you drift away, forgotten.

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#bo sinclair #house of wax #x reader #mine #bo sinclair x reader #bo sinclair smut #bo sinclair x reader smut #house of wax 2005 #horror #slashers #slasher #slasher x reader #slashers x reader #afab reader #spicy

[yet-another-haven-of-dollya]

can i ask advice ;; drawing wise ? how did you start to anatomy but also w stylization? did you bruteforce by studying every bone muscle etc in art school?

hmm...

First, you must distinguish between two completely different concepts: gesture and anatomy. The stylization and dynamic you often see me doing with my dancing practice is "Gesture". This is an excellent tutorial by Proko about gestures. I practiced gestures very soon when I started drawing, simply because I wanted to draw dynamically, lucky for me it was the right thing to do. This was the main reason why I'm so fast at sketching.

This is my gesture practice, 1 min, 2 min, and 5 min sketch. It's about the flow of the body and which direction each part is going, use "sharp and coherent lines". I practice until it becomes a "natural reflex", a habit when I look at people's interactions.

This below is something I drew 3 years ago (my anatomy was not good sorry), notice how I use many many coherent lines? At the thigh, shin, arm stretching,... all the bigger areas? That's the remaining of gestures.

It goes without saying. Try to find the flow of gestures, even for the hair or clothes. Heh, I drew this 4 years ago, how nostalgic.

You can see how I just create the flow with Lya's hair and body movement in the dancing pics too. Like with Kylar's pic her body is straight up one quite hard mass from head to toe. You know she's leaning forward, seemingly wanting to abandon Kylar with a "pathetic loser like you? With me?" attitude (ouchie sorry Kylar nation). While in Sydney's pic she seems much more relaxed and enjoys how her body parts seem to loosen and more in sync with Sydney's movements. Her hip and legs sway more, and her hair also sways back at Sydney's body, hinting that her moves are relatively close to his body. I don't think I have enough vocabulary to describe, gestures are always just "feelings" to me. If people see what I want to show, that's the success for me.

I know many self-learners started by finding random tutorials that have muscle breakdown or box-like proportions to try and mimic. Mimic is good, drawing is mimicking and remembering what you saw, but without good gesture practice, many people tend to make anatomy very stiff.

Then, you start to apply anatomy to the gestures you've practiced. One way to do it is by learning about muscle position first, and then trying to apply it to a figure, or a model. This is my homework and it's HORRIBLY WRONG IN MANY WAYS. My teacher fixed it for me but I don't have the after with me right now, so take this as an example of how to do the apply thing, DO NOT USE IT AS MUSCLE REF it's very wrong.

In my opinion bone structure is not strictly needed like muscles. Bones are for muscles to hang onto. You only need to remember some important "landmarks" like the collarbone, elbow joint, anterior pelvis, knee, and ankle,… to hang the important muscles to it. After you're familiar with muscles and gestures, you can start to stylize. Applying your knowledge to animated characters with cartoonish design is one great way. THESE HOMEWORKS OF MINE ARE STILL WRONG but ye hope you get the idea. I'm still struggling with anatomy.

One of my all-time fav are AFK ARENA artists and what they do for the game. Aki as the main artist, Kuri Huang, and another artist I suddenly forgor the name as home screen illust. I recommend researching their works if you want a direction on how to stylize your character with great dynamic gestures and shapes.

And

As much as I hate to say this, I was particularly considered a failure, a stone-head, who couldn't be changed for the better when I was still in art school - uni. My chosen major was digital graphic design, not specified in drawing but in designing, that's one thing I regret. I traded 5 years of my youth for doing the things I don't want to do. That's why the moment I graduated, I immediately went and signed up for an advanced art class specified in drawing. I'd be lying if I said the uni didn't teach me anything about drawing. They did, but almost everything I learned during 5 years of uni was self-learning from outer sources. I encourage self-learning the most when I talk with younger artists. Proko is a very trusted source to learn from, go to their YouTube channel, and you might figure out something too.

#dollya ask #not a drawing tutorial just my personal experiences

[jjkeverlast]

keep in step | knj (m)

-> pairing professor!namjoon x professor!f.reader

-> genre/au's smut, enemies to lovers, dinner party au!

-> summary after namjoon has got you worked up for nothing, you find a way to reclaim your power, and what better way than to do it at the annual dinner party?

-> word count 2.6k

-> warnings sexual tension | reader teases joon with cake lol | taehyung and jungkook are mentioned | namjoon's thighs (trust me it's a warning) | namjoon is wearing the outfit | oral (m. receiving)

-> author's note i cannot believe that a request from my milestone celebration AND joon feeding us so much content today had me writing pt2 so quickly... but here we aaaare :)))) i highly suggest reading the first part, which you can find here ! to my lovely readers and moots who have been waiting for a second part, i hope this meets your expectations <3 also big thanks for the banner made by my lovely mari ( @archivedkookie ) i love you babe, it's absolutely beautiful omg.

i should note that play the game was a request by my darling jess @btsgotjams27 for my milestone last year and therefore there will not be a taglist to this! thank you :)

Three months. Three painful months of doing absolutely nothing after your little mishap with Namjoon. It was torture, to be quite honest. Somehow you weren’t certain about him, about his intentions with you and certainly not how to revenge yourself in the perfect way. 

Namjoon proved towards you that his little scheme in the copy room was part of some fucked up game. A game to prove you don’t hate him. Currently, it’s one to zero, but you’re going to prove to not only him but yourself as well, that he isn’t here for the game, but you. 

Another reason for you to have yet to revenge yourself was because Namjoon was barely in the same capacity as you. The universe loves to suddenly turn your world upside down and make sure that you and Namjoon now have separate auditoriums for your classes. Therefore, you haven’t exactly been annoyed with him as you were before when he overtook your classes time. 

It wasn’t until the annual teacher’s dinner party that Namjoon was at your expense. 

The dinner party was a tradition, paid by the university to give thanks for the teacher’s hard work throughout the year. The venue that was picked out was spacious, various tables decorating it and big chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. 

As soon as you stepped in, Namjoon was the first to catch your eye. He was wearing an all black outfit, his hair dark in a nice cut. It’s the first time you’re seeing him without his glasses and the sight is refreshing. There’s something about how his eyes are more captive from a mile away for you, and how exposed his defined face is. 

Namjoon’s eyes move towards you, gliding down to your feet in a slow movement. He smirks, his dimple prominent by the action and you’re trying to hold your breath. He’s not going to win tonight. You’ll make sure of it. 

A few presentations are presented by various teachers and counselors. All of them honoring the hard work. You’re sitting next to Kim Taehyung, an art history professor who’s been nothing but kind to you. His boxy smile and lame jokes keep you in a good mood and keeps you away from thinking about a certain someone. 

You don’t know what it is about Namjoon. Ever since he went down on you in the copy room, giving you a mindblowing orgasm he has managed to engrave himself in your head and infiltrate your love life. Yes, you had clearly tried to find a solution, a partner who actually wants you but whenever you managed to get a date, Namjoon’s dimple filled smile and his tongue skills would cloud your mind and leave you in irritation. 

Every part of you wants to look and glance at Namjoon. He’s sitting two tables away from you, his laugh flowing through the venue directly to you and you grab tightly onto your bag to restrain yourself. 

Just stick to the plan. 

‘’Wow, can’t believe we’re already halfway through the year.’’ Taehyung comments, earning your attention. 

‘’Yeah, time really does fly.’’ He nods along, swirling his thumb against his wine glass as if he’s contemplating taking another sip. He mutters under his breath, grabbing onto the glass and taking a light sip. The cringing expression on his face connects to his pondering face from before. Taehyung isn’t a wine person, but in most cases alcohol is still in the end, alcohol. 

The first course gets served and everyone on the table is pleased. Minor conversations are exchanged, mostly university related and you join in once in a while. Somehow your mind continues to play Namjoon’s words before he took the courage and kissed you. 

‘’You hate me, yet you stare at me as if you want me.’’ 

Brain, kindly shut the fuck up. You don’t notice yourself poking more aggressively at the food in front of you but it’s the only way for you to scold yourself. 

Namjoon doesn’t know what he’s talking about. He’s— 

You almost drop your fork, glancing upwards to find Namjoon watching you with delicate eyes. His fingers trail beneath his chin, nodding along to the person babbling away next to him. But his gaze, his gaze remains on you. You squirm in your seat, clearing your throat as you avert your attention elsewhere. 

Fuck, that’s another point for him. 

You’d love to blame yourself for this, but in reality it’s his fault. His fault for showing up with an outfit showcasing every part of his body that is to drool for. You’re thankful that you aren’t sitting with him, or else you’d constantly throw glances downwards to his prominent thick thighs. You may or may have not once dreamt about riding them. But that’s for him to wonder and for you to know. 

The desert rolls around, a creamy cake and Taehyung’s eyes light up at the delicacy being placed in front of him. Maybe you’ve had enough, or maybe you’d love to finally revenge yourself seeing Namjoon is already giving you the perfect attention for it. 

Slowly, you take a bite, locking eyes with Namjoon from across the room. The cream manages to fill out the corners of your lips. Instead of taking a napkin, you drag your thumb over the corners before licking the excess. To your success, it works. Namjoon’s lips slightly part by your action, his adam’s apple bobbing proving he’s lost his breath due to it. 

Taehyung accidentally drops a piece of cake on his pants, groaning loudly which snaps you back from your lustful trance with Namjoon. You help Taehyung, handing him your unused napkin and he thanks you with a sincere smile. 

With hope, you return your gaze to Namjoon, but he’s gone. You look around, noticing how multiple have left the table and are now mingling amongst each other in playful chatter. This is your chance. 

‘’Hey, I’ll be right back. I just need to use the restroom.’’ You excuse yourself to Taehyung and he thankfully doesn’t seem to mind, leaving the table himself to talk with Jeon Jungkook, a biology professor. 

You set yourself on a mission to find Namjoon, walking away from the crowd, stumbling past some empty rooms that seem to be reserved for future meetings. When you reach the exit, someone pulls at your arm, pushing you inside a cramped closet. 

The minute you’re about to scream, you notice it’s Namjoon and your brows frown. Even though you were looking for him, you’re annoyed with every part of him and how he manages to affect you without having to lay a single finger on you. 

‘’Missed me?’’ He raises a brow in tact with the question. 

You roll your eyes at his comment, yet your body shivers. 

‘’I still hate you. Nothing has changed.’’ You step closer, the material of his jacket brushing against your exposed skin. 

Slowly, a smile grows on Namjoon’s face and a laugh manages to slip out. 

‘’Nothing has changed. Right, and you definitely haven’t been thinking about my tongue.’’ The words roll off perfectly, going straight to your core. 

‘’Not exactly.’’ 

With confidence, you bring your hands on him, trailing on his white shirt beneath the black jacket. Namjoon hisses by the sudden action, mouth agape as he watches you carefully explore his upper body. 

‘’Oh yeah? Then tell me.’’ You look up, moving your face closer to his until his nose brushes against yours. 

‘’Been thinking about sucking you off.’’ 

Namjoon closes his eyes before muttering, ‘’Fuck.’’ 

He moves closer, his lips hovering above yours but instead of completing his action you drop down to your knees. You give yourself support by holding firmly onto Namjoon’s thighs. They tense once in a while under your palm and it makes it hard for you not to imagine what it’d be like riding them. How the prominent lines of his muscles would flex under you, encouraging to continue as you hold tightly onto him. 

Maybe, if you still badly want him after this, you’ll take that fantasy into consideration. 

For now, you want nothing more than to return the gesture you would’ve given Namjoon since he left you half naked in the printer room. 

The material of his pants cling nicely to his thighs, showcasing a bit of what’s underneath and excitement bubbles at the pit of your stomach. Namjoon has completely lost his use of words, only breathing heavily as he observes your every move. 

Your palms start to move slowly over the material, feeling the soft sensation it carries. You squeeze down once or twice, dragging closer to his bulge that has started to strain beneath the slacks. You’re tempted to open the single button that keeps his pants up, but this is Namjoon. The Kim Namjoon who’s been on your nerves for the longest time. The Kim Namjoon who you thought you hated, but now? You aren’t exactly certain what you feel towards him. 

‘’I know what you’re doing.’’ Namjoon says. 

‘’And what am I doing?’’ You ask but don’t stop the motions of your hands. 

‘’You’re being slow on purpose, to torture me for all those months.’’ Wow. Kim Namjoon may carry a brain after all. 

It was your plan, to show him how painful slow can be and to poke him for being a slow professor in general. He’s taken you by surprise by cracking the code so quickly. 

You hum in approval. ‘’You got me.’’ Before you continue, Namjoon’s hooded eyes catch your attention. 

‘’I’m gonna show you how slow I can be.’’ It’s the last thing Namjoon hears from you, before you’ll tease him till he’ll plead for you to give in. 

Your mouth hovers above his bulge, lips trailing on the closed off zipper. The movements of your hands never stop admiring his firm thighs, how big they are under your burning skin. 

‘’You’re a fucking menace.’’ Namjoon manages to choke out, mind blurred from your breath so close yet so far from where he wants you. 

Ignoring his comment to your pace, you take a step further, removing his pants and dragging them down to his feet. His naked golden skin catches you off guard. The light partakes in making it look extraordinary, showing you the minor details of his definite muscles. 

‘’Shit.’’ You mutter under your breath and even though you aren’t looking at Namjoon, you can paint out the cocky smile he’s carrying. 

Straightening your back, you move closer, toying with the waistband that clings nicely on his hips. You haven’t even removed his boxers yet, but the outline of his cock tells you exactly what you’ve been wondering. Kim Namjoon is big. 

It’s a challenge you’re willing to take — in your mouth to be exact. 

Lifting the white shirt, you trail a few wet kisses on his abdomen and v-line. Namjoon grunts in response, grabbing onto your cheek out of instinct. The touch of his hand feels warm, careful and delicate and you urge yourself to not lean into his touch. 

Curiosity gets the worse out of you and with no warning, you pull down the briefs abruptly. Namjoon’s breath gets caught in his throat, a clogged moan slipping past his lips. You’re trying not to drool once his cock is fully exposed in front of you. Anger manages to seep through as well, remembering him keeping it a secret from you when you both got a taste of one another for the first time. 

He’s painfully hard, pre-cum leaking off his tip and you mentally praise yourself. You’ve managed to work him up a lot quicker than you had imagined. He’s never truly shown how much he wants you, even though his tongue has been on you. Namjoon never once admitted how much he wants you. 

Your lips trail on his thighs, inching closer to his cock that’s begging for attention but you aren’t so easy. The bridge of your nose brushes against the base of his cock and Namjoon’s grip on your cheek tightens. 

‘’You’re fucking killing me.’’ He’s laughing softly, although it’s painted with irritation. 

A small peck is received by your end. ‘’Tell me how badly you want me, and maybe I’ll give in.’’ 

Namjoon knows you’re playing the game, the game he started back then when he wanted you to admit how badly you wanted him before he dropped down to his knees, trailing his tongue on every part of you. You bat your eyes, waiting for him to give in and Namjoon clenches his jaw — contemplation overtaking his expression. 

With a deep breath, Namjoon closes his eyes. ‘’Please. Need your mouth so fucking badly.’’ 

One to one, to you. Let’s make that two. 

You comply, letting your tongue trail freely from the base to the tip, coating him in your saliva. The sounds from Namjoon are unexplainable, his moans sending you through the roof. 

The tip settles heavy on the end of your tongue, and you look up, catching a sight of Namjoon straining his neck, veins decorating it. 

Swirling your tongue on his tip, you manage to taste him. You open wider, inviting more of him inside your warm mouth, lips closing around his cock. With the help of your hand, you stroke what your mouth can’t cover and you start off at a slow pace. 

‘’Fuck—’’ Namjoon curses under his breath. His hand never leaves your cheek, secretly loving how he’s able to feel his cock inside your mouth. 

The slow pace is still a threat to him, but your soft lips on the outline of cock eases down the hatred he has for your plan. 

Internally you hope no one catches the both of you. Inside a closet, at an annual dinner party doing anything but friendly chatter which the other professors are too busy maintaining. It’s kind of thrilling somehow, your secret sneaking around with Namjoon — a professor you were bound to hate — yet here you are stuffing your mouth with his cock. 

The thrill starts building up when muttered chatter can be heard from where you are, and with that you completely blow off your plan, quickening the pace out of the blue. 

Namjoon knows you’re both at risk and he’d wish he would be able to enjoy this without having an uncomfortable thought of being caught. He bites his bottom lip, refraining himself from being too loud and giving you both away. 

Quickening your pace makes it easier for Namjoon to reach his limit. His thighs tense, along with his hand on your cheek and you’re prepared for him to come in your mouth. The last thing you want is for people to find cum stains in the closet while picking out their jacket to go home. 

‘’Shit baby— Yes. Fuck!’’ One choked out moan and Namjoon’s orgasm seeps through, the cum spilling itself in the base of your throat. The nickname catches you off guard, but you’re too busy making sure you don’t leave a mess behind. Thankfully, you succeed and quickly pull yourself up to your feet. 

‘’Holy shit.’’ Namjoon blurts out, panting with a smile. 

‘’We need to leave, before anyone catches us.’’ You inform, grabbing his wrist towards the exit while he fumbles with getting his pants back on. 

The air is a bit cooler once you’ve stepped out, Namjoon behind your trail. The dinner party is still going on, music starting to play over speakers and the teachers forming an awkward dance circle. 

‘’Hey, do you wanna get out of here?’’ The question throws you off guard. 

‘’What?’’ 

‘’Yeah, I mean my place isn’t far from here and I’d love to finally fuck you.’’ 

You chuckle, crossing your arms. ‘’You’re gonna have to earn that.’’ 

Before Namjoon responds, you turn your back, returning to Kim Taehyung and the rest of the crowd. 

Two to one, Kim Namjoon. 

© jjkeverlast 2023 [do not copy, translate or repost any of my works]

#namjoon smut #kim namjoon smut #namjoon x reader #namjoon x female reader #namjoon x you #namjoon fanfic #namjoon drabble #bts namjoon #bts kim namjoon #kim namjoon bts #bts rm #bts smut #bts fanfic #bts fanfiction

[benkeibear]

⋆꙳✧༄ Hand mouths

❖ Character: Deidara

❖ Reader: Female | AFAB

❖ Wordcount: 1,4k

❖ Summary: You always wondered what those tongues could do - and you're about to find out

❖ WARNINGS: sub!reader, oral, fingering, spitting, mentions of Masturbation

Deidara’s art always drew you in, the way it looked so uniquely him or the way the smallest bits and pieces flew around the scene when he made it explode, his laughter echoing in your ears. It was only a question of time until you begged him to teach you his ways, starting off with a simple pottery class and he was so stoked you wanted to learn. Little did you know that Deidara had been harboring a crush for you ever since he first heard your laugh when one of his pieces exploded right in your face - you understood him or so he thought. But now you're here in his art corner, wearing a cute little apron over your clothes so you won't get too dirty with clay.

“You also should wear one!” You insisted playfully, holding out another apron for him but he gave you a playful glare “i’m a master at this. There won't be a single speck of dirt on me” he reassured you which only made you pout.

“I thought I can get you to take that coat off to see your movements better” you explained, a hint of sheepishness in your voice when you told him a half truth. You did want him to take his coat off but for no other reason that to ogle at his arms while he kneads the clay. The imagination of his muscles rippling beneath his skin with every move, fingers dipping into the softening material made you imagine it was your flesh he's kneading, his fingers dipping into your- snapping yourself out of your lewd little daydream you sat down at the pottery station Deidara had prepared for you, surprised to see him in the apron.

“You're not even gonna freak out?” He asked slightly disappointed when he held his hands out, showing you his secret weapon when it comes to his art and you only cocked your eyebrow. “Did you forget that one of those things licked my hand when you first met me?” You asked amused, playing it cool but these damned hand mouths were your downfall. At night when you tossed and turned, all you could think of was how good they'd make you feel, gliding through your folds or how Deidara would touch himself - tongues lapping at his sensitive tip to push him over the edge, or did he like to tease himself with them? Your mind wandered off again until he snapped in your face, pulling you out of lewd thoughts once more.

“Just start kneading the clay and when you're ready you just… let the creativity flow” he tried to explain as the mouths on his hand wetted the clay he then so skillfully shaped into a small cat like shape. “But I figure you should start with a bowl or vase” his voice was laced with amusement.

When you put the clay onto the spinning part of the station Deidara moved to stand behind you, slender hands carefully guiding your movements as his bare arms flexed at every move of his hands, muscles rippling beneath the skin and you were barely able to concentrate on the clay in front of you. The moment his fingers started digging into the clay as if he was caressing it gently and his breath hit your neck it was over for you. “I wonder what else these hands can do” you thought to yourself, or at least that was the plan but the words slipped right of your mouth as the spinning of the wheel beneath you came to a halt, the room now deadly silent until it was filled with his chuckle. “So eager to find out, hm?” Deidara teased, lips right next to your ear and you had to plan your next move carefully now.

“Would you show me?” You asked with a smirk, trying to sound confident but the small crack in your voice gave it away. “Let me clean my hands and I'll show you” he whispered and just like that his looming presence behind you disappeared for just a moment before he returned.

“Take your clothes off. Show me the beautiful art hidden beneath” he rasped, strong hands slowly tracing over your bare arms and causing goosebumps to raise in their wake. He didn't need to tell you twice, dying to find out what it would feel like and without shame you undressed yourself.

As if you were a sculpture he walked around your naked body, once, twice, eyes raking over your exposed skin in awe. “I can't wait to ruin you” he chuckled more to himself before his lips found their way onto yours in a heated kiss, tongue wasting no time to infiltrate your mouth but you let him. You weren't going to put up a fight or play hard to get, Deidara always had you in the palm of his hands as you were just waiting for him to make a move.

A yelp escaped your lips when you felt a tongue swirl around your hardening nipple before his hand gently kneaded the flesh. You could feel him smirking against your lips at how well you were reacting to him, to the tongues lapping at your little buds until he heard you whimper, hands slowly traveling further down but stopping right at your mound. A small path of saliva shimmered on your skin from where the tongues traveled over your body but it wasn't enough for Deidara. In one swift movement he emptied the small desk where pottery was drying, the shrill sound of parts breaking almost making you flinch but you had no time to react as he already lifted you onto the desk.

“Legs up” he ordered eager and your legs folded towards your chest, leaving your pussy on display to him. You were truly the most beautiful piece of art to ever grace this room.

The blonde man couldn't help himself but to get a taste from your juices that were glistening so perfectly on your folds, eager tongue dipping into your cunt to lick one long stripe from your entrance to your clit before gently sucking on it. “You taste so fucking divine” he moaned against your heat, the mouths on his hands nibbling on your thighs impatiently, dying to have your arousal melt on their tongues as well. Deidara gathered some of your slick on his tongue before standing back up, his body now leaning over yours “open up” he chuckled, waiting for you to open your mouth which you did just as ordered. “You're my good girl, aren't ya? Now swallow” he praised, a glob of his spit mixed with your arousal dropped down onto your awaiting tongue, whimpering at the way he claimed you as his now.

The second you swallowed you were rewarded with a tongue lapping at your puffy clit, a sinister smile spreading on his lips as he watched you moan helplessly as two of his fingers slipped inside of you with ease. It felt far better than you always imagined, his skilled fingers finding your g-spot fast and massaging it with precision that had you squirming on the table. “Is that what you imagined when touching yourself?” He asked teasingly and you had to nod, letting him know that you need him - need his tongues on you and who was he to deny you this experience? Without any further teasing he moved once more, his fingers slotted deep inside of you as one of the mouths of his hands lapped at your clit, Deidara’s own tongue soon joining the other and pushing you over the edge into a mindblowing orgasm. The feeling of two tongues gliding through your folds was almost too much but you didn't want it to end just yet, shaking hands holding onto his hair and pushing him closer into your core. “Don't worry sweets, I said I wanted to break you. Not gonna stop any time soon” he mused between your thighs, his free hand caressing his hardened length as the tongue in his palm drooled all over his cock just like it was on your cunt. You always imagined what it would feel like but actually being his masterpiece meant getting this treatment until you were nothin but a blubbering mess from just a few tongues and two fingers.

@enchantedforest-network @themovingcastlez

#naruto x reader #naruto smut #deidara x reader #deidara smut #deidara #naruto deidara #deidara x you

[dresshistorynerd]

Favorite Historical Architectural Styles

Since I've done my favorite historical fashions, I thought it would be fun to do historical architectural styles too. I want to write more about architecture too, but I've started thinking should I do a separate blog for architecture and architectural history or should I just do it all here? I think it would be better in a way that I wouldn't have to worry if anything I want to write is too far from the actual topic of the blog, but then again, there is a lot of overlap, especially when it comes to Arts and Crafts movement (which I'm currently writing my thesis about and which I definitely will talk a lot about), and also I would have to manage yet another blog.

Anyway, I'll again do this from oldest to newest. I will limit myself to western styles (except when we get to Modernism all styles are very international), even though there's a lot of non-western styles I enjoy, but it's what I know most about.

Perpendicular Gothic

I love Gothic architecture in general and the several first entries will be my favorite sub-styles of it. I love the the way Gothic Cathedrals try and so often succeed to feel like forests. I love how the structural elements are used to create the aesthetic. I love the organic visual elements. I love that it's such a unique style in Western architecture. And I love the amazing craftsmanship that went into it.

I'm particularly a fan of English Gothic because of it's insanely beautiful and complex ribbed vaults. From English Gothic my favorite though is the Perpendicular style, which was basically the English late Gothic. It's characteristics can be seen in the second pic. It has the stretched arch and the very flowing and organic traceries. I do include here the rest of English Gothic too, since even though the Perpendicular style is my favorite of them, all if it is still one of my Gothic favorites.

German Late Gothic

As it's becoming clear I love Late Gothic architecture in general the most, and in the geographical axis I also love German Gothic. Early and High Gothic were mainly divided into French and English styles and the French style dominated in the continent, just being altered a little to the local building traditions outside of France, but during late Gothic it diverged much more strongly into different styles.

German Gothic also has beautiful complex faulting (though less insane than English) and it also has that same pursuit of massive height French Gothic has. Those combined with that Late Gothic's more streamlined flowing and organic aesthetic, some of the German Late Gothic cathedrals really sell that feeling of standing in a forest.

Finnish "Gothic"

I have a soft spot for the Finnish Medieval stone churches, which are not nearly as sophisticated or detailed as the other European counterparts, but still made with beautiful craftsmanship and they have some cool own features. It's very far from the European Gothic traditions, as you can see, but that's still the influence, hence Gothic in scare quotes. I love the simple outward appearance with the exposed thick stone walls, the details of the gable that worked as the calling card for the building master and the very steep roof. Like everywhere at the time, the roof in these has wooden structure, which is frankly super cool. It was not a simple engineering problem to make a roof that steep and massive at the time, but the structure works so well there's 600 year old roofs with the original logs still working perfectly well. I also really love the original medieval murals in them, which were painted over during the Reformation (you can't have color in a Lutheran church damn it), but thankfully some of them have been restored from under the paint.

Finnish "Renaissance" Log Churches

Renaissance also didn't land in Finland similarly as it did rest of the Europe. When Renaissance was going on in Europe, they still were building those "Gothic" churches here. These log churches were based on Scandinavian version of the Renaissance church, but they didn't really look like Renaissance churches, and were kinda it's own thing continuing a lot of the aesthetics from those Gothic churches. This is a highly specific style, but I just think they are so cool and pretty? Like they really made a CUPOLA out of log.

Arts and Crafts Movement

Arts and Crafts Movement didn't have exactly a style, rather a design philosophy that was more important than specific style. There's of course a lot of stylistic similarities in the works of the different members of the Movement, because they had overlapping sources of inspiration and were influenced by each other, so we can think of it as a style. I could, have and will talk about them for hours, but briefly now: It was a moment in latter half of the 19th century and early 20th century and their goals were reviving craftsmanship skills and professions, socialism, opposing industrialism and abolishing the hierarchy between fine arts and applied arts. They were very much influenced by Medievalism and Gothic art and architecture, though unlike Gothic Revivalist, they took more from the guiding principles than the aesthetics. They basically started Modernism and lay ground to all the Modernist architecture's main principles, like form follows function.

Art Nouveau

Art Nouveau was directly influenced by the Arts and Crafts Movement and was the first mainstream Modernist style. I especially love the more toned down Finnish Art Nouveau, or Jugend as it's called here, but I do love the style more broadly too. I'm not that into those almost Baroque style versions of it though, with barely any straight lines. I love the round doors, the stylized floral patterns and the use of light.

Organic architecture

This has to be my favorite modernist/post-modernist (?) style. It's direct successor of Arts and Crafts movement and it's also more of a design principle than a unified style. There is some stylistic similarities, but it is stylistically very diverse philosophy. It was most prominent during the 20th century, but it always stayed in the sidelines, though there are still architects who might be considered practicing organic architecture. Organic architecture is all about living in harmony with nature, taking inspiration from it, designing the building to fit the building spot and the surroundings, extra care taken in to preserve the nature already there, and using local natural materials when possible. My favorite architects are Raili and Reima Pietilä, who were most prominent organic architects in Finland. (I almost moved into apartment designed by them, but it was in pretty bad condition, so it wouldn't have unfortunately been worth the price.)

Brutalism

I know it's not for everyone and it's not easy to make it work but when it works, it really does. It was born in 1950s during the reconstruction era. Brutalism is not just concrete though. The point is to show the raw materials and the structural elements. Technically a lot of Gothic and Arts and Crafts architecture is then brutalist. Timber frame architecture? Also brutalist. I'm only half joking, of course the style itself is also very bare and, well, brutal, but I love it for the same reasons. I really love bare textures of materials and exposing the materials of the structural elements. And I do actually really like the texture of concrete. Though I will say concrete is destroying our world and we should use it as little as possible. But we should also protect old buildings and keep using them rather than built new ones, so I feel fine admiring the old brutalist buildings. The best brutalist buildings combine materials very intentionally and make works of art with the light.

Bonus - Favorite contemporary architecture: Traditional methods

As we're living in the post-modern times, there's not really unified and specifiable styles or architectural ideologies anymore. They all kinda flow into each other and architects don't organize themselves into clear groups based on style and design philosophy. So it's hard to put into words the style I like in contemporary architecture. There's been growing interest in studying traditional structures and methods, learn from their sustainability and incorporate them into contemporary architecture. They are techniques that have been developed through trial and error on the span of centuries, so we really don't have to reinvent the wheel here. Traditional methods of a given area have also been developed for that area and it's climate, from the materials available there, so they also push us to use local materials. Typically these traditional structures are very simple, often made from solid material, which makes them easier to built without construction error (a huge problem in modern structures), and easier to fix and maintain, when inevitably there is issues. Also they are beautiful, definitely more so that steel and glass. I love solid brick structures, log structures, timber frames, natural stone, rammed earth and all of them, especially when these beautiful materials are left bare.

#architecture #architectural history #historical architecture #history #art history #modern architecture #gothic architecture #brutalism #arts and crafts movement #art nouveau

[ssalballoon]

i wanna get better at art but dont know how to start ^^' whats a good way to get into studying anatomy and improving as an artist? tysm 💗 love your art soso much

more art converts ���� yay!!

i think these asks were sent by different people but they're pretty related + a lot of my advice is the same! so i'll answer these together under the cut (it's so long oh gosh)

ok first of all i'm very flattered that people are asking me for art advice but i'm really not the most equipped person to ask TTOTT I've never been deliberately studious with my art so I feel bad offering advice when I've mostly gotten by with just drawing fanart and ocs a lot... my rate of improvement has therefore been slow, but I've still had an enjoyable learning experience so perhaps from that angle my input may help! i'll mainly refer you to external resources that have helped me

For anatomy + drawing humans:

1) I know I'm not diligent enough to sit down and study muscles, so instead I make it more enjoyable by drawing my favorite characters in a pose that targets the muscles I want to practice! (i default to drawing ppl naked because of this lol) This isn't the most efficient, but it serves as good motivation to get practice in. (honestly a lot of my general art advice has the undercurrent of becoming so obsessed with characters to drive your motivation to draw even when artblocked/ struggling with doubts!)

2) I want to refer you to Sinix's Anatomy playlist! Although Sinix focuses more on digital painting, he gives simplified anatomy breakdowns that include how muscles change shape under different movements/poses, which is crucial for natural human posing. the static anatomy diagrams from Google don't really help for that

3) What's just as important as anatomy is gestures! (especially important if you're used to drawing non-human objects I think!) Making figures look like they have flow to them will sell the "naturalness"(?) to your anatomy. If you have in person life drawing sessions accessible near you I'd recommend trying those out, or if you prefer trying it digitally there's this website!

This helps you not only get a sense of human proportions, but also natural posing! I'd limit the time taken to draw the poses from like 10 seconds to 1 minute(?) for quick gestures, and maybe 1 minute to 5mins(for now!! typically they go much longer) to study human proportions. I'd say don't spend a lot of time on them, repetition is more important!

4) I've also picked up on useful anatomy tidbits from artists online! Looking at how practiced/ professional artists stylize a body helps me focus on what the essential details are to convey a particular form (looking up "human muscles" and being hit with anatomy diagrams full of all the smallest details can be overwhelming! what do you even focus on?! so these educated simplifications really help me) Like Emilio Dekure's work! Look how simplified these figures are, and yet contain all the essential information to convey the sense of accurate form (even though it's highly exaggerated!)

(shamefully admits I've never studied from actual anatomy books so I can't recommend anything in that sense TTOTT)

For general improvement:

1) I highly recommend Sinix's Design Theory playlist and Paintover Pals! (+ his channel in general) You don't have to put them immediately into practice, but I think these are good fundamental lessons to just listen to and have them in the back of your mind to revisit another day. Plus these videos are just fun and very approachable! Design theory fundamentals are essential to creating appeal and directing a viewer's attention, and critiquing others' work/ seeing his suggestions are a good way to practice noticing areas of improvement+ solutions yourself!

2) If you prefer a more formal teaching resource, the Drawabox YouTube course covers all the basic fundamentals of drawing in short lessons. But honestly if I were starting out, this would be a little intimidating for me (and even now it still is! I haven't done all of them) But even if you don't watch them, the titles should give you an idea of the basic concepts that are valuable to pick up. I think it would be nice to keep in mind and revisit once in a while as you learn!

(One lesson I do encourage you to watch is the line control one! A confident continuous line conveys motion and flow much better compared to discontinuous frayed lines which I think is good to practice early by drawing from the wrist and shoulder)

3) As a universal piece of advice: Please please please use references! Use a reference for literally everything, observing is how we learn! You'll find that a lot of things you thought you knew what they looked like are inaccurate by memory alone. Also, trace! This is solely for your practice, tracing then freehanding has helped me grasp proportions when I was struggling! (of course don't post these online if you traced from art)

I've found that being able to compile references into easy to access boards has been very helpful in encouraging me to use references more. For PC, I think they use PureRef (free/pay what you want), and for iPad I use VizRef. VizRef is a one time purchase (which was definitely worth the $3.99 USD price imo)

4) On that note, try building up the habit to observe from media + real life and make purposeful comments about what you see! Like hey, when I bend my knee, the muscles/fat in my thighs and calves bulge outwards, I should draw that next time. Purposeful observation carries over to your overall visual library, and it's a little thing that adds up over time

5) For motivation, get into media you really enjoy, or make your own characters! The way I started art more seriously was by drawing fanart + OCs from anime that I liked ^^ For OCs it really encourages you to draw more because you're the primary creator of their art! Also you gotta see a lot of good art to make good art! Watching visually appealing media (like animation with appealing stylization/simplification) can passively help you learn just by observation.

ok wow I could go on but this is already a lot of information TTOTT my main aim for this reply is basically: don't let anything discourage you from learning to draw!! drawing is so fun and brings me a lot of joy ^^ practicing often will of course help you improve, and the way to incentivize that is by having fun with it! i hope this could help!💞

#my asks #art resources #trying to be concise n failing #i'm mainly worried that like. my art tips make me sound more skilled than my art actually is

[ancientgoddessofegypt]

THE GIRL IS A SWAN : THE SYMBOLISM OF BEAUTY & MAGIC. BEAUTY TIPS & MORE

Every girls dream is to be as pretty & elegant as the swan.

I want to go in deeper about the perception and symbolism of the swan, which is my inspiration for this post I'm making.

The swan is a symbol of beauty through the enactment of gentleness, creative expression, femininity and grace. In this post, my focus is based on the spirituality of beauty, grace, and the prospering of the divine feminine code. The beauty that is Venus, and that Venusian power is full of love, compassion, & understanding. It is imcomparable to other forms of its nature. And has been a blessing to humanity for ages.

The beauty tips I want to express to everyone is through the art of creating a new look and flow for yourself. How the divine essence that you carry can express itself through the power of grace, and doesn't need to be tainted by outside forces.

The swan is a symbol of methamorphasis. Have you ever seen a baby swan grow into itself? Or have you ever heard of the story 'The Ugly Duckling?' Transformation is a theme when dealing with our looks because it's always growing, changing, and trends around beauty are constantly moving. Always on to the next big thing, but one thing that will always stay true is that vibration and energy never lies. And even if beauty and the standards around it change, it doesn't mean that you have to.

So with that being said, let's get into some beauty tips and embracing some swan magic !

Start slow.

There is never a need to rush, darlings. The gentleness that is needed to pamper ourselves is to simply bask into every bit of experience that is left throughout the day. When we force ourselves to rush into an experience, we are taking away from its pure beauty. And that itself is exhausting. If there is one thing that I've learned throughout my years, is that to fully comprehend the energy that is displaying itself all around us is to simply stop, and enjoy the show. The swan is never seen rushing.. even when flying it shows forth its magnificence through its slow burning movements. Its wings carry a force by simply taking it's time. Not trying to speed through anything.

When it comes to beauty, and applying makeup or putting on our clothes, what's the rush? Do you take your time to put things together? To find something worth meaning, authenticity or do you occasional rush from time to time. This works for some but not everyone, being spontaneous is sometimes out of the swan's reach. But for you, it's not always bad. However.. it needs a little bit of thought. And that shouldn't be a problem.

When it comes to our hair, our clothes, our skin, and anything in between we gotta first come to terms with what is it that makes us feel good. The art of taking your time is a sensual grace that can become a powerful force.

Expressing your divine femininity.

Okay, so first off. Let's talk about divine femininity not always being about the most girliest things. Dresses, makeup, lashes, heels. All these things don't make for a feminine individual. It simply has no filter.

So what those this mean? When it comes to your self expression, the power of your creativity is through the act of emotion. The way you flow into the room and make your presence known is your feminine flow. But again, it has nothing to do with being 'girly', you simply just have to walk the walk.

When expressing our divine femininity, it can be through an outlet of some form. If its fashion, cool. If its dance, great. If it's your speech, even better. All in all, practice expressing your femininity through what you love most. That's how the world see's your beauty, through embracing your divine feminine energy in the way you see fit is all that matters.

Always. Stay. Calm.

Swans are notorious for being peaceful, and aren't too prone to being aggressive. Now I'm not saying you can't tell a mf off, but please be discreet. Not everyone deserves it. It's time to start easing yourself into a more relaxing aura. Be cool. Be smart. And stay to yourself. If someone tries to get you out of character just know its them and not you. Some things are better left unsaid, and to be honest with you, some things are just beneath you. It is what it is.

Enjoying The Experience

Being in the now is always perfect timing. You could've been anywhere else, but you're right here. Where you need to be.

Enjoying the moment is all we have in this lifetime, not getting too caught up with whatever is outside of you, and focusing on whats within and around you. It's an art to being in the present, and just taking in the joy of the reality you set foot in. How more magical can it get? It starts with you.

And now, my favorite part of the post. Is getting into the metaphysics of this animal symbolism.

If you believe in animal spirits, and the energy they symbolize then hey, this is for you. Glad you could make it :)

The Swan's Magic

So what I want to start off by expressing is that everything has a vibration. Energy is everything and nothing at the same time. And what I want to express to you guys is that with swan magic increasing into the forefront it means to creatively express your unique senses in every part of your finger tips. Your presence is an authentic source of creation and the flow that you carry is an artform in itself. I said this before but differently, I just need y'all to get it into your school. You are a masterpiece, a canvas, an ocean of art, life, & beauty. You gotta feel that. And own it.

So when I speak about the vibration of swans, it's more of a dark force that can be deeply felt but not easily meant to be explored.

We're not meant to be fully perceived in all our glory. A Muse's beauty is meant to be on a pedestal and to be seen in all her light, what's most alluring about her always stays in the shadows for the right people to see. Most will never be able to see her true light, its a treasure. That's what being a goddess is primarily about.

The vibration focuses on etherealism. A remarkable essence that is built off inspiring others into a calmness, delightful magic. That is the aura of the swan magician. <3

This is a little post on my thoughts on swan magic, and overall embracing the energy that is divinely feminine. I hope you all enjoyed!

#swans #swan spirit animal #swan symbolism #beauty magic #manifestation #feminine energy #divine feminine #witch #tarot #divine expression #deja's blog #beauty blogger #magic

[justlet-melive]

here’s a question :3 uh do you have like any favourite anatomy or reference books/texts. or any tips for doing study’s??

sorry if this is like annoying or weird idk i’ve just been a little obsessed with your art lately. the way you capture shape and movement is so fantastic. you have such a talent for capturing characters personality through visual quirks too. idk like the way you draw ellie tlou is so specific. it’s not exactly on model but it’s kind of better lol. i can instantly tell most of what you need to know about her. same with your recent astarions like idk you’ve just managed to capture a real physicality about him that i think can be hard. idk i’m maybe biased but i think without any exposure to the game you could probably guess how he moves and sounds from your art.

idk uh sorry if this is worded weird i feel like i always do that LOL okay though anyways i adore your art it’s just so distinct. i’d eat it if i could. i’d honestly do a lot to capture even a fraction of the magic you’re creating. okay hope this message finds you well BYE

no need to feel self conscious about doing me a kindness in the form of gratifying to read, thoughtful observations of my fanart!!!!

thank you. very late response because i wanted to respond with some equally thoughtful advice and also let my ego calm down a bit, but..

im 'lazy' and like to keep drawing for fun as easy as possible. So i dont have any reference books hm... You obviously look at art and are able to relay to yourself and others what you saw and felt. thats the skill you should always indulge. looking at all kinds of things youre drawn to and observing why. best ref! (thanks again btw, best feeling being on the receiving end of that. to be... astarion voice: Seen in the Eyes of Another)

I have studied (and continue to do so when i get the chance) figure drawing at my community college, which was a big leap. i ended up focusing a lot on the relationship between the ribcage/pelvis/flow of the spine at that time. still my favorite part of drawing lol. During my most recent artblock i started copying muscle anatomy pages from a Morpho book as a way to keep drawing without a proper fixation. which is great because i also love the weight of flesh :^D

if you'd like my 'woo-woo advice' it's to get lost in the process and less invested in the results. and never be embarrassed. it'll keep you drawing (behind every piece of successful fanart is a mountain of scrap drawings of Fictional Guy #2378 facing 3/4 left.) and its meditative!! cathartic? personally i like to have a song/playlist to keep up the emotion im trying to work out going throughout my drawing session. helps me tell if the expression im drawing feels 'right'

and on the topic of drawing off model--!! Anytime im onto a new character i do spend a few sessions tracing their proportions/copying their models. after i figure out more or less what about their original design makes that Character i like to lose the training wheels. artistic interpretation is more interesting for me to look at and create. and i think it frees you up to better convey a feeling. the more you draw something the more you settle into 'what works' but i never set out to draw the same way twice! usually never anyway

thank you again for taking time to observe my drawings, and relaying back what you saw and felt. it honestly makes my day(s) to the point i almost feel guilty about it

#i am not a succinct person #my real advice is just have the same fanart drawing hobby for ur entire life

[tomiyeee]

Genshin Character Design Notes

wanted to write down some stuff i’ve noticed while studying genshin character designs for my rottmnt au in case anyone could find them useful for their own crossovers/ocs.

these are not hard and fast rules as much as they are simple observations and patterns i’ve seen across characters. i am by no means telling people how to design their characters!! these are just things that i personally try to keep in mind while designing and wanted to share for those who are interested.

sorry it’s long, i’m obnoxiously meticulous and wordy 😔

5-star characters will almost always be using their burst in their wish art and the effects will usually take up half or more of the space. many will either have an almost solid background and/or ground to stand on. an exception to both of these would be klee which could be due to her being made very early in development.

4-star characters can be using either their skill or their burst and their effects will usually be pretty minimal with much more empty space around the character. effects are also much more generic save for some talent-specific visuals like sucrose’s butterfly or xingqiu’s swords. even the 4-stars with more complex art look basic next to 5-stars with similar effects (ex: chongyun/eula, xinyan/dehya, candace/tartaglia).

all of the archons so far have had their nation’s scenery incorporated into their wish art. nahida is possibly an exception as it looks like it’s just her burst, even though the burst itself seems to be based off of sumeru’s architecture, but this could also be due to her being isolated compared to the other three.

i feel like this one’s a given but long loose/draping fabrics and dangling ornaments are basically a requirement. this game has gorgeous cloth physics and they very much like to use that to their advantage in their designs.

also the characters’ movements and combat style often play a part in how they are dressed, especially in regards to the cloth physics. characters with quicker and more active movements, like sword users or those with more energetic personalities, have smaller capes, wear pants/shorter skirts, and overall have fewer loose fabrics to obscure those fast movements; their clothing/silhouette tends to hug closer to the body. meanwhile characters that have less movement and/or are more elegant, like catalysts, will have longer skirts or other long clothing items that accentuate those types of movements better. there are no strict rules for this one, but in general the clothing should complement how the character moves, not work against it.

most characters will have a very unique hair style/coloration (yelan, dehya, xiao) or they will have hats/hair ornaments (shogun, shenhe, childe) and many will have both. either way, their hair and head is an important point to add visual interest.

this one’s kind of specific, it’s just a fun thing i noticed: there are very few characters, if any, without a high collar, choker, or otherwise covered neck. i guess they don’t really like leaving the neck exposed lol.

basically this entire video has a ton of very good observations, but the main thing i keep in mind from it is that characters will “always have an appealing view from behind” since that’s how they are primarily viewed by the player during gameplay. characters in most other series will have a backside of their design that basically gets the job done and not much else. but genshin takes care to have a back view that is just as unique as the front. skirts and capes will have their own unique silhouette and flow. clothing cut, fabric patterns, and accessories will create shapes that are just as eye-catching as those in the front. they are basically almost their own unique character design, completely independent of what’s going on in the front.

the legs tend to act as a sort of “break” for the eyes, especially when viewed from the front. not counting skirts, the legs will usually have less patterning and/or darker, more subdued coloration compared to the torso. many characters will have bare legs or plain colored stockings or pants with large amounts of blank space/simple patterning.

some will have brighter colors or noticeable patterns compared to other characters, but it is almost never the main point of interest in the overall design. ex: yelan, shenhe, and albedo all have very ornate leggings/pants, but at first glance it’s generally drowned out by the brighter colors + higher contrast shapes on their torso.

some characters like razor, noelle, and heizou are exceptions to the pants rule. in these cases, the legs serve to simply balance out the design. razor and heizou’s brighter colors add interest to an otherwise simple and almost monochromatic design and noelle’s armored legs make her feel sturdy and more ornate, fitting for a knight. they are detailed enough to enhance the design, but not enough to take away focus from the upper body.

since the characters spend a lot of time running, climbing, etc, their legs are never completely covered/obscured. skirts, if not split, are knee-length at most. otherwise their animations would probably be a clipping nightmare.

pattern placement is very intentional on every part of the character. fabric patterns will generally follow the cut of the fabric so as not to interrupt the “flow” of the design. repeatable/tileable patterns are almost non-existent, except to add texture to a small area like the scales on zhongli’s coat, dark patterns on sara’s skirt, and glittery star-like textures on parts of several characters’ outfits.

(this one is very iffy and better left to your own judgement, but..) asymmetry is common, but not necessary. in fact, most characters’ silhouettes are pretty symmetrical; the asymmetry is more often in the smaller details like patterns or ornaments/accessories than anything else. more noticeable asymmetry is usually in angled/layered skirts (ningguang, faruzan, barbara) and one-sided capes/sashes (kaeya, alhaitham, wanderer), while the cut of the “base” outfit is otherwise symmetrical. the asymmetry in these designs is noticeable because it is used well, not just often. exceptions to this (namely yoimiya and tighnari) are usually going for a specific look that fits the character’s personal and cultural background and their personality.

aaaand that’s about all i can think of at the moment. i’m sure a lot more research and thought goes into these designs than what is listed here, but i am just one non-professional artist and i am far from knowing all the ins and outs of mihoyo’s design process 😔 these are just a few of the (purely surface-level) visual observations i’ve made while making my turtle au lol.

#genshin impact #equishit #long post #rise genshin au #reference #if any of these seem weirdly specific.. #it is generally bc i ran into a problem regarding that thing in particular while doing my designs #like the head/hair point isn't usually notable since anime hair is already pretty wild to begin with #but. the turtles are bald. and i realized that was what was throwing me off fjdsklfjsdk #also if i seem weirdly invested in the designs of this game it's just because i am very passionate about character design #and this game has some of the best i've seen #(at least according to my tastes)

[molinaskies]

I Love You - Come With Me

46k words

There’s no “me,” anymore. In a way, there’s only “Sonic the Hedgehog,” and that hedgehog, somehow, isn’t me.

I keep telling myself that I’m zipping around the world with Amy because she needed a break and she wanted to get away from a desk and that all of this is for her, but is that entirely true? I guess it’s a symbiotic situation–-it’s not like I’m not enjoying myself–-but she needed this more than me… Right?

What if when Sonic asks Amy to go with him on an adventure, she says yes? They’ve always been inseparable kindred spirits, but what exactly makes their bond so unique, and where do they make each other stronger?

This is my Sonamy Thesis. This is that story.

I Love You - Come With Me: FF.net

I Love You - Come With Me: AO3

Surprise! I made cover art! Hehe ✨

Two years ago, I wrote I Love You - Come With Me as the cap to my “Summer of Sonic,” where I’ve revisited and fallen back in love with this franchise, this relationship, and these characters, as individuals. I feel like I’ve really grown to understand the nuance of SONIC, the kid and the franchise. This, to me, is my Sonamy and Sonic Thesis - THIS is why these characters are poetry in motion, and THIS is why Sonic is a beautiful character.

This is technically set in the IDW universe, but I don’t find that information all that important to the story. There aren’t any major spoilers, no IDW exclusive characters come up beyond brief mentions, and you don’t need to be caught up over there for any part of this to make sense. Some minor plot points and locations are referenced, but most of the locations are original. “Inspired” might be a better word than “set.”

I’m touched to say that my work has impacted so, so many of you ♥️ you all have giving me an fun, kind space to share in the thing I love the most, so thank you all for being you!

Chapter One - “I Love You” - Below

“I love you, Sawn.”

In front of her small suburban home in Central City, Amy’s lips curl into a small, shy smile. The rays of the setting sun illuminate her face, showcasing the soft blush that tints her cheeks. Her right hand fiddles with the gold bracelet adorning her left wrist, and while she’s certainly trying to fight it, she slowly shifts her weight from one heel to the other. I might not’ve noticed if the fabric of her dress didn’t flow with her movements.

Amy, despite her affectionate streak, doesn’t say those words often. She doesn’t need to say them because she knows that I know how she feels.

I just wish I knew what to say back.

I know what my response is, but something about saying it makes my throat clamp shut, my quills stand on end, and my mind shut down.

So, I stand here, tongue-tied and flustered, staring into those sparkling jade eyes—eyes that haven’t sparkled in months.

Whenever we’ve seen each other recently, which has become increasingly rare over the better part of a year, she either hasn’t slept in days or is in the middle of something: paperwork, preparing for an outreach mission, a well-deserved power nap on the Restoration lobby sofa—something. Whenever I want to check on her, the headquarters in Emeraldville is always my first and only stop. I haven’t seen her outside of the building in weeks.

Today, though, she found me in Tails’ workshop—she just walked right in and called my name. I all but jumped out of bed and down the stairs because I thought something was wrong. But no—she just winked, said she has some free time, and told me to walk her home.

All the way, she’s been her bubbly, witty, silly self, again. It’s been a long time since this much of her attention’s been on nothing but me. It’s intimidating. It’s… nice.

“Then, come with me,” I say. With half-lidded eyes and a smile that doesn’t quite radiate the warmth I feel inside, I extend a hand to her. “Let’s follow the wind and see where we go.”

Amy’s wide eyes dart between my face and my open hand. She takes the smallest step and extends her hand, but just when her fingers graze mine, she rips them and her gaze away.

“I… I don’t know,” she whispers. My smile falters, but I keep my hand outstretched. More to herself than anyone, Amy continues. “I can’t leave if I’m needed here.”

My face softens at her admission. Selfless to a fault.

“Well, how’s Jewel settling under the Restoration crown?” I ask. Amy snorts to herself.

“Like a natural,” she says. “She’s a better lead organizer than I was.”

“Does the Restoration need any extra hands?” I ask.

“Well, no.” Amy pauses. “We’ve gotten a new wave of volunteers.”

“And how are the Rabbits doing?”

“…Cream and Vanilla are fine.” Amy glances away, biting back her smile.

“Then, you’ve clearly worked your magic here,” I whisper as I close the gap between us and take her hand in mine. “Come with me, Ame. Take some time to yourself and come with me.”

Amy’s gaze meets mine again, and I can’t look away as she intertwines our fingers.

“Okay.”

#sonic the hedgehog #amy rose #sonamy #sonic #sonic fanfiction #sonic fanart #my art #sonic canon #idw sonic #sonic games #sonic comics #sonic and Amy #sonic x amy #sonic trauma #sonic pov #i love you come with me #molinaskies #sth #sonic characterization #sonic character analysis #sonic mega #character analysis #romance #hurt and comfort #friendship #fanfiction art #fan art #amy rose the hedgehog #I love you come with

[illustratedartist]

Do you have any advice on drawing bodies? Or any advice for drawing in general?

So I combined these two questions, since they're pretty much the same, I hope no one minds, and thank you so much for the questions!!

ART TIPS! 

DISCLAIMER: These are just MY opinions and what I typically do and in NO WAY certain rules you have to strictly follow. Art is about having fun and expressing yourself! <3 ALSO ALL ART IN THIS IS MINE THAT I DREW THANK YOU

One thing I started doing about a couple years or so ago is the Silhouette test! Its a huge help when it comes to making poses, because you want the viewer to see what’s happening clearly.

Its also a GREAT way to check if characters look different enough from one another, and be able to tell who is who! Its a common practice when making characters and having a lineup of them! Take my rouge designs for example!

Another great tip for me at least was using the GREYSCALE over an artwork to see the values, as well as limit my color choices. Its always good to see a large variety of shades in an artwork, because it breaks things up easier for the viewers, and overall helps with dimension in an artwork!

Of course you don’t have to do this, but its a life saver when checking for your light sources, and making sure everything matches up nicely. While also helping to make sure the things you want as the focus dont get lost! Having a limited color palette can also help with making sure things don't gettoo complicated! You don't want the viewer to get overwhelmed with what they’re looking at and losing track of the focal point!

A good way to get some more flow into an artwork is through the LINE OF ACTION. Which is just an invisible line you can draw through a character and clearly see what they are doing, and see the MOVEMENT in it! 

(I could of done something a bit differently here with Knuckles' arm to help with the flow better ^^")

Its super useful and adds a lot of life to a still image, and its always good to try and push yourself with different lines of actions as well! (Something I myself have to improve on haha!) I always like to think of my artwork as taking a picture of something happening in the moment, it helps me with coming up with more interesting compositions!

These are just a few examples I could think of on the fly, I could go on and on, but I'd probably never answer it this at that rate LMAO!

But remember art is FUN and you should enjoy what you create. of course you should learn the fundamentals, and do studies as well, and ALWAYS have references nearby! But its up to you on how you do that, or when :) Always try to push yourself bit by bit with each new artwork you do, it doesn't have to be something HUGE. But you should see yourself learning something with each artwork you do!

I hope I helped in some way! I'm not a professional, and there is still so much I have to learn as well. But its not a race, and everyone's art journey is going to be different.

#asked n answered! #art tips #art resources #crash bandicoot #batman #undertale #super mario bros #MY ART #Please feel free to ask more questions!

[janearts]

How do you get your art/character interactions to be so expressive and organic? I've loved your art and ocs for years and keep coming back once in a while to skim through your Dragon Age and Elder Scrolls art to get inspired, so I wondered if you did specific art studies to get to where your art is right now?

Thank you for the compliment! I've got three answers (or exercises) for you and you can take them as you like 'em underneath the cut.

They are in order from Most Annoying to Most Pleasing.

The Noble Still Life

My parents threw me into art classes at around 6 years old. I don't mean to imply that that somehow makes me a better artist out of the gate--it truly doesn't--but it does mean that I've been doing still life studies for a sad but significant portion of my life. And as much as I hate drawing stupid fruit arranged with other stupid shit on stupid pieces of fabric, still life studies were really helpful across the board and especially with developing a sense of how shit works. ... Even if I go on to blissfully ignore what I've learned and draw fabric folds however the hell I want and put shadows wherever I damn well please.

The Ye Olde Master Study

As part of secondary school, we were also trotted out to local museums and parks and whatnot and told to just... have at it. So a lot of my sketchbooks from that time are filled with studies of library-lion-this and portrait-of-supposedly-important-man-that. Then, back in class, we were asked to imitate the old masters. Old Masters studies are really fucking fun and some of my favourite commissions have started out with phrases like "Can you recreate this Benjamin Constant painting but with my character as Empress Theodora?" or "How about a different Constant painting of Theodora?" I also do master-ish studies with my own digital paintings, like this one of Samson and this one of Bree. I think it's a fun exercise because it pushes me out of my comfort zone even if the end result doesn't look all that sophisticated or much like the original.

The Desperate Scribbles of the Human Form~

I should put gesture drawings and anatomy studies before master studies because in theory you need to know how to draw bodies before you start trying to paint in imitation of Caravaggio. (Now that I think about it, a deep knowledge of fruit is also essential to Caravaggio... but I digress.) In my art class, gesture drawings were more about flow and movement than it was about your unnerving ability to draw an elbow. Our teachers broke us using the Boiling Frog Technique, which was to say that they lulled us into a false sense of security by allowing us to sketch the person modelling for 10 minutes. Then 5 minutes. Then 3 minutes. Then 2 minutes. Then 1 minute. Then 30 seconds because they were sadists. It is unfortunately an effective way of teaching 1) how bodies move and 2) how to capture the essence of a pose rather than the strict reality of it.

But I really like anatomy studies and I really, really like drawing hands. And more hands. And even more hands. And then some more hands just in case. And then, just to shock and surprise everyone, a torso. A good chunk of my sketchbook is just me drawing faces and hands and eyeballs and hands and faces and sometimes feet when I can't remember how ankles work.

Other Weird Tips That Don't Quite Count As Studies:

If you don't wanna sketch in a museum or go to a park or stare at a stranger's ankles to figure out how ankles work, then go pull up fantasy stock photos on DeviantArt or take a photo of yourself and then get to sketching. That's what I do!

Watch a shitton of animated films. There's a fluidity & theatricality to how characters move in animated films that I love. Sometimes it seems like every inch of the character is expressing the emotion they're feeling. I find it personally inspirational even if I feel like gnawing off my own hand every time I attempt to draw my own frame-by-frame animation.

Study film. I studied film very, very briefly and a wee snippet of that was studying storyboards (as in: in library, with book) and doing some storyboard art projects (as in: at desk, with sketchbook). I treat every comic I do as if I was storyboarding the animated scene from the disjointed animated film in my brain and then polish it up to make it more readable/enjoyable.

Hope that helps!

#asks #anons #jane tut tuts #janeopines #gUH I MISS SKYRIM #and DA #should...draw...again...for them...

[kindlyanni]

hi, i hope you're well today.

i watched your sketchbook tour video on yt (from like 2 days ago) and so, i wanted to try to ask for advice, if you want to give it ofcourse, no pressure to.

you see, i love sketces so much, there's just some special beuty about them. i really enjoy seeing artists' sketches, including yours, ofcourse. i love seeing them on tumblr & yt.

also, even though i'm 26, i'm a COMPLETE begginner at drawing. i'm struggeling with the basic boxes-in-correct-perspective things, drawing faceless heads and motionless torsos, and.. yea, that's it. i know practice is the only way to advance in drawing, but i can't bring myself to. i see artists like you filling your sketchbooks with characters you're passionate about and honestly that's all i've ever wanted to be able to do, but i literally don't have the ability to do so.

just to be clear, i'm not asking you how to motivate myself to draw. the thing is, even though people are telling me that maybe it's not meant to be and i should give up, some insane part of me refuses to let this dream go. my question to you, as someone who somehow got there, is: do you think it's doomed? do you think that me struggeling so much with the drawing itself AND the motivation, means i won't be able to do it? do you think if i'm not having fun with it now, than i'll never get to a point where it will?

it might sound dumb, but it's a thing i'm nervous about. and after seeing your sketchbook, filled with so much characters and stories that i could see are so dear to your heart and so fun for you to draw, i'd love to hear (read) youe 2 scents about it, if you're willing to share. again, no pressure to.

thanks in advance, though.

Hi there Anon!

I'mma be frank and honest here: "maybe it's not meant to be and you should give up" is the absolutely stupidest thing someone can say to you. What the hell?? Dear Anon, if you feel even the tiniest bit of "I want to draw" then you should draw. You don't have to be good at drawing to draw, that's what's great about it. Anyone can find something to draw with and something to draw on. And just draw. If the act of drawing scratches some itch for you, then that's all you need. It doesn't mean it has to be fun all the time, though. Sometimes I can't get part of the drawing right, or even the whole drawing! Sometimes I hate what I finished drawing. Sometimes I want to draw but nothing comes out. But the itch is still there, it doesn't go away completely. You say it's your dream, then you should follow it. Everyone starts somewhere, and it's never too late too start. It's never too late. When you're dead it's too late.

If you don't feel the itch for drawing anymore, then you know it's time to move on to other things. And that's okay too, and it's not giving up. And don't let anyone else tell you that you should give up, if it is your passion.

In case you have sketchbook anxiety, don't think a sketchbook has to be one big art piece with each page something instagram worthy. I know it's become a thing where artists share their sketchbooks on social media and it's so Aesthetic™ that it's giving anxiety and pressure for everyone to have a sketchbook that pretty, but it really doesn't have to. You don't have to show it to anyone. Or you don't have to even have a sketchbook. Draw on random paper and put them in a folder. I did that for ages. The ones I use now aren't really sketchbooks either, but sketch pads with spirals. And those work the best for me. I have a few books but I haven't finished any of them.

If stiff figures is your issue, I suggest figure/life drawing as practice. Drawing tutorials about boxes and circles and proportions can only get you so far. Gather images of people in different poses. Dancing is really good for this. Sports too. And the less clothes the better. Draw what you see. Do it in 1 minute, 2 minutes, 5... Focus less on getting details right and more on the flow, the movement of the body. Tracing the image is lower effort and not as beneficial, but it still helps get the idea of how things are shaped and connected etc. And remember you don't have to show these practice drawings to anyone.

I know thanks to social media there's this pressure to show everything you make. But you really don't have to, if it makes you nervous. When I started drawing, we didn't have tumblr, twitter, ig or facebook. I drew a shit ton! I bought so many drawing pads, and no one has seen most of what's in there. I drew for myself. I had a webcomic idea and I drew so much of the characters and what would happen with them in the comic. I've drawn So. Much. And just recently I'm at a point where I can show my entire sketchbook to the entire internet. I wouldn't have done that maybe like 6-8 years ago. And I still skip some pages I don't want to show, for one reason or another. And that's fine.

Gosh, this became a longer reply than I intended. I hope it helps! Find that thing that makes you want to draw. For me it was the story I wanted to make and the characters for it (I started the webcomic but never finished it lmao). For you it can be your OCs, or some other characters, it can be a pet or a band you really like, it can be Nicholas Cage, or flowers, or anything! Find the itch and scratch it real good.

Let me share a drawing of mine from 20 years ago (I was 16):

#black and red stabilo88's were my best friends #everyone starts somewhere and it's never too late to start #or continue where you left off #draw whatever you want however you want whenever you want #there's no wrong way to draw #I could start artist affirmation image blog with these lmao #good luck Anon! #ALSO everyone I know I have a bunch of messages in the inbox waiting and I'm so lazy to reply and I forget!! I'll get to them some day..... #Someone saying to give up drawing made me so furious I had to reply to this right away lmao