#If anyone questions the wonky anatomy... | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

mdhwrites · 1 year

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Since you mentioned it in a recent post, what do you think about TOH having a sympathetic main cast of mostly conventionally beautiful, humanoid characters while still preaching about how 'weirdos have to stick together'? Do you think there's some hypocrisy in how the show handles its less 'cute' characters?

I do think it's hypocritical and that in and of itself is a problem. It's also just really fucking boring and contributes to the problem of it feeding into the fantasy problem of "Our world but with more teeth."

So since I'm going to rip into this creative choice for the rest of this blog, let's first talk about the positives of having a cast that is effectively all humans, especially all good looking ones, instead of demons, monsters, etc. After all, we need to be fair. There's a lot that goes behind these choices and while the Isles has a lot of bizarre designs in the backgrounds, there had to be a point to all of the denizens we commonly interact with looking like generic elves. *flips through notes* *checks some papers* *flips through more notes* It makes fanart easy.

...OKAY FINE! That's only SOMEWHAT hyperbolic. The reason it makes fanart easier is also why it's really easy to just go with a cast of humans. We as a SPECIES inherently trust and connect better with those who look like ourselves, for better and mostly worse. This can be as specific as skin color and as abstract as simply the human form. Yes, for people like me who are proud monster fuckers, this line blurs but for common Joe Shmoe, they're going to want someone who looks fairly normal if they're going to get really invested.

Worse yet is if you look at modern cartoons. Bare minimum, Molly McGee and Amphibia. Yes, SOME people in those fandoms will draw the frogs and Scratch... But they ALL draw the trios of human characters. And yes, shipping matters here but I've also seen a good number of Amphibia artists just admit to spending way too much figuring out how to draw Sprig because the anatomy is wonky enough to make you question yourself. If they're all humans, you can still get by just fine with your normal style and lessons that most art books are going to teach you.

This isn't even untrue from a writing perspective. Just a cultural shift (and yes I'm calling myself out on this) can be enough to throw you WAY out of your comfort zone for how to write a character besides token elements like food. Throw in entirely different anatomy, skill sets inherent to biology, weaknesses similarly inherent to that biology, and you start to have a lot more questions you need to ask for a very basic level understanding of a character. Which seems like a good transition point to talking about the monstrous denizens of TOH. Specifically that there is ONE 'monster' in The Owl House main cast and that is King.

...

Can you tell me what the fuck is special about King? Besides being short and fluffy, his differing anatomy effectively NEVER comes into play. His magical blasts are practically replicated by Raine whistling. Make him an 8 year old elf child and the only thing you lose is his ancestry. Not his heritage, his ANCESTRY. That's pretty fucking weak.

Edit: Someone on Twitter pointed out to me that King's design is effectively just a furred Cubone and I hate knowing this.

Otherwise, the only inhumane thing about him is that they make him a dog. Which, you know... isn't exactly going very far down on the spectrum of likability for most people. In fact, this technique isn't anywhere near new. Toothless is just a giant cat and I love him for it but I wouldn't blame anyone who looked at the How to Train Your Dragon Dragons and went "I wish they acted like dragons." Because... They don't? They have the designs and move sets of dragons but most of their temperament is far more cat like, down to having dragon nip and being distracted by reflected light.

King is also the only foreground deviation for the protagonists. As I said when I first mentioned this, you can't even really go with Willow being heavier set. She is pretty much the textbook definition of "More to love" seeing as her being slightly heavier just gives her a softer design than the rest of the characters instead of being anywhere close to unappealing like one of Mabel's friends in Gravity Falls is. You're supposed to look at Willow and go "I bet she gives really good hugs" and that's about it. Her weight, much like her ethnicity frankly, is hardly what you're supposed to think about with her design besides basic contrast.

And she's still better than the rest of the cast who are models. Including Luz for that matter. Now the show's style doesn't lend itself well to distinguishing how pretty a character is besides their reactions from a different character... But it can also absolutely do ugly. And no one in this main cast is ugly. You want a NASTY scar, you're gonna have to look elsewhere than the tatted up teenage boy and the girl who has a little flair on one of her eyebrows. One is meant to look cool, the other is still the same job while also being slight enough not to embellish the main face too much.

Amity and Eda though are explicitly in text stated as REALLY PRETTY. Like model pretty from how people react to them. Yes, one of these people is Luz's girlfriend but literally any acknowledgement of her looks is more than Gus, Willow or any of the villains (especially positively) are given. Not even Odalia who is the best case against this argument. But, you know, those are Amity's genes running through Odalia. She's not gonna be ugly because then how are all of the Blight Children ready for a Vogue cover shoot?

And here's the thing: In most media, this isn't really a problem. People like attractive people and there's nothing wrong with that. I know people want more representation and they are right to want that but also most media is a fantasy of some sort. Especially for a basic wish fulfillment isekai like TOH, a really pretty harem is packaged explicitly into the fantasy because who doesn't want hot magical beings saying they're the best?

Except then there's the line of "Us Weirdos Gotta Stick Together," or the fact that Luz is stated to be bullied (but didn't actually look out of place amongst the cheerleaders or drama kids), or the fact that TOH theoretically peddled early on a Fantasy vs. Reality theme. It is a show that is meant to CELEBRATE the Other and be challenging to those who are commonly seen as better... But the Other isn't present. When they are... They're villains. Belos is the only character with a curse that doesn't make them pretty. It's really gruesome what the curse does to him, even before he becomes a full monster. Contrast that with Eda who sprouts feathers and that's really it? Then you have Tibbles, who is a literal pig, the evil publisher who is a lizard, the monster hunters who are orcs effectively, Warden Wrath who is a homunculus? There isn't actually a clear inspiration directly for him besides 'monster' which is part of why he's one of the best one off villains of the series. The closest to a protagonist monster is Hooty which the series goes out of its way to make most people mock, outright hate and/or be actively repulsed by him, especially if it's a character we're supposed to care about.

When it comes to the villains, there are two who stand out as prettier than the rest and they both have direct connections to the main cast. In fact, to Amity. Odalia who I talked about earlier and Boscha. I guess Matt if you want to count him but as far as looking like a basic ass bitch goes, you don't get much more basic than Matt without bleaching his skin. Boscha on the other hand's prettiness is pretty much the best argument we had before she was given a half assed redemption that she was going to be redeemed. Why else make her so much prettier than everyone else? Unless it was just fueled by "She is going to be next to Amity a few times and a Blight wouldn't interact with anyone too... alternative." None of Amity's friends are more monstrous than a third eye after all and that doesn't really hold Boscha back all that much. Frankly, it probably saved her from large forehead jokes akin to what Amity gets since they both have hairstyles that pull their hair back and that's a problem for the show's style.

What does all of this mean? Well, it means in a show that is trying to lift up those who feel like they don't belong, it's still reinforcing standard beauty ideals of society. Worse yet, it just kind of discredits that Luz meets ANY outcast. I wouldn't have called my friends in High School ugly of course but were any of us ready for the runway? Of course not. We didn't take care of ourselves right for that or just didn't have the right genes for it.

Because let's face it: The eyeball head girl was NEVER going to be a main character. And that's... also really boring. The fact that witches are just elves but without any of the culture, long lifespans (as far as we know) etc. like that is also just really boring. And for a fantasy show, especially one that pitches in the first episode that ANY folk tale we have originated here, that's not good. Especially since even if they look like elves, you could have still at least TRIED to make them interesting with things like the bile sac but that's a throwaway joke to the writers. And the saddest thing is... If you're a person who LIKES weird characters, or actually embraces their weirdness and so doesn't need to be told they'll have a Victoria Secrets model as a wife... What is TOH gonna do for you? Or for anyone who doesn't want designs that are less interesting and less unique than even Danny Phantom's. And that's from fucking Butch Hartman who is not exactly known for being a top tier artist. Like SAM as a goth is more alternative (especially for when the show first aired) than fucking ANYONE in the main cast of TOH. And that show debuted ALMOST TWENTY YEARS AGO. And Valerie even had a similar bodytype to Willow but with WAY more personality!

Now I'm just thinking about all the shows I grew up with like Total Drama Island that had so much fun with even their pretty boy designs. That's frankly my biggest issue. The pretty problem in TOH IS bad thematically. Above all else though... it's just boring. Boring and lazy. How these characters look don't mean ANYTHING to them. It doesn't say much about them, the show or anything else.

They're pretty just because the creator probably likes making pretty people and I can usually support. I support Yoko Taro after all. But Yoko Taro makes people (or androids which are based off humans). This is fantasy. You can do whatever you want and the TOH crew couldn't be assed enough to even do a demon.

In a world called the DEMON REALM! I think at that point, you need to ask why the fuck they're bothering with it being a fantasy show in the first place, let alone one trying to pitch itself as anything other than basic wish fulfillment.

=======

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead, If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

And finally a Twitter you can follow too!

#TOH Critical #The Owl House Criticism

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astressedartist · 5 months

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Blog #2 - Shoulders and Torso

Well hello again. As stated previously, I am Avalyn (Ava. Fake name for obvious reasons) and it's nice to see you here once more. I hope everyone's been practicing and ready to move forward into further our little body.

So, as I'm sure anyone can see, I've put two parts together; Shoulders and Torso. Why have I done this? I've done this for two reasons.

Torsos and shoulders, as a whole, are connected. To make good looking body/torso, you need to have proportional shoulders.

And,

2. There's a lot to say about both. Mainly torso's, but anyone can say anything about.. anything.

First; shoulders.

Shoulders themselves can be rather tricky. Sometimes one can be too long. Other times too short. Sometimes they're wonky and look really strange/off. For my personal style, shoulder always have a slight slump to them. (See below)

Fairly straightforward. For now, we'll stick with regular arms down and 'flat' so-to-speak.

Before we move onto torsos, I should also point out you'll see circles around the ends of my shoulders. Those are my arm joints. Something we'll touch on later. So don't worry about having them yourselves just yet.

Continuing onto torsos, we start to run into our first few problems. Body shape, proportions, and muscle mass.

Let's deal with body shape and proportions first, they're the easiest right now.

The way I go about body shape is thinking about what type of character I want to make to begin with. For this one, it'll be a medium slim. For this body type, I would start with a very rough and light sketch of the width of the upper body, or chest area.

Then I move down and form the waist.

(This is the area just under the rib cage. Typically seen with dips in the form. In women, it creates a 'Hour glass' figure while in men, it gives the distinction between upper and lower body.)

(Arrows for line shape and movement.)

After that, I make the hips. For woman -and for my style- I make rounded curves with realistic sizes. I tone down the size for men but there is still some bulk to it.

Woman ^

Man ^

And these are shoulders and torsos. Obviously this is only one style. Mine. I cannot really go outside my own and thus, bias is created. Everyone's art and characters are going to be different. And there's nothing wrong with that.

For more references and ways to help, you can try out these two different guides.

For further questions, you can message me directly on Tumblr, or email me at; [email protected]

#artwork #tutorial #traditional art

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weinmanart · 4 years

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What if... Tiger Zoan Zoro?

#Roronoa Zoro #One Piece #Fanart #Colored Pencil #Line Art #My Art #Zoan Zoro #If anyone questions the wonky anatomy...#I was working from a picture of a sculpture #of Lucci in half leopard form #Haha #I think he looks cool as fuck!

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weltonreject · 5 years

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our october traditions.

|| for @zombiebowlcut and their genius mind. boris’s first american halloween. || ao3

Theo heaved two very large, but equally misshapen pumpkins onto the kitchen counter. Boris was staring at the newspaper-- upside, mind you-- and didn’t even notice Theo until he nearly placed a large gourd in his lap.

The newspaper folded down almost perfectly. “What is that?”

“It’s a pumpkin, shithead. We’re going to start decorating for Halloween.”

“What?” Boris furrowed his eyebrows and acted like Theo was speaking in tongues. They hadn’t even started drinking that afternoon; Theo made sure of it. It seemed a bit dangerous if either of them were under any sort of influence. “Decorating?”

“Yeah! I’m going to teach you how to carve a pumpkin.”

“...What?”

Theo ignored Boris’s confusion. “Okay so first, lay out the newspaper on the table while I get a knife or something.” Theo pointed loosely with his hand as he started pulling out kitchen drawers. He pretended he didn’t see the strangely filled sandwich bags and looked only for any useful utensils.

“Knife? To cut?” Boris said, stepping down from the chair. He dug in his pocket before snapping a switch blade out of his dark jeans. If Theo wasn’t looking, he would have mistaken it for his snapping wrist.

“Jesus, Boris. Since when in the fuck did you start carrying that around?”

“Um, got knife... from someone sleeping in my house.” Boris shrugged, turning it in his hand. It was slightly comforting to see the handle sitting somewhat uncomfortably in the palm of Boris’s hand. Of all the things he’d held, it was nice to see a weapon fit the worst.

“...Okay... I’m not gonna touch on that one. Just, um, make sure it’s, uh, clean and then pick your pumpkin.”

Boris flipped the blade in his hand, shrugging at it. Theo began unfolded the newspaper and spreading it over the counter island. He nodded toward Boris, who was still staring at the two pumpkins with indifferent disgust. At Theo’s instruction, again, he suddenly slapped his hand out onto the larger of the two.

“This one.” He said, almost proudly. “Is mine.”

“Do you have any ideas?” Theo had been a fan of the most simple triangular features for his jack-o-lanterns. His mother had always been the one with the artistic hand and the more inventive ideas. She made a bat one year, parts of the cutout left remaining to show the bones and structure of the wings. Theo tried to keep it up well into November, he’d loved it so much.

“Ideas about what, Potter? Have no idea what we are doing. Bring in strange fruits and ask me to pick, then to cut, then to-- ideas, Potter? Have one idea. You have lost mind. Desert has done lot to you. Je-sus.”

“You have to carve something into it, Jackass. You don’t just cut shit out. It’s decoration, not the ER left-overs of a bar fight.”

Boris smirked at him. “What do you know about bar fight? Would never do such a thing.”

“I’ll deck you right now, fuck off.” Theo shoved Boris harshly, forgetting for a moment he had a knife in his hands. Luckily, it clattered onto the table; Boris dropping it the moment Theo stepped up to him. He was more aware of the danger than Theo was. “Think of a face or something to cut out. It’s whatever you want.”

Boris mulled the concept over with surprising thought. He turned his head side to side, flopping his hair back and forth. It was in a matted clump from sleeping in Theo’s bed earlier-- really only getting up a few hours before. His lips pursed before he smacked them and clapped his hands deafeningly loud. It shook Theo enough to remind him to stop staring before Boris turned back to him.

“Have it. Can see it.” Boris reached for the knife.

“Wait! Hold on! You have to carve the top part out first. It’s the lid and how you get all the insides out.”

“Huh?”

“Cut around the stem so you can lift it up and out. Like a lid-- you’re supposed to put candles in jack-o-lanterns. And you can’t do that if it’s got all it’s guts inside.”

Theo thought he’d confused Boris more. But without much preamble, Boris bought the knife down into the top of the pumpkin. Both of his hands gripped the handle of the blade; it was still an uncomfortable object to wield. Thank God.

He practically hung over the pumpkin, trying to get his entire arm into it. Theo felt like he was watching a surgeon discover his love for anatomy.

“Ha! Is like putting hand inside someone.” Boris laughed, his elbow flexing as he moved his arm around. Theo could hear the pumpkin squishing in Boris’s hands, right between his fingers.

“Uck! Boris, that’s gross.”

“Do not mean intestines, Potter.” Boris said wryly, lifting his hand up and rolling his fingers around in the orange, stringy mess.

“EW! That’s fucking gross. That can not be what-- Ew. No. That’s gross. Fuck off.” Theo wanted to gag but didn’t want to look weak; able to handle insurmountable amounts of drugs but not looking at the inside of a pumpkin. Or hearing a possible comparison to some kind of sexual act. No, Theo couldn’t gag at that. Now how would that look.

It was in Theo’s best interest to let the topic go. To act like he and Boris weren’t familiar with what they were dancing around. No, it was better to grab the knife and just keep cutting.

ii.

Boris's pumpkin, in all honesty, looked better than Theo's. It was carved blindly and with half-committed Russian words that half-complimented, half-insulted the face. The eyes were round and wonky, trying to have pupils, but the concept of not completing a cut in order to keep some of the piece hanging in the empty space eluded them both. By the end, the pumpkin had eyes that were wide-open and startled. Unblinking. Refusing to give them any privacy, it seemed.

Theo stood a step farther away from Boris as they admired their work, but he wasn’t sure why. It was just a pumpkin. It was just them.

“I’ll grab some candles when we go out-- we can light them when it gets darker.” Theo said.

“Going where?”

“To the supermarket. We have to get candy.”

“Oh. Okay.” Boris seemed to have an argument, or at least a question, but there was an unfamiliar timidness in his acceptance. He put his hands in his pockets, as if keeping his rebuttal to himself.

“Typically, you don’t get your own candy.” Theo reassured Boris’s presumed knowledge. “We just have no houses for trick-or-treating. So we’re improvising.”

“Plan to do what? Ask for candy at supermarket?”

“No.” Theo laughed. He quickly tried to disguise his mockery of Boris’s naive and honest question. It was finally something Boris had very few and far between ideas about; Theo had to remember these weren’t traditions to Boris, yet. They were still all first iterations, first experiences-- all with Theo. “We’re going to steal some candy. I’ll grab you some, you grab me some. Then we’ll trade whatever we don’t want.”

It wasn’t a gift or favor if it didn’t cost either of them anything. Then again, love never cost anyone anything--

"Trick-or-treat.” Boris repeated, the concept emerging from his own embodiment of the word. “That is-- knock, yes? And the-- word.. ack, what is word, Potter? Over body. Um... Dis-guys?”

“Costume.” Theo blinked and snapped back to Boris’s face. It was no longer soft or amused-- furrowed in his confusion. “You aren’t really hiding from anyone. You don’t need a disguise. Just a costume.”

“Oh. Okay.” Boris held his arms up, looking at his sweater sleeves. “What is costume?”

They didn’t really have the means to be much of anything except maybe different variations of the same hungry children, but Theo quickly tried to come up with something. Boris couldn’t just be the kid who couldn’t afford a costume. "You can be Dracula!” Theo motioned to Boris’s conveniently monochromatic outfit. “That’s perfect! You’re... brooding enough.”

“And teeth!” Boris bared his crooked teeth, nearly perfectly angled for fangs. Almost close enough to bite too--

“You’ll terrorized everyone at the store.”

“Yes, can do that. But who are you?” Boris asked, lifting a weak hand toward Theo. He was in his old, far-rattier, sweater and a pair of slacks from his previous school. “Cannot be scary, Potter.”

"Uh-- hey!” Theo said, pursing his lips. He quickly changed to clenching his jaw; Xandra always pursed her lips or popped her hip. Theo stopped doing both to look more physically upset with Boris.

“You look like... Liberian!”

“... A librarian?” Theo said slowly, trying not to laugh. “Well thanks. I guess, then I can just be... I don’t know. Van Helsing, maybe?” Then we’d match, and we’d belong together in public. “Oh, but then we’d match-- I don’t know if that’s--”

“A victim!” Boris cheered, throwing his arms up and charging at Theo.

For a moment, Theo allowed himself to laugh. He ducked his head to the side-- all but fucking giggling like some little girl-- and letting Boris drop his arms on top of his shoulders. His arms were long and there was still distance. It was strange-- and it was suspicious from the outside, sure-- but it was still safe.

In another moment, one coming way too quickly, Theo felt his stomach try to rise up to his throat. Boris’s one hand braced the side of his neck, while the other looped under his arm and gripped his shoulder. His grip pulled on his clothes, tight but not as frantic as it had been before-- just the night before. The collar of Theo’s sweater moved away, a stitch quietly popping under Boris’s fingers. It made space for Boris’s teeth-- lips-- trying to find their spot on the side of Theo’s neck.

“What the fuck, man. Get off of me!” Theo cried, shoving Boris’s back harshly. He stumbled back but his hands were still on Theo. And he still wanted them to be. “Don’t fucking touch me like that.”

Theo wasn’t sure if he’d intended to slap or punch Boris. Either way, his hand made sharp and heavy contact with Boris’s mouth, his head snapping to the side as he staggered back. Theo readjusted his sweater in the immediate aftermath, his hands trying to echo where Boris’s had been, if only to relish the contact for a moment of imagination.

Boris stood, hunched over, cupping his mouth. “Fucking got me, Potter.” His hand fell away and he was smiling. His lip had split and blood was pooling around the curves of his bottom lip. Boris’s fingers played with the large droplet of sticky crimson guilt. “Ha! Look! Blood, Potter!”

“I-- yeah.” Theo knew better than to say the other forbidden word: sorry.

“Vampire! AH!”

“Yeah. Full vampire.”

Theo wondered, selfishly and disgustingly, what Boris’s teeth would have felt like playfully puncturing his neck and not his knuckles. The forbidden chance had been dangled in front of Theo, temptation grabbing him with a tight grip, and he blew it. Curiosity would be the most promising nightmare.

“Let’s go get some candy, before all the good stuff is gone.”

iii.

Theo scoured the aisle for mixed bags of snappable candy. Boris didn’t like the candy with sticky, chewy, stringy insides. No caramel, nougat, or that chewy coconut shit either. He liked candy that snapped when he bit down. It was something stupid and primal, Theo was sure, but the short, staccato laugh Boris let out when the snack would snap between his front top and bottom teeth was unforgettable-- and that night, desired.

If Theo could get Boris to laugh, to find small, infantile joy eating stolen last minute, sale candy, he’d gotten everything he wanted.

There was a bag of Crunch bars, KitKats, 100 Grand bars, Twix, and Snickers sitting along the sparse bags of sugary, hard candy. Theo grabbed it and tucked it into the inside of his father’s borrow coat. It barely looked like Theo had taken anything-- in fact it made the waistline of the coat fit better. He still had some sleeves to fill.

Theo spotted Boris weaving around the seasonal endcap of the aisle, studying the ways all the familiar candy wrappers were now orange or covered in bats. He pretended to study the nutrition label on the back of a bag as a mother and child walked behind him. The child tried to point at Boris’s split and still-bleeding lip, but the mother paid no attention to Boris. Just like he had no intention of paying for that candy.

Theo left Boris to his operation and wandered down to the oral hygiene aisle. He strolled, with almost adult-like authority, along the rows of expensive electronic toothbrushes until he reached the plastic covered ones that hung on the wall like packaged pens. Theo grabbed a blue one-- with soft bristles, because someone had sensitive enamel from years of eating straight sugar and not gargling after vomiting-- and slipped it up his sleeve.

He sighed, pretending he hadn’t found what he was looking for, and started to head out toward the parking lot again to wait for Boris. Just as he tried to exit the aisle, a worker came around with an arm full of plastic pumpkin baskets. Theo skidded to a halt-- clutching his jacket and the candy-- in lightning fast response.

“Sorry.” Theo said, stepping aside quickly. The worker was frazzled, barely noticing that Theo had even stopped him. The baskets wobbled in his arms, their faces printed just off-center to the indentations of the “carved” features. They were ugly and obviously all defects. “Hey, can I have one of those?”

“What? They’re all going in the trash. They’re garbage and it’s literally Halloween.” The teenager spoke as if Theo had been born on a different planet, unaware of the time, day, and possibly the year.

“Yeah. I know. Then let me have one.” Theo thrust his hand out. “Fucking give me one. It’s important.”

“Okay, here you go. Asshole.” The worker handed it to Theo, but not before ripping the tag off the handle. “Go loiter somewhere else. We’re closing in a half hour, too. Is that your friend? The one who looks like a corpse.”

“He’s a vampire.”

“He looks like he’s fucking dead.” The man correctly, hitching his armful up. “And he’s been reading that bag label for five minutes. Is he simple or something?”

“English isn’t his second language, cut him some slack.” Theo scoffed. “Asshole.”

“Well, whatever he speaks, tell him we’re closing and to either buy the candy or leave.”

“Yeah. Sure.” Theo said, smiling. “I’ll be sure to do that.”‘

While the teenager turned away, Theo grabbed a tube of toothpaste, floss, and one of the travel head covers. He barely tried to hide them as he marched for the door.

There was something careful in how Boris was searching, Theo didn’t want to disturb him. Part of him said it was because he wanted to let Boris have his own shopping time uninterrupted or rushed. But the larger part of Theo was secretly pleased that he was choosing candy meant for him with such purpose and care.

It meant nothing, probably, but Theo let it mean everything as he stood out at their meetup spot. As he waited, he practiced smiling without looking too happy.

iv.

“Here. For your candy.” Theo held the plastic pumpkin out to Boris. His hand felt like it wanted to be shaking, but it was too afraid to even do that.

Boris took it carefully, studying its off-brand features. “Is for my candy? That you give me?”

“Yeah! But, you’ve got to ask me for it first.” Theo said. He used his teeth to rip open the bag, tossing the end into the dumpster.

“Have candy, Potter?”

“No! Trick-or-Treat! You’ve got to ask-- just hold your basket out and ask ‘trick-or-treat’! And then I’ll say some super weird passively-adult thing about your costume and then give you your candy. Okay. Now go.”

Boris jerked his basket forward, teeth bared and dried blood now brown. “Trick! Or treat, Potter!”

“Oh wow! Look at your fangs... Not even fake.”

“Fuck off! Teeth are fine-- chew just fine.”

“You can’t tell a suburban mom to fuck off.” Theo laughed, tilting the bag into Boris’s basket. It overflowed and the stiff candy clattered on the asphalt. “They’ll call neighborhood watch on you.”

“Fuck if I care.” Boris held the basket to his chest, crossing his arms over it. He held delightful ownership over the new holiday clutch and seasonal candy. They’d created their own tradition, own triumphing memory, standing by the dumpster of Lucky’s. It wasn’t perfect and it wasn’t exactly the quintessential American Halloween, but it was one Boris could recount without sounding like he’d copied some made-for-tv movie; it was lop-sided and little fucked up-- just enough-- to truly be Boris’s first Halloween.

Actually, all the perfect Halloweens Theo had ever had seemed fruitless compared to watching Boris cradle his first trick-or-treated haul of candy. Getting things right the first time was stupidly overrated.

Theo felt the urge to jot that down. To remember to tell his mother-- next time he saw her-- how great Halloween had the potential to be if the mischief and wickedness were lent the chance to match costumes with joy and innocence.

Boris accosted the entire living room floor as he dumped his basket out onto the carpet. He spread it out so no two pieces of candy were resting on top of each other. His hands ran over the crinkling wrappers, feeling the even square molds-- until he stopped and firmly gripped the toothbrush. He held it up to Theo with an accusatory look.

“Are trying to tell me something?” He asked.

“No, no. It’s not like that. Most of the time, there’s this family of doctors or something that always give out healthy food or non-candy for Halloween. I decided the family you ran into would’ve been a dentists. So I gave you a toothbrush.” Theo shrugged. “You wanted the full experience.”

Theo also wasn’t sure if Boris even had a toothbrush. He’d seen him with one, when they first met, bristles flattened and parted from over-extended use. He said nothing further-- not about the old toothbrush, or about how Boris placed it gingerly by his side just then, tucked just under his knee for safe keeping.

“Stupid dentists. Of all doctor career-- all part of body to think about, all day all the time-- who pick teeth? It is bone. Weird bone to talk with! Who want to see bone all day, and fix and grind and drill? Seem so stupid when think about it.” Boris exclaimed, still running his hands over the candy. “Will not go to dentist house again. Have learned lesson, Potter. Fuck the doctor houses.”

Theo laughed and moved closer to Boris-- just to be able to pour his own candy out for trading. “Okay, what do you want out of my pile-- I’ll take all your snickers.”

Theo’s bag was full of most of the same candy, but also small Hershey bars and Baby Ruths instead of 100 Grands. It was the principle of trading more than it was either of them getting more of what they wanted. Confectionery bargaining was a skill few had back in New York. Only Andy was ever really good at it.

“What is in Baby Ruth?” Boris asked, turning over some of Theo’s silver-wrapped pieces. “Is that woman?”

“Baseball player, actually. Like Babe Ruth.” Theo said, quickly pealing one of them open. “Here, try one. It’s mostly nougat I think.”

“Uck.” Boris muttered, still taking it. He popped the whole thing in his mouth, his cheek bulging as he tried to chew it quickly. It was too sticky, but Boris didn’t seem to mind. “Gross.”

“Careful. Your fangs.”

“Ah!” Boris bared his teeth again, holding his arms up as if he had a cape to shield him. “Will eat your blood!

“It’s uh,” Theo nearly gargled the word, struggling to say it cleanly. “it’s suck your blood, Boris.”

“Yes. That too.” He chopped his teeth loudly, the candy gone. Theo recoiled and clutched his own jaw. Boris did it twice more, breaking into a grin the more Theo looked disgusted. “Am bothering you! Halloween spirit, yes?”

“Sure. Something like that.” Theo picked up a Crunch bar and tossed it at Boris’s head. It caught momentarily in his matted curls before slipping through and onto his legs.

“Oh? Candy fight?” Boris grabbed a fistful of chocolates. His long fingers and tight grip snapped many of the bars in half, the sound heard underneath the crinkling plastic. “Tradition too?”

Theo paused, his arms no where near his face in defense. He grinned, only clenching his eyes closed. “Yeah. It’s definitely tradition. For us, at least.”

“Can be tradition that you lose?” Boris cackled, throwing both handfuls directly at Theo’s chest. “Do not think will change. Am always good shot, Potter.”

“Oh, fuck off. Arrogance is not about to become any part of this holiday, Boris. I swear to God--” Theo was pelted with every candy brand on the floor individually. Boris had a pile at his feet he tossed at him one by one, squirming backward slowly as Theo dodged them and shifted onto his knees.

“No! No! No! Cannot touch Dracula!” Boris cried, fully falling onto his back. He wiggled back and forth like a snake but gained no distance away from Theo.

There was something about a snake Theo read in a book once. Temptation, or something, right? Wasn’t that how the story went? That snake, that woman, and that apple-- but that one wasn’t candied.

Theo flopped down on Boris with all his weight, laughing at the loud oof! Boris wheezed out. His arms grabbed onto Theo’s back, but he didn’t push him away. Instead, his hands pressed Theo closer and rolled them over. The candy slid and squashed under them, like a really strange bed of orange and red foliage. With Theo on his back, Boris sat up with his legs on either side of Theo’s waist. Theo was pinned, eyes wide and mouth open, but not in any rejection. The temptation looked sweet.

“I bite!” Boris cried, placing his hands on Theo’s chest and shoulder. “Suck blood from you, Potter.”

And he did. He pushed Theo’s head to the side and playfully (and with surprising delicacy) bit down on the curve of his neck. It was weird, really really weird, but it was still touch. Undefinable touch, at that. It wasn’t anything romantic and definitely wasn’t anything sexual. It was just playing vampire. There were no rules or sermons against that. Theo allowed himself to laugh, shivering at the cold drag of Boris’s teeth across his skin.

It was so weird, but Theo felt so free. He’d never felt the touch of anyone be so warm and his entire world seem so far off. It wasn’t even tradition at that point; it was habit. Boris would always be the one that made Theo feel like every frayed nerve was neatly sewn back together. Like every moment was worth remembering and recording, all in the hopes of recreating it someday. Same crooked smiles, same laughter giggles, same mishaps, same boy. Always the same boy.

#boreo #theo and boris #tgf fic #zombiebowlcut

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magiciaa · 4 years

Photo

I’ve been having a serious lack of motivation to draw, but I made a little sketch on paper, and I liked it, so I lined and colored it. if the anatomy’s a little wonky, that’s why

Sock’s backstory, as promised: (tw for attempted suicide, also it’s really long)

Julia had a seemingly perfect life, lived in a giant manor with her family, attended a fancy private school, had perfect grades, and was seemingly good at everything, but despite this perfection, she still felt like a burden.

She was very weak and frail, and because of that, she was never allowed to do much, and she had to be inside all the time, but she devised a plan to end it all, she was going to take her own life, she was the middle child of eight, to her, there was no way her family would even notice

One night, she sneaked outside, she was going to hang herself in the large forest behind her house, until she noticed a green clubs-shaped pin half buried in the dirt. She picked it up, and became a magical girl in a bright flash of green light. She dropped the note she wrote in the forest and ran away with newfound freedom.

Julia was officially dead, and Sock had taken her place

Shortly after, a flyer drifted into the makeshift hideout Sock had made deep in the forest out of vines, it was a flyer for a magical girl idol group

it was rather small at the time, just Bronze, Treble, Kuro and Shiro. It started out relatively normal, until Bronze started acting extremely odd, she’d yell at anyone for small, irrelevant mistakes, and even threaten them with violence. Sock noticed this odd behavior, and confronted Bronze about how unnecessarily cruel she was being. That was a big mistake. Bronze dodged the question, and just yelled at Sock for questioning her authority and threatened to hurt her. Sock simply replied with “you talk big game, but you’d never actually follow through with it.” Another mistake. Bronze called Treble over, and in a split second, Sock felt a sharp pain in her arm, and then nothing as green blood spilled on the floor. Sock ran out of the building as fast as she could, and hid in a small ice cream shop nearby until her arm grew back.

Sock knew she would have to be a lot stronger if she wanted to stop Bronze from hurting others. She could’ve run away then and there, but she stayed to find a good opportunity to stop Bronze for good.

Around a year in, that goal got much harder. Sapphire had joined the idol group, and her one goal was to make Sock miserable. She walked around the idol group’s makeshift base like she owned the place, and could even make Bronze do her bidding.

After a couple months of Sapphire’s constant torment, Sock snapped and attacked her, however Bronze noticed this, and called Treble over again... the rest is history

#oc tag: sock #meduka.png #welcome to the rainbow room

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davidmann95 · 6 years

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This weeks comics?

So much to cover, and just so we’re all clear upfront, SPOILERS ahead.

Sideways Annual #1: I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to forgive the cover for simply reading “All-out Action, guest-starring Superman” rather than the declaration of “The Champion of the Oppressed is BACK–JUST WHEN THE WORLD NEEDS HIM MOST!” it demanded, but otherwise what a delightful comic. It’s a mess in so many ways given Morrison’s working with what DiDio laid down for him (which he seems to demonstrate hilarious contempt for when he almost literally drops a bridge on the no-hoper who’d been set up as the arc villain before he can do anything) and jumping on mid-stream to boot, but it’s basically just an extended excuse for him to put dialogue in Superman and the Seven Soldiers’ mouths again and remind everyone how rad his takes on them are, and thereby shame us for abandoning the former. Plus give us a taste of what his voice for Spider-Man would be, which it turns out is a perfectly fine one in spite of his past professed skepticism that he could pull it off. And above all to assure us with a smile and the proper send-off (a particularly satisfying one for me personally given my arachnophobia) we never got before that even if we never see our pal cop-punching, bank-busting, casual Fridays Superman again, he’ll be out there, along with all the other cast-off good Superman ideas, helping out wherever he can.

Also, who else caught the nudge and wink about the Tailor, and how that tells devoted Seven Soldiers fans just how much of role Morrison really played in saving his take on Superman?

Batman #60: Batman is…Batman is weird lately. I honestly don’t have anything else to say about this issue, except that the bit with Alfred cleaning was obviously killer.

The Unexpected #6: So Ronan Cliquet is bad, right? Like, we can all agree that dude is just bringing nothing to the table? I’ve never seen pages so plain look so simultaneously cramped and barren. This book has been such a damn disappointment: clearly promises were made about how much space Orlando would have to work on this that have been entirely broken, he’s cutting past what was clearly intended to be dozens of issues of buildup and fleshing-out of the concept to the grand finale, and he’s already obviously and understandably checked out. This should have been one of those “hey, you never heard of _____, but it was quietly one of DC’s best books for awhile there!” titles you learn about 20 years after the fact, but it was stillborn and unable to explore even the slightest sliver of its potential. It’s almost reached a point where it can make me think its coming conclusion is a mercy killing, but then, said conclusion is the problem.

Justice League #11: The debut of the Super-eyepatch! Otherwise, while it’s definitely not my favorite issue thus far of Snyder’s Justice League, it might be the one that feels the most well-realized in terms of getting his vision on the page thanks to Francis Manapul. I desperately hope he sticks on the book past Drowned Earth, because as much as I absolutely love what Jorge Jimenez and Jim Cheung are doing, his vision feels the most in line with the, as Snyder put it, ‘magisterial’ tone this title is going for a lot of the time.

The Green Lantern #1: Not my favorite Morrison title of the week in spite of its lack of clutter and outside influence, to the point where I’d honestly say it initially left me pretty cold, but much as with Morrison’s last major #1 in Action Comics, a reread did wonders for me once I knew what sort of tone I’d be grappling with. I do think it was oddly structured in a way that didn’t benefit it, leading with the mundane-flavored-with-cosmic with the alien beat cops rather than Hal’s more grounded perspective leading into the awe-inspiring, but given it sets up an immediate contrast with his ‘civilian life’, I’d call it a calculated risk that didn’t quite pay off. Hal himself is interestingly realized, this blunt, bored dude who only really comes alive when he’s on the clock, who’s as hyper-competent at his job as you’d think the Greatest Green Lantern Of Them All would be but almost seems to be sleepwalking through his days. It’s when we reach Oa with the mission statement for the Corps that the book really comes together, meshing up the beautiful design sense, an evocation of some of Morrison’s past recurring themes and elements, and raw high concept into the most powerful evocation of the basic idea of Green Lantern’s Deal I’ve ever read. And Liam Sharp mostly does justice by it; I know some find his style off-putting and his anatomy wonky, but he sells the what-if-GL-was-a-2000AD-strip sensibility, and his work has a framing and structure and a tangible, doughy 3Dishness that recalls the flavor of some of Morirson’s best prior collaborations. Not that, to be clear, I don’t think plenty of those prior collaborators couldn’t have done a much better job with this, but I think this’ll pan out just fine.

On top of that a couple minor notes: I suspect David Uzumeri might have been right regarding the possibility that this could be the book where Morrison delves into the basic question of whether superheroes are by nature cops, and thereby police brutality (Maxim Tox and Hal himself both have some startlingly severe moments in here) and the moral feasibility of the whole business. Rather than rethinking his process in his time away, Morrison’s storytelling tics are as prominently on display here as just about anything he’s ever done. And I was genuinely shocked to see the acknowledgement of Manhattan in here - a landmark chapter in The Last War In Albion in the making if ever there was one - right alongside addressing Snyder’s Justice League, making this to my knowledge the only book in the company’s lineup to acknowledge both contenders to the throne of DC’s current actual Important Cosmic-Scale Story. I suppose Lantern is the place where that makes sense, but both bring interesting elements of their own, as with the Source Wall Morrison’s going right on in and acknowledging how other creators have brought his ideas and spirit to the forefront of the DCU in the last several years, and with Manhattan, having a Grant Morrison DC Comic acknowledge the presence of Watchmen characters as parts of the grand scheme of things makes that whole bizarre business feel real in a way even Doomsday Clock itself hasn’t for me.

Adventures of the Super Sons #4: What a charmer! I harped a lot on Pete Tomasi by and large sucking on Superman, because by and large he sucked on Superman, but put that dude on just the right project to play into his strengths and he absolutely shines.

The Dreaming #3: Wound up in my pull file since I’d unsubscribed so recently, and decided to give it one last chance. It’s pretty and confident in what it’s doing and I’m sure lots of people are rightfully getting a lot out of it, but I’m not one of them and it won’t be getting another shot.

Border Town #3: It feels odd to think this given how much positive attention it’s been getting and how well it’s sold for a modern Vertigo book, but Border Town absolutely still feels like the sleeper hit of 2018. It so feels like the sort of comic that I usually can acknowledge the quality of but doesn’t do it for me personally, so I keep picking it up expecting to not quite gel with a given issue, but each time I’m dead damn wrong. It’s brimming with energy and personality on every level, and it’s still early enough that I can’t possibly recommend enough that anyone who hasn’t given it a chance yet jump onboard.

The Wicked + The Divine: The Funnies: Speaking of titles that I can acknowledge the quality of but rarely do it for me, I’ve followed W + D from the beginning on the understanding that the fairly subdued joys I take from it on a month-by-month basis will be eclipsed by the scale of my love for it on a full reread, as was the case with the team’s Young Avengers. But boy did this one buck that trend, because it was a hoot. Honestly couldn’t tell you which was my favorite short, because like half the book is made up of front-runners.

Death of the Inhumans #5: Because Death of Some Inhumans, But Don’t Worry Not Any of the Good Ones, Other than Maximus wouldn’t have shifted as much copy. Donny Cates is establishing himself as a solid mid-tier superhero writer alongside your Tim Seeleys and James Tynions, and Ariel Olivetti’s a treat, but I have to call this one a miss.

Shatterstar #2: As I expected it didn’t grab me as much as the first issue since the tenants aren’t front-and-center, but I’m still digging it to a truly startling extent!

Marvel Knights #1: Okay? I mean, I liked it (aside from the unbelievably poorly-chosen ‘I can sort of see even though I’m blind’ line - had to be a dozen better ways of putting that), but aside from that it’s gritty and involves some of the characters with notable history in the imprint, I have no idea why this is the Marvel Knights 20th Anniversary book as opposed to just a random Marvel miniseries that I suppose could be published under that imprint if you wanted. The conceit feels so odd for the intended purpose.

The Immortal Hulk #8: This book is SO FUCKING GOOD ALL OF THE TIME AT EVERYTHING AND YOU ALL NEED TO BUY IT AND TELL YOUR FRIENDS ABOUT IT. CHRIST. Still the best super-shit on the stands.

DC Nation #6: Yanick Paquette needs to write Batman explaining science so as to teach us how to better fight crime for as long as he lives, if not in fact longer.

#Grant Morrison #Superman #Green Lantern #The Unexpected #Border Town #DC Comics #Marvel #Liam Sharp #Week's Comics #Opinion

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destiny-hoodie · 7 years

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Excuse me young sir, young man, how long did it take you to get to the point where you could draw any pose you wanted without reference? Like what did you learn or do daily to get to that point and how long did it take you. I'm asking because I also want to get to that point. Your art is amazing. I hope this isn't too much of a loaded question.

No worries; your question is fine!Umm, I don’t think it took very long? I’m pretty sure I already started drawing any pose I wanted when I began drawing (but by no means was I good at it). I thought artists were supposed to be versatile like that, so the thought of using references never crossed my mind until I realized that it was an actual thing. When I found out about it I was like “….what. People can actually use photos??”. But even after that moment I still didn’t make the effort to use references since I was already having fun doing whatever. It wasn’t until I had that epiphany of having to improve quickly that veered me toward gesture drawing and studying the proportions/anatomy of the human body. That was the only thing that made my poses look a lot more natural and dynamic! So. In terms of getting better, I did more gesture/figure drawings, but I only did it a few times a month.The other thing I did was that I started drawing more sequential things (because naturally, I love capturing movement, so this was a fun exercise for me)…like drawing dancers from videos I watch and/or creating my own sequential drawings of my OCs (I have examples of both of these in my sketchbook, so I’ll show them sometime soon). But other than that, I just kept doing what I usually do and drew characters in any pose I want. I think what kept me on my toes is that fact that I always have to keep in mind of how the body can move (like how far limbs can stretch, what angles the arms and legs can reach, etc).Personally, I don’t think you need “to get to that point” when you already can. Legitimately anyone can draw whatever pose they want if they’re willing to not be so picky about it being correct and all. I mean, that’s what I did! I liked having a bit of creative freedom when it comes to poses, so I didn’t care about things looking wonky. I did whatever the heck I wanted xD But anyways, yeah! That’s what I did. Hope that helped!

#hoodie text

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f-nodragonart · 7 years

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I was wondering what you thought about heavily stylized/cartoon dragons that are done well. Are there any in particular that you applaud? Cartoons are meant to be a little loose with anatomy so I was wondering which dragons caught your eye.

in general, I fuckin ADORE stylized dragons done well! despite what y’all may think, I actually prefer well-executed stylization over strict realism– I’m just strict w/ anatomy on here b/c that’s kinda my job, haha. I’m a lot more lenient when it comes to things I’m just enjoying in my personal time

now lemme think, specific examples….

I think Toothless specifically from HTTYD is a rly good example. I know I’m biased for him, but I rly do think he’s an excellent, unique design. I also say Toothless specifically and not HTTYD dragons in general b/c he differs from a lot of the other designs in certain respects that make him a lot more realistic/reasonable and generally more aesthetically pleasing to me. for example, his eyes are set solidly in his skull rather than sticking out like in the Monstrous Nightmare, and his teeth are reasonably pointed for a fish-eating creature rather than curved in all sorts of absurd directions like in the Deadly Nadder. also, since his claws are rly small and don’t seem to be used for much in the way of prey capture or climbing, it’s easy for me to just read them as stubby claws, unlike w/ other dragons’ longer “claw-toes” that obnoxiously bend on their own. beyond Toothless, I think the next-best design in HTTYD is Cloudjumper (as far as I can remember w/o looking up a whole list of all the canon species anyways, lmao)

Jake Long’s dragon forms in American Dragon always struck me as decently well-executed. I gave some deeper thoughts on them here, but basically they could be improved in terms of mass distribution and some slight consideration for underlying anatomy (hips specifically), but I still like the designs a lot

I absolutely ADORE that one style featured in Dragonology– y’know, this one. something abt the gangly bodies, loose-skin decorative frills, swoopy-swirly designs, hatch-work shading approach– it’s all so appealing! I’ve still got my gripes abt the anatomy, but I can’t help but love the designs anyways

the Wings of Fire dragons were always very pretty to me, tho I still have yet to read the books aha. that solid/sharp linework, and those vibrant palettes?? to die for honestly. while they do have some problems, something abt their designs makes it easy for me to miss their mistakes at first glance

despite how wonky the designs are, I kinda love the Dragon Booster designs. again, nostalgic bias may be at work here, but I rly do think they’ve got some fun, unique designs

scrolling thru some of my past reviews, I’m reminded that these dragons from BOTW are fuckin excellent, I’m still in love. this dragon from DOTA is also super pretty. the Dragonadopter designs were, to quote myself, surprisingly decent, and rather cute. THESE GUYS FROM WALLYKAZAM ARE ADORABLE I WOULD DIE FOR THEM. Mushu from Mulan is also p well-executed, though he doesn’t totally fit the style of the rest of the movie..

I think that’s abt all I can think of rn. other mods have any thoughts?

sidenote: before anyone asks me why Flight Rising wasn’t included, I actually don’t think I can put FR on this list in good conscience? yes, I absolutely love the FR designs, despite all their faults, but in terms of well-executed stylization? I rly can’t give them that. I think part of it is the fact that they’re stylized in a “realistic” manner– it’s easy to excuse anatomical mistakes/warping in a flat/cartoony design, but it’s a lot harder to ignore anatomy mistakes when the dragon in question has detailed muscular definition.. not only that, but even putting aside comparisons to real-world anatomy, FR just isn’t consistent in its own setting? some dragons have wings above their front leg shoulders while some don’t, some dragons have improper foreshortening while some don’t, etc. etc. thus, I can’t even rly judge it based on its own arbitrary anatomical rules

-Mod Spiral

#ask #mod spiral #reviews #kinda #anonymous

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thegoatofchristmaspast-blog · 5 years

Text

Massage Students – How to Prepare for the NCBTMB Exam

You’ve come so far within the last year, and done everything right – you’ve picked the best massage therapy school for your needs, gone to class (I hope), studied hard and are getting ready to graduate. Congratulations, well done. But now there is one more thing you need to do, and your next big question to yourself is how to prepare for the NCBTMB exam in your state.

Wow, trust me, I know how you feel. It doesn’t matter how hard you’ve worked or studied, you always wonder if you’ve done enough to get you over this last hurdle so you can start your new profession in massage therapy. Well, my friends, there are strategies and tools you can use to help you prepare for the NCBTMB exam. Here’s a list of pointers, some resources and some advice that is realistic (and will hopefully help you lessen some of the stress that comes with this challenge)

1) It doesn’t matter how much you have prepared, it will always feel like it’s not enough.

This is an unfortunate truth in whatever you do. You may find yourself thinking “Maybe I shouldn’t have gone to the movie with my friends last Sunday afternoon” or “maybe I shouldn’t have gone home to visit my grandparents/Aunt Jo/Cousin Felix last weekend”. What I can tell you is this – life is short, and I think it’s better to spend time with people you love – it helps you connect with what is important in life. After all, isn’t that why you chose a profession like Massage Therapy?

2) If you’re still in school, ask the administration if a graduate who recently completed the NCBTMB exam can come in and speak to your class about his or her experience. This is a reasonable request, and most massage therapy colleges love to show off their success stories. If someone does come to speak to your class, don’t be shy, ask questions. Most graduates are more than happy to help out newbies.

3) Start early – let’s say a few months before your exam – and set a schedule.

You may have already done this if your final exams for school are coming up, and that’s great. Depending on the time frame, you need to set a realistic schedule and STICK TO IT. This will allow you some fun time, and it will also allow you some flexibility for unforeseen interruptions. Personally, I like tons of freedom within structure, so setting a schedule keeps me from being overwhelmed while allowing me to make tangible progress and have fun. (I’m all about the fun)

4) Make sure you have the right resources

Mosby’s has a great selection of books which, if you didn’t use them in school, will be a great resource in preparing for your NCBTMB exam and when you start working. Also, there are sample NCETMB, NCETM & MBLEx Practice Exams available which are a great investment, try them out. (Unfortunately, when I did the CMTO exams in Ontario, I didn’t have a tool like this, but it would have been really nice)

5) Study the hard or difficult stuff first.

Trust me on this one. The sooner you get to the tough stuff, the sooner you can identify any issues and address them (darn that Kreb’s cycle). Studying the easy stuff will be a reward, so break it up. If you are studying for 6 hours during the day, spend a couple of hours on the more difficult stuff, then “reward” yourself with subjects you enjoy. And then …

6) Get together with a study group and test each other…

Hopefully you will have found a study group or buddy who is supportive, structured and serious. (Note – it may not be a good idea to study with your friends, you may tend to socialize instead of studying). Get the sample questions for the NCBTMB to help you with this process. Realistically, if you haven’t understood something before, then hearing or seeing the question in a different way may be enough for the lightbulb to go on – trust me, 9 years after writing my exams, this still happens. And, one more thing, the best way to learn a subject is to teach it, so time spent helping someone else is never wasted.

7) Try to find a study partner whose strong points are your weak points.

My study partner in massage therapy school was really good at anatomy – he could memorize muscle origins and insertions like no one I’ve seen. My strength was physiology – I prefer to learn processes. He used to challenge me constantly, and while it was annoying at times, it really did help me remember.

8 ) Surround yourself with positive, proactive friends and study partners.

As a former instructor, there were always a few students who constantly (and I mean they were relentless) found fault with everything, and when they didn’t do well, it was ALWAYS someone else’s fault. I like to call this “swimming against the current”, and these folks wasted time and energy fighting the system when they should have been focusing on learning and taking advantage of instructor knowledge and availability. (side note: my aunt, who has her PhD and has been a teacher for years, calls this type of person a “crazy maker” – they are never happy unless they are stirring up crap, then they like to sit back and watch everyone else freak out. Don’t fall for it, please)

Incredible, really, but you have to choose how you want to live your life, and surround yourself with people who can get you there. So, get rid of the dead weight and the ‘crazy makers’ early on, you’re not responsible for anyone other than yourself. Make the choice to be with people who elevate you (mentally, spiritually and intellectually), not drag you down with them. Harsh, maybe, but so what? These “friends” won’t be paying your student loans, so you need to align yourself with people who have similar goals – which is to pass those exams and get working.

9) Take frequent breaks, completely get away from the books, and move your body. Adequate rest and sleep are really important as well.

My schedule used to go like this – study for 45 minutes, take a 15 minute break, repeat 2 times (that’s 3 hours) – then take an hour or two and step away from the books. Get outside, play with your dog, throw a baseball, get to the gym, do some yoga/pilates/weight training. It doesn’t matter. Reconnect with your body, it really does help.

10) Don’t o.d. on junk food – you will crash and burn mentally and physically.

Remember, junk in = junk out. You need to help your mind retain all of this information by giving your body good fuel – fruit, vegetables, protein, and yes, some fat. Get rid of the deep fried or packaged, sugary processed foods, and the soft drinks.

11) Sign up early so you can have your choice of exam times – you will know by this point when you are able to deliver peak performance, so schedule accordingly.

12) If you have to travel to take your exam, allow yourself time to get there in a stress free state. Stay someplace, or have access to, quiet so you can review before your exam, and where you can sleep well.

13) This is the hardest thing to do, but the night before your exam, don’t study.

Really. Take a break, go to a movie, go for a walk, have a nice dinner and a good sleep. Remember that alcohol can inhibit your sleep, and may make you “wonky” the next day, so you may want to forgo that beer or martini. Feel free to do whatever you want afterwards as a reward.

Best of luck on your exams, and welcome to our profession!

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