#also if this looks very different I’m using a new art program
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HELLO HI ID LIKE TO ASK WHAT PROGRAM AND BRUSHES YOU USE CUZ IM LITTERALY EXPLODING EVERYTIME I SEE YOUR ART
actually actually... *pulls out whole stack of paper*...I have. a FEW,, a good few,, questions to ask. they are not many I swear 😇
OK SO FIRST OF ALL HOW DO YOU DRAW SO FAST???? everyday I log onto Tumblr I always see something new from you and I get very very happy. But then I start to question my own existence because not even I CAN SPEED RUN ART LIKE THAT. AND SO SPECTACULARLY TOO
Last question! how do you color and make it look so well?? just. How. I need to know. This is a CRY FOR HE-
anyway thank you for being one of my favorite artists that always feed my brain rot, pls keep making amazing art because like a little yamper I will follow behind and stay updated.
(Stands there)
Response and thoughts under cut!
First question! What art program I use!
Mostly procreate, along with a handful of brushes! (Specifically the Jing Set and some custom stuff, which is really just a circle brush with the shape changed to a square.)
Second question! How do i draw so much!
Okay so. I am. Ahhah. Unemployed,,,,? No, I do freelance illustration, but hmm. A studio job would be nice.
i graduated college last year and I’m very used to eight hour art shifts. The body sort of remembers to keep working, even though I no longer have storyboards or visdev homework to do.
Also. The hyperfixation is a deep vast tunnel I STILL have not seen the end of the light to, good golly. (I have dreams now about the kids committing shenanigan crimes. I wake up in cold sweat and write them down in a journal. It’s like being the mouthpiece to an angry god.)
So the overall gist is: I was trained to be a storyboard artist with a visdev background, and I’m using that higher education to draw funny muppets because my brain’s funny.
I also DO have a queue, and I’ve been treating this as a sort of inktober project. I am definitely going to slow down soon though! Maybe. Hopefully. Ah… (sheepishly drops my kofi here)
Third question! How do i color!
I. I, uh. I dont know man the coloring demons have a grip on my soul and i just go along for the ride. But also, if it helps, i prefer to limit my pallets to only a few colors at a time. Lighting is king, so if you can figure out if you want to focus on either on your lights or shadows, you’ll have a much easier time composing. That, and symbolic colors— idk, something hits different about art drenched in gold with a tiny hint of a man staring into the blinding horizon, or a green leafy environment with a single dot of artificial red. I also like using blue and purple for shadows, and I’m a big fan of muting colors with only one or two that pop— one of the reasons why I was so attracted to submas in the first place is because from a design aesthetic, they’re both super funny muppet men AND really cool train guys that have a limited pallet and thematic apparel.
Overall response! THANK YOU SO MUCH. This goes out to a BUNCH of people who sent me inbox queries— sorry for not responding, it’s a tad overwhelming because some of them are story questions even I don’t really know will go yet, and others are words of praise and I’m selfish and like scrolling through the inbox to look at them when I feel down. I am more of an artist who sits in the corner and sprouts like a potato rather then a branching vine who socializes, but I really do see people’s responses and they make me go :)))))
Okay ramble over. Thanks for coming to the soapbox, and good luck on creating!
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Hello!
Sorry to bother but do you have any digital art tips? I’m quite new to it and any tips, tricks or advice would be helpful! Your coloring style is very beautiful and I love it a lot!
thank you! 💚💚💚 sorry this is a bit late, hopefully there's still something helpful in it!
(also, it got pretty long, sorry!)
I think the biggest thing is to just take things slow -- digital art feels different than drawing traditionally, and it's SUPER easy to get overwhelmed by the billions of cool features that the digital world offers. (I say, as someone who spends a lot of time downloading cool brushes and textures...and then never using them ever.) there is a ton of really cool stuff you can do digitally, but because there's so much, I think it's really important to take time to figure out what is and isn't working for you. spend some time doodling without any intent to do a finished piece, figure out how you like to hold (or not hold) your tablet, what keyboard shortcuts you end up using a lot (and therefore might want to map to your pen/tablet buttons for quicker use)...that kind of thing!
everyone's workflow and preferred program and style are different, so it's hard to give hard-and-fast general advice. but the things that I think of as the essentials for learning digital art programs, and what I think of as a good order to focus on learning them in (although YMMV, especially depending on what kind of art you're doing):
brush customization (e.g. flow, opacity, softness)
layers and layer masks
selections and transformations (e.g. scale, rotate, flip horizontal/vertical, skew) (skew is underrated and I will die on that hill)
blending modes (e.g. multiply, screen)
adjustments/adjustment layers (e.g. hue/saturation, curves)
and I think most stuff after that is gravy! often very good gravy though! but yeah, as overall advice I recommend just taking things one little bit at a time, spending some time just drawing and messing around with each feature and what you can do with it. whether or not you end up incorporating any of it into your workflow, it's always good to try things out and just see how they feel! :D
and just so there is at least a little more concrete helpfulness in here, here's a few more specific things that I think are super important to keep in mind!
use! your! tablet/pen buttons! I mentioned this earlier, but they are extremely useful for keyboard shortcuts that you use often! most programs will also let you create new shortcuts for other things -- personally, I use the magic wand tool to fill in big color blocks a lot, so I made shortcuts for 'expand selection' and 'fill' and then mapped them to my tablet buttons.
flop your work horizontally often! when you're working on something, you get used to the way it looks, so seeing it mirrored is a quick way to see it with fresh eyes! in my experience, it often feels like this:
(a common thing is to find that everything is sort of 'leaning' too much one way, which is where skew really comes in handy!) (seriously, I love skew, it is my savior)
if you're working with color, keep a hue/saturation adjustment layer (or a layer filled with black or white and set to Color) on top and toggle it on occasionally to check your values! a lot of people who know a lot more about color than me (and are better at putting it into words) have written about why values are so important, so all I'll say is that the rule of thumb is that your image should still be readable in greyscale:
there are some exceptions and grey areas (do ho ho), but it's a good general rule to keep in mind! (some programs also have a colorblind mode, so you can check to see how your work will look to someone with colorblindness!)
and finally, here's some digital art programs I recommend, if you're still looking for a good one!
free: krita, FireAlpaca
paid: ClipStudio, Procreate (iOS/iPad only)
#art#...sort of#horizontally flipped mal isn't my favorite drawing i've ever done of him#but it's up there#anyway i do personally use photoshop#but i absolutely do not recommend it when there are better and free-er art programs out there#it is the equivalent of texting with a giant 90s-block phone that has been jury-rigged to somehow install whatsapp#because i don't NEED a new phone i KNOW how to use this one it's FINE#(oh god i've become my dad)#someday i will have to actually switch to clipstudio and learn new keyboard shortcuts :(
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“You can’t rush art”
I think everybody can recall the quote from Toy Story 2. From the most satisfying part of the movie where we see a montage of Woody getting restored by a toy maker. It’s one of my favourites too, I absolutely loved looking at the different procedures used to fix a single toy. The toymaker’s precision and care were found mesmerizing by everyone. As a multi-hatted artist, one that can draw, sculpt, animate, and write, I can say that it’s spot on that there’s so much to do for a single piece of work. HOOO boy, you should see how me and Beefy are organizing Cursed to Charm, there’s so much.
For the upcoming webcomic, we design characters, give each and every one of them their stand-alone story, design different clothes, create the map, draw renders and posters, polish scripts for the episodes, plan to program the comic’s own website, make the backgrounds eventually, etc. To people who aren’t artists or take art for granted, to them, art is stroking a paper using a pen and BAM instant masterpiece. No no, it’s more than that.
Another thing I’d like to say about the comic is that the progress is very slow yet very fruitful because of the time taken. Me and my co-author came up with the idea at late November, which makes the comic four months old now. However, with all that time passed, we have already finalized the list of nine episodes of season one. We have also written seven out of nine summaries from that season before actually writing the dialogue in detail. We have a rough four seasons worth of story progression in the span of four months. Nyeh, excuse the little ramble about CtC, I’m just giving insight of how much should be done for the production of anything which leads us to the next point.
Art production in general.
Movies, animation, shows, video games, books, comics etc etc
All of these are part of art, some people would deny because it isn’t sophisticated like they’re lead to believe art is supposed to be. Art is literally just creation man, can’t get any simpler than that 😩 if you made something, then you made something woohoo! Congratulations you made art, cooking included. It came free with your fucking humanity.
Anyway, just like the webcomic, every single one of these listed also have a set of different procedures that will piece together the final output.
Let’s take Disney movies as a specific example, I want to talk about something real quick.
So one time, I was watching Tarzan with my parents and we stuck around for the end credits. My mom pointed out the animators are divided into sections and there’s so much names on them. There are different teams of animators for each character and these teams are divided in two for the storyboarders and the clean up artists. When the credits rolled a bit more, it showed that the background artists and colorists also have their own sections too. There’s so much people working on different body parts of a movie. I got the habit of reading end credits of every movie I watch, animated or live action, then I would compare the credits of old and new movies. Boy, let me tell you that the work space on old movies are FILLED compared to newer movies. One thing I noticed about Disney movies although, is that the old movies have more sections compared to new ones. The major difference of old Disney and new Disney are the length of the credits and the time gap of the movies. I’m really not trusting the way new movies have way shorter end credits while the publish time of new movies are getting narrower and narrower. Before the 2000s, movies usually come out twice a year and sometimes there’s a two-year hiatus before the next batch of movies are published. Now there’s at least two or three movies that publish yearly while also releasing a bunch of shows in the middle of it. I really don’t understand business talk with the way it sacrifices quality over quantity. Like I get having money is great and all but what’s the use of hoarding it? Especially when there’s so much news of people about to be in poverty and mass layoffs. Why should companies earn money if they’re not going to redistribute it back to the economy at all? This is a little off topic but I want to point it out that people in the 80s used to buy whole houses by being a janitor but nowadays people could barely afford a one room apartment even with three jobs. The Simpsons is an example of this because it was set in the 90s and the family is constantly reminded of how “poor” they are. They even created an episode that talks about the same job that supported people’s fathers will no longer support you nowadays (Poorhouse Rock ep22 s33). It’s fishy and I’m salty about it especially because I hear so much people complaining about how they’re not being given a chance to work. Anywho! Let’s go back to art.
I’m just spitballing my thoughts here but somehow they’re connecting either way. All I’m trying to say is that for the people who care so much about the quality of art, it’s noticeable that they get downgraded, not just by the look but by the way they’re written.
Example.
Clone High.
Jesus Christ, the new show is a nightmare and an insult to the original Clone High. The difference is clear with this one. The original Clone High was heavy satire of every single high school trope used in shows and movies. Every single character was meant to have one personality and that personality is the butt of the joke. The original did not care about making the characters appealing because the appeal is found in the way they interact, they clash so much and a lot of them are idiots. The writing is funny because the dialogue flows so easily unlike the renewal. The renewed Clone High takes itself too seriously and it tries too hard to be relevant. It’s funny to me that fans can draw the original’s art style more accurately than the animators hired. What’s even more frustrating is that concept art was released from the art head and the concept art looked way better than what they decided on the final designs. Other than the art style that tries to be marketable, the writing is insufferable with the way they try to be “relatable” without understanding why the original jokes were funny to begin with.
Now we’re all familiar with this cheap tactic of using the title of successful franchises to grab clicks and views. It’s every live action Disney film, it happened to Scooby Doo, Marvel shows, FNAF, some Cartoon Network shows, Megamind, and now even Kung Fu Panda. Basically MILKING. It would have been better if the productions TRIED to understand the original’s intentions which they forgot about. They ended up being disappointing at best and soulless at worst. I won’t be explaining much cuz I’ve already reached the minimum word count lmao. I’m just rambling here, I better not see anyone interrogate me in asks or replies. ANYWAY, I’m gonna get to the point real quick.
Back to the quote at the start of the post, people tend to forget that. Art is a skill, not a button people press and it gives you pretty pictures or videos. Art is a job and an effort. While art is subjective and it differs from person to person, one thing for certain is that art that is made ingenuinely will never be better than art that is made because the artist loves art. This is why the Tom & Jerry reboots with the lineless art style even if they had a storyboard artist who understood the cartoon wackiness (which were discarded for a “cleaner” and faster style). This is why it’s so frustrating to see concept art of movies which have more appeal than the final 3d models. This is why FNAF Security Breach was nearly unplayable.
Because they all rushed art.
They rushed in favour of what is marketable, no matter how unappealing it is. Everything could have been better, some final products are good, but all of them could have been better. As good as what were released pre 2010s when production had a passion. You can’t spell heart without art.
I’m just really passionate about art in any form since it’s everything that created me too. I will not be here at this point in time if it weren’t for me learning that there’s so much beauty in the world if you could just squint and appreciate why that’s so. I’m defined by my works and it only hurts and infuriates me that people who have the ability and accessibility to create better art than I do waste it for their personal gain or selfish intentions. Everyone could be a better person because of art just as it did to me. Again, it came to us the moment we’re born, art isn’t just a pretty picture, it’s everything we create out of love, passion, time, and effort.
But really, to the wise words of Chef Saltbaker, “like any good bake, heart and soul is the secret ingredient”
You can’t rush art.
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Hello everyone! It’s time for another development blog!
Thank you very much for the support I received in the previous post! This time, the focus will be pixel art! In particular, we will talk about the creative process behind the new sprites of the remake.
As some of you may already know, MerúM is the artist in charge of the pixel art in Midnight Train. Let’s ask him some questions about it!
🌙🚂 Interview with MerúM 🚂🌙
Lydia: First of all, could you introduce yourself?
MerúM: I call myself MerúM. I am the pixel artist of Midnight Train: New Moon, and I am in charge of the sprites and animations of the characters. I also worked on Aria's Story and the previous version of Midnight Train doing the same job.
Lydia: The character sprites in Midnight Train: New Moon look quite different from the original version. Is there any reason for this change?
MerúM: Well, before the switch to RPG Maker MV, I was already working on the new sprites and animations for the Midnight Train remake. However, once we changed programs, I noticed that the character sprites were very small compared to the current screen dimensions. I decided that this was a perfect opportunity to redo the sprites from scratch as well, increasing their dimensions and detailing them more than the previous version allowed me, without wanting to move them too far away from the previous chibi style.
Lydia: Right now, you already completed all the characters sprites for chapter 1. Was there any challenge or something you’re really proud about?
MerúM: After changing the sprites, the expressiveness of the characters has improved a lot. Characters now have many more unique animations and expressions, solidifying their personalities. I think this new style works very well with the aesthetic of Midnight Train’s world and makes them look quite unique from character to character.
Lydia: Could you describe your workflow and what programs you use to create your work?
MerúM: For my sprites, I use Aseprite. Before starting with a specific character, I tend to draw their base sprites and their walking animations. After this, I receive a list of events that will occur in the game related to those characters, and then I create the sprites and animations that fit into said scenes using the base sprites as a reference. Usually, I am in charge of designing how these scenes will look in pixel art, but with some more specific or complicated scenes I have received a quick sketch of how the sprite/animation should look like as a visual aid, and thus arrive at the version that best suits the scene.
Lydia: I’m just curious about something… Who is your favorite character from Midnight Train?
MerúM: I think all the characters are fantastic, maybe I could consider Neil Lawton my favorite. I think, in the end, we should all be a little like Neil. Even if you are afraid at first to move forward, just do it. This is what Neil does, he may be afraid, but he faces this fear to survive.
Lydia: Is there anything else you would like to tell us?
MerúM: What else could I say? I think Midnight Train: New Moon brings a story that will appeal to anyone who is passionate about mystery stories. By the way, it's fun to mention that in addition to Justice, Purity and some secondary characters, I have been the main designer of Larissa, one of the new characters in this remake. I hope you play Midnight Train: New Moon and get to know her!
🌙🚂 Progress 🚂🌙
I hope you liked the interview with MerúM! I wouldn't have been able to create my games without his help, as I'm pretty bad at pixel art. I'm excited to see all the sprites he will create for chapter 2! I personally can't wait to see Apollo's animations.
Now, I want to report about the development of the game.
I’m almost finished with the maps of chapter 2, so I expect to start programming this chapter very soon! Literally, there is only one map left…! I wanted to add a new puzzle to this map, so I’ve been stuck brainstorming ideas… Ahh, it feels like facing a final boss before proceeding to the next step.
Thank you a lot for your support and patience! See you next time~
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hi Habs! :D i love your art and have seen ppl say they want to eat it and i would also like to partake lol. have you ever explained your methods of doing digital art? i love traditional but i would like to branch out into digital. i've tried different applications like krita, sketchbook, and sketch.io but i don't really vibe with them (if that makes sense). any tips?
Hello ! Haha thank you ! Totally get what you mean about vibes, I’ve used a few different programs, and I like paint tool sai and clip studio paint the most, and mostly use csp now !
Took me a long time to get into digital art, and the biggest breakthrough I had was that I didn’t have to do line art lol, now I only do it when necessary and 99% of my stuff is cleaned up sketches. Changing my process completely changed how I felt about my art for the better. It keeps my work dynamic, and also lessens feeling of the sketch looking better than the linework!
Generally my process is sketch, duplicate the layer and clean it (sometimes put the old layer on a low opacity so I can make sure I’m staying true to the sketch, so it’s like lineart with extra steps lol) then I block in one colour under the lines, either make a new layer with a clipping mask, or lock the opacity and colour on that layer.
For colouring, I usually use a single layer, I put down messy flats and shadows then clean it up and render it, add highlights and funky details and then I’m done. I’ve explained my colouring process here before, and I have a time lapse that shows my sketching/colouring process here.
I have shaky hands, so a lot of my brushes have stabilization turned up, usually I set it at 15 on csp brushes idk how that translates to other programs though.
For my sketches/clean up, I like using brushes that have little to no variation in brush size, and have varying density or opacity. Not for everyone but I like how it makes my work look and I end up liking my stuff a lot more like that. Usually I keep my sketches at the start really light and build up pressure as I clean
In general, I think the best thing to do is try a whole bunch of methods and figure out what works and what doesn’t! Lots of people have very different processes, so looking at how other artists work and trying out how they do stuff for yourself can be great for learning! Good luck with digital art!
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HII I’m not sure if this is the right blog but I’m so curious about how you color artwork, like what brushes you use, I really love your style and have thought about taking some inspiration from it
Hi! :D This is fine, I'll reblog it to my art blog so it can be easier to find, no worries.
I'm not the type that uses too many different brushes! I ended up comfortable with just a single brush for most of my work unless the style calls for something else (like soft look of Rain World, which I did a little step by step for here~)
The main brush I use for just about everything is Design Brush. I use it for sketching, I use it for lineart and I use it to add shadows and highlights! I also like to mess with the backgrounds with it
I got hooked to Real G-pen recently for fun lines and texture! Opaque watercolor is what I use for soft rendering like slugcats~ Gouche is very fun to paint with also because of the texture! I haven't used in awhile tho. Light running ink is what I use for smokey effects, clouds, stuff like that! I love the brush! And uh... the last brush is called *checks the source* Nouchika Square Brush. It's free! It's square! It's new to me! very fun to use!
Details about the steps with Design pencil:
After sketching, I basically just lineart with the same brush in a different layer (or multiple of them, if needed!). Once done, I also duplicate the lineart layer to make the previous a little sharper, since depending on the pressure the brush can be faint or very strong, which will come in handy with colors later!
Single layer VS doubled:
Next, for easy color in, I select the areas outside of lineart, invert selection and even shrink it by 1 pixel. Then, I color the new layer bellow lineart flat with one base (in this case, Koromon's pinkish color)
Above it, I hand fill other colors and yes, there are probably easier ways to do that but I am way to used to the hard way XD Note that I rely on this: Hold CTRL and click on base color layer to select everything in that layer, then make a layer and color within that, so I don't cross the border/lines.
I usually lock layers for the next part but you can also just make a new layer above.
Use gradient tool (with which ever options) and select colors that are slightly shifted in hue and saturation from the base color picked one and toss in a bit of gradient shadow and highlight in each locked color!
Remember, color picker is your best friend ever to befriend in any art program! it will help you find hues in this gradient you can work with to add to the shape while doing the simple render!
Now, I use the same brush still but I change sizes depending on which area I'm going to go across. Nice part about it is the aforementioned pressure that can apply less or more color depending on how much you press down. I go with the light strokes over first and then stronger ones above! you can get softer shading this way! Same with highlight~ If something feels off somewhere, color pick the nearest hue and stroke the mistake away~ You can do the same if you want to use any present hue in another part of the figure
after that's done, I then tend to put another layer and select Overlay option on it to add at least a little bit more shadow or highlight (I chose highlight in this case). There is no background for this drawing so I figured it would be nice to add a little bit of cold colors to the warm ones Koromon is made of.
You can play with other layer options or even edit and color adjustments like tone curve, color balance and brightness/contrast, with any color layer! I do it a lot actually~
You add some extras if you want and you're done~
There is not much to it, so I use this for a simple style commission!
#ask#my art#sorry if something sounds odd it's a little later here as I toss this together dfgjgh#I dunno how good is to use the brush I use I'm just a bit too used to it with how I handle my pen pressure#I noticed it has a different(?) texture on my older tablet somehow?#might be the dps difference between tablets#but anyway#that's how I roll~
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I’m a new digital artist do you have any tips for starting?
ALRIGHT SO. it took some days to answer this sorry.
Do everything. Like just go FOR it. In how u wanna draw. Not everyone has like... a similar way to go about digital drawing. (Some people paint, I do mostly cartoonish and cel...shading??) So whatever feels best for you. Sometimes you learn a new thing its okay to evolve in your art thats normal! Style is... a hard consistency bruh.
Stabilization... is your friend if you really want a nice smooth line. (I use it sometimes if something not going great, esp if you want to really follow that sketch!)
Lining IS an option. Dont be held back by lining. You can use the sketch, just duplicate the layer and erase some of those lines and boom! lineart. You can adjust as necessary.
LAYERS ARE YOUR FRIEND. I draw on a computer so layers are quite unlimited. I know apps that restrain you to few tho which is Dumb but like i guess its a mobile art program. But dont be afraid to use them. Or one. You can get away with one layer, thats how i started before i learned about layers. (Art programs came a long way since then.)
SAVE. FREQUENTLY. Also please PLEASE back that up somewhere that ISNT the app itself. If you lose the app or the login... good bye to all that. I have the luxury of usbs and an external hard drive. Just find a way to back that up. Art is a lot of memory and storage just expect that. And yes keep them because then you have something to look back on and go 'dang. ive learned'
The clipping layer is also very useful. u want your lines colored but theyre a different color?? You dont have to redraw that! You can clip a layer over it and color over the lines and boom. Colored lines. Same with coloring layers too btw. Very useful art thing to use. yes even in painting.
Also this does help once a while but you dont always have to draw on white, u can change the bg color to something different (depends on the program u can default it to something else so u dont have like.. open the previous file to get the color again.) Like i will change it to greys blues or something lighter cause it turns out. things look very different on different colors. (color theory hello... i cannot teach u that.)
There is always a free option somewhere. Do not worry.
Um thats basically what i got for ya. Some programs have different perks for you that others wont tho.
Such as csp and its delightful vector layers (Sai has this too but i CANT change the pen type. vs csp where u can use any pen. BUT CSP DOESNT HAVE MY WATERCOLOR BRUSH... that i adore.)
Animating is a different proceedure. but What it is that i used for a while UHM... Pencil2d. Then i moved to opentoonz. (they are... very different... but opentoonz does infact make some things easier)
#UH BASICALLY JUST EXPERIMENT TILL IT WORKS#like it did take me... actually forever to realize stabilization and vector layers on sai#ive had the program for years....#its a constantly learning process with art
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Something that Does Right by You - Chapter 3
Prev chapter
Next Chapter
Goose gets officially introduced to the Aviators, and the daggersquad have a debate about Carole.
Words: 2673
“Attention on deck!”
Goose heard someone call. Cyclone was to his left, as he and Warlock walked into the hangar and met eyes. They were the same rank. He’d wondered why he’d even been sent here and not carted back to wherever to train fresh faced aviators like he had been before the Darkstar mission. That answer came from Maverick’s guardian angel, Iceman. He’d gotten rank on him just like everyone expected him too, and being the Commander of the entire Pacific Fleet, if he wanted Goose with Maverick to oversee this mission, Goose was going to oversee this mission. It was also to keep Cyclone from fully combusting, Goose and Hondo were two of the only people who could successfully wrangle Maverick at times. And Cyclone didn’t seen to like Mav very much, anyway.
Before he stepped out to talk to them, he took a look at the aviators. They all had a cocky look on their faces. They’d been chosen for a special mission, they were the most skilled of their generation of pilots and had been the sole choice to train for this detachment. It was like watching his younger self at Top Gun. All of them thought they were the shit, it made him a little sick. You needed that confidence to be a pilot, but you also couldn’t be too infallible as to not see your own shortcomings. If you were so big headed, you’d make big mistakes and get your team killed.
Once all the aviators were standing at attention, he and Warlock stepped out to greet them.
“Morning,” Goose said, he’d somewhat mastered the art of being the tough faced Admiral.
“Morning,” Warlock said after him.
He didn’t know a lot about the guy. He’d heard of him though, apparently he and Merlin used to play Dungeons and Dragons together, they’d been pilot and RIO after Cougar left. Maybe they’d also wanted two perspectives from their Rear Admirals. One of a pilot, that being Warlock, and one of a RIO, that being Goose.
“Welcome to your special training detachment, be seated.” Warlock said. He waited until they’d all settled again to continue. “I’m Admiral Bates, Nautic Commander, this is Admiral Bradshaw.”
Goose nodded at them. “You’re all Top Gun graduates, all the best in your fields and trained for precision.”
“That was yesterday,” their faces dropped at Warlock spoke. “The enemy’s new fifth generation fighter has levelled the playing field, details are few but you can be sure that we no longer possess the technological advantage.”
“Succeededing, in this mission especially, will come down to you, your performance and who is in the box on the day. Half of you will make the cut, the other half will stay in reverse and only one of you will be named mission leader.”
One aviator, Hangman he thought, turned around and grinned at someone behind him. Rooster. There was that history he mentioned. He cleared his throat and he turned back around, that snark still on his face.
Warlock spoke again.“Your instructor is a Top Gun graduate, with experience in every aspect of this mission, aspects you will all be expected to master.
“His exploits are legendary, he’s considered one of the best pilots this program’s ever produced, if not one of the best in the fleet.” Goose winked at Mav as he walked down the row of pilots. He tried not to hype Maverick up too much as his friend. He let himself a little bit, but he still had to do his job properly. “What he has to teach you may mean the difference between life and death, between going home to your families or having an empty grave.”
His last touch was something he thought they needed to hear. Sure, they were the best, but he doubted it was just them in their lives. They had parents, siblings, maybe spouses and children at home waiting. No one was an island.
“I give you Captain Pete Mitchell, callsign Maverick.”
Maverick nodded at him with a smirk as he walked and let him give him speech. He held up the F-18 NATOPS and greeted the group.
“The F-18 NATOPS, contains everything they want you to know about your aircraft, I assume you know the book, inside and out?”
Various voices agreed with him. It was a simple question, like something beneath them. So cocky.
He threw the NATOPS in the bin next to him. Goose gulped. Cyclone closed his eyes, probably praying for patience or damming Mav to hell.
“So does your enemy.” He lent forward. “But what they don’t know is your limits, I intend to find them, push beyond.”
Nodding at Goose didn’t make him feel any better about how the situation was going. “Today, we'll start with what you only think you know.”
This was going to be an interesting day.
One thing Goose was known for among the Brass was getting to know his Aviators well. Whether it was thoroughly reading their files, or trying to keep a friendly-ish head on his shoulders amongst his commands, he was known to be a goofy guy. This was why he was approaching Rooster after they'd had their brief on the Hop, because he had to compliment him on his piano playing ability.
“Lieutenant Commander?” He called after him.
The kid, well not really a kid, he was in his mid thirties for sure but that was certainly younger than him, turned and stood at attention.
“At ease, Lieutenant.” He said. “I just wanted to compliment you on your skill with the piano.”
He blushed bright red, “Excuse me, sir?”
“I saw you playing the piano last night and you seemed very proficient.”
“Thank you?” He could tell this wasn’t what he was expecting him to say. “I'm sorry you saw me in such an unprofessional situation, sir.”
“It's nothing I wasn’t doing just that at your age,” he said. “I mean, my grandfather taught me, so if there's someone out there, your grandfather or your dad, they certainly knew their stuff.”
Rooster shrugged. “You won't be able to thank him for it, he didn’t teach me, I don't even know who he is, sir, so I taught myself.”
Goose felt a little ashamed of being so interested. This wasn’t what he should be doing. Yet, there was something about the kid, maybe it was how similar they looked or acted that struck a chord with him. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it.
“Sorry to hear that Lieutenant,” he settled on. “Now, back to work.”
Rooster felt a trickle of water roll down his neck as he walked from the shower to the locker rooms. He could tell by the grout inbetween the tiles and the smell that this place hadn’t been updated since the seventies. That was the Navy all over. They’d update their offices and hangers as much as they liked but when it came to anything that made their aviators or sailors quality of life better, the money suddenly ran out. They didn’t seem to care about water pressure in the slightest, or consistently hot water.
He got back into his uniform and collected his phone from his locker. It was the same one he’d claimed when he’d got here the first time. It even had his name on it, how sweet. There was a picture of him, his mum and Charlie from the time they visited the UK together stuck on the inside, she looked thin, still recovering from the brain tumour that had cropped up a little while back.
To say he’d been terrified was an understatement. Last time she’d barely gotten out alive, hospitals still freaked him the fuck out whenever he had to go, which was as fewer times as he could conceivably get away with, and seeing her go through hell again made him want to punch something. The Navy hadn’t given him anywhere near enough time off to be with her. That’s why he was glad that she had Charlie with her too, and all those friends she’d made, she made them everywhere she went so he knew that she’d be okay. It was just that it had always been them, that as soon as he grew taller than her, which hadn’t take that long, he’d made it his responsibility to take care of her, made himself the man of the house.
A rogue towel thrown at his head broke him from his daze. It was Payback.
“We’re having a cookout on the beach, wanna join?” He asked, buttoning up his shirt.
He shrugged. There wasn’t much planned with his evening. Now they were done for the day, and with the egos all suitably deflated, he had a good few hours to enjoy the California rays while they still lasted.
“Cool, we’ve gotta call past the store and get some things first but give us an hour and meet us near the Hard Deck.”
As they left the lockers, he raised an eyebrow. “Penny trusts us with fire?”
“Why would she not? We’re in the Navy.” Fanboy somehow was at his side despite not being there before.
“Exactly.” He said. “Do you not know how Phoenix got her callsign?”
“What about my callsign?”
He jumped as Phoenix smacked a hand on his shoulder. She must have gotten a few pointers from that new RIO of her’s.
“Wow, I really made you jump,” she said with a sly smile. “And you’re a fighter pilot?”
“Do I need to mention our stint on the USS Harry S Truman in 2013?”
She squinted at him. “You know we don’t speak of that time.”
He rolled his eyes as they moved toward the entrance to the base and his bright blue bronco. His phone wrang in his pocket and by the picture on the screen, it was time for his mother’s daily update on his status. Sometimes he thought it was overkill, then he’d think of how close to death she’d come when she’d been sick and knew he shouldn’t take her overbearing considerate nature for granted.
“Mom, hey.”
“See, I didn’t call when you were busy this time!”
He thought back to all the times when he’d been either rudely awakened by her in the middle of the night, with her forgetting the time difference, or when he’d go back to his phone and see five missed calls from her. She was sweet but even Charlie knew that she could get a bit too worried if he didn’t pick up straight away.
“No, you didn’t.”
“Unless I’ve caught you when you’re off to destress,” she said it with a tone of voice that she meant something more dirty.
“I mean, we are gonna have a cookout tonight.”
He heard her clap over the phone and pulled it away from his ear. “You should make my potato salad recipe.”
“I don’t think there’s time for that mom.”
“It doesn’t take that long, just boil the potatoes, let them cool then add mayo and-”
He sighed. “It’s not that kind of a cookout mom.”
“You are a fighter pilot, sweetie, you cannot survive on a diet of beer and hot dogs, you need to look after yourself.”
Phoenix mouthed her words back to him with a snear. He just gave her his middle finger and turned his back.
“I will, Mom, I promise.”
“You’re always talking about how bad Navy food is-”
“I know-”
“So you can’t blame me if I want my baby boy to eat well now he’s on dry land and has a chance to eat better-”
“Mom, listen, if I promise to bring a salad, will it give you peace of mind?”
She paused for a moment, then said. “Fine, but when you’re home you’re living off my cooking, young man, alright?”
“Yes, now Mom, I have to go.”
“Already? I haven’t even asked you about your day yet.”
He looked at the tarmac. “You know it’s all classified, Momma.”
He didn’t tend to call her that around other aviators. Any embarrassing information about you and they were like vultures ripping you to shreds. But he missed her and really wanted to tell her about this amazing new opportunity for his career, but just couldn’t. And he hated it.
“Fine, I’ll just get Charlie to do some snooping for me.”
“Mom-”
“She has security clearance you know, sweetie, she can let it slip by accident if needs be.”
He laughed. “You know that’s not how that works, right?”
“It could be?” She left a gap then said with less of a laugh. “Alright then, I’ll let you get back to your life, I love you.”
“Love you, Momma. Say hi to Charlie for me.”
“Will do.”
The line went dead and he turned to face snickering from Phoenix and Hangman. His stomach dropped. It was very rare for them to be in agreement about something. He knew exactly what it was.
“How’s the MILF, I mean, Mom, Rooster?”
“She’s fine.” He deadpanned. “And don’t call my mom a MILF.”
“Can’t deny the truth.”
“It’s not true.”
Hangman placed a hand on his chest. “You’d insult your own mother like that?”
“It’s not an insult if I’m saying I don’t think my mom is fuckable, she’s my mom, right Phoenix?”
Phoenix did not reply.
“Oh, come on, not you too?”
“You know my type, Roo.”
He put his hand on his hip. “And my mom is your type?”
“She’s a MILF Bradley, a mom I’d like to fuck, and I wouldn’t mind, given the opportunity?”
He huffed and carried on walking to his car. “What opportunity? She’s getting married.”
“A shame.” Hangman said, following him.
“For you, not me.”
They stopped. Hangman’s familiar grin shone in the sun. He could see it reflected in Phoenix’s aviators.
“And why’s that?”
“Charlie’s a lesbian, so why you may not a chance, I, as a woman, do.”
Rooster couldn’t help but drop his head into his hands. “No one is going to fuck my moms, okay?” He then looked up to see Payback and Fanboy seeming very confused. “Please back me up here.”
“Can’t do that without seeing them.”
“You can, you can definitely back me up because they’re talking about fucking my mom and her fiancee.”
Phoenix had already whipped out her phone and gotten his mum’s instagram up. A picture of her and Charlie was at the top. It was of them at one of the wedding venues they were looking at, a rather picturesque old church in Baltimore.
“Oh, no, man I’m with them.” Payback said.
“No!”
“It’s not our fault your mothers are very attractive,” Fanboy added.
In the chaos, none of them noticed Admiral Bradshaw approaching from the other end of the parking lot. As soon as they spotted him they broke out of it and stood to look a lot more professional.
“Who’s mother’s are attractive?” He said.
“Rooster’s, sir.” Hangman told him, of fucking course he would.
He didn’t reply, which wasn’t good, but the fact that they weren’t being reprimanded was a good sign too. “If this is going to cause such disparity on base then I think I, as an Admiral, should have the final say.”
This was not fucking happening. Where had this Admiral come from? How had he even made it to Admiral if this was the shit he pulled?
Hangman got his phone out and found a picture of Carole. He was loving this, Bradley could tell.
After a moment of stroking his moustache, and scanning it like it was a wanted poster, he stood back and said. “She is, as much as a married man can say, attractive. Although she looks quite familiar, so maybe she just has one of those faces.”
No. Fucking. Way.
“Now, back to work.” He said and carried on to his car.
Hangman turned to him, his grin wider than the cheshire cat’s. “So it’s official, your mom’s a MILF, even Admiral Bradshaw agrees.”
This day could not get any weirder.
Thanks for being patient with this chapter, things are taking me longer to write because I keep waiting for motivation that doesn't come but I saw a tiktok about "dedication over motivation" or something like that and it did help me. If I can consistently write then it will become easier, also I can always edit stuff but like the famous phrase goes "you can't edit a blank page".
Anyway, I never thought that a debate over Carole being a MILF would be integral to the plot but here we are. There was originally a bit more to this but that's going in the next chapter.
#top gun#nick goose bradshaw#nick bradshaw#goose top gun#bradley bradshaw#bradley rooster bradshaw#rooster top gun#natasha phoenix trace#natasha trace#phoenix top gun#jake hangman seresin#hangman top gun#jake seresin#reuben payback fitch#reuben fitch#payback top gun#mickey fanboy garcia#mickey garcia#fanboy top gun#carole bradshaw#charlie blackwood#charole#sloose#ron slider kerner#tom iceman kazansky#pete maverick mitchell#maverick top gun#pete mitchell#bear writes#something that does right by you
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when people first meet me and inquire about my studies im generally hit with two different responses, being 1) “wow, that’s an unusual combination”/“you don’t see that often”/etc. and 2) “you must be SO smart!” (or its evil twin, “you must hate yourself ha-ha”), and while the first is obviously a better response than the second, both are kinda…awkward to react to.
like? IS it an unusual combination of interests, or is it actually that most institutions make it exceptionally difficult for people to pursue stem and arts concurrently? and that we don’t often talk about the heavy crossover between stem and the arts because we’re so culturally obsessed with this notion that the world is split into Art People and Science People (also known as English People and Math People)?
and how would my interest in a science make me any smarter than someone in my program who chose to pursue a minor in history instead of physics? also, NO, i don’t hate myself. obviously taking stem classes after spending years believing im “not a math person” has lowered my gpa, but that’s not really something i care about, because at the end of the day i find the subject endlessly fascinating and i enjoy my classes very much, and i get better at math every semester because i have no choice. because it’s just…a method of communication. it’s a language. you practice, you improve - but you have to be consistent and intentional about it. the same way you have to be consistent and intentional about analyzing fictional texts and historical documents.
which is to say that like. you are using the same skills. i tutored a high school student last year who looked at me like i was crazy for saying that close reading a short story is functionally the same as solving an algebra problem. you collect like terms. then you compare and contrast them to make a statement about them - it’s human nature to seek refuge in what is familiar even if it is simultaneously traumatic, or x = 2 and y = -2. you can chart it, you can graph it, you can draw it. listen, isn’t there something so inherently beautiful about the word integral? it’s something intrinsic, baked into a person or a thing - the fundamental values formed within you by tiny, infinitesimal pieces: moments, experiences - they coalesce into something completely different, but still. you can go back. you can find the pieces. define them, pick them apart, put them together again in new ways. expand them, contract them, equate them to something else just to understand them.
half the study of mathematics is called analysis, for god’s sake. what is the study of art if not analysis? is it not the goal of the artist, the writer, to make sense of our place in the world? and is this not what we do in physics, too? look at the world and try to find reason in it? as the poet spends their life trying to make the intangible tangible, the particle physicist attempts to study dark matter. when we form a sentence, we utilize a complex system of equations that are so second-nature to us we don’t even register that’s what we’re doing - but there’s a reason this branch of linguistics is called syntactic calculus.
like…believe me. if you told my teenage self i’d be taking calculus-based courses in university, i wouldn’t have believed it. i teach high school students now who tell me they know they aren’t good at english, but it doesn’t matter to them because they do so well in math. and i get it. i do. but it’s disappointing, too, because i think my knowledge of math has made me a better reader and writer. and it feels like most people are missing out on that connection, because they feel like it’s impossible to make. but any experimentalist can tell you there’s an art to the scientific process. any musician or poet can tell you that great art is dictated by numbers - rhythm, rhyme and metre, all of it. the only group of people as interested in conceptual symmetry as physicists are artists.
anyway, all i’m saying is like - one is not more essential than the other, these things are inextricably linked, these things are as fundamental to human existence as breathing. there’s a reason why astronomers defer to shakespeare to name newly discovered bodies in space, you know? we've all gotta learn to love the math in our art and the artistry behind math.
#taylor.txt#anyway i have some profs this semester who really made me feel idk. vindicated in a way#like i get this so often you know? i get Looks i get 'you're crazy' and 'what's wrong with you' (in jest granted but still) ALL the time#so having a professor straight-up say that science is an art? validating!!!!#i think english and physics are extremely compatible subjects because they have a similar goal in a way you know?#and im not a good artist but nothing helped me understand HOW i can be better at drawing than calculus#i never knew how to draw a sphere until i had to put one on a graph of a 3d function yknow? and looking at the numbers that govern it#just made me Understand how it's Supposed To Be. and i think thats kinda cool?#also like. again. LINGUISTICS#and dont think this is like. in any way against the ideas of abstraction and subversion and whatnot in art#chaos right? antimatter? the entire study of quantum mechanics? there are so many parallels to draw#obviously nothing is a 1:1 but i just. art is science science is art and its so fuckin COOL
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First off, for anyone who needs a primer on AI Generated Art here's a concise video on the subject to get you up to speed: LINK
I used Midjourney I started out with these prompts to see what I would get: Astronaut with a skull head +skull + skeleton + red spacesuit + character design + full body + red + sci-fi + star wars + Ralph McQuarrie + Jake Parker, cartoon, cartoon network, adventure time style.
Then I thought I'd mix it up and see what prompts like octane render + 3d would give me.
I didn't like what I was getting so I went back to my original prompts but added rubberhose animation + pixar + disney + 3d.
The results were better, so I asked for more variations. When I got them I decided I was getting diminishing returns and called it a day. Lots of interesting ideas to put into my design, but no one design really felt like it nailed the vibe I got from my original design.
After this experiment here's what I think:
1) AI Art Generators will only become more powerful/capable. So wishing it away is a waste of time. The only path forward is figuring it out how to implement it and how to regulate it.
2) With revolutionary technology comes a reorganization of status and power. The status quo HATES this and will do almost anything to stop it from happening.
AI Generated Art shifts the power (and wealth) of creating images from people who have training, to people who don't.
This reorganization happened in the 2000s when programs like Maya, 3D Studio Max, and Photoshop made art creation a lot more accessible to people who couldn't paint traditionally, or sculpt clay.
It allowed places like animation studios to be havens for creative people to make art who might not have been able to draw really well. Which really upset people who had trained to animate in 2D on paper, and who studied classical painting techniques. Which leads me to 3:
3) Not everyone who is creative can make art, and not everyone who can make art is creative. The creative people who could also adapt and learn new tools absolutely thrived in the new digital art world.
A lot of the art I've seen generated from AI is a lot like hearing someone impersonate English but who doesn't know the language. It sounds right, but they aren't actually saying anything.
4) I see these AI Art generators as tools. Another resource for creative people to add to their toolbox to make them even more creative. Or at the very least, make their job easier.
5) AI isn't an end to end problem solver for productions. There's still a needs to be an artist to translate it into something usable. Someone needs to interpret AI art into something a modeler can model, or set designer can build.
Example: After a producer plugs a bunch of prompts from a script into Midjourney they take it to the art dept. The crew gets a brief from an art director and instead of a lot of back and forth, the art director points at a page of AI art and says "Make it look like this"
6) Questions I’m still thinking about:
- Do these AI Art Generators actually undermine illustrators, photographers, concept artists? Or does it actually elevate these industries?
- Is it bad to democratize something like art creation?
- Who truly benefits from this shift in power? Where is the money flowing to?
- Should artists have the option of their artwork being removed from the AI generator's databases? Or is any art you post online free game? Does the AI generator do anything different than what an artist does who has strong stylistic influences from other artists?
7) I'm still learning about this, and still reading up on all the pros and cons.
I would love to know your thoughts.
We've been discussing it over on the Discord for a couple weeks now: LINK
I also posted this on IG and it blew up. I could not keep up with the comments. Over 750 of them! If you want to get a vibe check on what the broader art community thinks of this check it out here: LINK
-Jake
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I love your OC art and I was wondering how you're able to make them. Is there a website you use or a template you follow? I'd love to make my own OC's but don't know how/where to start
Hey there Anon! So sorry for the lag in the response, I wanted to be sure I could give you an in depth answer! It’s gonna be long, so I’ll put a Read More here~ if you have any questions, feel free to dm me!
Lemme start by saying, Thank you so much! You’re so sweet! 😭😭 it seriously makes my day to hear that, you don’t even know 😭🖤
Secondly, as for Remi and Levi, both characters started out as roleplay characters that @thekinkyleopard and I came up with about 10 years ago! The characters themselves have evolved over the years as we’ve done a hundred different storylines and bounced ideas off of each other. Draeko, on the other hand, was created less than 6 months ago, so he’s not as in depth of a character.
Now, I’ve been doing art for as long as I can remember, and creating characters has always been something I love doing. But everyone creates an OC differently. Personally, I always start with the visualization of a new character, first.
Like for instance, for Draeko, I started with just a color pallet, (ie, pastel pink, white, pastel mint green, and pink plaid). And because I’m a furry, most of my OC’s usually have an attachment of some kind to an animal (shifters, or my Hellhound), plus I wanted more of a complex character since Remi was so plain.
I started drawing a reference sheet for him, which is pretty much a large, informational sheet with your OC in a bunch of different angles, along with key information, accessories, or whatever you want people to know about your character. Here’s some examples of reference sheets I’ve done for our OCs:
I usually start with the full body view first, coming up with details to add as I go.
(Most of my OC’s started out as fursonas, so they already had their animal form, I just would need to design a human form that matched it.)
I then come up with their personality as I’m adding details, and accessories, and naming them. And very last, I come up the details for their backstory, as well as any lore I can come up with.
HOWEVER
Everyone creates differently, and if you’re someone without much art experience or just don’t have a want to create art, OR if that just seems backwards to you,
An easy, pain free way to create your own in depth character that can just always live in your head, or one that you commission another artist to bring to life for you, they have these AMAZING character development type sheets that you can fill out, essentially making a written Reference Sheet so someone else can imagine (or bring to life) your character accurately. Here’s just a few I found in Pinterest by looking up “character development sheet”
As for how I create my art, I use an iPad and Apple Pencil, along with the program Procreate to freehand draw (or I also use bases or pose references from Pinterest!) all of my art from scratch!
Sorry if this is way longer of an answer than you were hoping for/expecting, but I wanted to cover as many points as I possibly could!
Like I said at the top of the post though, if this doesn’t make sense or if you have any other questions about it, shoot me a dm! I promise I don’t bite, I just suck at replying to messages (:
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What’s the best way to get noticed by the animation industry resume wise? #industryQs
Ah, this is a very good question ‘cause I remember back in college when I had no clue how to go about crafting a resume haha. But before we begin, I must preface that everything I state below is from personal experience from breaking into animation in addition to being on the other side or looking at applications for applications and such. These are not absolutes you have to follow since everyone’s experience will always be different.
And with that, let’s answer the question!
What’s the best way to get noticed by the animation industry resume wise?
If I may be honest and candid, portfolios are what are looked at than resumes. There’s nothing wrong with having a resume (in fact yes please do have one for the recruiter sakes so they know your job title, contact info, experience, and so). Make sure that your resume is easy to read and not too long (usually 1-2 pages) while also including all the important information I mentioned in the previous sentence. But even if you had the longest resume ever known to mankind, if your portfolio doesn’t quite match or have the potential to be a good match for a production then the people hiring will look for someone who matches the production’s sensibilities more. And I’m only saying this ‘cause this happened to me haha.
Back in….I wanna say 2021 a friend of mine asked if I would be interested in working on the Proud Family series on Disney+. I said yes ‘cause I love that show and it was super influential to me as a little black girl from Jersey. So, I sent off my work and excitedly waited to hear if I could work on the show.
Much to my surprise the show runner took a pass on me because he felt like my work didn’t fit with the show.
In his defense, my work is very anime leaning so I don’t blame him for worrying whether or not I can adapt to a more cartoony style haha. But at that time, my resume stated that I had been in the Nick Artist Program, worked on Star Trek Lower Decks, worked on Rugrats, and worked on Critical Role Legend of Vox Machina. I would like to think my resume would have been a good reason to hire me but my portfolio was more so the deciding factor as to why I was not chosen. From the show runner’s perspective, I did not match the show’s style and sensibilities even with a good resume.
So my point is, the actual physical you work make (the portfolio) matters a bit more when it comes to grabbing the attention of those in hiring power rather than the resume. They will still ask what previous works you have done (whether personal, indie, or professional) as part of the formal process. But what I’ve learned now that I’m on the other side and have done the application evaluating myself, the portfolio really is the thing that helps us decides whether or not you’re a good fit for the job. Even if you have no experience in a big Hollywood studio and have only done personal projects…or just nothing at all! If your portfolio showcases that you have the skill of an industry ready artist then you can be taught to adapt to the production. Again, even if you don’t have the most robust resume. That’s why so many of us in the industry make it a point to tell new, emerging artists to focus on making a good portfolio rather than being hyper focused on the best resume/cover letter. Your art will speak for yourself.
Again, please do make a resume for the recruiter’s sake haha. But if you want to grab the attention of industry professionals, crafting a solid portfolio is what we’re really look for. Social media has been a great tool to do that ‘cause industry pros just like looking at cool art at the end of they day. And if you happen to be looking for work (or are eligible to work), we will take the time to save your work and hand it off to whoever is in charge of hiring or put it in a talent pool for future projects.
In a previous IndustryQ, I went more in depth about my personal take on what makes a good portfolio and you can find that here. But again, this is all from my personal experience and opinion so do what feels best for you!
I hope that answered your question!
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Concept art by Christian Alzmann
Grogu hated missing people. He missed his friends from the Jedi Temple. He missed his masters as well. He even missed the librarian who pinched his cheeks. He missed Kelleran Beq. He missed Obi-Wan Kenobi. He missed Mace Windu.
He’d missed those people for a very long time. They’d been gone for more than half his life in most cases. While he was hidden from the Empire and the Inquisitors and the Emperor himself, Grogu still managed to meet people who were kind and helpful and gone. He was at least as missing from their lives, if they still lived them, as they were from his.
He wondered if they missed him too? Did they smile to themselves when they thought about washing his coverall, only to discover that he’s pockets were filled with snacks and little stones that he picked up to remember the people and places he visited? Did they laugh to themselves when they remembered the first time they saw him eat a critter whole? Did they cry when they thought he must have surely been captured and killed like so many other good people they knew?
He tried not to think about them at all because he really didn’t like going from smiling to laughing to crying. He knew that nothing he could do now would change anything that happened then and that just made him angry and then sad and then very, very quiet. When his dad gave him a strange look because he didn’t understand what Grogu was babbling about, some of the time it was because he was missing those old friends and he just had to run through all the emotions as quickly as he could or he’d just be hugging Din Djarin and weeping on his shoulder. Grogu didn’t want to do that more than once a day and he preferred that time was reserved for asking for more food or a toy…something that would make him happy, rather than sad.
But today was different. Today was a day he couldn’t help but miss people. Today was the 563rd anniversary of the day first Kuiil and then IG-11 left them. Grogu counted everyday since they parted as an anniversary and that was also one of the many reasons he didn’t like missing people. He couldn’t not think of them every day. He couldn’t not hear their voices or see their actions.
IG-11 had said and done so many things. It certainly helped that since IG-11 was a droid, it was capable of doing more things per second that a human or an Ugnaught or a Grogu. Offering them tea. Helping them pack up the Razor Crest. Improving the functionality of the carbonite chamber even if they never got a chance to use it. Pointing out that the blurrgs would travel better if they were frozen. Taking Kuiil’s refusal to do that in good humor. Helping them unpack the Razor Crest. Cleaning up after the blurrgs. It had all been memorable.
Grogu was really glad that IG-11 had rescued him from those Imps on Nevarro. And although he hated to admit it to himself, he had approved of the way the former assassin droid had done it as well. IG had tried being polite and pointing out the issues that required resolution. The Imps couldn’t claim that they hadn’t been warned. They had been. And when they refused to back down and just hand Grogu over, well the re-programmed assassin droid did just what you might it expect it to do.
And that apology. It was priceless.
“That was unpleasant. I’m sorry you had to see that.”
Grogu wasn’t sorry at all and he didn’t find it the least bit unpleasant. If he’d been able to kick sand at those two Imps or snap out a curse or to quote Ian, saying ‘Bet you didn’t see that coming’ and then laugh, he absolutely would have.
He knew what those two Imps had done to Kuiil and what they had done to him and all IG-11 had done was show them that it wasn’t nice to hurt people. They just got a very first hand experience of why that wasn’t nice. Some people really needed percussive instruction. At least that’s what Cara Dune told him.
Sadly, recalling that Cara was off doing some sort of secret mission thing for the New Republic just gave Grogu another person to miss. It was different missing a person you knew would be okay no matter what versus missing people who were really gone. Grogu would take one over the other any day. He could always ask his dad, the Mandalorian, to send Cara a vid of them waving and wishing her well.
He couldn’t do that with Kuiil and he couldn’t imagine what would have to happen for Din Djarin to find another IG unit and train it to be their companion. They’d probably have to travel to Mandalore and find a mythosaur and fight the Imps all over again. Grogu began to giggle.
What were the odds of that happening?
It would take an IG-11 to calculate them, giving Grogu another reason to miss him. Dank Farrik!
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Carrot! I’m in existential identity crisis, and have no idea what i want to study in future, considering that i’m supposed to apply for university in a few month. I was thinking a lot about choosing programming study program, and i wanted to ask you, how did you get started coding novels? Can you tell me some advices about where to start, video lessons, how to understand code, some programs to use? Any of that would be really helpful! Thank you!!
Oh, gosh! I'm so sorry that you're going through such a tough and confusing time. I was similar when I was in school and ended up changing majors multiple times and even going back to get a second BA (and also even now the work I do has nothing to do with what I got my degrees in... lol). It feels so impossible trying to figuring out what you want to do in life (and it can change so often...) 💦
Mmmm. I didn't have much coding knowledge at all before I started working on OW. (I also don't think it requires much knowledge just to start doing simple stuff in it—and I still don't think I have much knowledge even now LOL). I remember it felt really overwhelming and confusing at first, so I kinda took it slow and did a lot of my initial attempts in steps?? And from there slowly started to get more familiar with it and learn more and more. Let me try to explain:
The first thing I did before coding anything was write the script. I had about half of Arc 1 finished before I even thought about making it into a game, so I just had it written in my writing software.
I decided to see how it would look in a very simple VN format using Ren'Py. To learn how to start using Ren'Py, I played through the tutorial game included in Ren'Py that teaches you a lot of the basic functions. I remember this was really overwhelming because it teaches you quite a lot of things quite quickly—and when you don't know anything at all, it's so much to take in. So I tried to start simply using ONLY THE VERY BASIC STUFF:
My initial prototype only included text, backgrounds, music, and sound effects. So I only focused on the code required for those things, so basically, the code for displaying an image (defining it using image then showing it using show), for showing text on the screen (I just defined a single "actor" with basic formatting and used that for all the text), and for playing music and sound effects (the play music and play sound commands).
By only focusing on these bits, I was able to simplify it enough that I could understand it. And so then I began copy-pasting my script in line by line while creating basic BGs using royalty free photos, finding royalty free sound effects, and adding the music (I already had a collection of royalty free music I'd found for the game).
As I worked on it, I got more familiar with it and began to understand how different bits of it worked, learning new things such as pauses, screen shakes, etc., that I could also add in. Whenever there was something I didn't know how to do (for instance, zooming/cropping an image, creating variables for keeping track of player choices, etc., I would just look up on Google and could usually find something in the LemmaSoft forums).
Once this initial prototype was made and I was loving how it looked, I decided to go all-in on the game and actually start creating art for it! This was when I started drawing the character sprites, CGs, etc. Because I already was familiar with the basic coding stuff, it wasn't hard for me to then apply what I knew to making the sprites and CGs appear on screen (since it's all just using the image and show commands, and maybe moving them around using stuff like ease).
Only once I had made a lot of progress on art and more writing and scripting did I even think about tackling things like the GUI, since that requires some more advanced coding stuff. I remember the video tutorial I used to start figuring out how to do the title screen for instance was this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zq3V28qp2w&ab_channel=ZeilLearnings
That took me pretty much to the release of Arc 1! Then as I kept working on subsequent arcs, I kept getting even more familiar with things, and would also try out new things I could do to create various scene effects.
Then when Spooktober came around for some reason I decided to try a ton of different things and really go wild. I definitely learned the most during that month LOL However, it was all built on skills I'd slooooooowly been building basically throughout the course of the whole year. Even doing research itself is a skill tbh. Like being able to figure out kind of in your head what you need to do something to locate what it is you don't know, then knowing how to research that thing and parse out the solution so it will work in your version of the code, etc. And I was only comfortable handling that for more advanced stuff because I'd done it so many times before just figuring out more simple stuff.
Tbh tho literally none of what I have in any of my games is very advanced, it's all just a ton of things moving on the screen in different ways and at different times
Hmmm I have no idea if that long rambly thing I just wrote is very helpful LOL Those were all the resources I used tho: the tutorial game in Ren'Py, that video I shared for the title screen, tons and tons of Google searches and the LemmaSoft forums.
But I really feel like the biggest thing that helped and made things manageable for me was breaking it down. Like, I don't know if I would have managed it if I'd tried to start right away with art and sprites and do everything all at once. I needed to start with that very simple prototype with only a few necessary commands so I could get familiar with it first, and only after that, start working on art and add it in. Breaking it down into small simple pieces really helped my brain so much! (And also was more motivating, as I could create the prototype quite quickly and already get really excited by how it looked even with just BGs and music, which inspired and motivated me to keep working. Whereas if I'd had to wait and take all the energy to draw all the art first, too, I might have gotten overwhelmed and demotivated.)
Those are all the things I PERSONALLY did to learn how to code my game. However, since I began, even more resources have become available that will probably help even more and be a lot more accessible. The biggest one I can think of is Vimi's YouTube channel, which has a ton of very basic tutorials for getting started in Ren'Py and just a ton of stuff about making and coding VNs in general. I feel like this could be super helpful for you!! https://www.youtube.com/@vimi
There are also other programs for creating visual novels, for instance, Naninovel allows you to create VNs in Unity, though since Unity uses C#, you will need to learn some of that I think?? Ren'Py uses Python, though for basic scripting it's not really actual Python and more just very basic Ren'Py script or something. You will need Python though to get into some of the more advanced stuff you can do with the GUI and menus and such though (or if you want to do anything much more advanced like add mini games).
I hope this helps you at least a bit! But if you have any questions about anything specific, don't hesitate to ask!!!
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[cisfemale and she/her] Welcome to Aurora Bay, [DAPHNE SAUNDERS]! I couldn’t help but notice you look an awful lot like [FIVEL STEWART]. You must be the [TWENTY SEVEN] year old [UNEMPLOYED/FREELANCER]. Word is you’re [SELF-ASSURED] but can also be a bit [HEADSTRONG] and your favorite song is [HEAD CHEERLEADER BY POM POM SQUAD]. I also heard you’ll be staying in [AURORA BAY DRIVE]. I’m sure you’ll love it!
@aurorabayaesthetic
━━ BASICS.
FULL NAME: daphne amelia saunders
AGE & DATE OF BIRTH: twenty-seven & august 15th (leo)
GENDER & PRONOUNS: cis-woman & she/her
HOMETOWN: long beach, california
CURRENT LOCATION: aurora bay drive, aurora bay
OCCUPATION: unemployed
FACECLAIM: fivel stewart
CHARACTER PARALLELS: maeby funke (arrested development), ava daniels (hacks), charlotte hale (westworld), helly (severance), eleanor shellstrop (the good place)
━━ BACKSTORY.
part one.
california is full–they really don’t have a use for wannabe actors like daphne. to be fair, owning a restaurant was hard enough for the saunders family without their kid going off to try and make it in hollywood.
even if the saunders struggled to make ends meet growing up, daphne lived a relatively simple life. while her friends got new phones for birthdays, she was lucky to get hand-me-downs from her cousins. while kids at school took trips to cabo for the summer, daphne was stuck working behind the counter. more than anything, she learned quickly that she wouldn’t settle for the life her parents had carved out for her.
telling her family that she wanted to go into acting worked out as well as she had thought. in her mother’s words, it was a disappointment that daphne could so easily turn her back on the business that her family had sacrificed everything for.
lectures and disagreements went on for ages (and still do to this day), but it did little to stop daphne from attending a local community college for theater arts. she strived in her program and, despite no one attending her graduation, managed to land herself a job working as a production assistant at an independent studio.
it was the best she could do when producers and casting agents turned her away at the door. the job might have been stable enough, but daphne didn’t risk everything to be the person behind the camera.
she heard about the role from a friend–a new teen soap opera shooting in canada. it helped to have someone calm her nerves during the audition and even better to have made it through to the second round with them too.
but, she wasn’t an idiot. a spot in a show like that could be the difference between being an extra in a commercial and a blockbuster star on the walk of fame. and it wasn’t like her friend needed it, right? not as much as daphne did, at least.
the day of the audition, she made a call: the producers rescheduled. what’re the odds?
it wasn’t her fault. her friend should have checked for herself. as if you wouldn’t do the same. and so, with her competition out of the running, she was offered the role that very day.
without so much as a goodbye to her friends or family, daphne packed up what little she had and moved to canada for filming.
part two.
toronto is empty and far too quiet for daphne’s liking. still, it was where the show took her. you know, the show where she practically ripped out from under her friend’s feet? the one that got cancelled mid-production by the studio? once again, she was shit out of luck.
a few bit spots in local shows and some hosting gigs on the side were the only thing keeping her in canada. it would be hard getting back to california with all the bridges she burnt there.
daphne hadn’t bothered trying to find her way back into hollywood and instead settled into the life she built in the new city. it might have been a far cry from what she expected, but a part of her knew she wouldn’t fare any better if she’d left.
then, a call. if she’d known how much trouble they would get her into, she would have thrown her phone into the pacific. after years having gone without so much as a word from her family, her mother broke the news. that the restaurant had gone under and that she’d be moving into her sister’s. aurora bay–a town she could only barely pick out on a map.
daphne, realizing that the roles and callbacks were now few and far between, decided that a fresh start might just do her some good. no, it had nothing to do with her bank account running on empty and her landlord threatening eviction. but, it did help that her aunt had a cozy guest house just by the water. either way, daphne was just happy to be in a town where nobody knew her name.
part three.
aurora bay is nice enough. quaint, like something out of a hallmark movie. her mother disagreed, already missing the los angeles weather. it’d been years since they’d seen each other, but the two can still find something to fight about.
as far as low points go, daphne still believes she’ll find her way out of the hole she’d found herself in. never mind that she doesn’t exactly have a plan–doesn’t everyone need a break here and there?
until then, she’s happy enough to mooch off her aunt and uncle while she gets her feet off the ground. and if they're under the impression that she's there to reconnect with her mother, then so be it. it's not like she's hurting anyone.
daphne’s barely unpacked (knowing her, she might never finish), but a change of pace can’t come at a better time–so long as her family doesn’t drive her away first.
POSITIVE: ambitious, charismatic, self-assured, idealistic, perceptive
NEGATIVE: disingenuous, conniving, melodramatic, entitled, self-destructive
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More miscellaneous observations, mostly from Corruption.
Prime etc.
Since there may be Switch remasters of these games on the way, I’d like to clarify that this blog is not an accurate representation of how these games look on console.
For one, I do bump up the resolution, which makes smaller details much clearer. (The base textures are unchanged, though I believe there’s a fanmade HD texture pack for Prime. Which admittedly could kind of use it.)
I also often tweak the lighting in post - usually brightness/contrast, sometimes white balance. (On top of that, I turned down bloom by 10% on Corruption, because it’s a bit much.) This is about as much I would edit a photograph which I took of real life.
Finally... Keep in mind that these games were originally meant to be played on a component video output hooked up to a CRT, which (as you may or may not know from personal experience) is a very fuzzy experience.
That being said, all I’m doing is adding extra polish - Prime games look decent under any condition. (My actual play setup is trash...) So these remasters, provided they exist, have a lot to live up to.
Moving on.
This is what it looks like inside the morph ball. So... now you know...?
Activating two cutscenes at once means they play simultaneously.
It seems Gliders were originally going to be used as platforms at some point. It is very difficult to get on top of one without noclip, but as you might hope, Samus can totally ride on them. Whee!
There’s no issues with sliding off or anything, either - you’re clearly meant to be able to stand on top. (Wish the same was true for my sad attempts to boost onto Quadraxis’ flying head without stunning it first - water off a duck.)
Apparently there’s even an unused scan image depicting this exact scenario, which more or less confirms it.
This applies to some midsize harmless flying enemies in the rest of the main trilogy as well, specifically the drones in Sanctuary and the cargo carriers in Skytown, both of which speedrunners ride to get out of bounds. Perhaps they’re using the same code...? Or maybe those are programmed like “crates that move” and the fact that they’re also flying platforms is a coincidence, who knows. It’s all platforms, always has been.
Different game entirely, but bear with me. These statues in front of Elun reminded me of this statue in Prime 1, specifically with the robes/armor. Might be a coincidence, though, especially since the main series basically ignores Prime.
Echoes
I love Echoes, but I don’t have much to say about it this time.
Spoopy.
The regular human corpses are about the same size as Samus, but when Ing-possessed they get... bigger. (Morph Ball is about half her height - when unmorphing, she comes up to the armpit.) So that’s weird and kind of gross to think about!
Corruption
The MPT version of Corruption seems to have significantly better load times than the Wii release, though it takes longer to boot up at the start.
The Pirate Phazon storage that Dark Samus reconstitutes herself in during the opening cutscene (left - sorry for terrible angle, it’s hard to fight the cutscene camera) isn’t one of a kind. It’s the same room model as the Phazon storage/processing room that you pick up X-Ray Visor in much later (right).
...gonna chuck that one on the right in the queue, actually...
It’s really impossible to overstate just how tiny humans* are in the Metroid universe, compared to almost every other species. Other humanoid species are generally at least as tall as Ghor. So if you’re looking for an in-universe explanation for all these conveniently morph-ball sized vents... Uh, I guess those are still pretty small for most species.
*or, in this case, Gandrayda badly impersonating a human - though she’s the exception, being about the same size as Samus anyway. I wouldn’t be surprised if they use the same model.
Speaking of Gandrayda. This isn’t a new discovery, but I figure it’s worth mentioning that there’s some otherwise unreleased concept art in her body texture. Seems someone was using it to colorpick...
Feeding my statuary addiction with these busts on Bryyo Fire.
This save room in Skytown has a mysterious solar system model. My pet theory is that it’s home. Like, the lore on the nearby Cyrlic tree is that this Chozo tribe bioengineered it and brings it from place to place (you also see this exact species on Tallon IV). So maybe if that tree is from home, this model is depicting home? I don’t know.
There are a lot of assumptions there and an environment artist probably just stuck it there because it looks cool. Just kidding! This is approximately canon.
While it seems odd that the HUD is a 3D element in the world, it does let it interact with lighting, like this orange glow. It’s subtle, but a nice touch.
...now that I know you can make it invisible I’m turning it off though... Invulnerability cheat doesn’t work in this game, so whatever happens happens I guess!
Quick look at the dying parasite queens in the Skytown Xenoresearch Facility elevator wall. Which is... You know. A completely normal place to store your dying specimens.
If you’ve ever wondered where exactly in Samus’ body her Phazon growth is located, wonder no longer: it is located above whatever Leviathan seed she happens to be in! (In this case, Bryyo. Blue things on the walls.) Hope that helps. 😔
In the drop cutscene, two Spire pods are loaded at the same time, though you’d never see them both with a normal angle.
You might have to take my word for this, but the text in the biohazard scan is once again basically keysmashing. All homebar too, very classical. There’s one word on here, “extra”. And some numbers, 123123, @@@, etc.
Finally. (deep sigh) Shoutouts to the artist at Retro who decided to give the Reptilicus about 6 polygons of lizard bulge. Maybe they can hang with the artist at Mercury Steam who kept giving a bunch of ZDR critters detailed bolas.
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