#im feeling a bit more comfortable drawing on my ipad now

[lillystarreds]

I’ve seen this tweet so many time! I just had to draw my nyo version of him for fun💙

The tweet:

#hetalia #aph estonia #hws estonia #nyotalia #nyo estonia #💙💙💙 #procreate #porcreate drawing #snowy day #im feeling a bit more comfortable drawing on my ipad now #hetalia oc #oc #original character #artists on tumblr

[bogkeep]

Hey! I'm the one who asked the poorly worded art process question. I'm here to give it another try by being more specific. The problem is . . . that's hard. Because that was about a specific as I can get, since I kind of want to know everything about how your art works.

Big things, like how you come up with ideas, or how you design characters. But small things, too, like what tools you use for drawing, how you balance between traditional and digital art, and how you decide what color to use for your unique and beautiful line art.

I want to be more specific so you can answer, but the question in my head is too vague and broad for me to be specific about it. So . . . here are some subquestions of my question, I guess! Maybe that helps?

Sorry this is so weird, and thank you, your art is amazing

first of all, thank you so much <3

and yes, this is far more answerable! i hope i can satiate some of your hunger for insight without writing a whole book.

HOW DO I COME UP WITH IDEAS?

this is obviously going to be very different for everyone. i very rarely have to dig for ideas or sit down and brainstorm, unless of course i am trying to achieve something very specific, like fulfill art contest criteria or working on a commission. my brain is very visually wired, so a lot of my ideas literally just pop up in my head (i know of several artists with aphantasia - some people don't have any visuals in their head at all and I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT'S LIKE AND I AM IN AWE OF THESE ARTISTS), sometimes i see a character or character design and im like HNNNG i need to draw them, or i just... have a concept i really want to Exist and i'm going to figure out how.

my biggest problem is that often, when i get an idea i want to DRAW IT, NOW NOW NOWNOWNOW, and that's just Not Feasible. sometimes because i'm Literally In Bed, sometimes because i have too many things i need to do or draw first... but i need to clear up space in my head, because my Urge To Draw will be like, beeping and whirring until i satisfy it... so i write it down on my TO DRAW-list! it's a real list that exists on my phone and i have to use it frequently. if i keep scrolling down i start finding weird notes that i have NO idea are supposed to mean anymore, but that's fine. i can't satisfy every Art Urge. sometimes i need to let them pass.

HOW DO I DESIGN CHARACTERS?

this one might vary a bit, but it can often be boiled down to "i sketch around until i figure something that Works." many of my characters, especially my older characters, became characters by accident when i kept drawing them over and over and i was like Ah I Like Drawing You... You Exist Now. that's how sparrow spellcaster happened, at the very least. this could happen because i had school and i would focus in school by doodling/sketching while listening to class. since i no longer go to school, pretty much all of my new characters are far more intentional. Timian and Vinta specifically exist as a result of a "favourite character fusion" challenge, and a lot of iphimery characters started with a Purpose rather than just harnessing the vibe of something i drew multiple times without thinking.

it helps to write down elements or tropes i want to include, like "sturdy-looking" or "VILLAIN OF EVIL SCARY MAGICS but it's a little girl and the dark magic is bright lightning and not shadows" or something. it can vary from a tiny visual detail to their role in the story. whatever i want to Achieve. my Intent. because my brain works so visually, i just really need to sketch somethign repeatedly until i nail it and can be like Yes That's It.

sketchbooks look a little messy but that’s what they’re for.

WHAT TOOLS DO I USE

for digital art, i’m currently using an ipad pro and procreate. i use a lot of the brushes that came installed, like Mercury is my primary lineart brush, and Moorilla is my primary sketching brush, but i also buy a lot of custom brushes on the hunt for More Delicious Textures (DAUB has a lot of good ones, especially if you want some that imitate traditional art). i have also used Huion and XP-pen tablets and generally recommend them, as well as clip studio paint as an art program (i love it very much and if it wasn’t subscription-based on ipad i would still be using it).

for traditional art, mostly just whatever sketchbook i have + my trusty mechanical pencil. i mean i have two: one with softer lead (it comes out darker) and 0,7 mm thickness, and one that’s 0,5 and harder lead for more light sketching, or if i’m going to line it with ink.

i also have a trusty pentel brush pen that i love DEARLY and feel bad for not having used in a while for reasons i will get to.

when i work on calendar pieces traditionally, i like to draw lines with ink - i use a dip pen with exchangeable nibs - and then color with watercolors. i have several sets because they’re all slightly different and i want the Range.

i sometimes travel with a little sketchbook in my bag and an assortment of pens, so that i can sketch Anytime, Anywhere. i think doodling with a pen can be very useful because you gotta become comfortable with the mistakes and imperfections and keep going anyway. if i doodle at work that’s the tools i have -  regular ball pens and a bunch of paper lying around.

HOW DO I BALANCE BETWEEN DIGITAL AND TRADITIONAL ART?

currently, i... don’t, really. it was easier when i had school, and i would just doodle freely and then maybe use some of my sketches as thumbnails or concept ideas. it’s harder now that i need to intentionally sit down with my sketchbook, and tbh... the ipad works very well for sketching. it’s so CONVENIENT and i have WORK all the time and my time to create art has become much more limited than it was. i miss going to my weirdo art high school where we would try out a whole bunch of different tools and methods. sure, yes, i had to paint with Acrylics My Beloathed, but getting to play around in different mediums is VERY valuable.

i genuinely want to be able to make more time and space for non-digital art again, but i just don’t have the ability to right now. it’s also different now that i’ve moved away from my parent’s place - i used to have an enormous desk and my mother has a large collection of art tools and there was a lot more storage space for whatever i created. digital art is very convenient and very accessible. ah well!

HOW DO I DECIDE ON THE COLOR FOR MY LINEART?

i usually line in black or a very dark color, and when i’m done coloring + shading i might play around with the colors and see what works. if you lock the layer you can just throw all the spaghetti at the wall you want. i decide on whatever fits the piece. i tend to be pretty fast and loose about it too, sometimes you can probably spot parts of my lineart that have slightly mismatchy color, but it’s like... done is better than perfect! i don’t have the energy to overlook every single pixel of my piece or else i would drive myself utterly mad.

HOPE THIS ANSWERS ANYTHING AT ALL!! THANKS FOR ASKING!!!

#art advice #(tag for archival purposes not to imply my methods are gospel) #everyone has their own ways!!!

[myketheartista]

it is time for me to once again thank everyone who has stuck around and supported me and watched me act like a fool as i attempt to work social media despite having been here for 5+ years

posting is hard, whether that’s from lacking in motivation or just being pummeled with schoolwork and other Life Things. I want to be more active and it sucks that I just can’t be when my energy is so low and i won’t do more than just a single post with a few pieces. I really wanna do more challenges, requests, write more drabbles, update commissions, do some funky stuff that’ll make my blog more fun but i am just Not in the headspace to do any of that and it feels like it wants to stay that way for months. I’ve been what the kids call, “going through it”, and while I won’t use my blog as my safe space to vent, i’m just… not very happy with my life right now for multiple reasons and that’s really having it’s impact on my ability to be active.

i know it’s not a responsibility or mandatory, but you know it’s really saddening when i can’t just do the one thing i’ve loved to do for years since i was a kid. not doing inktober crushes me more than i think anyone realizes, and not being able to write my thoughts on characters or being able to create full pieces to tag a story onto hurts. i really want to stream but my anxiety and lack of confidence begin to overwhelm me when i even consider the possibility since i’m not very comfortable with drawing in front of people (not even mentioning i would have to buy airserver to connect my ipad to my pc). overall, i’m just thankful i still have the friends i do and im glad they continue to support me despite my promises and desires to do things that just end up not being fulfilled. i’m trying to get a hold on things at the moment, and i’m really excited for how the parv charms are coming along since i’ve got an idea on how to get that up and running. commissions will be updated soon, and i’ve been coming out of hiding a bit more since school is letting up (not that it’s gonna stay that way forever, but hopefully i can feel a bit happier when these new classes start)

thank you for sticking with me even if my road is a little bumpy at times without really seeming like it. i’m not the type to just talk about my problems as much as that would make me feel better. i just don’t want to seem like a shitty person who sees no issue in not communicating with people or never following through with their word. everyone who follows me and interacts with me means the world to me and i value you so much.

#myke speaks #long post #just an… update of sorts #some weird things are going on in this little gremlin head but i am powering through as much as i can #being in vc last night with the gremmies was really nice #i miss my friends #i’m like… mentally okay yknow? but i’m just really suffering from the i wanna cry everyday disease #but art truly keeps me going i just feel bad for seeming like a distant person even if that’s okay at times! #i just dont like being away either pls know that #being able to do what we did yesterday really made me happy for the first time in a little while

[annypuff]

Hello! How are you? I hope you are doing well ☺ i had a question for you! I want to get into digital drawing, but I don't have a tablet, and honestly not much money either HAHA. Do you have any recommendations on what type of tablets I should be looking at? Or even some tips? I would really appreciate it! Your art is amazing

hi!! i can tell you personally what i’ve been through if that will help!  sorry, i get super into these things!!! lol so this is gonna be long, sip some water and grab a snack lol

i started digitally drawing in 2005 on ms paint with just a mouse haha.. and it wasn’t until maybe like 2009 i got a wacom bamboo fun tablet! which isn’t the kind with a display. I got it for like, $60-70CAD at the time, at one point had to replace it but it was still the same style of tablet.. and i had been drawing with it for over a decade! I was using ms paint but at some point i switched over to adobe’s flash (like an old version that i was able to get for free) and then paint tool SAI (which i got a “portable” version of... aka pirated lmao) anyways, wacom is on the pricier side but ive heard many great things about the brand huion? they’re a cheaper alternative and i believe they’re just as good! you definitely should watch some youtube videos about them though! so many of my friends (who are just casual artists, or just starting out!) just bit the bullet and got huion branded stuff and they love it so far.

however, some people have come up to me about how they can’t seem to fathom drawing without looking at their hand, so they opt for display tablets. this is where even ipads and other mobile tablets can come into play to. so i bought my display tablet, an old wacom cintiq, secondhand, just like, 2 yrs ago and i love it so much and i totally understand why people would rather skip the regular tablet “phase” and go straight into display tablets. it’s pretty much the closest thing to putting pen to paper except, digitally! but it is EXTREMELY pricey! you’re essentially buying a powered monitor lol depending on the sizes and brand, it can go anywhere between $300-2500! im going to mention huion again bc, yup!! very good alternative, more affordable brand! now if you’re thinking mobile tablets, i just recently got myself the samsung tab s6 lite, it’s a good mid-tier price and they support many other drawing programs and recently they released clip studio paint (what i use) for android and its fine so far! there’s many other mobile drawing software out there too, i suggest looking up on youtube as well as i cant seem to recall the names lol. but honestly, i only ever use it if i wanted to draw digitally on the go lol. this is very privileged of me. i know a lot of artists solely use their ipads and procreate, which i get why it’s so amazing but literally like that post i reblogged had said, it doesn’t matter what you have, it’s how you use it!!

currently i use clip studio paint as my software, but i bought it (on sale!! it goes on sale a few times a year) lol after i started making a stable income (again i feel very blessed) i also got SAI officially hahaha. i literally don’t know how to use photoshop properly :’D GIMP is a free drawing program, i think it reminds me of photoshop though so i didn’t really use it much. I actually haven’t gone around looking at any other drawing software, as i just keep advertising CSP to my friends and they also bought it.. so i would once again resort to youtube for that lol but i love CSP bc they have built in 3d models you can pose!! lol and backgrounds and other assets you can download, etc... when it’s on sale i goes down i think to 70? maybe less, i can’t recall. i don’t wanna advocate uh.. “portable” versions but uh... there’s that option too ;) (not sure if CSP has it but i think SAI’s is around somewhere on the internet...)

in the end, it really is an investment if it’s something you want to hone!! huion is something you should definitely look into and if you want to keep doing it in the long run, you can upgrade much later! I would say, if you can somehow test how well you can do with a non-display tablet, i would just go with that for budget purposes. if it wasn’t for my impulsive nature, i probably wouldve stuck with a non-display for a very long time lol.

oh also this is me assuming you have a laptop or a computer, if you’re running solely on mobile then an ipad alternative would be the samsung s6 tab lite, or anything similar, esp if you’re just going to be using it for drawing!

im so sorry this is so long LMAO my INFP ass just wants to be as helpful as i can... TLDR: try huion! LOL and trial versions of drawing programs!! to see which you feel more comfortable with hehe

#omg im so sorry anon i jsut flooded with so much info #i get REALLY passionate about this shit #if you have any SPECIFIC questions PLS dont hesitate to ask!!!!!

[same-side]

hiiii! i just wanna say, i adore your art. second, im teaching myself to draw and while i can draw simple basics (mouths and sometimes eyes if im lucky), im still a beginner. ive watched many art videos and im still a bit confused on wtf im doing. so i just came here to ask if you had any words of wisdom for beginners? could be anything from what tablets to buy to simple mistakes to avoid. ive read some of the other posts here and have found it all extremely helpful so far! Thx for all you do!!

Hey there! Thank you so much!

I would put a read more but tumblr is broken. I’m trying to cover a lot of varied thoughts in little points, so if there’s anything you would like me to elaborate on or otherwise have questions on, feel free to shoot me an ask or dm me!

General

I think the biggest thing to remember is not to compare yourself extensively to others. A little bit of comparison is healthy... But too much will destroy your confidence, motivation, and take the fun out of art. Particularly if you are comparing yourself to someone older than you (life experience and coordination come into play here) or that has been drawing much longer (practice). 

Additionally... If you’re not having fun (and you’re not getting paid to do it), don’t force yourself. If you find yourself being frustrated or bored with art, don’t force yourself to do it. That’s how you burn out and get art block! This applies to parts of a peice, too! If you don’t feel like drawing a face or a hand today? don’t force yourself to finish it. Come back to it later when you aren’t as frustrated or are getting better results. Even if its a week or a month from now. Honestly, at any given time I have probably ten headless bodies in my drafts. That’s okay! I just come back to them when I’m ready to do the face. And don’t be afraid to abandon something if it doesn’t feel right!

Something that also doesn’t get said enough.... take care of your body! I never knew when I started art, but artists are supposed to do warmup sketches and stretches and muscle exercises! I didn’t do any of this, and i went through a period of a few months where I was drawing for 5ish hours every single day. I developed carpal tunnel from it! So remember to take care of yourself. Take breaks, stretch, remember to eat.

Practice

Practice!!!! Even if its just for fifteen minutes every day. Or twice a week. But if art is something you really want to get good at, you have to put in the time and effort!! You can’t expect to draw an hour per month and be on the same level as someone who draws an hour a day!

I know I say this a lot but I think the biggest thing is just reference! If you don’t know what something looks like, look at a picture of it when you draw it! To go hand in hand with that, though, don’t just copy what you see! Learn from it and apply it! So take, for example, a shoe! pay attention to the way the heel is shaped, the location of the eyelets for the laces... how large the toe is, how steep the top! While you’re at it, look at other styles of shoes as well, and compare them! See what makes it look like a boot versus a trainer! And then the next time you draw it, hopefully you’ll remember all the things you learned the first time around!

I do lots of studies that serve no purpose other than to teach me things! I use referencing/studies to learn about color theory, shapes, and anatomy in a real environment. For example, hands or fabric folds! Oftentimes I’ll do them timed (20 or 45 minutes) so that I don’t fixate on perfecting things, just on the process itself and what I can learn from it. This also helps with getting better acclimated to your software and more coordinated with what you’re doing. Repetitive learning, like with playing sports. 

I’ve realized a lot of people don’t quite understand what a study is? Basically you just look at a photo and try to replicate it so that you can learn about lighting or color theory or textures or anatomy or whatnot. So here’s an example of a timed study.

Additionally, don’t avoid!! We, as humans, have a tendency to avoid things that make us uncomfortable or are difficult. But it will make you a better artist in then end. When I first started, I absolutely hated doing fabric. I felt like I wasn’t good at it. So instead of avoiding drawing clothing, I sat down and did studies and sketches of different kinds of fabric. By the end of this learning period, I became comfortable with it and grew to enjoy it. These days, I adore sketching clothes, and it’s why my pants and shirts and things tend to be detailed instead of stylized in line art. If you don’t like drawing hands because you feel like you aren’t good at it? Sit down, look at a bunch of pictures of different hands, and practice it. By the end, you’ll be more comfortable, you’ll have learned something. Even if you feel like the drawings you ended up with aren’t good, you’ll still have learned, and that’s what matters!

Style

I worked on basics before I tried to develop a style. I made sure to start with a very realistic method at first, so that I could be sure I understood how fabric folds, anatomy, and realistic expressions worked before I tried to stylize them. I think in the long run this approach really paid off for me. It also allowed me to be conscientious of what elements I was absorbing into my artwork. I hear from so many artists that they started drawing when they were younger and into anime or cartoons or things like that, and tried to emulate it. Because those styles became so ingrained into their artistic skillset, it becomes near impossible to iron out those influences and get rid of them later. So starting with realism is a way to ingrain proper anatomy and other good practice into your artwork.

One way to develop style is to take a look at the artwork of someone you admire, and try to list out the things you like form their style - perhaps the thickness of their lines, or the way they do eyes. Do this with several artists, take all those little details you like and try them out! See if you enjoy using them in your own drawing process! Think of it like a grab bag or a pick-n-mix, sprinkling in the elements you like here and there to create something new and your own - not just copying another artists style word for word.

Don’t worry too much about it though; don’t allow yourself to become anxious or fixated on “achieving a style”. Its a natural ever evolving process that comes with time and practice. I know a lot of people get hung up on style, but just take it one day at a time!

Also try to keep in mind what style you’re going for as you begin drawing. And I don’t mean that like sailor moon vs. ghibli. I mean that as in, is this piece going to be a painting, a lineart, a lined painting, cell shading...? It will help you in the longrun if you narrow down the broad kind of style you use, and refine from there. 

Workflow

My workflow for paintings is very different from my workflow for lineart and cell shading. A full tutorial on how I do paintings can be found here! A process video for how I cell shade can be found here!

Everyone is going to have a different method that works for them! You just have to experiment and find out how you like to draw! For me, personally, I use color blocking for painting (see the tutorial above) and a spine method for lineart. How the spine method works is that I will draw lines that represent the legs, arms, back, etc. so that I can determine the placement, length, and composition. From there, I’ll add a dark outline that actually shows the shapes of the body. Then, I’ll use thinner lines to add details. This is the method I’ve found that works for me. Another commonly used method that I’m sure you’ve seen is representing body parts with cylinders and cubes. There are lots of good tutorials out there on breaking down bodies into shapes like this!

Something that I do is if I’m not quite happy with a part of a drawing, I don’t just erase it. I duplicate the layer so that I always have the original copy, and then I make changes from there. Sometimes I can end up with five or six different versions of the same arm or face that i’ve made minor changes to. And then I compare and pick the one I like best, or condense all the parts I like from each version to make a “best” version.

Tools

Currently I use Procreate and the standard Ipad with Apple Pencil. Prior to March I was using a Wacom Bamboo Touch and Photoshop Elements 2008. I find its harder for me to do full paintings in procreate, but its made my life a million times easier for lineart and cell shading. The pen pressure is phenomenal, and I also adore that its wireless / active screen instead of plug in like the wacom. The programme itself is intuitive and easy to get the hang of; it simply lacks a lot of the neat tricks that photoshop has, like rendering (lens flares, for example), gradients, and gradient maps. Try testing out different trials of programmes... firealpaca, photoshop, autodesk, whatever it may be! What works for me may not work for you!

#thegodbucky #asks for ts #t talks #long post #art reference

[comicteaparty]

June 13th-June 19th, 2020 Creator Babble Archive

The archive for the Creator Babble chat that occurred from June 13th, 2020 to June 19th, 2020.  The chat focused on the following question:

What is your physical and digital workspace like when you’re working on your story?

🌈ERROR404 🌈

LOL it really depends on what stage I'm in of the process - My storyboarding space is at home, as comfortable as I can be, a beer and some food at the ready and pure silence. The cats have to be freshly fed, otherwise I'll be harassed and lose my headspace entirely LOL. I usually work on my story boards digitally, just at a very small scale, with my script/outline on my computer and working on my ipad! The double screen helps a LOT, although i would just print out the script if I had access to a printer, haha. When I'm working on the actual page itself, it's a very different story. I usually just try and work on it in tiny little batches during the day when I'm stuck at home, and usually work around the animals as best i can, lmao. Truthfully, I really prefer to be in a coffee shop when I'm working on finishing pages, it makes me so much more productive than i am in this house with so many things to take care of right in front of me, but, obviously, that's a bit difficult to do these days. ;; I usually reserve food and drink until after I pass a milestone in inking/sketching to help motivate me to keep going for as much as I can before taking a break, and I need some kind of music or video playing in the background to keep myself from being absolutely bored out of my mind. My shading process, since it's in black and white, is very easy and i can finish it in one setting, easy, no matter what I'm working with. I also work digitally for my pages, of course, although I don't need more than my ipad and clip studio for it!

DaeofthePast

freshly fed cats

🌈ERROR404 🌈

They are BEASTS when hungry, the little bastards (love them)

I may only work in peace when they're post-food napping lmao

DaeofthePast

we only have one, but same

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

I work almost entirely in the corner of my IKEA couch at home I used to work at a proper desk with a Cintiq, but when I switched to Procreate on an iPad, I migrated to the couch and surrounded myself with a nest of clothes and blankets and books and... here I am, bein' cozy. With terrible posture But when I was between jobs last year, I did rent a little coworking space down the street so I could get out of my pajamas and go get comic stuff done there. It was a godsend. I like drawing at my favorite coffee shop every so often too, but I tend to hide my work while I draw, and there, everyone can look over my shoulder The coworking space had a tall artist desk that was rarely used, so I often grabbed that one. Not cheap, but to stave off cabin fever, heck yes, worth it.

🌈ERROR404 🌈

Ahhh I've been really thinking about getting a studio space one of these days I really shouldn't rn, with my finances as they are, but I could REALLY make use of one recently

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

I loved the space I used last year. They recently had to close for... current-event reasons... and are going to reopen with all sorts of plexiglass barriers between the desks I feel so bad for them. Good studio spaces are wonderful, I would support them again if I ever was out of a job!

🌈ERROR404 🌈

it's good they've found ways to make it safer, though!

carcarchu

My old workspace was in the basement of my home in canada and it was always perpetually freezing even in the summer and i was frequently visited by spiders so my current workspace is a huge improvement in that regard. I do miss my old ergonomic desk chair though. I'm definitely not the kind of person who can draw in bed or on the couch. I need to be in workmode and having a designated space just for that is necessary for me to get in the right headspace for that.

DaeofthePast

my workspace rn is just my desk with my laptop and my drawing tablet. my laptop is stacked on top of a pile of books so i can see the screen (otherwise my tablet blocks my line of sight). it's kinda simple

chalcara [Nyx+Nyssa]

Depends. I have a Cintiq Mobile Studio, so I can draw pretty much every where and sometimes in the oddest position, but most of the time I am on my desk with the cintiq hooked up to a second monitor so I don't have to look down so much.(edited)

Holmeaa - working on WAYFINDERS

For Wayfinders: Thumbnails are somewhere cozy and the only physical work. Me and Q sit and plan them out together. The rest of wayfinders are made on Photoshop, and flat colors in clip paint studio. In the world I would love a nice studio place in an office with others. During corentine I have been working from home, and I am not that good at it, being quite the extrovert. Before corentine I was in a artist residency where I worked on Wayfinders which had a workstation and all the programs we could need. It is so nice and me and Q are going to return there when it opens up again!

Miranda

I have an iPad so usually on the couch, cozied up with coffee and pillows and blankets. But sometimes at the table. But usually on the couch like the gremlin I am

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

I have a large drafting table, a mini drafting table, and a lapdesk in my papasan when we ink/draw! Toning and letters are all done on the desktop in its own space

Miranda

I need to get a good lap desk. But that sounds like a grand setup!

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

My first time hearing about a lapdesk

Omg I need one

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

They are the best things ever Mine has just the pencil holder !(some come with cup holders and its a waste of space imo)

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

Wow I like your setup of the drafting tables

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

I wanna show pics of them....if im allowed in this chat?

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

I hope so, I'm not sure which channel we can post studio photos at? I did see some did before?

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

Ill post in shop talk since creator babble gets archived

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

my current space is uh.... a bit better than my last one. I used to work on an old writers desk for a decade and I did most of my comic work sitting there cramped up with my desktop taking most of the space. Now I have an L shaped desk where I have my desktop on the shorter end. The longer end it's my pen, pencils, and watercolor stuff. my display tablet occupy the space at times so switching from digital and traditional without worrying about setup hassle is a lot better than what I dealt with before lol.

I'm glad the days I had to curl up and draw with no privacy are long gone now

kayotics

I’ve got a little drafting table where I draw all my comic pages. I’m messy with my pens so they’re kind of strewn about until I start to lose them. Then I put them back. I’m not particularly neat. I spend most of the comic process off the computer, so most of my digital work is just on an iPad where I can sit anywhere. I try to keep good lighting around my drafting table and there’s always loose eraser shavings all over.

Natasha Berlin (Pot of Gold)

I got myself a lil corner desk by the dining table. Not as well-lit as I'd like, but it's decently ergonomic and I started putting posters on my wall Plus I can leave work mindset easily by turning off my computer and forgetting about the dark corner in the dining room XD(edited)

sssfrs (JOE IS DEAD)

My desk is really sloppy and covered in all kinds of junk. I have a harmonica, a ball of yarn, a bunch of ink bottles, etc on my desk. I have my sketchbook under my tablet and usually a notebook somewhere for writing. My tablet sits to the right of my laptop (on top of sketchbook) while I'm not using it and when I'm using it it goes over my computer keyboard. I sometimes have a glass of water or some food sitting to the lefthand side

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

The only thing I wanna share about my workspace is this

once i spent over three hours looking for that damned pen

never again

🌈ERROR404 🌈

Ajkdhfkjs the models for hte magazine im crying

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

Oh my God

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

mad giggling

Deo101 [Millennium]

youre gonna manage to lose the string

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

omg

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

i know in my heart deo is right but still i hope

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

You should weld a metal chain to it

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Watch me lose the whole tablet

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

Oh nooo

I believe in you!

TaliePlume

My workspace is a black table with a white, yellow, blue and green tablecloth with 3 black chairs. It's next to the kitchen. On it, is my laptop and the left side is my clipboard, 3 blue folders full of writing. Then above it, is 3 sketchbooks and another blue folder from a class that I took in community college.

June 16, 2020

sagaholmgaard

I have one long desk at almost three meters. On the left side is all my coffee and tea supplies, in the middle is my work space and on the right is my dining table xD I get everything done from there, despite having a mobilestudio so I COULD sit anywhere and work, lol. It's a blessing during holiday seasons to be able to bring it everywhere, but at some I like my designated working space. Although I am moving in a few weeks, so who knows what my new workspace will be

Moral_Gutpunch

My workspace is anywhere I can draw or write. It's more of a "Will I be interrupted over something petty or stupid" issue than space. Not that I don't want more space.

Mitzi (Trophallaxis)

My workspace is a big, broken corner desk I managed to lug out of an old apartment when it was gonna be trashed. Before then, I'd just draw in bed. I don't remember, but I'm pretty sure the folding chair I sit at is a similar affair. It's got a Dollar General throw pillow on it so I can at least say I'm trying to save my back. The top of the desk is a mess of mostly old bottles and cans, pencils, incense ash, and my old tarot deck. I love this setup dearly. This is the first time I've ever had my own desk space, much less a space I can decorate or leave as messy as I want. Got my own art up on the walls with sticky tack and all! Also the cat's scratching post is directly behind me, because we've learned the cat won't use it unless it's as in the way as possible. What can ya do, lol.

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

Oh cats...

Desnik

I got spoiled with an adjustable desk. It is six feet long, and has a whiteboard top for noodling with dry erase markers

my main computer is set up on an adjustable stand so it floats over the desk, and then I have my cintiq, which we tried to mount on a similar stand but then it was just too heavy

I keep my dice collection nearby because fidgeting helps think things through sometimes

and rolling to make odd decisions never hurts

lately during the quarantine I've been sharing the office with my spouse so we've had to establish rules over when it's okay to bug each other(edited)

oh yeah and we also have a whiteboard installed in the office, and it rules!(edited)

Shizamura 🌟 O Sarilho

Mine is pretty simple: I have a laptop that's long stopped being portable and is now mostly just sitting at my desk at all times and a 19 inch Ugee as my display. I usually keep a lot of stuff on top of my desk, but it's mostly just a mess because I have been using it for work too for a while now

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

I suppose I'll talk about my setup too :) My main setup is where I do digital art. I share an office with my SO, so we both have workspaces on opposite walls from each other. I work on a corner desk that holds my beefy computer, two monitors, and a Huion Kamvas GT-191. That's where I draw my comic and pretty much everything else done digitally. Ngl, it's a mess right now. I have comic notes and location floor plans in sketchbooks and DnD character sheets spread out all over the surface, and random pens and sticky notes. In the corner of the room, we have a nice large-format printer where I produce prints for conventions. I actually sketch my pages on an iPad pro in Procreate, so during the sketch phase, sometimes I'll just bundle up on my couch and do it, or before quarantine, sometimes I'd sketch on the go. My other workspace (which hasn't gotten much love as of late tbh) is a drafting table in the corner of our living room. I keep a tabletop easel on it and my Copic markers, as well as whatever I'm working on at the moment. (RN it's some ink washes.) The drawers hold all my ink, pencils, erasers, etc. Next to the drafting table is where I keep all my large charcoal, graphite, and oil pastel drawings (mostly school projects), and my large paintings. Other than that, I have a nifty little cart where I keep painting supplies :) I will say, this setup is by far an enormous improvement from my previous setups.

#ctparchive #comics #webcomics #indie comics #comic chat #comic discussion #comic tea party #ctp #creator interview #comic creator interview #creator babble

[liverpops]

a couple replies under the cut!!

💝everyone... i luv u T_T i’m actually crying really ugly but i’m so happy bc it’s a wonderful happy crying💗 thank you for your support!!

i hope you’re all right!! hospital trips are never terribly fun. i’m casting the softest curaga from afar!!! rest well<3333

you could never be annoying, promise<3 it means a lot to me that you would take the time to write me just to tell me that, MY heart is blooming like a flower right now!!! HOLDS YOUR HANDS SO TIGHTLY FROM AFAR!! i’m glad if i’m even a bit of a comfort or presence when youre feeling blue. depressi episodes are never easy to get through, but i’m so proud of you for being such a wonderful sweet champion💓💗💗 thank YOU!! never change!!

oh anon, you could never be a bother. i wish i could be there for you in person to hold your hand or just sit by your side!! i’m sorry your day was so awful, but i’m really happy that a smile managed to find its way to you💝 you’re so strong!! let my selfish wish be that you smile again today, and even more in the coming days!! i’m here for you!!

FOR SOME REASON TUMBLR WAS GLITCHING OUT AND NOT LETTING ME REPLY PRIVATELY GRRRR so sorry abt answering here!! nyehehe I’M HAPPY THAT MY SILLY AU MANAGED TO YANK YOU IN >:) now.... we’re in this together!!!!!!! a lot of liverpepper has to do with things i crave or covet—not necessarily adopting at a young age for myself, but just.. the idea of family and warmth, and that sense of being loved and belonging and going through with decisions you make no matter the adversity, and i’m glad if leon deciding to become a parent the way he did is smth that rang nicely with you! you’re wonderful, thank you so much!! (real life or no, i’m rooting for you in all your plans and dreams! one day perhaps, hmm? ^o^)

OHHHHH THANK YOU SMMMMM ;___; thats such a wonderful compliment bc i just want to make soft warm things!!! 💘💗💘💗 ive been struggling a bit to settle on a consistent way of coloring and drawing (ive been switching between drawing on ipad and laptop and the results are currently.... KINDA MESSY 😖) so this really makes my day, thank you!! i’m happy to still be here💗

meds can be a bit difficult, huh? i definitely know the feeling. please don’t forget to take them on time and get your refills!! i’m glad though that your new meds dont make you feel as gross as your old ones did—it’s always a relief when something works a bit better. i’ll make sure to try and draw some more indulgent being-taken-care-of!Cloud for you during the year! i hope you have the warmest 2019 and that you receive nothing but love and fill your days with as many smiles as you can💗💗💗💗💗 RAISE YOUR HAND BC IM HIGH-FIVING YOU FROM AFAR!!!!!!!!! 

hello!! i want to point out that whenever ppl call me either by name or by a cute nickname like peps or anything like that, my heart just grows about 2894723x in size so....im here wheezing on the ground just from the start of your message!! i’m glad my silly things are even a bit of a cheerup for you, bc they cheer me up too! it isn’t easy when the feeling of loneliness surrounds you, huh T_T holds your hand tightly!!!!!! i’ll do my best to take care of myself, thank you for caring like that<3333 i’m looking forward to kh3 too!! check back w me after youve played it so we can cry together!!

@myadburks 💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗 if i could paste 1 billion heart emojis for you i would, but tumblr would never let me unfortunately, so that’ll have to do! thank you so much for your love and support<333 YOURE the wonderful one for taking the time to be so sweet like this!!!!

@ anon: AAAAHHHHHH for a long time now??????? i cant wrap my head around that anytime anyone says it!! thank you so much!!!!! HAHA omg see i very very rarely go back to look at the old posts bc i dddddie at my old drawings, but it definitely does make for a pleasant time capsule of art progression HEHE. here’s hoping i improve even more with every drawing!!! CHEERS ILL DRINK TO YET ANOTHER YEAR OF SHENANIGANS!!! ty for staying on this train w me for so long, dear anon!!!💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗

;_____;💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗anon...... youre making me melt.... tysm T__T sometimes i have awful annoying voices at the back of my mind telling me it’s ridiculous that all i ever contribute to fandom-wise is just my own sandbox and self-indulgent shenanigans, so it’s always nice to be reminded that it’s appreciated anyway💗 thank you, this means more to me than you could ever imagine.

ANON!!!!!!!!!!!! are you trying to make me explode?????????????? first off, thank you for all the years of support!!!!!!!!!!! I BLOW U A KISS........ I CRY!!!!! thank YOU for bringing the biggest smile to my face. YOURE the great one here!! <333333 thank you for appreciating all that i do, theres a lot of love in this universe and i hope it shows!!!! have a wonderful day, sweet anon!!!!!!

#not a drawing #you guys have got me crying in the club over here!!!!!!!!! #i love you all so much T___T

[friendlyneighborhoodcapricorn]

omg i cant believe ive never heard of those beforeㅠㅠ they're such cute ideas! then i guess i'll request a match up for MCU or TASM!

My preferred pronouns are he/they and im bisexual with a slight preference for guys. now for organizing the mess that is me..

personality: I'm pretty introverted, but once im talking to people im comfortable with i can get super talkative. I love thinking about philosophical or spiritual things, and asking questions with no real answers. I also love talking to other people about those things. I'm really open minded and always try to see things from as many different angles as possible to try to get a better understanding of the universe. im pretty confident, but i also don't like myself? its a weird combo. im also super competitive. if im not the best at something, i will get frustrated and extremely jealous of people who are better than me. when that happens though, i calm myself down by reminding myself its just my insecurities and its okay to not be the best. ive been told that im a good listener. i will sit there and listen to any of your problems and offer advice or a shoulder to cry on only if thats what you want, or i can just be there for you. and im daydreaming about 99% of the time..

hobbies/what do i like?: I love drawing. anytime i have freetime at home or at school, ill end up sketching something on my ipad or on a piece of paper. all of my assignments are covered in doodles, as are my hands. i also love singing and will belt out musical numbers (tick tick boom, dear evan hansen, be more chill, etc) all day long. i also really like reading, especially fantasy or romance books! or books that make you question life and your morals. i listen to a lot of music, mostly indie/rock or musicals (as mentioned earlier). i like most artsy things, really. i whittle a little, sculpt things, paint on clothes, and im always willing to try something new in that regard. OH and i loove playing instruments! i can play the piano, violin, ukulele, and guitar, and they're definitely hobbies for me.

what do i look like?: i'm short. 5'3 (sobbing in ftm), really short hair (think kpop guy idol), brown eyes, cool skin tone, and weirdly muscular shoulders? I like jewelry; always have a ring or two on, bracelets, a necklace, and two piercings on each ear (on the lobe). i wear jeans, sweaters, hoodies casually but also blazers, long coats, and suit jackets when im feeling it. love me a good pair of doc martins.

I wrote a lot more than i thought i would.. sorry about that? but i also hope extra info wouldve been more helpful? anyway, thanks! and have a great day<33

Hey, the more info, the more detailed I can make this :)

I match you with...

Tony Stark

I hesitated between Tony and Gwen Stacy for a bit, but since you have a preference for guys, I went with Tony.

The two of you are both the type to project confidence but beneath the surface are actually quite insecure, so you two hype one another up!

Since this is the guy who invented time travel, you can definitely count on him talking philosophy with you. He's a little less spiritually inclined, but then again: he's friends with a literal god.

Be careful about what kind of question with no real answer you ask because Tony will go out of his way to find an answer. Like, he'll prove the existence of some kind of obscure paradox and call it a weekend project.

But this actually works pretty well, because Tony likes knowing things and you make him think of things he had never even considered before.

If he comes up with a new idea for a suit or something, he'll ask you to sketch it because Tony wouldn't be able to draw a stick figure to save his life.

Discussing your favourite rock bands together.

Tony is insanely jealous of the fact that you can play multiple instruments while he never even managed to play one.

Being short sucks (trust me, I know lol) but it does mean that you can steal his band shirts and claim them as your own, which makes it bearable.

You've definitely sat through many a frustrated rant, but he always apologizes for bothering you with them. It takes a lot of convincing to get him to belief you really don't mind.

However, that doesn't mean he doesn't try to make it up to you. So uh, if you're allergic to anyhting, make sure he knows ;)

There you go, I hope you enjoyed it! Thank you for requesting, and have a lovely day/night :)

#request #matchup #matchup request #mcu #marvel #mcu request #marvel request #mcu matchup #marvel matchup #tony stark #iron man

[graymalkyn]

WOW DUDE, I LOVE YOUR WRITING!! You dont have to do it now or anything! Im more than happy with this resting in your inbox if requests arent open, but... How would V react to seeing Yoosung hurt? Like idk, if one of V's coworkers said something mean to the blonde boo, or someone else? And Yoosung just feels really bad. IdkaboutyoubutIreallywanttoseeanangryV I hope youre having a good time!

Aahahaha, thanks! ^^ I’m sitting here laughing because at first I was like, “What requests? *insert confused face*” So I’m afraid I’m going to disappoint you, because angry!V just doesn’t happen in my headcanon. Nope. V is a ball of sunshine. I guess. Maybe. Anyway, here it is, longer than I expected OTL (It takes place during the Christmas event.)

Drawing the curtain behind him, Yoosung tiredly rested hisback against the cold concrete wall and let out a sigh. He rubbed his sweatypalms over his stomach – he hated that bubbling sensation that he sometimesgot, starvation and satiation at the same time. But it had been a long week. Itwas chilly outside, his legs were tired, and he’d barely had anything to drink,and…

A tear rolled down Yoosung’s face. He quickly wiped it offwith the back of his sleeve.

“Yoosung?” Jihyuncalled from beyond the curtain.

Yoosung swallowed hard and pinched his cheeks. Smile, smile! “I’m here!” he saidmerrily. “Merry Christmas!”

Jihyun grinned. “Merry Christmas, love. Sorry I’m late, butthe traffic is terrible. I’m glad it was Driver Kim at the wheel, otherwise we’dstill be stuck there.” He closed the distance between them and kissed him onthe forehead. “It’s so cold here! Are you on a break? Let’s go and get yousomething warm.”

Yoosung shook his head. “It’s okay, I don’t think I can eatanything right now. Oh? Ah, you’re wearing the gloves? Jihyun!” he whined. “We were supposed to exchangepresents tomorrow morning, why did you open it today? It’s so unfair, now what are we going to do…?”

“I really wanted to wear them, sorry! Just as I was leavinghome this morning I thought it would be great if I could wear them, since I’dbe working on location…” Jihyun tilted his head. “Are you mad at me now?”

Yoosung looked down. “No,” he replied jadedly. “No, it’s okay.That’s why I got them, I guess. Sorry for snapping.”

With gloved fingers, Jihyun lifted his chin and gazed intohis eyes. “Yoosung?”

A frustrated sigh escaped the young man, but he bit his lipsand looked away.

“Awww, was that a pout?” Jihyun teased him. “Are you goingto start sulking? We cannot really get all lovey-dovey right now, thefundraiser’s still got a couple more hours before it’s over.” He was about tonuzzle him, but Yoosung pulled away. Jihyun’s smile faded away. “Love?”

“It’s nothing serious.”

“Just tell me.”

“There’s nothing you can do about it. Damn, there’s nothing I can do about it,” Yoosung snapped. Hecovered his eyes, his jaw clenched tightly.

Jihyun pressed his forehead against Yoosung’s and strokedhis shoulders in a comforting way. “Do tell me. It might make you feel better.”

The VIP area was at full capacity. Considering thedemand from the year before, Yoosung had prepared a plan to make the packagemore desirable, which had resulted in the tickets being sold out in recordtime. As he was passing by the area filled with glasses with warm cider andplates with exquisite delicacies that Jaehee had supplied them with, he overheard some of the people on the firstrow.

“Even if it’s an RFA event sponsored by C&R, I’m suremost of us are here for Zen, not for Jumin Han.”

“Either of them is more than fine, and it’d be especiallygood if they came together. Too bad they’re all slated to appear at the end,together with V.”

“The photographer? Tell me about it – I’ve been dying tomeet him for a year now! That’s why I got these tickets this time.”

“I know what you mean. Even if it’s a 30-secondmeet-and-greet, it could be totally worth it. He’s so handsome!”

“Ah, but nobody’s more handsome than Zen.”

“Excuse me? Have you seen Jumin Han’s back in those tightsuits? He’s the most perfect man - he and his millions.”

“They’re all perfect. This event is a blessing, truly.” Asthe woman turned around to get another glass of cider, she bumped into Yoosung,who had finally managed to get hold of some hot chocolate. “Ow!”

“I’m terribly sorry!” Yoosung bowed politely.

“You’d better be! You could have spilled that drink on me,sheesh!” The woman angrily snatched the glass of cider and turned her back onYoosung. “Can you believe that guy? He almost ruined my coat!”

“He did? Who is he?”

“That little guy? Just an employee.”

“How plain; he’s just probably lucky to be here.”

Yoosung left the mug on the table practically untouched ashe walked away, trying not to bump into anyone else.

“I know it’s stupid to feel this way,” he said softly, “butI can’t help feeling that they’re right. I mean, next to you guys, I’m still—”

“No.”

Yoosung looked up, surprised. If Jihyun’s warm hands weren’tstill touching him, he could have sworn that there was an ice statue standingbefore him. He was once again reminded that turquoises were stones, cold andhard. But that was not what the man before him had always shown him. “Jihyun…”he called gently. “It’s okay…”

“It is not okay.” He grabbed Yoosung by the back of his headand pulled him into an embrace. “You… Why is it always so easy for you toignore your own worth? Don’t listen to those people. They don’t know you. Whywould it matter?”

“It doesn’t!” Yoosung exclaimed. “I know it doesn’t matter!But I don’t know, it’s also true—”

“Yoosung!”

“But isn’t it? Everyone loves the catering Jaehee prepared.Since she left C&R, she’s made a name for herself. Zen is fully booked forthe next couple of years. Jumin is Jumin. And you…! I can’t be objective aboutyou anymore. Seven is invisible and he’s used to it, so then it’s just me beingonly me – a personal assistant who’s still in college. It’s easy to feel likeI don’t matter.”

“Oh, Yoosung,” Jihyun sighed, rocking him gently. “There’s alot I could say about you, and I will, once we get home.” A chime let them knowit was time to proceed with the introductions of the guests. “Will you stillpoint out the ladies for me when they come to greet me?”

“No way!” Yoosung said, taking a step back and grabbing hisearpiece and iPad. “I know you always have good intentions, but I didn’t tellyou about it so that you could find a solution. This is my problem,” he said,before he walked away briskly.

“May I have your attention, please?” Jihyun smiled as hegrabbed the microphone from the stand.

“What on earth…” Yoosung muttered. He turned to Jumin, whohad just arrived. “Forgive me, but Jihyun seems to have mistaken his turn to speak—”

“I allowed it,” Jumin replied. “He was visibly upset aboutwhat those ladies said about you.”

I’m going to kill him,Yoosung thought.

“Good evening, everyone. Thank you for coming to the annual RFAall-charity fundraiser sponsored by C&R. My name is V, and I’m glad towelcome you, especially in this time of the year and in this weather. As westand in this tent, surrounded by the warmth of friends and family, we takemany things for granted: those who have no home to go back to when the day isdone, or those who need a helping hand or a friendly ear but cannot have it.How lucky are those of us who have someone like that?” The silence was brokenby a general murmur of consent. “We the people at RFA are especially lucky, forwe have someone who is all of that and more, and his name is Yoosung Kim.”

Oh no.

“Oh. I didn’t realize this could become somewhat embarrassing,” Jumin said, folding hisarms across the chest and noticing that Yoosung had hidden behind him.

“What’s this all about?” Zen wondered, standing by them.

“Someone spoke ill of Yoosung,” Jaehee murmured.

“Eeeh? Who would? Yoosung’s the best of all of us,” Sevensaid.

“When this organization lost direction and we questioned itscontinuity, it was Yoosung who inspired us to continue with its legacy. When wewent through hard times, he was there to support us in any way he could around the clock.” Jihyun made a pause.

“Oh, he’s angry,” Jumin said, frowning.

“Huh? Excuse me? How can you tell?” Zen asked.

“How can you not?” Jumin wondered.

“Because people express emotions with their bodies andvoices, and I see no anger there, you jerk!” Zen exclaimed.

“Must you resort to name-calling?” Jumin sighed. “I supposeit can’t be helped if you don’t see it.”

“Shush, you two!” Seven said, slapping them on the back.

“He’s our youngest member, and in spite of having tomaintain a scholarship to finish his PhD, he works full time, and hevolunteered to organize this event.” V gripped the microphone a little tighter,his voice slightly trembling. “He inspires us to become better just by being himself.We are the ones that have to keep up with him on a daily basis. And to me…”

“Oh God, I can’t hear this!” Yoosung said, covering hiseyes.

“That’s not what you’re supposed to cover if you don’t wantto hear,” Jumin noted.

“Jumin Han, you idiot!” Zen hissed. “Can’t you see he’s embarrassed?”

“To me, he’s the reason I’m standing here. It is because ofhis encouragement that today I can share my view of the world with you, and letme tell you: the world is a most wondrous place because people like Yoosung Kimlive in it.” He took a step forward and looked at the crowd defiantly. “Thereare many Jumin Hans, and many more like me, and yet, without someone like him,we could have no idea of the daily struggles people go through. It is peoplelike him that we need so that in the future, useless things like VIPclassifications will no longer matter. We must learn who is worth gold, and whois only gold-plated.”

“Okay, I think it’s time to stop him now before he starts offending people,” Jaehee saidalarmed, trying to get Seven to stop cackling. “Yoosung, go out there rightnow!”

“What?! No!” Yoosung cried. “After all that, I’ll never beable to show my face in public again!”

“Just… Just get him to stop talking,” Jumin said, his voicetrembling.

Zen grabbed Yoosung by the wrist and dragged him out to thestage. “Hello everyone!” he shouted, flashing a smile. The crowd startedcheering, but they soon turned to wondering the identity of the young man withthe crimson face that was being towed. Zen took the microphone from V’s hand ratherunceremoniously and handed it to Yoosung. “Introduce yourself!” he hissed.

Yoosung’s eyes opened wide and turned to Jihyun, who wassmiling charmingly. He gave Yoosung a little wink that only the two of themcould see, which made Yoosung chuckle. He looked ahead and bowed. “He-Helloeveryone… My name is Yoosung Kim.”

For a moment the crowd remained silent, but then franticclapping and cheering erupted from all corners of the tent.

As he clapped, V moved closer to Yoosung and whispered inhis ear, “Never doubt yourself.” He stepped back for a few seconds but then heseemed to remember something. “Oh, and when the meet-and-greet comes, kindlypoint out the ladies that said those things about you.”

“Like hell I will,” Yoosung hissed under his breath.

“Shall I do something more embarrassing in front of allthese people, then?” Jihyun teased.

Yoosung shuddered as he replied, “The four ladies wearingfur on the first row.”

“Thank you, love,” Jihyun grinned, gently patting him on theback and waving to the crowd.

#in conclusion: angry V makes his friends die from embarrassment #omg this is so long I'm sorry #I can't even see the mistakes but I know they're there #mystic messenger #jihyun kim #yoosung kim #RFA #asks #I'm so mad at myself for this #siiiiighs

[smoothshift]

My journey to leasing an Alfa Romeo Giulia (also known as I test drove way too many cars) via /r/cars

My journey to leasing an Alfa Romeo Giulia (also known as I test drove way too many cars)

Ok, first things first, it isn't brand new anymore; I just now got photos back from my amateur photographer friend so I thought now would be a good time to post photos/my thoughts on the segment/brag.

Second, pictures. It is a 2017 Giulia with the sports package (and nothing else). 39 month lease with 12000 miles/year. And it took me a while, but I've name my car Im (pronounced "M"). Why Im? A friend called it my Italian Mistress and I got a kick out of that. My girlfriend still calls it Alfy because she likes to give me pain.

Up until May 1st of this year, I was driving the same truck I had been since I was in high school: 2005 Ford F150 Texas edition. It was a great truck that gave me everything I needed for almost 150,000 miles with very few issues (the belts used to control the windows broke probably 6 times between the 4 doors and the windshield fluid sprayer broke once, but I don't recall anything else other than routine maintenance). But I was finally making money and decided I wanted something that was a different type of fun. Now, I am not a dyed in the wool car guy like many on this sub; my parents always had nice vehicles, but my dad runs a small commercial contracting business so, outside of his 197-something Gremlin that he was so fond of, I think all he's ever owned are various trucks. Because of this, my knowledge of cars largely originates from haphazardly marathoning multiple seasons of Top Gear/The Grand Tour earlier this year and picking the brain of a friend of mine that is definitely a dyed in the whole car guy (who also happens to be the amateur photographer).

As someone completely knew to the segment (and cars in general), I did some fairly intense research and test driving. I ended up test driving a Giulia (obviously), a 3 series, an A4, a C class, an XE, an ATX, and an IS. Just as general background, I was looking for a daily driver (my office is less than a mile from where I work, but my family lives several hundred miles away and my gf currently lives over a hundred miles away as well) and I would probably say my priorities when I was looking for a car were looks/how much they stand out, how fun it was to drive, how comfortable it was to drive, and how good the infotainment was (really narrowing it down for you, I know). I ended up test driving everything except the ATS, A4, and the 3 series at least twice, partially to help me decide and partially because I wanted to see what various people thought about each car. I'll put my thoughts about each car in order from the one I liked the least to the one I liked the best. Some of my thoughts on each car are gone at this point, as I've been relentlessly lazy with regards to finally making this post, but I'll do my best to recreate my thoughts as I had looking at each car. I'll have a TL;DR for the reviews at the end as well.

ATS

Ok, my least favorite car was the ATS. All cars in this segment are great, but there isn't a doubt in my mind that this car was the one that appealed to me the least. In my opinion, this segment can be more or less described as a continuum of cars that are somewhere between a luxury car trying to be a sporty car and a sporty car trying to be a luxury car. The ATS felt the most like a luxury car trying to be (even if only at a perfunctory level) sporty to me. It had a deep, sonorous engine that felt more like towing power than raw speed. The inside looked great, perhaps the most luxurious interior in the class. The outside was definitely stately. But it felt and looked too much like a powerful boat for my tastes. Even though this was the third car I test drove, I think it may have been pivotal in pushing me over to the "sporty car trying to be a luxury car" end of the segment, because this car just did not speak to me when driving it. Perhaps, in 30 years, it will be exactly what I want. Just not now.

I also didn't much like a lot of the things going on inside. It was beautiful, but I felt like the center consul was too high, making my right arm uncomfortable. Additionally, I am not a fan of touch screen infotainment. I want to be able to focus on driving when I'm driving, not fumbling around, stretching to touch "next station".

A4

Now, after saying I was pushed to the sporty end of the segment, I of course have to rate lowly one of the more sporty cars, the A4. Now, the general, albeit definitely not word-of-God, consensus among car reviews I had read was that the A4 was the top or very close to the top of the segment. Plus, compared to the couch-on-wheels ATS, it is much more on the sport side of the spectrum, yet I rate it very, very low. Why? Three reasons (one of which is often brought up by the professional reviewers.

First: professional reviewers are correct in saying that you almost feel removed from the driving experience when you are in the A4. I don't know how to say it much better than that: the steering wasn't as tight or responsive as I wanted it, I didn't feel overly excited when I tried to gun it, and, personally, I thought all the cool tech in the car was a draw back that removed you from the driving experience. It felt like you were in a driving sim.

Second, I didn't like the cool tech at all. I felt it was overwhelming (not in that I am tech-illiterate, but in that I want to drive, not play on a computer). I didn't like the Nav jumping over in front of the driver (I just want to see my speedometer, come on). I didn't like the placement of the infotainment controls because the stick is in the way. I don't want to try to change the radio station and suddenly switch in to reverse on the highway. But, like some people disagreeing that the ATS is too far on the luxury end of the segment, I am sure people will disagree as the amount of tech you want in a car at least partially comes down to preference. Add in to that the fact that I think sticking an iPad on the dashboard looks ugly, and this car quickly got knocked off my list.

Finally, and I'm sure A LOT of people will disagree with this, I found the exterior styling to be lack luster. It doesn't stand out in a crowd, and I didn't think it looked all that much better than any of the cars in the cheaper segments.

3-Series

I have to admit, the 3-series was the most disappointing to me. As someone only recently taking an interest in cars, the 3-series was the car I had heard the most about and thought the most of. I was expecting, in the words of Reinhart, precision German engineering. Rather, the 3-series kind of suffered from the same lack of real driving feel that the A4 did. It did everything right but it just felt... blah. It looked right, but at this point, everyone and their mother (in Houston) drives a BMW, so it didn't stand out. The infotainment had a good balance of features and not separating you from driving, but I don't really remember being impressed (although, I will repeat that sticking an iPad on the dash is dumb). And as lame as it is to sum up the 3-series as blah... that's how I felt. Maybe I should have tried the M badged one or a 330 instead, but BMW lost me before that point.

C Class

This is the car that doesn't fit in with my "last few cars" that somehow made it there. Once again, drifting closer to the "luxury car trying to be sporty" end of the spectrum, but I felt like the C Class was on the right side of it. If the ATS was driving a tug boat with a low, powering engine, I felt like the C Class was a midsized boat with a good balance of luxury and sport. In terms of the interior, it was right there with the ATS. My two main qualms with the interior being the iPad on the dash (I really wish everyone would stop doing that) and the lack of a stick for the drive modes (I'm not a fan of the little dial to choose drive). The AMG version had a really good looking midnight combination available (I don't remember what it was called, but you can imagine what it looked like). I also believe it had some sort of phone to nav compatibility, but I could be wrong (this was one of the things I hoped more cars in the class would have standard). I recall the steering being heavy but responsive, which I liked. It had a sports and a sports plus mode, which helped it inch closer to the sporty end of the spectrum. Additionally, the idea of driving a Benz appealed to me at some level. It ended up just not being enough to really make last few cars.

THE FINAL CONTENDERS

These are the last 3 cars, all of which I was very close to at one point to getting. If you're tired of reading my thoughts, it'll probably only get longer. Sorry in advance.

XE 35T

For a while, I was almost sold on the Jag, just waiting for the right one to come in. Why? Well, because Jag cheated. This was the only V6. As I originally test drove the 25T, I will give a short review of driving it (everything else is the same as the 35T). It was uninspiring. It didn't feel as powerful as the luxury boats of the class and didn't have the pick-up and go that the last two cars had.

Ok, that's out of the way. What I liked about the 35T: V6 power. It felt fast. It was fast. It was probably the best sounding of all the cars. It was just as exhilarating to drive as the Alfa (but in a different way). I thought the steering felt right; it wasn't too heavy and it was tight.

It also, in my opinion, looked great. I liked the more aggressive design than most of the rest of the class. One color in particular, the deep blue, was absolutely gorgeous. It is more rare than any of the other cars on the list other than the Alfa, which I liked a bit as well.

Also, its infotainment isn't an iPad sticking out of the freaking dash. It also had an app that let's you work with your phone for navigation (but you had to pay for the fully nav), which I loved. It was, however, touch screen, which is a big negative for me. Doesn't feel safe, and,e ven if you use the steering wheel controls, it is just too much going on while driving.

But the negative for this car is a big one, and probably the reason I didn't go with the XE: Unless you want to drop an extra 5k for the upgraded interior, it looks cheap inside. As a car starting at around 40000, I don't want to have a scowl on my face every time I open the door. I also don't like the spin wheel for drive selecting (but it did pop up and down when the car turned off and on, which was a nice touch).

Finally, sun roofs were not optional. Some people may think this is cool, but it doesn't have a hard plastic cover. This means that, if you live in the South, you have to deal with heat and sunlight always, because a flimsy little piece of cloth isn't going to cut it when it's 100+ degrees and the sun wants to shit in your eyes. To be fair, several of the cars in this segment have the same problem, but this is the one that I remember it about.

IS 200T F-Sport

Lexus did a lot of things right with this car. For the price, there are a lot of good safety features that come with it (auto break when reversing, lane control, etc.). I was also a fan how it drove. It didn't have the disconnected feel that the Audi and the BMW had; the steering was pretty tight, there was a good amount of power and acceleration, and it was actually fun to drive. The exterior was good; not as good as the Alfa or the Jag, but it is still a great looking car. I liked the extra "edge" the F-Sport gave everything. I really liked the interior if you picked the maroon leather/accents (my girlfriend strongly disagreed, unfortunately). The infotainment, although being an iPad, was stuffed into the consul rather than stuck on top of it. This was the car my girlfriend wanted me to get (the lame, non-maroon interior one, anyways).

But there were a few things I wasn't a fan of. First, although the infotainment wasn't touch screen, it was a weird combo of drawing on a little pad and a mouse, which was not good in my opinion. Also, I was told they had google car play/equivalent, and when they told me they were wrong, it only brought up the line by line instructions (rather than a map), I basically decided to go with the Alfa.

Alfa Romeo Giulia

The main event. Finally getting to the most controversial car in the segment, especially in this sub. If I had to sum it up, it would be "the car is everything they say it is." What do I mean by that? The exterior is beautiful. I know a lot of people don't like the trade-mark grill or this or that, but I really think it is the best looking car in the class. You will get stares everywhere. People will ask you about your car when you stop to get gas. People will want to race you at lights (well, in Houston they do that anyways because the drivers are dicks, but I assume at least one person has done it because of the car). You will smile when you see your car. You won't see anyone else on the roads with your car. It's like being the hot girl in the class; everyone looks at you and everyone looks at you differently. And it's great.

I love the interior. I didn't opt for the wooden inserts, but those really were breathtaking. Even for the poors like me, the aluminium looks really great. There was also a red leather interior option available (again vetoed by the lady), which I liked. The paddle shifters are single, large pieces of aluminium as well, which look a lot better (and a lot less likely to break) than the little plastic ones some other cars in the class had. The infotainment isn't just an iPad! It's built in to the consul and looks natural rather than an afterthought. Also, at night there is a truly great soft (and adjustable) ambiance lighting.

Everything about the driving position is great. It is comfortable even on long distance drives (my experience is limited to about 300 miles in one go, but I think that's a pretty good indicator). The front seats are surprisingly roomy (the rear seats can get pretty tight, however).

As I've alluded to before, the driving is second to none in the class. As my girlfriend put it, she knew what I would choose because I had a goofy smile on my face the entire test drive. I felt like it accelerated better than anything else (barring the V6 Jag), and it also had the best handling. The balance of the steering wheel was perfect in my opinion.

Also, I think the infotainment is the best in class (I know a lot of people won't agree). It is intuitive. It doesn't require you to take your mind off the road. Each thing you can do is easy to feel. Even searching for contacts or songs is quick. The only real negatives I have about it is that 1) no google drive-type app available and 2) the quick-select song station thing is great, but could use a few more choices (6 would be enough for most, but I travel enough that it isn't and I have to mess with the favorites when I am in another city, which is 2-3 weekends per month).

The main thing I don't really like the car can be summed up on the one buzz word I've avoided this entire review: Reliability. I've had my car for 4.5 months and 4700 miles. I took it in once for optional software flashed (the dealership didn't even notify me they were available, someone mentioned it on reddit). A few days before my appointment, a CEL came on and went away on it's own about 2 days later (still before my apt). Not very inspiring. Other than that, however, I've had 0 issues.

Additionally, when compared to the IS, there aren't enough safety features that come standard. All those cool things that keep me from wrecking came with the Lexus for cheaper (albeit it was a former loaner car) than the Alfa was.

Finally, it is worth noting that the 2 worse dealership experiences I had were both Alfa (and I went to a freaking ton of dealerships). I ended up going to 4 different Alfa dealers (long story), but one wouldn't even let me test drive because they thought I was too poor (and then told me the leases start at $700/mo, which is a bold-faced lie, and gave us some perfunctory BS about why it was double other cars that cost the same MSRP). Another one I went to had a guy that summed up the different packages as "well, some will increase the price, some won't, and it's different for every car." Alfas were new, but he was obviously not very familiar with the product. He was a nice guy, just not prepared.

Anyways, 10 out of 10 times I would go with the Alfa again. ** TL;DR:**

ATS: I don't wanna drive a boat, I wanna drive a car.

Audi: I don't want to play a game, I wanna drive a car.

BMW: I don't wanna meh, I wanna car.

C Class: I don't want this much of a luxury car, I wanna sporty car.

Jag: I don't wanna pay for the interior of a car that looks like the basic package should look, I wanna luxury car.

Lexus: I don't wanna computer with a car around it, I want a car with a computer in it.

Alfa: I want an awesome car for my drive to the mechanic.

Thanks for taking the time to read all of this and for all the great advice I've gotten from various threads. Feel free to ask any questions you may have.

#reddit #autonews #auto #cars