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#its still a long time but!! compared to doing the lineart style it took less -nods-
aphomic · 8 months
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BEHOLD-!!! my magnum opus
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viviraptor · 23 days
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Hi ... for the artist ask meme, 4, 10 and 18 ? ^_^
HEYY thanks for sending something!!
4. piece you wish got more love?
if "love" specifically means interaction/popularity then this is a lot harder to answer now than it was years ago. it took me a while to get over the numbers game but i do still get that bummed-out feeling when ppl's enthusiasm for a piece doesn't really match my own, if that makes sense?
i think the last time i felt that way was when i first posted this shrimpship painting, i put a LOT of hours and care into it and i really really love it, i consider it one of the best shrimpship things i've put out. but the notes came in slow in those first few days, and it was easy to compare its performance to the drawings i was doing for a monthly challenge in that same month, that had less time put into them but did a bit better.
but like every time that happens, i found ten times more joy in seeing the 5-6 "regulars" in my notes telling me how much they like it! and my own opinion still stands and that's more important than anything
10. how do you deal with artblock?
in a lot of ways! when i want to draw something but i feel like the process really isn't going my way, what helps the most is just stepping away for a while, for as little as an hour to as long as a day or two. you can't really force yourself to be in "the zone", any attempt to push through usually just frustrates me so i just wait it out.
if i still wanted to draw SOMETHING though i try to make experimental things without the expectation of it looking any good. picture studies usually do the trick, and changing up your regular art process is fun too, like skipping the lineart step or working on just one layer. the point is to have fun and loosen up, eventually i can go back to whatever i was doing with fresh eyes and steadier hands!
18. something you feel like you need to work on?
DRAWING. TAKES. SO. LOOONG FOR ME ANGRY FACE. ideas come slowly in general and i have super deep-seated perfectionism that i'm still whittling away at, the simplest of drawings can take 6 hours, maybe 3 if i really rushed myself. on top of that i try to keep a very consistent neat style for commissions specifically, but that usually results in those pieces taking 10+ hours on average which my prices... don't really compensate for.
that's what makes experimenting and loosening up super important, i need an outlet to make messier things while in the middle of making that super clean thing i'm getting paid for. i'm probably doing better than i was when it comes to perfectionism, i just need to make more conscious efforts to leave good enough alone, especially when the stuff i get hung up about would probably go unnoticed to anyone else... GYAH
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The story of X and social media
X loved to draw since they were a child . X bought pencils , coloring books when they were young and they did everything they can to draw everyday. X was happy . Also X was proud and showed people their work .
X’s work was far from good but still they were content . Then in 2012 a platform called amino was created. X was sharing their work and getting feedback . X was still happy. Later on that year an app called Instagram launched .X was skeptical but at the same time excited to use this new platform . X posted everyday , and even though they started with 10-15 likes they were improving . Fast forward to the end  2015, X is no longer very young and have a message they want to convey in art .X started to get criticism about anatomy which they took well and asked for help in anatomy . X and X’s sensei ( the helper they met online ) had body drawing lessons daily for the entirety of 2016 and 2017 . X drew poses , shapes , studied the anatomy of the body , the muscles , read books and watched many many videos . X even posed for the drawings to see if the pose works . X was happy they were learning something . Also X would repeat the same pose many times and would split the body to shapes and boxes and would practice along late hours along with schoolwork so basically X’s day was full with little time to sleep.  X also memorized the muscles and read many anatomy books like the anatomy for sculptors . They also learned loomis method for faces and these 2 years were just practice to the point that x drew 300 drawings in a month between poses and copied work so X can get a better learning perspective.
Opposite to X’ s sensei’s opinion , X decided to recheck on their Instagram which they haven’t done in 2 years . Not even once. X drew something and posted it while being proud of their improvement but they got way less engagement than what they had before .X was still not discouraged and decided to try again so they did a drawing that shows everything they learned , using a full body pose with an angle and shading . basically everything they could do and spend a long time working on what they thought was their masterpiece .
X uploaded and got a comment , which they hastily checked . The comment said the following : “ You suck , I’ll go away to clean my eyes , your drawings should be used as memes .”
X was heartbroken , ofc they were sad and they discussed it with sensei who said that is why they were against reopening X’s instagram account . But X is so used to not getting their way in life , that they decided to go on with it . X posted a few things and some comments were “ your anatomy sucks , study anatomy .”X felt like someone punched them and said to themselves “ But this is what I have been doing for the past 2 years .” X thought : “ I quit here , I quit what I already had just to study anatomy and that is the result?!” Still one of X’s work was featured by a big page and got 1K likes.
Nonetheless X still got back to drawing . Sensei suggested that X draws more real life drawings so X started drawing from a show that was starting called “ game of thrones “ X drew women , men , creatures , objects , perspective and would still repeat it until it looks right and would ask their old art circle to fix-doodle on their work .  X felt like they have a huge bag of knowledge and a 3D camera in their head . If X focuses and closed their eyes they could see the human body from different angle realistically . Sometimes that sumo wrestler X drew to broaden their knowledge on body types would haunt them in their nightmares.
X stayed like this till 2019 .   Forgot to say X was bullied (  back in 2014 )at school , made fun of and always alone. X wasn’t liked and that is where X’s habit of pleasing everybody triggered . X did whatever everyone else wanted eventhough they weren’t included in their activities and was a cast out. 
X cleaned the gym area. X picked up stray balls in sports class . X made sure to please the teachers . X signed up to everything just to feel a sense of achievement . X was unhappy and no longer had the time to draw. X then bought a digital drawing tablet as they can no longer carry their art supplies around when they were in college .
X drew everywhere . In the breaks , lunch break , just name it and they’ll be drawing. X even met someone who took a course in the art department and offered to do their art homework as the other party was struggling. The other party got  a 96/100 and came back thanking X . X felt a bit of validation like maybe their work is worth something debunking X’s thought about maybe being delusional . X suddenly grew quicker on social media , Not so big but since 2012 to 2018 they only had 400 followers so less than a follower a week . X suddenly jumped to 600 affirmating to them that at least they are doing something right . Previously X joined a drawing circle in their local community . And they were treated as non existent so the notion of building an audience was something new to X . They never had friends or any kind of support and they didn;t believe someone would take   the time to comment on their work . Still X was still getting more and more comments about anatomy making X wonder where did they go wrong , so they decided to go back to square one and have a new anatomy study month .X went to youtube , discord servers and reddit s well as more anatomy tutorials by established artists and more books . 
X would get a skeleton and lower its opacity then draw above it all the muscles shapes ( not their name really ) from memory . X compared it with the scientific schematic and found it very similar . Later on that year and after 7 years +of actively drawing , X got their first commission , at first they refused to be paid as if they weren’t open for commissions but the commissioner insisted . later on X did a few commissioned work and a customer was so happy they paid extra . This kind of boosted X’s self esteem as they were having a hard time . Forward to 2020 X did many commissions but it is the year where everyone keeps commenting on X’s work  “ Go study anatomy , you lack in the basics , you look like you just started “ . X felt a big stab in the back as during those 8 years they have been active in , X studied anatomy solely for a total of 2 years and a year in short term practices . X went back and forth to the basics so many times and didn’t skip a day of practice. 
X’s mental health and self esteem quickly deteriorated as they would leave social media then realize they need it to make money and come back to it . X haven’t had a commission in a while which is another blow to their self esteem.
Also X refused a job offer to draw for an animation which will be broadcasted due to the blow to their self esteem.
Also X saw online many artists making so much money by selling art where there are clear anatomical flaws and they get all the love and positive comments unlike X . X started doubting their eyes , thinking “ maybe I am really delusional “ ... Some of those artists have edgy scribbled lines in their lineart , really high eyes leaving no space for the cranium , drawing side views without thinking of the thickness of the body and drawing ears way below the ear zone . sometimes far eyes so the eyes reach the “ forbidden ear zone” necks starting from after or before the ears , people not taking into consideration the the deltoid muscle is like a “ cap “ above the biceps and so on .  But these people were more popular than X  and made more money/ were very successful .
X didn’t understand why they were getting the anatomy comments and why these other people were not.  X felt that they cannot use their knowledge anywhere but still felt that they know a lot .X feels like their knowledge deserves more and that all the pride they felt knowing this much doesn’t deserve this . X changed their style and anatomy 20 times this year and experimented with everything but they couldn’t please everyone and more and more people tell X their improvement looks  a day old not years old when they post redraws.
X lost pride in their work and the joy in drawing because of how social media and the unfairness of its algorithms affect them , instead of making really good artists popular it made a message that you need to have luck and not really the basic skills and that you could get away by tracing or copying.
Now X sent this to this account as they are asking for help , they deactivated everything and are sitting there just with knowledge and 8 years of efficient hard work betraying them .X lost their friends , their family and all support they could have .  X asked the mod  to share their story so others are aware how social media functions for artists and how many people are quitting because of it . Send us your story so we could feature yours too for awareness.
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argentdandelion · 5 years
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Review of Kaitogirl’s Underfell
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Plot & Other Details
Like many works that trace Frisk’s journey through the Underground, the plot is pretty simple and linear. Frisk rewinding time when killed slightly complicates the timeline, but Frisk has only died three times so far.
As Underfell works go, the work is mild. As expected, there's sometimes blood (though rarely in large amounts), and plenty of swearing. Despite the setting, characters are often mean, cynical, and aggressive rather than outright evil or murderous, and are easily pacified. Situations are also rarely very frightening or violent. Along with its simple, rounded, relatively well-lit style, it's much milder than HorrorTale or the famous Flowey is Not a Good Life Coach.
Characterization
Frisk
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Given the situation, Frisk is rather bold, though still friendly and pacifistic. At first, they think they’re dreaming, explaining their unworried approach. However, when Toriel kills them in an escape attempt, they realize they’re not dreaming and break down, sobbing. Yet they quickly recover after dreadful realizations, fights and even death, becoming a happy camper once more. Literally: it's like Frisk is just an experienced camper lost in a bear-filled forest, rather than a strange land of monsters trying to kill them. They even feel safe enough for Flowey to read books and history plaques to them, despite Flowey’s reminder they’re in a hurry. (This might be explained by Frisk being too young to understand the danger they’re in, or realize their power makes them unkillable)
While friendly and forgiving, sometimes Frisk is insistent, such as yanking Flowey out of the ground to put him in a boot and thus carry him into Toriel’s house.
Flowey
In many Underfell works, monsters' morality is basically flipped: good characters are now 'evil'. Thus, the murderous, sociopathic Flowey is now a helpful companion, often carried by Frisk. Though that's true here, Flowey is not sweet or innocent. He is prone to anger, frustration, and indignant outbursts, and sometimes intimidates weaker monsters with a scary face. He says he "can't console people", and smacks Frisk to make them stop sobbing. Flowey knows "in this world, it's kill or be killed", but is sad and resigned about it. Overall, he might be as Flowey once was before choosing murder runs.
In this work, Asriel was once a jerk: he took Chara to his parents while eagerly asking about killing them. Thus, it's likely Flowey is only 'good' because Asriel was once bad. Notably, Flowey mentally calls himself 'Asriel', apparently only coming up with 'Flowey' when Frisk asked for his name.
Toriel
As expected, Toriel is meaner and more violent than in canon. Indeed, Flowey is afraid she'll kill him and Frisk if she spots the two of them, and is surprised when she doesn't. It's likely she outright kills monsters in the Ruins: Flowey notices one hallway is "dustier than usual", and afterward her clothes have dust stains. She’s more disdainful of Flowey than in canon, calling him a 'weed', threatening him, and initially refusing to let him into her house.
Her sadness and long isolation apparently damaged her social skills, or even sanity. Her pie is very burnt, and has so much cinnamon it makes Frisk cough. Having run out of butterscotch, she put in monster dust instead, which isn't at all reasonable. Though she would surely know how bad the pie was, she aggressively insists Frisk eat it and not even think of throwing up afterward. When Frisk tricks her to escape, she calls them ungrateful and burns them alive at the exit.
Yet, she can still be kind: she sheltered Frisk, gave them food, tucked them in and gave them a plushie as they slept. (Though she glares at Flowey for noticing the latter two) Frisk points out her kindness in the fight: they say they don't really want to leave, and that's she's not evil, just lonely and sad. Toriel is stunned. She breaks down, sobs, and says: "Why are you being...so nice to me?” However, she is so deranged she soon "realizes" Frisk's kindness is a trick, a prelude to greater horrors, and she chases them out of the Ruins.
Papyrus & Sans
Sans hasn’t actually changed much. He has a taste for meaner, darker jokes. Compared to other characters, he is uncommitted: he’s neither especially helpful nor harmful to Frisk, though a few of his actions could have gotten Frisk hurt or killed anyway. While he does kill Frisk with an electric shock from a joy buzzer, when Frisk reloads and refuses to shake his hand, he guesses that the buzzer would have probably killed them anyway.
Here, Sans definitely knows about Flowey. Though he knows Alphys had been looking for Flowey, he didn't report him: he found it more entertaining to keep seeing Alphys throw a fit. (Notably, he asks Frisk's name, unlike in canon.)
Papyrus is even more confident and egotistic than before, as shown by the even more muscular snow sculpture of himself. While canon Papyrus never dismissed others for his self-enhancement, this Papyrus does just that, calling Frisk a "pathetic weakling". He is still a skeleton with high standards: while more vicious, he insists on fair puzzles and fights. (despite talking about how much he'll benefit from capturing Frisk)
Art
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Left: The first page. Right: A re-do of the first page, showing improvements in shading and lighting.
Though not as polished and precise as other comics, the art improves over time. Indeed, there's a big jump in quality on the last page of the Snowdin arc and later in Waterfall, too. The lineart is crisper, the shading better, and the colors richer. (if very purple) While the hand-lettering has tight and irregular spacing at first, it improves a lot midway through the Snowdin arc.
As appropriate for an "edgy" setting, characters are toothier and spikier, to the point even Moldsmal and Papyrus's house (using icicles) are spiky. As expected for Underfell, characters look scarier, with duller, darker colors. Red and black (unsurprisingly) dominate the work: not only are many characters’ clothes red and black, but even attacks are often red. (Except fire, oddly enough: that's blue instead.) Colors are changed to darker, duller, and redder shades overall.
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The right image illustrates about half the colors in Snowdin.
Often, this results in shades one could broadly call "purple", especially reddish purple. For example, the walls of the Ruins are reddish-purple, and sometimes Snowdin's snow is purplish-taupe. The purple-ification is especially obvious with the Echo Flowers (once cyan, now phlox), Waterfall (once dark blue/indigo, now dark bluish purple) and the gratuitous purple Moldsmals. Indeed, it's so purple one could easily call this work "that purple Underfell".
Yet, one could also call this "that low-green Underfell". Other than Flowey's (often dull) green stem, there is practically no green in the Ruins. Things get greener in Snowdin, though the trees are a fairly dull shade. (Oddly so: the trees were actually blue in-game). In Waterfall, green becomes rare once again.
Yellow and orange are rare, too, if less so. Frisk's skin is not mango-yellow, but an only slightly yellowish beige. Monster Kid is mostly a washed-out orange (who gets even less yellow by Waterfall), and wears red-and-black clothes. Even monsters' outfits have less yellow, such as Papyrus, Shopkeeper Temmie and especially the Nice Cream Man. In some cases, though, the work adds yellow: Napstablook and Toriel have yellow eyes, Sans has a yellow tooth, and Undyne's armor has yellow accents.
One can get used to the limited color scheme over its hundreds of pages. But the bright, green-and-yellow palette of Flowey’s dream sequence in Page 126 and Waterfall’s yellow history-plaque flashbacks remind the reader of the limited colors.Even the comic itself lampshades its dark, limited palette: Papyrus's color tile puzzle is various shades of grey, black, and white.
Conclusion
For those who want something a little scarier and unhappier than canon Undertale, but aren't quite ready for darkfic or standard Underfell approaches, Kaitogirl's Underfell is a perfect middle ground.
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