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makeste · 5 years

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BnHA Chapter 220: My Villain Academia

Previously on BnHA: Shouto and Kacchan took on a purse-snatching gang led by a dude who could manipulate and control carbonated water. Katsuki blew a bunch of them up (but, you know... gently), but then Soda Sam knocked over a metal pole that almost killed some stupid lady. Thankfully All Might knocked her out of the way and Katsuki deflected the pole with another explosion. Meanwhile Shouto one-hit KOed the Soda Sam guy to wrap things up. Afterwards the two were praised for their quick and professional action, and All Might proudly headpatted them and it made my fucking day. We then cut to the Brotherhood of Destro, where the Detnerat CEO’s thugs brought in a “guest” they had just apprehended -- none other than the League of Villains’ favorite broker, Giran, looking somewhat worse for wear. DetCEO politely asked him for info on the League, and Giran told him to go fuck himself. So it looks like DetCEO’s gonna try to get this info from him via some unpleasant means. We then flashed back to a month and a half prior and cut to some cliffside where Gigantomachia was decimating the League of Villains (sans Dabi) and complaining about how weak they all are. Seems like AFO’s underlings have some issues to work out amongst themselves.

Today on BnHA: The series continues its streak of excellent chapters with a flashback showing what the League of Villains has been up to for the past however long. We open with Tomura and the gang crashing the secret meeting of some racist anti-mutant cultists to rob and murder them (which, can’t really condemn that tbh). Unfortunately they don’t wind up with much to show for their efforts aside from a sense of satisfaction. The thing is, they’re broke, and currently holed up in some condemned trash house in the countryside while Tomura sits around waiting for the plot to come find him. Specifically he’s on the lookout for a “great power” that AFO supposedly left behind for him, and also trying to track down AFO’s personal doctor -- the guy who developed the Noumu. Anyway, he seems pretty content to sit and wait, but the other members of the League aren’t quite so patient, particularly Spinner who only joined them in the first place because he was inspired by Stain. Fortunately for everyone, the plot finally does choose this moment to barge in on them all in the form of everyone’s favorite Goron, Gigantomachia. He literally rips the house apart, and then demands that Tomura prove he’s worthy of succeeding All for One. Fast forward to where we left off last chapter, and as Giganto laments that the League is too weak, Tomura suddenly hears the doctor’s staticky voice coming from the dude’s radio.

(As always, all comments not marked with an ETA are my mostly-unspoiled reactions from my first readthrough of this chapter. I’m caught up with the manga now at chapter 226, so any ETAs will reflect that.)

so we’re starting with Tomura, who’s doing this

and then this

which I guess is only to be expected

oh shit hold up

feeling artistic today, were we Horikoshi? having some fun with that there fourth wall

“before we continue from where we left off, let’s see how we got to our present situation.” lol okay

so this appears to be a very nice house out in the woods somewhere. if I had to describe it, I’d say it’s the kind of house Detective Conan characters would get invited to only to find themselves caught up in a sudden murder spree (which they would eventually solve, but only after like three people were killed in a row)

but seriously, doesn’t it look like the power and phone lines are just waiting to be suddenly cut off at the same time that the only bridge back into town is conveniently blocked or destroyed, leaving them with no immediate way out and no way to contact anyone (because of course there’s no cell service either)?

by the way this is the best title Horikoshi has ever come up with, full stop

straight up thing of beauty, this

so anyways, apparently this is some weird cult meeting or something? and Tomura’s gone and crashed it

the examples he decided on, though. Horikoshi have you had some strange encounters with chocolate-hating cockroach fans lately or what

I see Spinner’s making do with just a regular dumb old sword nowadays. no more over-the-top Game of Thrones-inspired swordmalgamations. hey Spinner what is your quirk

holy shit

so basically they’re racist against people with mutant quirks. we had quirk supremacists, and now we have very nearly the opposite. this arc continues to be fascinating and Horikoshi’s worldbuilding continues to get deeper and deeper. this is so far beyond what I imagined we might one day get when I first started reading this series, and it’s amazing

also the Tomura-led LoV continues to somehow be inherently likable in spite of all the murders and whatnot. don’t know how they do it, but damned if they don’t pull it off

now all in favor of them killing off this entire gathering of racist shitbags and taking their mansion, say “aye.” I mean, why not. unless these people were all open with their family and friends about their secret Racist Society Gatherings, no one’s gonna have any clue where to start looking if they all suddenly disappear

anyway, so next page. is this Spinner’s narration, then?

holy shit does Spinner have an extra pair of eyes that I’ve only now just noticed or what. this is freaking me out

(ETA: it’s just his usual ninja turtles mask, but it seriously does look like there’s a second pair of slit pupils in this one panel and it had me second-guessing everything I ever knew for a moment.)

lol meanwhile Compress and Toga are digging through the CRC’s cabinets looking for shit to steal and sell

how are you guys so badass and so fail at the same time

wow and apparently these racists aren’t just racist, they’re fucking stupid as hell too

yes, a candelabra against the guy who can disintegrate people with a mere touch. you really pose one hell of a threat there

so Tomura’s dodging and he’s grabbing the back of the guy’s head!

show of hands, who thinks they’ll actually be smart enough to listen to him. ...yeah that’s what I thought

so now there’s some glorious carnage, and since we’ve thoroughly established that these assholes are The Worst, of course no one actually minds watching them all die horribly

and no one’s gonna mind when they finish off DetCEO at the end of this arc, either. because of what he did to that poor mouse. so apparently all you need to do to keep your audience rooting for the villains is to keep pitting them against Even Worse Villains for the rest of the series lol. plot twist, the League never actually faces off against Deku & Co. for the rest of the manga

I’m only half-joking, too. for me, it really all hinges on whether or not they’re actually responsible for the Noumus (because kidnapping and experimenting on children and turning them into your helpless minions and then getting them killed = Not Cool), and/or how much involvement they actually have in that. but if their hands are clean of that, I will gladly be Team LoV for as long as possible. it’s very easy to do just so long as they keep playing in a separate conference from my 1-A kids. not sure what I’m gonna do once playoff season arrives, though, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it

(ETA: and well, we now know that they have no idea where the Noumus come from! and that Tomura himself is a confirmed victim of Ujiko and AFO’s child abduction and manipulation games as well. so for now I’m perfectly happy to root for them. villains who are just doing their best.)

anyways, I guess it’s bad that I pretty thoroughly enjoyed that, huh

well you can always take the mansion as mentioned. you guys could use a more swanky hideout now that the Ol’ Villain Bar is out of commish

lol oh shit these guys really are broke

if only there was a company out there who recently branched out into the black market villain goods business and was looking to get in contact with you. but I guess we’re still a month and a half away from that. oh and also it’s a trap and they want to kill you (but you guys seem pretty capable of handling yourselves though, so)

also, this is easily the most attractive/least creepy Tomura has ever looked and it’s very strange. did you grow out your hair dude

lol what are you guys even doing

you had a sweet new mansion all to yourselves! just slightly bloodstained and possibly now haunted! but still a real steal considering you would have gotten it for free!

and now Spinner’s headband seems like a normal headband again. where did the eyes go. Spinner you’re starting to freak me out here

anyway, so Kurogiri was clearly the breadwinner around here. without him these guys have no clue how to go on. though Tomura seems to be perfectly content as long as he’s got a couch and a table to put his feet up on

!!! well LOOK WHO IT IS

hello Touya

so he says he’s the only one who’s been trying to gather allies, and Twice is pointing out that he’s yet to bring a single person back with him

and Tou -- I mean Dabi, says “that’s because they’re all trash”

is this how you talk about your good friend Hawks behind your back. for shame

ah okay, so now we’re getting a better idea of the timing here, as Tomura says it’s been approximately one month since Kurogiri’s capture. as you recall, that happened on the same day of the Overhaul raid, which was back in late September if memory serves. so this is now late October, which means that it won’t be long before the encounter with Giganto

(ETA: lol for real. in five... four...)

anyway so we’re flashing back to what I guess is the last conversation Kuro had with Tomura before his capture. I’m interested to see if we learn more about who he was planning to meet up with. probably was Giganto but we never confirmed!

“a great power.” interesting! well, Giganto certainly would seem to fit the bill

and now Tomura is staring at the Quirk-Be-Gone in his hand, and saying that Kurogiri failed in the end, and thanks to that “we’re having a real hard time searching for the doctor”

so now WHO IS THIS DOCTOR, THEN. I THOUGHT KUROGIRI WAS YOUR DOCTOR. WHY WOULD YOU SHATTER MY ILLUSIONS LIKE THIS YOU RAISINY SOB. CLIP YOUR FUCKING NAILS

also you expect me to believe that Giganto is a doctor? that Giganto? that one??

-- OH SHIT HOLD UP!!!

AHHHHHHHHH OKAY HOLD UP LET’S HAVE OURSELVES A QUICK BLAST FROM THE PAST HERE AS I GO AND SEARCH FOR THE PANEL FROM CHAPTER 59

okay, first of all!

I didn’t notice this my first time through, but it’s implied that this is the building where AFO is holed up and watching Tomura from afar. please note how this is not the Ol’ Noumu Warehouse. not even close

(ETA: hey guys is it just me or does Ujiko live in the fucking Chrysler building)

second, here are the two panels with The Doctor

and third...

okay, so this is something I’ve seen mentioned in Dad for One posts, and now that I look at these panels again... yeah. definitely a resemblance there. this is either the same guy, or his evil twin

and now add to that that Tomura just confirmed that this dude is the one who was in charge of the Noumu project. a project which we know most likely involves kidnapping children. and this doppelganger who may or may not be the same person is a fucking pediatrician. and not just anyone’s pediatrician -- Izuku’s pediatrician

which makes one consider two things. one, is it really a coincidence that AFO’s personal physician just happens to be baby Izuku’s as well? (although he might also be a quirk specialist that Inko took him to see.) and two -- presumably this means he would have treated other children in the Musatafu area as well, right? possibly including this boy here?

I mean, we all agree that this means this little guy was fated to be turned into this thing and subsequently get murdered by Stain, yes?

lol yeah so friendly reminder that this series has been pretty fucked up since long before we started dealing with kidnapped little girls and strangled mice and mansion cult murders

(ETA: okay so as of the Ujiko reveal I’ve gotten to read up a lot more about the good doctor here, and there’s one more thing which I feel should be added to this post:

this is from page 174 of the BnHA character book, and basically confirms that our lil winged buddy Tsubasa-kun here is the doctor’s fucking grandson. you know, because this whole Noumu plot wasn’t horrifying enough yet. let’s just see how fucking dark we can make it. holy shit.)

anyway! now that we’ve enjoyed that refresher, let’s continue and see where this all leads

lol Toga is poking fun that Tomura didn’t even deny the “you’ve been lonely without Kurogiri” part. and indeed, he still isn’t

and now Spinner is addressing Tomura directly and asking him “what the hell are we even doing?”

he says he’s here because he was inspired by Stain

apparently he was discriminated against as a child growing up in a bad area. people called him a dumb lizard man and he was used to things just being like that and he just accepted it as the way of the world

watch out kids, we may or may not be getting some fucking Spinner feels here oh shit

anyway, so that lasted until he saw Stain’s last moments on TV and was inspired by how he was trying to change the world all on his own

he says he realized for the first time how suffocating the world is, and he couldn’t sit still after that and that’s why he joined the League

wow Dabi

that’s all you’ve got to say dude?? don’t sleep on other people’s angst just because you obviously have your own horrific secret backstory that you have yet to share

so now Spinner is getting really bold and grabbing Tomura by the collar and shouting in his face that he doesn’t understand his lazy attitude

well Tomura? do you have a good answer?

the others are all watching, and Twice is the only one who seems anxious lol. Toga’s actually yawning and Dabi just seems mildly interested in where this leads. and Compress’s face is unreadable cuz of his mask

eh what’s this now

OH SHIT

ALREADY?? SO THEN WHERE WAS DABI IN THAT TWO-PAGE SPREAD FROM THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER

also wtf at Tomura diving to grab all his spare hands and (I presume) frantically scramble to put them all on before the wall comes busting down

oh, he looks very excited though

and not at all concerned at the fact that this dude just ripped his house apart. I guess because he naturally expects that AFO will be loyal to him if he’s someone that AFO left behind. remember how entitled he used to be about things like the Noumus? “I’m allowed to have whatever I want, right?” or something along those lines? no doubt he feels similarly about Giganto here and is probably in for a rude awakening in three... two...

anyway, so Tomura is explaining to the others that this is one of the “battle assets” that AFO left behind

oh boy here we go

“brat”? can the radio communicate his thoughts or something?? seriously, what’s up with that thing?

anyways lol

his face omgggggggg

that’s right Tomura, if you were waiting for shit to just be handed to you like how it always used to be, you got another thing coming boyo

anyway so now we’re finally back to the present! (which is still a month and a half in the past though lulz)

nah he ain’t weak he just needs to get up off his ass

so now Giganto is clutching his head and falling to his knees in despair as the others look on in confusion

!!!

DON’T TELL ME

WELL SHIT, O-FUCKING-KAY THEN

aggghhh you guys. so today is March 26 2019. as of my writing this, there is exactly one more chapter to go. and then that’s it. I’ll be all caught up. I am simultaneously excited and dreading that shit

but. here I go

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aion-rsa · 3 years

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How Roger Corman Finally Restored His Uncensored Vision for The Masque of the Red Death

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The Masque of the Red Death, Roger Corman’s masterful 1964 adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s short story, has been fully restored and can now be seen in all its diabolical splendor. The seventh of eight “Poe Cycle” films Corman made in the 1960s, Masque is arguably the best. Before its release, Poe had already delivered Corman from the low budget black and white films he shot in 10 days in the 1950s to the relative luxury of three-week shoots and psychedelic underworlds.

The new DVD/Blu-Ray is the first fully uncut, extended version of the film to be available. Besides restoring cinematographer Nicolas Roeg’s sumptuous camerawork, we get extra scenes which were cut by censors. The package also includes a 20-page booklet with a new essay from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ film preservationist Tessa Idlewine.

The original “The Masque of the Red Death” short story was published in 1842, and it is only 15 paragraphs long, shorter than a Cracked article. To fill out the horror feature, screenwriters Charles Beaumont, who wrote episodes of The Twilight Zone as well as The Seven Faces of Dr. Lao, and science fiction author R. Wright Campbell incorporated Poe’s short story “Hop Frog” as a subplot, and added elements of the short story “Torture by Hope” by Auguste Villiers de l’Isle-Adam.

While Corman’s The Masque of the Red Death has discovered new life as a comforting modern parable during the COVID-19 pandemic, when it was released in 1964, many took the film to be a comment on the nuclear nightmares of the Cold War era. It did open the same year as Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove. And atomic bomb fallout resulted in its own “Red Death,” leading to an entire generation to be assured the living would envy the dead. The film was filmed during the Profumo Scandal of 1963, and British tabloids were filled with stories of “Man In The Mask Parties” in Hyde Park Gate.

“I have Tasted the Beauties of Terror”

As an Anglo-American horror movie, The Masque of the Red Death continues European genre progressions set by the Italian Gothic film, Beatrice Cenci, directed by Riccardo Freda in 1956, and Mario Bava’s 1963 film La frusta e il corpo (The Whip and the Body). Corman’s influences went beyond genre, however, incorporating the post-apocalyptic imagery of Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal. In Masque, Death’s messengers report survival rates to their Master, who calculates only “a dwarf jester and five other people remain alive in the world.”

In an interview about the film’s restoration with Den of Geek, Corman admits he “should watch more genre films to keep up with it. But I’m more inclined towards somewhat more serious films, and particularly foreign films.”

The Masque of the Red Death also appears to owe a great debt to American experimental independent filmmaker Kenneth Anger’s Inauguration of The Pleasure Dome (1954), and recalls Michael Curtiz’s 1933 horror film, Mystery of the Wax Museum, which was shot in the pink-and-green two-color Technicolor process.

After years of black and white exploitation pictures for American International Pictures (AIP), Corman’s Poe cycle began his move to color, and the exciting new challenges of shooting beyond monochrome. The adaptation of The Masque of the Red Death set a new level of excellence in Corman’s use of set dressing, lighting, and costume design. They are given a fuller palette.

Says Corman, “I always thought that Poe represented the unconscious mind, and I shot according to that. It was one of my themes.”

In Poe’s story, the pride of Prince Prospero’s palace is seven rooms. Each is decorated and illuminated in a specific color: blue, purple, green, orange, white, and violet. The last room is black and bathed in light which shines a deep color of blood. All of the furniture is black, including a clock, which chimes each hour. At the chime of the clock, the revelers at the masquerade freeze. The musicians stop playing. The dancers strike a pose, and all conversations stop. Revelry resumes when the chiming stops. The rooms represent the human mind, the blood and time infuses corporeality. Corman’s direction manages to let that seep into every frame. The tone is both mischievous and chilling.

The Masque of the Red Death is atmospheric. The dialogue is more important than the action, but the settings and framing are paramount. “I felt the unconscious mind doesn’t really see the world,” Corman explains. “The conscious mind sees the world with eyes, ears, and so forth, and simply transmits information. So, I made a point on all of the Poe films of never going outside unless I absolutely had to. I wanted to have full control, to shoot within the studio. Whether it came through to the audience, I don’t know. But at least in my own mind, I was able to deal with special effects with a number of things, with the concept of the unconscious mind.”

The cinematography was done by Nicholas Roeg. While Corman hadn’t yet become acquainted with Mario Bava, Roeg’s camera allows the Italian horror director’s psychedelic influence to surge through the camera. The Masque of the Red Death “was the first I had done in England,” Corman tells us. “And they showed me a work of a number of English cameramen, and I thought Nic was the best of the group. And the collaboration went very well. I thought he did really, a brilliant job [with the] camera work.”

Roeg would go on to direct classic independent cinema with films like Don’t Look Now, Performance starring Mick Jagger, and the David Bowie cinematic encapsulation, The Man Who Fell to Earth. “I never knew, did I inspire him to be a director, or did he feel ‘if Roger can do it, anybody can do it?’” Corman wonders.

While Corman had a bigger budget and more time to make the film, cost- and labor-cutting alternatives occasionally provided fortunate outcomes. “Danny Heller, my art director, and I, always went to what was called a scene dock in studios where we’re going to work,” Corman says. “The scene dock contained flats from previous pictures, just individual flats. When we did Masque of the Red Death, we found these magnificent flats from Becket.”

The Price of Evil

Vincent Price has the most delicious delivery in this film. His devil worshipping Prince Prospero is the cruel sovereign of a village plagued with an all-consuming Red Death, and Price’s inflections are infectious. His voice is seductive, and his cruelty brims with good humor.

“He had the character pretty much set in mind when he came into it,” Corman remembers. “Vincent always did a great deal of preparation. We would discuss the characters, just Vincent and me, before the rehearsals. He and I were in agreement on the character, and then he would bring that character to the rehearsals. We did not do a great deal of rehearsing because of the Screen Actors Guild rules. They charge you as if you are shooting when you rehearse.”

Price played Roderick Usher in Corman’s first Poe adaptation, The Fall of the House of Usher. For The Masque of The Red Death, the director only gave one note. “As I remember, I said, ‘The really key to Prospero’s character is that he believes God is dead,’” Corman says. “And everything stems from that belief. That with the absence of God, he was free to do anything he wanted.”

Ultimate power breeds ultimate corruption. The film is set in a country decimated by an epidemic. While the prince of this unnamed land offers refuge for his courtiers, he derives perverse satisfaction in condemning his subjects to death by their exclusion. While Prospero is making his annual deign-to-see-the-peasants day, one of the townspeople dies of Red Death.

The prince intended to offer peasants some crumbs in appreciation of their labor, but young Gino (David Weston) mocks him. To make matters worse, the ungrateful worker’s lover Francesca (Jane Asher) defends the man, prompting Prospero to label both of them insurrectionists. He burns the village to the ground, throws Gino and Francesca’s father into one of the most foreboding castle dungeons in horror history, and puts Francesca up at his palace. Tempted by the idealism and faith of the village’s “resistance,” Prospero corrupts and sacrifices for sheer joy.

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Meanwhile the prince promises his aristocratic guests that they will be immune to the scourge, unless they displease him. He throws a masked ball and forbids anyone to wear red, as it would be in bad taste. He is actually preparing a mass sacrifice in exchange for Satan’s favor. Asher’s Francesca is an incorruptible innocent who seems to have perfect faith. The Satanic prince will not tolerate any Christian worship on his estate, so he delights in tempting the faithful into the “velvet darkness” of evil. Prospero hopes to turn her into a Satanist or drive her mad.

For the Uninvited, There is Much to Fear

The film was hit with heavy censorship. In the U.S, the Catholic Legion of Decency sent a list of changes, and in the UK, the British Board of Film Censors required a separate set of cuts. The Legion of Decency bemoaned the “Satanism and erotic costuming” on the screen, according to the booklet which comes with the DVD/Blu-Ray package. Father Sal Miraliotta, a separate reviewer from the Legion of Decency, first approved the film and then changed his grade to a B, which meant morally objectionable. He ultimately downgraded it to a full Condemned rating, blasting the Satanic worship and its malignancy of the soul, and mocking the screenwriters’ “strung-together gibberish” and “mumbo-jumbo Latin.”

Hazel Court’s Juliana is captivating and as conniving as Prince Prospero. She’s also more subtly insidious. Juliana dedicates herself to the service of Satan and receives the ultimate payoff. While most of Juliana’s satanic invocation was left in, censors wanted the word “Alleluia” removed. The U.S. version also censored the film’s climax. When the Man in Red is talking with Prince Prospero, the dialogue was changed from “Each man creates his own God for himself. His own Heaven – his own Hell” to “Each man creates his own Heaven – his own Hell.” This takes out the idea that God could be created by man, something Ian Anderson would explore on Jethro Tull’s classic 1971 album, Aqualung.

When asked whether all this divine intervention made Corman think he just might be going to hell, he says, “No, that never occurred to me. I’m sort of a lapsed Catholic, and I don’t believe there is a hell.”

Some of the cuts had nothing to do with blasphemous ideology. The tiny dancer Esmeralda is played on camera by young actor Verina Greenlaw, but her dialogue was dubbed over by an adult woman. Skip Martin’s clever Hop Toad character plots vengeance over her royal mistreatment at the hands of Alfredo, campily played by veteran actor Patrick Magee. One unsettling scene was removed from the U.S. version because it seemed Esmerelda’s relationship with Hop Toad was more than friendship.

Corman also cut nine frames from the scene where Francesca is stripped down and thrown into a bathtub because it gave the illusion of nudity. The removed frames ensured Asher’s breasts would not appear on screen.

“I’ve Already Had That Doubtful Pleasure“

The irony, upon seeing the restored scenes, is how they actually feed into the surprisingly righteous conclusion of the film. The Masque of the Red Death is rife with blasted, unholy incantations, but the prince’s callous sacrifices and lifelong debauchery mean nothing to a master who answers to no one. Talk about moral relativity! The hero of The Masque of Red Death is Death, and Death worships no gods and no devils. The depths of Prospero’s belief turn out to be mere demonic delusions.

Corman shot the low-budget Poe pictures through bulky Mitchell cameras on 35mm film and the restoration breathes a new life to each underfunded frame. Composer David Lee’s soundtrack of tambourines, fifes, and brass evokes the medieval period, as do the elegant costumes by Laura Nightingale. The restoration highlights the lushness of both, as they mix to underscore the “velvet darkness” with subliminal subtext of renewal and hope. At the same time, the restored cut actually makes the darkness darker.

The Masque of Red Death ends with the words “Sic transit gloria mundi,” Latin for “thus goes the glory of the world.” Corman’s take on Poe’s apocalyptic parable is a truly inglorious achievement. The film is proof that no budgetary restrictions hold back artistic vision when lunatics get the run of the asylum. They can create and destroy a whole crazy world.

The Masque of the Red Death is available on Blu-Ray, DVD, and Digital now.

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roi-chan · 7 years

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I rlly love your art style,,, do you have any drawing tips for a beginner orz

THROWS MY DINNER TO THE SIDE, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT, I AM VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS KINDA ADVICE HSDKJFHSDF-!!

Ok, first all! I’ve been drawing a very long time for I am past being a Young Adult and now am a full blown adult, lols! When I was first learning to draw, I didn’t even have a computer in my home- that was fancy business man.

That being said, I quickly figured out why beginners can get disenchanted really easily (and how, I, too, fell into that disenchantment after a few years of drawing).

First, never compare yourself to others. This is so stupidly hard, and it can crush you easily. Especially to those much younger than you, and are beyond what you consider your skill level. People are being exposed to amazing creative ideas at younger and younger ages, and are inspired by that. Keeping up with what feels like the entire world is difficult.

Instead of seeing other people’s art and being crushed that you may never be as good, ask yourself, what is it I like so much about this art? You have admit, some artists just stick out to you. It’s a matter of preference. There’s some artists who I love their art style, some for their coloring style. Figuring out what you love about art pieces can help you develop you creative voice!

For example, in a more broad scale, my lowest interest is in color. It’s why my pictures tend to be clean cut and boring. Because that’s my jam. I love dynamic styles and poses tho! Nobody told me this tho, so it took me years to realize that’s was my interest and to start developing in that aspect. Now that I’m happier with my dynamics, poses, that sort of thing, I’m slowly pushing towards color!

Just. Please. Remember that, above all else. You can always learn and practice anatomy, backgrounds, styles, but strengthening the heart for always feeling overlooked, under appreciated and not good enough takes a long time.

But for literal art tips!

To be honest, I started with fanart. Sailor Moon, Hamtaro, Powerpuff Girls, Zoids, Tenchi Muyo!... ya, them oldschool Toonami shows lol!!

It helped me because I had a set character design to work with. I had something to compare to. “If I draw her legs longer, it’ll look better!”

I’m not kidding. I used to record Sailor Moon episodes on my VCR, pause frames, and draw them lol! But when I got a strong enough foundation, I started drawing my own original fanart! That gave me the confidence to push past redraws of frames and making even original characters! ^_^

And don’t worry if you have troubles with certain areas of the body. Honestly, I worked so hard on drawing faces and hair. That was my favorite- especially eyes. Slowly, I’d draw more of the body as the months went on!

Don’t try to bite off more than you can chew, basically. Don’t feel pressured to make every piece a flamboyant, full body treasure. Half bodies just mean you can put extra love into the details, right~?

Oh, oh! And don’t always feel like you gotta push your boundaries! If you like drawing girls in lacy dresses but are bad at drawing boys, well god dammit, draw them girls! It’s what you enjoy. When you feel up to the challenge, try the dude.

Pushing yourself too much, too hard, just ends with a lot of bitter feelings.

On that topic of learning how to draw things! Tutorials are great! Don’t be afraid to be picky about them tho. Some tutorials just aren’t made in a way that teaches you well. It’s no different than a teacher- some teaching styles just aren’t for you. Don’t feel bad, just keep looking for the ones that make you go “Ohhhhh!!”

Bouncing back to something I said up there! ^ This might sound mean, but also look for things you dislike in others’ art. For example, I’m very particular about chibis. I hate when they have pointed chins, most of the time it’s not very cute to my eye. It’s all a matter of opinion! You gotta take notes of what you like and dislike, it’s all part of growing! You aren’t being mean. Unless you purposely go out of your way to tell the artist what you dislike and that’s it, then I hope you lose your tablet pen. :(

Don’t toss things! I started with traditional art, and I have a lot of art from as far back as 2003! They are embarrassing reminders of your newbie days, but to compare what you did then versus now is incredible! Be proud of the smallest of growths, because you’re even just a decimal point better than what you were yesterday!

One other thing. The people that have grown in this generation tend to be shyer than previously before. Even as recently as yesterday, I was looking down at my own art. But then I saw this ask in my inbox and it made something click.

You just never know how many people actually enjoy your art. There’s so much that goes into it. Not just how well the art is drawn, but the concepts, aspects, detail, love you put into it. People can see that, a point of view that’s obscured from the artist’s sight because we see it from our mind’s eye. What we envisioned versus what we spat out on paper.

I know this isn’t a very helpful ask in term of literal drawing tips. ;;; But these are things I wish somebody told me, it’d have saved me from a world of heartache over never being good enough.

Art is one of the many things that can be learned- by anybody. It’s up to your determination, creativity, and your unique view on how you see the world and showing us, the audience, how the things that have inspired you became your unique, creative voice!

It can be a slow process.

It can be a painful process.

Sometimes it’s like taking 1 step forward, 3 steps back.

All you have to do is take a step back and look at it from a different angle. All art is art, regardless of how much time or effort you put into it. And you know what? I can’t tell you how many times I hated something I worked on, saved it, and a few days or weeks later I reopen to it to realize... it’s actually not bad. I’m just being hard on myself.

For those days, just sketch. Loose, scribbly drawings! Or maybe try new things. Buildings. Interior shots. Nature. Animals. A new style. Anything!

Just remember. It’s okay to feel discouraged, it’s okay to feel proud. Remember that art is never a perfected ability- but something you are always growing and learning. But never, ever, give up!

Giving up is absolutely the only 100% way to never get better at art.

And lastly, thank you, anon! This is a well timed ask, because I needed to hear these words, too. I have renewed determination! ^_^ I’m honored to hear such words. ;;;;

So, good luck, anon! I believe in you!

#roi asks #FUCK MY FOOD GOT COLD BUT IT WAS WORTH IT #im sorry im rly passionate about this kinda stuff #DHFHJDSF BUT GOSHI FEEL THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT?#nobody ever talks about the mental aspect for a beginner man dhsfkjdhsf #OR AT LEAST I PLACE PRIORITY OVER IT #my advice for all beginners #Anonymous

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mousedetective · 7 years

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Do You Want To Be With Somebody Like Me? (28/29)

And now, for the climactic showdown between Sherlock and Moran!

Do You Want To Be With Somebody Like Me? - Moriarty’s return has only granted Sherlock a temporary reprieve from punishment over his actions regarding Magnussen, and when a mission involving Sebastian Moran crosses Mycroft’s desk it seems to be the perfect way for Sherlock to pay his penance. This particular mission requires Sherlock to have a paramour, however, but Mycroft has that taken care of in the form of Molly. What begins as a ruse to fool Moran slowly becomes something more real, though, and as this mission takes Sherlock and Molly across the globe chasing after a ghost he begins to realize that there is much more that he can lose this time if he makes another wrong decision.

Read Chapter 1 @ AO3 | Read Chapter 28 @ AO3 | Buy Me A Coffee? | Send Me A Prompt

It didn’t take long for plans to be made and arrangements started for Sherlock and Andrea to go to the home Moran had used for the dinner party. The flight back to Scotland had taken far longer, and Sherlock had felt restless the entire time. Once they landed they started to drive into the countryside, knowing the teams would already be in place. And now that he was there, he knew that tactical teams were a few words away and Molly was almost safe. All he or Anthea had to do was say one single phrase and the tactical teams would sweep in and take care of any troubles they had. And Sherlock knew in his head this team had been handpicked by her and vetted by his brother.

But he would be damned if he would call them in before Molly was free and clear of the house. Having her kidnapped had been akin to his worst fear coming true; having her die would be it in full glaring detail. He wasn’t going to risk her life to capture the bastard.

Especially when he had his own plans.

If Moran had thought the conversation they’d had in the bar in Scotland when his assignment had been put out towards him had been a bluff, that he wouldn’t really gut him like a day old fish and watch as the life faded out of his eyes for harming Molly, it was only because Mycroft needed him alive, preferably. Otherwise, he would gladly do exactly that to him tonight. He’d just have to settle for beating the living shite out of Moran. After all, Mycroft had said leave him alive.

He didn’t say leave him in a state that didn’t require traction.

He looked over at Anthea to make sure she was set. He would be going in through the front door, as Moran was expecting him; she would be finding an alternate route. Her time posing as the driver had given her time to do some discrete poking around the last time they were there and she had managed to find a few potential points of entry that would get her to Molly the fastest. She knew where Molly was because as soon as he had gotten the invitation discrete surveillance had been done. When Moran’s lies had unraveled it was obvious he did not have half the resources Mycroft had at hand, which put them at an advantage.

They were about to make that advantage work to their benefit.

Sherlock gave Anthea plenty of time to get to her entry spot before making his way to the door. If Anthea could already be inside and beginning to extract Molly from the second-floor room where she was being held, then that meant there was less time Sherlock needed to bluff and more time he could show Moran just how wrong a decision it was to kidnap Molly. Tonight he knew there would be no staff inside. No, Moriarty had been one for flash and drama and Moran was just the same. If there was to be a final showdown, just like there had been on the roof with Moriarty, it would be between the two of them.

The door was unlocked and he made his way inside. He assumed he was being watched, and therefore he followed the path of lighted hallways till he got to the garden entrance. He should have assumed that much; as soon as it was apparent Sherlock was not going to follow instructions he knew that it would come down to a confrontation, and since Moran had made his real first bid for Sherlock’s involvement in the garden that would be where they would have their final confrontation. It was better lit than it had been last time and he could easily see Moran standing there, the smoke from his cigar wafting in the air. “I was never going to hurt her,” Moran said without turning around. “I actually like Molly. I can see why Jim was fond of her, why he didn’t want her targeted. She would have walked out of here safe and sound.”

“You still took her,” Sherlock said.

“You poked your nose where it didn’t belong,” Moran said. He turned and Sherlock saw he had his mobile out. “Your friend is rather close to Molly’s room. Don’t worry, I won’t stop her. Let’s wait until Molly’s out of harm’s way, shall we? Wouldn’t want her to see the mess we’re going to make.”

Sherlock nodded. The two men waited in silence until he heard a slight crackle in his ear, and then Anthea said “She’s clear.” He knew his next step was supposed to be to give the word to bring the team in t capture Moran, but there was more to be said. And, as Moran said, there was a mess to be made.

Sherlock took the earpiece out of his ear and tossed it aside. “I should gut you like a fish and watch you try and stuff your intestines back inside.”

“But you won’t,” Moran said, smirking a bit as he pocketed his mobile.

“Unfortunately my brother has need of you. And this time, I doubt you’ll get out.”

Moran huffed out a laugh and then took a puff of his cigar. “You underestimate my connections.”

“What connections?” Sherlock asked. “James Moriarty is dead. You’re trying to tie together what’s left of his organization with sheer force of will. The organization I decimated, by the way.” He stepped closer. “They all know Moriarty is dead now. They know the video was a hoax, perpetrated by you, to try and scare them into submission.”

Moran’s eyes widened slightly but other than that he showed no reaction. “And you know this…?”

“You should never have sent me to Washington,” he replied. “Not when I had the British government behind me. You could offer some people some things if they swayed to your side, but Her Majesty can offer so much more. People were quite happy to spill the beans. And you simply confirmed it, first in the bar and then in your ill-conceived measure to take the one thing in the world that means the most to me away to get my attention. You tried to hurt me, Moran, so I ruined you.”

Moran clamped his teeth on the cigar, his eyes hardening. “You have always been a bloody bastard,” he said through his clenched teeth before removing the cigar and tossing it to the ground.

“And you’ll always fail at being second best,” Sherlock replied.

That seemed to be the straw that broke the camel’s back as Moran rushed at him, trying to land a punch at Sherlock’s midsection to knock the wind out of him. Sherlock managed to dodge and tried to land a punch of his own towards Moran’s face but Moran recovered quickly and ducked down, sweeping a leg to knock Sherlock off his feet. Sherlock stumbled and nearly fell but caught hold of a nearby statue and regained his balance, but not before Moran got a punch into his side.

Sherlock took in a pained breath and when Moran went to aim another hit at him Sherlock moved just before it landed and Moran hit the statue instead, howling in pain from unexpectedly hitting stone. Sherlock took the moment of surprise to begin hitting where he could, each hit precise, each hit hitting a certain part of Moran’s body to inflict pain and incapacitate him. Kidneys, the back of his knees, the groin…

Eventually, Moran was on the ground and then Sherlock unleashed his rage, not caring for precision anymore and just hitting to hurt. He didn’t care about his own injuries so long as he made Moran hurt even more. Soon enough Moran stopped trying to defend himself, and Sherlock realized the blood on Moran’s suit was coming from his knuckles, not Moran. He stood up, taking a few long deep breaths, and began to walk towards where he’d tossed the earpiece. “The rubbish is ready for removal,” he said, signaling the tactical teams.

And then he heard the telltale crack of a gunshot, felt a searing pain in his arm followed by heat, and a sudden onset of lightheadedness. His last coherent thought was that this wasn’t how it was supposed to have been…

And then nothing for some time.

When he woke up again there was a bright light. Not a hospital room, but one of the rooms in the home. He was in a bed in one of the bedrooms, and he wasn’t alone. He also wasn’t wearing a shirt but his companion was fully clothed and fussing over him. When she realized he was awake, she gave him a glare.

“Anthea said you’ve had nothing but coffee since I got taken,” Molly said. “You, Sherlock, are an idiot. How could you not eat before you came to rescue me! You could have fainted before you beat the piss out of that bastard and then where would you be? Dead. You’d be dead and I’d be alone and…” She looked at his arm, which he just realized was bandaged and put in a sling of some sort as tears were in her eyes. “Eat more next time.”

“No next times,” he said with as much force as he could muster. He reached over and motioned for her to lie down next to him. The sooner they left and went somewhere, anywhere else, the happier he would be, but for now, he just wanted her close. “No more next times, I promise.”

“Good,” she said. She leaned over and kissed his forehead and then settled in next to him, head on his chest, and he relaxed. She was safe, Moran was not a problem anymore and he was still alive. All in all, it had ended as well as he had hoped it would…more or less.

#sherlolly #sherlock holmes #molly hooper #sebastian moran #fanfiction #fanfic #my stuff #multipart: do you want to be with somebody like me?#donation fic #bakerst-sherlolly #one-amber-owl #sherlock #queuel beans

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