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eleanorfenyxwrites · 1 year

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WIP Wednesday

So okay I don't know if this is like...a cool thing to do or not, but there's a fic I claimed from the 2022 kink meme list (I couldn't resist, in large part because Tales From Jianghu Shopping Center was listed by the prompter as one of their inspirations for the prompt) that I'm not sure when I'll actually finish writing but I have started it and I'd like to at least acknowledge that I'm doing it even if the prompter won't see this. But the prompt is something along the lines of anything highly specific and niche (like my strip mall AU lol), and I actually happen to have a growing little stockpile of very very niche knowledge about my chosen professional field, which is ceramics! I specialize in wheel-throwing (though I'm also a...passable hand at plaster mold-making/slip casting and handbuilding, I just don't enjoy them nearly as much) so I've started a little something from Lan Wangji's point of view that's a love letter to throwing ♥

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As is tradition, Lan Wangji works in porcelain.

The Lan family have been respected masters of porcelain for centuries, generations stretching back, back, back nearly to the beginning of the imperial kiln production in Jingdezhen. They once produced the enormous pots that adorned emperors’ palaces – there are (very distant) cousins of his in Jingdezhen who still do so for wealthy patrons.

It’s easy to forget such a background when he enters his personal studio on the other side of the world and flicks on the lights to begin the day’s routines. It’s precisely what he wants – a quiet life like this, simple and unassuming, is much more suited to his desire than the weight of tradition that could otherwise press him and his work down into something he would never want to be.

Not that he deviates very far from tradition anyway, but it’s the principle of the thing. Lan Wangji takes quiet pleasure in simplicity, in function that is beautiful in its hard-won mastery. There are very few non-traditional ways to accomplish this that he’s interested in, but he likes having the option should he want to take it.

Lan Wangji had learned to throw at his uncle’s knee as soon as it was possible to do so. He has continued to do so since childhood with a single-mindedness that once surprised even his uncle. All he’d ever wanted to do was to sit at the wheel for hours and hours on end, only pausing to warm the water in his bowl with a fresh influx from the kettle and to transfer full wareboards (once he was strong enough) to the drying racks in the corner of his uncle’s studio.

Lan Wangji has always struggled to find the words to convey how integral the motion of the wheel and the smooth slip of clay through his finger and against his palms is to feeling like he fits into his skin properly, but his family seems to understand just the same.

Yesterday, as the sun was westering, Lan Wangji had weighed up a few bags of fresh porcelain. The lumps are waiting for him now, tumbled together under their protective sheets of plastic, ready to be molded and shaped by hands and hypnotic motion. There’s enough of a chill in the studio this time of year that there isn’t any condensation on the plastic when he lifts it, so he folds it away neatly and settles into the easy rhythm of wedging his clay to prepare it for the wheel.

There is, in the middle of the studio, a sturdy butcher’s block workbench. He built it himself right there in the studio, the first piece of furniture that had filled the space even before he’d purchased his Shimpo wheel. It’s very likely too heavy to lift – it’s certainly too big to ever get through the door – but he has no intention of ever leaving this studio to begin another, so it suits his purposes just fine.

Wedging the clay on this sturdy, hip-height table is nearly as meditative a process as all the rest of it. A bit more of a workout than sitting at the wheel, but it’s a good way to warm up in the morning, his muscles well accustomed to the push-turn-push-turn-push-turn of spiral wedging that it’s gone beyond second nature, it simply is. His mind wanders pleasantly as he watches the misshapen lumps of pure porcelain become smooth and rounded beneath his palms. Perhaps he’ll spend the day on bowls. They’re quick and simple, suited to his mood today, and he’ll have plenty of them done by lunch when he already knows his typical solitary routine will be interrupted (and can therefore plan for it so far in advance).

The sun is up properly by the time Lan Wangji finishes his wedging, and once he’s transferred the first batch of prepared clay to the wheel he pauses to stand in the open doorway and look out over the garden that sits between his studio and his home. The grass and the flowers are glittering fresh and dewy in the sunlight as he rolls his shoulders, stretches out his back in preparation to be seated for long hours.

When he returns, the wheel welcomes him, familiar and comforting. He fills an old bird seed bucket with warm water from the tap and arranges the small mirror at the back of the wheel’s tray to the perfect angle to watch his own hands before he settles in and takes a deep breath, sleeves rolled up and apron cinched comfortably tight around his waist as an unnecessary reminder to keep his back as straight as he can while he works.

The first ball of porcelain hits the perfect bullseye of the wheelhead and Lan Wangji leans in to begin centering, the porcelain buttery soft where it runs under his hands. Porcelain, he knows, is notorious for being difficult to work with, particularly for beginners. This far into his career, it’s simply polite and responsive to each confident press of his palms. He cones it first, hands curled around it to coax it in and up; presses it down again with the flat of his hand, every movement focused on the centerpoint of the wheel gliding silently through magnet-powered rotations.

Up.

Down again.

Up.

Down.

Push.

Press.

Lan Wangji loves every part of the throwing process for what it is, but if he were to have to choose only one, this would be his favorite: the moment he can feel the clay running smoothly, perfectly centered the whole way through and ready to become whatever he will tell it to be, the possibilities – for this moment – endless.

#the untamed fanfic #WIP Wednesday #Lan Wangji #If I'm not mistaken the name of the prompt in the list is 'Bring Your Yiling Laozu To Work Day' or something to that effect #and I do plan on WWX showing up later in a way that's inspired by some of my friends in the studio #who work MUCH more chaotically than I do #(ie one of them currently goes mudlarking and digging for wild clay then brings it all in to chuck it in the kiln just to see what happens)#the other one can't remember anything that they do because they take no notes and treat highly precise chemical processes like they're #still a chef adding a dash of this and a dash of that to whatever's in their mixing bowl #and then there's me with my extensive notes and thoroughly researched glazes and all being like #'.....sometimes I don't mind if my glaze ingredients are a gram or two off'#anyway for anyone who didn't know I'm a ceramicist and it's one of my special interests lol #my profile picture and header images across both my blogs are photos of my current work #oh and the Shimpo wheel?????? IT'S A FUCKIN DREAM #the museum I sometimes teach workshops at borrowed one from a different college than mine in town and it was just #so fuckin NICE. It's DEAD SILENT and smooth as silk #and the pedal stays where you put it so if you're doing something large scale you can stand up to get your arm down in it #without having to balance on one foot or sacrifice speed or anything #it was like heaven #it's also like 4k to buy new so LOL NOPE

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pizzabookbuying · 9 months

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I’m about to get really excited about a niche thing I’ve posted about maybe like three times ever so just. be aware

#this is about ceramics and I’m dealing with my stress by focusing on the stuff I’m doing well!!#I wheelthrew with a new type of clay today which is more difficult (but not quite as difficult as porcelain)#and it actually went pretty well and I enjoyed myself!!#the first ceramics class was taught very low budget and with a very limited studio so I ended up learning with some…less than ideal clay #but I’ve taken a few classes at my community college now and it’s really really delightful!!! the studio is amazing and the teacher is #amazing and KIND and the CLAY is *chefs kiss* and it’s so fun to work with people at all different levels of experience #(the old retired ceramics ladies who come over and give you advice 🥹)

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fuck-kirk · 11 months

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Congrats on the awards, from what I've seen you earned it! I'm not sure if you remember my ask but I started ceramic sculpture a few weeks ago, I'm in my last semester of my fine arts diploma. I showed my classmates your work and they loved it. I now find your work even more impressive. Sculpture clay is hard to work with in my opinion, I miss polymer clay.

Hey anon! Thanks so much!! Sorry I just now saw this, I haven’t been as active on tumblr recently. I really appreciate this ask bc it’s motivated me to start posting more of my ceramic works on here.

And yeah, sculpture clay is a whole other ball game! The main difficulty in making my pieces is the fact that they have to be hollow. I use all kinds of methods and mix them together to create them. Usually a mix of solid building (where I build the majority or all of the sculpture solid, then have to meticulously hollow and out together each piece like a puzzle) and coil/slab build other trickier parts. I’m personally in love with sculpture clay because I LOVE firing kilns, especially large ones. I also create all my own glazes and have done extensive testing to get the colors/ textures I want. There’s a lot more to sculptural ceramics than people think!

#motts asks #I’ve been given access to our universities studio this summer and am working for my prof again #so I’ve got a lot of stuff I’m working on #I’ve been working on throwing on the wheel and making pottery instead of just solely doing sculptural stuff #I used to hate the wheel but now I’ve got the hang of it and I’m in love #god I love clay

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e--mail · 1 year

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been watching the great pottery throwdown with my partner and sister and it just really makes me miss pottery and ceramics so much. there's something ironic I suppose that one of mankind's oldest surviving arts is now something you have to take expensive classes or rent a studio space to be able to do

#bout to go back to basics and make mud bricks in my backyard and fire it in a wood fire #for context also I went to college for and got my bachelor's in ceramics/fine art #and I've wished so much that I could get back into it but there's just not that many studios around where i live #like I'd love to work in a ceramics studio as an assistant or someone who loads/unloads kilns and makes clay like i did in college #or even teach classes to kids or something idk

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miss-m-winks · 1 year

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Love is an Art

part 4

masterpost, part 3, part 5

short time skip of a couple days, now Talib and Kouto are doing the first extra session for figure sculpting. Someday when this thing is all done, I'll have to go revise it and fix everything lol but for now i don't mind leaving it a bit of a mess.

“Alright,” Kouto said to their reflection in the bathroom mirror. “First evening figure art session. Just you and the professor and that guy with the glass eye.” They leaned in and pointed at themself. “Do not make it weird.” They nodded and turned away, entering the bath nearby to wash their body. The lightning scars in their hands ached, some of them quite fresh. A few tiny static sparks jumped between their skin and the water. There was no time to soak and enjoy the bath. They washed their body quickly with a floral soap, leaving their hair dry as it was still in the tight bun they preferred to wear.

They dried off and put their clothes back on, carrying their bathrobe in a bag. The sky was still light, but the sun threw long shadows down from the trees, covering the forested campus in a lattice of shadows. Curiously, Kouto glanced around, trying to see if Talib was walking the same path to the pottery studio, but they only saw a few other students heading back to the dorm buildings or out to evening classes.

It was not the farthest building from the dorms, but the walk to the pottery studio was still long enough that the sky was tinged pink when Kouto walked through the door greeting professor Rutfang with a smile and a nod. They hurried over to the small closet in the corner of the room, but paused and turned around before entering. Talib was already set up at one of the tables, pulling the waxed bark cloth off of his sculpture.

“Oh, hello Talib. You’re early.”

“I came straight over from dinner,” he explained, “didn’t want to go all the way back to my dorm first.” He lifted his left foot, hooking it over the cross bar between the legs of his stool. Kouto nodded.

“Yeah, it’s a long walk. I’ll be out in a moment,” they said, entering the closet. It was a crowded little space, mostly shelves of small statues and geometric shapes that could be used as references for new sculpting students. Kouto set their bag down and stripped under the dim light, which was a simple clear glass orb etched with a glowing rune. Carefully, they folded their clothes into their bag and wrapped the bathrobe over their naked body, heading back out into the studio.

“Alright,” professor Rutfang said, “I’ll mostly just be at my own desk, I trust you two to stay on task. Talib, I’ll be coming by now and again to see if you need any help, but feel free to call me over anytime.” “Thanks,” he replied. Professor Rutfang nodded and went to her desk, taking out a notebook. Kouto smiled at Talib and dropped their bathrobe on the corner of the platform, sitting in the same relaxed pose they’d used during class, careful to align their hands and feet with the marks that were still in place. They blinked slowly, breathed slowly. Steady heartbeats trembled in their chest, echoing through their veins. The smell and taste of clay drifted into their throat and threatened to make them cough. Every little noise in the dusty room lingered in the ear, from the soft scratch of professor Rutfang’s pencil to the sharp tick of the clock.

Kouto could see Talib working in the corner of their vision, focused on the clay figure in front of him. He mumbled at the sculpture, frustration in his voice. Kouto risked a glance towards him, watching his hands press into the clay, reshaping it. He was beyond the range of Kouto’s eyes, his fingers blurring together, his many scars vanishing into his skin. Turning back to maintain their pose, Kouto’s eyes traced the soft outlines of the empty old tables in front of them. The tops were covered in rough canvas, stained from years of use. Blotches of pink and brown and pale gray mottled every table, showing the popularity of each color of clay. The pink stains left behind by the red clay were the most visible, but the pale gray left its mark over all the darker colors.

The same rough canvas covered the platform Kouto was sitting on, though the platform was far less stained and had a thin cushion beneath the canvas. It made for an uncomfortable seat, scratching their skin and putting pressure on their wrists. Still, it was more comfortable than ragged bark or a hard stone, and the thick pads of calloused skin on their rear made even the roughest surfaces easier to sit on.

“Probably ought to take a break,” Professor Rutfang called out from her desk. “Talib, I’m going to come check your work.” Talib leaned back with a heavy sigh. Kouto fetched their bathrobe and left the platform to get a drink of water. Their metal bottle kept the water cool even in the middle of summer, though it made their bag a little heavier.

“It’s so much harder to keep the pressure steady when I’m not using a wheel,” Talib said to professor Rutfang. Kouto remained by their bag, watching from a distance as the professor looked over the unfinished statue. She turned the board it sat on, viewing it from every angle.

“I don’t expect perfection on the first try,” she said, “this isn’t so bad, honestly. Try to fill your seams more though, this shoulder will crack open when the clay dries.” She gestured to the thin line in the clay. “We do have buckets of slip, you can always bring a bowl of it to your table to make this easier.” Talib nodded, brow furrowed.

“Thanks.” He stood up, leaning on his right leg. Professor Rutfang gave him a reassuring smile and headed back to her desk. While she returned to her notebook, Talib walked to the buckets of slip to get a bowl of the watered down clay.

“Excuse me,” Kouto said as Talib passed near them. He paused and looked over. “Sorry. I was wondering if you’d mind me talking while you work?” they asked, “it’s just that I’m not used to modeling for such an empty room, and most of the time I’ll be turned where I can’t see you, so…“ they trailed off, biting their lip. Talib tilted his head. “Sure, I don’t mind. Just don’t expect me to talk back.” He returned to his table to keep on his sculpture. Kouto sighed and smiled.

“Yeah, don’t worry, I’m just going to ramble into the empty air.” They went back to the platform and turned it a little ways, dropping the bathrobe to sit at the marks and stare out into the lifeless studio. “Suppose I’ll just talk about myself, I’m good at that,” they cracked a grin. Talib only replied with an absentminded hum. Kouto closed their eyes, settling into the more talkative mode they used at parties and other social events.

“So, I actually live in a town close to campus,” they began, “I like to visit my family on my days off. My siblings are all still home, but that’s not saying much when most of them are still kids,” they said with a laugh. “Okay, I’m sure Mori and Raisha would argue with me on that one, but they’re kids to me. I only have one older sibling; my sister Jane, and she decided not to attend university. She helps our mom maintain the community garden.” Glancing over their shoulder, they saw Talib was still very focused on his work, probably only half listening. “I’m adopted,” Kouto added as an afterthought. “We all are, except our youngest brother. And every single one of my siblings would tell you; I was a real pain to grow up with.” Talib let slip a breathy chuckle at that comment.

“Oh, I’m sure my older brother would say the same about me,” he muttered. Kouto looked up at the cedar plank ceiling.

"Hm, siblings are great like that. Ah, what else can I say. I didn't think this through. If I tell you too much about me, I won't have anything to say next time." They could almost see professor Rutfang in their peripheral vision, still focused on whatever she was writing down. "Doesn't matter much to me," Talib replied. "You could recite a whole lecture on the ecological importance of a spider if you wanted." Kouto laughed, the sound of their voice echoing off the stone floor and brick walls.

"Well I don't really know much about spiders, to be honest. They do look neat though. My youngest brother likes to catch them just to look at them a little closer. Spiders, beetles, ants… he caught a wasp in his bare hands once, I still don't know how he managed it." Talib responded with an amused hum, keeping his focus on the clay sculpture again. Kouto pondered for a moment, running through the small-talk scripts in their mind. “It’s so much easier to talk to people at parties,” they muttered with a sigh.

“I need a different angle,” Talib said, “alright if I just move the platform while you’re sitting there?”

“Oh, yeah, sure.” Kouto turned to see him stand and walk over, noting the limp on his left side again. Talib looked back at his sculpture, glanced over Kouto’s posed figure, and turned the platform so they were facing professor Rutfang. He nodded and returned silently to his seat.

“You can keep talking, if you want to,” he said, prodding the clay into shape. Kouto’s eyes couldn’t catch all the details of the sculpture at such a distance, but it looked like Talib was working on the legs.

“Right. Well, you know, I do have an essay I’m writing for art history. I told you before, I’m in Merrick’s afternoon class? I picked the art of the goblin revolution as my research topic. It’s pretty interesting to look at how it’s portrayed in art, depending on who made it.” They flexed their toes briefly to relieve tension in their foot. “And, you know, goblin art is just really cool. They do a lot of abstract work, but there are specific patterns to it. It’s like a whole visual language.” While they elaborated on the topic, Talib remained focused on his work. He forced himself to abandon the legs, still bothered by their uneven lengths. Looking up at the clock, he decided to finish the head as best he could. It was still just a round lump. He pressed the lump into a more even shape, pinched the chin and nose out from the clay while pressing in to make dents for the eye line.

“There’s a particular figure that shows up a lot in artwork from the area where the revolution began,” Kouto explained. “A white figure with a lunar crown over their head. Records suggest it’s a protective spirit or deity.” They laughed “ It reminds me of this old goblin in my home town. She’s from that region too, and she’s got an uncommon genetic condition. I think it’s called leucism? Her skin is white and her ears are pink. Well, gill frills, actually. She’s part of a more aquatic subspecies. Anyway, she’s fun, maybe I can go ask her more about the art I’m studying, since she used to live in the same region.”

“Hour’s up,” professor Rutfang interrupted, “Talib, let me see what you’ve got.” She walked over, and Talib leaned back to let her inspect his work. He fidgeted with his fingers, ignoring Kouto as they watched. Professor Rutfang nodded. “It looks fine. This assignment is meant to be simple and a little unfinished, so don’t stress over the flaws, alright?” Talib nodded in reply. “Good. I’ll be giving everyone more detailed advice in class tomorrow.” She tapped her hand on the table and walked back to her desk. “You can both go now, have a good night.”

“Thanks.” Talib used a sponge to gently dampen the sculpture before putting the waxed bark cloth over it again. Kouto stood up from the platform, pulling their bathrobe back on. They hurried to the closet, dressing themself carefully in the small space and folding the bathrobe into their bag. When they came out, Talib was packing his tools away, having already moved his sculpture to the shelves.

“Hey, since we’re heading to the same dorm buildings,” Kouto said, “do you mind walking together?” They walked up to him, smiling. He shouldered his bag with a shrug.

“Sure, doesn’t matter to me.” He moved for the door, Kouto following. The sky was dark, clouds blocking the stars, but the rune lamps along the pathways cast their gentle light over the pair, guiding their steps. Kouto stayed at Talib’s right side, so he could see and hear them.

“I noticed you were wearing a different eye today,” they mused. “And the other day, when we met on the way to classes. How many do you have?”

“Not as many as the collection I left back at home,” Talib answered. “I only brought my favorites.” A small smile tugged at his lips. “I don’t even remember the last time I wore a normal one, honestly.”

“Well, why would you? These artistic ones are much more interesting.” Kouto tilted their head to get a better look. They’d only noticed that the eye had been a different set of colors each day, but as they focused on it, they saw that the pattern of the colors was different too. Talib slowed his pace for a moment, turning to give Kouto a slightly better angle.

“I get nervous about having people stare at it,” he admitted. “I didn’t realize how much being at this college would bring back my old worries. Back home, I’m a lot more confident.” Kouto nodded, turning back to watch their step instead of Talib’s face.

“I get that. One of my younger brothers has a similar problem. He’s so shy, but when he gives people a chance, he’s actually alright at making friends. Most people never comment on his scars.”

“Hm. You’ve got some interesting scars yourself,” Talib glanced over the thin sprawling lines on Kouto’s skin. They laughed.

“Yeah, I sure do. But how about you don’t ask me how I got them, and I won’t ask about yours?” Talib smirked.

“Tired of telling the same story over and over, or tired of having to make up new stories just to mess with people?”

“Both.” Kouto and Talib laughed together, filling the silence around them. The air was chilly, but the space between them felt warm and comfortable. Kouto kept glancing over, keeping their pace slow as they committed Talib’s appearance to memory. Every scar on his arms, up to his neck, vanishing beneath his clothing and gloves. The way he tilted his head down as he walked. Even the limp in his stiff left foot.

Talib’s glance caught Kouto’s now and again, making them blush. He appreciated the way they kept their pace slow, allowing him to keep up without any trouble. They hadn’t asked, but he knew his limp was hard to miss after a long day. Watching ahead of them, he realized they were already approaching the split path between the dorm buildings.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said, “thanks again, for doing the extra sessions. I appreciate it.” He turned away, smiling back at them with a small wave. Kouto’s ears perked up and they paused to wave back.

“Goodnight!” they called out. Talib’s figure went blurry as he walked further and further away, fading into the shadows. The night air felt cold again. Kouto shivered and jogged to their own building, regretting their earlier choice not to wear a jacket.

#love is an art #winks ocs #winks writing #i have never actually done figure sculpting lol #i have been in a pottery studio though #and done some basic clay work #i keep having to come up with replacements for things like plastic wrap lol #and other modern items these people would not have #hence the waxed bark cloth #and also the mention in a previous section about a leaf #where talib was eating and walking and he just had his food in a large leaf he could toss aside into the grass #it's kinda fun to have a semi-modern fantasy world and decide what modernized things they do have and what they don't

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theexorcistiii · 1 month

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MY FRIENDS R COMING TO MY HOOOUSSDEEEEEEEE YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Things I saw today ^

#uninhabitable zone get together THREE is about to BEGIN #also I had a job interview at a paint ur own pottery place & it went rlly well I think they will probably hire me :)#the clay studio I work at rn is closing which I am SO sad abt bc I love working there but hopefully this other place will also be good #I might be teaching kids for their summer camp program which is scary but also exciting!!! mostly exciting cause the stuff kids made with #clay is always so awesome & wonderful & it would make me happy 2 encourage creativity in them :) kids r so awesome at art forever tht shit #picaso or whatever said abt learning to draw like a kid was so real #anyway I have 2 go pick my friend up from the airport so early in the morning so I’m going sleep early good NIGHT

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strikeanothermatch · 1 year

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Her name is Cassidy and she's a BABY

#i actually worked in a bit more after this pic but whatev #shes taller woth a bit more rump now #glazing next month....def gonna go with goldenrod base and white line art #ceramic studio #pottery wheel #throwing clay #def inspired to do some slab and coil work with the air clay soon #i need more pen cups....

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dollfat · 3 months

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ohmygod i am not prepared to wake up at 430 every morning

#i need to be on the road by 5 at the LATEST #i still have 3 clay classes from 6-9 so I'll be losing 2 hours sleep #im still mad they wouldn't let me just buy studio hours to work whenever i wanted #which is why i cant cancel the classes its required to do this first #dear diary

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despite-everything · 6 months

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just snapped out of a Cermaics Frenzy

#havent had access to a kiln in 4 years and finally started a ceramics class today #made a bowl #and a little guy sitting in a bathtub that's also an incense holder #then i brought some clay home with me and spent several more hours working on forming #my favorite fossil paranthropus boisei cranium (oh-5)#he needs more work but its already 1am and i got up Early today #anyway. had a really fun time #there's also open studio time on mondays and im not scheduled to work the next 3 mondays #so i get double the time for 3 weeks at least #which is sickkkk #im almost certainly going to need to buy more clay #unless ifocus on a couple bigger projects.... idk....#tree talks

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always-a-slut-4-ghouls · 9 months

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Gods, i just want to take in person art classes again. I want a good teacher and a classroom or workshop type setting again. I miss learning in classes. I don’t see myself going to college any time soon though. Ugh, i just want to have in person teachers again.

I also long for the fancy mud (clay) again, and I have been since my last ceramics and sculpture class in highschool. The dirt, it calls to me. Sure, polymer clay is a thing, and it is something I can easily try at home, but it doesn’t fill that void, satiate my desire, not completely. I dream of the scent of clay and its feel in my hands. I miss molding and shaping it, I miss that smell. The smell like the bottom of a lake, or wet mud in some parts of my family’s yard. I mean, I can smell lake sediment and the clay in the dirt, but it doesn’t come with the promise of creation 😩

#emma posts #why is it so fucking expensive #and you need so much room and equipment #okay #maybe you can make do with only a little room and equipment #but nothing that I could set up! nothing that I could afford #and definitely not something that could work in my apartment #maybe I could try and set up a shed or something on the farm #but that would take money! and I can’t drive there so I wouldn’t be able to go very frequently #and I wouldn’t have someone to teach me beyond a highschool level #not that my highschool teacher was bad. she actually had her own studio where she lived #she was awesome. but I’m still inexperienced beyond those classes #and maybe my hand tremors could be… less of a problem with clay #and to work in the 3d with my hands! I miss it 😢

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art · 25 days

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Creator Spotlight: @camberdraws

Hello! My name is Camber (any pronouns), and I’m a mixed media illustrator located in the southwestern United States. I love drawing everything, but I have a special interest in depicting strange creatures and environments, often accompanied by abstract imagery and mark-making. Professionally, I’ve worked creating concept art and 2D assets for museum exhibits, but currently, I am engaged full-time as a software developer and make standalone illustrations in my free time. I’ve been posting art on Tumblr since I was a teenager, and the site has been very welcoming towards my work to this very day!

Check out Camber’s interview below!

Did you originally have a background in art? If not, how did you start?

I’ve had an interest in drawing since I was barely sentient, but at thirteen years old I decided to become “serious” about art. I was all about reading tutorials and doing a ton of studies. I would tote my heavy instructional art books to school every single day (my poor back!) Despite all this, I decided to forgo art school in favor of a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science at my local college. Alongside my major, I received a minor in Art Studio with a specialization in fine art, which totally changed my views on creating artwork and drastically changed my style.

How has your style developed over the years?

As mentioned previously, my style did a 180 after I studied under some very skilled fine art professors! As a kid, my drawings were very realism-heavy and inspired by video game concept art. I mostly worked digitally, too. During college, I was thrown for a loop when we were instructed to do strange things like, for example, make a bunch of marks on paper using pastel, WITHOUT looking, and then turn said marks into a finished piece of art! I quickly and deeply fell in love with abstract work, and especially appreciated images that are not easily parsed by the viewer. Since then, I’ve made it my goal to combine abstract mark-making with more representational subject matter.

What is one habit you find yourself doing a lot as an artist?

Hmmm, one habit I really enjoy as an artist is strictly tracking the amount of time I spend drawing! I currently work a full-time job wholly unrelated to art, so I have to be careful with my time if I want to spend enough hours drawing each week. I created a spreadsheet that allows you to enter the amount of minutes you’ve drawn each day and calculate how much drawing time you still need to reach your weekly goal (I aim for 20 hours a week.) Having such a clear, numbers-based objective keeps me motivated to work like nothing else!

Over the years as an artist, what were your biggest inspirations behind your creativity?

I know this is a common inspiration, but Hayao Miyazaki’s work has been rewiring my neurons since I was a child. Seemingly all of my artistic interests can be summed up by the movie Princess Mononoke: it has strange/abstract creature designs, a strong focus on nature and environmental storytelling, and a mix of dark and hopeful themes. Additionally, I’ve been deeply inspired by video game series such as Zelda, Okami, Pikmin, and Dark Souls. But arguably, none of these have influenced me more than Pokemon! I’ve been drawing Pokemon since I could barely hold a pencil, and I haven’t stopped since! I believe my love of designing creatures originated with my endless deluge of Pokemon fanart during my childhood.

What is a medium that you have always been intrigued by but would never use yourself?

I’ve always been fascinated by 3D mediums and am so tempted to try them out! Whether that’s 3D models created digitally or sculptures made from clay, I profoundly admire artists who have this skill. Oftentimes, it feels like I don’t have time to delve into a totally different artistic paradigm. However, I feel very strongly that learning new skills can enrich your current work. I should take that advice and someday give 3D mediums a shot!

What is a recent creative project that you are proud of?

I am in the process of creating an art book (a dream of mine!) and have been executing smaller drawings of concepts I find interesting from both a visual and storytelling standpoint. A recent drawing for said book is that of a snail made of ink with an ink bottle as a shell, and it went absolutely viral! I’ve never had an experience like this as an artist before and it has been spectacular! I was able to open a shop using my newly acquired art printer and sell many prints of my snail. Creating something original, directly stemming from my interests, and having that resonate with so many people has been unreal. I couldn’t ask for more as an artist!

What advice would you give to younger you about making art that’s personal or truthful to your own experiences?

I would tell my younger self to chill out and experiment more! I was so caught up in the idea that I needed to have a realistic style to be considered “good.” I also believed that technical skill was the only measure of how worthy my art was. That’s not to say technical skill doesn’t matter, but I now firmly believe the creativity and voice of your ideas far outweigh the skill of execution in terms of importance. Technical skills should elevate ideas, not the other way around. Once I began to revel in strange ideas and stories for my work, depicted oftentimes in odd styles or mediums, I truly found my voice as an artist.

Who on Tumblr inspires you and why?

My peers here on Tumblr inspire me more than anything! Sharing my work with contemporaries and giving each other support brings me joy like no other, and keeps me motivated to continue creating. I wouldn’t be where I am today without them! @beetlestench, @theogm-art, @trustyalt, @ratwednesday, @phantom-nisnow, @svltart, @mintsdraws, @mothhh-hh, @jupiterweathers, @thesewispsofsmoke, @picoffee, @fetchiko, @kaisei-ink, and @pine-niidles just to name only a few!

Thanks for stopping by, Camber! If you haven’t seen their Meet the Artist piece, check it out here. For more of Camber’s work, follow their Tumblr, @camberdraws!

#creator spotlight #artists on tumblr #camberdraws

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