#''who goes there in my gothic manor''-type of man | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

androgynousblackbox · 4 years

Text

I saw The haunting of Bly manor and here are thoughts (spoilers)

-All throught out I couldn’t help to shake out the feeling “I could be seeing the first haunting instead” and that alone should tell you so much about what was my experience with this show. Maybe it has to do more with my own expectation that any fault of the show itself, but I was kinda bored as the show was still taking it’s sweet time to do something interesting and instead we had moments of domestic bliss and a bunch of flashback of more domestic bliss with the unimpressive ocassional presence of some ghost. -Like I get it. If you want a mostly romance gothic story that has lesbians and also... some good characters, then absolutely, you would enjoy the crap out of this and good on your for doing so. But if you were wanting and hoping for a mostly horror story with some good emotional bits like the first haunting show, then fuck, I don’t know what to tell you, this isn’t for us. So when talking about my own experience with the show, that is already strike one. -The Bly Manor in general seemed to have less personality that the manor in the first show. The only interesting thing they ever do with the scenography is one time that they changed the face on a portrait for one second and that was it. They could have used any other location, any other manor, it wouldn’t have made any difference at all. The ghost there don’t even do anything. And yeah, sure, the point is that they have forgotten who they are and don’t have anything to do, but besides being a little creepy easter egg for youtubers to find... they are purely decorative. Everytime they do appear they are just there, standing. I don’t know if they thought that would be creepier than having some misterious repair man eternally repairing a grandfather clock that only one person can see, but I felt it so gimmicky and uninteresting. They could have had them being scared of the lady on the lake and making some noise as they tried to run from her way, or the priest could have been constantly making the motion of blessing, stuck forever on that loop like the lady on the lake, doing something he doesn’t remember why he does it but feels important somehow. The plague doctor could have been hovering over people and checking if they were breathing while they were sleeping, just movement without any real conscience of why he does it. But nah. Just stand there in whichever place and wait to creep out some watcher that could notice you by chance. As I said, unimpressive. I could be watching the repair clock guy instead. -One of the few exceptions to this was Doll Face and I don’t know if that is meant to imply that the spirit of children are more “lively” or something like that compared to the adults, but he was a fun, kinda cute and creepy adition that I did really enjoyed. He played with Flora’s dolls whenever he could and he always seemd to intentionally be hiding as if he was afraid of being reprimended for staying up too late, trying not be found out as he was hearing on the adult’s conversation, the little bugger. He even had his favourite hiding place on the kitchen. That gives him so much more personality and character that anything else on the entire place. -Another adittion that I did liked was the “I gave the ghost a story and they seemed to like it”, because it makes perfect sense. All those ghosts have lost their sense of self so someone giving one to them makes them feel better. That could also explain why Doll Face is so active and seems to have more reason to this actions than the soldier that was friends with Henry. Doll Face has his friend in the form of Flora nearby and thus he is able to remember the story she gave to him, where as the soldier lost sight of Henry since he grown up and so must have forgotten again. That was a neat little touch. -The other exception is Perdita and, holy shit, I felt so fucking bad for her. She seemed to be in constant pain all the fucking time, confused and afraid of anything. And before that, besides killing her sister that, by the way, abused her physically, humilliate her and treated her like shit for no good reason at all, not that it makes it okay, but I get it at least, still bad, she didn’t really deserved to be like that. The thought that if it wasn’t because of Dani she would have stayed just like that for all eternity is genuelly horrifying. -”But she broke the promise that her husband made to his sister”, yeah, to try to save them from bankrupcy. Very useful were going to be all those dresses and jewelry when her daughter ends up on the street because they lost the manor and neither of her guardians has a single profitable skill because they always lived in manors, which happened anyway so, good on you, Lake Lady, that was some real forward thinking you did there. The fact that they were so financially fucked over because of those dresses and jewelry in the first place makes me dislike Perdita’s fate even more so. The fact her name means “the lost one”, holy shit, how doomed can you get. -Lake Lady does have a tragic story and there are moments where I do feel for her. But she was also sick with a contagious deadly disease she wanted to infect her daughter with so, you know, dick move and dick character. That little detail is all the more horrifying in our current situation, like... oh, so you want your daughter to go the same you go through just so you can hug her? You want to put her into risk just because you want to? Fuck off. What a horrible fucking mother does that. Besides all the slapping her sister as if she had any fault. Like, yeah, Perdita killed her in the end, she was still a dick. I didn’t liked her in general and I didn’t like either how the show was trying so hard to make me feel sad for her. -Speaking of characters they try to make me feel for and it’s not fucking working, Miles/Peter is a fucking mess and it gets worse when you know the whole story. Like, okay, first, Miles is a non entity. They could have done the show without him and there wouldn’t have been that big of a difference. He has less character than Doll Face and that ghost never even makes a sound, so that is saying something. Literally the only two things that we know about him sans Peter is that he thought Peter was kinda cool and he loved his sister enough to kill a dove so he could be send back home. That is it. Then most of the time he is on screen, he is being an active dick that is borderline sexually harassing all the women around him, when not killing or at least trying so, and I know that is because of Peter, but that is my point. We barely got to know shit about Miles alone. Everyone is always talking about what a good kid he is, what a sweetie, and we just don’t see that. -I know it was probably to be suspenful like “why people keep saying he is good if we see him be bad”, so when we find out is because of Peter or because Flora send a letter is meant to be like this big impactful twist, like fine, I get it makes narrative sense. But they never do shit to make us endear to him the same way they go out of their way to do the same for Flora. We never know what kind of memories are the ones he lost himself into when Peter is controlling his body. We never had any scene at all between him and his parents, which makes him look all the more irrelevant when he just goes along with the plan of Peter without arguing. The only reason Miles exist is so Peter has a way to manifest the multiple ways in which he is an ass, nobody can tell me otherwise. -Compare that with the first show in which every single kid has a distinctive personality, their own memories of what happened and their own lived experiences that align with how they are going to grow up to be. We never even see Miles all grown up as a well adjusted adult except on some passing scene in the end and that is it. A non entity until the very end. -Having said that, the actor who played Miles is amazing. He made one convincing creepy little shit that I wanted to keep far, far away from me, so props for that and I hope he gets more jobs in the future. He did good. -You know who didn’t do good, though? Not even by accident, not even by chance and I didn’t enjoyed not one single bit? Peter. Peter can fuck himself. What an absolute fucking asshole. The “love story” between him and Rebecca felt so contrived and I do not fucking understand why she kept accepting him back, even after he literally murdered her and didn’t even had the balls to spare her the trauma of feeling herself dying. Like, he didn’t made sense on his assholery, like when he completely flipped after Rebecca tasted the spoon full of batter of Owen, something that he did too after Owen offered, something that kids did too, as it was a escene full of innuendo like... dude, the kids did it too. You saw that as sexual? Or was only sexual when Rebecca did it? Like, okay, jelousy doesn’t always makes sense, they were probably going for that, and Rebecca does tell him to never treat her like that again, which I don’t get but fine, better than saying nothing, I guess. -But he was such an ass for no fucking reason even to other people that did shit to him. Like why the fuck had Miles sexually harassing the women around him? Like, is that a thing he always wanted to do? Is that it? He just really wanted to be a creep, was always a secret creep, but the fear of consequences was the only thing stopping him? So now that he is not the one getting into trouble, Miles is, finally he is free to be the disgusting pig he dreamed of? Your girlfriend is still there, for fuck’s sake.

-He was such an unrependent piece of shit and I do not understand why the fuck was any of that necesary. I don’t get it. Was because they NEEDED a piece of shit who would suggest that shitty plan of taking the body of the children in the first place? Because you wanted to have this “ooh different types of loves and this is the bad one” so badly? That I could get behind, but then why add the “oh, he was abused as a kid by his parents”? Why? What was the fucking point of THAT? You want an asshole, have a fucking asshole, a straight up fucking asshole. The show doesn’t go out of it’s why to justify why Henry was fucking his sister-in-law. We know he did it and that was not cool and that is enough. We could have had ANY scene with Miles to get to know him as a character, we could have more scene with Jessica before she came to the mansion, but instead we had that bullshit of how bad he had it as a kid. I guess because they realized he was too one dimensional otherwise and adding that in just to try to give more deep to his character? Because if so, I am sorry, that is kinda yikesy. The only way you could think of to give ANY deep to a character was adding abuse? Really? -There is a lot of cheating on this show and I saw the Flora’s father twist coming a mile away, mostly because at least Flora had scenes of Henry being nice to her and literally none with the other dude that she thought was her fahter. -In general I feel like they either didn’t had enough time or wasted it on things that could have been left a mistery, like the Peter things. It would have been far more interesting have him just talk about his abuse rather than relieving the moment he remembered it all back when he recieves his mother, like Jamie, keeping it vague and leave us wondering what could have scarred him so much to leave him so broken. When you just spell it out like that I just rolled my eyes because a little too late. It could have made an emotional impact and just fell flat on it’s face. -Hannah was done so fucking dirty. She died on such an anticlamatic way and had the cutest fucking relationship with Owen, so I refuse to accept that ending and, if anyone ask, she is a writer or famous painter in Paris while her husband is runnin a succesful restaurant. I did liked that Owen was devoted to her even after everything. That was cute. But she still deserved better, jesus Christ. Owen too. He would have been one wonderful father if he had the chance to be one. He already had the dad jokes perfected. -Jamie is wonderful and she can do no fucking wrong. When she rightfully told Miles to fuck off, I was so fucking happy she wasn’t demonized for responding to a little shit when she had every right to be upset. I did liked her dry sarcastic humour. -Also, I really, really, really do like that all the conflict on her relationship with Dani comes from the fact that there is spooky ghosts being dicks around them, but it’s NEVER about homophobia. It does exist, this isn’t a magical reimagining of the 80s where that was never a thing, that is why Dani was closeted for so long and why they couldn’t marry, but it’s never a “let’s see the queer getting bashed for existing” segment because it didn’t fucking need to. Everyone that mattered knew and they didn’t cared. Owen and Hannah smile when Dani goes after Jamie and can see they are happy together. Not even one single disgusting comment from Peter. It might seems like I have a lot of negative things to say about the show, and I do, but that is something I truly loved and I would love to have more stories like that. There are so many things that can fucked up a person’s life, it doesn’t have to be queerphobia all the time. -Dani is so fucking pretty and I loved every single hair style she had.

#the haunting of bly manor

3 notes · View notes

drawlfoy · 5 years

Text

The Sound of...Magic? p.2

pairing: draco x nannyhalfblood!reader

request: yes! thank you :)

warning: draco being kinda angsty and uninterested. mentions of death in the family and also i’m butchering canon because *gasp* i refuse to consume any media about the cursed child....everything jkr has said since the deathly hallows is NONE of my business

summary: after astoria dies, draco malfoy hires an american halfblood nanny who’s having some difficulty finding herself. he slowly falls for her

a/n: ok i’ll be totally honest, i might end up cutting this story short as it’s the story on my page who has gotten the least amount of feedback and i kind of suck at writing adults and parenting things, but i don’t want to let down the person who requested this fic and i’m hoping i’ll fall back in love with this! also i only have about 30 minutes today to write this particular fic so i apologize if it’s short! i’ll be totally honest, i’m having a lot of trouble writing this one up.

music recs: there really aren’t any that i recommend tbh

word count: 939

Y/N always held a special place in her heart for Britain, and quite honestly, Europe in general. She’d always envied the stories she heard of her professors that attended Hogwarts before being offered a teaching job at Ilvermorny. She’d attempted to take a year abroad and attend any wizarding school in Western Europe, but unfortunately, given her blood status and the fact that there was a full out war raging, her applications were denied and she was stuck on the East Coast of the US once again.

Her holiday season had, in fact, sucked major ass. Uprisings were beginning around her office to protest one of the laws the Congress and recently passed regarding Magical Object Importation, and one of them turned violent.

Her mother probably didn’t even have the chance to get up and try to run before her office was enfulged in flames, something that hurt Y/N to think about.

Her father had left when she was young, and without any siblings, Y/N suddenly found herself completely alone with more inheritance than she knew what to do with.

So when her supervisor heard her complaining and told her of a wizard requesting a nanny in Britain, she couldn’t resist. Before she knew it, she was organizing the portkeys needed and packing for one year away from everything she knew.

♥♥♥♥

The British countryside never failed to stun her with its beauty. Y/N had visited once with her mother when she was no older than 10, and she always promised herself that she’d return when she was older.

And I did, Mom Y/N thought, smiling sadly as she watched the world race by from her seat on the train. She’d opted to take the train for a bit to get closer to the address she was sent, which was a bit unorthodox and inefficient as she’d end up apparating anyways, but she needed the moments to think and gather her thoughts.

The only information her supervisor had given her was limited and vague. Something about a man just a few years older than her who had a son that was a couple year old. His wife died at birth and he had been getting by with local nannies, but apparently he wasn’t loved in the community and didn’t feel safe leaving his child alone with anyone who knew him, thus explaining why he wanted an American nanny.

Y/N found that a bit odd, but cast the thoughts aside. Death changed everyone, and it certainly changed her. She could only hope that--she scoured the slip of parchment that gave her the address to find a name--Mr. Malfoy would be kind to her.

She got off on the next stop, slipping away to a private alcove to apparate to the Malfoy...Manor? She stared at the word Manor. In America, no one had manors...sure, they had mansions, but manor was old money.

Y/N gulped. Perhaps she was getting in way over her head.

No matter, though. She’d teleported all the way out here, and it wouldn’t be for nothing.

Here goes Y/N steeled herself before apparating.

♥♥♥♥

Her concerns were echoed as she saw the type of lodging she’d be staying in as the architecture of the giant mansion imitated one of a gothic castle.

Maybe this was a mistake Y/N thought nervously to herself. Her trunk with her rather plain clothes began to feel out of place and she couldn’t help but wonder what kind of woman Mr. Malfoy was accustomed to--a prim and proper and manicured one that ate caviar for breakfast, no doubt.

But she was alive, and his wife was not, so she decided to bite the bullet and approach the front door. It towered over her, pushing Y/N to the conclusion that this house was not constructed to feel homey and welcoming. It was designed to intimidate, and it was doing its job wonderfully.

She knocked thrice, picking her trunk back up afterwards and nervously waiting for the door to be answered. Y/N began to wonder what the father would look like--would he be classically beautiful? Or would his features resemble those with a family tree that interwove a little too much?

She didn’t have more time to worry as the door began to creak open. Y/N gulped, awaiting to see the man in the flesh, and was shocked when she had to look down to see who had opened the door.

Of course. A house elf.

Any doubts she had about this household being one of luxury were immediately banished. These people were rich, alright. Richer than she could ever imagine.

The house elf greeted her and led her inside the manor, and she was immediately struck with a draft. It was cold and dark inside, the opposite of the cheery examples of rich lifestyles that had been shoved down her throat in America.

Everything was spotless, no doubt to the credit of the many house elves bustling about the place.

“This way, miss.” The house elf that greeted her directed her down a long hall off to the side. “Master is in his office.”

Y/N inwardly cringed at the use of the word “master”. She cringed even harder when she imagined Malfoy instructing her to refer to him as that.

If he does that, I’m giving myself the clear to take the first flight home she promised herself.

Finally, they reached the end of the hallway, which opened up into a giant office with windows stretching luxuriously across the walls and the ceiling.

“Master, she is here,” the house elf reported.

The large, plush chair in front of the giant mahogany desk spun around.

#draco x reader #draco imagine #request #draco #draco malfoy #harry potter #dramione #hermione granger #drarry #draco malfoy imagine #slytherin #ravenclaw #hufflepuff #gryffindor #hogwarts #ilvermorny

225 notes · View notes

dcarevu · 5 years

Text

Batman TAS: Eternal Youth

“Everyone’s got a gimmick…”

Episode: 29 Robin: No Writer: Beth Bornstein Director: Kevin Altieri Animator: Dong Yang Airdate: September 23, 1992 Grade: B

This episode we get to see the one-timer Beth Bornstein’s work as writer, tackling the red-headed eco-terrorist Poison Ivy. She once again comes from a place of revenge, wanting to rid the world of all who dare take the life of innocent flora. But this time, rather than simply poisoning them (Pretty Poison), she aims to turn them all into plants themselves from the inside out, taking a more constructive approach. She is making plant-life out of human lives! We see a little bit of the process out of context during the first scene in the episode as Poison chases an older lady through a forest to the point where she (the lady) collapses from exhaustion. The chase sequence is pretty well animated when it comes to the running, and throughout most of it, Poison doesn't run at all. She walks…menacingly! The older lady’s distress is evident, and when Poison catches up to her, spraying her with this green, gaseous substance, it’s hard not to feel bad. The lady freezes in place, and then we shift scenes. For some reason Poison Ivy is kept in the shadows, hiding her identity for the most part. But the legs of her costume are easy to make out, and we have seen her a couple times on screen already. Maybe the mystery is for people who didn’t see that episode? But it doesn’t take away at all, so no fault there.

Next we tune in on Bruce and Alfred. Bruce is on a business call, getting real stern with somebody for not informing him that some type of operation his company is involved with had plans to harm rainforests for the sake of it. This is to set up Batman’s involvement with Poison Ivy, or more directly, Alfred’s involvement. We get some great acting from Conroy here, and we hear that his angry Bruce Wayne voice and his Batman voice are not at all the same. He speaks with a completely different register. The range he has is awesome. Alfred goes through Bruce’s mail after the call, and he notices a video tape for some type of spa. Alfred plays it on the giant weight-room tv…wait, a giant weight room tv? It’s hard for me to not picture Bruce working out while episodes of The Gray Ghost play… Anyway, the tape is played, and it’s for this place called the Eternal Youth Spa. Dedicated to relaxation and feeling young again. It’s hilariously cheesy, much like many of the old promotional VHS tapes used to be. It was a time… In the middle of the tape, Alfred’s girlfriend Maggie stops by to harass him. At least, I think she’s his girlfriend? I really can’t tell. Maybe she's simply someone who is interested in him, but he can’t quite shake her. Which is always an awkward situation to be in, especially if you’re like me or Alfred and you don’t seem to have the ability to be mean. Maggie seems interested in the spa, and Bruce, much to Alfred’s dismay, invites them to both go in his place since he’s generally a pretty busy man without any time for fun. Alfred attempts to escape from the situation, but they end up going regardless, in the scariest-looking car-ride of all time.

Alfred’s general attitude in so far sets up some juxtaposition for when they arrive at the spa, and he starts having a genuinely good time. But the haunting music as they first approached the gates ends up being a bad omen, and it starts to get a little bit concerning. Alfred gets a little…too relaxed, and Bruce notices it as they talk on the phone. At the same time, Commissioner Gordon has been working on some disappearances, one of them being the lady that we saw running away earlier. Apparently there are no clues at all about her disappearance, so Batman, knowing that the police force could use some work in this town, investigates himself. He, of course, finds a tape for the spa in her home. I loved going from the bright, sunny spa to a dark, noir atmosphere like we did. Also, this is the brightest episode we have seen. The Clock King was pretty much day all the way through, but it was kinda cloudy. Not as much here. We see Alfred and Maggie enjoying themselves in a pool, sipping on some refreshing drinks and snacks made with Poison Ivy’s (disguised so she isn’t recognized) “eternal youth” enzyme called demetrite. But going back to Batman, that spa tape seems like a red flag that the Gotham police force really should have noticed. It’s a free spa. That’s already a little bit fishy. But if the woman hadn’t been home since going, it seems like it would be pretty simple to figure out where she was. Especially since it was not just her to was never seen again after visiting this death-spa.

Later on, Alfred returns to the manor feeling better than ever. But he is still acting weird, putting all kinds of plants down into the Batcave (much to our gothic hero’s dismay), and drinking water like the last time he had any was 3 days ago. But after he takes a giant sip, with demetrite coloring it a slight-green, he passes out. This leads Batman to doing a little bit of research on the compound, figuring out that it does some whacky things to human plasma. When he pours some of it into a test tube of plasma (a 50/50 ratio), it very quickly sprouts leaves, telling us that Alfred is screwed. Batman rushes upstairs, still in-costume and everything, and discovers that Alfred is gone. He and Maggie are back at the spa, both feeling compelled to go back. But they are greeted with a nasty surprise. Just like at the beginning of the episode, Poison Ivy is there to spray them with the green gas, freezing them in place.

Batman visits the spa to look around, and is eventually attacked by Ivy, Violet, and Lily (her goons for the episode). It is revealed that everyone who has gone missing has been turned into a tree, including Alfred and Maggie. Although still reversible at this point, it’s pretty scary to see Alfred turned to bark, and Batman can hardly say anything about it at all. Violet and Lily are then told to spray Batman with a liquid form of Ivy’s enzyme, much more concentrated than what Alfred was drinking. Apparently strong enough to give Batman a bark exoskeleton in seconds. I’m not so sure why Ivy didn’t do this to begin with. She could have cleared out a room of people at once, gas-chamber style (not to be ridiculously offensive). Maybe it was to be a little bit more inconspicuous? Because of some chemical that Batman sprayed his costume with, though, he is immune, so he escapes, and we get what is basically a hunter/hunted sequence. It’s a lot of fun, and everywhere Batman seems to go he gets Ivy’s arrows shot at him. Eventually, Batman manages to knock over a container of the liquid that he was being sprayed with, which immediately soaks into the ground and grows an enormous tree, which reminds me a lot of My Neighbor Totoro. I noticed that has the tree grew, it pressed Ivy to the spa’ ceiling, and I would think that this amount of force could kill her. Especially since it breaks through the ceiling. At the end, though, everyone, including Ivy, seems to be fine.

Though the plot-holes can be a little bit distracting, this episode is enjoyable enough. It was the 4th episode of the show I ever saw, so it was a treat to watch it once again, seeing how it holds up. Plant-themed episodes of any show which have a sinister flavor to them always creep me out quite a bit too. The Goosebumps episodes Stay Out of the Basement used to scare me as a kid, and they also featured plant-people and aggressive flora. Batman was able to make that type of tone work too, but I did prefer Pretty Poison. It had more effective drama, and seemed a little bit more grounded (despite the plant that tried to eat Batman). Seeing a lot of character development for Alfred may have been the best thing about this episode, although I sadly don’t think we see Maggie again.

Picture time!

Like I said, pretty good running animation! She slowly fades into the distance over the hill.

Seeing someone walk so slowly, chasing someone with deadly gas makes me shudder.

They did a great job at showing a woman worn down. The voice actress is uncredited, so sadly I can’t praise whoever portrayed her.

Nice shadow work here. I think this is one of Dong Yang’s better-looking episodes, but they usually look pretty good anyway!

The creepiness is upped by this unnatural appearance as she freezes in place. It’s like her arms are becoming branches already. Also, Alfred’s later exhaustion helps explain why she got so tired.

Wayne Manor is gorgeous sometimes.

Maggie’s design is kinda cute, she looks like a nice old lady for Alfred.

Not sure if we actually ever got any promotional tapes in the mail.

Violet and Lily. God their voices are so fake, reminds me of the ads that play where I work. Overly cheery. That last still is where she says, “And invigorating nature hikes.” before twirling around.

Alfred, if you like this woman, stop being a Bruce Wayne and show her some kindness. Alfred blushing is sweet.

Nice shot of them in the convertible.

Oh wow! Who could this be? I think it’s Two-Face.

Ivy’s disguise, Dr. Daphne Demeter. Maybe this is more along the lines of how she looked when she was a legitimate scientist?

Everyone else is soaking in the experience while Alfred sits there whacking at flies.

These demetrite cookie-things actually look bomb, though!

A really creative shot on Kevin’s part. We go from paradise to this night shot. It shows the separation of Batman’s world. I also liked Gordon’s quote, “We put that place under a microscope, and all we got was eye-strain.”

We see Batman, but through a reflection. It’s another nice flourish. I bet Akom would have made it look mediocre as hell.

The tape, lying out in the open. Really? No one noticed this??

“Everywhere I turn I see another sign of nature’s...

...beauty...”

Cool to see the Batcave looking a little different, even if I much prefer it without the greenery. Talk about raiding the plant-store, Alfred!

This screenshot is just funny. It looks like Batman is whistling a surprised whistle. But his actual reaction was more intense than that.

Great sunset, I like how the light bleeds onto the window-workings.

And this shimmer is really nice as well. So is the color of the sky. This whole scene is very pretty. But the undertones are very dark, and you know that Alfred and Maggie should not be going back to that spa.

Notice the shadows.

I wonder if that picture in this room is typically there? If not, it’s a great touch, seeming as how Alfred has been sprucing the place up (tree pun).

Poison Ivy looks very off in this episode. She’s usually quite petite-looking, resembling some type of forest nymph. Here she’s built like Wonder Woman.

Look at their pain. Very effective. And considering that at this point the bark is an exoskeleton, considerate pain is probable.

The music here upped the ante, and made it all the more triumphant-seeming for Batman.

Very strange-looking background work. When Batman leaves the shot it somehow gets even weirder-looking.

Poison Ivy riding the tree toward the camera was very well-done.

Char’s grade: B Next time: Perchance to Dream

Full episode list here!

#dcau #dc animated universe #batman tas #eternal youth #batman the animated series #poison ivy #alfred #btas

6 notes · View notes

swiftsnowmane · 7 years

Note

You have such great taste, so I'm coming to you for advice. What are your recommendations for art house Halloween movies?

Oh, what an excellent ask! I absolutely love artistic horror films, but I’m by no means an expert on them. Since I wasn’t sure if I had enough to recommend, I decided to just make a compilation that best exemplifies my personaltastes. Many do not have anything to do with Halloween, and some are not eventechnically ‘horror’ films at all, but are simply films and/or series that Ienjoy watching at this time of year. :)

Below you will find a widevariety of recommendations, including silent film, film noir, gothic horror,sci-fi and dark fantasy, vampire films, zombie movies, tv series, comedies, parodies, mockumentaries,and my greatest love….folk horror.

Silent film:

- The Cabinet of Dr.Caligari (1920), dir. Robert Wiene – Iconic and a highly-influential silentGerman expressionist film about a creepy ‘doctor’ who hypnotizes a sleep-walker(a ‘sonambulist’) to do his bidding.

- The Phantom Carriage (1921), dir. Victor Sjöström– On New Year’s Eve, the driver of a ghostly carriage forces a drunken man to look back at his wasted life.

- Häxan (1922),dir. Benjamin Christensen – Fictionalized Swedish-Danish documentary aboutwitches and witchcraft through the ages. Often categorized as folk horror, thisfilm contains evocative visuals and some memorable dramatizations, including a (literally) hysterical ‘nuns gone wild’ sequence. Despite its sensationalism, it is actually quite a sympathetic take on thetragedy of witch hunts, from the medieval era to the contemporary (1920s)treatment of women with mental illnesses.

- The Lodger(1927), dir. Alfred Hitchcock – Considered by critics to be the first true‘Hitchcock’ movie, this silent film is suspenseful, visually entrancing, and surprisingly moving. One of my personal favourites.

Other old movie classics:

- Double Indemnity (1944),dir. Billy Wilder – An insurance man falls for a married woman, and togetherthey begin to plan the murder of her husband. A noir classic, the first tocontain all the elements that would come to define the genre. A favourite ofmine.

- Laura (1944),dir. Otto Preminger – Another filmnoir fave, this time a murder mystery starring the mesmerizing Gene Tierney. Oneof the (many) inspirations for Laura Palmer in Twin Peaks. ‘Not just anotherdead girl,’ indeed.

- The Innocents (1961), dir. - [summary forthcoming]

- The Seventh Seal(1957), dir. Ingmar Bergman – This Swedish existentialist meditation on deathand mortality needs no introduction from me. Not a horror movie per se, but dueto its themes and visuals, it is very haunting all the same.

- Hour of the Wolf(1968), dir. Ingmar Bergman – Another Bergman classic, this time a surrealistpsychological horror-drama. A man lives with his pregnant wife on a remoteisland, and suffers from insomnia. He begins to be plagued by visions of‘demons’ and haunted by images from his past.

- Hitchcock films– Some of my personal faves include TheLady Vanishes (1938), Notorious (1946– noir classic), Spellbound (1945 -worth watching for the stunning surrealist dream sequence designed by SalvadorDali), Rear Window (perhaps not asvisually interesting as my usual picks, but a nostalgic fave that I used towatch with my dad), Psycho (1960 -cliché to list this one, I know, but Ido legitimately enjoy this film), Vertigo (1958 - another I used to watchwith my dad), and two of my absolute faves, Rebecca (1940 – see below) and the aforementioned The Lodger (1927).

-Hammer horror (aka British horror of the ‘50s-70s) - you can’t go wrong with the Hammer Dracula series, and/or anything starring Sir Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. - [summaries forthcoming]

Halloween films:

- Sleepy Hollow(1999), dir. Tim Burton – Fave Tim Burton film. Fave Johnny Depp film. FaveHalloween film. Just fave.

- Trick ‘r Treat(2007), dir. Michael Dougherty – Of all the quintessential, straight up‘Halloween’ movies, this anthology horror film is another top pick. It’s justsuch good fun.

- The Crow(1994), dir. Alex Proyas - A list of my personal faves could not be completewithout this fantastical, noir-ish tale of lost love and revenge. A nostalgicclassic.

Other ‘scary movies’:

- Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006 mockumentary), dir. Scott Glosserman - I’m not all that into *actual* slasher flicks (other than the original Halloween, which still to this day scares the shit out of me), but I’ve always greatly enjoyed this satirical take on the subject. :D

- Return of the Living Dead (1985), dir. Dan O’Bannon – While zombie films aren’t necessarily my fave horror sub-genre either, I can’t help but adore this one. Early Greg Nicotero visual effects on full display. Not to mention the iconic naked dancing in the graveyard scene.

- The Crazies (2010), dir. Breck Eisner – Probably my fave ‘zombie’ film. I use that term loosely as it’s not really about zombies, but it has a similar vibe. This movie immediately pre-dated The W@lking Dead, and now that I can no longer stand to watch that awful show, it has sort of become my preferred ‘version’ of this type of scenario.

Vampire films:

- Vampire Hunter D:Bloodlust (2000), dir. Yoshiaki Kawajiri – With its incredibly rich anddetailed visual design, based on the art of Yoshitaka Amano, and an evocativepost-apocalyptic western/ gothic setting, this classic anime film is along-time fave. When I was younger I wanted to live (and die) inside the aestheticof this film, and to this day it remains my favourite vampire movie. Alsocontains one of my all-time favourite vampire/human romances, the Hades andPersephone-esque Charlotte and Meier.

- Let the Right OneIn (2008), dir. Thomas Alfredson - Swedishvampire movie. Not the sort of thing you’re probably expecting, either.

- 30 Days of Night(2007), dir. David Slade – One of the few vampire films in which the vampires actually terrified me.

- From Dusk till Dawn(1996), dir. Quentin Tarantino – Over the top action-horror ridiculousness. Myfavourite thing about this film is that it includes a scene of a young girlgetting her white t-shirt splattered with blood. Bethyl fans will understandwhat I mean. ;D

- What We Do In theShadows (2014), dir. Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi – Mockumentary aboutvampires in New Zealand. Probably my fave thing I’ve seen in years. HIGHLYrecommended. :D

Dark fantasy/sci-fi:

- The Company ofWolves (1984), dir. Neil Jordan – A young girl in present day has a feverishdream in which she and her family live in a fairytale forest. After her oldersister is killed by a wolf, she repeatedly dares the dangers of ‘the wood’ tovisit her grandmother. Based on Angela Carter’s tale from The Bloody Chamber, with a screenplay co-written by Carter herself,this film is a must-see for anyone who enjoys a blend of eroticism and horrorin their Little Red Riding Hood tales. Despite the low-budget and cheesy qualityof some of the effects, I totally love this movie. :D

- Brotherhood of theWolf (2001), dir. Christophe Gans – Perhaps not the greatest film evermade, but I have an eternal soft spot for the legend of the Beast of Gévaudan.Not to mention my girl-crush on Monica Bellucci, lol.

- Angel’s Egg (1985) - [summary forthcoming]

- Pitch Black (2000),dir. David Twohy – The other films in this franchise might be more famous, butthe first entry is, imo, a sci-fi horror classic. My favourite part is thedynamic between the ‘boy’ Jack and the notorious criminal, Riddick.

- Pan’s Labyrinth (2006),dir. Guillermo del Toro - In 1940s Spain, a young girl finds escape from thebrutal fascist regime by visiting a labyrinthine underworld full of strange andmagical creatures.

- The Prestige(2006), dir. Christopher Nolan – In late 19th c. London, rival stagemagicians obsessively compete to find the best stage illusion, with strange,and often tragic, results. Not a horror film, but an intense and suspenseful thrillerall the same.

- Solomon Kane(2009), dir. Michael J. Bassett – Based loosely on the classic pulp-fiction stories ofRobert E. Howard (aka, creator of Conan the Barbarian), this film is a mix ofdark fantasy and horror elements. JamesPurefoy and Rachel Hurd-Wood in a SanSan-esque type dynamic. Super cheesy, yes,but such a guilty pleasure, OMG.

Gothic romance/horror (aka, ‘young woman goes to live at manor house and creepy things ensue’ ):

- Jane Eyre (2006BBC miniseries), dir. Susanna White – There are countless adaptations of thisclassic, and all have their merits. While the 2011 Hollywood movie has a higherbudget and some very lovely visuals, for me, nothing tops the version with TobyStephens as Rochester!!

- Northanger Abbey(2007), dir. Jon Jones – My personal fave adaptation of Jane Austen’s gothic horror satire, starring an adorable young Felicity Jones as thewide-eyed, imaginative heroine.

- Rebecca (1940),dir. Alfred Hitchcock – A self-consciousyoung bride is tormented by the memory of her husband’s late wife. LawrenceOlivier and Joan Fontaine in a visually haunting Hitchcock classic.

- Dragonwyck (1946), dir. Joseph L.Mankiewicz – In the 1840s, a young women from a Connecticut farming community isinvited to the estate of a wealthy patroon.Worth watching for the ever gorgeous Gene Tierney and an extremely attractiveyoung Vincent Price. Such good chemistry!

- The Crimson Petaland the White (2011 BBC miniseries) – Based on the novel by Michael Faber,this is the story of Sugar, a prostitute in 1870s London, and what happens whenshe becomes the mistress of a wealthy soapmaker. At once sensual and deeplyunsettling. Plays heavily on the Victorian theme of ‘the angel in thehouse’. Highly recommended.

- Crimson Peak(2015), dir. Guillermo del Toro – A culmination of all of the tropes andplotlines from the classics mentioned above (with the most direct nods to Dragonwyck).Guillermo del Toro takes the horror elements that are generally only present asundercurrent in these gothic romance stories and brings them, in all theirgrotesque and terrifying glory, to the surface.

Folk horror:

- The VVitch (2015), dir. Robert Eggers – In 1600’s New England, a puritan family must move from the safety of a settlement to the edge of the wilderness. One of my top favourite folk horror films, ever.

- A Field in England (2013), dir. Ben Wheatley – Deserters of an English Civil War battle travel through an eerily empty English countryside landscape on a psychedelia-tinged trip. This film is not for everyone, but is visually stunning and ticks many of my personal boxes. HIGHLY recommended for anyone who enjoys alchemical themes and imagery. A folk horror masterpiece.

- The Wicker Man (1973), dir. Robin Hardy – This iconic film needs no introduction. Features one of my all-time favourite Sir Christopher Lee performances, as the incomparable Lord Summerisle. A must-see for anyone remotely interested in the folk horror genre.

- Witchfinder General(1968), dir. Michael Reeves –Another 17th century period classic, starring Vincent Price as the villainousMatthew Hopkins, aka the Witchfinder General. While perhaps not as well-belovedfor me as the three listed above, I very much appreciate this film’s settingand overall aesthetic, as well as its absolutely beautiful soundtrack.

- The Devil Rides Out (1968) - [summary forthcoming]

- The Blood on Satan’s Claw (1971) - [summary forthcoming]

- Black Death(2010), dir. Christopher Smith - Sean Bean, Eddie Redmayne, and Carice VanHouten in a supernatural-tinged medieval thriller. Essentially, ‘The Wicker Man’-meets-‘Heartof Darkness’, set to the backdrop of the black plague.

- Apostle (2018) - [summary forthcoming]

Misc/other:

- The Devil’s Whore(2008 miniseries), dir. Marc Munden – Despite the title, this is not actually ahorror movie, but is an exquisitely beautiful romantic period drama, set duringthe English Civil Wars. One of my all-time favourite historical miniseries,ever.

- Flesh + Blood(1985), dir. Paul Verhoeven – Set in Italy in 1501, Rutger Hauer is a leader ofa ruthless band of mercenaries and Jennifer Jason Leigh is the young maiden whobecomes their captive. Not a ‘horror’ film in technical sense, but Verhoeven’stypical bloody visuals and dark themes and tone secure it a place on this list.TRIGGER WARNING: Contains an intenserape scene.

- Imprint (2007),dir. Michael Linn – Native Americanfolklore-based suspense/thriller. One of the many reasons I love this film isthat it was actually filmed onlocation in South Dakota (you have no idea how many times filmmakers try to pass off California landscapes as ‘SouthDakota’, it’s soo annoying).

- Southern Comfort(1981), dir. Walter Hill - In 1973, a Louisiana Army National Guard squad ontheir weekend maneuvers in rural bayou country antagonize the local Cajunpeople and end up ruthlessly hunted. A southern gothic thriller, with someWicker Man-esque elements.

- Winter’s Bone(2010), dir. Debra Granik – A teenage girl in the rural Ozarks must track downher missing father in order to protect her family. Not a horror film, but aquietly intense thriller. A personalfave of mine.

- The Revenant (2015), dir. Alejandro González Iñarrítu– [summary forthcoming]

- Wind River (2017), dir. Taylor Sheridan – [summary forthcoming]

- Dunkirk (2017), dir. Christopher Nolan –[summary forthcoming]

- Trollhunter (2010), dir. André Øvredal – Taking the form of a ‘found footage’ mockumentary, this movie follows filmmakers who set out to capture images of elusive Norwegian trolls

- Ed Wood (1994),dir. Tim Burton – Not a horror film, but rather a biographical comedy-dramabased on the life of the titular B-movie producer. An underrated TimBurton/Johnny Depp classic.

- Clue (1985), dir. Jonathan Lynn - A classic comedy, and one of my all ‘round fave murder mystery movies. No matter how many times I’ve seen it, this infinitely quotable film still makes me laugh, every time.

- The Whisperer InDarkness (2011), dir. Sean Branney –Independent film, based on H. P. Lovecraft story of the same name. Made with ablend of vintage and modern techniques, intended to evoke the style of filmsfrom the 1930s.

- From Hell (2001),dir. the Hughes brothers – Murder mystery/thriller based on the Alan Mooregraphic novel. Gruesome and memorable interpretation of the unsolved tale ofJack the Ripper.

TV series:

- Ripper Street (2012tv series) – A period-drama procedural set in the aftermath of the Jack theRipper killings in late-Victorian Whitechapel, London. Centers around ChiefDetective-Inspector Reid, who is haunted by his inability to catch the serialkiller, as well as by dark events from his own past. (I only recommend thefirst two seasons, however, as after that the quality of the storylines greatlydecreased, imo).

- The League of Gentlemen(1999 tv series) – Legendary dark comedy/folk horror series created by MarkGatiss, Reece Shearsmith, Steve Pemberton, and Jeremy Dyson. If you enjoy the bizarre and grotesqueside of British humour, look no further. (See also the Christmas Special (set between series 2&3), The League of Gentlemen’s Apocalyse (2005), and the most recent, and incredibly well-done, Anniversary Special (2017)).

- Psychoville (2009BBC series) - British psychologicalhorror/black comedy sitcom, created by above-mentioned The League of Gentlemen’s Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton. Memorablecharacters include David and Maureen (a hilariously creepy mother and son duo),Mr. Jelly, a grumpy clown who never removes his face paint, and Jeremy thelibrarian, who is tormented by a mysterious nemesis, the Lynchian ‘Silent Singer’.

- Inside No. 9 (2014tv series) – Another excellent show by the evil geniuses that are ReeceShearsmith and Steve Pemberton, this is a series of stand-alone episodes that Ican only describe as ‘short stories on film’, each in sightly different genre. Someare comedic, some are psychological, some homages to famous things, some sad,some bizarre, some are downright terrifying (there is an episode entitled‘The Devil of Christmas’ that was probably the most disturbing thing I’ve seen in a longtime).

- Twin Peaks(1991 tv series), by Mark Frost and David Lynch – Don’t think I even need toexplain why this seminal and endlessly influential show makes the list!

- Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries (2012 tv series) – Not remotely scary, or even remotely ‘horror’, this is rather a delightful little romantic period drama about a lady detective in 1920s Melbourne, Australia. Cheesy as hell at times, but worth it for the absolutely delicious chemistry between the two leads.

- Stranger Things (2016 tv series) – The first season is iconic in its own right, and the second season did NOT disappoint. This show is just the right combo of creepiness and comforting nostalgia. Not to mention the wonderfully-written and endlessly endearing cast of characters. I love it so much.

Currentlywatching:

- Bates Motel (2013tv series) – Started watching this over the summer, and it is extremelywell-made and most definitely creepy and unsettling in every possible way. I was very impressed so far, but I had totemporarily stop watching because this past summer was a difficult timeemotionally, and I didn’t want to compound things by watching something sopotentially disturbing. I plan to resume it asap, though!

- Project Blue Book (2019 tv series) - [more detailed summary forthcoming] Creepy/mysterious period drama about UFO coverups in the 1950s.

On my ‘still towatch’ list (**updated 08/04/2019):

Kwaidan (1965)

The Love Witch (2016)

Only Lovers Left Alive (2013)

The City of the Dead (1960)

The Masque of the Red Death (1964)

Picnic at Hanging Rock

Penda’s Fen

Robin Redbreast

Tam-Lin (1970)

The Borderlands (2013)

Kill List (2011) - tried watching this one, but struggled to get through it, tbh

Mullholland Drive (2001)

Penny Dreadful (2014 tv series)

I realize that the majority of these are not ‘art house’ films by any definition, but I hope this list is nonetheless of some interest. If I’ve left out anything essential, it’s probably because it’s either slipped my mind, or I simply haven’t seen it yet.

Thanks again for the ask – it’s reminded me of some excellent films I hadn’t thought about in a while. :)

95 notes · View notes

kmalexander · 5 years

Text

Ogilby: A Free 17th Century Road Atlas Brush Set for Fantasy Maps

“You come to a Descent sprinkled with Woods, whence by Loudwater, a small Village, (a Brook accompanying your Road on the Left) at 32’3. You enter High Wickham, seated in a pleasant Vale, a large and Well-built Town, numbering near 200 Houses, with several good Inns, as the Cathern Wheel, etc. Is Govern’d by a Mayor, Recorder, etc. Sends Burgesses to Parliament, hath a well-frequented Market on Fridays, and two Fairs annually…”

Outside of some slight language differences, that description of 17th century High Wycombe could be taken from any modern travel guide. It comes from John Ogilby’s 1675 book Britannia, Volume the First. Or an Illustration of the Kingdom of England and Dominion of Wales: By a Geographical and Historical Description of the Principal Roads thereof (the full title goes on much longer, and I’ll spare us all.) Britannia is, in essence, part road atlas and part travel guide—it also serves as the source for my latest brush set named after the man himself: Ogilby.

John Ogilby’s depiction of the road from Bristol to Exeter

While the depictions of British towns, inns, and valleys are charming, the actual maps themselves are a delight. They are unlike anything I’ve seen before. These maps place the traveler’s perspective front and center making for a much more intimate experience. Read bottom to top and left to right one can trace their route through the countryside. Windmills, wells, ponds, homes, and churches are lovingly depicted as well as are the small towns clustered around roads and random points of interest. Climbs and descents are documented as one would encounter them as they crossed the rolling countryside. The route will move, but barely, instead, significant turns are shown with subtle shifts indicated by the compass rose that rotates on subsequent “scrolls.” I thought this was an interesting solution to show more substantial variations in a road’s direction.

Fiction has long had a fascination with the road story, and fantasy isn’t an exception. So it’s a wonder this sort of map hasn’t been attempted before. (Prove me wrong, if you know a book with this style of road atlas, let me know!) It’s so useful and such an interesting presentation. After spending some time with the plates and Ogilby’s descriptions, I knew at once these etchings would make an excellent brush set. Whether one is attempting to recreate an Ogilby-style road atlas or just using his various signs and symbols on a more standard map.

As I worked, I realized that I would need to build this set off of multiple plates, and uh… the set sort of grew in the making. Ogilby is now my largest set ever. Inside you’ll find over 870 brushes (yes, seriously), including:

60 Homesteads

50 Manor Halls

10 Hamlets

60 Villages

10 Large Villages

20 Steepled Churches

70 Towered Churches

10 Priories

5 Unique Churches

20 Castles

20 Unique Settlements

10 Ponds

20 Rills/Streams

10 Rills/Streams w/ Bridges

20 Rivers w/ Bridges

20 Heath/Wetlands

20 Hills

20 Upslopes (Hills with space for roads to pass up them)

20 Downslopes (Inverted hills with space for roads to pass down them)

20 Unique Slopes

30 Scrub Lands

30 Leafy Trees

30 Evergreen Trees

30 Bushy Trees

10 Leafy Forests

10 Evergreen Forests

30 Bushy Forests

40 Windmills

10 Elevated Windmills

20 Beacons

20 Gallows

5 Wells

5 Springs

10 Quarries

10 Coal Pits

10 Lead Mines

10 Parks

10 Monuments

15 Unique Points-of-Interest

20 “Plain” Compasses

35 Standard Compasses

15 Complex Compasses

5 Combined Compasses

3 Boats

The button below links to a ZIP file that contains a Photoshop brush set (it’ll work in GIMP as well) as well as a set of transparent PNGs in case you’re using a program that doesn’t support Adobe brush files. I’ve separated them by type, Settlements, Points of Interest, Flora, Cartouches, and Landforms. They’re black, and they’ll look broken if viewed in Chrome, but trust me, they’re all there.

[ ! ] Bonus #1 – I’ve also included the option to download a blank and layered PSD of the scroll background used in Ogilby’s original maps. To save on file size, this must be downloaded separately. It also includes a transparent png.

[ ! ] Bonus #2 – I found more success mimicking Ogibly’s road styles in Adobe Illustrator. This will allow one to recreate the various styles of roads Ogilby uses across his maps quickly and efficiently. Like the Scroll background, this must be downloaded separately and it requires Adobe Illustrator.

DOWNLOAD OGILBY

Download the Ogilby Scrolls Background

Download the Ogilby Illustrator Road Brush Set

As with all of my previous brush sets, Ogilby is free for any use. I distribute my sets with a Creative Common, No Rights Reserved License (CC0), which means you can freely use this and any of my brushes in commercial work and distribute adaptations. (Details on this decision here.) No attribution is required. Easy peasy!

Enjoy Ogilby. Feel free to show me what you created by sending me an email or finding me on Twitter. I love seeing how these brushes get used, and I’d be happy to share your work with my readers. Let me see what you make!

Ogilby In Use

Want to see this brush set in use? I put together a sample map using Ogilby, and you can see a few variants below. Just click on any of the images below to view them larger.

Supporting This Work

If you like the Ogilby brush set (or any of my free brushes, really) and want to support my work, instead of a donation, consider buying one of my speculative fiction novels. The first book—The Stars Were Right—is only $2.99 on eBook. I think you’ll dig it. You can find all my books in stores and online. Visit bellforgingcycle.com to learn more about the series. Tell your friends!

More Map Brushes

Ogilby isn’t the only brush set I’ve released. You can find other free brush sets with a wide variety of styles over on my Free Stuff page. Every set is free, distributed under a CC0 license, and open for personal or commercial use. I’m sure you’ll be able to find something that works for your project.

Van der Aa: An 18th Century Cartography Brush Set

This regional map set is based on a map by Dutch cartographer and publisher, Pieter Van der Aa. It’s a beautifully rendered version of the Mingrelia region of northwest Georgia. While not as extensive as other sets, the size of the map allowed for larger brushes that helps highlight the uniqueness of each symbol. It also features a failed wall!

Gomboust: A 17th Century Urban Cartography Brush Set

My first brush set to focus on creating realistic maps for fantastical urban environments! Gomboust is a huge set, and its symbols are extracted from Jacques Gomboust’s beautiful 1652 map of Paris, France. His style is detailed yet quirky, isometric yet off-kilter, packed with intricacies, and it brings a lot of personality to a project.

Harrewyn: An 18th Century Cartography Brush Set

Based on Eugene Henry Fricx’s “Cartes des Paysbas et des Frontieres de France,” this set leans into its 1727 gothic styling and its focus on the developed rather than the natural. It’s hauntingly familiar yet strikingly different. If you’re looking for more natural elements, Harrewyn works well alongside other sets as well.

Popple: A Free 18th Century Cartography Brush Set

This set has quickly become a favorite, and it’s perfect for a wide variety of projects. The brushes are taken from 1746’s A Map of the British Empire in America by Henry Popple, and it has a fresh style that does a fantastic job capturing the wildness of a frontier. Plus, it has swamps! And we know swamps have become a necessity in fantasy cartography.

Donia: A Free 17th Century Settlement Brush Set

While not my most extensive set (a little over one hundred brushes), Donia boasts one of the more unique takes on settlements from the 17th century. If you’re looking for flora, I suggest checking out other sets, but if you want to pay attention to your map’s cities, towns, castles, churches, towers, forts, even fountains, then this is the right set for you.

Blaeu: A Free 17th Century Cartography Brush Set

Based on Joan Blaeu’s Terræ Sanctæ—a 17th-century tourist map of the Holy Land—this set includes a ton of unique and varied signs as well as a large portion of illustrative cartouches that can add a flair authenticity to any fantasy map. Elegant and nuanced, everything works within a system, but nearly every sign is unique.

Aubers: An 18th Century Cartography Brush Set

An 18th Century brush set based on a map from 1767 detailing the journey of François Pagès, a French naval officer, who accompanied the Spanish Governor of Texas on a lengthy exploration through Louisiana, Texas, and Mexico. A unique southwestern set with a few interesting deviations—including three volcanos!

L’Isle: An 18th Century Battlefield Brush Set for Fant

A departure from the norm, this set is based on the Plan Batalii map, which was included in a special edition of The First Atlas of Russia in 1745. A detailed view of a battle during the Russo-Turkish War of 1735–1739. Canon! Units! Battles! Perfect for mapping out the combat scenarios in your fantasy stories.

Widman: A 17th Century Cartography Brush Set

A 17th Century brush set based on the work of Georgio Widman for Giovanni Giacomo de Rossi’s atlas published in 1692. A fantastic example of Cantelli da Vignola’s influence and a solid set for any fantastic map. This is the workhorse of antique map brush sets—perfect for nearly any setting.

Walser: An 18th Century Cartography Brush Set

An 18th Century brush set based on the work of Gabriel Walser with a focus on small farms and ruins and a robust set of mountains and hills. This is a great brush set to see how Vignola’s influence persisted across generations. It was etched over 80 years after the Widman set, but you’ll find a few familiar symbols within.

Lumbia: A Sketchy Cartography Brush Set

A sketchy style brush set I drew myself that focuses on unique hills and mountains and personal customizability. My attempt at trying to channel the sort of map a barkeep would draw for a band of hearty adventurers. It includes extra-large brushes for extremely high-resolution maps.

Lehmann: A Hatchure Brush Set

Named after Austrian topographer Johann Georg Lehmann creator of the Lehmann hatching system in 1799, this is a path-focused brush set designed for Adobe Illustrator that attempts to captures the hand-drawn style unique 19th Century hachure-style mountains. This set works perfectly in conjunction with my other sets from the late 18th century.

Want to stay in touch with me? Sign up for Dead Drop, my rare and elusive newsletter. Subscribers get news, previews, and notices on my books before anyone else delivered directly to their inbox. I work hard to make sure it’s not spammy and full of interesting and relevant information. SIGN UP TODAY →

from WordPress https://ift.tt/32h26jW via IFTTT

0 notes