#but that post REALLY irritated me

[theoldandnewfirm]

I saw a post condemning the use of food/minerals to describe shades of brown/black skin and I'm just--

Okay, so. I tell you my character Mary has brown skin. What's the first thing you think of?

This?

Or this?

"But ONF," you might say, "That's not fair. If you're telling me a character is brown, then OBVIOUSLY I'm going to think of a brown person and not a brown object."

Which, hey, totally fair. Let's try that again. I tell you Mary is brown. Do you picture this?

Or this?

"But ONF," you say, "that's not fair. That's what adjectives are for. You could say 'Mary has light brown skin,' or 'Mary has medium brown skin,' and then we, the reader, would know what you meant."

Would you though? Would you?

Let's say Mary has medium brown skin.

This is medium brown.

So is this.

But surprise! I was thinking of this:

Which brings me to my next point: undertones. The way brown skin looks is heavily dependent on the person's undertone. Thinking that every light/medium/dark brown person is the same shade of light/medium/dark brown is why you see drugstore makeup brands that have fifteen shades of pale yellow/pink on the shelf and three dark brown ones. But I promise you, it's not true.

But how do you capture the richness and variety of brown skin tones in writing?

Wait for it...

...Food and minerals! That's right, folks! What better way to quickly and accurately convey color than to compare it to a pre-existing thing almost everyone in your reading audience will have seen or interacted with?

"Mary's medium-brown skin glistened in the light." BORING.

"Mary's ochre skin glistened in the light." HOT.

Now, this won't apply 100% of the time, especially if you established earlier in the story what shade of brown the character's skin resembles. I don't need to be reminded every instance that 'Sean's skin is the cool brown of dark chocolate.' You can just say 'dark skin' after that, that's fine.

Be mindful of your character's mindset, too, when choosing how to describe brown (or really any skin tone in general). What brown things are likely to be top of mind for them? Ex: a farmer might think of fresh tilled soil or an Ayrshire, a business person might think of his oxfords.

Or maybe your character really doesn't care much for the other person/isn't super observant/isn't terribly imaginative and they really would just say "Bob had brown skin."

That's fine too! But for the love of god, don't feel like you need to limit yourself to bland-ass descriptors because someone on Tumblr told you to.

(TBH feeling like you need validation from strangers on Tumblr before you make decisions in your personal/creative life is THE WORST way to exist, but that's a topic for another rant.)

-Signed me, an Actual Black Person™ (Nars Macao or MAC NC50 for reference)

(But friendly reminder black/brown people aren't a monolith (for that matter NO people are a monolith) so if you ever see someone claiming to speak for ALL black/brown people they're full of shit)

#writing #writeblr #poc #long post #rant #ah #got that out of my system #normally I'm content to let the nonsense I see on this site pass me by #but that post REALLY irritated me #okay time for me to touch grass

[veliseraptor]

sometimes fandom seems to struggle with the concept that...people can be kind/"good people" in some situations and very very not kind/not "good people" in others.

I feel like there's this urge to either write off the positive behavior as "fake" or to find a way to ignore/explain away/write out the negative behavior. and I personally find this really really irritating in both directions, actually

#the really bitchy addition to this post i'm leaving in the tags: it kinda makes me wonder if they've ever met real people #this isn't just about villain police stuff either #but it's not not about that either #mostly it's just. characters can be more than one thing depending on the situation #just because a character kills somebody doesn't mean every time they're nice it's totally fake #and conversely: just because somebody does good things doesn't mean they can't also have taken very harmful actions #anyway. irritable early morning post i might regret later #lise's aggressively bitchy opinions about irrelevant and unimportant matters

[milksteakkk]

"noah and alejandro look like brothers"

#ive seen people say this alot #especially under alenoah posts which really irritates me #and it frustrates me so much so i made this lol #alejandro burromuerto #total drama #alejandro total drama #noah total drama #alenoah

[bbreaddog]

Practising Goncharov Theme by @caramiaaddio on violin bc I thought it would add an extra layer of haunting…ness (is that a word?)

Here’s the excerpt I’m playing in the video:

Despite it being in a fuck off key for violin it is a really beautiful piece and it’s absolutely worth the trouble of practising in second position (world’s most hated position) and I’m HOPING 🤞 I can record and (maybe) post a full cover of it someday

#goncharov #music #violin #goncharov theme #oh man i have not posted my face in a very very very long time #possibly years #am i freaking out about it? a little #could i have converted this to audio instead? #well. yes but. it’s not exactly awesome quality in this practise room lmao #i so so badly wanna write out all the technical things I’m doing/focusing on here bc GRRR TECHNICAL WORK IS SO INTERESTING TO ME #but i would be typing out a whole essay probably and i don’t think my followers really. care that much about violin tech #lest they also play violin #i have one (1) known mutual who plays violin and that’s IT #apologies for the metronome ticking in the video #it can be very irritating to listen to #alas… it is also important for not speeding up when playing #anyways #hi caramiaaddio you don’t know me but big fan of what you’ve written here #ESPECIALLY THE CHROMATIC BITS OUGHHHH #the little semiquavers that poke their heads through like TWICE are surprisingly hard #but also they sound extra creepy in a good way #BIG fan #wait wait WAIT WAIT #i think this is my first time posting any of my violin playing here like. EVER. #I’ve been here for OVER A DECADE #AND I’M POSTING MY VIOLIN FOR THE FIRST TIME. FOR FUCKING. GONCHAROV. #i don’t have the right emoji for how I’m feeling rn #personal #mine #my face

[opens-up-4-nobody]

:-P

#srry ive just been thinking abt avatar a lot lately. idk y bc im not even rewatching it #i just kinda wanna draw the creatures and it really annoys me that i cant draw sokkas hair right #also me: scheduling posts << posting whatever i draw immediate bc fuck it #im procrastinating writing and trying to not think bad thoughts lmao #atla #avatar the last airbender #sokka #katara #aang #turtle duck #otter penguin #its annoying bc my brains says i cant draw anything simple but also i have to draw and color as fast as humanly possible #so everything comes out a lil fucked up which is irritating #also i like that the water tribe using mutant mittens which is what my dad uses in the winter bc idk military supply store?

[lunarharp]

if i just told you i love you would this world change

#witch hat tag #orufrey #these kinda suck lol i feel like i cant draw right now *irritated sigh* BUT I FEEL EMOTIONS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #if you are gay go watch good omens season 2 right now. NO YOU DONT KNOW THO!!!!!!!!! #i know being this affected by good omens is probably cringe. I dont care any more. the last 1 minute of good omens season 2 was #some of the most affecting acting i've ever seen in my life. sometimes someone acts with the force as if their entire career led to that #like during the credits part the very end im not even talking about before that. holy god #aziraphale i know everything about you. i know what you are feeling right now. i can see everything on your face. we're going to make it #ER.... NOT THAT THIS HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS POST. IT'S NOT SPOILERS !!!!!!!!!!!!! #I JUST FEEL THOROUGHLY CHANGED !!!!!!!!!!! SHIT GETS REAL FROM NOW ON.. LIKE IN GENERAL! IN MY LIFE! #tormented gay love tormented gay love TORMENTED GAY LOVE TORMENTED GAY LOVE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #btw the first 3 images were drawn earlier with an entirely different feeling and an entirely different mood. #Why do you keep pulling away from me? #It is because i love you that i do this #the lyrics from one of my japanese orufrey songs (A SONG THAT THE CREATOR LISTENS TO!!!!) led to feelings #“あなたが知らない私を残さず見ててほしいの” but i'm not translating it cause it just sounds weird. if with his eyes oru's asking “WHY don't you want #to let me in? to see all of you?“ those lyrics are like ”I actually want you to see every last bit of the parts of me you don't know“ #oru you have no idea how much i want to lay bare my whole soul for you #maybe it's an alternate version of chapter 40. to me #i need to draw something really fucking good or i'm not going to forgive myself. i will not rest in this life #until i have made the orufrey that fully satisfies me nor until i have seen what the manga is leading to #NO STORY MEANS ANYTHING WITHOUT TORMENTED GAY LOVE AT THE HEART OF IT. THATS THE HEART OF THIS WORLD!!!!! #........... so Hi im normal :) haha *goes and finally makes breakfast*

[hallowclave]

She para on my humans till I [GRUESOME SOUNDS OF BUG FUELED VIOLENCE]

Redraw of a skitter design I did a little over a year ago, comparison under the read more

And the sketch. As a little treat. Just for you.

#taylor Herbert #parahumans #parahumans worm #worm #my art #I’m sorry it’s so dark her hair being black and her suit also being black is so irritating to me #eyes changed to red to mimic a fly. face mask had a minor change to mimic the head of an ant better #antennae got a little extra prong to mimic ant pincers and also bc hollow knight fan #boots got a steel toe for maximum violence potential #suit padding was actually referenced off of motorcycle armor instead of just winging it #no skirt or belt because I don’t think the former looked good and I didn’t want to draw the latter #even if it’s not canonically accurate she needs some form of armor. Taylor your vital organs. they’re in danger. #iirc she DID put knee pads and stuff on when she first started out. and yet she refuses to wear a helmet. inevitable TBI moment. #in terms of general art stuff the posing looks so much better. look who learned about contrapposto. #and improved (a little) at anatomy. not really on costume design but we’re taking baby steps. #I’d like to thank the wormblr fans for recirculating the og post every three months or so for getting me out of my art block #nothing will make you draw faster than seeing your old art go around. #i promise I’ll finish worm one day 🫡 #end of patch notes/ted talk/etc

[zelenchai]

i hit a follower milestone a while back and just wanted to say i'm extremely thankful for the all the love my art has received these past few months 🥹 i never expected to get such a positive reaction and it has motivated me to keep on drawing even at times when i've felt frustrated and unhappy with my art

so thank you to all the lovely people who have liked/reblogged/left a comment on my posts, even the briefest interaction means a lot to me and i'm really happy you like my silly little blog 🫶

shoutout to @misspoetree for suggesting this scene, i had a lot of fun drawing it ❤️

#kinnporsche #vegaspetemacau #vegas theerapanyakul #pete saengtham #macau theerapanyakul #thai drama #artists on tumblr #zelen chai's art tag #i was supposed to post this earlier but my eyes have been really irritated recently so it took me twice the usual time to finish rip

[plounce]

people can get really mad if you make a post about how you think a character, who has no canonical queer identity, is gay. and they will accuse you of being biphobic (the character is not canonically bisexual) because the character has had past m/f relationships in canon and therefore they conclude that the character, if they are queer, should be bi. which is a totally fine thing to headcanon. i am not saying you can't draw that conclusion and in fact i have drawn that conclusion for many characters, because i love to have fun. however people can get really mad if you say (on a post on your blog) "i like the idea that this character's past m/f relationships are a product of compulsory heterosexuality as a part of my headcanon that this character is gay, and this all gels with larger my personal interpretation of the character". and gay (homosexual) people do in fact often have histories of being in straight relationships for various personal reasons! i'm gay and i have my own personal history before i realized i was gay! it is a totally normal and not uncommon thing. gayness is not a threat to bisexuality, much like how bisexuality is not a threat to gayness.

i think that people can often become very defensive of their own headcanons for characters they like especially when it parallels their own personal identities. but also it truly is not that big a deal in the grand scheme of things if a post crosses into your field of vision and op has a trivial headcanon that you don't agree with. headcanons, by nature of being headcanons, can often peacefully coexist. because it is just blorbos. you need to stop accusing random strangers of crazy shit on their own posts. you need to. perhaps. scroll past. and make your own post.

#chirps #sorry i feel crazy over multiple people accusing me of biphobia when i made my silly stream of consciousness post #where i mentioned i think a star trek character is homosexual. #brother please calm down. where did i mention you. #i do not think this is That Big A Deal which is why im not responding to these people but it still really uh. irritates me LOL #ok. apologies. continuing on.

[multi-lefaiye]

not sure who might need to hear this or if it's just me that needs to, but i've had this thought for a bit and i wanna write it out

you are not a machine that exists to make art. you are a human being, and human beings need rest and breaks.

creative block happens. it's natural, and embracing it as part of the process is far better in the long run than stressing out over it.

we live in a world that emphasizes productivity above all else and needing to Make Something, but truly it is not the end of the world if you're not productive 24/7.

#multi makes text posts #also. even machines need breaks sometimes #nothing can run at 100% all the time #speaking for myself here #i get really antsy and irritable when i haven't done any art for a bit #it stresses me out. like a lot. #so like. I Get It. trust me i really do #and the same applies for writing; but it's a lot more pronounced with art #it's a hard mindset to escape. i am VERY aware of that #but idk. productivity isn't the end all be all of creating #and i wish that mindset wasn't so pushed a lot of the time

[jellybeanium124]

came across more fan art where Ed's got huge broad shoulders and big honkin arm muscles and Stede has a thin build, and I AM REPEATEDLY SLAMMING MY FISTS INTO THE TABLE, IT! IS! THE! OPPOSITE!!!!!! IT IS THE OPPOSITE!!!!!!!

I mean if an artist draws them both really skinny it's like "oh ok they aren't trying to build the skills to draw diverse body types" but whenever Stede is drawn with Ed's body type and Ed is drawn with Stede's I'm just like... why is this fandom so obsessed with drawing the man of color bigger and broader than the white man, when it is SO CLEARLY THE OPPOSITE IN REAL LIFE!!!! idk it's just a little sus to me that people are turning the average sized MOC into a big broad guy and the broad white guy into a twink. I mean even if I am reading to much into this and people are just drawing the legendary Blackbeard as a muscley dude (which like... you can't just remove the weird racial coding from your art, coding can be unintentional), why is Stede skinny??? you can draw broader dudes why are you not drawing him that way?? Rhys Darby is hot stop drawing him with a shoulder width of 10 inches

#ofmd #our flag means death #I feel like I've made this post before but it really irritates me every time I see it #blackbonnet #gentlebeard #krakhouse #ed teach #stede bonnet

[void-screams-screeches]

Open letter to the Avatar (TWOW) fandom:

Hello! Media literacy is free, please utilize it.

Thank you!

#RANT IN TAGS IF YOU WANNA READ IT: #yes this is about spider #and the simps over the minors #and the regular adult characters in general #i've seen thirst traps over neteyam's literal dying moments #insert that one post about how people are literally skipling over the impact of his death #and not really analyzing it further beyond 'lost a hot character' #(just like real indigenous people's deaths) #and also spider's treatment in the fandom? #fills me with SO MUCH RAGE #because he's a literal TEENAGER but people are acting like he needs to be hunted down and killed #some people have literally said that he should die over neteyam #what the hell #i hope neteyam isn't even in the third movie #i like the character and everything but you CANNOT convince me hos character is more interesting than spider's #avatar #avatar the way of water #avatar twow #atwow #spider socorro #neteyam sully #lo'ak sully #kiri sully #jake sully #avatar (2009) #neytiri #ao'nung #i am very ready for the haters btw #this fandom irritates me to no end #and i literally hyperfixate on it for MONTHS on end sometimes

[husband]

I took her to the Vet for a check up/fecal test and yeah she did have worms :) and then when I got home my neighbor called and said her owners where posting on nextdoor looking for her, so thankfully she wasn't one of the byb dumped dogs but i still think it's weird to have left a malamute puppy outside in the Texas heat with fleas and worms while you're at work all day.. we found her early in the morning and they weren't home and posting about her missing till nearly 12am.

anyway we gave her back to her owners after the vet... hope not to see her running around in the streets again because this is the 2nd or 3rd time shes been seen running around the neighborhood. unreal.

#prattle #maybe people will think im a dick for this but i didnt really want to give her back lol #was talking to them about the worms and they said they planned to get around to it.. #i just dont know why you would get a probably around $1000-$1500 malamute and just leave it outside #if you work early morning to late evening why would you get a dog #the other dog the adult husky that was running with the puppy also had a ruined coat and was bone skinny #im probably being a dick but if not for my neighbor setting me up i wouldnt have responded to their post #i work with dogs a lot and have a special interest in animal care so its really irritating to have to hand a puppy back to that situation #i just hope they meant what they said and are going to do better for her #though i guess i just like to complain

[crimeronan]

probably i SHOULDN'T migrate elsewhere if tumblr goes belly-up. i just scrolled thru my dash for 20 minutes and in that short span i could feel myself transform from a mildly tired 27-year-old butch into an active serial killer.

#starts typing posts like 'i hate you people so fucking much' and then pauses like #this is how every terminally online post i've raised my eyebrows at for Weeks has started. #girl if you put all your thought into the computer eventually your world will shrink to the size of it. #this site really does make me feel like shit. i need to follow more photography blogs and people who don't post stupid fucking bullshit. #hey if you post a lot of photography or POSITIVE fandom stuff WITHOUT a shitload of untagged politics. #hit me up. i've unfollowed 80% of active blogs i used to follow for 'annoying me' crimes and my dash is both dead and profoundly irritating #i need to breathe some new life into this account. or what am i logging on for. #by positive fandom stuff i mean you're not typing a bunch of nasty hot takes i'll hate or bitching constantly about varying properties. #and you don't hate polyamory. and you don't hate ace people. and you don't hate queerplatonic relationships. #SHOULDN'T BE A HUGE ASK!!!!! AND YET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND FUCKING YET!!!!!!!!!11SHIFTONE!1ELEVEN!!1! #i'm tired of tumblr not making me happy. i should be able to see my blorbos and feel joy here. #negative #i suppose

[mizi-sua]

anyone who includes a screenshot of utena from That scene in ep33 in their “aesthetic 90s anime screenshots” just know u will go to hell

#when I saw someone say they finished utena but didn’t understand anything but thought that utena was a really pretty anime girl #and then proceeded to post a screenshot from ep33 I just #no words. #irritates me so much I just had to say it #rgu #revolutionary girl utena

[fereldanwench]

OC Interview - Valerie Powell

I was tagged by @gloryride forever ago to interview my girl--Thank you, bb! I'm so late to doing this that I'm not gonna tag anyone else, but feel free to yoink it if you wanna do it!

[Answers are directly from Valerie's POV before the heist in 2077.]

.ೃ࿔*:･ NAME?

Valerie Irene Powell. [laughs] Yeah, my initials are VIP. My dad had a dorky sense of humor, and my mom let him get away with it. "Irene" is my great-grandmother's first name on her side of the family.

.ೃ࿔*:･ NICKNAME?

Pretty much just "V" these days, which was all Jackie's doing. A lot of the staff and some regulars at Nishimura's used to call me "Blue," but that was ages ago. Overly familiar acquaintances who don't know me well but think they do usually call me "Val."

.ೃ࿔*:･ GENDER?

Biologically female, no gender alterations or augmentations.

A/N - Valerie is a cis woman, but I don't see that specific language being in her vernacular.

.ೃ࿔*:･ STAR SIGN?

I was born in Night City on October 12 2041. Misty tells me that makes me a, uh--Hey, Misty, what am I again?

[Misty, calling from the other room: Libra Sun with a Taurus Moon and Scorpio Rising!]

Yeah, that. [laughs] Whatever the hell that even means.

.ೃ࿔*:･ HEIGHT?

Tall. 5'10" or 178 cm. And I admit I have a weakness for a sexy pair of heels, so I usually look a lot taller.

.ೃ࿔*:･ ORIENTATION?

People are out here fucking cyborgs with four eyes and chicks with gold dicks and electric nipples--What does this even mean? [laughs] I've never given it much thought. I like what I like, and I've liked a lot of different types of people with a lot of different things going on. [laughs again]

A/N: I say Valerie is bi, because that is the contemporary real-life word that best reflects her sexuality for me when I'm talking about her, but when I was really thinking about it from her POV and in the context of her world, I don't think she'd be too hung up on a label. She'd also probably see her wide spectrum of attraction as closer to the default, not the exception.

.ೃ࿔*:･ NATIONALITY/ETHNICITY?

I'm a typical American mutt. My dad's side of the family can mostly be traced back to Western Europe--my grandmother told me "Powell" is an Anglicized form of an old Welsh surname--and my mom's side is from the Eastern Mediterranean. Dad's side has been in NUSA for a long time (like two centuries before it was even called NUSA), but Mom's family has only been here for a few generations.

.ೃ࿔*:･ FAVE FRUIT?

I just love fresh fruit. It's such a rare treat in Night City--I'll take fresh strawberries or melons over any other kind of sweet treat.

.ೃ࿔*:･ FAVE SEASON?

Spring! When everything starts turning green and flowers are blooming. There aren't a ton of places in Night City where you can really experience that, but I know a few hidden gems.

.ೃ࿔*:･ FAVE FLOWER?

Hydrangeas, probably. Especially the blue and purple ones. Oh, and wisteria! A tree covered in blooming wisteria is one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen.

.ೃ࿔*:･ FAVE SCENT?

Freshly brewed coffee; new car smell; woodsy, smokey colognes and perfumes; real leather; whatever incense Misty uses in her shop; clothes right out of the dryer; lavender; a ton more that I know I'm forgetting!

.ೃ࿔*:･ COFFEE, TEA, OR HOT CHOCOLATE?

Strong coffee, black, maybe a little sugar if I'm feeling indulgent. Tea is nice, but it's not my caffeine fix. I like a cup of lavender or chamomile tea at night. Hot chocolate is too heavy and rich for my taste. A sip is nice, but I could never finish a cup.

.ೃ࿔*:･ AVERAGE HOURS OF SLEEP?

I try not to get any fewer than 6 hours, but that's easier said than done some nights. Okay, most nights.

.ೃ࿔*:･ DOG OR CAT PERSON?

You know, I've only ever seen one dog in person. A childhood friend's family had one--I don't know the breed, but it was a yippy little shit and it bit me! Never really wanted to see another dog, if I'm honest.

I like cats, though. There's a stray that hangs by Misty's place--He's the sweetest little guy. I picked up a bag of kibble we keep there to feed him when he comes around.

.ೃ࿔*:･ DREAM TRIP?

I've actually traveled a lot--My parents had to go to Biotechnica's HQ in Rome a few times when I was a kid, and they usually turned those trips into an excuse to have an extended European vacation. And I went all over the globe working for Arasaka for 7 years. I'd love to go back to Japan for non-work reasons.

.ೃ࿔*:･ FAVORITE FICTIONAL CHARACTER?

You're gonna laugh, it's so predictable. In my defense, I can't remember the last time I watched or read anything new--Actually, that's not true. Jackie made me watch one of those Bushido movies last week, and I just don't get it. Anyway. It's Elizabeth Bennet. Don't look at me--What's the next question?

.ೃ࿔*:･ NUMBER OF BLANKETS YOU SLEEP WITH?

Just a sheet and comforter.

.ೃ࿔*:･ RANDOM FACT?

Oh, no, don't put me on the spot like this! [laughs] Um, okay, I shot my first firearm when I was about 7. Under intense adult supervision--My dad was really serious about self-defense and the right to bear arms, which always surprised people because he came across as such a meek science nerd. I didn't like it--It was so loud, even with earmuffs. Funny how things change.

Is that kind of a heavy note to leave on? [laughs again] Okay, how about this one: I can't roll my tongue.

#fem v #female v #fem v friday #oc: valerie v powell #g: cyberpunk 2077 #long post #so the fave character one really confounded me bc who the fuck are fictional characters in this world lmao #and then i was like well we could go classic lit since that still exists #and valerie was a bit of a book nerd when she was younger #and i was like omg valerie is 100% a closet romantic we gotta go austen #and the gender and orientation ones stumped me a bit too bc i just really don't think these would be seen the same way as they are irl #i think valerie would find both questions kind of odd #this was a lot of fun to do though #and the nickname thing was a bit of fun projection from my own irritation at acquaintances calling me a shortened version of my name #that i dont like lmao