Love Ridden
Eddie Munson x Reader
summary: moving sucks, especially when you don't know anyone and you don't have any friends. one day a black cat comes and keeps you company, maybe he won't be the only friend you make.
warnings: pure fluff. neighbor!eddie. pronouns aren't used, reader's body/ethnicity/skin tone is not mentioned. reader and eddie are both in their twenties. swearing. slight angst: mentions of loneliness. I'm an 18+ blog, minors please go away. not proofread, shitty writing and grammar errors.
*if i miss anything lmk know!
a/n: day three of my birthday week!!! you guys have been so lovely, i love you all so much!! i hope you guys have been enjoying this week as much as i have!! I'm so sorry for the late upload, life has been pretty busy this week!
I guess I wouldn’t mind to fall in love a little bit.
Ouch, I think I feel a little more.
Stepping out onto the small porch, you're met the chill of the morning air, your nose and cheeks being victim to the cold nip of the wind. The watercolor gray sky hides the sun behinds it's endless clouds. Birds chirp a song in the empty trees before they flap their wings, taking off in flight.
It's peaceful here, quieter than the city life than you were so used to. Out here in Forrest Hills you didn't have to worry about honking cars or the chatter of drunk college students walking home from the bar at odd hours of the night. Out here in the middle of nowhere, you had yourself and the company of strangers you had yet to meet.
Only being here for two weeks, you haven't been able to meet the other people that occupy the surrounding trailers. For now they're only nameless faces, people who go to work and mind their business. Sometimes, like today, you like to sit on the front steps of your porch, drinking a piping hot cup of coffee, and just watch them as they go about their day.
You like to imagine what they do for living, what their names are, and what their story is. This has become your entertainment, the highlight of your day before you go back inside all by yourself. It's scary moving to a new place, meeting new people, and trying to make friends. As of right now, your only friend is the lady at the supermarket, Suze. Besides the people watching, hearing Suze say "Have a good day, dear" have become the highlight of your life.
It's not that you don't want to be social, you just don't know where to start. You're awkward, even back home it was hard to find the right social circle. So the safety of your trailer, the comfort of your four walls, and your once a week interaction with Suze the cashier was enough for you.
Lifting your Snoopy mug to your lips, you let the warm liquid coat your throat and fill you with warmth that the fall air seems to lack. The small gravel path lays still, everyone seemingly already off to work or school. Since you missed your morning entertainment, you stick to keeping your eyes on the sky and letting the comforting silence fall around you.
Meow.
You don't move your gaze, rather shutting your eyes and letting the small breeze move past you.
Meow.
Cracking an eye open, you gaze around the small area of the road in hopes of finding the animal making noise, hoping you're not going stir crazy with your lack of human interaction.
Meow.
Meow.
Meow.
You're neck snaps back and forth, trying to look around the general area for whatever kitty that is trying to communicate with you. It's high grass on the one side and an empty dirt path on the other, no sign of life in sight. Yup, you've seemingly have lost all of your marbles.
Meow.
The feeling of something brushing your leg startles you, but not enough to scare the chubby black cat, who purrs against your plaid pj bottoms, away. When it turns it's green eyes to you, it meows once more.
"Hi little guy," You coo softly at the animal, placing a hand out tentatively for it to sniff, "whatcha doin' out here in the cold?"
Leaning it's hand onto the tips of your fingers, you get the hint and start scratching lightly on it's head.
"Aren't you cold out here, honey?" You question and it only responds by lifting its chin. You oblige and rub along it's next causing the cat's eyes to close in enjoyment.
"You were just talkin' earlier, now you don't want to, huh? Not when you're gettin' all this love." Your voice is baby like, lips perched just a bit as you move your fingers to the tips of it's ears.
Quickly the cat moves away from your touch and looks at you wide eyed and curious like. Not wanting to scare it away just yet, you lightly tap your lap, beckoning it to move closer to you.
Surprisingly the cat listens, trotting up the two steps and curls itself into you. The purrs that carry through it's body settles into you and brings you a kind of warmth no hot temperature could ever do.
With the chunky fur ball nestled on your thighs you feel wanted, excepted for the first time since you moved here. The loneliness that you've felt, encaged into the tin walls of your trailer, suddenly evaporates with the simple presence of the animal.
"Do you have a name, little guy?" Speaking softly to the comfy cat, you hesitantly run a finger along it's neck in search for a collar.
With no collar or any sort of tag to tell you the cat is someone else's, you begin to check for other things without disturbing it. The black fur is soft in your fingers and lacks any sort of dirt buildup, no signs of fleas, and the fact that it seems like it's well fed point to it being a house cat.
Checking your surroundings, you try to see if anyone is out looking for their lost animal. No other porch in eyeshot is occupied, only the empty street and the quiet noise of bare trees rustling.
"Well, you don't seem to belong to anyone," It's as soft as the wind that flows through the grass, "You can live with me. Would you like that?"
Meow.
The cat nudges it's head further into the plush of your thighs and you take that as your answer. "Yeah, I'd like that too. How do you feel about the name Ozzy?"
The question doesn't seem to spark any sort of reaction from the cat, still cuddled up against you and purring in satisfaction.
"Okay then, Ozzy, do you wanna come in and have a treat?" Your finger continues to brush through the short hair of the cat, raking over the spots it can't reach on it's own.
Letting Ozzy lay on you for a moment more, you go to pick up your coffee mug hoping that the brown liquid inside is still somewhat warm. With the slightest move of your arm, Ozzy wakes up and stretches.
Before you can offer the warmth of your trailer, Ozzy is off of you lap and trotting down the steps. It's desperate and selfish but you're not about to lose your first friend, so you follow after it in the hopes you can scoop it up and take it home.
"Ozzy, come on don't you want some tuna?" Even with the promise of an appetizing bowl of breakfast, the cat continues to make it's way across the dirt path street.
When Ozzy makes it to the trailer cat corner to yours, it trots up the steps and settles on the small porch. Blinking slowly at you, it continues to stare at you and your efforts of trying to capture it without trespassing.
"Come on Ozzy, I'll take you home and you can eat. Maybe later we can take a trip to the store for some toys! What do you say, Oz?" As you stretch your arm out to the animal, a gruff voice stops you in your tracks.
"May I ask why you're trying to kidnap my cat?" Trailing your eyes to the side porch, you take in the shape of the person sitting on the couch.
Covered by the shadow of the awning, you can't really make out the stranger. You've been caught red handed, mouth agape and wide eyed with your arm still frozen in it's outstretched position.
"I-I, um I wasn't trying to kidnap your cat. I just, he came up-"
"It's a she and her name is pumpkin." The gruff voice cuts you off, semi annoyed and frustrated.
"Sorry, I didn't know." Like a child who's been reprimanded, you pull your arm back to it's place, lacing your fingers together in front of you where they twiddled in anxiety.
"I know, I was just fucking with you." The shadow figure stands from it's sitting position and walks over to you, jumping down the small ledge of the side porch.
As he stalks over to you, you drink up his features. In sweatpants that hang low on his hips and a too small of a hoodie that reads "Hawkins High Phys Ed.", he looks pretty. Wild brown curls blow lightly in the wind, lips puffy, and eyes so brown it feels like you're drowning in chocolate.
Standing toe to toe, you realize just how much taller he is than you. Slim and fit is the best way you can describe it, and boy is he breathtaking. His scent picks up with the breeze, swirling around you and making it's way into your nose were it lingers. Coffee, smoke, and laundry soap.
"I'm assuming you're the new neighbor down in trailer 48." It's not really a question rather a statement when he says it.
Nodding your head slightly, you gaze up at him still in awe. "Yeah, that would ugh, that would be me." Trying to cover up your nerves you throw him a tight lipped smile.
Nodding his own head, he slips his hands into the pouch of his hoodie. "Well, I'm Eddie and you already seem to have met pumpkin."
"Nice to meet you Eddie," Unlocking your still laced fingers, you throw him a small wave, even though he's right in front of you and tell him your name.
"Well it's lovely to meet you." His smile is just as pretty as the rest of him, nice white teeth that shine brighter than any sunrise you've ever seen.
"I'm sorry about your cat," It comes out rather awkward and abrupt, "she came over to me and I didn't think she belonged to anyone, I swear. I- well honestly, she's kind of like my first friend here and I wasn't about to let her go that easy."
Shame burns within you, as well as embarrassment. The shame of trying to take someone else's cat and the embarrassment of admitting you have no friends. You want the ground to shallow you whole, hide so far in the ground the cute boy next door will forget all about you and your inability to act like a normal human.
"Hey, don't worry I was just messin'. Plus she's like my only friend too, so I totally get it." Whether he's lying or not doesn't matter to you, in fact you laugh along with him when he speaks.
"To be fair, they're kind of pretty," Still smiling, he focuses on Pumpkin who sits contently on the step waiting to go in.
"Yeah, she really is. Sweet too." You agree, also looking at the cat you befriended just moments before.
"Oh, I wasn't talking about the cat," He says and you look back at him confused, "I mean she is definitely pretty, in fact she gets it from her dad. But I ugh, I was talking about you."
Pink paints the apples of his cheeks and you're certain that it's not from the bitter chill.
Your own stomach jumps and flips, butterflies tripling as his eyes burn into you.
"Oh." It's all you can muster, at least verbally, your face on the other hand tells him everything he needs to know.
Eyes shining and a smile threating to pull on your lips, even with the extra help that tries to hold it in place.
"Yeah." His own smile spreads bigger and you want to take a picture of it. You want to memorize every single detail of him so when you go back to your mundane four walls, you'll have something to feed your aching, lonely heart.
"Well if you want, I have a pot of coffee and a pack of Oreos back at my place. You and Ozzy, I mean Pumpkin are more than welcome." Looking up at him from under your lashes you see that his expression changed. Dimples and canines more prominent than before.
"Only on one condition." He says, crossing his hands over his chest and leaning towards you. "Do you have any cool mugs?"
"I have a cool Garfield mug." You shrug your shoulders.
Eddie ponders for a second like he's really taking the time to think it over. "I think, you have yourself a deal." Placing a hand in front of you, you clasp it in your own and shake it, letting the feeling of him sink into your skin.
Pulling his hand away from yours, he calls Pumpkin and pats his thigh. Getting up from her spot, she circles through his slipper covered feet. The two of you make your way back to your trailer, comfortable silence settling over the two of you.
"I do have one question." Looking over at Eddie, you raise your eyebrows telling him to continue. "Why Ozzy?"
Chuckling softly, you shrug your shoulders once again. "Well she's a black cat and she kind of reminds me of a bat. Bats just happen to remind me of Ozzy Osbourne, ya know cause the whole bat on stage thing."
You cut yourself off when you realize the boy next to you stopped dead in his tracks, along with the black cat.
"You know Ozzy?" He gasps, hand to his chest like you've just struck him with a sharp object.
"Who doesn't know Ozzy?" You scoff, eyebrows pinching together in bewilderment.
After what a long pause, Eddie stops clutching his chest and beams happily at you.
"Yeah, we're gonna be best friends." It's soft and sincere, hitting you right in the heart, lighting it with a million twinkling lights.
"Come on neighbor, I was promised Oreos." Picking his pace back up, he bops you on the nose with his finger before continuing his journey to your home.
Maybe Hawkins wasn't as lonely after all, you just needed to be patient.
Thank you all for reading! I love you guys <3
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(If you're comfortable with this) could you make a tutorial on how you make your creations??? It'd okay if not, thank you for making them :D
WAA i can try!! baby's first tutorial ft. this guy
🐾 first, a picture of your blorbo
i use waifu2x to up the quality, not always neccessary but it makes everything a bit easier and prettier. i use firealpaca to edit but you can use whatever you like, im not your mom
🐾 probably get a reference
yeah i dont always do this. but you should! i should! so google whatever creature you want to turn blorbo into and maybe scroll for a bit to get a feel for what they look like :3
try to find one at a similar angle to your blorbo picture and paste it/open as a layer. look this is close enough ↓
🐾 onto the actual editing! human ear surgery
in case you prefer just one pair of ears. you have to understand the style so you can imitate it.... so look at their hair, maybe theres more colors or gradients than you can see at a glance or something ! i colorpick a bunch of them and put them over their ears, then blend them together with a low opacity watercolor brush
ALSO, notice the.. lighter glowy aura thing around his ear in the og? i try to imitate details like that too, used watercolor for this again
now maybe you wanna make it look like theres something covering that spot, since theres kinda nothing there now. soo if that looks weird to you, (open a new layer and) put some hair over it. i cant tell u how to imitate Any style so just. study it and keep trying
with enstars here the lines are pretty soft, so i go over it with watercolor brush after doing the general shape. with a higher opacity you could probably just use a softer brush from the start, i just like starting with the basic pen
🐾 the lines!!!
nowww i lower the blorbos opacity to around 50%, bring the reference somewhere i can see and just kinda... start sketching. lot of redrawing and transform tooling here sometimes
TIPS 1. you can clean the lines up at the end so dont stress
2. think of your blorbos new ears as a real tangible part of their body and how they fit on their head since you dont wanna make it look too flat !
3. and for the placement i always end up at roughly one human ear length above their og ears if that makes sense. tried to visualize it
as for inner ear fluffs phew i dont know either. draw a circle and start from there? maybe there are actual animal ears in blorbo artstyle out there you could reference
🐾 coloring 🏳️🌈
finally some progress huh. i color the lines in a contrasting color first so i see the lines properly and dont miss anything, then fill it in with the actual color :3 OH and for gradients i just use the airbrush at the ear tips or sides
noww shading! new layer, basic pen brush and try to follow the shapes in the og art. it's best if you pick the colors from the actual picture!!! take notes mentally and just do your best i dont know how to explain this more
taking this as an example, the shading is mostly in pretty simple wider areas, so not a lot of seperate strands in there. and its again pretty soft around the edges of shades and highlights, so i'll go over it with my beloved watercolor. keep things like that in mind so the creaturing blends in well :3
if you like more detail better you can still go with that. or less detail on a complex artstyle. the world is your oyster
🐾 and the rest
what else could there be???? making the lineart more cohesive for example ★ oftentimes it's not one solid color, thicker or thinner than yours, things like that.
for things like piercings or fangs you can just draw them on top i believe in you <3 if its like an intricate earring use the lasso? magic wand? the one that lets you select an area to copy and move on top of your ear layers
+ remember details like shadows, if you put a tail on top of say blorbos leg there's gonna be a shadow under it! put a layer under the tail ones and freehand draw the shadow, OR copy the tail layer, put the copy under the og one and change color/opacity until it fits
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I'm so sorry for such a random q and u don't have to answer this but do u have any tips for writing college essays? Ive been putting it off for a while now bc all of the prompts r so vague 😭 (how am I supposed to have a defining moment I'm SEVENTEEN 😢)
hey nonnie! happy to try and help
disclaimers first tho. 1) it's been a while, and topics wise our prompts are probably pretty different 2) the school i ended up going to, i was very confident admission was almost guaranteed (though, it was not the only school i write an essay for)
my common app essay (i think) prompt basically asked how my environment shaped me as a person. i think generally you should approach writing a college essay the same way you should build any academic paper.
break down the prompt
college essay prompts can be vague bc they're just.. really open for you to write about things. but take a bit of time, sit down and look at the different aspects of the prompt - what is it asking, what topics does the prompt cover, and what is the main question they are asking?
generally, imo, college app essays are a way for admissions to understand who you are as a person, outside of other admission requirements like test scores or academic standing. so ultimately you want to consider what the prompt is and how you can use it to describe yourself. i know this is vague and tricky, but do your best at this part.
2. figure out what you want to say, and outline it
i swear by essay outlines. even 5 minutes of organizing thoughts will make a stronger, more coherent essay. and boy did i used to write a lot of essays. starting broad and then honing in might be helpful. it's also cool if you just generate lots of ideas, more than you need - you can always cut things down later.
since this is a little easier for me to talk about, one of the essays i wrote was about an artist that "changed my life." i picked my artist, then worked my way thru why him and his work were important to me - his style, and his background as a person/artist were the two main points that i wanted to focus on. from there, further - describing his work, what it was and what it did, how it impacted me, how it influenced my work, etc etc.
for the record, for this essay my outline looked like this: (not the full outline)
why tyrus wong is the bippity boppity besthell yeah his art!!!
prettiest fucking thing ever
watercolor - expressive and emotive. all his pieces have this ethereal quality - our guy walt disney was intrigued by what he called its “mysterious quality”
WHAT he’s so talented watercolor? painting? animation yo what about some fucking KITES he can do it all
i can't say i recommend writing college essay outlines like this, BUT your outline is important in that: it makes sense to you and it serves its function as a structure for you to build an essay on.
also, outline is where you do the brunt of the work. ok the above one isn't a great example, but by the time you organize the thoughts and points you want to bring up, it should be detailed enough that it's easy .. you just take your outline and transform it into actual sentences.
the environment essay is a bit too personal, but ill share an edited version of it that gets the point across
family relationships (how it shaped me)
a. my parents values, high expectations
i. explanation
b. how my relationship with my parents changed over time
i. explanation
3. write da essay
personally i start drafting sentences in the outline, or figuring out specific wordage, so it's easier transitioning btwn outline and essay. keywords, specific points, all of it goes in. write first, edit later.
ultimately, i think the essay should have some sort of "story" progression - some sort of change, or a cause and effect. from the beginning of the essay to the end, u should feel like uve expressed urself in a way that i think, shows what u value and how u have grown, and ur capacity for growth. or something.
other
get feedback. even from one person have em read it, tell u what they think - specific feedback is better, so ask specific questions depending on what u think u need
read other people's essays, but don't get too caught up in it. i don't think every college essay has to be particularly Deep or a big metaphor. if there's an experience for you to write about that you at the bare minimum give one fuck about, do that.
if ur reading other people's essays i would look for essays that ppl have written for the school(s) you're applying to, and if you know anyone personally > papers that are for a big shot school or for programs that aren't as relevant to you (i.e. focusing an ivy league paper if you're not applying to one, or whatever) - not to say don't read them at all, but the closer the better you have an idea of the standards and successes for the school YOU want to get into
what you write about doesn't have to be a "big" thing, it just has to be somewhat personal.
idk don't worry about it too much. put effort in, try, but don't spend more time on it than u feel is necessary. remember, it doesn't have to be the best essay someone in admissions has read (though great if it is!) you're looking for enough that they're like "yea, u seem cool, put em in college"
college essays are kind of gross and it's always weird to write abt urself and feel like ur saying things u never would. it's ok. sit down, put something on paper, work your way from there.
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Traditional art supplies I like: ✨Cheap Edition✨
❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🤎🖤
I noticed my last post had a lot of more expensive materials, which are great if you save up or are able to get them more easily, but I figured I’d make another post about more affordable materials for my friends out there who don’t have access to an employee discount at a craft store like I do, or family members who like to give gift cards and such!
Pens:
1. I mentioned this in my last post, but ballpoint pens will never fail you. I recommend BIC if at all possible. You can get a pack of 60 in red, blue, and black for around 6 bucks, as well as just a 60 pack of one of those colors for the same price. You can get some really nice shading out of these, surprisingly, and a pack that big will last you years!
2. Paper mate flair felt tip pens. I used to love these growing up!! They still hold up pretty well, and have the same basic effect as, say, a tombow brush pen, which is my favorite. A pack of 3 in black is around $3-4, which is half the price for a pack of tombows! You can also get them in a lot of different colors. A 12 pack in rainbow is about 12 bucks. If a dollar per pen seems a little much, trust me- if you’re able at all to save up for these guys, they’ll last forever and won’t let you down!
3. I also mentioned pentel sign pens in my last post, and they are just slightly more expensive than the paper mate flair. You can get a box of 12 for $14, which is still more on the expensive side, but if you’re able to then these guys are really fun to use and really reliable!
Pencils:
1. In the school supply section of walmart, you can get a pack of generic HB pencils. They usually have either stars, pastel or neon colors, or are holographic on the barrel. Especially in the back to school season, go and get you a pack of these; any sharpener will do. They are surprisingly soft and lay down pretty dark! I get a pack every year and they never fail me. A pack of 20 is only a couple dollars. (Dixon and ticonderoga I do NOT recommend. Ticonderoga has great colored pencils, but their regular pencils are WACK. They’re way too hard so their lines are way too weak for my taste. As for dixon, they don’t erase cleanly, and splinter when they sharpen. No bueno.)
2. BIC mechanical pencils. These are probably the best mechanical pencils on the cheaper side. They write nice and dark, and you can get a pack of 40 for about 8 bucks, which will last you literally years!! Just like their ballpoint pens! If you really want a good cheap sketching set, I’d get a pack of their ballpoint pens and pencils. Basic as basic gets, but it’ll get you far.
3. For colored pencils: I swear, you can never go wrong with crayola. They’re not the softest or most pigmented, but when you’re balling on a budget they’re perfectly fine! I also love crayola crayons. They are my #1 most favorite affordable art material!
Markers:
1. Back to crayola: crayola super tips markers. These are PERFECT for sketching. You can layer the colors pretty nicely with these, and they start out nice and transparent, almost like watercolor. With the shape of the nib, which is almost cone shaped, you can get some pretty nice line variation! I recommend a pack of 50, which is around 7 bucks, and if you’re feeling really fancy, a pack of 100 is about 14 bucks.
2. Artist’s loft fundamentals triangle markers. When I was in high school, I had a pack of these that I wore absolutely ragged. They are pretty much always worth it, and also perfect for sketching. I even still have a set today, along with the super tips! They’re just that good! These babies are skinner than the super tips, so they’re more like the width of a pen, but not exactly like the penmate flair, which you can press down like a brush. With these you can also take a brush with water and use them like watercolor pencils and get some beautiful results! A pack of 36 is about $5 at michael’s. Probably one of the best purchases you could ever make at that price and I cannot recommend them enough, no matter how experienced you are.
3. For alcohol markers: Ohuhu is fantastic. They’re a bit on the pricier side, but that’s mostly because alcohol markers usually are compared to water based markers. A pack of 60 is usually around $20 on amazon, which is how much I got mine for, but I just checked and they’re about $25. Don’t panic though- prices change all the time! The colors on these are absolutely lovely, and it comes with a nice carrying case with a handle, and a plastic sheet you can place underneath the paper you’re working on so it doesn’t bleed through to your desk or the next page of your sketchbook. Absolutely worth the price tag. Ohuhu also has water based markers for slightly cheaper, but I can’t speak for those since I haven’t tried ‘em.
4. Sharpie is a household name, and there’s a reason why! I don’t always prefer them since at times they CAN be overpriced, but depending on which set you get, the price tag becomes more reasonable. For regular black, I recommend getting a pack of 6 with 2 chisel tips, two fine (regular) tips, and two ultra fine tips for around $7. They last forever, and that way you’re getting a pretty wide range of lines you can get! As for their colored markers, I honestly can’t recommend them as much since I find their colors to be a little darker than I’d personally prefer as compared to the ohuhu markers, but if you so choose you can get a pack of 12 for about $9 on amazon! My favorite color has to be the fuchsia. No matter what they’re fun to color with and easy to obtain just about anywhere!
Sketchbooks:
What’s this? A sketchbooks section? (You didn’t have that in your previous post, Cricket! Well, no, I did not, but I’ll have to fix that soon!)
1. Artist’s loft hardbound sketchbooks. You can get these at michael’s for about $6, and they pretty frequently go on sale for bogo or bogo 50%. The paper is actually super nice, a little on the smoother side, and just thick enough where you’ll feel pretty fancy using it, and also not guilty if you need to tear out a page. They’ve got classic black, and also currently they have a lovely pink, blue, and green. The inner cover page is the same color as the cover, and it gives for a more professional, almost published feel. They come in 6x9 and 9x12 sizes. Artist’s loft is generally a pretty reliable, affordable brand!
2. Pacon sketch diary. If you prefer spiral bound, these guys are also pretty nice! They’re about $5, and there are other similar generic brand sketch diaries you can get that will never lead you astray. Walmart has some pretty good ones too for around the same price, and some even have a clear plastic pocket on the front where you can insert whatever you like!
3. Spiral bound notebooks are easily accessible, and during back to school season in certain places you can get them for a dollar or less. There’s no shame in needing to use lined paper! It works just as good as other paper when it comes to needing to draw something, and no matter what your art is your art, no matter what materials you use! I love getting lisa frank notebooks or notebooks with puppies or kittens on them during the back to school season. (Walmart back to school season SLAPS for cheap art supplies if you can’t tell already.)
4. Daler-rowney simply soft cover sketchbook, 3.5x5.5 in. I list this one because it’s the nicest cheapest sketchbook you can get at Walmart for about 2 bucks. It’s a much smaller size and very flat so you can keep it in your pocket or bag and take it with you. The hardbound 5x7 is also super nice, and it used to be my ultimate top choice. It’s about $4-5. I would get one like once every 3 months, and if you’re able to afford it, they’re great for stocking up and great to take with you anywhere. The paper is a pretty unusual texture that I haven’t seen anywhere else, and in my experience there’s very little transference from one page to another if you’re using pencil, which is always pretty annoying and great to avoid when you can.
5. Royal and langnickel essentials hardbound sketchbook. I came across this one when I was shopping at Ross. Yeah, Ross!! A good tip for cheap art supplies is to check Ross! I’ve gotten some pretty great things from the art section there for very cheap. Since it’s a discount store though, it’s usually a crap shoot regarding what you might find. These sketchbooks have pretty similar paper to the daler and rowney, and you can get a 4x6 for about $3 at Walmart. A larger one, depending on where you look, has pretty inconsistent pricing, but when I was at Ross I found some 9x12’s for 2.99. Although I can’t promise you’ll have the same luck as I did!
Paints:
Watercolor:
1. Jerry Q watercolor palette. I had one of these right before I first tried gansai watercolors, which are my favorite and a little more expensive, but the set I had I kept for around 2 years with almost constant use. They can be a little light and not super pigmented, but if you’re able to get something like a spray bottle and wet them before hand, let the water soak in a little bit, they’re much easier to activate and you’ll get brighter colors out of them. They just need time to soften. You can get a 24 color set for $14, and a 36 set for $18. If you’re able to, I recommend the 36 set since that’s what I had, but 24 works just fine and it’ll be better for learning color mixing!
2. Rule of thumb is crayola is usually the way to go if you can’t afford much else. I will say the older formula for their watercolor paints was much better. Brand new is still good though, and you can’t go wrong with a regular 12 set. (I do NOT recommend prang, which is their similar competitor. Their paints are sticky as hell if you use too much.)
Acrylic:
Craftsmart or apple barrel craft paints. These guys were my first acrylics I ever used, and I still have some older pieces that I made with them that still hold up in my eyes today. They have a much different formula than most acrylics, and are powder based, so you’ll notice they sort of have a different texture. Careful not to glob it on too thickly, however! If you do the paint will form huge cracks in it when it dries. I’m pretty sure it’s because of the formula and that it shrinks when it dries, which can also make thinner paper buckle. Also, if you’re painting on paper, if the paper is on the smoother side, areas where the paint is thicker might crack and flake off. It’s still good reliable paint just as long as you’re able to avoid this! You can get a set of 16 colors for $11, or if you’re able to, a set of 36 for $25 at michael’s. You can also buy them individually if you’re only able to afford the primaries like red yellow and blue, or cyan magenta yellow and black (CMYK.) The individuals sell for about $1 each, and the craftsmart paints in particular come in a few different finishes like matte, satin, and metallic. I recommend just the matte to start with though.
Paper/canvas:
1. Canson XL watercolor paper. You can get a pad of 30 sheets in 9x12 at walmart for about $5. The 11x15, if you’re able to afford it, fluctuates from $10-18 depending on where you shop, but michael’s often has a sale on this particular brand of paper pads for bogo or bogo 50% off. They also now have spiral bound books of the same paper that you could tear the pages out of and display, or use as a watercolor sketchbook. Canson also has mixed media paper for about the same price, and the spiral bound book is a very popular choice for a sketchbook, although I’ve used it and I personally prefer the watercolor paper texture much more. If you like your paper on the smoother side though, the mixed media is probably the way to go!
2. Creatology is, I think, a michael’s brand of kids’ art supplies, and they honestly make some pretty nice paper. If you like to draw on thicker paper, they’ve got a paint pad that you could use as just mixed media or regular drawing paper. It’s nice and thick and smooth. Their watercolor paper is also pretty nice! The 9x12 pad is around $3, and has 40 sheets. It’s slightly thinner than the canson watercolor paper, but you get 10 sheets more and it’s cheaper! Also, most regular price items at michael’s (there are a few exclusions, such as their artist’s loft value canvas packs, and their sets of rolling shelves, and cricut products) can be discounted with a coupon! Pretty much every single day the site has a 20% off regular price items coupon, for in store and online (the online code is usually 20MADEBYYOU), so you can always get basically anything for a discount! If you have a rewards account, which you can access through the site or on the app, you’ll get points with the more you buy, and you’ll eventually get $5-10 vouchers! If you’re still trying to be frugal, it’s great for getting basically free items. But I digress.
3. Canvas is expensive as hell, I know. I barely buy it myself, and only started getting it recently, since I mostly worked on paper beforehand. But if you’d like to hang your work easily and are able to put pins/nails in your wall or use command strips, you could get a value pack of canvas from michael’s. I mentioned these before, and they’re one of the items that can’t be discounted with coupons, but they work great and you can get a pack of several at a time. Each pack is the same exact price- $12.99- so it’s easy to remember since it’s consistent. The smaller the size of the canvas, the more canvases you’ll get. For example, in a pack of 8x10, you get 10! If you want the best value and want to create more pieces for less, that’ll be what I recommend! You can also get canvas panels, which lay flat and are easier to store if you’re low on space. The best value there is a pack of 5, size 9x10, for $10. So, it’s not as much material for the price, but if you need the canvas to be smaller, that’ll work just fine!
4. Copy paper!!!!!!!!!!!!! Get a pack of copy paper!!!!!!!!!! It’s literally hundreds of sheets for very cheap, like $5 or less!! Walmart has a pack of 500 for $5. That’s 100 sheets for a dollar. While it won’t work well with paints, it’s great for drawing with basically any drawing material. It’s thin and more fragile than most art paper, but if you need to discard it you won’t feel bad, and there’s literally another sheet right there if you gotta start again. I had a period where I would only basically draw on copy paper when I lost access to free art materials from art school, and it’s fantastic for sketching. Just get a cheap paper folder for about 50 cents to keep your drawings safe, and you’re golden. It’s also great if you don’t wanna use lined paper but can’t afford a sketchbook.
As for digital art; digital is often the most affordable option for a lot of folks, since it requires only, at the minimum, a computer or phone and a drawing program. I’m not as experienced with digital art, but I highly recommend the XP pen tablet. It’s a 4x7 inch little usb tablet, and you can get one on amazon for $20. One purchase that will last you a long time! I’ve had mine for 2 years now, and I haven’t even had to replace the nib yet! For a drawing program, I recommend Krita, which is the only art program I’ve ever used other than microsoft paint 3D. It’s completely free, and has some really lovely brushes. My absolute favorite is the 4B pencil tool, which I use for basically every single digital drawing I make, no joke.
I’d like to also mention that if you’re not able to buy art supplies at all, recycling is a great way to gain materials! Go dumpster diving! Cut open a cereal box and draw on the inside! Draw on old envelopes! Paint on cut open cardboard boxes! Borrow a pencil or pen from a friend! There is sooooo much waste in this country (USA), and even if you’re not on a budget, if you’re able to reduce and reuse, you’ll feel better about reducing your carbon footprint and giving back to the planet.
Lastly, I just wanna say that you don’t need fancy materials to make wonderful art. Nice art materials are good to have, but they’re absolutely not a requirement. You don’t need to pay thousands upon thousands of dollars to go to art school, most often just to get torn down by instructors who don’t care about you or your well being. YOU know what’s best for yourself. Do what feels right. Make art however and whenever you like. Make it for yourself. Learn from yourself and which materials you prefer. I’ve been making art for a long time so I’ve tried a lot of things and a lot of materials, hence why I can make these recommendations, but you might discover something completely different that you really love! Materials do not make the artist, full stop. The art you make will always be valuable and important, no matter what. If you’re still in school, live at home, don’t have a job, or are just not able to buy art supplies for whatever reason, there’s always, always a way to make art. You might have to get a little creative in finding out ways to make art, but I promise you there’s always a way. If later in life you’re able to afford having art as a hobby or a career, you’ll look back on the time you could only access these cheaper materials, and cherish the work you made then. Especially if you’re just starting out, and by the time you’re able to afford higher quality materials, you’re a more experienced artist. I personally think it’s so important to remember where you’ve come from, so you can feel proud of yourself as you grow. There’s nothing more fulfilling than looking back on everything you’ve done and the improvements you’ve made throughout your journey. And like I said, you don’t need to spend thousands on art school to learn. The internet is an amazing resource for tutorials, and there’s no shame at all in using any resource you can to learn and expand your skillset. You deserve to create. You deserve to learn. You deserve to feel proud of yourself and what you make.
❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🤎🖤Art is for everyone.🖤🤎💜💙💚💛🧡❤️
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Does anyone have any tips for my drawing dream?
Hey you out there :^
I would like to practice my hobby of painting even more than I already do. I love to paint with pen and paper in my old little sketchbook, but I would like to do more now. I would like to paint as beautifully as, for example, heikala or snakequeen7 do it. (I follow them here on Tumblr - what you people are invited to do as well, they paint really magically beautiful ^^) I generally sketch very messy and with a lot of lines and strokes. I have read that Heikala also uses colored ink for painting instead of watercolors. That's very smart and I think I'll give it a try. I'm also thinking about starting to paint on a tablet. Because as I said, since I sketch very "messy" it might help to draw on a tablet with a special app and an electronic pencil (idk how that thingies are called :] ), where I can also use special color effects, etc. How do you see it? Do you have any tips and tricks for me? With drawings you simply bring a piece of your imagination to life - you make it a little more realistic. And I would love to be able to do it as many guys like me who like to paint and draw in their free time.
Have a wonderful day
Ellie ^ ᵜ ^
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These Fanfics of Shin and Carla of nice and all...but we want the story on how Carla Tsukinami stoke your ham sandwich! The greedy bast*rd he is...
Anon, this is one of my favourite asks ever and I love you. Thank you so much for giving me an opportunity to shamelessly insert myself into the world of DL I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it :)
I wrote myself as a nameless herione (because I don’t think most of you know my name) which also means you can treat it as a reader insert if you want to, but bare in mind this is based on how I would react in this situation and there are some details that are a bit specific to me.
“Hm, I wonder if I’m allowed up here?” The girl glanced back at the door to the rooftop of Ryoutei Academy, trying to spot any sort of kanji that could translate to “Keep Out” but found none. Shrugging to herself she concluded that if anyone caught her up here when she wasn’t supposed to be, then she would have to play the confused foreign student card and hope for the best.
A mild scolding seemed better than going back to the cafeteria anyway.
She looked down at the slightly sorry looking lunchbox in her hands and loosed a sigh. It was only her second day at her new school and already she felt herself desperately missing her friends and the familiarity of her old school.
The other students had all been pleasant enough- aside from the boy with glasses in her class, who she’d caught eyeing the hemline of her skirt with obvious disapproval, as though it was somehow her fault that whoever made the school uniform had not done so with five foot nine female transfer students in mind- but the thought of trying to navigate getting food when almost all of the signs were in kanji she didn’t recognize made her gut roll with anxiety.
Besides at least the rooftop was pretty, with troughs of well kept roses lining the space and a perfect view of Kaminashi town, just beyond the iron railing, the lights from the small shopping district a warm glow against the midnight blue sky.
The girl walked over to the edge of the rooftop, intent on giving herself a moment to admire the townscape when a nearby rose caught her eye. It’s petals were such a dark red, they looked almost black in the modest illumination provided by the few lights lining the roof. She crouched down on the balls of her feet and set her lunchbox carefully to the side. Something about the scene, the dark flower with the night sky behind it, made her fingers itch with the urge to sketch it.
“I don’t think I could do the dark colors justice with my watercolors and I can’t do realism with markers so maybe colored pencils would be best?” She muttered to herself she tried to find the perfect angle for some reference photos she could use later, while reaching into her pocket for her phone. “Acrylics could work I guess but I don’t have any canvas here and I-”
“What are you doing?” A low voice came from right beside her ear. The girl let out a high-pitched shriek and jolted in surprise, barely catching her balance in time.
She loosed a breath before turning her head in the direction of whoever had spoken, but before she could, they spoke again.
“Hahh, that’s no good… Hmph!” A rough shove sent her sprawling into the roses. Thorns scratched at her skin and she cursed as her hands plunged in the damp mulch, just barely stopping her from face-planting into the dirt. The rest of her however, was not so lucky, and she knew from the way her torso had landed in the soil that her skirt’s hemline had just become the least of her worries as far as her uniform was concerned.
A cruel laugh came from behind her and she turned to look up, filled with some mixture of anger and embarrassment.
But whatever had been brewing petered out the moment she laid eyes on the culprit. He was quite possibly the most beautiful boy she’d ever seen; short choppy, strawberry blonde hair framed pale face with an eye the most incredible shade of gold.
He was utterly stunning.
The effect was promptly ruined however, when he opened his mouth, face twisting into a sneer.
“Haha, how pathetic, crawling around in the dirt.” He continued to chuckle as she pushed herself up onto her hands and knees, wincing slightly at the way they stung where they’d scraped against the ground.
“Heehhh, aren’t you going to say something?” The boy asked, the humor in his expression dying down as he regarded her as one might a spot of mould on a piece of bread. “Or is it that you’re so stupid, you can’t understand what I’m saying?”
The girl froze slightly, unsure how to navigate whatever was going on. Was this guy a bully? Her strategy for dealing with bullies until now had generally been to avoid them or ignore them, neither of which seemed like a good idea here.
“Oiii Miss idiot, are you going to keep ignoring me until I do something like this?” Before she could react the boy placed a heavy black boot on her hand and started to put his weight onto it.
Shit.
“What do you want from me?” She blurted out, praying silently that she hadn’t messed up the Japanese grammar, which really shouldn’t have been a concern given this encounter could feasibly end with a broken hand.
The pressure stopped briefly and she took the chance to tug her hand out from her under his shoe and get to her feet. The girl was a little surprised to find that the boy was no taller than she was, although his general aura of menace certainly made him intimidating enough without needing any extra height.
“Ah, so you can talk. As for what I want… why don’t we start with an apology for shrieking in my ear earlier? It hurt you know?” He made a show of obnoxiously cleaning out his ear with his finger and the girl found herself completely lost for words. Well, that wasn’t entirely true, there were a lot of words swirling in her brain, all of them English and not to be used amongst polite company.
Biting back the urge to tell him to fuck off, she reminded herself that she was currently alone with this guy on a rooftop and angering him further probably would not end well. “I apologize for shouting in your ear, you surprised me. I’ll be going now.” Lunch forgotten, she went to make a hasty retreat to the rooftop door but was stopped short when the male put himself directly into her path.
“Not so fast, you haven’t answered my question yet. What were you doing up here, sticking your head into the roses like some kind of animal?” The girl tried to keep her breathing even, as she felt panic rise in her veins.
“I wanted to take pictures as drawing references, I didn’t realize that-” an arsehole like you would show up “-someone else was already here, forgive me, I’ll be on my way.” She went to take a step around him, when the boy took a step towards her, forcing her to take one back. Soon her back was pressed up against the railing and she internally cursed.
“You just wanted to draw some pictures of the flowers? Isn’t that a bit childish? Well, I guess you still wear kid’s underwear so I shouldn’t be surprised.” The girl spluttered and instinctively went to yank down her skirt, a slightly ridiculous action, considering he must have seen everything when he pushed her earlier.
“That-that doesn’t have anything to do with it,” she said, eyes on the ground as her face burned with shame. “Please, just let me leave.”
“You know, you still sound pretty demanding for someone who’s shaking and is covered in mud. Also,” he paused, sniffing the air briefly before glancing down at her knees, “ah I wondered where that awful scent was coming from, geez human blood really isn’t appealing at all.” The girl looked at her legs and caught sight of red liquid staining her knees, but that wasn’t what made her pause.
“Human blood? What are you-” A cold dread spread through her as she looked back up at the boy and the inhuman color of his iris. This had to be some sort of awful prank right?
“Oh, maybe I spoke too much, but that reaction isn’t bad, haha. Hey, what do you think I am?” He asked her, opening his mouth just wide enough to reveal a pair of gleaming white fangs.
“That’s… There’s no way… You can’t…” The girl struggled to process the image in front of her, trying to find some sensible sounding explanation. He had to be a nutjob with fake fangs right? A nutjob who liked to terrorize girls on rooftops and happened to go to a night school.
“Ah how boring. Shouldn’t most girls be crying with fear by now? I don’t want to but, would you react a bit more if I pierced you with these fangs?” He lowered his face and panic surged through her. Lunatic or something else, she had no intention of being bitten by him. The girl went to shove him away from her, but before she could blink he had her arms pinned above her head.
“It seems you still haven’t learned that I’m not the sort of person you should fight back against. Hey, how much would it take to make you cry?” His grip on her wrists tightened and she winced at the strength in his grip. “Your wrists are pretty thin, I’d barely have to use any of my strength to snap your bones.”
“Please stop!” She begged, as she silently prayed for someone, anyone to intervene.
“Oi Shin, what are you doing?” An incredibly deep voice came from the entrance to the rooftop and the girl said a silent word of thanks.
“Huh,” Shin looked over his shoulder, allowing the girl a glance at her savior. He was tall, with long white hair, that appeared dyed pink at the tips. A dark scarf covered the lower half of his face, while above it were a pair of piercing golden eyes.
A shudder ran down her spine as her gaze locked with his for a moment, suddenly feeling a lot less safe than she had just a moment ago.
“Ah brother, I was just having a bit of fun.” The girl wasn’t sure which part of this statement horrified her more. That her so called savoir was actually related to the demonic pile of steaming garbage in front of her or that this was Shin’s version of fun.
“That’s enough, we have matters to discuss.” The man walked over from the door to the roof, his footsteps stopping just behind Shin.
“Tch,” Shin let go of her arms, only to grip hold of her chin, moving his face uncomfortably close to hers. “Hey, if you tell anyone about what happened here, I’ll rip your tongue out, got it?” His fangs caught the light as he spoke, and the girl felt very close to tears as she muttered a soft yes.
Shin flashed her that nasty smile of his before letting go. “Well then, get out of here!”
Needing no further prompting, she hastily got away from him, pausing only to grab her school bag. As she did so, she caught sight of her lunchbox in the older boys hands and faltered.
“Go!” Shin yelled and the girl concluded that the ham sandwich and peanut butter flavored chocolate bar contained in the hundred yen tupperware were not worth her life as she borderline ran to the rooftop door, slamming it shut behind her.
***
Carla watched the girl flee from the rooftop with a dispassionate expression.
“What exactly did you do?” He asked, more concerned with trying to keep their low profile as they furthered their objective than anything else.
“Nothing much, I just toyed with her a bit. She’s only a human so it doesn’t really matter does it? More importantly, why did you keep hold of that?” Shin nodded towards the plastic container in Carla’s hands.
Carla said nothing as he opened up the box and pulled out a modest sandwich wrapped neatly in clingfilm. Removing some of the wrap, he sniffed it briefly before muttering.
“I thought so.”
Shin took a deep breath through his nose. “Ah, I see, a dry cured ham sandwich huh?”
“Normally I would never eat something prepared by human hands but to take away the taste of that polluted blood, it can’t be helped.” Carla lowered his scarf and took a bite of the sandwich, chewing a few times as he deemed it to be palatable before swallowing. “Oi Shin, take this.” He threw a plastic wrapped bar at his brother and Shin caught it without effort.
He turned it over in his hands before spotting the reason why his brother had given it to him. “Peanut butter huh? Well at least it seems that girl’s good for something.”
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They’re Funny That Way, Chapter 2
A/N: Hey, guys! I’m pretty happy with the feedback I received on Chapter 1, and I’m so so thankful to everyone who took the time to read it (especially those of you who offered me kind and encouraging words, ily!) So, the story continues!
I’ve found over the years that dialogue is my biggest strength, and scenes with little to no dialogue stretch and challenge me a bit. So this chapter was a touch longer in development than the last. But I hope to get a consistent update schedule going pretty soon here because I have a very fleshed-out plan for this fic.
That said, I hope you enjoy! Please like, reblog, and comment if you do!
(cross-posted to my AO3 https://archiveofourown.org/users/marie_deneuve)
______________________________________________________
Arthur Fleck has seen an angel.
There is no other way to describe it.
Things are especially tedious since he returned from his latest stint at the psychiatric ward. The same things, day in and day out, until each day begins to blur together like a watercolor painting. No clear lines separating one grueling day from the next, every shape hazy and undefined beyond the smoke of his cigarettes. He himself disappears into the smog and goes about his life unseen. Unknown.
Not to mention, he's now on thin ice at work – Hoyt, his boss, made that much clear to him right off the bat.
"You've missed a lot of days, Arthur," he had said the morning he came in to pick up his belongings. "Just try not to be a pain in the ass. No fucking up, you got that?"
Arthur can't remember how he responded, if he responded. Only that the voice in his head (it's his mother's voice that time) told him to Smile. At least you got your job back.
It's so much easier to smile when he's Carnival, and not just because the expression is painted on for him. He loves his job, honestly, he does. Every once in a while, when he's working gigs at birthday parties or at the children's hospital, when he's able to make the kids laugh, it seems worth it. For just a minute, it seems as though he's good for something after all. As though maybe when his mother used to tell him his purpose was to spread joy and laughter in the world, she was right. And maybe he could actually do it.
Then he takes off the wig, the brightly-colored clothes, the greasepaint...and the illusion is broken. Sometimes it's easy to forget the husk of a man that lies underneath the makeup.
Arthur Fleck.
Who is Arthur Fleck? Hard to say. Carnival is easier.
And so Carnival stays that evening as he walks home. Also because he's just so fucking exhausted. Not changing out of his clown costume at work means a little less dealing with his coworkers and a little more getting home to sequester himself from the rest of the world for the remainder of the evening.
The woman on the elevator is not part of the plan.
She holds the door open for him and retreats silently into a corner. The air between them is still as death as they ascend, her eyes burning holes in the back of his coat all the while.
Arthur initially avoids looking back at her, afraid that if he does, she'll vanish into thin air. He's becoming too used to his lonely, damaged psyche playing such tricks on him. She never even pushes any of the buttons for a specific floor – if she's a hallucination, she's not even a convincing one.
The trip is not smooth by any means – surprise, surprise – and the woman seems more than a little perturbed.
"Does...that happen often?"
Her voice, gentle and feathery, suddenly drifts over him, covering him like a weighted blanket. He turns to face her fully, intending to respond, but pauses when he feels his heart stop.
She is undoubtedly the most beautiful creature he has ever laid eyes on.
She instantly evokes images of those actresses in the black and white films of his youth. The same powerful air of sophistication as Grace Kelly. The same allure as Rita Hayworth. Only she's in vivid color, and they're not separated by a screen, and she's so close.
Even in the elevator's dingy lighting, her blonde curls glow like a halo. Her full lips are pulled into a concerned frown, and her icy blue eyes are trained quizzically on him.
Right, that's because she asked him a question. And he's so far done nothing but stare at her like a depraved creep.
Carnival, his work persona, doesn't generally speak - and thank fuck for that. Arthur doesn't think he could power out a single word if he wanted to, his mouth has gone so dry. In the end, all he manages is a shrug. Idiot.
She must not think he's a total loser because she keeps talking to him anyway, even pays him a compliment – a compliment! When's the last time that happened?
He's definitely glad he kept the clown costume on now; interacting with her this way is safer, gives him less of a chance to screw it up. Less of a chance for her to see how pathetic he really is underneath it all.
All good things must come to an end, however, and they do eventually reach the eighth floor. And when they do, she surprises him yet again.
"I'm new to the building, by the way – my name's Emma. It's a pleasure."
Emma. Emma. Emma.
She extends a perfectly-manicured hand, and for a moment, Arthur just stares. This is most likely when he finds out that this woman, this magnificent vision in his hallway, this Emma, is nothing more than a fantastic dream. And if she is, in fact, a dream, he's not so sure he's ready to wake up. Nevertheless, he gingerly returns the gesture.
Their hands connect. Soft and tentative, but tangible. Warm. Light. So light that Arthur feels as though he's floating, hovering just above the tiled floor, and he could continue to float forever, as long as he just holds on.
To his disappointment, she is the one to let go. Arthur crashes back down to the floor, a chill running through him at the sudden loss of contact, simple though it was. She bids him good night and takes off down the hall, the click of her heels in perfect sync with the thrumming of his heart against his ribcage.
Emma.
Emma.
Emma.
He gets the feeling he won't forget that name for as long as he lives.
Arthur Fleck has seen an angel. And she is so, so beautiful.
_____________________________________
"Hey, you look like shit."
"Thanks, motherfucker."
On her way to the kitchen, Emma totters past the open bathroom door, where Eddie is busy shaving his face. Apparently not too busy to comment on her fresh-out-of-bed appearance, though.
She will admit, she's not surprised if she doesn't look her best at the moment. Almost a week of sleeping on a rapidly-deflating air mattress on Eddie's living room floor has not done her back any favors. The bags forming under her eyes make her look like she hasn't slept since the seventies, and her hair has become stringy and unkempt since the last time it was washed.
To top it off, she still has none of her clothes or other belongings. So she's currently sporting an oversized Creedence Clearwater Revival t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants, both borrowed from Eddie. They hang off of her smaller frame, giving her the appearance of a sickly child who will be hard-pressed to survive the coming winter.
"You making breakfast?" her brother asks, poking his head into the foyer. A glob of shaving cream drips onto the tile below him, and Emma grimaces.
She returns her focus to her previous mission of rifling through the freezer, pushing past an assortment of cheap vodka and TV dinners until she finds his deposit of frozen waffles. "Eggos!" she calls out.
"Cool! Pop an extra one in the toaster for me, yeah?"
Emma complies, setting an extra plate out for him as well. As the toaster whirs quietly atop the kitchen counter, she begins her morning ritual of planting herself on the sofa and burying her face in the job listings section of the local newspaper.
The job hunt so far has yielded results that are...less than stellar. So many applications, so many interviews, and so far...nothing.
"We'll call you if something else opens up" here and "we'll keep you on file" there. Even a "your educational background is good, but we're looking for a little more experience". It's starting to take a toll on her self-esteem.
The only real offer she's gotten is from a dive bar across town called The Harlequin. She's familiar with the bartending world – it's how she put herself through college. And she likes to think she's damn good at it, too – hell, she had mastered the Bloody Mary with only a couple weeks' practice! Run-of-the-mill margaritas and martinis? Piece of cake.
Not to mention, studying psychology at the same time has granted her an uncanny ability to manipulate a conversation, bend it to her will. Sniff out how to get the biggest possible tips from each kind of patron.
Yes, she's a master, all right. But she's really hoping to move on to something with a more...prestigious title.
"Any new prospects today?" Eddie emerges from the bathroom just as the toaster lets out a soft 'ding!' He quickly joins Emma on the sofa, a plate of waffles in either hand and bottle of syrup under his arm, completely bypassing the dining room table as per usual. She hasn't seen him eat a single meal at that table yet, instead opting to bring his food into the living room and spill his goddamn crumbs all over the furniture.
"Nothing yet, besides The Harlequin thing," Emma grumbles, taking the fork he offers and muttering a quick "thank you" as he sets a plate down on the coffee table for her. "I'm tempted to accept it, just so I can end the madness."
"Didn't Sophie recommend you at the bank?" Eddie goes to town with the syrup, drowning his breakfast until the golden-brown liquid threatens to spill off of his plate and onto the coffee table.
"She tried. Nothing was open." Emma puts down the newspaper for the time being, feeling the beginnings of a migraine creeping along her scalp. She instead grabs the remote and flips on the TV across the living room, the background noise helping her to relax her mind.
Eddie shovels in a forkful of his syrupy concoction. "Sorry we couldn't get you on at the record store. We had a spot last week, but Ron's back from rehab now..." he says with his mouth full. "That reminds me, you still thinking about medical school?"
That gives her pause. Honestly, she hasn't thought about medical school in quite a while. More pressing matters to attend to. Besides, it's been years since she last studied. Who's to say that she could pick up where she left off now, even if she were to apply?
In the end, after a moment's hesitation, she shrugs. "Maybe. I'm a little rusty, you know?" She takes a meager bite of her own breakfast, chewing carefully.
"Aw, come on, that's a cop-out!" Eddie abruptly stands and rushes to the kitchen, leaving his plate behind. As he begins to rummage through the fridge, he continues. "You gotta at least try! You're smart and talented, you work your ass off – where the fuck? – oh, there it is..."
He returns with a can of whipped cream and unleashes about half of it onto his plate, and the other half directly into his mouth.
"Plus!" He grins. "You look like me, so you know you've got it goin' on."
The fraternal twins did bear a striking resemblance to one another as children, but age has individualized them greatly. Where Emma remains on the shorter side, Eddie is now a solid six feet tall. Eddie has also experienced a little more horizontal growth; although Emma suspects his rampant drinking (more so than his atrocious diet) is the cause.
"I'm not sure what looks have to do with anything..." Emma scans her brother's plate for the waffle. She can't see it - it's forever lost to the sugary onslaught. Maybe it is his diet after all.
"Looks have to do with everything, Em. Not fair, but true." His eyebrows furrow, and he scrutinizes her face. "Speaking of which, you really do look terrible."
"You mentioned."
"No, like...have you been sleeping at all?" His eyes narrow with concern, meeting her own sunken ones. "I know that air mattress is a piece of shit - you can get yourself something nicer if you want."
Emma sometimes forgets how observant Eddie can be when he focuses. She really hasn't been able to sleep a wink since she arrived in Gotham several days ago. He's right, the air mattress is an awkward and lumpy piece of shit, but that's not the real reason sleep evades her.
The walls of the tiny apartment seem to cry in anguish at night. Sirens blare outside the window near constantly; they're sometimes accompanied by flashing red and blue lights, the colors piercing through the curtains and waltzing unsettlingly across the floor. People wander the streets until the wee hours, shouting at each other, their combined voices drifting toward the sky in an unpleasant cacophony. Emma can easily understand why folks here on the East Side are so exhausted.
The only person who sleeps less than she does is the man who lives next door. She's never seen him, but she's definitely heard him. At least once every night, when she least expects it, he bursts into sudden uproarious laughter. Normally, Emma would march right over and ask the man what could possibly be so fucking funny at three in the morning (only a bit more tactfully, she's not an animal), but she never brings herself to do it. Truthfully, she's scared to.
Something is not right about that laugh. It's discordant and jarring, as if clawing its way into the apartment like a demon prying frantically through the drywall. It lacks joy, and in fact, actually sounds pretty damn miserable. A part of her wonders if the man is all right.
Regardless, a better mattress couldn't hurt.
"Yeah, I might do that," she says. "I probably should prioritize getting some clothes of my own first."
Satisfied, Eddie returns to demolishing his waffle creation. "Get whatever you want, as long as you can make the space for it. Want you to be comfortable while you're here, however long that is." He chuckles. "With your money, I'm sure you can spoil yourself much better than I can."
Emma snorts, gesturing wildly at herself and at her surroundings. "Money? What money?"
"You kidding?" He looks genuinely surprised for a moment. "Your ex is a millionaire! You mean to tell me you haven't hopped on that alimony pony?"
"Oh, don't be ridiculous, I don't give a shit about Daniel's money." Emma rolls her eyes. "Not to mention, we only separated a week ago. We have to set a court date, fill out the paperwork-"
"Yeah, yeah," Eddie drawls, waving her off. "When that check comes, you remember who took your ass in, no questions asked. Got it?"
It's nice to know his sense of humor hasn't changed. Emma nods once. "You got it."
They eat in peaceful silence for a while, the distant voice of the news anchor on TV the only sound in the room. Something that doesn't happen often for the siblings. After a few minutes, Eddie speaks up again.
"Hey, Em?"
"Yeah?"
"...Glad you're back. Missed you."
"Hm." A faint smile plays along her lips. "Missed you too."
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Review: Faber-Castell Watercolor Pencils Starter Kit
If you were lucky enough to have art class in elementary school, you probably hated using the cheap Crayola watercolors. They made a huge mess, the paints themselves tended to end up pretty brown and muddy after a couple months, and you never really got explicitly taught any techniques other than wax-resist with crayons. All I ever managed to make in class were a bunch of blobs of color in the vague shape I wanted, and the colors all ran together because you had to do the whole painting in one class period. I...was not impressed by watercolors at all.
I bought myself some watercolor pencils (which I still use on occasion) because I’d heard that they don’t break as often as ordinary colored pencils, and I flat-out hated the RoseArts we had in the house that seemed to break if you so much as looked at them funny, then broke again while you were sharpening them.
That’s right. I bought watercolor pencils to use as ordinary colored pencils. The horror.
So. 16 years after I bought that first set, I noticed something on sale at the craft store. (JAF just finished having their annual mega-sale, which is always a good excuse to buy things you’ve wanted for several months but were just a teensy bit out of your usual price range.)
Guys, gals, and NB pals, let me introduce you to the Faber-Castell watercolor pencils starter kit. Original price: US$20 (I got it for $15).
So what do you get for $20? A pretty decent starter kit, as it turns out. Everything is attached to a piece of cardboard that slides out smoothly. The pencils are on the front, in a resealable plastic packet, no less:
And on the back are two plastic pouches, one of which contains a cheap pencil sharpener and an equally-cheap brush so you can get started right away. (After all, if you turn out to hate working with watercolor pencils and chuck the whole set, would you rather throw out a good artist’s brush, or a 50¢ cheapo brush?)
The other pouch is where you’re really getting your money’s worth, though.
The kit includes about 20 little sheets of watercolor paper (which ain’t cheap), 3 of which have nice little grids.
And of course, there’s the little booklet.
As you can see from the table of contents, the booklet is in English, French, and Spanish, and has instructions on how to do some basic techniques for people like me who are fairly clueless about watercolor in general. (A freebie: Do not dip watercolor pencils into your paint water. Ever. Don’t do it.)
There’s even a section with tips for making clouds, grass, stone, and flowers for landscapes, which is quite helpful for giving you ideas about texture for other parts of your drawings, too (which I had no idea you could do with just watercolor).
And yes, they go step-by-step through that lovely photorealistic drawing of cupcakes on the cover, although you’re probably not gonna get photorealism unless you’re VERY good at drawing already, because you have to do a detailed pencil drawing first. Still nice as a proof-of-concept.
Overall, I give it a 9/10. You get a decent amount of stuff for the price, and while the brush is an icky cheap one, it’s enough to help you decide if you want to keep going and get a nicer artist’s brush that lasts longer. The booklet explains enough techniques to give you a nice little set of skills at the end of it, and encourages you to make your own color references with the grid sheets. All in all, I’m glad I bought it.
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"What's Up You Guys It's Me, Bdenbrough!" - Totally An Art Channel
Summary: Bill finds love in creating a new type of content, deciding it may become more part of his regular posting schedule.
Chapter 1 2 3 4 + ao3
Taglist: @hazelash @fuckboykaspbrak @thesquidliesthuman @rachi0964 @beepbeep-losers @bigbilliamdenbro @jalenrose11 @sleepygaybrough @itandstrangerthingsfanfic @boopboopbichie @peachywyatt @aizeninlefox @sockwantstodie @ahoybyeler @yooonbum @coffeekaspbrak
A particularly blustery and rainy day brings a rush of blue creative energy to Bill’s mind. It’s October again, like when Georgie had gone missing. He doesn’t want to go outside or even have any of his friends over, so he decides the video he must film should be different than his normal ones, a different tone filling him.
He sits at his desk with some of his watercolors and colored pencils, ready to create something like he hasn’t in a long time. His art has been on the backburner for a while, school started a month ago and stripped him of his time and even his own personal way of thinking. It was all Algebra and Shakespearean sonnets. But now, he’ll really try and get himself back into it.
He ties his red locks back with a gray scrunchie, pulling on a sweatshirt to keep warm against the cold and the way the heater in the house has been failing for several years, it just hasn’t gotten around to being fixed. Space heaters and extra layers have always been enough for Bill and Georgie. They would never dare complain, Sharon and Zach try their best. And now Georgie isn’t there to complain to either, and Bill just goes quieter.
He really has been questioning himself recently. He wears a lot of hoodies and sweatshirts, especially the thick ones that sometimes even go down to his knees. Bev says he’s just going through a phase all girls do, having some body insecurity, it goes away after you try your hardest to like what God has given you.
He also really likes the look of his hair tucked up into beanies, a faux pixie cut. He still has to ask Sharon if he can get his hair all trimmed off, he wants it at least up to his ears, it’ll be out of the way then and he won’t have to put it up whenever it gets in his face. It’ll only be beneficial, even if Sharon doesn’t think it’s so cute.
Bill isn’t so sure it’s the same insecurity Bev has been feeling. She’s excited about growing a chest and her hips widening, but Bill can only feel fear for the impending changes of his body. He thinks it’s wrong. It hasn’t been so much of a problem before, but middle school has jump started deep feelings of discomfort with every piece of himself, except maybe his own mind.
He never has his nails groomed, but since he’ll be recording a view of his hands for this video he at least trims his nails off, shaping the squared out edges with a nail file, wincing at the sandpaper-y feel so close to his skin.
He finally does get that done though, washing the dust from his fingers and returning to find a way to set up his tablet for the angle he wants to have for this concept. It’s going to be a draw/sketch with me, hopefully turned paint with me when it comes to the watercolors he got recently. He hasn’t gotten to use them yet.
He gets his phone tilted to the paper, the camera not good enough to pick up on the subtle bumps and grooves in the paper, made for peak paint performance. He starts the camera and picks up his charcoal pencil, the one he picked up at the hobby lobby the other day when he went with Beverly so she could get some thread to embroider a design on her new denim skirt for school. He aunt had brought it for her from Portland when she came down for a week in summer, Bev just hasn’t gotten to customize it quite yet.
He starts the video with a shot of him sharpening the pencil with a small handheld pencil sharpener. “Whatup! It’s m-me bdenbrough back w-with your Saturday entertainment. Today I-I’m taking it a little slower than usual, calming a l-little. We’re d-doing a draw with me, I’m gonna b-be trying to keep a cool color sch-scheme here, and we’re just gonna have a l-little chat,” he says, smiling wistfully even though his face isn’t on camera and they wouldn’t be able to hear it.
He starts drawing out a general shape, small ovals to start out some sort of human, “I th-think I might draw a m-mermaid, get some mythical cr-creatures up in my sketch collection,” he decides out loud, drawing out a few ovals to create a torso shape and then a longer one and triangle for the fins on the bottom of the tail.
Then he starts making lines around the shape, creating smoother curves around everything until it looks almost more like it could be closer to human, sans the tail of course. The last thing he leaves in the sketch is the face. “So d-don’t mind m-my inability to make faces,” he says with a small chuckle.
He draws one eye closer and larger than the other, making sure the perspective of the facial expression matches how he made the angles of the body work. Drawing lips is always fun for him, they never look the same as the last pair of lips. He makes it more symbolic than it is. “All m-my characters lips look different. They all h-have unique things to say, and the words fall fr-from unique mouths.”
He continues adding more life to the eyes, erasing a little shine in the pupils from the side where the lighting is going to come from. He’s been working more on his shading, he’s pretty proud of how far he’s gotten in his art journey. He definitely needs to work more on anatomy, but at least he can blame bad anatomy on his art style.
“I don’t h-have a name for this ch-character yet, but maybe you g-guys can suggest some! D-down in the comments let me know what her name and story sh-should be!” He announces, he just desperately wants for his subscribers to interact more, they’ve been slowing rising and it almost worries him, becoming known would be great to him, but he also doesn’t want this to become more of an actual job to him than it already is.
He pulls out his thin tipped sharpie to line it, trying to be up like one of the big art youtubers with their fancy lineart and good coloring skills. He lines it the best he can, though his hands are often shaky and it makes for difficult art. He plans to fill the empty space with some soft music when he isn’t talking. Just to make sure it’s not too boring.
He doesn’t start talking until he uncaps his blue marker to color in her details. “So I-I’m gonna be coloring this dr-drawing in with mostly cool t-toned colors,” he explains. He gets started on coloring in the darker tones, a colorless blender can be used to remove anything that gets too intense.
He drags the tip around in thick, long, and even strokes, covering her tail evenly with the deep blue, to contrast how bright blue he’ll color in the ocean. He fills her hair in with some strokes of violet among some lilac.
The completed drawing comes out nice, not the best he could do, but he did have the pressure of filming as he did it. “Okay so sh-she seems to be completed,” he says, tilting the camera up to show his smile, “So th-that concludes our Saturday video. I-it was kinda short and quiet b-but I had fun filming it!” he finally presses the camera off, letting out a sigh of relief.
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The Resbang Art Tools Masterpost!
YEETHAW resbangers, hope you’re enjoying Resbang 2018 so far! This post is specifically for our talented artists, but we have a similar one for authors right here.
Welcome to the Resbang Artist Resource Masterpost!
This is a collection of handy advice, tools, and tutorials to help you create amazing fanworks in your partnerships.
Your health is just as important to take care of as our writers’, so first things first: Treat yoself.
CARPAL TUNNEL STRETCHES
stretches you can try at home to help desk monkey fatigue
Help your hip flexors – that’s the front of your hips, yo
did you know chewing helps your brain do the thing?
get comfy, don't forget to feed yourself, and remove pants (optional)
Set the mood with some music, should you so desire.
8TRACKS
transformative -indie, alternative, shoegaze, soundtrack 27 minutes
i'm not your killer - vidya game musics, ambient, medieval, 1.5 hrs
sounds like childhood - Up, Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, 35 min
don't stop - WERE YOU GONNA PUT THAT PEN DOWN? YOU BETTER STOP THAT RIGHT NOW
delicate fantasies - folk, acoustic, chill, 1 hr
RAISE HELL - write stuff and feel awesome while doing so. 1 hr 11 min.
This String Is Moving Your Bones - 3hrs, ambient, alternative. that’s right I’m plugging myself
Exam Cram II - it's not exam time but it can be cram time 11hr 32min
Songs I Love that Don't Have Words - like it says 52min
Femme Finesse - relaxing female vocalists 4hr 22min
Audible Adderall XXXR - pumped up and productive 3hr 1min
Writing - fairly self-explanatory 55min
Thou Shalt Hit The Books - no idea how long it runs, so i guess you’ll just have to work until it finishes
YOUTUBE
long vid: Classical Music for reading
long vid: Late Night Vibes
long vid: Studio Ghibli relaxing piano collection
long vid: Space walks ~ lofi hip hop mix for studying
long vid: Fantasy music for inspiration/studying
playlist: Ambient Study Music
playlist: Chilled Cow chillhop/jazzhop/lofi hiphop collection
playlist: Skyrim OST
stream: Calm Piano Music
stream: Chillhop lofi hiphop studying stream
Would you rather have some nice noise generators instead? Take these.
mynoise.net - customize a billion different noises to your liking
get it free on iOS
get it free on Android
White Noise Lite - a free app for iphones
Relaxio - free app for Android
Rainymood
A soft murmur
Coffitivity - live the coffee shop AU you’ve always dreamed
Okay, enough of the reruns, how about some art-focused links.
Get warmed up with some practice:
Quick Poses - free, timed sessions for gesture drawing practice
Mechanical drawing exercises - flex your built-in pen stabilizer lying dormant in your meat container
Art Warm Up & Exercises - by sinix
Reference material:
Sketchfab - 3d models you can move around and view from any angle!
Basics of using references
Skin color swatches - with a downloadable!
Heads at angle/perspective - what are chins, anyway
More heads!
Models of color - blogs that are exclusively PoC
Morguefile - a whole lot of legit stock photos that aren’t painfully goofy or watermarked
Human action/pose stock photos - dA is a goldmine y’all
An Ear - a whole one, even
The color zones of the face - and also the body
Semi-realistic eye tutorial
Simple eye tutorial
Lips!
Mouths from an angle
Lighting angles - for the body
Single source lighting
Period clothing - from medieval to modern
Even more period clothing - all on individual boards on pinterest
Sketching hack for two point perspective - this is just witchcraft tbh
Anatomical guide to BOOTS
Coil foreshortening technique - by Sycra
Foreshortening with unfamiliar angles - by lovelifedrawing
How to (properly) source an image - coz we want you to source your images you use in things like aesthetic/mood boards.
Watercolor tips
Quick and dirty guide to making comics
Digital art resources/tutorials:
a bunch of art cheats - a small collection of useful skills in digital painting
understanding your lineart - and how to separate lines on a scan to its own layer
forest interior tutorial - by dpaint
another forest/lighting tutorial - by ninjaticsart
some SAI brushes - with some explanations
The Ribbon Technique - for rendering hair
Digitalbrushes.tumblr - just. a ton.
Painting like a sculptor - sinix design
Anatomy quick tips video playlist - sinix design
Programs/Tools
DesignDoll - posable 3d models for reference. (beware, free version does not allow you to save your pose, so take lots of screenshots! full version is 80 cash dolla)
Three awesome tools - as listed below
PureRef - an easy way to view and sort your references without bogging down your art program
Work Timer - tell it which programs you work in, and it times how long you are in that program (also silently judges you when you’re not). Great for commissions!
Carapace - add an image, create vanishing points, profit (this link works; the one in the tumblr post does not)
Deskpins - pin a reference photo on top of any program
Holy Free Art Programs, Batman - coz adobe don’t give a damn about our budget
Krita - free, photoshop-esque
Mischief - free version has no layers, but has an infinite vector canvas. paid version is full and a modest 25 dolla
A ton of videogame (2d/3d/animation) software resources
GifCam - a painless way to make animated gifs via screen capture
CamScanner - don’t have a scanner for your traditional work? use ur phone!
find it on android and ios
Crafts/Cosplay:
chain headpiece DIY - youtube
wire wrapping for beads and findings
foam and worbla tutorial - by amenokitaro
Tattoo Tights/Stockings DIY - by crissey8
How to dye fabric - by mangosirene
PosteRazor - scale images/reference to size by dividing into printer-paper-sized sections
Cosplay Library - ohicosplay
Basic hand stitching - by ladycels
Sewing basics for beginners - by kamuicosplay
Detangle and revive wigs - by iwasaka miyuki
Free Music/Composition/Sound editing programs:
GarageBand - digital audio workstation - mac
Tracktion - digital audio workstation - mac/windows/linux
AmpliTube Custom Shop - virtual guitar rig. mac/windows
SyndtSphere - slick, minimalist synthesizer - mac/windows
Audacity - the classic multi-track editor and recorder. mac/windows/linux
Reference/Inspiration blogs/channels:
artutorials.tumblr - art tutorials
anatomicalart.tumblr - focused on anatomy
digitalbrushes.tumblr - custom brush presets
youtube/Sycra - art tutorials
youcancosplay21.tumblr - cosplay tutorials
cosplayblog2.tumblr - more cosplay tutorials
cosplayfortheplussize.tumblr - tutorials and resources for plus-sized fam
theartofanimation.tumblr - art inspiration
youtube/wlop - timelapses of digital painting
simonist.tumblr - wide collection of various art techniques
youtube/sinix - useful illustration tutorials and speedpaints
Need some motivation or community support?
Grigori Wings/Resbang discord - come chat with us!
find a beta here (2018)
request a beta here (2018)
Remember, Resbang isn't a competition. Just remember we are all here with you! We’re all working together to kick this challenge in the butt. We love you guys!
Have more recommendations for artists? Add them to this post! Share the wealth of knowledge <3 Be gay do crimes!
Questions about Resbang? Have some links!
FAQ | Rules & Requirements | Schedule
Discord | Email | Twitter | Askbox
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Arteza Expert Colored Pencils Review
Hu-boy, have I got a story for you guys!
So I've been seeing Arteza's Expert colored pencils floating around in both ads and as freebies to Art Youtubers for a while now, and finally, it was too much and I threw up my hands and said to myself OKAY LET'S TRY THEM. (even though I very sincerely don't need any more colored pencils...)
Previously, I've tried their Woodless Watercolor Pencils and liked them, and I've specifically heard good things about these pencils. So I went in with measured, but positive expectations.
The full 72 set goes for about $30 either on Amazon or Arteza's own website, which is the same price point as the Schpirerr Farben colored pencils currently on Amazon. So they aren't the super-duper cheapest, but the price is pretty fair compared to companies like Derwent, Faber Castell, or Caran D'ache.
So, some tea first, and then I'll talk about how the pencils handle (tea in small text in case you don't care):
My set came in the mail and I immediately opened them and went to swatching, as I do.
It was when I was writing out the color names (I write the names out first, then go back and put the color down) that I noticed I had two "Charcoal A120" pencils, and likewise discovered I was missing "Peacock Blue A008." And suddenly I was filled with dread; oh no something's wrong I'm going to have to contact customer service ohnononoohno.
So I contacted their customer service through the Guarantee address (
[email protected]) on the back of the tin, hoping to get the issue resolved as quickly as possible and wanting/expecting nothing more than the one pencil I didn't have.
About two hours later, they got back to me and through a bit of back-and-forth, I provided pictures (which I expected them to ask for), then a screenshot of the Amazon Order Details and my shipping address (also expected). It was just after 4:00, last I heard from them on a Friday, so I figured either that was that and I should be on the lookout in the mail, or they had closed up shop for the weekend and I'd heard from them again on Monday.
I woke up Saturday morning with an order confirmation email that confused me, and another reply informing me they couldn't just send the one pencil, so they'd be sending me a whole new set, and I didn't have to return the original set; I was welcome to keep or donate it. This made the confirmation email make sense, as it was for the shipment of the new set.
This naturally was a nice surprise. (And I must also add the reply email had a timestamp of 4 in the morning so I have to applaud the magical soul that was coherently responding to customer service emails at such an hour as I would be loathed to do the same.)
With that issue at least temporarily dealt with (as I wanted to wait and see the new set before "officially" closing my mental books on it), I moved on to producing the test image you see above and otherwise evaluating the pencil. However, I decided to wait and not fill out a Colored Pencil Testing Workshop for these until after the new set arrived, just in case.
And I'm glad I did. The replacement set came in on Wednesday, and I was practically bursting at the seams to get it open and see what was what.
All 72 different colors were present and accounted for.
However, the "Emerald A094" pencil's tip was broken/missing. I did sharpen it back up, and it appears completely fine. Probably what happened is it was broken during sharpening or something at the factory. Not a big deal, but noteworthy when combined with my previous experience and considering that there are other signs of minor quality control issues. For example, the company/color names and information printed on the pencils are not aligned consistently, and if you go on Amazon and start looking at the negative reviews you'll find a lot more than just these relatively small things.
My point in including all this: As I'll talk about in a second, the pencils themselves work just fine and I don't think Artexa is maliciously producing defective sets of colored pencils and just trying to make a quick buck. Quite the contrary. I think they are dedicated to making the best products they can while still keeping them affordable compared to their competition. It's just that they have some issues here and there like every company in existence does, and part of that, in my theory, is likely because they have less in the budget for certain quality control measures when compared to the more expensive brands. This isn't a dealbreaker by any means, but I do think it's important to keep in mind.
So all of that out of the way, how do these pencils actually work in the field?
They're not as soft as Prismacolor, but I went in expecting that from what I'd already heard. They're not as hard/rigid as the Faber Castell Polychromos, so they land somewhere in the middle. They layer pretty well; they don't seem to build up wax quite as quickly as Prismacolor, but they aren't nearly limitless with layers like the Polychromos. Blending was better than I expected and overall pretty good.
The white surprised me a little. The Prismacolor white is still the best I've used, but this one did better than I expected. It also worked well with blending other colors.
Speaking of; Color selection is interesting. In the plastic trays, they seem to be arranged from in color order...but in three separate "sets," rather than in typical "all the yellows are together, and the pinks are together," etc. color order. This bothers me a little since I'm used to the other way, but that's just me. The colors themselves though seem to sit somewhere between typical color choices and also trying to be different, which is. (Also a lot of them have really fun color names, which I really appreciate personally.) (And while we're here, I will say the tin and trays are nice/pretty standard, but the trays are pretty snug in there so I have a little trouble moving things around, but it's not so much of a deal-breaker that I feel I need a separate case for them.)
They seem to generate a lot of dust/crumbs, but the weird thing was that when I went to wipe it away, it didn't smear specks of color on the paper. Good, but odd.
Honestly, they measure up about the same as the Schpirerr Farben pencils in terms of falling somewhere between Prismacolor and Polychromos in terms of performance, and that makes a lot of sense considering both sets are at the same price point. (Though the Schpirerr Farben pencils do still behave and feel different, most likely because they're oil-based to the Arteza's wax-base.) They aren't my new favorite, but they are pretty decent and if Prismacolor is just too expensive for you, I'd say they're not a bad second choice.
I did notice something exceedingly peculiar during my testing though: These pencils have basically no water resistance. They melt down almost like watercolor pencils, or at least like the Derwent Inktense (which dissolve pretty well but compared to typical watercolor pencils they do take a little more water and working to melt down entirely).
Typically, regular colored pencils do move when hit with a lot of water, but not to this extent, and it usually takes a lot to really pull a noticeable amount of pigment out.
The thing about this is that Arteza sells a set of regular watercolor pencils, and as best I can tell from the pictures (as I have yet to procure a set for myself) the only differences between that set and this one are the colors on the front of the tins, and the Expert pencils are round/circular, while the watercolor pencils are hexagon shaped. Other than that, there aren't any visible differences between the two. Granted, this isn't really fair, as the main differences would normally be in how they perform on paper and you can't really tell that from stock photos.
And yet, and I can't help but wonder if there's something fishy going on there. Could they be the exact same cores, just packaged differently...?
I am very tempted to order a set of their watercolor pencils just to compare...But until then, I am planning on trying a watercolor piece with these just to see what happens. Maybe I'll try and they won't turn out that well and my theory will be busted, or maybe I'll have to order the other set and find out for sure that way...
____
Artwork © me, MysticSparkleWings
____
Where to find me & my artwork:
My Website | Commission Info + Prices | Ko-Fi | dA Print Shop | RedBubble | Twitter | Tumblr | Instagram
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Baby, we're an artistic coincidence
written by: josefine / @selflessbellamy
prompt: "You keep requesting the book I need so I can’t have it the whole time and we leave each other passive aggressive notes in the margins" for anonymous
word count: 2564
If Athena had lived today, her black dress would be set aflame by the ravaging war behind her, there would be a chess piece tattooed across her collarbone: the knight, symbolizing strategic warfare. No doubt she would have a bruised face with a cut lip but her pace would carry her proudly through the battlefield. At least, this is how Clarke Griffin captures her in a modern format, drawing all of the curves and lines that make up a goddess.
She’s been reading The Iliad for reference. Despite her interest in mythology she’s never actually read that classic before, but now that it’s vital for her studies, she has to. If only the asshole that keeps reserving the book from the library would just let her have it for more than a week at a time.
Annoyed, she’d walked into the library that morning, sipping on her hot chocolate. The first unsuspecting librarian she encountered was the target of her frustration (but not even that could possibly cloud how cute he was).
“Isn’t it possible for me to have this book for longer? I really need it for my studies.”
“I’m sorry. It’s the rules. The other person claimed that he needed it to write a novel, but I don’t know. He looked like a college student to me.” At that, the librarian had smirked, just a tiny pull at the corner of his mouth, but that was enough to send her away, since she wasn’t keen on getting distracted by anything — at least not until her project was finished.
For hours, she sits by one of the tables in the library, struggling to finish the portrait of Athena before she has to turn the book over, which she does. However, she still has three art pieces to go: Artemis, Nyx, and Nike. Feeling exhaustion seep into her bones, Clarke makes an impulsive decision that she knows she’ll most likely regret, but before she has the time to, she opens the book and scribbles a short message in the margin of the first place.
Now, are you really writing a book or is it a bullshit excuse?
I need this book, otherwise I’m gonna fail my course.
Hope it’s a damn good WIP.
Then she closes it again before handing it over to the cute librarian, and they exchange smiles. Somehow, it places guilt in her heart, sort of like she’s disappointed him in a way by writing in the book… Whatever, she doesn’t even know this man.
***
A week later, the book is hers again, which leads her to the library. By now, her drawing of Athena has been filled in with gorgeous watercolors, and she’s surprisingly proud of it. Since her dad died last year, her inspiration has come and gone like a tidal wave, which is more than frustrating when your future depends on the work that you create.
Grinning slightly this time, the librarian hands her The Iliad, and suddenly a question emerges from Clarke’s lips without permission. “Sorry, but would it be weird if I’d like to know your name? We see each other so often by now, it just… feels a bit strange—“
“Not at all. My name’s Bellamy.”
She smiles. “I’m Clarke.”
When she opens to book, ready to start her drawing of Artemis, a mysterious blue Post-It has been placed in the margin of the first page, directly below where she wrote her passive aggressive message a week ago. Now, that’s been erased.
On the Post-It, the other Iliad-reader has written:
DON’T YOU KNOW IT’S WRONG TO WRITE IN BOOKS, PRINCESS?
SHAME ON YOU ;)
(AND YES, I AM IN FACT WRITING A BOOK)
Block letters? Who writes in block letters like that? Well, when they’re not yelling at someone on social media, that is. Needless to say, it’s uncommon. Thought #2: What the hell is that winking smiley face supposed to mean? As everyone knows, the use of it can be interpreted in a million different ways, so… is this guy a creep? Is he just trying to be sassy, what’s going on?
Before her mind loses to all of the unanswered questions, Clarke stops her train of thought, reminding herself that she has some very important work to do, and she has no intention of letting anything prevent her from it.
It takes a few minutes for the full image of a modern Artemis to take shape in her imagination, but when it does, Clarke wastes no time. Keeping a strict focus as a young huntress starts to appear on the piece of paper, she hardly notices someone brush past her. Later, she finds out that it’s Bellamy, because he reveals it once she’s about to leave.
“I hope you don’t mind me trying to sneak a peek at your drawings. They’re really good… Are you doing a project?”
At those words, Clarke lights up, spinning around on her heel so that she can walk back towards him. “Yes. It’s a series of art pieces that depict some Greek goddesses in modern time,” as soon as she’s said that, Bellamy’s eyebrows shoot up, exposing his interest and surprise.
“Which ones are you doing?”
“Oh, you like Greek mythology?”
He chuckles at her question, running a hand through his curly, dark hair: it’s attractively messy, and for a moment she’s more than tempted to move it out of his eyes. Nevertheless, she catches herself at the last minute, placing her hand on the counter.
“I’ve read The Iliad myself a couple of times,” he admits at last, grinning.
Curious, she meets his dark brown eyes for a second before her gaze unconsciously drifts to the dusting of freckles across his cheeks. He would be difficult to draw, she notes: the lines of his face vary in hardness, and there seems to be no shortage of beautiful features that she would hardly be able to do any justice, like the small crinkles around his eyes. Before she becomes too carried away, Clarke starts to tell him more about her project. “I’m doing five different ones. Athena, Artemis, Nyx, Nike, and Aphrodite… I’ve only done two by now, and the project is due in two weeks. This is why I keep returning for the book.”
Bellamy hesitates for almost an entire minute, then says, carefully, “Wouldn’t it save you some time if you bought a copy?”
Worrying her lips, Clarke explains, “I’ve looked, but they’re all newer versions and somehow restored. I wanted my references to be as traditional and unrestored as possible just so that the pieces could have some authenticity.”
If his facial expression is anything to go by, Bellamy didn’t expect that reply at all. When he finally speaks, the only words that emerge are of understanding, “Yeah, okay. I see that…”
Shrugging, Clarke heads for the door again, saying, “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I need to buy a copy. Thank you. See you tomorrow.“
But she’s barely taken two steps towards the door before Bellamy stops her in her tracks, “Clarke, wait! I— Maybe I can talk to the other reservation-holder and ask if he would mind letting you have the book for the next couple of weeks?”
Turning her head, she manages to smile at him. “No, I wouldn’t want you to go through that trouble for my sake. Have a nice evening—“
“But…”
She can tell that he’s holding something important back and he’s pulling himself together in order to say it, yet meanwhile, amid the silence, Clarke’s eyes dart to a small stack of blue Post-it’s at the left end of the counter. It doesn’t take her long to put two and two together, and while there’s still a possibility that she’s wrong, she decides to jump the gun. “… So you’re writing a book. Is it in block-letters?”
At that, he looks up, noticing the smile on her face, and he immediately seems relieved that she’s not angry with him.
“No, I’m using my 20th century typewriter. That’s why it’s taking so long,” he jokes, making her laugh. That alone is enough to baffle her, since most people haven’t been able to make her laugh in the past months. Her dad passing doesn’t have her in tears anymore, but the traces of the grief sadly still linger, which has made it more difficult for her to enjoy things. “I’m sorry about the Post-It,” he continues sheepishly, pulling her back to reality. “But I can’t bring myself to write in books… Unlike some people.”
“Are you judging me?”
He shakes his head as his smile grows wider. “No, and you can have the book. I’ll just use the old one I have at home,” Wait, if he already had The Iliad at home, why would he need the one from the library so badly? Before she can gather the courage to ask, Bellamy apparently reads her mind, because he explains, “The one I have is an heirloom that’s been passed on through three generations. When my mother died, she left it to me because she knew that I loved it so much, but I’m afraid that it’s falling apart now. The spine is ruined, and the pages can’t handle much more turning—“
Before he can speak any more, the thought that has struck Clarke’s mind eagerly escapes her throat. “You know what? We should share the book… How do you like your coffee, Bellamy? You look like a ‘none of that sugar-and-milk bullshit’ guy to me,” with that, she winks, prompting him to wink back at her, which indicates that she was right.
***
They take the book to the nearest coffee shop. Once they’ve received their orders of caffeine, Bellamy pulls out a notepad from his bag and Clarke places her favorite set of pencils on the table. “I never asked you what your book was about…”
At that, his smile turns crooked as he lets his pen graze the tip of her nose. “Well, I think you’ll like it. It’s about the ancient Greek gods and goddess in our modern world.”
Obviously, she thinks he’s joking at first, because there’s simply no way that they’re working on the exact same idea, but he looks really serious. Sending her a crooked grin, Bellamy seems to be aware of her doubt and decides to pass her his notes as evidence: In block letters, there are incredible details about Athena’s tattoos and outfit choices, about Artemis’ pact with nature, about Aphrodite’s self-love.
“Maybe we can help each other out.”
Chuckling, he replies, “Yeah. If you promise me you’ll never write in a book again.”
So that’s what they do every day for the next two weeks. They meet up in the library or in the coffee shop to share their ideas and keep each other company while they work, even if it’s for hours on end until the stars come out. Quickly, they discover that they have a shared passion for snacking while working, but in order to do that, they’re forced to change the location of their meet-ups. Luckily, the park seems like the perfect spot.
“What did you bring for me?” He teases when she shows up, carrying a plastic Target bag, but she only sticks her tongue out at him.
“Not for you. For us… Skittles, Oreos, Hershey’s and Nerds.”
“You read my mind.”
Sitting on the grass next to Bellamy as rays of sunshine fall onto his face is distracting; it makes his skin resemble growing bronze and his eyes remind her of the forest floor on a summer’s day. Worrying her bottom lip, Clarke asks for his opinion, “Aphrodite… She’s difficult. How do you picture her?”
Clearly thinking hard, Bellamy picks a purple Skittle from the bag, offering her a red one, since it’s her favorite. Then he says, “I picture her having long strawberry blonde hair and green eyes. And she would wear one of those maxi dresses, for sure.”
“White or pink flowing fabric?”
“Pink, definitely.”
As Clarke sketches, she senses Bellamy’s gaze on her, which makes it a little more difficult to focus, and yet a smile tugs at the corner of his mouth at the thought of him being interested in her work. In fact, having someone else care about her project has made her more passionate about it, and she has even gone back to the older sketches to add more details after talking to Bellamy about them.
“You’re extremely talented,” he murmurs, his breath ghosting over the shell of her ear. “The way you capture silhouettes is just… Does it run in the family?”
At his question, Clarke stalls, the pencil hovering over the drawing while she tries to prevent herself from trembling. Judging by the way he places his hand on his shoulder comfortingly, her sadness peeks through her rough exterior despite her efforts to hide it. Swallowing, she croaks, “My dad was an artist. He never got to witness my acceptance at RISD.”
It’s easier to talk to him about it, knowing that his mother’s gone, too. Losing a parent is unimaginable to most people, and the only ones who know just how deep the pain of it cuts, are those that have experienced it.
“I’m sure he would be proud of you.”
That’s it; those words break her shield, make her walls crumble, so that tears are running down her cheeks before she’s even realized it. To no avail, she attempts to catch them all with the back of her hand, but when Bellamy turns around to hug her, she finds that the soft material of his blue Henley absorbs them a lot better.
After a minute, she stops crying and pulls back to let the sunshine dry her cheeks, yet Bellamy’s thumbs do so first. Overwhelmed by his softness, she says, “I want to draw the cover for your book once it’s published.”
“If it is published, you mean,” he smiles sweetly, but she shakes her head.
“No, when it’s published.”
He’s already promised her the honor of being the first person to read the prologue of the novel, which is nearly done, and she’s practically buzzing with excitement at the thought. No matter what, she intends to be his biggest supporter in finishing it, not only because it sounds amazing, but also because he is much kinder than he gives himself credit for.
In fact, it seems very much as if he doesn’t give himself any credit at all…
***
When she receives an A for the art pieces, Clarke desperately wants to give him the credit that he deserves for being an amazing encourager and partner during this project. Knowing that she can’t, however, causes her to find another way to thank him for everything.
He’d given her The Iliad on the last day before she had to turn her project in, assuring her that she needed it more than him at that point, but now she’s ready to return it after having placed a new sticky note on the front cover.
Would you like to go out some time?
- C
When she hands it to him, and he reads it, Bellamy radiates, deciding to act like an adorable dork by writing his response below her message instead of telling her.
Some time like now? I’m off. Coffee? ;)
There’s the winking smiley again, although this time, Clarke’s not at all confused by the meaning of it…
-
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Can’t Sit Down and Write? Same Dude
Alright, buddy, I’m going to lay this out flat on you, whoever you are. I’m absolute garbage at writing. I don’t just mean skill, I mean all aspects- Commitment, focus, grammar (though I try my hardest,) and pretty much anything you can think of, I’m bad at. I probably have more unfinished writing ideas than I have days left on this Earth, and I can never dedicate myself to just one idea. Even short stories, besides ones I wrote back in middle school that I pretend don’t exist, remain unfinished and collecting virtual dust in my computer files while I do literally anything besides write.
The one strength I might possibly have, though? I soak up anything- And I mean anything- that I can about writing. Tips and tricks, websites, apps, styles- Everything I can get my hands on. So here’s my grand idea: I’m going to write this blog in an attempt to help other people like me, and maybe even people that don’t have the same issues I have.
The way I see it is writing is a complex art- And just like in any other type of art, you want the best tools you can possibly obtain. Like paintbrushes for watercolor, or graphite pencils for visual art. Those tools help you do better in whichever focus you have, so shouldn’t writing tools do the same?
You can argue that writing comes from within, from years of teaching, and I get that and agree with it- but there’s nothing wrong with a little extra help.
So, here are some of my (im)perfect tips for perfect writing.
- Sit your ass down. I’m sure a lot of you have heard this one but I can’t stress it enough. It is an extremely important aspect of writing that can start as a building block for success. When you make yourself sit down at your desk and put pen to paper (or fingers to keys,) it helps you commit yourself to the project even more.
- Set word goals. There’s a lot of neat sites and programs that can help you keep track of your word and character counts, and these sites usually come with extra functions as well, so it never hurts to “shop” around. The point of this, though, is to have realistic goals. Of course, the end goal is to finish your paper, end the novel, or complete your short story, but you need smaller goals in between, especially if your project is a rather large one. Think like a chapter or two a day, or 1,000-1,600 words a day. These are just random values I shoot for, but yours don’t have to be as extensive- Just set the goal. When you get to a certain word goal, there’s a sense of accomplishment that can follow, and even sometimes you’ll have the urge to keep on trudging through it. Writing is also a pain sometimes, which is why word goals are so important- Set small ones if you get easily restless, or you don’t have a lot of free time to set aside. The important thing is having a goal you can reach, or at least get close to.
- Write first, Edit later. Now this may sound easier than it is, and for some people (me in particular,) I have an insanely difficult time not editing on the way. And sometimes that’s okay. I usually find myself just fixing a word or grammar error, like a missing period or misspelled word. What I mean about not editing is when you stop your writing and go back to review what you’ve done. This is okay if you’ve found a good stopping point or reached a goal, but to backtrack in the middle of a writing process can hurt your workflow and get your mind off the current task. As painful as it might sound, sometimes you have to grit your teeth and push through that nagging urge to double-check what you’ve done.
- Take breaks (if you need to.) If you’re anything like me, you might have a hard time sitting and clacking at your keyboard for more than 20 or 30 minutes at a time (I can barely manage that.) So the logical way to stop yourself from getting worn out is to just take a break. Watch a YouTube video, look at Pinterest or Tumblr, or IG- Anything you want. The key here is to give your mind time to process something different and keep it from getting worn out on the same thing. The other key is to return to your writing once you’ve given your mental muscles time to breathe. It’s a weird thing to balance, but if you can find one, it does wonders.
· Find a writing buddy. Now this is a recent one for me, but it also helps a lot with your consistency. Basically find a friend or relative that bears a similar interest in writing that you do, one that can go through the journey of writing with together. If you can’t find someone that will write with you, at least find a friend that can hold you accountable. A good way to do it is ask them if they can keep you responsible- Tell them what you’re writing, what your daily word goals are, what times during the day you’ll be writing. It’s a new experience for me but I 100% recommend it to anyone that struggles with staying committed.
- Find an idea and stick with it. This is probably the hardest one for me personally. I have so many ideas that I’d love to see played out in stories and novels, but I can never make myself focus on just one. And that’s the key- You have to find the one. Now, it doesn’t mean you can’t have other ideas, but unless you’re an amazing multitasker, you need to focus on the one that you’re working on then and there. If I had a dollar for any idea that distracted me from finishing another idea, I’d be rich enough to hire someone else to write this for me. (Not really, I’d probably spend it on candy bars or something, but you get my point. Right?)
So those are just a few ideas off the top of my head. I might come back to this post at some later date to add more if any come to mind, or just start a new post entirely; call it part two or something. But that’s it for now on the Tips!
So below here, I’m going to list some of my favorite apps/websites that enable writing, ones that I personally enjoy and why I enjoy them. Here goes:
- sta.sh: Nothing too special here, basically just a free writing tool that’s similar (though not as extensive) as Microsoft Word. The cool thing about it is that it’s 100% free, all you need is a DeviantArt account. Sta.sh is 1005 online and backs up your files online as well automatically. It’s all private as well- No one else can see your stuff except for you, and if you do want to show it off, it generates a shareable link for your projects. Another cool perk is that you can store stuff besides writing, like pictures or videos.
- Wordcounter.net: Kind of a similar format, but the importance of it is basically in the website name. It counts up your word and character counts, but also a few other interesting things, like how long it would take someone to read your material. The site also determines your “reading level” based on the type of words and such that you use (though you should take it with a grain of salt.)
- Draftin.com: A free online website that just lets you write. An interesting mode it has, though, would be the “Hemingway Mode.” When you select this, you literally cannot change anything. I mean it- Try to backspace, nope. Try to highlight a word to retype it, nope. You can only go forward- Which could be either the greatest or the most infuriating thing you’ll ever see. Either way, I think it’s pretty neat.
- HemingwayApp.com: You would think that this site would have been the ones to come up with that neat little perk, but nah. This one’s still pretty cool, though- it has a writing mode and editing mode. The writing mode is very simple- Just write, nothing special aside from basic editing like bold, italics, etc. But the editing part shows a few neat things: sentence length, grammar errors (to a point) how many adverbs you have, and alternative phrases you can use. It’s pretty nifty if you ask me.
- Writer.Bighugelabs.com: My oh my, this one takes the cake for me. Call me weird, but I’m a sucker for certain sounds, and the clicking sound of a typewriter is among my favorites. So this app makes your keyboard sound just like that, as well as saving anything you write in the browser. Any time you leave, it’s automatically saved, and anytime you come back it pulls it right back up. The app is 100% free, but there is a pro membership if you want to go above and beyond the normal benefits of it.
- Hanxwriter: Now this is an iPhone app that is pretty much the same as the one above- make your phone keyboard sound like a typewriter. That’s it. But if you ask me, it’s the greatest thing ever, so go take a look.
- WriterDuet: Now I haven’t dipped my feet too far into this one, but from what I’ve seen I’m impressed. Once again, a phone app (unsure if it’s iPhone exclusive) that assists with your writing, and it’s really helpful for structuring scripts and the like.
- Notebook.ai: This right here? This is the mother-load. I don’t even care what you’re writing, but you need to check this out. It’s a website that helps you collect all your world building ideas or even ideas for papers or essays. (Just mostly for world building) It asks you important questions about your universe as well, and there are too many awesome perks to talk about on this blog- Just check it out! You won’t regret it.
- cerey.github.io/fighters-block: This is a fun, cute lil’ app that can push you intensely, or just give you some polite nudges. Basically you set a word goal and you have to keep writing, otherwise, the big bad monster will beat you up. Like I said, kind of cute, definitely entertaining.
That’s about all I have for now! Like I said, I might come back to this post to add new stuff later on, but I’m fresh out of ideas at the moment. If anyone reads this, I hope I was able to help in some way or another!
Just remember guys and gals: Dedication is the biggest but most important step. Just write- worry about everything else later.
P.S. Let me know if I should add screencaps of these apps/websites, or if I should just leave it as it is. Peace!
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Circle Watercolor Paintings Easy Step By Step Abstract
Hi everyone, How are you guys? Today,we will make a very easy step-by-step basic watercolour tutorial. It is very simple and very easy. All we have to do right now is to make a circle. Grab any tool around you, that will make you a circle shape.
That is the first step to make one big circle. Second step is to grab a big brush to wet the interior of the circle with water. Apply generously. Make sure you get a thick watercolour paper. At least 250 gsm, so that the paper can handle all the water.
Next, you have to grab a very tiny brush with a sharp tip, dip inside the water, to wet it. Today we are going to use two shades, brown and black. Dip the brush to pick up the colour.
Introduce the colour to the lining of the circle. There is no real difficult technique. You just have to keep dripping the colour into the lining of the circle. So it will create that beautiful wash effect. The water will take over to create that beautiful effect.
If the paper looks a bit dried, just keep introducing more water to it. To make sure your paper is a little bit damp, so the colour can be picked up by the water.
Next, you can start introducing the next colour to the painting. I am really liking this color combination. Just keep going around the circle, and keep going and trust the paint and the water to do what they do best. Let them do their job. Keep going until you close the circle and end up at the beginning.
There you go, very easy, there is no necessary training or technique you need to do. Just two colours and a brush. That's it and we are done. Very simple, very aesthetically pleasing, watercolour. And the last thing you need to do is to sign it! Make you everyone knows who made it!
Congratulations you just made your first beautiful watercolour painting.
Here are for some examples of colorful watercolor paintings / watercolor prints that I made by using this watercolor technique. Just so that you have future reference for more watercolor painting ideas. Thanks for watching guys!
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I use Sennelier paint and brush no 3 in this tutorial. If you want to grab a beginner test pack you can use this link http://tinyurl.com/ybx48vto
Paper: The paper house "Valero" mixed media pad
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AMA Transcript: Close Your Eyes
Next up, @redphlox & @mrsashketchum stopped by to chat about their Resbang, Close Your Eyes. Here’s some of what went down:
Q: What inspired the concept behind the fic?
redphlox: WELL, I've had the idea to write a left-at-the-altar fic for a while, but I never quite had it envisioned in my mind scene/plot wise. I only had the premise. Then this year I decided to research wedding planning and ask my married friends [about] their wedding planning experience, and after brainstorming/talking it out with @professor-maka I had a solid idea finally. I love writing about emotions, especially coming-of-age/working through difficult situations, but writing this was difficult because I've never been in that situation (being left at the altar) so it was a journey.
Q: Mak, what went into how you chose which scenes to art/gif?
Mak (mrsashketchum): I actually had to work closely with Julie on what scenes to art and for the animatic :D But for the first piece, I really loved the bathtub scene and I thought it was such a unique challenge for me to draw the backgrounds and to bring the scene to life visually :0 If it makes sense?
redphlox: Mak drew the bathtub scene first right after she read the first chapter, like she mentioned, and we worked on picking out the scene for the icon collage together! I had the characters closing their eyes during specific moments and wanted to highlight those, and Mak brought them to life!
Q: Jackie/Soul brotp is a thing that you've created in not only this fic but some of your past ones as well! What inspired that? :D
redphlox: I LOVE Jackie so much, I think it's because I see her as a snarky, quietly sarcastic type that I relate to, so writing her with grumpy ass Soul just makes sense to me. They both are so reticent in canon, it just fits to me to put them together and have them be BFFs :D
Q: Mak, what made you decide to do an animatic?? It was so cool I looooved it.
Mak (mrsashketchum): I enjoy making animatics so much and I've always wanted to be a storyboard artist. I've also been planning to make an animatic anyway for Resbang, but when I saw Julie's fic summary I knew that the animatic was absolutely something I wanted. And I thought a trailer-like thing would go very well with the story? (This is definitely not because of watching so many wedding themed movies before, nope, lol).
Q: For Julie: There were a lot of feelings spread out through the fic, some that nearly brought me to tears. Did you have the same reactions to writing it? What emotions exactly were you trying to bring out in the reader? (because you brought out a lot).
redphlox: Hmmm, well... I wanted to bring out a sense of loss in reference to relationships, and rebuilding, and growing together after the trust is lost or the other person seems to be changing in a way you aren't. I also wanted to touch on Soul and Maka's separate and individual relationships with other people outside of their relationship, if that makes sense? I also aimed to highlight all sorts of love, so it was important to me to talk about everyone's relationships with each other. Friendship, lala, haha. My reaction to writing it was... ahh, frustration, because certain scenes were beyond reasonably difficult to write.
Q: What brought about the Soul and Wes conflict? Because like I was telling you in DMs, that wounded me ahahaha it was way too real.
redphlox: The Soul and Wes conflict was something that came up as I writing. Originally Wes was supposed to be the all-knowing, all supportive and understanding brother, but the more I wrote the more Soul started to resent Wes's blind optimism, and it makes sense - Soul can be a negative person, and it seems like he needs to sulk to process, and Wes just wasn't having it. Their personalities are too different, and showing that was important because it's okay to love someone and not know how to comfort them.
Q: That felt so real julie I loved it. As the owner of many siblings it read as absolutely true. Did your life influence that?
redphlox: Wes and Soul's relationship issues are inspired by some self-reflecting I've been doing, and taking the Love Languages test and comparing it to my loved one's results.
Q: For Mak: What inspired your color palette for the bathroom scene? It was very warm and it brought out as much emotion through visuals as the words themselves did. Was that intentional?
Mak (mrsashketchum): Yes it was definitely intentional! Like I said in my previous answer, I worked so closely with Julie (we fangirled so much over everything honestly), she helped me with colors and their poses and if there were tiny details I missed. She sent me a lot of references too which is very helpful for me since I tend to make use visual references more. It's always helpful to work closely with the author so that the feeling of the artwork doesn't wholly overwhelm the feeling of the writing style? Like I wanted it to match as well :") I'm glad it turned out amazingly.
Q: I was wondering Julie how you came up with the concept of the radio confession. I loved that Jackie's show was commandeered.
redphlox: Well, I was thinking, what's the opposite of having Soul be constipated with his feelings?? Blurting them out in public of course, haha, so that's how I came up with that scene. It's the first scene I had actually, and I plotted the fic for that ending. I also have Jackie as a public figure in many of AU's, she was a blogger in my model au, so the role seems a running gag in my writing.
Mak (mrsashketchum): Constipated was the best way to describe him with his feelings.
Q: So weird question for Julie: There's a movie I remember watching years and years ago, that I was reminded of when reading the radio confession scene, unfortunately for the life of me I can't remember the name of it. Did you draw that scene up from what would have fit into the story, or were you influenced by an outside source, like perhaps that mystery movie?
redphlox: I like to listen to the morning radio and always wonder how people are brave enough to go live on air and talk about their relationships or embarrassing moments etc, so that kind of inspired the radio scene too!
Q: I really enjoyed TsuWes btw, and it's not a ship I've really seen. What made you decide on it?
redphlox: AHHH well, they're both Tall, and I love both of them so.... I made them love each other. Also the ship name WesTsu Bestu got me.
Mak (mrsashketchum): I always thought that Tsu and Wes love to tease Soul and Maka together, so the ship happened like that haha.
Q: Btw Tsubaki owning a flower shop is greaaat was that always the plan?
redphlox: Tsu owning a flower shop was also one of those things that just came about because I needed someone to deliver those "I still love you" flowers, but it fit so perfectly because of how Soul fit into learning flower arranging from her and thus getting him to stay in Death City. It was one of those things that fell into place.
Mak (mrsashketchum): Those stuff in AUs that fall into place are the best accidents, if u can call it that.
Q: Question for Mak; the animatic, that collage, the illustration; how did you manage to capture the fic in its entirety, while still giving each piece made its own personality so to speak? For example; the bathroom scene with your color choices made it warm, melancholy, touching, the watercolor for the collage was deep and soothing at the same time, intense, and the animatic, the monotones give it a blank canvas for each viewer to create their own emotional interpretation. How are you absolutely amazing I guess is my overall question??
redphlox: This is the most important question of this AMA tbh. I love the lighting in that piece akfdsgnfkdfdss. I felt it in my heart.
Mak (mrsashketchum): Oh my god. Thank u for the question!!!! I... actually honestly have no idea haha. I guess it's just that when you love a concept so much and completely have a wonderful connection with your partner that it just flows? I wanted to really make the artworks fit into the theme and the feel of the writing. I made sure that while Julie checked if my artwork had the feel she was going for, I also wanted to make sure that what I was feeling was gonna reflect on it as well. This is for the bathtub scene btw haha. The collage was actually supposed to be monochrome as well but I wanted to give it some color too? Like the fic in its entirety is just blasting with emotions? And yet it's generally so soft to me. The animatic was really supposed to have that gray background because I've seen a lot of animatics drawn that way haha. But I did make it work to my advantage that it wasn't too overwhelmingly dark but it's so that you could see the tears as well? It would be hard if the background was white and the tears were white too, right? :0
Q: By the way I loved the weddings in the fic. Like I wanted to attend them they sounded gorgeous. How did you decide on those elements?
redphlox: I have an aesthetic/personal blog where I reblog a lot of pictures of flowers and I came across one that was a ball room covered in flowers and I thought - yep, Wes and Tsu would be married here. As for Soul and Maka's wedding, I LOVE being out at night, and I love soft lighting and would like a night wedding if I ever get married, so yeah. Aesthetic, haha.
Q: How did you manage to capture a canon-like Soul in an AU?
redphlox: Ahhh I just... plot out the fic centered with feelings first and go from there.
Q: I wanna know more about this fantastic partnership. it sounds like you guys were a great team and worked so well together - any tips on communication for anyone out there who may have felt shy? Also, give us the beta comments >:)
redphlox: Okay I LOVED working with Mak! Even though we're like, what, twelve hrs time difference??? we still managed to be online at the same time and work on our projects together. She'd draw line art and show me and I'd write a scene and show her and we'd keysmash at each other. It was soooo rewarding and fun!
Mak (mrsashketchum): I would like to say that Julie and I are the Angst Twins actually. I love working with Julie too???? Like everything just really worked out.
redphlox: It wasn't even planned tbh, I would see her online and go like :eyes: and she'd be like "im working on the collage!" or vice versa. It really felt like it was OUR resbang and not just MINE y’know? Tip wise, I'd say find a platform you really enjoy being on/are available on the most and communicate through there, that really worked for Mak and I.
redphlox: Since this was a srs fic most beta comments were of surprise and like, offended bc I did something Bad.
Jaded [@jaded-envy] made a lot of silly comments! She is amazing. Like when Maka is at the bookstore and looking up self help books for looooove, jaded titled them after some fics i've written.
Q: Question for both Mak and Julie; your partnership sounded like it flowed like a dream. Did you guys ever feel like you were overpowering one another? I know alot of partnerships struggle with the "am I bugging them too much" or "what if i'm doing it wrong" mindsets, so how did you guys get past that, for anyone who suffered from those feelings.
Mak (mrsashketchum): Oh that's actually an interesting question! I never thought of me overpowering Julie or her overpowering over me? It's more like I want to be able to do as much work as she does? Since we're partners we must work hand-in-hand and not with one of us being the overpowering one? So to speak.
redphlox: SAME what Mak said, I always offered her to give suggestions for the fic and she always asked me for advice on colors and we listened to each other. Basically we were considerate of each other, it was/is amazing :' D
Mak (mrsashketchum): aaaaaaa true ;w; Since it is technically a partnership, we treated it as if it were like something we needed to work on together, and doing stuff at the same time really helped put it into perspective in a way?
Q: Where did the inspo from the bathtub scene came from? Did you draw from a specific experience/influence for that?
redphlox: Hmm... well, no specific experience influenced that, it just like, happened? I thought like, "ok where would Maka be if she were crying?" and it made sense to put her in the bathtub after she spilled the ink on herself, and she prob had no energy to leave, so there she stayed until Soul found her.
Q: Also Julie, I know you suffered from writers block I kicked your butt into gear once, lol. How did you overcome it? When I get to a sentence or idea that I can't exactly word or find a way to explain, I usually drop it for weeks and then come back to it. Can't do that with Resbang to an extent so how'd you get past it within a limited amount of time without rushing the pace, or glossing over an idea that was meant to be incorporated into the fic?
redphlox: ahhhh WELL, I wrote 40kish between Jan 1st and Jan 16th, so a deadline kicks me into high gear. A lot of the block was not knowing what happens in weddings and doing research tbh x) I died a little but it made me stronger.
Q: Okay you broke my heart a number of times, can you explain the thought process of why Maka never texted Soul?
redphlox: Maka was just too shook to think rationally :0 Have you ever been so anxious it feels like you're going to die? That's basically how it was for her, the emotion was too strong. She realizes later she could have done better and coming to terms that she makes mistakes is also a lesson she had to learn.
Q: How long did recording voices for the animatic take? And did you have any silly moments while doing so? haha
Mak (mrsashketchum): I actually had the weirdest time doing every voice, it's crazy. It took half an hour to be honest? It didn't need to be perfect, it just needed to have the right emotion. I had to channel every angsty fiber of my being for crying!Maka.
Q: For Mak: Do you feel like you grew in your art skills through this bang? If so, how?
Mak (mrsashketchum): I actually did grow a lot in my art skills with this bang! I felt that giving myself more challenges in backgrounds helped a lot in dealing with drawing perspective. And also with hair. I learned so much with color as well and how each shade and palette is definitely super important.
Q: What are you most proud of for the piece/pieces you did?
Mak (mrsashketchum): I’m really proud of all my pieces! But if i could only pick one then it would be the bathtub scene for sure! I spent most of my waking hours for it and I even made a 3d model for the perspective just for a reference.
Q: What are you working on next?
Mak (mrsashketchum): I’m definitely working on some more animatics and animations and my Vday art will be super late haha. Also SoMa Week is near and I'm planning really big things!
Q: Favorite/least favorite moment/scene to write?
redphlox: Mmm my fave scene to write was all of them, I felt like I looked forward to all of them now that I look back to it, if that makes sense?
Q: Hardest scene/part to write?
Redphlox: A difficult scene to write was the very end where Soul and Maka finally talk it out bc I felt that I had gotten them in SO MUCH TROUBLE that I was like "how the fffff do I fix this?" But luckily I had the best betas, jaded and proma, there as I wrote it and we were all on the doc at the same time and we were all just, live writing/betaing. I’m v happy to have explored Soul and Maka's friendships and family life. One of my favorite scenes was the scene where Liz talked Maka through some Hard Truths. I love Liz. I think there was a scene I had to delete bc it just wasn’t fitting, it was with Kim and Soul, but I ended up using bits of it later.
Q: Tell us about your writing process.
redphlox: My writing process was basically writing like a turtle at the beginning/struggling to find inspiring music to write to/plotting, and then the last bit was writing 7k daily and going !!!! internally. Lots of keysmashes to my betas.
Q: What are you most proud of this Resbang?
redphlox: Im really proud of writing and finishing this resbang tbh, I had an amazing partner and had fun with my betas, and I pushed my writing speed/abilities because I explored some feelings I hadn't ever experienced before (being left at the altar) I'm happy with the outcome!
Q: Was music important to your process at all, and if so, are there any songs/playlists that were relevant?
redphlox: Yesssss so jaded made a playlist! Lemme get it. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7rssdV2CkoNRl4-cPWuqm7ocC-QxP0Vn
Q: What are you working on next?
redphlox: Next, I'm working on plotting this year's Resbang, finishing Siren AU, writing and posting my longfic Sailor Moon AU, and aside from writing I'm working on being a better reviewer/commenter and beta :D
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