#don't let them paint over it

[heyimboredtalktome]

#i needed this #call the places by their original names #don't let them paint over it #FREE PALESTINE #palestine #fuck israel #free gaza #gaza #gaza strip #death to israel

[oatbugs]

today was ok good great bad 😭 rant in tags lets try to be normal abt this

#it's not tuscan leather， but they do smell like mint and cherries and a fireplace. they kissed me #all over my back， and my hand， and my shoulders. i only ever kissed them on the lips. i only ever kiss them #when i'm about to leave them at the station gates. some red-eyed bloodhound cancelled their own plans and i laughed with them like a friend #i asked if they want me to bring them a hot water bottle or painkillers or a pair of lungs for them to eat. #the person in front of me has 4 lungs and 2 hearts and a brown leather coat and those bright radiance-incarnate kind of eyes. #you know the kind i mean. their hands are diligent with the pen. they say that i'm an angel and i'm right and i decide #the truths-in-all-possible-worlds. they say they only perceive the parts of me that i'd like perceived. they say all the right things. #the dog doesn't mind at all. the next station is edgeware road again. the dog says don't come over baby. its all slurred and deep and #shallow. returns a falsum. i really like you， baby. let's just be nothing， baby. i can't comprehend that anyone was raised unhappy. #she has free gaza painted on the back of her designer jacket， and she says she can't believe people suffer. there's something wrong with me #baby， why else would i turn down two perfect girls? she broke my nose， baby. ye zendegie dige ashaghet misham azize delam. #she might be a rich bitch but i only lived in kensington， baby. sunshine says they can't have kids because they plan to be #an enemy of many states. i offered to meet them but i look up and i notice the blonde streaks in their hair moving in the light. #i tell sunshine i'll never sleep with them. they want me in such a kind way it almost hurts. #they say we have a lot to teach other. i put the dog down again. my friend is wrapped around me. my friend walks me to the station. #i kiss them goodbye at the gates.

[runawaycarouselhorse]

"Why does autism seem more common in males?

Being female does appear to protect the brain from many developmental disabilities, not just autism. There is emerging evidence that girls with autism need more extreme genetic mutations than boys to develop autism.

However, there is a growing body of work that indicates that autism just presents differently in girls and therefore often goes unrecognised, especially in verbally fluent girls with normal intelligence. Girls with autism also appear to be better at ‘camouflaging’ their symptoms in order to fit in.

With the diagnostic criteria for ASD based largely in how autism presents in males, girls can often ‘slip under the radar’ or get misdiagnosed. Girls with ASD seem to have less restricted and repetitive behaviours than boys, but it’s also possible that some of these behaviours go unrecognised — for example, an obsessive interest in collecting dolls may be misinterpreted as pretend play.

What does autism look like in girls?

Although every child with autism is different, here are some common characteristics in girls with autism:

A special interest in animals, music, art, and literature

A strong imagination (might escape into the worlds of nature or fiction)

A desire to arrange and organise objects

Not wanting to play cooperatively with female peers (for example, wanting to dictate the rules of play or preferring to play alone to maintain control)

A tendency to ‘mimic’ others in social situations in order to blend in

An ability to hold their emotions in check at school, but be prone to meltdowns or explosive behaviour at home

Strong sensory sensitivities, especially to sounds and touch (for example; clothing tags, socks or even deodorant).

For autistic girls to thrive, it’s important they have access to a timely and accurate diagnosis, and the informed supports that come with it. A delayed or missed diagnosis can impede their education and development, as well as their social and community participation.

While boys with autism are more likely to have outwardly challenging behaviours, (indicating underlying issues, such as anxiety) girls with autism are more vulnerable to internalising problems.

As our understanding of how autism affects females is still emerging, it is important parents and professionals alike stay updated on the best ways to specifically support girls and women on the spectrum."

#autism #special interests #masking #actuallyautistic #my first special interest was Ariel The Little Mermaid and mermaids in general #I presently love dolls although I didn't as a very tomboyish child who loved to play in dirt and draw and learn about animals #I still feel calmest outside or even just watching the sky and birds and exploring gardens or flowers (weeds) breaking through concrete #my special interest then became the Pokemon anime and Team Rocket trio and Rocketshipping for years... #then finally Shootie (Trip) from the Pokemon anime too and this last one definitely puts people off because they don't understand it #I only used to one repetitive imaginative play and it was one plush dying while another plush or my single doll back then wept over it ^^;; #not social play generally... I played alone and mostly only very carefully collected toys #kept them clean wouldn't touch them except with clean hands wouldn't sleep cuddling them so they don't get sweat on them #didn't get the concept of a well-loved toy because my love was keeping them in as perfect condition as possible #(I have some toys I did play with especially now that I love to do toy photography) #carrying plushies around and stuff can get them a bit stressed looking... ^^;;; #but I still try to keep them as neat as possible #and mostly just collect and keep them around #I used to draw every single day of my life #if I just wait for something slow to load I'd open Paint and doodle #I thought I'd be dead before I could let a day pass without drawing UNTIL I tried to stop myself from ever drawing Trip #inspiration went DEAD AND DRY days without drawing anything #so weird..... not healthy for me #drawing was how I expressed my emotions even when I had no one to talk to or who would listen #also I hate perfume so much PFFT there are very very few light scents I like #long post #if somebody is going to be a moron like the the two in the replies please read that for proof my being very visibly not neurotypical nearly #cost my career twice and led to bullying even as an adult #and discrimination #and my sensory issues while beneficial for hearing say heart murmurs #also led to bullies trying to expose me because how ableist and

[batfamfucker]

Pavitr reminds me of Dick so much. They would be besties and bond over their hair together 😭

#Someone please draw them going over hair grooming tips #They would have sleepovers and gossip #Them fighting togeter. Spidey with his gold web things (I'm sorry I know they likely have a name but don't know it. Lmk if you do please) #And Nightwing with his batons #Omfg they'd be so powerful. And HILARIOUS #Pavitr would be gushing over his gf (I forgot her name I'm sorry) and Dick over Wally #Jason and Hobie would also probably be friends #Tim and Margo. Or Margo and Babs?? #People may think Bruce and Miguel. Getting mistaken for a vampire resonates. But Miguel beat down a child so #I know he's hot but at what cost #So I raise you Bruce and Peter. Peter would show Bruce all of Mayday's pics and Bruce would show Peter pics of his kids in return #The wholesome dads would bond and gush over their kids #Gwen Cass and Steph would be besties #Kate and Jess have brunch dates over having to deal with everyone else #Duke and Miles too. They're both. Done. With everyone around them #They look around at the chaos and dip. #I feel like Tim and Miles would chill too. Like Miles uses some of Tim's photography as art inspo. Or Tim pictures some of Miles art #Speaking of Damian and Miles would get along too. So much painting and parkour #Alfred Damian and Pavitr have tea parties. Hobie comes over just to bother Alfred. Alfred secretly loves Hobie #Miles would be like. They want me to let my dad die :/ #And Bruce would be torn between letting it happen so he could adopt him. But in reality actually go feral on Miguel's ass #Because Been There Done That. He wouldn't want Mikes to go through it too #Spiderman Across The Spiderverse #Spiderman Into The Batverse #Spiderverse Spoilers #Across The Spiderverse Spoilers

[tunedtostatic]

[Additional Image Description: On a grey background, there are five small black line art illustrations lined up across the center. The first is a sword with a hooked blade pointing upwards, the second is a hand with magic curling up out of it, the center is a castle with wavy lines extending from it into a dark sky, the third is a beaker with steam curling up from it, and the last is a shortsword pointing downwards. The sword has a few dark red shading lines. In the lower right corner of the fanmix cover is the title, "heart of my own," in dark red medieval calligraphy font. End Additional Image Description.]

HEART OF MY OWN - A FANMIX FOR CASSANDRA DE ROLO IN THE TIME OF THE BRIARWOODS

Overgrown - machineheart // Edge of the World - Within Temptation // Ashes and Rust - Wynnie Stone // Take Me Home - The Paper Kites, Nadia Reid // Nobody (Live) - The Crane Wives // The Tangled Tree - Josienne Clarke and Ben Walker // Heart Of My Own - Basia Bulat // Don't She Run - I Draw Slow // Murder City - Abigail Lapell // Until the Fire - Ladytron // Control - Halsey // Lament - Mount Moriah // Catch the Light - Haroula Rose

Fanmix on YouTube

Fanmix on Spotify

#cassandra de rolo #cr1 #music #fanmix #id in alt text #described #remember how i was like i spent $8 or whatever it was on paint from cvs because i wanted to make the cass fanmix a painted cover? #l + ratio + i did not have time + my camera isn't working so i can't even do a minimalist painted version #so here's literal clipart (not actually clipart its free use images from pixabay but lets be real. stylistically. its clipart) #you can see what my Vision would have been (i wanted to paint the above in medieval manuscript illustration style on a black #background where instead of the (very nice) castle in the center it would have been the sun tree/tree from the de rolo crest #with curling branches and roots filling the whole paper above and below as well #honestly i think artistic vision clip art edition turned out good! captured the vibe. even found a sword that looks like craven edge. #this is another thing i never made a follow-up post about and i'm going to do that rn (pandemic talk incoming) #i'm stepping away from the fandom by the live show because i can't watch them do a live show in a pandemic #like friends are staying in the fandom and i don't judge/care!! i don't *want* to leave i just can't watch or do art and fic for a #work of fiction after it gets real life human beings killed #thats my uncrossable line #its an incredibly sad and fucked up situation #and this week i'm trying to finish up some fanworks (this and another mix and two fics) that i had done or over half done pre-announcement #so i can get that out of the way and focus on. i guess irl is not the word but keeping in touch with fandom bros and practical stuff for #what i think will be a shitty last couple of weeks before the live show itself

[katethevampire]

Oh God the musical theater is breaking into my dreams there were literally songs happening, I BROKE INTO SONG TOWARDS THE END OF THE DREAM WHILE TRYING TO DEFEAT THE VILLAIN WHAT

#to be fair I don't think my brain came up with original melodies #because I can specifically remember one of them to the tune of let it grow from the lorax movie #also a lot of them including my song were directly copying the opening number to the Percy Jackson musical #also there might have been little hints of this Day Aria in there? #and there was just general music playing in the background during the entire dream #oh also did I mention the dream was about me in a grocery store trying to defeat an evil monster high doll that I brought to life because #she started being mean so I yelled at her and then she got mad and put a curse on the entire supermarket where if you ate anything you got #obsessed with it and people started fighting each other and also I could fly? #oh and also at one part some employee was doing a motivational speech (before getting possessed) and while I was walking over to him to see #I saw someone dressed as Scooby-Doo #like with face paint and stuff. don't know what that's about. #dreams #monster high #musicals

[running-in-the-dark]

I'm so desperately bored rn. can't do anything. because all I want to do is think about Dan or Jenkins. but I don't want to let myself do that because then I'll lie down and fall asleep and the day will be over and it'll feel like I didn't do anything.

can't even watch anything. nothing feels right. I'm. so bored. I tried drawing but. nope. head empty.

#.. except for him #which is NOT helping #I hate this feeling #someone stab me please #wanted to paint. it's been a few days. but can't. #baaad bad brain feelings #wish I could just stay in my stupid daydreams forever. it feels so much better there. #which is why I can't let myself go there right now. I can already feel myself going back to just. lying in bed daydreaming all day #like. I just. can't stop it. it's all I care about #i just want to be there #I want to be with them and I can't so everything feels pointless #how do you get over that #it keeps happening again and again even when everything's fine #idk I just feel so lost #existence is pointless #maybe I should become one of those horrible people who don't watch/read/interact with anything fictional #but then what would be left #of me I mean. #not much #ugh I'm insufferable right now #personal

[unproduciblesmackdown]

recreation of a couple photos from a scene between orville & phil that do seem to have homosexual overtones / intense friendship / possible romance energy

also the ensemble is there (& joe, & montgomery, & gloria, off to the sides) but the orvphil plausibilities feel Quite real

#from someone's pictures from a preview performance....dunno their stance on slapping down a repost right out there so: renderings #i would describe it as fairly remarkable lol. there are indeed ppl like clasping their hands smiling upon the scene in the backgrounds lol #can't quite capture it all in trackpad ms paint but like. intense professional friendship is right. #and that these pics immediately follow what's presumably the scene of montgomery out there seducing orville's mom so like #why not be a parallel.... #meanwhile this Isn't their meetcute; another pic earlier has different outfits & shows it includes the film's Glasses Mixup swapping #striding over embracing cheri steinkellner like you get it....you just get it.... #meanwhile there's then Further pics of phil and orville like. i think after the scene i am recreating here #All pics of phil & orville ft. them together from there out. fellas? #summer stock #orville wingate #i'll break out a whole tag for real and for fun lol #orvphil #other points for this concept just include like. don't tell tim but ''the narrative'' that queer people exist...is shoehorned into Reality #and that everything abt the writing / execution of this show makes it amenable / conducive to this plausibility #we can also have comedy & extra comedic characters here w/o it being ''lol imagine if anyone was gay? that's the joke'' #and again i strongly doubt if this show Is invoking homosexual overtones it's to go ''haha. that would never happen. is the joke'' #congratulations to Whatever They Have #congratulations to us summery stockies out here hoping for orville & phil material & Definitely getting it....duo for sure #i was even just let down w/the movie Only giving the corresponding roles the glasses mixup moment. let the funny boys interact. cmon #anyways ofc i'll dm you the pix if you're intrigued or just the link to the zipped mega file as sent along to me #phil Has got his arm/hand right over orville's chest who is hanging onto that arm in turn #phil Is leaning a bit in with his hand on orville's stomach like alright musicians grab your musicians

[supreme-leader-stoat]

wait are you saying ring of power is trash because of the diverse cast or bc its Amazon? bc apparently a lot of critics are being racist af about the casting than anything else

Because it's Amazon (especially given that earlier Amazon was using their ownership of IMDb to scrub any negative reviews regardless of validity or content), the creators have made pretty abundantly clear their disregard for the source material ("Can we come up with the novel Tolkien never wrote," "But that was then, this is now and we’re telling the story now"), poor treatment of stunt specialists, really bad props and costuming (the elves especially), throwing out established characterization and timelines, dwarven women not having beards (yeah yeah it's a bit of a silly thing to gripe about, but we Tolkien fans are nothing if not devoted to detail), just the general vibe of trying to turn this into the next Game of Thrones instead of letting it be its own thing, etc., etc., the list goes on.

I'm not 100% happy with the casting, but that's probably the most minor and ultimately inconsequential of my criticisms, more rooted in a love of source material accuracy than anything else. If we were talking about a fantasy story in a setting rooted in African mythology, I think it'd make sense to want Black actors to portray it. If we were looking at something like The Stormlight Archive being adapted, I'd probably want most of the major actors to be Polynesian and/or Arabic, since that's how the Alethi are described as looking. This is a setting inspired by European mythology, so for accuracy's sake it makes sense to me to cast actors of European descent. If I thought the show was actually making an earnest effort as an adaptation in other regards, it's a divergence I'd happily roll with, but taken with everything else it just comes off as one more instance of not caring about the source material except as a vehicle to promote what should have been a wholly original story to begin with.

#like I don't doubt that there's people being racist #because this is The Internet #but I'm not about to let Amazon use what has so far accounted for a vast VAST minority of any criticism I've seen directed at this show #to paint over the rest of this show's detractors #who on the whole I think have very valid reasons for being disappointed #like this isn't just a Tolkien thing #everyone deserve better than having their favorite stories churned out into superficial adaptations by people who don't care about them #all so megacorps can make a quick buck

[nibwhipdragon]

joseph joestar reblogging that tsukasa suou gif for the 200th time and pissing off all his follwers

per ms request pwease

Stares at you with ADHD eyes as he proceeds to flood his followers' dashes with Tsukasa your world and universe and your rock and keeps you sane every single day

(I forgot the keyboard and mouse, but Joseph is powerful so he simply commands the computer to mass reblog the post ok)

#answered asks #jjba #joseph joestar #yeah maintagging this. tsukasa rock your world!!! #RIP Joseph. If he lived long enough and wasn't old as balls when enstars released he woulda LOVED it #Koga and Tetora would be his faves imo #and Arashi ofc. but who doesn't love Arashi let's be real. #also funnily enough after starting to draw on ms paint. i feel much better about my drawings I'm not beating myself up over them anymore #where's that post about drawing with only a ballpoint on scrap paper so it's bad #and so you don't stress about perfecting it so it improves #also the way I draw Joseph IS based on Bootlegseph. just a fun tidbit. #nibwhip doodles #<– Forgor 💀 that

[essektheylyss]

they show up looking at you like this, wyd

I started Jester two years ago and promptly remembered I had absolutely no idea what I was doing with oil paints, and it just sat unfinished on my shelf until I picked it up again this week and finished it in a matter of hours.

and promptly went, "I can't just start Fjord, it's gonna take me another two years," but lo and behold, it did not!

so have some matching saint portraits because why not really

#critical role #jester lavorre #fjord #we'll see it I let these go and don't decide to paint over any portion of them lol #BUT now I have actually managed to convince myself I can do oil paint portraits which I. was absolutely not convinced of prior to this week #we'll see what happens lmao #my art

[awkward-teabag]

I hate the idea of living around the resale value of your home. Comfort should come well before the theoretical sale of your home, especially if you have no plan on moving in the next decade or two as what's popular right now is going to be dated by then anyway so you're making yourself/others uncomfortable while spending money when you'll have to spend yet more money getting new flooring/paint/appliances/etc. if you want to sell it in 20 years anyway.

#housing should have never become a commodity to begin with let's be honest #but people can get so fixated on a fictional number going up they think it's normal to not do anything for personal comfort #obviously you don't want the place to have cleanliness or maintenance issues #but if you want to paint a room pink and have funky carpet and don't plan on selling any time soon #why are you prioritizing a theoretical that will change no matter what #over what *you* want to do and what *you* would enjoy in your own home?? #also hoas are the devil so no judgement for people who live with them #thus can't do anything personal without getting fined to hell and back

[homiebromantic]

it's been a weird of year of not being the worst but still bad /:

#its me...im the problem #.. the common denominator 😔😔 #in other news my last baby chick died i think the adult ones bullied her and since the others also died one vanished she got cold #they wouldn't let her perch with them 😔 chickens are so mean sometimes... #my DOG disappeared and nobody has seen him amd hes not on the animal shelter sites or craigslist or nextdoor. #andy 3 of my cats ranaway and disappeared as well. #and i didnt plant anything. or do any wood projects. or paint. or traditional art. #i DIDNT work on any of my wips a.sigmificant amount. #my cousin keeps leaving water pooled on the bathroom floor so now theres water damage on the flooring #the fucking. caulk is so nasty I never fixed that #my truck is stuttering. AGAIN. #sigh. i neverrrrrr planned to be an adult pls let me rest #also i need to go to sleep likeMEOW bc ive messed up my morning routine BADso bad #I don't think this 5-2 shift over the winter esp. is good for me

[thatdogmagic]

...that your audience won't hate.

This is a method I started using when NFTs were on the rise - thieves would have to put actual work into getting rid of the mark - and one that I am now grateful for with the arrival of AI. Why? Because anyone who tries to train an AI on my work will end up with random, disruptive color blobs.

I can't say for sure it'll stop theft entirely, but it WILL make your images annoying for databases to incorporate, and add an extra layer of inconvenience for thieves. So as far as I'm concerned, that's a win/win.

I'll be showing the steps in CSP, but it should all be pretty easy to replicate in Photoshop.

Now: let's use the above image as our new signature file. I set mine to be 2500 x 1000 pixels when I'm just starting out.

Note that your text should not have a lot of anti-aliasing, so using a paint brush to start isn't going to work well with this method. Just use the standard G-Pen if you're doing this by hand, or, just use the text tool and whichever font you prefer.

Once that's done, take your magic wand tool, and select all the black. Here are the magic wand settings I'm using to make the selections:

All selected?

Good.

Now, find a brush with a scattering/tone scraping effect. I use one like this.

You can theoretically use any colors you want for this next part, but I'd recommend pastels as they tend to blend better.

Either way, let's add some color to the text.

Once that's finished,

You're going to want to go to Layer Property, and Border Effect

You'll be given an option of choosing color and thickness. Choose black, and go for at least a 5 in thickness. Adjust per your own preferences.

Now create a layer beneath your sig layer, and merge the sig down onto the blank layer.

This effectively 'locks in' the border effect, which is exactly what we want.

Hooray, you've finished your watermark!

Now let's place that bad boy into your finished piece.

You'll get the best mileage out of a mark if you can place it over a spot that isn't black of white, since you'll get better blending options that way. My preference is for Overlay.

From here, I'll adjust the opacity to around 20-25, depending on the image.

If you don't have a spot to use overlay, however, there's a couple other options. For white, there's Linear Burn, which imho doesn't look as good, but it still works in a pinch.

And for lots of black, you have Linear Light

Either way, you're in business!

EDIT since this has escaped my usual circles, and folks aren't as familiar with my personal usage:

An example of one of my own finished pieces, with watermark, so you can see what I mean about 'relatively unobtrusive'-- I try to at least use them as framing devices, or let them work with the image somehow (or, at the very least, not actively against it).

I know it's a bummer for some people to "ruin" their work with watermarks, which is part of the reason I developed this mark in particular. Its disruption is about as minimal as I can make it while still letting it serve its intended purpose.

There's other methods, too, of course! But this is the one I use, and the one I can speak on. Hope it helps some of you!

#watermarks #artist tutorial #watermark #AI #art theft

[inkskinned]

the thing about art is that it was always supposed to be about us, about the human-ness of us, the impossible and beautiful reality that we (for centuries) have stood still, transfixed by music. that we can close our eyes and cry about the same book passage; the events of which aren't real and never happened. theatre in shakespeare's time was as real as it is now; we all laugh at the same cue (pursued by bear), separated hundreds of years apart.

three years ago my housemates were jamming outdoors, just messing around with their instruments, mostly just making noise. our neighbors - shy, cautious, a little sheepish - sat down and started playing. i don't really know how it happened; i was somehow in charge of dancing, barefoot and laughing - but i looked up, and our yard was full of people. kids stacked on the shoulders of parents. old couples holding hands. someone had brought sidewalk chalk; our front walk became a riot of color. someone ran in with a flute and played the most astounding solo i've ever heard in my life, upright and wiggling, skipping as she did so. she only paused because the violin player was kicking his heels up and she was laughing too hard to continue.

two weeks ago my friend and i met in the basement of her apartment complex so she could work out a piece of choreography. we have a language barrier - i'm not as good at ASL as i'd like to be (i'm still learning!) so we communicate mostly through the notes app and this strange secret language of dancers - we have the same movement vocabulary. the two of us cracking jokes at each other, giggling. there were kids in the basement too, who had been playing soccer until we took up the far corner of the room. one by one they made their slow way over like feral cats - they laid down, belly-flat against the floor, just watching. my friend and i were not in tutus - we were in slouchy shirts and leggings and socks. nothing fancy. but when i asked the kids would you like to dance too? they were immediately on their feet and spinning. i love when people dance with abandon, the wild and leggy fervor of childhood. i think it is gorgeous.

their adults showed up eventually, and a few of them said hey, let's not bother the nice ladies. but they weren't bothering us, they were just having fun - so. a few of the adults started dancing awkwardly along, and then most of the adults. someone brought down a better sound system. someone opened a watermelon and started handing out slices. it was 8 PM on a tuesday and nothing about that day was particularly special; we might as well party.

one time i hosted a free "paint along party" and about 20 adults worked quietly while i taught them how to paint nessie. one time i taught community dance classes and so many people showed up we had to move the whole thing outside. we used chairs and coatracks to balance. one time i showed up to a random band playing in a random location, and the whole thing got packed so quickly we had to open every door and window in the place.

i don't think i can tell you how much people want to be making art and engaging with art. they want to, desperately. so many people would be stunning artists, but they are lied to and told from a very young age that art only matters if it is planned, purposeful, beautiful. that if you have an idea, you need to be able to express it perfectly. this is not true. you don't get only 1 chance to communicate. you can spend a lifetime trying to display exactly 1 thing you can never quite language. you can just express the "!!??!!!"-ing-ness of being alive; that is something none of us really have a full grasp on creating. and even when we can't make what we want - god, it feels fucking good to try. and even just enjoying other artists - art inherently rewards the act of participating.

i wasn't raised wealthy. whenever i make a post about art, someone inevitably says something along the lines of well some of us aren't that lucky. i am not lucky; i am dedicated. i have a chronic condition, my hands are constantly in pain. i am not neurotypical, nor was i raised safe. i worked 5-7 jobs while some of these memories happened. i chose art because it mattered to me more than anything on this fucking planet - i would work 80 hours a week just so i could afford to write in 3 of them.

and i am still telling you - if you are called to make art, you are called to the part of you that is human. you do not have to be good at it. you do not have to have enormous amounts of privilege. you can just... give yourself permission. you can just say i'm going to make something now and then - go out and make it. raquel it won't be good though that is okay, i don't make good things every time either. besides. who decides what good even is?

you weren't called to make something because you wanted it to be good, you were called to make something because it is a basic instinct. you were taught to judge its worth and over-value perfection. you are doing something impossible. a god's ability: from nothing springs creation.

a few months ago i found a piece of sidewalk chalk and started drawing. within an hour i had somehow collected a small classroom of young children. their adults often brought their own chalk. i looked up and about fifteen families had joined me from around the block. we drew scrangly unicorns and messed up flowers and one girl asked me to draw charizard. i am not good at drawing. i basically drew an orb with wings. you would have thought i drew her the mona lisa. she dragged her mother over and pointed and said look! look what she drew for me and, in the moment, i admit i flinched (sorry, i don't -). but the mother just grinned at me. he's beautiful. and then she sat down and started drawing.

someone took a picture of it. it was in the local newspaper. the summary underneath said joyful and spontaneous artwork from local artists springs up in public gallery. in the picture, a little girl covered in chalk dust has her head thrown back, delighted. laughing.

#writeblr #warm up #this is longer than i wanted i really considered removing that part about myself and what i went thru #but i think it really fucking bothers me that EVERY time i talk about being an artist #ppl assume i just like. had the skill and ability to drop everything and pay for grad school. #like sir i grew up poor. my house wasn't a safe space. i gave up a FREE RIDE TO LAW SCHOOL. for THIS. bc i chose it. #was it fucking hard? was i choosing the hard thing?? yes. #but we need to stop seeing artists as lazy layabouts that can ''afford'' to just ''sit around and create'' #when MANY - if not MOST - of us are NOT like that. we have to work our fucking ASSES off. hard work. long and hard work #part of valuing artists is recognizing the amount we sacrifice to make our art. bc it doesn't just #like HAPPEN to us. also btw it rarely has anything to do with true talent. #speaking as someone with a chronic condition i hate when ppl are like u have it easy. like actively as i'm writing this my hands r #ACTIVELY hurting me. i haven't been posting bc my left hand was curled in a claw for the last week #this isn't fucking luck. after a certain point it's not even TALENT. it's dedication & sacrifice. #''u get to flounce around and do nothing with ur life'' is a narrative that is a direct result of capitalism #imagine if we said that about literally any other profession. #''oh so u give up 10 yrs of ur life to be a doctor? u sacrifice having a social life and u get SUPER in debt? #u need to work countless hours and it will often be thankless? well i wish i was that lucky'' #we should be applying that logic to landlords ONLY #''oh ur mom and dad gave u the money to buy a house? and all u did was paint it white and rent it? huh.''

[amalasdraws]

https://www.tumblr.com/bigmammallama5/732632789726478336?source=share do you have any tips on how to detect ai and deepfakes?

Good question and I'm gonna be honest, it's not always easy and it will only get harder and harder. I'm just an artist who has spent their personal time to dive into this topic and study images. I'm still learning and there is a lot I don't know. But let me show what I know. This will be long, but I will make a summary at the end! So far, even with ai having become better and better there are still almost always some things wrong with an image, and they all have a very specific look to them. So let me try to show you some and point out some of them.

As we all know, a biggest struggle ai had were hands. And even though here and there we still see messed up hands, I say "had", because the hands is actual a good example on how ai is improving and will only get better. Still, looking at pictures that show more hands is always worth it, because somewhere in the back there will be most likely at least one messed up hand.

Another issue a lot of ai still has is hair though!

It's very obvious still in many ai "drawings" and in those otherwise well rendered portraits. Hair starts to blend with the ears a lot, or with the clothes.

There is also often this very odd look between something too sharp and way too blurry

There is often a very specific texture to the hair. I actually do not know the artistic or specific name for it. I can only describe it as this weird sharp feeling that makes it look oddly pixely, and then you have areas where it's very blurry. And the kind of loops and almost flame like looking hair we see in the last pic out of the three here is also something very common with ai.

As an artist I know we make mistakes too! The way I draw hair is flawed too! But it's not only that it's flawed here, but it's following always the same pattern and falls into the same issues over and over again, no matter who is "creating" the image. Those flame like loops are a common one, next to the odd blends and weird sharp and blurry textures.

But ai is getting better, and we not only have "art" and something that tries to be a drawing/painting, but photos too.

A lot of those "photos" have a very specific texture and look to them! Again, it's not always the mistakes, but the very specific optic too. A lot of the images are oddly smooth, too rendered, with always blurry backgrounds. And when you look closer at the background you will see the mistakes! The crowd behind Jesus is a hot mess once you look closer. Bob Marley's hair has the same issue than I described before. Lincoln is surrounded by people with messed up hands and don't even get me started on the faces behind Caesar.

So a lot of ai images look alright on a first and quick glance, but as more time you spend with them, as more mistakes you will notice. The wehre is Waldo of ai horror.

And those "photos" shared here are still very obvious. Not just the mistakes and messed up details but the very specific aesthetic too.

Those images get better and better and as less details you have, as less mistakes you have!

With photos like this it becomes harder and harder. There are not many details and no hands. Not many mistakes can be made. Also the very obvious plastic looking smoothness isn't so much here anymore. It kinda still is...but differently. And always the blurry background!! Sometimes the hair is still a giveaway. Collars and clothe straps are also often still a giveaway upon close look. As is jewelry. Earrings will be different and necklaces often don't go all the way around, just end, or blend with the hair or clothes.

Often details on jewelry is also blurry and not shown properly. This is a trick with many details. With jewelry, batches, hair, ears, text. So it's often blurred out and not shown properly because ai doesn't know what to really show here.

It's often really just the small details and when we scroll down quickly we will miss them. Like the wedding ring on the middle finger, the pens on top of a closed pocket, the batches that are always blurry, messed up faces that blend with a blurry background.

And sometimes it's so subtle that I could only really tell that right is the ai image in comparison to the real photo on the left. The real photo shows hands clearly and even when things are blurred out it doesn't feel that it's done to hide things. The ai image on the right hides the hands. There is also a very dead look in the eyes :D

And here I could only tell because the text in the back doesn't make sense. Even blurred out we should be able to make out something here

And after seeing a lot of ai images I recognize the kind of blurred out bg in combination with a very smooth and well rendered foreground/characters.

And here the only giveaway is a closer look at the backgrounds as well

To summarize it:

Ai and fake news rely on a fast living world. We are being bombarded with tons of information and messages daily and we scroll past quickly. But the best tool, for now, in detecting ai is taking our time! Those images get better and better but so far there are still always some things off!! Especially in the background!

Hair. Often weirdly smoothed out and oddly sharp at the same time

Hair often blends with the ears or the clothes

Details are blurred out.

Jewelry doesn't match (example earrings). Details on metal often blurred out and never shown. Necklaces blend with hair or the clothes, and don't go around the neck.

Background is always blurred out.

In this blurred mess there are often hidden very messed up faces and/or hands.

A very specific smooth and yet too sharp/too rendered aesthetic combines with an always blurry bg.

Text, especialyl in the background, is not legible and doesn't make sense.

Backgrounds are often (so far) the dead giveaway. Somewhere in the back things become muddled and messed up. This shows also very well in ai decor/architecture. There will be odd lines that don't align or align too well. Curtain poles that end in the furniture, a plant that is behind a lamp suddenly having leaves in front of the lamp. As longer you look as more you will notice.

Conclusion:

Take your time with images! Sit with them! Especially when it's framed as important and political news. Is it ai and propaganda, or did it really happen? Don't fall for the quick buzz and outrage! Some things are obvious right away but with others you have to take your time. And it's time you have! If you are still unsure if a pic is real or not, do some research on top. Image reverse search. Can you find it anywhere else? Are other news outlets sharing it? Does the image/message make sense? For example there is now a deepfake of Bella Hadid voicing support for Israel. Ask yourself, does this make sense? If it feels out of line compared to previous behavior, do some research! Media literacy is not just as being able to recognize a fake or real right away, but being able to do research. To question things! Don't just take every post online for face value. Even when shared by a mutual you trust. They might have been tricked!

There are so many information online and it's great to have access to so information, but it's also difficult to wade through all of it. Media and truth are a weapon and it's being twisted and bend used to manipulate. Always has! But ai and so many people being able to post and share things, it becomes bigger and bigger and more dangerous. So don't just take everything that is handed to you and share it further no questions asked. Media literacy and being able to think for ourselves and do the research is important!! And as research becomes harder and harder, as sources are being messed up with ai and other fake news, it's even more important to sit with the images and study them. See the flaws, the mistakes. Compare it to other news and images.

This got long, and I started to ramble at the end. Sorry But I hope this helped

#text #ai #how to detect ai #danger of ai #ai images #fake news #amalas talks #anon ask #fake images #how to tell ai #long text #long post