#i am best at pencil and paper. shading only in tones of grey and not colour like this

[pars-ley]

hi! i just came across your page the other day and i’ve read all of your drabbles and stories multiple times lol! so for my ask, i would love it if you did a college AU with popularjock!jk and have it be similar to the movie ‘A Cinderella Story’. some angst with smut and a happy ending if possible! oh and bestfriendjimin! as well :) hope this is not too much to request! ily

At the stroke of Midnight

Pairing: Jungkook x f reader

Summary: One popular boy + One 'uncool' girl + One school dance + One necklace left behind = A cinderella story.

Genre: Angst / Fluff / Smut / Cinderella au / A Cinderella story au / comedy / popular jock jungkook / best friend Jimin

Warnings: Suggestive language / sex 

Rating: 18+ (NSFW)

Word Count: 4k

Beta reader: @casuallyimagining

A/N: I am so sorry this has taken me so long! I had no clue about this film, so writing this entailed some research and me watching the movie...twice haha. I really hope I did it justice for you and you enjoy it. Thank you for the request!

"So, what's prince charming saying now that's so much more important than your best friend?" Jimin pouts, rolling his eyes exaggeratedly.

You flush slightly. "He wants to meet." Grimacing at the words.

"And that's a problem, why?" 

You bury your head in your hands. "Because I'm me and I'm certainly no one special, what if he's disappointed?" You groan, the dilemma churning your gut and making you feel like your breakfast could make a second appearance.

"Hey," Jimin scoots closer to you along the bench and throws an arm around your shoulder. "No best friend of mine gets away with speaking about herself like that. You are lovely, and if he thinks you're anything other than amazing, there's something wrong with him and he needs to be studied in a lab." 

You laugh in spite of yourself, hearing Jimin’s words rattle around in your brain, knowing that you should not be this hard on yourself. You lean into his snug embrace.

You open up Tumblr and stare at the conversation between you and @gameoverguk. Your favourite gaming blog you’ve followed for ages, by chance seeing your gaming fan art and following you back was one thing, but conversing with him and finding out that he also attended your school was a completely different matter. Trying to solve the equation of who this mysterious creator might be is harder than you thought. And the way he converses with you, so open and honest and sweet, that had to narrow it down surely?

Something slams into your back, pain immediately in its wake. You and Jimin turn to see the popular boy of your university, Jungkook, gawking at you and his best friend Taehyung in hysterics. 

Jimin looks down in the grass behind you at the offending apple and calls, “Hey, watch it guys.”

“Really sorry!” Jungkook calls over, a slight dusting of scarlet across his cheeks but looks like he’s also fighting a laugh. It burns you how someone so smug can still be so handsome, and you hate yourself for even thinking about him in any way other than the airhead jock that he is. 

Taehyung jogs over and picks it up, still somewhat amused. “What, didn’t your crystal ball tell you that was gonna happen?” He says to you, loud enough for everyone in a mile radius to hear.

You cringe inwardly, attempting to fight your embarrassment.

“Aren’t you supposed to be one of the top athletes in this university? And you can’t even catch an apple.” Jimin snarks in your defense.

His face drops as he looks like he’s about to take a step towards you both.

“Tae!” Jungkook calls, an air of command in his voice, breaking the tense air as he looks away from you ruefully. Walking off with Taehyung following, eating his apple and laughing between bites.

“Ignore them.” Jimin says sternly. “Speaking of, are you working tonight?”

Your face falls into an unamused expression, as if he even had to ask.

You were working so much you were almost taking residence at your step-mums 'magic shop', as everyone called it.

He smiles at you, his nose wrinkling, and you can’t help your face softening.

“Ok, ok, my bad. Can I swing by later? I need some more incense.”

You shrug, grabbing your bag and chucking it over your shoulder. “Sure. I’d be glad of the company to be honest.”

“Ooooh, maybe we could do a seance?” 

You glare at him and head off to class causing his melodious laugh to ring out around you.

Sitting in the bleachers after class, with your sketchpad and pencil, the perfect view of the city line and the departing sun staring back at you, you sketch away. The pencil etching fast across your paper as you manage to block out the sounds of the team practicing and their bodies crashing against each other.

Long after you've lost yourself in your landscape, fingers grey and shiny from shading, you neglect to hear some of the team members leaving, climbing over the seats and headed in your direction. That is until your pad is snatched from underneath you as you frantically grapple for it, without success.

"You know, this isn't where the nerds hang out." Taehyung smirks at his two other buddies, clearly impressed with himself.

You let out a bored sigh. "Oh I'm sorry, I didn't realize you owned the bleachers." Your words drip with sarcasm. 

His face drops and a mean glare spreads across his features as he throws your drawing pad in the air. You watch helplessly as the pages flutter in the wind as it flies away and disappears under the stands. 

"Have a nice night." He says quietly, an attempt to be intimidating, as him and his friends leave.

Your veins alight with fury, hands balled into fists at your sides. You wanted to stamp your feet like a petulant child. This isn't fair. Why you?

It's only then you notice Jeon Jungkook standing on the field watching. Embarrassment suddenly extinguishes your angry flames as he breaks your gaze first, walking off under the bleachers. You grab your bag to leave for work before you suffer any more humiliation.

As you reach the last step you yelp with surprise as Jungkook appears suddenly in your view, you manage to steel yourself before tumbling into him.

You stare at him, wishing he'd get on with it and tease you so you can go...but it doesn't come. Instead he hands you your sketchpad, gently dusting off the pages.

You take it, a hesitant, "thanks," ghosts from your lips.

"I'm sorry about him." He says quietly.

You shrug. "Not your fault, I guess."

Seconds tick by as you both stare awkwardly at each other, unsure what else could be said.

"You're pretty. I-I mean, it-it's pretty." He stammers, tapping the unfinished sketch in your book. "You're very talented." 

Your cheeks flush an undignified fuchsia as you duck your head slightly, letting your hair hide you. "Thank you."

He offers you a weak smile before giving you a halfhearted wave and jogging off across the field, leaving you watching his back, perplexed at the exchange you've had.

You stare at your messages, every moment he can see you're online and not replying makes your cheeks flush crimson and makes your mind run frantic.

Meet me at the Happy Holidays dance.

Could you?

It’s the first holiday dance your university has put on--one you had no intention of going to, because you frankly didn't need the added teasing from the popular kids. It is a masquerade ball however, so no one had to know it was you, you could fall pleasantly under the radar.

Were you really considering this? 

What did you have to lose? You can hide behind the comfort of your mask. If he discovers it's you, it's his problem if he doesn't like that, Jimin is absolutely right.

Ok. Where will I find you?

You press send and chuck your phone down, throwing your head in your pillow to scream. Did you actually just do that!? No taking it back now, it's out there. 

When you hear your text tone sound you scramble quickly back to it.

By the old sundial outside. At 10.00?

You grin dorkishly at your phone, typing a quick reply.

Sure. See you then.

You call your number one speed dial, two rings in and Jimin's voice sounds. 

"I was just going to call you, how strange. Listen, do you remember that time I-?"

"I'm in need of some urgent assistance. I just agreed to go to the holiday dance!"

He cackles excitedly on the other end. "I'll be right over!"

As you step out of Jimin's car you have to lift your ice blue dress up to avoid the floor...and tripping. How Jimin pulled this costume together in time, you'll never know, he's taking that secret to the grave. 

You swallow the nervous lump in your throat and adjust your matching lace mask, making sure it's comfortable.

"Ok, go get him tiger." He roars, as he swipes a clawed hand in front of you.

You giggle at his silly antics and take a deep breath before giving him a final nod and heading into the dance.

From the moment you walk in, you want to go home. This is a bad idea. He won't be interested when he finds out it's really you.

You have no time to continue your anguished thoughts as you get swept up in the crowd, fighting your way through to grab a drink. Standing to the side and surveying everyone's costumes, noticing a lot of dark or bright colour choices, you being one of the only people in a pale colour, making you stand out more. Something you were definitely hoping to avoid.

A few songs later and the clock in the hall catches your eye, noticing you had fifteen minutes until you meet your mystery man.

You head outside, footsteps echoing along the cobbled floor, and see that the outside is empty save for a few smoking and talking. 

You get to the large, metal sundial and wait. Stomach churning from the butterflies that swarm wildly inside. 

"Blue hour artist?" You hear your Tumblr tag spoken behind you and freeze. 

You're about to meet him, come face to face with the person who understands you more than anyone, who opens up to you in ways most people wouldn't and who's creativity knows no bounds.

You turn slowly, not knowing who to expect but definitely not who you're faced with.

"Jeon Jungkook!? You're 'game over guk'?" You ask, your mouth popped open in shock.

He smiles sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck, "that's not fair, you're wearing a mask. How will I know who you are?" 

You stare at him, trying to find words to answer his question, but the fact that it's him stood before you blows you away.

How could this be? The person you've been talking to online is the complete opposite to Jungkook and yet, here he is, one and the same.

"You'll h-have to guess." You try to get yourself together.

His mouth stretches into a toothy smile. "Ok, how about we play '21 questions' to help me guess?"

You nod, playing with your fingernails out of nerves.

"Do you want to sit down?" He asks, looking over at one of the benches.

"Um, no, I'd rather walk, if you don't mind?" 

"Oh, sure." He agrees eagerly and you head off down the pathway around the building. 

A few awkward side glances between the two of you and he finally asks, "Do we have any classes together?"

"No." 

"Ok, narrows it down slightly."

You take this opportunity to look at what he's wearing and he's every part the Prince charming. In a white satin shirt, with light blue trousers and a one shoulder half capelet to match, complete with silver, trim detail. Surprisingly similar to your choice of dress, what a strange coincidence.

"You take art I assume?" He asks, into the comfortable silence.

You nod. "That's an obvious one." You refer to your Tumblr page full of your fan art and projects.

He smiles bashfully and your stomach flips at the sight, feeling like a true-life Disney princess with heart eyes and birds singing above your head.

"I don't know many girls in art." He admits,

 "Ok, what about outside uni, do you go to any popular hangouts?"

Your cheeks flush, knowing you're admitting how dorky and uncool you are. "Nope."

"Ok, harder than I thought." He laughs, revealing his perfect teeth again. "Do you have a job?"

Nodding again, you play with the hem of your lace sleeve, channeling your nerves into the action.

As you're about to answer, your heel gets stuck in between the paving stone, causing you to buckle. Panic strikes you. You cannot fall over and embarrass yourself! Not when finding out who you are will be embarrassing enough. Luckily, you steady yourself against a nearby lamppost before falling on your face but at the cost of leaving your shoe stuck in the ground.

You tuck your leg up under your dress, steadying yourself against the street light, directly underneath the assaulting brightness, illuminating you like a spotlight.

Jungkook rushes over to your lonesome blue stiletto and retrieves it before crouching on one knee in front of you.

You stare at him, eyes wide and alarmed by his sudden closeness as he holds out your shoe in the most sincere way.

You bring your foot down and arch it back into its rightful holster. As you do, his fingertips graze your ankle, sending a flush of heat cascading up your body and neck, stopping only at your hairline. 

He lingers there, looking up at you with huge doe eyes, but with a severe intensity you've never noticed from him before. 

His fingers skate up your leg slightly as he rises, sending a delicious shiver through you. His fingers tips hint at your hand, you yearn to reach out and hold it, as he stands mere centimeters away from you. His intoxicating scent swirling around you like your own personal hurricane, taking your composed state and tearing through it, leaving it whimpering weakly on the ground. His face is too close to yours and yet not close enough. You feel feverish from his proximity and yet you need him closer to sate your heat.

Your breast vibrates from the aggressive pounding of your heart. Having him here on his knees in front of you, something not even acceptable in your wildest dreams and yet, here he is. 

The person you've gotten to know so well, such a contrast to the person you've seen around campus. But then again, he seems to like the person he's gotten to know too, maybe he won't be as disappointed when he realises who you are? Maybe you can kid yourself into thinking that.

A chiming sounds in the distance, barely there and yet it creeps further into your subconscious.

"Your phone is ringing." He whispers, his breath tickling your face, as his eyes still blaze into yours.

'My phone. My phone? Oh, my phone!' Your muddled thoughts clear themselves enough for you to understand his words. You pull it out of your little silver handbag and see Jimin's number on screen.

"Hello?" You ask, staring dreamily at Jungkook who is rooted firmly in his spot.

"Ok, I apologise if you're throat-deep around prince charming’s dick but I really need to make it home before midnight so my dad doesn't turn me into a pumpkin...and by that I mean, pounded, pulped and pressed into pumpkin pie." 

You snap out of it suddenly, realising Jimin's words and not wanting him to get in trouble because of you. "Of course. I'm coming, right now."

Jungkook's eyes flit back to reality with a deep frown. His hand clasps yours as you hang up and tuck your phone back into your bag. Your legs, already moving towards the front entrance where he would be waiting.

"Wait," Jungkook's pleading pierces right into your chest, feeling your resolve bubble up to the surface, enticing you to stay and see where the night takes you. But you don't.

"I can't, I have to go." You say, gently slipping your hand from his and jogging elegantly to the front parking lot.

When you see Jimin's dads silver Rolls Royce, you're suddenly eager to get in and share your news.

"So...did you meet him!?" An excited Jimin shakes your arm as you close the door behind you.

"Yes. You will never guess who he is." You fasten your belt and Jimin pulls off quickly, both of you wincing as he narrowly misses a barrier post on the way out of the campus.

"Who?" 

You smile to yourself, heart fit to burst. "Jeon Jungkook."

Jimin's foot taps on the brakes, lurching you forward.

"I'm sorry. What?" He turns to you, eyes wider than you've ever seen them. "As in, popular boy, sex god Jungkook?"

You scoff. "Who told you he was a sex god?"

"I'm making assumptions. I'm sure you'll find out soon enough." He grins as he elbows you in the ribs and sets off driving you home, while excitement rapidly blooms inside you.

You dropped your necklace.

You read the words over and over, unsure what your response should be. You needed that necklace. The simple silver chain holding the tiny teardrop pearl. It was all you had left of your dad. When he died, your step-mother sold most of his things, including gifts he bought for you. This was your last, most cherished item. The only reason you were allowed to keep it is that you were wearing it at the time and you haven't taken it off since. Losing it had your chest aching. You stared at Jungkook's last message until sleep over took you.

Monday morning. Eyes gritty and burning, you wake to the sea of sleep trying to entice you back to its darkening depths but you fight your fluttering eyelids and get ready for a new day.

How are you going to look at Jungkook now? You should tell him who you are. Yes, you'll do that and get your necklace back and it'll be happily ever after. 

Only it won't.

From your experience happily ever after doesn't happen for most people, even accomplished, brilliant, beautiful people. You're entirely average and ordinary, why would it happen for you?

By the time you get to campus, your manic mind has been changed numerous times. You decide to wait until you see him, which you spend every moment of your arrival scanning the faces that pass you.

"Hey, hey, Jelly Bean. Looking for me?" Jimin's cheerful face comes into full view, distracting you.

He's clearly unimpressed with whatever expression you're portraying currently, as he pouts and turns to the sea of faces. "Clearly, I no longer matter, now you've got big dick Jungkook."

You hush him loudly, looking around to ensure there were no listening ears. "Firstly, I'm begging you, stop talking about his dick and secondly, stop being stupid."

He laughs at your stressed rant. "Ok, ok, jeez. Is he meeting you this morning?"

Your body tenses, knowing, already hearing the lecture he's about to scold you with.

"You didn't tell him, did you? He still has no idea it's you!?" He sighs, throwing his hands in the air dramatically, typical Jimin fashion. "I swear to god...If you don't tell him, I will."

Your head snaps over to him as you walk side by side into the building, glaring menacingly in his direction. "You wouldn't dare."

He shrugs. "Try me, scaredy cat."

You huff and scrub at your tired eyes. "Let me just get through my classes then we shall discuss this."

He laughs as he tussles your hair and heads off in the opposite direction.

Your day passes fairly quickly, even though your struggle to stay awake during lectures only grows.

You do not see Jungkook, which is not unusual as you're not even in the same wings of the building most of the time.

Jimin's frantic waving has you puzzled as a deep frown creases your brow as you walk towards him, his jumping and pointing most unusual. It's only when you see a set of hands directly in front of you and feel your necklace land on your chest as it's draped across your collar bones, that you stop in your tracks. 

Those hands, warm at the back of your neck and a mouth next to your ear saying, "I told you I'd look after it and return it." Unmistakably Jungkook's voice whispers in your ear making you quiver.

When his hands are gone you look down and find relief washing over you with the familiar feel of your necklace, having felt bare and empty without it.

"Why didn't you reply to my messages?" He asks, stepping in front of you with a big bunny smile.

Wide eyed with shock, your mouth gapes open with the slow realization that he is, in fact, talking to you. "How-how did you…" Words fail you as you frantically think of any way you might have let slip your identity but coming up empty.

"How did I know it was you?" He asks, mouth pulled on one side in a smile. "When you dropped your necklace as you left the dance, I recognized it instantly. "

"Wh-what?" You squeak out. You attempt to swallow your confusion enough to form a coherent sentence. "On what planet would someone like you notice anything about someone like me."

A look of hurt flashes across his face, almost as if you'd slapped him as he takes a step towards you, a hair's width away now. "How could I not notice you? You're beautiful and smart, you don't follow the crowd and you're kind to everyone, I've noticed everything the last two years. I've just never spoken to you properly because….well...what do I have to offer someone like you, with endless talents and interests, a charming personality to boot and just when I think that's all there is, I discover something else about you. I'm just the school jock, popularity gets me opportunities, I don't have to work hard for anything...I feel...inferior to you. Worthless."

Your heart aches, hearing the words you feel escaping his mouth. How could that be possible? How on earth could he be so utterly mistaken, so completely wrong about himself?

"But gameoverguk is nothing like that person you're describing. If that's truly who you are?" You question quietly.

He nods, placing a finger under your chin and tilting your head up to him.

"Hi, I'm Jeon Jungkook, I'm a gamer geek, I'm good at sports, I enjoy bike rides on the weekend and finding new food spots and I'd really like to take you out sometime...if you'll let me."

You feel your lips stretch into an undeniable grin. "Nice to finally meet you Jungkook. I'd love to."

As you aim the plastic machine gun, keeping it steady in your armpit and pointed towards the screen, you and Jungkook race through the game, taking down your enemies at every chance. When your team name, "Blue Hour Gamer" flashes in neon letters on screen as the winners, your hollering and hooting fill the arcade. 

You don't even care that people are watching, not when you jump up and high five each other or when that high five turns into a hug, or when that hug very quickly turns into a kiss. You don't care.

You pull away quickly, embarrassment finding its way to dust your cheeks scarlet. Until you feel his hand press your lower back to him, your bodies crushing together and moving in perfect sync, making their own rhythm and inviting you to sing with it.

Heat blazes inside you like a wildfire, capturing everything else in its path and turning into thoughtless ash in the wind. Nothing else mattered, just him, his lips against yours, his hands on your skin, caressing so gently and yet setting your skin aflame.

Before you knew it, you were at his small, studio apartment, realising you had no clue he lived alone but thankful for that just the same.

When your back finds the bed, you sink into it, disappearing into a cloud of euphoria as he roams your body, slow and meaningful. Every touch makes you feel things you never have before, and every movement brings you closer to the edge of the precipice. 

The way his mouth feels on you as he explores your body sends sparks of electricity racing through you. The way he feels inside you with each perfect, controlled movement lights you up like the sunrise after dark, warming you with its rays as you stare off the cliff edge and brace yourself for the impact. His hand caresses your cheek as he looks deeply into your eyes, something so sweet and pure in the action that your chest swells with emotion. His forehead touches yours as he moves in perfect time with your pounding heart. Suddenly you're falling, everything going past in a rush before crashing onto a sea of ecstasy, writhing and moaning until your climax subsides and his has joined in unison.

A tender kiss on your head, his arm winding around you, pulling you to him and encasing you in the perfect safety net is enough. Maybe he'll be your happily ever after, after all.

#btswritersclub #btswriterscollective #ficswithluv #bangtanarmynet #bangtanuniversity #btsbookclub #bts #bangtan #bangtan army #bangtan seonyeondan #bts army #bts jeon jungkook #bts jungkook #jeon jungkook #jungkook #jungkook fanfic #bts jungkook fanfic #jungkook fanfiction #bts smut #bts angst #bts fluff #jungkook smut #jungkook angst #jungkook fluff #jk #bts kookie #kookie #bts fanfic #bts fanfiction

[swan--writes]

Hey! How about "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me" for the Feb asks?

I did not edit this. At all. Not a single sentence. Heard you were having a rough time though, so I wanted to get this out tonight. I hope you feel better, and if you need to talk you can chat with me!

Warnings: VERY negative self-talk, total despondence, just a really bad day man

Words: ~1,380 (this will probably be the longest request I write this month)

What’s the matter with the clothes I’m wearing?

You held the thick paper with one hand, shading with the other.

Can’t you tell that your tie’s too wide?

The radio played softly in the background. You sat hunched over your wooden kitchen table, the light hitting the page just right through the window.

Maybe I should buy some old tab collars?

“It’s a sign,” came a voice from over your shoulder.

Welcome back to the age of jive.

“What’s a sign?” you murmured. You didn’t look up from the comic strip you were working on. It was your morning warm-up – a pointless little piece about two chairs having an existential debate à la Calvin and Hobbes. Personally, you agreed with the sturdy, elegant armchair, but of course, the folding chair had the final word.

Dewey turned up the radio, then set his briefcase on the bench beside the door. Dewey with a briefcase was still a very…very strange sight, but Peggy and Ned had given it to him for his birthday a few days ago and damnit, he was going to use it whether he liked it or not.

Your boyfriend came to stand before you. “Look at me.” Serenely, you obliged. Shiny oxford shoes, grey pants, scarlet and burnt orange knit vest over a white button down and orange tie, floppy wavy hair. “I look ridiculous. I can’t go out like this, there’s no way.”

Where have you been hidin’ out lately, honey?

Raising an eyebrow, you let go of your pencil and stood. “Well yeah, you gotta tuck your shirt in.” Dewey’s breath went shallow when you straightened, only a few inches from his soft, stunning body. “Where’s your belt?” You lifted your leg over the chair you had been sitting on and hopped away from the table, heading over to the coffee maker.

You can’t dress this trashy till you spend a lot of money.

“Uh, it’s in the bathroom. Always forget it.” You smirked at his breathy tone, loving the affect you had on him. “Um…” Dewey’s feet seemed to carry him toward the bathroom before he had made a decision. Swaying to the music, you poured the rest of the coffee you had made earlier into a travel mug, spooned in some sugar, screwed on the top, and shook it. He always swore he could tell when his coffee was stirred, and apparently it threw off his whole day.

Dewey came back into the kitchen, going to stand where he had been moments earlier. His button down was tucked in now, and he wore a belt. You walked up to him, handed him the travel mug, and loosened his tie.

“You’re trying way too hard, love.”

“Right,” he laughed shakily.

Everybody’s talkin’ ‘bout the new sound…

When you slipped his down out from his collar, you could feel the heat radiating from his neck. You smiled at him sweetly, kissed his cheek, and smacked his hip gently with the tie like you would with a dish towel. “Enjoy the meeting.” He nodded, picked up his briefcase, and rushed through the door before you could do anything else.

Funny, but it’s still rock and roll to me.

You spent the full day drawing comic after comic, writing plotline after plotline, singing along with old song after old song.

Nothing seemed to turn out right. You tried turning off the music, it was too quiet. You tried turning it up, it was too distracting.

Oh, it doesn’t matter what they say in the papers ‘cause it’s always been the same old scene.

You moved with the sunlight. You took breaks, dancing around the living room of the apartment you and Dewey shared.

There’s a new band in town but you can’t get the sound from a story in a magazine…

You doodled aimlessly in the cheap sketchbook Dewey had given you for your anniversary. But nothing you tried helped. Nothing worked. Eight hours and you had not produced a single goddamn worthwhile thing. How – fucking how did this become your job?

Aimed at your average teen.

Eventually, you collapsed onto the couch, your legs hanging over the arm.

That’s how Dewey found you when he came home after music coaching. The plan had been for him to get changed and get a drink with Ned and some other guys they had gone to high school with. The plan had been that you would be at home working all day. The plan went out the third story window and crashed to its rather graphic death the moment he saw you lying half-on the couch, staring at the ceiling with your hands clasped on your abdomen like a corpse.

Ooh, what’s the matter with the crowd I’m seeing?

“Honey, what are you doing?” he asked, not entirely without humor but clearly concerned. You couldn’t see him, he was standing at your feet and you were still staring at the ceiling, but you imagined a creased brow and a nervous smile. You shrugged as best you could with your shoulders pressed into the cushion beneath you.

Don’t you know that they’re out of touch?

“Chillin’. Maxin’, relaxin’. How are the kids?”

“Stuck up little brats.”

Well, should I try to be a straight-A student?

“Talented brats,” you pointed out. He made a playfully indignant noise. “You love those guys.”

“Yeah…” For the first time since Dewey had left that day, you smiled.

If you are, then you think too much.

“What’s wrong?” he asked softly. It wasn’t often that his tone became this gentle, but when it did you knew you couldn’t brush him off if you tried. Dewey came to sit on the couch. You thought he would sit beside your head, but instead he slipped his soft, strong hands under your head and the center of your shoulders and lifted your head into his lap. He stroked your hair and leaned back, clearly prepared to listen to you.

Don’t you know about the new fashion, honey?

“Nothing I do is good enough,” you rasped, gravity pulling an involuntary tear from the corner of your eye.

All you need are looks and a whole lotta money.

“That’s not true.” You shook your head at Dewey’s insistence. What did he know about visual arts? This was your job, not his. And you were failing. But trying to explain it to him would be too much, and you knew it.

“Forget it,” you said, stretching an arm across your torso. “Can you just scratch my arm?”

It’s the next phase, new wave, dance craze, anyways…

“Uh-uh, not until you talk to me.”

The sigh that escaped you nearly took out a lung tissue sample. Dewey just raised his eyebrows and waited. You forced yourself to speak through your readily tightening throat. “We all have industry standards, and I am falling miserably behind.”

It’s still rock and roll to me.

“Are you?”

“Yes,” you insisted.

“Y’know who else fell behind?” You simply watched him and waited. “Every artist who’s ever lived. Me. This time last year, I was a basement-dwelling trashcan who literally impersonated my best friend so I wouldn’t get kicked out.” His voice was flat but sympathetic, pressing against the doubts crashing through your head and trying to force them behind the dam that had been in place that morning. “So get out all the dumb shit. Trust me, I know it’s in there.”

At that, you had to laugh. You couldn’t help it.

He laughed with you and slowly started scratching your arm soothingly. “I’m serious, let yourself make terrible art! We went to the battle of the bands with a song written by a ten year-old because I couldn’t write anything worthwhile. It’s okay to make bad art–even just art that you think is bad. Just make art, a’right?” Dewey lifted your hand and kissed it.

“But it’s my job,” you protested, voice cracking.

“Technically, teaching was my job, and look how that turned out.

“It turned out perfectly.”

“I almost got arrested, Y/N!”

Everybody’s talkin’ ‘bout the new sound…

“Yeah, yeah,” you grumbled. He laughed at you and nuzzled the back of your hand.

Funny, but it’s still rock and roll to me.

.

.

Buy Me a Coffee?

#school of rock broadway #school of rock bway #school of rock musical #school of rock #school of rock fanfiction #fanfiction #fanfic #dewey finn #dewey finn x reader #dewey finn x gender neutral reader #gender neutral reader #dewey finn x self insert #songfic #song fic #angst #comfort #fluff #it's still rock and roll to me #billy joel #request #february

[brandonedwards-creative-blog]

Exhibition Piece

Tuesday 5th March

I began working on my piece for the exhibition after our lecture was cancelled and I knew I had the whole day to sit and concentrate on my piece. I wanted this to be my best work going into the show so I wanted to be ambitious with my work and wow people, instead of throwing in a piece of artwork I had already created. I chose to make my largest ever piece. I had a week to complete the piece and planned to go home for the weekend so I had to spend my time wisely. It was a very anxious week.

I came up with a plan of the piece I wanted to make, which involved combining the images I had taken a few weeks back. These images I had already been working on to create several smaller paintings so I wanted to extend this series on a larger scale. I used the Procreate app on my iPad to juxtapose the images together and then filled in the gaps using the pen tool. I wanted the faces to be connected but to also show the restriction anxiety can have on the body.

I first cut the piece of paper and laid it out so I could see how big the piece really was. I then used a thick brush to coat the paper in a light wash of grey watercolour. This took me a while as the watercolour pan was so small and I had to keep remixing the paint to make it the same shade. The paper absorbed the water instantly and was quite difficult to work with due to the amount of bumps that formed. I waited a few hours for the paper to completely dry and then began marking out the grid lines to match my digital image. I did this to help make the painting as accurate as possible to the image as I wanted the proportions to be correct. I stayed in the studios until 8:00 that night because the paper was so huge and I only had a 30cm ruler. If I plan on using his technique is in the future, I will get a meter stick to draw the lines as it was very tedious.

Wednesday 6th March

I spent the day mapping out the basic outline in the squares in pencil, to make the piece accurate to the image. Once the basic outline is done I will be able to adjust the other areas to my liking and tweak any other areas. I just needed that basic guideline as I am working on a larger scale to usual.

I planned on using ink for this piece as I wanted it to have a high contrast with the pale wash of the grey background. I found the bumps in the paper began to lessen as I was working on the paper. My choice to use ink was also inspired by fact I had chosen to make my image black and white. I wanted the black to be strong and show depth in the piece.

Thursday 7th March

After completing the outline I began working with the black ink on the face. I decided against using watercolour as I wanted to use as minimal liquid on the paper to reduce the bumps, the ink settled well on the paper and did not spread as quickly as the watercolour. The only problem I faced with the black ink was that it sometimes appeared patchy and required a few coats and also there was no mid tone. I needed to make an artistic decision which would affect the way the piece was viewed. I chose to create some small samples in my sketchbook to see how different mediums would work together and how they would layer. I did not plan on making this piece a mixed media piece. But after a chat with my peers I was convinced to use more than one media and to not limit my possibilities and to also help me with the mid tone areas.

I first made a choice to use charcoal as this would easily blend into the paper and I could create darker and lighter areas. I also wanted to use charcoal within he rope as I found the texture worked really well based on the samples in my sketchbook. I continued working on the ink sections of the piece for the faces and then decided to work on the charcoal areas tomorrow.

Friday 8th March

I had a few hours to work in the studio before I had to catch my three hour train home for the weekend so I wanted to make the most of my time. I started with the charcoal. I first drew the basic outline of the rope in the charcoal and then smudged the charcoal to add some medium tones to the light areas. I then repeated the outline and added some lines and texture to the bends in the rope.

I thought about the paper and how these bumps would never leave. I had a thought about exaggerating these by completely screwing up the paper into a ball and then opening it back out. I also really liked the raw edges of the piece and decided to keep these torn. My piece is about anxiety and how this can be a restriction to the body. I thought this would be a good way to show myself overcoming anxiety.

Monday 9th March

We had all actually set this date as the deadline to have our work done at our meeting on Tuesday 5th so that we wouldn't need to worry, but unfortunately this was not the case for everybody! I had been checking up on everybody's work in the studio to monitor their progress and compare it to mine to see if I was the only one who was behind. Myself and Lucy both began our pieces on the same day and were both working consistently at the same times.

I arrived back to uni late afternoon from my weekend away and went straight to the studio to continue with my piece. I managed to complete all of the rope that was shown in my image, but found this wasn't enough and there were several gaps. This was there I needed to use my creativity and imagine what should go where. I decided to leave my image behind and not be so controlled and reliant on the image. I added in some more rope where I thought necessary around the border of the piece. I also tore the edges of he piece to create more of a raw feel and to make the piece look more square.

Tuesday 10th March

I came into the studio for registration and carried on working on my piece. It was helpful to work in the studio on the Tuesday as everybody was in and I could have the opinions of my fellow course mates, it was especially helpful to have Cara work by me as she could see the piece progress each day and give me advice on what she feels would work best.

The last few days I wanted to work all day and night to get the piece complete so I decided it would be in my best interest to work on the piece at home as I get my sudden bursts of creativity late in the evening when the studios are closed. I also needed to make sure that it was completed in time, so I wanted to work constantly to make sure it was to a high standard. I also did this because I was working late in the studios every night until 8/9 and I needed to make sure I could manage my time better and get the right amount of sleep I needed.

Wednesday 11th March

I worked at home all day on the piece. I decided to add some more faces into the painting as I felt the image on this scale did not work as well. I felt that it needed to have more of an impact and also have hidden faces. I also reflected on what Zander had said about not limiting myself to one media and decided to add a layer of black acrylic into the charcoal rope. I did this to make the rope stand out more and also add further detail. I also added some different shades of grey into faces to add depth, light and shadow. Adding the acrylic also allowed me to fix certain areas I was unhappy with, as I could over paint them.

I noticed something didn't seem completely finished and the work needed something else. I was really unsure about what to do so asked for some feedback from my housemates. I noticed there was a lot of empty space at the top and at the bottom left corner of the piece. So I added another closed eye at the top centre and also added further rope in the bottom left. I feel doing this brought all of the sections together

After making some last minute adjustments, I finally completed the piece at 11:30am just in time to be taken to paradise works tomorrow morning.

I was planning to completely screw this piece up and video myself doing it, but after creating it, I made the artistic choice not to do so. I did this because I was happy with the way it looked and I felt it didn't need to have that appearance as there was already a texture to the paper which I liked.

Thursday 12th March

I arrived into uni to take the work to paradise works. I rolled up my artwork in the morning and sealed it with black bags, so that the weather wouldn't cause damage to the work. I didn't choose to use a cardboard tube to transport my work as I didn't mind the fact it could be mashed or crushed by the Van as I wanted to keep my work textured and the rawness was apart of my work.

#studiopractice2

[maiji]

@logicheartsoul Thank you so much for the kind words ^^ And certainly - thank you for your interest and for asking! I love working with ink so I’m happy to talk about it :D

How I got into it

It's only been in the last maybe five or so years that I've actually started to pay more attention to art supplies. In the case of ink, it really started with fountain pens. Long story short, one of my professors was really into them and let me try one of his vintage pens, and I was vaguely interested. Then my best friend really got into them, and I tagged along to a fountain pen show (shoutout to Scriptus Toronto!!). From there it was a slow burn over a period of months from “this is neat” to “WOWWW OKAY I GUESS I’M REALLY INTO THIS NOW”. It was a (relatively, for me) quick entry once I discovered the online fountain pen community. These people are incredibly passionate, highly articulate, and best of all, document EVERYTHING. I found the ink reviews especially spectacular and that’s probably what hooked me the most.

A few other things that helped in the appeal factor:

I have a tendency to grip writing implements excessively hard and exert a lot of unnecessary pressure when writing or drawing with more conventional pens (ballpoints etc.) A number of people mentioned that fountain pens helped them to alleviate this because generally you don’t need/want to apply pressure when using them. I’ve found it has helped.

I've always been interested in forms that combine words and images, and this merges literary and artistic worlds in a very clear way.

I’ve been on a long personal journey of wanting to incorporate much more Chinese/Taiwanese/East Asian heritage and cultural traditions into my work. Thus, I've been gravitating towards things emphasizing brush, ink, water, elements of calligraphy and... not sure if spontaneity is the word I want, but things that help me overthink less when I draw, and get better at letting go. 

How I work with ink

My (main) tools

Fude de mannen: This is basically a fountain pen that mimics a brush for Asian calligraphy. It has a bent nib that enables you to change stroke thickness by varying your hand angle. I love this pen so much I got a second one so I could have a different colour; the washi tape helps me tell which one it is. You can see more of it in the video interview I did with PindotPress.

Brush pen: A pen that is a brush. lol. A number of companies make them; I use the Pentel Pocket Brush because it's the first one I tried and I liked it a lot. It's smooth, has great line variation, and the tip has yet to fail me. (Although the cap started falling apart, hence all the tape on my first one lol.) I currently have three: one for permanent black, one for permanent red, and one because I couldn’t resist buying a coloured version of the pen (I have Diamine Earl Grey in it right now).

Glass dip pen: These dip pens are pretty but what is super awesome is that they are super easy and fast to clean. I can quickly switch between multiple colours of bottled inks. The grooves in the nib hold ink, so you need to slightly turn the pen as you go to access all the ink. You can also get a wider stroke by slanting the pen and using the side of the glass nib. It's not that easy to control your lines, but I actually like this because it creates a lot of happy accidents. And “oops well damn" accidents, but like I said I’m trying to cultivate the whole “learn to let go" mindset.

Waterbrush: Basically a brush that carries its own water reservoir. I’ve used a few different brands but I find I like the Pentel Aquash small the best. Some people fill them with ink like a brush pen, but I’ve not really done that. (I did it once with a different brand that was harder to open/refill and I got mad.) I use it to paint with the inks.

Pencil I got for free: Unless I really am just doodling, I usually draw base pencils of some sort, even if it’s just a very rough, light sketch or a quick thumbnail on another sheet of paper. Every so often I get an inquiry asking what special kind of pencil I use, but I’m afraid they’re just normal pencils rolled with recycled newsprint. I got free samples like a million years ago and I have been using them forever. (I think I’m finally down to my last three.)

Eraser: I’ve been trying a few different ones but it takes me forever to work through an eraser. You want it to be able to pick up the lines without requiring you to scrub and take the ink too or destroying the fibres of your paper. This one actually works pretty well. If you’re really curious you can see the non-destroyed packaging here! lol

Toilet or tissue paper: Something to pick up the water. This is my "undo button” in real life when I’m painting/using the waterbrush. Also I drown everything with water so it’s very important.

Ink swatches: Every time I get a new ink I make a sample and add it here. It’s great for colour palettes and when I’m looking at other inks and trying to decide whether to get it or not (e.g., is it different from everything I already have? My definition of “different” is very generous...). I don’t actually have all these inks; some were samples from friends. I’ve found I tend to gravitate towards very complex, nuanced neutrals. (This sounds so sophisticated but when you see them all it once it's like. Oh. Apparently I like shades of grey, brown, and other hard to classify "muddy" or in-between colours lmao. But more on that in a bit.) Lately I've been getting glittery inks because they're fun and they add a magical dimension to the physical piece.

Here is my current selection of inks - on the shelf to the immediate left of my laptop and my head as I am typing this right now. The box at the bottom left is all the samples. 

My approach

In my mind, I broadly classify my approach into two categories: “dry” and “wet”.

"Dry" - ink only, no water. I have pretty unsteady hands and hate "inking" - if we think of inking as an exercise in achieving a "clean", controlled line drawing with consistent line width/stroke thickness, neatness, etc. So I love pens that support me in what I think of as controlled loss of control - wide variations in brush width and stroke character. Brush pens and fude de mannen pens are perfect for this. They have lines that offer a wide range of dynamic, organic, and textural opportunity.  My Inktober illustrations fall into this category. A few examples below, followed by links to the full set.

Inktober 2017 - fude de mannen

Inktober 2018 - brush pen

"Wet" - Basically I blob water around. Depending on when I do it (before, with/during, after the application of the ink), you can get different results. The water causes the ink to bleed, semi-watercolour-like, and can be used for shading, environmental effects etc. For obvious reasons, this works best with non-waterproof inks (which the vast majority of fountain pen inks are), but you can do this even with waterproof inks. Just let the ink hit water before it has a chance to soak into the paper and you can get cool effects :D. And you can also do it with other pens too, not just fountain pen inks. Examples:

Tiles of Toronto urban sketch series

Raizen and Hokushin doodles

Arikoto from Ooku

As you might imagine, this is really great for on-the-go drawings, because you just need a pen (or a couple of pens) and a waterbrush.

The “wet” approach is also where the very complex inks that look "boring" (greys, taupes etc.) are just complete magic. When the dye elements separate, other colours emerge, and you get really wonderful textural effects and rings of colour where the ink pools and dries. Diamine Earl Grey is a colour I've mentioned several times that I LOOOVE because it separates into blues, browns, purples, even pinkish tones. It's a gorgeous ink. You can see some examples and closeups here.

Another colour that does this really powerfully is Sailor Rikyucha. It’s a dark tea brown-green that separates very easily into pale blue-greens and more and has amazing tonal and textural qualities. The Tendril Wreath illustration here really shows this.

For the most part I look at things I like and then experiment to figure out what happens. After working with the same tools for a while, you get a sense of how the different elements might react and respond naturally.  The Genjimonogatari series employs both dry and wet extensively and is an example of the experimenting and playing I’m doing - I keep finding new aspects to the inks I thought I knew, and making “interesting” mistakes. And trying to fix them as I go with varying levels of success, haha. But I’m always learning!

One more thing about this hobby

I feel compelled to finish with some talk about the pure aesthetic appeal, or the MULTIPLE LEVELS OF FUN I get out of these inks. Not just the colour, not just how the ink behaves, but... the name of the ink as well! Some inks do this more effectively than others. Similar to how the presentation of a dish is part of the experience, the name of an ink adds so much to my enjoyment of it. My least favourite ink names are [standard adjective]+[standard colour name]. My favourite ones are really convoluted with literary and poetic references, I just love them hahaha. Asian fountain pen inks I find tend to do this especially well - partly because of how much you can pack into how few syllables, I suppose. It makes me sad that a lot of sites don’t include the original names, often referencing them with just a number, though I understand it is difficult to translate. But I learn a lot with these names as a starting point! For example, Zhenjing, which I mentioned recently in the Kurama “Light” illustration, took a bit of back and forth with my parents to look up the source and then to interpret the complex line of poetry. It was a fun and fascinating exercise. 

A great name can’t save an ink I don’t like, but a good name elevates an ink I do like even more, and it can be really inspiring for making stuff. For example, take Pen BBS Mirrorflower Watermoon. I adore the colour of this ink - it's a very subtle grey-pale green with silver flakes. I used it heavily in the Hokushin fanart “Northern Deity” (you can see it here with photos of the sparkly).

The name is actually highly recognizable if you're familiar with classic East Asian literature/poetry. I read it out loud to my parents with no context other than "this is the name of one of my favourite ink colours" while they were eating dinner and they both said at the same time, "I know this! DREAM OF THE RED CHAMBER!" lmao. It's a very Buddhist idiom or phrase referring to the illusory nature of things, likening it to the reflection of a flower in a mirror or the reflection of the moon in water.

I hope this was interesting and helpful! ^^

#art supplies #logicheartsoul #replies #reply #fountain pen ink #ink #waterbrush #brush pen #fude de mannen #art by Maiji/Mary Huang #how I work #process

[gkingoffez]

Push

Fandom: Star Wars Rebels

Words: 2,549

Summary:  "Is he… meditating? Isn't he heavy?" Sabine questioned, leaning up against the doorway and crossing her arms, looking down on Kanan and Ezra. She'd probably been right before- Jedi training must have always been this weird to watch as an outsider, if strange things like this were any kind of example.

AO3 | FFN.Net

Inspired by this post. It was so cute I had to write it????

“Kanan? Are you sure this is a Jedi training thing, or are you just trying to mess with me?”

Ezra’s haughty voice echoed across the hall and through Sabine’s open door, and Sabine herself could only roll her eyes as if on instinct. In her mind she could almost picture Ezra’s folded arms and stubborn expression that usually accompanied that particular tone; man that kid loved to complain sometimes.

She would have closed her door to shut out the annoying distraction, but her latest wall mural was still half-finished and the paint fumes had been building up to an uncomfortable level in the small confines of her room. If it was a choice between Ezra and passing out from fume overexposure again, she sadly had to go with the first, although it was a close call.

“No Ezra, it’s not a trick.” Sabine snorted as she imagined Kanan pinching at his temple in frustration. “My master and I did this exercise when I was your around your age. Like I’ve  said, meditation is a vital part of connecting to the Force, and you need to be able to focus on that inward connection and be able to tune out what’s physically happening around you.”

“But Kanan I’ve only just been able to do it sitting still, how am I going to be able…”

Ezra’s voice became quieter, less sure, and Kanan’s reply in turn was soft enough that Sabine couldn’t pick it up through the barrier of Kanan’s bedroom door. Sabine had witnessed enough of the two’s more tender conversations to not try eavesdrop both out of a respect of their privacy and because it simply didn’t bother her. As long as it didn’t affect her in any way, what was discussed between Jedi was really none of her business.

She swiped at the mural with her spray can, and stepped back to inspect the new line, tilting her head to come at it from several different angles. It hadn’t quite had the effect she was going for.

“Ugh, I knew neon green was the wrong move,” she muttered to herself, flicking a stray hair out of her face. The piece was supposed to be a dynamic whirlwind of colour representing Hera in the cockpit of the Ghost in the middle of a battle, but so far it hadn’t been meshing together as well as Sabine had hoped. Flicks of orange, white and green paint covered her oversized painting coveralls, and a fume headache was scratching at the base of her skull. She took several steps back and popped her back, groaning in relief as her vertebrae released their built up tension. It was time for a break.

“I’m telling you, this isn’t going to work,” came Ezra’s voice again.

“You can say that again,” she muttered to herself, eyeing her supposed masterpiece. The small blurs of dark grey that were supposed to represent TIE fighters seemed misplaced. The orange of Hera’s flight suit seemed to be the wrong shade entirely. It just wasn’t working.

Art was hard sometimes.

Sabine put her spray bottle down on the desk next to the other colours and pulled off her stained painting gloves. The air in the corridor immediately smelt so much clearer when she stepped out into it. She moved down the hall towards the common room.

“I’m telling you right now, Kanan, I’m gonna be too heavy for you.”

“Ezra, would you just quit complaining for once and just  get on my back?” replied Kanan’s slightly frustrated voice.

Sabine paused mid-step and looked curiously to Kanan’s closed door up the corridor. That didn’t sound like their usual training dialogue, not that training to be a Jedi was usual for anyone these days.

She briefly wondered if Jedi training had always been this weird to observe by outsiders. Sometimes she would walk by and see both Master and Padawan sitting silently in meditation, and then pass again hours later to see that neither had moved a muscle; sometimes it involved she, Zeb and Chopper shooting stun blasts at Ezra to deflect with his saber, and no one would soon forget that memorable training session that had ended with Chopper pushing Ezra off the Ghost while they were parked in the lower atmosphere; and then there were times like this, of overhearing weird snatches of conversations that probably made more sense with the proper context.

It probably had been just as weird in the days of the Jedi Order, although back then there had been hundreds of other padawans being trained in the exact same way to make it normal.

Not for the first time though, Sabine found herself glad she wasn’t Force sensitive. Sure, telekinesis and seeing the future was cool, but nothing beat her ingrained warrior instincts and the design and power of her trusty blasters. Well, a lightsaber kind of did, but that was beside the point; the proud Mandalorian in her simply refused to acknowledge the Jedi as superior in any way.

She heard Ezra grumble something indeterminable as she shook her head and continued down to the common room, putting the Jedi to the back of her mind and instead hoping that someone had made fresh caf so she wouldn’t have to do it herself.

She found Zeb and Hera sitting in the booth and eating pieces of meiloorun, and after a trip to the galley, was drawn into an extended conversation on the Kessle Run and the mathematics behind how quickly a pilot could race it without being caught in time distortion. It was fun to play-argue with Hera over while Zeb scratched his head in confusion, and by the time Sabine wandered back to her room, stomach full of caff and fruit, her headache was gone.

She remembered the strange conversation she’d overheard before only when she glanced again to Kanan’s closed door. Shrugging, she walked over to it and tilted her ear to the metal. It was quiet, except for the occasional grunt and loud exhale.

After a moment’s hesitation and lip biting, her curiosity won out and she knocked softly. Kanan’s voice, perhaps a bit strained, said “Come in, but be quiet.”

Sabine tapped at the controls and the door hissed aside. The lights in Kanan’s room were dimmed, but they were enough to illuminate the strange sight Sabine found on the floor before her. Her mouth dropped open in surprise and her eyes went wide. She had to quickly stuff a fist to her mouth to suppress the urge to giggle.

Kanan was stretched out on the ground facing away from the bunk, legs straight and arms locked in a push-up position, while astride his upper back sat Ezra, cross-legged and face slack.

“Do you need something, Sabine?” Kanan asked, his face turned up at her. Sweat was beginning to glisten on his upper arms and forehead. He had forgone his usual green sweater for a plain black tank top.

Sabine took a moment to compose herself, blinking and swallowing down her humour. “Nothing urgent, Hera just wanted to remind you about the team briefing later tonight,” she said, not quite keeping the amusement from her voice. Hera had told her no such thing, but it was a good enough excuse to have knocked in the first place.

“Ah, thanks,” replied Kanan. He carefully bent his arms at the joint, dipping down and then back up again in a push up. Ezra tittered slightly at the movement, but settled again after a few seconds.

“Is he… meditating? Isn’t he heavy?” Sabine questioned, leaning up against the doorway and crossing her arms, looking down on Kanan and Ezra.

She’d probably been right before- Jedi training must have always been this weird to watch as an outsider, if strange things like this were any kind of example.

“It’s an exercise. And, yeah, he’s maybe a little heavier than expected. Nothing I can’t handle though, and if anything it’s a good thing. Remember how small he was when we found him?” Kanan said quietly, dipping down again.

Sabine nodded, biting at her lip. It seemed unfair to laugh, but the urge was still strong in her.

Kanan did another push up, and Ezra hmmed, but didn’t stir.

An idea stuck Sabine suddenly. “Hang on, keep doing this, I’ll be right back,” she declared, grinning and flying from the room. She rushed across the hall to her own quarters, ignoring the paint and the half-done mural in favour of scrambling around for some sketching pencils and paper.

Kanan looked at her curiously as she re-entered his room.

“Can I?” she grinned, with the best loth-puppy eyes she could muster, brandishing her art supplies to him.

He raised his eyebrows at her in response, and then frowned in consideration before sighing.

“I suppose, if you’re really feeling that inspired. Just don’t disturb him, okay?”

“Yes,” Sabine whispered in excitement, punching the air. She closed the door behind her and carefully stepped around, searching for the best angle to come at the scene from. She ended up sitting cross legged on the cushioned stool beside Kanan’s bed and spread out her supplies and art pad across her knees.

“And don’t make me look like a fool, please,” Kanan added, as she picked out a good pencil to start.

She snorted down at him. “You? Never.”

Kanan smirked, then his face returned to a scrunched up, concentrated look.

Sabine took a long, calculating gaze at her subjects, then bent over and began scribbling. Soon, the only sounds in the room were Ezra’s even breaths, Kanan’s occasional grunt, the scratching of pencils and occasional muffled snorts from Sabine. She was trying really hard not to burst out into laughter, but the hilarity of the situation kept coming at her in waves.

The central piece she worked on was a semi-realistic illustration- Kanan, strong and steady and Ezra, still and calm upon his back. She worked in the shading of the dimmed lights and the glistening sweat on Kanan’s forehead, aiming for realism but working in her own cartoonish style as well.

She also sketched out several other, far sillier drawings on a separate piece of paper. Among them was a caricature of Kanan with comical sized muscles, grunting and pumping up and down at a ridiculous speed, with Ezra the size of an ant on his back; one of the both of them as Loth-cats, the Loth-Ezra curled up and purring on Loth-Kanan’s furry brown back; and (for good measure) one of Ezra flopping right off Kanan’s shoulders and landing face first in an undignified heap on the floor.

The loth-cat one was her favourite of the bunch.

Sabine also found herself quite proud of the main piece, even if it was far from finished and more of a messy, scratchy draft than anything else. She particularly felt like she’d caught dynamic power of the lines of Kanan’s shoulders and the essence of Ezra’s meditative expression. She would clean and colour the sketch when there was time later on, but for the moment she held it up with a wide, proud smile, angling it into the light and blowing away the small strands of white eraser debris. She could already tell the finished product would be one of her better ones.

Sabine gathered up her supplies and folded the paper with the silly sketches on it in two. She wrote Ezra’s name on it, adding a heart for dramatics and left it on the stool for the kid to find when he came out of the trance.

With her main piece, she stepped forward, crouched and wordlessly placed it on the ground before Kanan. It was a show of trust more than anything- she, like a lot of artists, didn’t like showing off unfinished pieces. It just didn’t seem right to put something out for the galaxy to see that wasn’t polished up to a certain standard.

Kanan, however, had earned it. They’d saved each other’s lives so many times over the years, had each other’s backs through the good and the bad, and as much as Sabine would never admit it out loud, Kanan had become like a father-figure to her. Even if he was a Jedi who used really weird training practices that didn’t really make sense to her.

Besides, the guy probably deserved it. She’d pity anyone who had to carry Ezra on their shoulders, literally or figuratively.

Kanan looked over her work, his shoulders shaking with exertion as he paused mid-pushup. After a moment, he grinned proudly up at her in approval and she smiled back, feeling the familiar swell of pride that usually arose whenever her Ghost family showed how much they loved and supported her art. She picked up the sketch again and tiptoed out with a wave of farewell, returning to her room.

As soon as she was inside and the door had shut behind her, she burst into quiet laughter, which she only half-heartedly stifled.

Only kriffing Jedi, she thought fondly.

The paint fumes had almost entirely dissipated. Still chuckling, she pulled out a plastic folder from a shelf and carefully placed her sketch in it so it would be protected until she had the time to finish it.

There was still a little while before dinner and the team briefing, so Sabine turned back to her newest mural and looked it over with a new eye as she pulled her gloves back on.

“Hmm, maybe neon green is the right choice, but I just need to be bolder with it,” she mused to herself, picking up the spray can again and approaching the wall.

“You couldn’t have asked me before you let her use me for inspiration?” Ezra asked, accusingly. “It’s bad enough that I had to do that ridiculous exercise, but you let Sabine see me doing it as well?”

Kanan stood by his bunk wiping the sweat from his neck with a towel, while Ezra frowned down at the piece of paper Sabine had left for him. A flush of embarrassment clung at his cheeks.

“You were deep in meditation; there wouldn’t have been any point in bringing you out of it just to ask one question. Besides, if anything the extra distraction added to the exercise and you did very well to remain focussed.”

Ezra smirked a little at the praise, and then his face fell back into a scowl. “Yeah, but was it really worth it? She made us into cuddling lothcats, how humiliating is that?”

“What?” Kanan wandered over and took the paper from Ezra’s hands. He frowned at it as well. “I specifically asked her not to make me look like a fool.”

“You look fine. I’m the one she drew as a fool,” moaned Ezra.

“Well, at least the drawings are realistic in that sense,” Kanan replied with a grin. He tussled Ezra’s hair playfully, and Ezra let out a squeak of protest. “Come on, kid, it’s almost time for dinner and I’m gonna have a shower first. You go see if Hera needs anything done before the crew meeting.”

Ezra nodded and snatched the paper back.

“What? It’s addressed to me!” he said in reply to Kanan’s lifted eyebrow. He dashed out the door, Kanan shaking his head fondly in his wake.

I wrote this from Sabine’s POV bc I have definitely been neglecting all the other characters except Kanan and Ezra.

What’s that, you say? Kanan and Ezra are still a lot of the focus of this fic? Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, I know, but I can’t leave them alone.

#star wars rebels #swr #sabine wren #ezra bridger #kanan jarrus #star wars rebels fanfic #my writing

[xjbderek5886587-blog]

Gain access to Refuted.

It is actually a timeless style rule of thumb - fall is all about the planet tone colours. The correct yellowish is going to be uplifting and increases our self-esteem Nevertheless, too much use of yellow, or even the inappropriate tone of it in regard to the other hues in a colour scheme, can cause self-confidence to fall, bring about be afraid and also anxiousness It could be overwhelming and also people are discovered to lose their moods extra in yellow spaces as well as children shed tears even more in yellow areas.

Their coördination is actually fantastic, their activities influence order and unity yet at the same time, the coppery colours are actually stimulating. However even today in many peoples' eyes, the colour Purple preserves a stately bearing. Different colors connect with lens are crucial to the level of popularity of call lens. Eco-friendly frames can easily at times emphasize green eyes, however generally not as properly as violet ones. Also the very best opportunities that a civilization discovers are remembered as "the golden age". Aside from the principal base colour of a pet, there can be various other genetics that arrange coloured hairs into details designs. Besides new designs, color scheme and also user friendly approach work wonders. As I have shared in the past, I adore making use of tinted pencils to incorporate different colors to my sketches yet I really like mixing colored pencils and markers. Blue can easily appear dark like charcoal, even more filthy, much more purple, more muddy like sandy water or clearer (any shade that water may suppose with various elements or in different lights). The world wide web giant is taking United States pre-orders for a Bubbly Gold version of the Retreat that includes the exact same 7-inch screen, water resistance and Clear support of the regular dark style, only in a slightly overdone I-have-money color. The contra-indications show when the colours should certainly not be actually utilized - for example, reddish must not be used if the person has to deal with temper problems, a deeper pink (red blended with white colored) might be actually a better option. Image quality is superb for an ink-jet printer so cheap, however once more use brand http://steve-gymdiet.info/sie-mussen-taglich-600-gramm-obst-und-gemuse-konsumieren/ top quality shiny paper for finest end results. 2. Environment-friendly - a mix of blue and yellowish. Merck Manuals states that the absolute most common kind of shade blindness is actually red-green different colors blindness, that makes it hard to differentiate specific colors of reddish and eco-friendly. The 4 usb cable colors I am actually discussing in this particular hub are the ORANGE, WHITE, BLUE and ECO-FRIENDLY. It is actually candy-colored hair! On the contrary, particularly joined dark, white colored may experience sterile. With the build up of darker tone in the mid durations and also ends the lifting process would take a while. Take into consideration your skin tone as well as eye colour. Semi-permanent formula was actually not suggested to be used on hair already handled along with a momentary shade, due to the fact that the elements weren't compatible. For example, Tottenham Hotspur began in white colored as well as blue halves, as a tribute to the then effective Blackburn Rovers. Lots of folks presume that the process of placing pictures to canvass is a challenging one, however this is not therefore and also numerous business are actually helping make a killing doing this. The procedure of placing photographes onto canvas has actually taken off over the years and folks are actually deciding on canvas as the tool of option considering that it is low-cost, it is actually long long-term, you can easily individualize canvass to suit your certain demands, the channel has been the component of option for years and it possesses an aesthetic feel that channels carry out not have as well as another factor for use of canvas is that the machines created publishing photos on canvas by such primary firms as Epson, Canon, and also Hewlett-Packard have been produced with canvas and documents in thoughts and not the various other mediums. I recognize exactly how I took a look at that moment, for I viewed on my own in Bertha's presumed as she raised her cutting grey eyes, and also examined me: an unhappy ghost-seer, bordered by phantoms in the noonday, tremoring under a doddle when the leaves were actually still, without hunger for the usual things of individual needs, yet pining after the moon-beams. Iron supplements and also iron-rich foods can create bowel movements to become black, seeming eco-friendly to practically dark. Need to this take place wash your eyes with cool water, as burning of the eye will certainly develop. In time, they can become just as expensive as laser procedures and do bit much more than bleach dark ink colours lighter.

[theperfectorpage]

Makeup Bag: Celebrity Makeup Artist Suzy Gerstein

“I am a big fan of non-toxic beauty. There are so many great things happening in the Green Beauty space that it’s an exciting time to support brands that do good for women and the environment. I also don’t drive myself nuts about being exclusively 100% non-toxic. If can’t find a mascara that lasts through a sad movie (or red carpet) without running, or spot an electric teal eyeliner in Sephora that makes my heart sing, then I shop the mainstream lines without feeling guilty about it. I try and just do my best and bless the rest!

With both my clients and myself I focus on the skin- through skincare and makeup technique. No matter how bold I go with lines or color, I never want there to be the sense of visible concealer, foundation, or powder. I love working to create flawless but believable looking skin- it’s really the basis for all the looks I create (and sometimes it’s all I need to do).

For skincare, I’m a longtime devotee of May Lindstrom Skin. I use her The Clean Dirt just about every other day in the shower to cleanse and exfoliate my skin, which makes makeup apply so much smoother and more evenly so that I end up needing less product. I carry a little vial of her cleanser with me to work in case I need to exfoliate a model before a shoot, and I carry my own tiny vial as well. I prep my skin every day with a mist of Rosewater (SW Basics is my favorite), then apply a mix of Kypris Antioxidant Dew and one of their fabulous Beauty Elixirs. They soak right into the skin and create such a smooth surface for makeup. I also love to rotate in La Bella Figura Modern Radiance Concentrate and Pai Rosehip Bio Regenerate Oil several times a week for brightness. I also love Mūn Aknari Serum under makeup. Whenever I used it on my clients they ooh and ahh over the rose and prickly pear scent, and it’s light so it makes a great primer under makeup. I always use an eye cream; lately I’ve been loving Dr. Dennis Gross Hyaluronic Marine Dew It All Eye Gel for how effectively it hydrates and plumps without a trace of residue so it’s great under makeup. And when my skin is feeling in need of that extra layer of moisture and protection after all my oils, I’ll lock in the oil with an application of either Odacité Oleosomes Time Release Delivery Crème or Chuda Healing Hydrating Cream. Both are good and rich.

After skincare, I begin virtually every makeup application by combing up the brows to reveal their shape. Lately I’ve been loving the Tom Ford Brow Sculptor in Taupe. It adds a hint of color and has a great, waxy consistency that gives a really nice weight and strength to the brow. I hold them in place with Lanolips 101 Ointment; I use it everywhere from my lips to cuticles, as well.

Next, I curl my lashes. The Kevyn Aucoin Eyelash Curler is a longtime favorite. It’s got a rounded pad that gives a very gradual curl and a great shape that gets every last lash.

Then I go into foundation and concealer, applying only where I need it on a given day. A current obsession is Gressa’s Serum Foundation. It feels like luxurious skincare going on, gives phenomenal coverage and is super easy to work into the skin until it’s imperceptible. I usually just use my fingers and a damp black BeautyBlender.

It Cosmetics Concealer In A Pot has a great peachy tone that counteracts blue and grey under eye circles. I put it in this little Muji pillbox to cut down on weight in my makeup bag.

I use RMS Un-Cover-Up in 022 for spots: it’s coconut oil-based, so it’s great for drier skin and winter skin. I recently have been getting into the W3LL People Narcissist Foundation Stick. I carry a small sample, again to cut down on space in my bag.

Juice Beauty Photo-Pigments Juice Boost in Bronzing is great for warming up the skin and giving the appearance of having had some sun – without the damage. A little of this product goes a long way, and I’m always sure to check my blending in natural light as it does set after a bit of playtime so you want to be careful that there’s no trace of a line where you applied it. The Beauty Blender helps this.

For cheeks I use a mix of RMS Beauty Lip2Cheek in Diabolique which I apply with this and synthetic brush from Glossier (it’s meant for powder but I really like it for fanning on cream blush and getting a natural, perfectly diffused looking flush). Olio e Osso Tints (I carry about 5 shades of this grapefruit and olive oil infused salve in my bag on any given day and love them all). My current go-to’s are Currant (no pun intended), Bronze, and Crimson. They are great on lips too and don’t even require a mirror to apply because the formula is so forgiving. L

I’ve never really been a powder blush girl because I prefer the fresh, lived-in finish of a cream. The only downside of creams is that they don’t last as long so I’m always having to reapply. Kosås Contrachroma changed my tune. It’s so soft and finely milled that it’s almost like a cream blush. I use it to set mine and shade the face a bit in a very believable way. I love that I can apply with my fingers as well.

I always carry a lip option or two; currently Kosås Fringe and Henne Tinted Balm in Intrigue are in heavy rotation.

And I don’t always wear them, but I carry two mascaras: a black on from It Cosmetics with a very natural finish and a volumizing one from Chanel in the color Burgundy (not pictured) to bring out the blue-green in my eyes.

I like to have a black and a taupe eyeliner pencil on standby; Chanel and Kjaer Weis, respectively, as well as a shimmery peach cream shadow by Jillian Dempsey so I can basically make any smokey, neutral eyeshadow color I want without carrying a million products. It’s great for last minute evening plans or just when the mood strikes and I feel like intensifying my look. I also love using the Kjaer Weis Lip Pencils mixed in with the lip and cheek tints mentioned above to create my own long wearing lip and cheek color.

Instead of powder, which I don’t generally use on myself, I like to mist with a pure organic Rosewater from SW Basics. I love Tatcha’s beauty papers for blotting up shine in any unwanted areas. And I always carry Biossance 100% Squalane Oil to hydrate everything from my hands to dry skin patches to hair.

I also always carry a mini version of this Pure Nilotica Melt Nourishing Balm-to-Oil from LXMI that’s brilliant for taking off all manner of makeup (even waterproof) in one fell swoop.

I love to play with the transformative effects of makeup at work; to use color and texture to express something creatively with the clients and teams I work with.

On myself, however, I generally just like to wear makeup that balances my features, brings out what I want to bring out, and minimizes what I wish to minimize, and, overall, makes me feel like a more confident, polished version of myself. I have been loving playing up my brows lately, omitting mascara, and throwing on a bold berry lip; it’s fun to switch it up sometimes and play!

Makeup bag from Kosås and cherry blossom scarf a gift from my lovely assistant Arisa from Japan that makes me smile (and gives me wanderlust) when I look at it.”

— Makeup artist Suzy Gerstein, whose clients include Millie Bobby Brown, Leighton Meester, Camilla Belle, and Carrie Brownstein

Shop The Post:

//<![CDATA[ !function(d,s,id){ var e, p = /^http:/.test(d.location) ? 'http' : 'https'; if(!d.getElementById(id)) { e = d.createElement(s); e.id = id; e.src = p + '://widgets.rewardstyle.com/js/shopthepost.js'; d.body.appendChild(e); } if(typeof window.__stp === 'object') if(d.readyState === 'complete') { window.__stp.init(); } }(document, 'script', 'shopthepost-script'); //]]>

Turn on your JavaScript to view content

The post Makeup Bag: Celebrity Makeup Artist Suzy Gerstein appeared first on Beauty Banter.

Makeup Bag: Celebrity Makeup Artist Suzy Gerstein posted first on http://constructiondumpstersaustinpage.blogspot.com/

[izfowkes-blog]

Art Evaluation- Project 2 (Collections)

The second theme of my first year at college is called “Collections” we were all given this topic to work from and produce a final piece of work at the end of the project. My idea for my final piece was to create 6 polaroid pictures but to make the frame myself and instead of the picture being taken with a camera digitally, I wanted to use a photo I had previously taken and paint it using watercolours which is a skill I picked up as I was developing my ideas. To make the Polaroid frames I used card with the dimensions of 10.8cmx8.8cm and the square in the middle where my picture is I used 7.2x7.2cm, beforehand I had tried various dimensions such as more rectangular ones but I wanted the picture to be squarer and the frames be sturdy. Each 3D Polaroid I have created has a different water colour painting using various colours of watercolour paints and different brush sizes and bristles to give different effects. I only took part of the picture I digitally took to paint though because I didn’t want to have to cram everything into the square I wanted it to look spaced and not squashed as when I took the picture I didn’t feel all squashed and claustrophobic as I would have if I was taking the photo in the city but seeing as I took it on the beach and woodland I felt calm and free and wanted to show that in my paintings that’s why there’s no people in my paintings and just landscapes to show I was the only person around.   My work is about having you own space and those collections of memories and places that are personal to you and having those places you can go that is like a breath of fresh air to your mind. My interpretation of the theme collections is that collections of things make a person happy and satisfied which is psychological, so I decided to show my audience my collection of things that makes me happy which is memories and places such as my previous holiday to Dorset where there was so much to occupy my mind such as the waves crashing and woodlands to explore which I loved taking photographs of and along the path of developing my idea of which media to use to recreate these photographs in my final piece I decided to try water colours and enjoyed them so much that I decided to use them. For my final piece I used watercolour paints, card, paint brushes and water. I used water colour paints because I started out using just pencil but pencil didn’t give the effect of how calm and happy I felt when I took the photograph and that’s the feeling I wanted to portray in my work, the grey and tones that pencil work has to offer made my work look dull and deeply depressing which isn’t how I felt at all, I then progress to looking at places I want to go in the future such as new york, china, Paris etc, and decided to draw these landmarks in black pen and I liked the effect it gave but I wanted to do tonal work and my final piece to have colour so I had a think about  what would work best and I found that I really enjoyed using watercolours and loved the effect it had and it fit my ideas perfectly because the colours blended and flowed and looked calm and tranquil which is exactly what I wanted. I used card instead of paper to do my frames with because paper was too flimsy and ripped if I used too much water so it was completely useless for what I wanted so I tried card and this outcome was much more successful. Also it makes my work stand out more and looks so much neater than paper and my work is also 3D  this way which is what I wanted as people can physically pick it up and look at it and be drawn into my work and shuffle the pictures and imagine themselves there. When I was using watercolours I used different techniques to give different effects for each picture for example on my painting of the beach in West Bay I used a thick water colour brush and bent the bristles so they were messy and dipped the ends of the bristles in white acrylic paint then dappled the brush along the waves to give the effect of the waves breaking and this was a successful technique. Another technique I used was to cut half the bristles off my brush to give a finer line for the more detailed objects in my paintings such as the daisy petals and the fine brush strokes needed for thinner lines in the paintings and after lots of practice I also worked out how much water was required for me to mix with the paint to give the right colours and blends. I have been inspired by Andy Warhol to give vibrant colours and not be afraid for my work to stand out and his work is so happy and exciting I wanted my audience to feel like that when they looked at my paintings on the Polaroids. Also Julia Leyster’s work shows elegance and delicacy and inspired me to really take my time and be more of a perfectionist with my work and to choose the colours carefully which made me mix my colours together to get the perfect shade and always test the colour on paper before I used it to paint with. David Hockney threw a spanner in the works as I couldn’t make my mind up whether to use abnormal colours as I was so in awe of his work that I couldn’t work out what would be best so I experimented with some test paintings in his style but decided I preferred to stay with the path of development I was on. I have been inspired by many things such as the way everyone is different and has different collections of happy places and memories and I think people should share their memories more to inspire other people I think that is really important. If people communicated more about their memories instead of keeping them locked up then they’d be so much more interesting and open, which is why I wanted to share a fraction of my memories with the audience I am working with. Different places inspired me too such as the beauty amongst the mundane of nature how everything is a collection in the world and each environment has its own collection. For example a woodland collection is flowers, trees, grass, bark, streams, branches etc, and a beach collection is oceans, waves, sand, different shades of blue in the water… everything is so beautiful. The result of my outcome is very successful; it reflects everything I expected it to such as drawing people into the blending of colours and into my mind of the memories of these moments and this is also due to the patience I had with using watercolours for the first time which made me apprehensive about using them for something as important as my final piece. However it speaks out the message I wanted it to about how we all need to take time out from daily stresses and be reminded that our mental health is important and taking a few moments out of our day to reflect can help this.  The way I have painted my photos, from the angle as if you’re facing the scene, makes it easier for my audience to see that it is a metaphor for being on the same level as everything, and that when you feel like everything is all getting on top of you, realise that you are at the same level as everything surrounding you. This is why I painted the daffodil from the angle that you’re lay in front of it and not stood over it as we can all sometimes feel like we are that daffodil and everything is standing over us, but if we go to the place where we feel calm, the anxiety goes away and we then feel like we’re on the same level. I am very happy with my outcome as it shows exactly what I wanted it to! To improve my final outcome if I were to do it again I would make the polaroids on an abnormally large scale just to add effect and impact to bring the audience in more and for them to really feel like they are in the scene I have painted and also you would be able to see my brush strokes better and the colour would stand out more, I would also produce more polaroids maybe about 12 instead of 6 to give more of a variety of different scenes. I could even do 6 of them based in the tranquil scenery and 6 in the chaotic city to show how different your mind can feel being in a busy environment compared to a calm one and show just how important it is to take time out and relax your mind.

[freakypumpkin]

heya, it's the anon from the other day!! thank you so much for replying and i must say, your answer was so fucking interesting and i must've read it like 5 times or so by now. everything you explained about your creative process and personal history with drawing was fascinating and i think i can say that you truly inspired me to try and perseverate, so thanks again! i have another question i forgot to ask, about colors, and again it's about how you visualize them. i find it pretty hard -(1)

-(2) when i look around me to differenciate which color is what; by that, i mean that i can’t really put a name on colors, especially if it’s sort of gray, to me it will look gray even though it’s actually dark blue if you were to pick it out with the eyedropper tool. and i just can’t imagine how you color and shadow things without a reference, like how do you figure out the exact hue you should put there ? i’m kinda rambling here but it just blows my mind how you can make realistic looking -

-(3) drawings and get the textures and shadows and tones all great?? like, for instance, your mermen malec piece; the tails are so beautiful? how do you manage to get the darkest and the lightest parts right, it’s so hard to imagine the scene and reproduce it?? i’m just in love with what you do at this point. about drawing from pictures, i feel like i can do it alright but i can’t help but feel like i’m not a “real artist” because of that, because i don’t exactly “create” something from scratch-

-(4) i’ve even been told by people that if i wasn’t drawing things without ref, it was because i wasn’t confident enough (love it when people think they know how you work and who you are and feel free to pass judgement upon it!). i’ve seen that you useddifferent papers for the rough sketches and the lineart pieces that come after, so i was also wondering what kind of paper you used for the first sketches? does the paper quality matter for them since they’re not final product? and i think that’s-

-(5? or 6) that’s it ! again, i hope you’re having a great day and i wish you the best ! love ya

Hey there :D 

I’m glad I managed a answer of some quality :3 and reading, that it made you want to keep going totally made my morning.

You do create things from scratch, my friend. You start with a blank page and have a drawing in end, right? There you go. Wether or not you have a reference, you still have to draw the picture yourself, it’s not that with having a picture to copy from, the lines suddenly start appearing on the page. ;3

And when people say, you lack confidence because you draw from reference, I would say, that you simply find beauty in the things, that exist in the world around you and you want to capture that. And I would say, in terms of bravery, it is pretty brave to draw something people can compare to the original. Taking on reality is brave. Also, on that same note, I personally decided, that you will always be the only one to completely understand your art. You create art for yourself, it’s a part of you and a form of expression, that will never be completely open to others, and is surprisingly intimate in certain aspects, I think. So, who cares? (If they offer constructive criticism, great, if their comments are harmful to you, don’t listen.)

Sidenote: Classmates used to mock me for drawing non-realistically, with the big eyes and the non-natural colored hair and my mother was always like ‘do they have to have this pointed chins?’. Somebody is always going to be ‘Oh, that’s not real art’. But at some point, I decided, that there are so many different kinds of art and art forms, why shouldn’t what I create not be found somewhere on that spectrum?

About the colors … it’s a learning curve. xD One of the reasons I started working with grey tones is, that this way, I only have to look for the shading and not the color combination, because I am not good at that. I have like a few color combinations, that I know will work and I tend to use them whenever I use colors at all. I have a few cheating strategies, like combining colors with black or grey, or only using grey tones and then you can put in a pop of any color you want to create a certain ‘dramatic effect’. In general, I would say, just try it out. Like, I have papers filled with random patches of colors, where I drew one marker over another and just looked at what happened. So yeah, there’s a lot of experimenting in it on my part. And I think, being able to see colors is a question of training, too. 

By now i have a collection of all different kinds of paper, I just like paper and trying out different kinds of paper. The yellowish one I usually make my sketches on is a bit thinner (90g or 61 lb) than the white one I use for the clean linearts (185 g) and the difference is just that. Both are labeled as sketch paper and I can use markers on both of them, but on the sketch-paper, I feel less pressured to make a perfect drawing and I just don’t like pencil marks from erased lines on the white one. I did some lineart on the yellowish paper, too, and if i needed thinner paper for tracing of a sketch via lightbox, I wouldn’t have an issue with taking the yellowish one. :) 

Specifically about that mermaid-drawing I have to add, that I have no real experience with water colors at this point. Whatever you see turned out good on the picture in the end is often a case of me going ‘Let’s see, what happens when I do this’ and stuff turning out semi-successful. For the tails I had references at the start. I mean, not for that particular picture, but in general. They are based on the tails of tropical fish. So, when talking about the shading, It’s a lot about looking at pictures of fish and adapting the shades from there. Where fins overlap, there are shadows, etc. (Pinterest is awesome for that, btw)And I also usually wet the area I want to paint first and then dip the brush in paint and put it at a point in a corner, where I know will be a shadow and due to the formerly applied water, the color spreads out itself and I just help a bit with the brush, I think. I mostly follow the form of whatever I’m coloring; going from one side of the tail to the other with a slight curve and the farther I get, the more the brush will run out of color and there’s the effect. I usually put shadows at the edges and where fins overlap the tail to add depth, but there’s really not any kind of detailed plan behind it, especially with water colors. 

When it’s with skin, there are just some general areas where I like adding shadows, which is around the eyes, under the eyebrows, wherever the hair falls, underneath the chin and on the lips and nose. I saw that kind of shading in a lot of other drawings, and kind of just adapted it. If you would look closer, I’m pretty sure, that most of them would not be as they are if you’d be going for natural lighting. But I like it and therefore I will keep putting them there. :3Shadows with water colors for me work the way of using more or less of the same color and with copics I have the advantage of them being numbered according to their hue of a certain color. So, light grey is C-1 and it goes darker through C-2, C-3, C-5, and so on, and this way, when I use C-2 as a base color, I will use C-3 for the shadows and C-5 for the darkest parts of those shadows. 

But all in all it’s a process. When you draw a lot fishes, for example from reference you start learning where shadows will most likely be and this way, you don’t need the reference material that close by if you’re not interested in copying it in detail. I think, you subconsciously learn how shadows work on a certain object at some point. It’s like learning a new form of math and in the beginning you will have to write down every little step you take, but when you’re secure enough in the method, you will start to skip them. Just give yourself time. 

As for textures it’s again about looking at reference material. To learn about how shadows work on different kinds of material, working on how to translate that with whatever material you’re using. Also, youtube tutorials are great as well. Just keep in mind, that you don’t have to do things exactly as shown on the video, just look if you can learn something new from it, that feels like it could work for you. 

And I tell you, copying from nature and life is one the most useful things you can do. Writers work with research material and rerference material is the research of artists. Never let yourself get talked down for doing that. You wouldn’t call a writer ‘not a real writer’ just because they wrote something about a real story, right? :) It’s simply another genre. And they don’t write about things, that really happened beacuse they aren’t confident enough, it’s just, that they like what they write about and they also have to start with a blank page and therefore from scratch. Just the same way, you are a real artist. :)

Creating art is constant work and practice. Something will always be a challenge and somebody will always be better than you. The most important thing is, that you don’t give up if you really want to do it and that at some point you reach that feeling of ‘I like my art’. That should be your goal :)

I hope this helped, feel free to ask if anything was left unclear. :) Have a great day!

#anon