#i love getting inspired from multiple medias and combining it into drawing | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

taeiris · 17 days

Note

if I’ve already sent this ask before I’m so sorry, I’ve got adhd, but how did you find your art? (I’m in my questioning phase)

hihi!!! no problem! i think i have some kind of glitch with asks bc when i go look for them it says i have 3, but when i check it, there isn’t any so im sorry if any of u have ever sent asks and i havent answered them it’s probably bc of that😭

but anyways lets get on it!

finding you art style is not smth simple at ALL. ive been drawing my entire life!!! and ive had a bunch of different styles until now, they kinda used to change every few months or so, i was always happy with them but it never really lasted??? and i always had at least one part of the process of it to dread doing, for example, coloring.

it wasn’t until recently i FINALLLYYY found a style im 100% comfortable in.

it really takes experimenting and finding what elements of creating art you love and enjoy the most. for me, i used to mostly do traditional art, just pencil or ink sketching and i would OCCASIONALLY color them. so i really used to enjoy kinda the messiness of the pencil on trad mediums and stuff? and i never rlly found a way to translate that element to digital art which is the one i enjoy the most now.

brushes are very important! it depends on the look you like. since i like that pencil feel, i use a pencil looking brush! (softy from esbenlash’s procreate brush set) and i also got a paper feel screen protector for my ipad to enhance the experience🔥

i found i mostly enjoyed doing lineart and didnt rlly look forward to coloring, i didnt find my past styles enjoyable bc they kind of felt restricting in that area? since i didnt find a way to make it more abt the lineart and less abt coloring that i liked (ofc theres plenty! i just didnt find one for me)

so tbh i think what mostly influenced the style i enjoy the most now is film, and baroque art!

i had recently seen:

Crimson Peak (2015)

The Shape of Water (2017)

and ofc

Stranger Things DUHHHHH

and i fell in love with the way the lightning was, heavy dark shadows and moody lights, and tried to match my style to it and found that it highlighted all the things i enjoy doing the most while drawing! so thats where i am now

special mention to the one movie im obsessed with currently

The Crow (1994)

also has the similar style

all that + experimenting, studying other’s art i liked and finding elements to integrate to my art, ANDDD music also played a huge part in it. so as you can see for me its about kind of combining aspects of every single piece of media i like 😭

its not gonna be the same for everyone, but its always good to have a guide so i hope this was useful for you and anyone else! im always willing answer any art questions :)

don’t worry too much about speeding up finding your style, it’ll come to you eventually, so focus on enjoying the moment and learning, take mental notes of what you like and don’t like!

sorry this is kinda long as hell… but i like rambling

#perfect opportunity to show off these shots from my fav movies teehee #art truly is all one!#i love getting inspired from multiple medias and combining it into drawing #ari answers asks

18 notes · View notes

saint-amand · 1 month

Note

Hi!! I love your artwork, your comics look really polished and professional! I was wondering if you had any inspirations/favorite mangaka or comic artists, or if you had any tips for starting on making comics ^^

Thank you so much!

To be honest... I have not actively kept up with manga for a long time (I really should for someone drawing one), although I'm exposed to a bit of the doujinshi community in general just by way of social media. I would say the look I've arrived at stems from having drawn comics for years and so having those opportunities to experiment with different ways of doing things.

The #漫画が読めるハッシュタグ tag on Twitter is a fun trove of seeing what's out there and some professionals also use it to plug upcoming publications by posting the first chapter (it's heavily used though so you might need to wade through a lot). Also recommend finding manga anthologies or magazines because it's a good way to compare a lot of artists in a small space!

As for tips on starting... I feel I can say a lot of things but it depends what kind of detail and what topics!! (I wanted to start a blog on this before but the idea dropped off because I didn't have a lot of time to write) Anyway I'll rattle off about some key points:

Deciding technical details Figure out what your intended specs are -- are you publishing digitally or do you want to print it? Both? Or digitally for now with possibility of printing in the far future? So then what size? Is it in pages or long webtoon format? What DPI will you draw in? Colour or B&W?

Storytelling and panelling Assuming you already have a story in mind and have written some kind of script, you then need to figure out how you're going to tell and pace it, and how you're going to lay it out on a page. I start with going over the script and splitting them into pages, cutting them at points that seem to make sense to be a good stop. And then I split the lines into panels. Now you know how many panels there are going to be per page*, you can begin storyboading (infamously the hardest part of comics). *But at the same time, you might only get a better sense of this once you've had more experience laying out pages. It's a huge spectrum. Depending on the tone of your story, if it's slow, loose, emotional and fluffy, there tends to be less panels on a page. More active and actiony, or if you just need to get through a lot and want to keep the scene going without lingering too long you would have more panels. Some manga average at like 3-6 panels per page whereas some people with higher density go for 5-8... And some people can fit up to 10 depending on the type of scene. It's all up to you! It's not a hard rule though obviously and it can create a lot of impact to mix it around. For example it's really impactful if you typically have 7 panels and suddenly something major happens and there's only 2 panels on the next page. Likewise you can create a sense of franticness or comedy if it's a slow moving story with 3 panels and suddenly there's 8 on the next page. Not to mention there are then a gazillion ways you can shape the panels on the page, and then compose the speech balloons and shots in them. Maybe you already have an image of mind of 1 shot and need to figure out everything around it. I recommend analysing at what other comic artists do for reference! Take your time because this is the most thinking-intensive part of the entire process. It's kind of a problem or puzzle-solving exercise though and it's satisfying once you arrive at your solution for that page.

Drawing style Since you're going to be drawing multiple pages, you need to decide how you want it to look so that it's consistent. There are an unlimited number of combinations, but just keep in mind the more detailed the style and the more drawing steps there are is the longer it takes to complete a page -- it's a balance of quantity vs quality. In the end you want to tell a story but you don't want to take 2 years drawing 30 pages. Some questions to ask yourself: - How detailed is the lineart? How detailed is everyone's clothes keeping in mind that you then need to draw it every panel and every page? - How do you shade it? Not at all? Flats or with some gradients? Screentones or nah? (PS: I only really do screentones because I'm genuinely prepping for print and I like the texture, but beware it doesn't show up great digitally) - Overall black and white balance of a page and how much you do your black fills/shadows - (If it's manga) How do you deal with black hair? (I'm so serious there are so many ways to do this if you have black hair characters) - Do you draw the backgrounds? Or process photos? Or use 3D?

Typesetting Nothing ruins good art faster than shitty typesetting. I have a strong opinion about this but please hand draw/hand lasso your balloons rather than using ellipse tools. And make sure there is enough space between the letters and the edge of the balloons. Nate Piekos' Better Letterer tips is a GREAT resource for this and explains everything far better than I can -- I highly recommend this for everyone wanting to get into comics.

Anyway, in a nutshell, drawing comics is a series of decisions you have to make. Break it up in various stages because thinking about everything at once can be overwhelming!

Start small and don't burn yourself out. It can very much be an exercise in stamina and if you can maintain passion towards a project. In terms of the reality of it, the process can be hard and time-consuming with varying levels of reward and satisfaction at the end. Just remember you're also doing it for yourself though -- because you've been gripped by a great compulsion to tell a story :)

#asks #blog #honestly there is a lot i can talk about that i can dedicate separate posts to

5 notes · View notes

jakesalablogs · 2 years

Text

EmiNFTs?

Welcome back comic fans! I hope you’re as excited as I am to get into today’s stories. I will be looking at the following today: “NFT Monkeys & Comic Books: Eminem’s Newest Track” from MusicDaily

Will the Real Slim Shady please stand up on the blockchain? Bad jokes aside, this is a pretty cool story that combines music, NFTs and comic books. According to MusicDaily, “As of June 24th, 2022 Eminem and Snoop Dogg graced us all with a music video to their home honoring collaboration. From The D 2 The LBC is a song that’s got hella good bars and flow… but that’s not why we’re here (yet). We’re here to talk about the screenshots below.”

That’s right. Eminem and Snoop Dogg made a music video with their own comic book NFT characters. This a pretty cool development for multiple reasons. First, it represents a mainstream adoption of 21st century digital assets across the media industry. Musicians that have been around as long as Snoop and Eminem have fans across multiple generations. Younger generations of fans can connect to artists on a more personal level by buying and trading NFTs of their likeness. Just imagine what demand would have been for NFTs during the height of BeatleMania for instance. Additionally, blockchain assets allow for a greater share of revenue to go to the artists themselves. There is not a massive royalty split to record labels as there is on digital music streams for instance.

Comic book fans also have a lot to get excited about here. Eminem’s passion for Spider-Man is one element to note. “Fun Fact: Eminem was very skilled as a kid and teen in illustration. He really liked drawing Spider-Man.” Not only did this project feature classic icons from comics, but it spawned a new comics project. Shady Comics Group is the result of this collaboration. This development represents a new player in the realm of NFT comic books. Consumers will benefit from a wide range of publishers entering this space and continuing to decentralize publishing. Celebrities of this magnitude entering this space demonstrates that there is a sizable market for this type of content.

Overall, this unconventional venture into the NFT space will serve as a great way to add credibility and diversity into digital assets.

Be sure to check back here each week for my latest blog entries to stay up to date with the happenings in the industry. Also be sure to visit https://newhouse.syr.edu/ for more information about how you can get involved in this industry.

#snoop dogg #eminem #blockchain #media #tech news #nft marketplace

3 notes · View notes

artcenterstories · 2 years

Text

Medium is the Message: Meet Artist Noël Ill

ArtCenter: What are you working on right now? Noël Ill (Illustration '05): I began assisting on music video sets in the early 2000s. My directorial debut was in 2006 for the song, Stealing Stars by the band Gosling. I also sing and write lyrics for New Zealand-based, author and composer, Jeremy Garner, who creates enthralling, rhythmic tracks.

I recently released Psychic Bitch, a music video I wrote and directed. The short film immerses the viewer in a cyberpunk virtual world, switching from first-person shooter video game perspectives, to artfully crafted stop-motion animation. The story is about choosing to use one’s mind and intuition rather than physical violence to defeat toxic obstacles.

AC: What inspired your current creative project? Noël: In 2020, Jeremy and I recorded, Elementals, an alt pop album of 11 songs. As Noël & Jeremy, we went on to collaborate on a series of books inspired by the metaphysical subject matter that was explored during the recording of Elementals. Jeremy authored the books; I designed the covers. In 2021, our video for the song Red Light, which I wrote and directed, won for Best Sci-Fi Music Video at the 2021 California Music Video Awards. We decided to release Psychic Bitch as a follow up.

AC: What’s the first site you look at when you open your computer in the morning? Noël: It's either my email or, lately, I've been browsing LinkedIn. LinkedIn posts a lot of articles about business and what's happening in our economy — it's good to keep on top of that if you're still in the workforce.

AC: Where do you go when you’re taking a break? Noël: I love to go visit my aunt who lives in upstate New York near the Adirondack Mountains. I get very inspired by the historic sites around the area, like the old gravestones and abandoned barns.

AC: What do you do to detox from media and screens? Noël: Gardening! It activates all the senses. It's very rejuvenating to take in the sweet scent of roses, taste the fruit from the citrus trees, feel the breeze, watch the bees and listen to the birds.

AC: What books are on your bedside table? Noël: Recently, I began reading Treatise on the Apparitions of Spirits and on Vampires or Revenants of Hungary, a very fascinating book written by Augustin Calmet, a Monk from the Benedictine Order of the 18th century. I purchased it because I like to read about the supernatural, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Calmet takes a responsible approach to investigating supernatural occurrences, debunking many and relating others to the Bible. I've never read anything like it, and highly recommend it for those who love metaphysical subject matter.

AC: What’s your best piece of advice for an ArtCenter student who’s interested in following your career path? Noël: I'm very grateful I've been able to sustain a versatile art career working in multiple industries and expressing my artistic vision through many different outlets. If anyone's interested in working with different mediums throughout different industries, just stay curious and follow your passions.

When I was a student at ArtCenter, I majored in illustration, but made friends with students in other departments like photography, film and motion graphics. I was curious about what they were doing in their departments and found ways to collaborate and combine our talents — I learned a lot from watching friends make their art. I also took electives to learn more about fields I had an interest in. I wasn't afraid to try a course that I had no prior experience with because ArtCenter made me feel comfortable experimenting.

For example, I took an entertainment track course, and with the help of classmates, learned how to draw digitally on a tablet. It was that experience that built my confidence to learn completely new skills and one of my first big jobs out of ArtCenter was working as a production artist on the animated show, The Life And Times of Tim (HBO). So, stay curious, explore your passions and be open to continue learning!

#NoëlIll #artcenter #design #artcenter college of design #illustration

3 notes · View notes

whumptober · 4 years

Text

Whumptober 2020 - Updated

Welcome to Whumptober 2020! We’re doing things a little differently this year so please make sure to read the Event Info carefully. We are also excited to announce the addition of an AO3 Collection, which can be found here.

We hope you’re as excited as us to watch the Whump Community come together once again for a month of bone-crunching creativity and collaboration!

(All 31 Themes + Prompts, Event Information, and FAQs are posted below the cut!)

No 1. LET'S HANG OUT SOMETIME Waking Up Restrained | Shackled | Hanging

No 2. IN THE HANDS OF THE ENEMY "Pick Who Dies" | Collars | Kidnapped

No 3. MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY Manhandled | Forced to their Knees | Held at Gunpoint

No 4. RUNNING OUT OF TIME Caged | Buried Alive | Collapsed Building

No 5. WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING? On the Run | Failed Escape | Rescue

No 6. PLEASE.... "Get it Out" | No More | "Stop, please"

No 7. I'VE GOT YOU Support | Carrying | Enemy to Caretaker

No 8. WHERE DID EVERYBODY GO? "Don't Say Goodbye" | Abandoned | Isolation

No 9. FOR THE GREATER GOOD "Take Me Instead" | "Run!” | Ritual Sacrifice

No 10. THEY LOOK SO PRETTY WHEN THEY BLEED Blood Loss | Internal Bleeding | Trail of Blood

No 11. PSYCH 101 Defiance | Struggling | Crying

No 12. I THINK I'VE BROKEN SOMETHING Broken Down | Broken Bones | Broken Trust

No 13. BREATHE IN BREATHE OUT Delayed Drowning | Chemical Pneumonia | Oxygen Mask

No 14. IS SOMETHING BURNING? Branding | Heat Exhaustion | Fire

No 15. INTO THE UNKNOWN Possession | Magical Healing | Science Gone Wrong

No 16. A TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY Forced to Beg | Hallucinations | Shoot the Hostage

No 17. I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING Blackmail | Dirty Secret | Wrongfully Accused

No 18. PANIC! AT THE DISCO Panic Attacks | Phobias | Paranoia

No 19. BROKEN HEARTS Grief | Mourning Loved One | Survivor's Guilt

No 20. TOTO, I HAVE A FEELING WE'RE NOT IN KANSAS ANYMORE Lost | Field Medicine | Medieval

No 21. I DON'T FEEL SO WELL Chronic Pain | Hypothermia | Infection

No 22. DO THESE TACOS TASTE FUNNY TO YOU? Poisoned | Drugged | Withdrawal

No 23. WHAT’S A WHUMPEE GOTTA DO TO GET SOME SLEEP AROUND HERE? Exhaustion | Narcolepsy | Sleep Deprivation

No 24. YOU’RE NOT MAKING ANY SENSE Forced Mutism | Blindfolded | Sensory Deprivation

No 25. I THINK I’LL JUST COLLAPSE RIGHT HERE, THANKS Disorientation | Blurred Vision | Ringing Ears

No 26. IF YOU THOUGHT THE HEAD TRAUMA WAS BAD... Migraine | Concussion | Blindness

No 27. OK, WHO HAD NATURAL DISASTERS ON THEIR 2020 BINGO CARD? Earthquake | Extreme Weather | Power Outage

No 28. SUCH WOW. MANY NORMAL. VERY OOPS. Accidents | Hunting Season | Mugged

No 29. I THINK I NEED A DOCTOR Intubation | Emergency Room | Reluctant Bedrest

No 30. NOW WHERE DID THAT COME FROM? Wound Reveal | Ignoring an Injury | Internal Organ Injury

No 31. TODAY’S SPECIAL: TORTURE Experiment | Whipped | Left for Dead

Alternate Prompt List

Alt 1. Punctured

Alt 2. Falling

Alt 3. Comfort

Alt 4. Stitches

Alt 5. Stoic Whumpees

Alt 6. Altered States

Alt 7. Found Family

Alt 8. Adverse Reactions

Alt 9. Memory Loss

Alt 10. Nightmares

Alt 11. Presumed Dead

Alt. 12. Water

Alt. 13 Accidents

Alt. 14 Shot

Alt. 15 Carry/Support

Event Info

WHUMPTOBER is a month-long, prompt-based creation challenge (think: Inktober, but whumpier). There are 31 Official themes this year - one for each day of the month - which can be used, skipped, or combined in any way you’d like. They are meant to serve as inspiration without being taken literally (e.g. you don't have to include the exact wording into your work). Additionally, there are 3 prompts for each theme. These are optional suggestions and can be used in conjunction with the theme, or as options/alternatives. We want to give everyone as much creative freedom as possible, as well as increase event accessibility for folks with triggers and squicks.

Creators can PRODUCE work in any media they choose, including but not limited to: writing, visual artwork, and photo/video/audio edits. Creators can PARTICIPATE as much or as little as they want (i.e. you don’t have to do ALL the prompts if you don’t want to) and prompts can be used in any order. They are also free to use even after the event ends.

When uploading Whumptober content to your blog, be sure to tag the with:

#whumptober2020 …..(the event tag)

#no.1, #no.2, #no.3, …..(theme number)

#bruised, #stabbed, …..(the theme or specific prompt you chose)

#fandom or #OC

#medium …..(gifs, fic, podcast, art, etc.)

#teeth, #etc …..(trigger warnings & any additional tags. Keep in mind not to add “tw” in front but only use the word/trigger itself, because tumblr sucks)

#nsfw, #nsfwhump …..(only for nsfw content)

PLEASE BE DILIGENT WITH YOUR TAGGING. Only properly tagged posts are considered for archiving on the official @whumptober2020 blog. They must be tagged in the order above.

Unfortunately, due to the sheer number of participants in recent years, we cannot guarantee your work will be archived. A random selection of properly tagged posts from all genres will be reblogged each day.

Whumpers who produce content for 31 total theme days are considered event completionists and will be tagged in a masterpost at the end of the month.

Questions not addressed below can be directed to this blog as well.

Thanks for reading, and happy whumping!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What kind of content can I make? Can it be NSFW?

This is a MIXED MEDIA event! You can write fic, post meta, doodle or paint, create a gif set or photo edit, link a song, or get crafty with video - anything goes. As for NSFW, make what you like, we just hope that you’ll tag your work accordingly so that others participating in the event can stay safe :)

Q. Do I have to do all 31 Days? Can I post early/late?

Participate as much or little as you like, and post whenever! Just be sure to tag your posts properly (ex. #no.11, #psych101). Combining prompts into one piece of work is okay, and posting late is as well so as long as it’s in October.

Q. What if I don’t understand a theme?

Send us an ask! We’re happy to help clarify. That said, the themes are entirely up for interpretation :)

Q. Can I combine Whumptober with other creation challenges?

Absolutely! That’s like shooting two whumpees with one bullet :)

Q. Can I upload/repost my whumptober content to other social media platforms?

Of course! We’ve created an AO3 Collection to archive any fics posted there. The archive can be accessed here. The blog is the official archive, so please respect the boundaries of any closeted whumpers in your social circle :)

Q. Can I use prompts to write a new chapter for an existing fic?

Yes

Q. An existing fic I am currently writing contains many of the Whumptober prompts, can I use it?

If you are actively writing this fic at the moment with the whumptober prompts in mind, yes. If it just conveniently checks the boxes, then please don’t. You can, however, add new chapters answering one or more of the prompts.

Q. What kind of characters can I write for?

Fandom characters, OC characters, human, furry, alien, cyborg, whoever you like.

Q. Can I use a prompt multiple times?

Yes, but it only counts once

Q. If I’m not comfortable with one day's prompts can I use a prompt of a different day as a substitute and still be a completionist?

Yes, but please do not use a specific prompt twice. We have also created an alternate prompts list that you can draw from [here].

Q. Where can I post my work?

Post where and how you want. You don’t even have to (cross)post it to Tumblr. Just keep in mind if it’s not on Tumblr we will not be able to add it to the blog archive.

Q. Can I start posting early?

You can, but this is an October event and wouldn’t it be more fun with everyone doing it at the same time? That being said, you can post early, but we won’t be reblogging any work predating October 1st.

Q. Do I have to finish a fic I started/can I post WIP’s.?

Yes you can post WIPs. And you’re not obligated to finish it in October for it to count towards being a completionist.

Q. Is co-writing allowed?

Yes, absolutely, and it would count towards being a completionist for both/all of you :)

Q. Do I have to create 31 standalone pieces to be considered a completionist or can I write one continuous story?

One continuous story is fine. The challenge is to write something for 31 prompts. If that’s spread over 31 fics or just one, you are still considered a completionist. (The same goes for every other media you choose.)

Q. Is there a min/max limit on word count?

There is no limit

Q. Can I combine prompts? Is there a limit on how many?

No limit and combine as many as you’d like.

Q. Is a hc/angst focus ok?

Of course!

Q. What’s considered nsfw?

See this post

Q. What's whump?

See this post

Q. My interpretation of the prompt isn't whumpy at all, does that count?

No, sorry, but keep in mind that whump [see definition] is something very nuanced and different for everyone and emotional whump/angst is just as much part of it, as is physical whump and torture. So before you dismiss your idea, think about this.

Q. Can I start working on the prompts before October?

Absolutely! That’s why we posted the prompts a month in advance. We recognise how difficult it can be creating for 31 days in “real time”.

Q. How do I tag triggers?

tw at the end of the word, ex. emeto tw

Q. Do I have to use your tags?

Yes, if you want your work archived on the blog. If not, feel free to use whatever tags you want.

Q. Does combining prompts count towards completion?

Yes

Q. Can we @ you?

Yes but we mostly rely on the whumptober2020 tag

Q. Is there anything we are absolutely not allowed to write?

There are no rules, just be sure to properly tag your trigger warnings. And keep in mind Tumblr’s policies if you are posting it here (or the policies of whatever site you use).

Q. Where can I go for brainstorming help?

Here on Discord

Q. My characters are minors, is that ok?

Yes, but as with everything else, tags are your best friend.

Q. Can I cross post on other blogs?

Yes, multiple platforms and blogs are perfectly acceptable. You can also post different works to different accounts under different names, without posting them everywhere at once.

Note: This is a creation challenge, please don’t repost your old work under our tags (unless it’s been changed or edited for the event).

#eventinfo2020 #whumptober2020 #whumptober #promptlist2020 #prompt list #FAQs #event info

10K notes · View notes

nyxshadowhawk · 3 years

Text

Names for Witches

An updated version of an earlier list! Good and evil witches alike:

Acrasia: A witch in The Faerie Queene who tempts and bewitches people, controlling their minds. Means "lacking command."

Agatha: Means "good." A disproportionately common name for witches in media, including the Enchantress from Beauty and the Beast, Aggie Prenderghast from ParaNorman, and Aggie Cromwell from Halloweentown.

Aglaonice: A Thessalian witch from the writings of Plutarch, who could draw the moon down from the sky (probably referring to an eclipse). She might just have been an astronomer!

Akantha: A Greek name meaning "thorn."

Akitophis: The name of an unkown goddess mentioned in the PGM. Possibly a name or epithet of Ereshkigal.

Alcina: An evil sorceress and seductress from Orlando furioso, and the title character of a series of operas. Meaning uncertain.

Alcmene: The mother of Heracles. Means “moon strength.”

Aradia: The title character of Charles Geoffrey Leland's book Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches. A moon goddess and basically the witch version of Jesus, at least in that book.

Arcana: Latin word meaning “secret” (literally “to shut in a chest”), also a word for the two groups of cards in a tarot deck.

Argante: The Queen of Avalon in one Arthurian text, a version of Morgan le Fay. Might be related to argenta (“silver”).

Arianrhod: A Welsh goddess, associated with the moon, stars, fertility, and the passage of time. Means “silver wheel.”

Armida: The name of the witch/seductress in Tasso’s Jerusalem Delivered, meaning uncertain.

Asteria: A Titaness and the mother of Hecate, the goddess of falling stars, prophecy, astrology, and oneiromancy. Means “starry.”

Asterope: The mother of Circe in one telling. Means either “lightning” or “star-faced.” (Also the name of one of the Pleiades.)

Autumn: The season containing Halloween/Samhain.

Belladonna: Deadly nightshade, a poisonous herb. Means "beautiful woman."

Briar: Refers to thorny bushes. Could be associated with evil enchantments, beautiful roses, or both.

Brigid: Celtic fire goddess. Means either "strength, virtue" or "exalted one."

Cassandra: A Greek prophetess whom Apollo cursed so no one would believe her. Means "she who entangles men." Could be shortened to "Cassie."

Cerridwen: Welsh enchantress goddess associated with the sacred cauldron of divine inspiration. Means "white poet."

Circe: A sorceress in Greek mythology who turned men into animals and who was a priestess of Hecate. Means "hoop-round."

Despoina: A daughter of Demeter and Poseidon associated with the Eleusinian Mysteries. Means “the mistress.” Also an epithet of Hecate and Persephone.

Diana: Roman name of the goddess Artemis, the virgin goddess of the moon and the hunt. Associated with Dianic Wicca, a modern cult centered around this goddess.

Edana: Celtic, means “little fire.”

Elergia/Annowre: An evil sorceress in Arthurian legend who tries to seduce Arthur.

Endora: The Witch of Endor was a sorceress in the Bible.

Empusa: Female monsters that served Hecate. Means “one-legged.”

Erichtho: A horrifying, evil hag from Lucan’s Pharsalia. Meaning uncertain.

Esmeralda: The name of Granny Weatherwax (from Discworld), means "emerald."

Freya: Norse goddess of love, beauty, sex, and war, means "lady."

Ganeida: An Arthurian sorceress, a sister of Merlin.

Grimhilde: The name given to the Evil Queen in Disney's Snow White. Good for fairy-tale-esque witches, could also work for a kinda Gothy heroic character. Means “masked battle.”

Gwendolyn: A Welsh name meaning "white bow" or "white ring."

Habundia/Habonde: "Abundance," a name for the queen of witches or fairies, associated with Diana, Mab, Nicnevin, and Hecate.

Hazel: Witch-hazel is a shrub with yellow flowers, associated with witches because of its name and its medicinal properties. Actual hazel is an all-purpose wood for magic wands.

Hecate: The goddess of witchcraft, necromancy, the night, and the crossroads in Greek mythology. Means "worker from afar.”

Hecuba: The Queen of Troy, mother of Cassandra. Uncertain etymology, possibly related to "Hecate." She turned into a dog and became one of Hecate’s familiars.

Hellawes: An evil sorceress in Arthurian legend, who seeks to kill Lancelot so she can embalm his corpse and kiss it every day to spite Guinevere. Creepy.

Hellebore: A poisonous herb.

Ianira: A name of several nymphs in Greek mythology, possibly meaning "enchantress."

Ingrid: A Norse name combining the name of a fertility god and the word for "beautiful."

Ivy: A plant thought to drive out evil spirits.

Lamia: A vampire-like monster from Greek mythology that eats children. Name of the witch in the film version of Stardust.

Lilith: The Queen of Demons in Hebrew folklore, means "of the night,” referring to a screech owl.

Lilura: Basque name meaning "enchantment."

Louhi: An evil witch queen in Finnish mythology. Means "trance."

Luna: Roman goddess of the moon.

Maeve: Based on Irish Gaelic, means "intoxicating." Possibly related to Queen Mab.

Medea: Means "cunning," a sorceress in Greek mythology who helped Jason steal the Golden Fleece. Took violent revenge when he left her for another woman.

Melissa: An apprentice of Merlin, who rescues the victims of Alcina. Means “honeybee.”

Morana/Marzanna: The Slavic goddess of death and winter, means "death."

Morgana: Name of the famous sorceress Morgan le Fay from Arthurian legend. Means “sea circle.”

Morrigan: Irish goddess of death, war, and ravens, means “great queen” or “phantom queen.”

Morwenna: A Welsh name meaning “maiden,” the name of the witch in the book version of Stardust.

Nepenthe: A magical drug from the Odyssey that cures sorrow and causes forgetfulness.

Nicnevan: Queen of the Fairies in Scottish folklore, and the witch queen of Samhain. Means "daughter of the divine." Identified with Hecate.

Nimue: A name for the Lady of the Lake, and/or the sorceress who encased Merlin in a tree with his own magic. Might be related to a Greek word meaning "memory."

Nyx: The Greek primordial goddess of and personification of the night.

Orenda: Iriquois name meaning "magical power."

Persephone: Greek goddess of flowers and Queen of the Underworld. Means either "wheat-thresher" or alternatively "destroyer."

Ragana: Lithuanian Crone goddess of witchcraft.

Raven: The bird, associated with death, magic, and prophecy in multiple mythologies.

Sage: Unisex, a cleansing herb used in many magic spells. From Latin, “healing plant.”

Selene: The Greek goddess and personification of the moon.

Sibyl: Greek, “prophetess,” a word for an oracle.

Strega/Striga: "Strega" is the Italian word for witch (and a word for Italian neopaganism). "Striga" is the Latin word for witch and means "screech owl" (owls are in the order "strigiforms") and a genus of flower called "witchweed."

Sycorax: The name of the witch in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, who is probably based on Medea. Uncertain etymology.

Taika: Finnish, "magic spell."

Vervain: An herb with magical and medicinal properties.

Venefica: A Latin word that simply means “woman who poisons,” referring to a woman who works magic by means of potion-making.

Vivian: A name for the Lady of the Lake, means "lively."

Willow: A tree associated with witches and spirits

And, because I don’t want to neglect the men, here’s a few for male witches (I haven’t been able to find nearly as many!):

Abdecian: Means “to get by asking,” as in a magic spell. (Disclaimer: I have no idea where I got this name. I had it written in my notes, and I remember finding it somewhere, but when I searched it I got mainly my own content on various websites. So… idk.)

Abraxas: A magic word found throughout Greek magic spells as a name of power. The name of the “Great Archon” in Gnosticism, also the name of one of the horses of the Sun. Etymology uncertain. Also spelled Abrasax.

Alaric: Germanic, “all-powerful.”

Alistair: Scottish variant on Alexander, meaning “defender of mankind.” Similar to the chosen name of a certain famous occultist.

Altair: The brightest star in Aquila. Means “eagle.”

Amergin: A druid in Irish mythology, “born of song.”

Aspen: A white tree, associated with fairies. Its leaves turn golden in the fall, and they appear to “shimmer” in the breeze.

Arawn: The Welsh lord of the Otherworld and the dead, and leader of the Wild Hunt. Etymology uncertain; might be a variant of the Hebrew Aaron, “exaulted.”

Aurelius: Latin, “golden.”

Belenus: Pan-Celtic god of light and healing identified with Apollo, who gave his name to Beltane. Means “shining one.”

Briar: Refers to thorny bushes. Same fairy-tale associations.

Eliphas: Hebrew, “God is agile.” The pen name of the famous occultist Alphonse Constant.

Gwydion: Means “born of trees,” a magician and trickster god in Welsh mythology.

Hemlock: A poisonous herb used in spells.

Hunter: Self-explanatory. Modern witchcraft tends to involve the worship of forest gods associated with hunting.

Mabon: Welsh, “divine son,” a figure in Arthurian legend. His name was given to the autumn equinox in modern paganism.

Maddock: Welsh, “fortunate.”

Melchior: One of the Biblical magi, “king of light.”

Merle: A unisex name, from Latin, meaning “blackbird.”

Raven: The bird, associated with death, magic, and prophecy in multiple mythologies.

Rowan: Irish, “little red one,” the name of a tree with the ability to ward off evil.

Simon: Greek, from Hebrew, “hearkening.” The name of an ancient sorcerer, Simon Magus, who founded Gnosticism in early Christianity.

Soma: A name with various mystical meanings in different languages. In Greek, it means “body.” In Sanskrit it means “distill, extract” and refers to the drink of the gods, as well as being another name for the Hindu moon god, Chandra. In Finnish, it means “pretty.”

Tanwyn: Welsh, “white fire.”

Taliesin: A legendary bard in Welsh folklore, the son of Cerridwen. Means “shining brow.”

Valerian: A medicinal herb, used to induce sleep. “Health, vitality.”

#witch #witches #witch names #male witch #names #character names #magical names #mythology #witchblr

749 notes · View notes

thrill-seeker-if · 2 years

Note

Hi Aala! I'm really curious as to how you discovered if and cme up with this amazing story? Did something inspire the characters and the setting like fiction or life experience? I absolutely adore this story. It's so good. 😩💖

I'm also curious as to what stories/genres you would love to see more in if. I always ask this question on my favourite if blogs. 🥰💖

Hello Anon!!! I'm so glad i'm one of your favorite if blogs, that makes me so happy!!

How I discovered if... hm... I was actually browsing itch looking for different games. In my own coding experience, I've just made silly little games, nothing with a huge plotline or anything like that. I was kind of looking for inspiration.

One thing lead to another, and eventually as I was going through the filters I found interactive fiction. I've always liked writing and reading, so I was absolutely blown away by it. I think the first IF I read was Ascendance by @ascendance-if, and oh my god, I think that it really is one of the best things I've ever read!!

After reading it, I knew I had to check out more, and I think Scout by @anya-dev was also a huge inspiration for me. A Tale of Crowns by @ataleofcrowns was probably the IF that inspired me to start writing an IF myself. As a muslim and southern asian, seeing someone who is also from a southern asian background writing was just a huge boost for me :-) Representation definitely matters!!

For your next question, of what inspired the story: it might sound silly, but I actually dreamed it. I quote unquote 'played' through it myself. When I woke up from it, it had me in such a fit of inspiration that I wrote it onto paper, and it kind of sat there for a while. I submitted that draft for a school project, and my teacher really liked it, which is why I never had the heart to delete it-- and I'm really glad I didn't! Once I got into IF, I restructured it to fit the format.

I do lucid dream, so I thought that would be kind of an interesting way to structure it. Not like a rpg where you just play through it, but where you get to choose what you want to do!

The ROs are a combination of fiction and real life experience. N and Hannie are both based on me, borrowing various traits of my personality. I also took inspiration from my friends, in terms of personality. I wanted to draw from the people I knew best, because I want my characters to be realistic. I find in a lot of media, some characters are just given a personality trait and no flaws. Most people have multiple personality traits and MANY flaws, and I wanted my characters to be as close to real life as possible.

The setting is in Canada, which is where I live, haha. I didn't want it to be somewhere super far away, because this is probably the place I know best! And as a story based around solving a crime, I know Canadian laws best, IUSFHISFDIU

What stories and genres I would like to see... call me a silly little goofy moron but I LOVE fantasy school games. I just adore it. To be honest, I just love fantasy in general. And I would love to see more fantasy games with cultural themes, or going off of existing myths. I also love sci-fi, and I haven't seen that much of it in IF.

Hope this answered pretty well!! I hope you're having an excellent day!!

#ask aalaa #lovely anon <3 #thrill seeker if

14 notes · View notes

thinkingaboutrwby · 4 years

Text

Slave to the Quill: Salem, Authorship, Control, and the Fallacy of Happy Endings

This post is part one in a four part series on Ozma and Salem called Greater Scale Forces, so expect more from me on the subject in the weeks to come. WARNING - in addition to RWBY, there are small references for the following series: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Bojack Horseman, and Community.

Once upon a time there stood a lonely tower that sheltered a lonely girl named Salem. She was freed by the legendary hero Ozma, who succeeded where warriors before him had failed. Salem wasn’t just rescued by the Ozma by chance. As Fairy Tales of Remnant reveals, Salem wrote her way out of her prison through story and narrative inspired by the fairy tales she had read in her adolescence. She tossed fliers out her window with her story and plight etched in ink to gain a hero’s sympathy. In this way, Salem not only asserted her agency but set up expectations for herself that motivated her grasp for control, inadvertently caused an apocalypse, and more importantly placed “story” and “myth” at the center of Remnant’s development as a fictional setting.

Salem was reared off fairy tales, a result of being trapped in her tower for her formative years. Her socialization was limited to inconsistent visits from her emotionally distant father and her kindly nanny, with no playmates her age. Fairy Tales of Remnant pulls no punches in elaborating on how this affected Salem’s aspirations for life. To quote: “[Salem] lived hundreds of lives through other people’s stories, and [dreamed] of venturing beyond the tower one day, finding true love, and becoming a kind and generous queen with her own castle and daughters” (106). Salem’s dream is a textbook fairytale happy endings, and she wants her life to play out just like the stories she’s read. When her dreams are confirmed in her rescue by Ozma, is it any surprise that his death shattered her in such a way to defy gods? Not only was Ozma her only living emotional connection due to her upbringing, but her rescue had all but confirmed that she deserved a happy ending, that she played a role in which freedom and true love were deserved as per story structure and narrative.

Salem’s actions all arguably move to appeal to fairy tale narrative archetypes in some way. In “The Girl in the Tower” she plays the damsel in distress, nudging her narrative onwards with her fliers but waiting patiently until the day she is rescued. When dealing with the gods, she at first plays the humble acolyte, praising both brothers to get what she wants as one would in a myth. When they curse her instead of raising Ozma, she picks up a different mantle of righteous leader and inspirer. Then after the earth’s destruction she becomes a wanderer, then a witch, and then a goddess. While she vies for freedom, a goal nurtured from her initial entrapment, it is ironic that Salem in some ways traps herself in the confines of the story itself, allowing story structure to trap her into roles that dissuade her from personal growth unique and separate from media archetypes.

In addition to being motivated by fairy tales and trapped in its narrative, Salem also uses narrative and media as a weapon in RWBY. This is addressed in Ozpin’s end notes of “The Girl in the Tower” in Fairy Tales of Remnant when he points out that Salem’s use of fliers to free herself from her tower as a technical form of “propaganda.” While used for a generally tame purpose in this case, Salem’s approach to media and fairy tale as a form of control, as a form of propaganda, only appears to evolve as her experience continues. Her method of influencing fellow humans to rise up against the gods is by storytelling. As we can recall from “The Lost Fable,” Salem lied and weaved a tale in which she stole immortality from the gods to convince other humans against the Brothers Grimm. As a goddess-queen with Ozma 2.0, it is likely she also acted through fairy tale narrative as well. She has statues built up of her and her husband. She depicts them as hero-ruler-gods. During the Fall of Beacon, she has Cinder hijack and take down Remnant’s communications’ systems so the media and narrative is controlled by her agenda. While Salem is ultimately harmed from her reliance on story and narrative, it is interesting that she also finds agency through authorship and through embarrassing narrative (albeit in a toxic way).

Salem’s personal entanglement with the structure of fairy tales is arguably further represented through the use of Remnant as RWBY’s setting. Remnant is a literal reflection of fairy tales with an added dose of realism. While its characters and culture call back to ancient tales, they live more mundane, less magical lives than those we know from the Grimm fairy tales. Being a hero is an occupation. Magic is commodified and sold as dust. In this way, Remnant reflects Salem’s dilemma well. Remnant forces her to further confront a world with wonder that lacks a “fair” narrative with a happy ending. I don’t know what came first, Salem’s backstory or Remnant’s concept as a fairy tale call back itself (likely Remnant?). However, I will make the point that Salem’s backstory fits well into the world of RWBY through her interaction with the medium of fairy tales. I commend CRWBY on this achievement.

I make note that the pattern of a character’s engrossment in story narrative is a recurring flaw in figures in serialized television. I can think of a few examples of this. Rebecca Bunch from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, for example, is an anti-hero influenced by musical convention and genre, drawing her expectations for romantic relationships from pop culture: musicals, boy-bands, and rom-coms. Her delusion with cultural media is shown through the show's musical numbers, meant to play out in Rebecca’s head. Bojack from Bojack Horseman similarly engages with celebrity, film, and Hollywood culture in a similar way, engaging with the media as a literal actor while coincidentally obsessing over celebrity as a child through his obsession with race-horse Secretariat. Abed Nadir from Community also bases his social interactions on the US pop culture he absorbed as a child. I think it’s interesting that all these characters who take their cues from the media of their childhood also had traumatic and abusive upbringings (I won’t spoil though). In this way, media takes adjacent blame with these characters’ guardians for misbehavior, ranging from awkward to harmful to world-ending. How these characters evolve through these shows and their changing relationship with the media they rely on provide meta commentary on our individual relationship with culture and story. Rebecca Bunch learns to use pop music as a way to counter romantic expectations for women rather than embrace them as pop music is usually used, a positive message about our relationship with story and media. Bojack’s ending is left ambiguous, but Hollywood’s sway on him is definitely a toxic presence, leading us to believe we should consider rejecting this institution. Abed learns to combine his pop culture obsession with real relationships and become appreciated as a person and better interact with others (also a more hopeful message about media and story).

Like all these character’s before, what does Salem’s story tell us? What will it tell us as more seasons of RWBY come out? Certainly, RWBY doesn’t have a toxic view of fairy tales. Our principal protagonists are positively inspired by them. Ruby wants to be a hero like in all the stories she’s read. Ozpin collects a book of stories from multiple locations from multiple stories. I think where we see the difference is how our protagonists interact with fairytales and how our antagonists (or specifically those under Salem’s mentality) do. Ruby, Ozpin, and our heroes follow fairy tales as a moral standard. The aspire to have good triumph and act to a higher standard through effort and sacrifice. Salem uses fairy tales as a form of wish-fulfilment and totalitarian control. I think the inherent message of RWBY is that we need to respect the lessons learned through story but abandon the structure and endings stories give us. Act like a hero, but live a real life. And, at the same time, be wary of the narratives that surround you. Don’t just copy a narrative, understand the narratives produced and adhere to the best and wisest ones. Think through a text, don’t just take it at face value. That’s the lesson we should learn from Salem’s mistakes.

Let me know your thoughts and if you think I missed anything. Expect Part 2 - The Circle: Oz, Identity, Myth, and The Hero’s Journey, within a week.

#rwby #rwby salem #ozpin #ruby rose #salem

70 notes · View notes

goatsandgangsters · 3 years

Note

so what is grishaverse? i could just google it, but i kind of want to hear it from a fan

hello yes! happy to help! I also love to be categorized as a fan here because the reality is that these books have been loitering on my to-read list for several years until netflix forced my hand and I was like “o fuk, o shit, I gotta read those now” and then tore through binge-reading/absolutely devouring them over the past couple months (and I’m not normally a media-binger, but man, these books go FAST and they hook ya) and now Am Love It Very Much

Non-spoilery lore summary of where things start out: Set in a fantasy world based on tsarist/19th-century Russia. Some people—called Grisha—have powers. Everywhere else in the world, Grisha are oppressed, but In Fantasy Russia they’re now warily tolerated as a useful military branch. There are three broad categories of Grisha types, which are basically “medical school but make it magic” (people whose power is either to Fuck Shit Up in your body or to heal it), “long ago the four three nations lived together in harmony” (airbenders, waterbenders, firebenders), and “extreme DIY crafting” (they make/invent stuff real good). However, Our Protagonist discovers she has the rare Grisha power of being able to summon sunlight. Which is particularly useful when your war-torn country is cut off from its only coastline by A Giant Enormous Area Of Total and Absolute Darkness That Monsters Live In. /CUE DRAMATIC MUSIC

You’ve got POWERS! You’ve got HISTORICALLY-INSPIRED-YET-DISTINCTLY-FANTASY AESTHETICS! You’ve got POLITICAL INTRIGUE and WAR! You’ve got HEISTS and CRIMES! You’ve got FANTASY ANALOGIES FOR REAL-WORLD OPPRESSION! You’ve got some really great CHARACTERS! It’s fun, it’s fast, it’s absorbing.

Book series structure: There are a couple different sets of books set within the Grishaverse. The first is a trilogy (“the grisha trilogy”)—the first book of which is called Shadow and Bone, from which the Netflix adaptation draws its name. That’s a three-book series focused on the aforementioned sunlight protagonist. THEN there is another duology of books (which are six of crows and crooked kingdom), which is set in the same universe, but focuses on an entirely different set of characters, with an entirely different storyline, in a different/neighboring country from Fantasy Russia, and also it’s set slightly after the first trilogy. Book-wise, they’re very much separate entities. While the trilogy has sort of a “you’re the chosen one, save your country” vibe with big political players, the duology has more of a “be gay, do crime” vibe that’s more gritty with gang of found family do a heist. (Tho if you’re looking at content that’s on my blog, I’ve only reblogged trilogy-focused posts because I am Not Yet Done With The Duology Books.) I have to respect an author who creates a sandbox and then doesn’t want to stop playing in it, because that’s probably exactly what I would do too.

TV adaptation structure: the SHOW, which is called Shadow and Bone and which drops on Netflix in a couple weeks, is combining both of those sets of books into one plotline, even though they are very much separate in the books. It seems like they’re planning to follow the plot of the first (trilogy) book pretty closely, while weaving in the characters from the duology as more of a prequel to their own books. So it’ll be interesting to see how they do that, because they’re fusing together these different stories into one.

So that’s why the use of “grishaverse” is useful because you have these multiple sets of stories that take place within the same world but that focus on different things and different people in different places—but that will be woven together more fully in the upcoming adaptation—so it’s a useful catch-all term for The World This Is Set In

If you’re intrigued by the show but reasonably can’t commit to binge-reading an entire book series in the span of the next two weeks, it DOES seem like it’s designed to be enjoyable to both book fans and to people who are totally brand new to the world. That said, even though I just dumped a lot of info on you about trilogies and duologies (and those five aren’t even the entirety of books published within this world but I wanted to stick to the Key Info), the books and the world are actually super accessible. The pacing is fast, so I found them to be quick reads. The world-building is presented in a way that’s really clear and digestible; I never felt thrown into something huge that I didn’t understand, which can happen with some fantasy series. While the world itself is broad and sweeping, the way these stories are told and the way they unfold felt like something that I could jump immediately into without any foreknowledge and immediately feel like I understood what was going on. I literally osmosis’d ZERO THINGS about the series(es?) when I started reading—and I didn’t even read the blurb on the back!—but it was a really accessible and easy world to enter into.

Also, I did NOT expect to get as totally hooked as I did. But the timing has been really fun for me actually, because I get to absolutely devour this fun, engaging book series and then immediately I’ll get to revisit it in a different way when the show drops!

#I am deeply sorry that I’m incapable of being succinct #but I hope that was helpful!#the structure of the different sets of books is less confusing than it initially sounds?#also probably better to ask than google anyway!#because there’s a Lot out there and it’s hard to wade through New Lore in a non-spoilery way #especially if you decide you wanna start with the show and go into it fresh #grishaverse #anon tag

14 notes · View notes

fyexo · 4 years

Text

200331 EXO's Suho Paints an Intimate 'Self-Portrait' With His New Solo EP

For much of the decade, Kim Jun-myeon has been better known by his stage name Suho. A member and the leader of K-pop boy band EXO, the singer -- whose stage name means "guardian" -- spent his twenties performing across the globe, releasing multiple hits in South Korea and selling millions of copies of albums worldwide since the band's start in 2012.

Now, he’s ready to share more of himself on his first-ever solo album, Self-Portrait.

Out Monday (March 30), the singer turns away from the dance and R&B-oriented sounds typically associated with EXO’s releases, and shows a new side to himself through six original rock-oriented songs in his new EP. Though the album embraces Suho's identity within the group, it also expands upon it, introducing new sonic elements. The 28-year-old, who writes lyrics under his pen name SH20, also shares his world view via the soft and indie rock-imbued sound, leading with the single “Let’s Love.”

With its title inspired by EXO’s catchphrase, the breezy, sweet tune is passionate, as Suho sings about a love he is racing toward but has not quite reached yet. The song is both a romantic pop-rock ballad and a message aimed at EXO’s global fan club, EXO-L.

Prior to its release, Suho spoke with Billboard to discuss what Self-Portrait means to him.

How are you feeling ahead of the release of Self-Portrait?

I’m so nervous [for the release date]. Because it’s my first solo album, and I’m doing it without the members of EXO, I’m somewhat nervous and also very excited -- somewhat like a new start. I hope that this album and the songs are things that many people will like. Not only for Korean fans, but all of my fans globally. I hope that they enjoy it.

The album is very intimate, as it’s called Self-Portrait. What inspired you to put forth this narrative for your first solo EP?

The inspiration was drawn from Vincent van Gogh’s "Self-Portrait." I first saw it in Switzerland and Paris, and for van Gogh, it probably meant a lot to him as a person. Since I’m not a painter, I wanted to paint something in my album as a self-portrait, per se, similar to how it was for van Gogh to share his own view of himself.

Van Gogh painted different self-portraits to reflect different sides to himself and changes to how he saw himself. Do you feel this album similarly does that for you as an artist?

Yeah, that’s right. I think so. Through this album, I’ve been able to explore and show different sides of me, not only what is perceived from the outside, but also what is inside of myself.

I saw the covers were based around four different variants. Do you feel there are four distinct sides to you? Or is it not as specific as that?

To be completely honest, I believe that there are probably more than four sides to me; there are many facets of my personality. With all these various sides that I have, I tried to condense it to an essence where it can be portrayed in four different self-portraits.

Do those four specific facets have any meaning to you?

When I first asked to use this concept, I didn’t have too much significance to show regarding myself, but I wanted to visually depict four different seasons, the four seasons of Suho.

Do you have a favorite season?

Spring.

Along with the four images featured on the album, you made a self-portrait of yourself featuring bunny ears, and that’s become your Twitter emoji. How do you feel about sharing that side of yourself as an extension of Self-Portrait’s promotional concept?

That, a rabbit or bunny, is my nickname from EXO-L, so that’s why it has significance to me. Whenever I’m communicating with fans, talking to EXO-L directly, that’s when the nickname pops up, but for the album, it’s not included because I want this album not only to be meant for the fans, but also for many other people who will listen to this album. So for the bunny ears drawing and emoji, it was more a signal that can be recognized by fans and EXO members.

So the album isn’t solely aimed at fans, but these sort of social media interactions are. So it sounds like it's important to you that the general public will be able to enjoy listening to Self-Portrait, beyond your already loyal EXO-L.

Yes, the songs on this album are composed of band sounds. [Editor's note: In Korean, it is common to say “band” rather than “rock music" when referring to rock-affiliated genres.] That’s a genre that international audiences are very used to, and they really enjoy. I feel like this album is one that the general public will be able to pick up and just listen to comfortably because it doesn’t have the strong beats and basses of the dance music that EXO albums usually have.

You mentioned that this is music you think the general public likes, but is it also the type of music you particularly like?

Of course. I really like Coldplay. Their music has had a big impact on me.

Regarding the single “Let’s Love,” why did you decide to make this the single for Self-Portrait?

This is my favorite song of this album. And the meaning of the title recalls the cheer EXO does before we go on stage: “Let’s Love!” Just generally, we use it as a cheer. It’s also a message I want to tell people, “Let’s love.”

In regards to that, is there a message you would like people to take away when listening to the six tracks of Self-Portrait?

To be honest, there’s not a single message on this album. But the theme that connects all these songs is the idea that everyone has scars, everyone has been hurt. But even so, shouldn’t we still love? So this is an open question I want to ask to the people who are listening to my music.

You were involved in the songwriting process, and are credited as a lyricist. Are there any verses you want people to pay particular attention to?

Track six, “For You Now.” When you live life, there are many times you just miss the opportunity to properly thank someone whenever you feel thankful for them. Sometimes you look back and always regret not being able to say, “Thank you.” So in order to express my thankfulness, even though it’s late, I want to tell them, “Thank you.” And I want people to feel the same way; even if it’s late, it’s never too late to say “Thank you.”

Do you feel you have a lot of those regrets?

Yes, there are many. Many. [Nods thoughtfully.] Sometimes a person just misses the opportunity to thank their parents as well, and so I do have these sorts of regrets.

You worked with Younha on “For You Now.” What brought about that collaboration?

I am not a personal friend of Younha, but I’ve respected and admired her work for a long time. That’s why I reached out to her and asked her if she could collaborate with me. As for the song itself, she is such a great singer. She went above my expectations in regards to how she was able to express the song, musically, lyrically, and through her expressive vocals.

There’s a song “Self-Portrait,” but it’s not the single even though it’s the album’s name. Why did you decide to go with “Let’s Love” versus “Self-Portrait” for the single?

Although it’s the album’s name, when people listened to “Let’s Love,” that’s what people enjoyed the most. The phrase is also meaningful, so I wanted to emphasize that.

Was it important for you to make it clear, through picking this song title for the single, to blend your identity as Suho the soloist and Suho the EXO member on this solo album?

I didn’t try to emphasize my identity as a member of EXO particularly while creating this album, but when I started drawing a self-portrait, EXO has been an important part of me over the past 10 years as a person. So it was very natural for this part of my identity to seep into the lyrics and the album itself.

In general, what was your creative process like when approaching this album and its introspective nature?

For the past three months, I’ve only been listening to [rock] music, whether it’s by Korean artists or international ones, and did not listen to any dance music or R&B and jazz music to get into the mood for this album. I paid a lot of attention not only to the music, but also the way they approached their lyrics.

Also, I spent a lot of time talking to my friends to discuss what sort of story I want to express, what message I want to send across. I found areas where me and my friends would agree upon, or have the same empathetic connection. So all of these combined together went into making this album what it is.

It’s almost like method acting.

[Laughs] Yes.

You said you spoke to your friends to get their opinions on the message, but the album is called Self-Portrait, which as an artistic form doesn't typically take into account outsiders’ point of views. Was there any particular importance for you to discuss your ideas with them?

The reason why I spent time talking to my friends is because you can say that my friends know the side of me that I’m not even aware of myself. And even though it’s a self-portrait and my story, if my friends -- or just people in general -- cannot feel any connection to it, it might feel that it doesn’t have enough impact or significance. So that’s why I spent time talking to friends and others about this project.

You’ve had a lengthy career already. Why did you decide that now is the time to share this side of you with the world?

My career as a member of EXO has been almost 10 years, and I will soon be going into my thirties, so I thought it would be a great time to talk about my life in my twenties.

Earlier, you mentioned that you’re nervous about the album’s release. Is there apprehension specifically in showing these new elements of yourself?

People know me from within EXO, and people remember me and my overall image as a member of EXO. But for this album that I’m releasing, both the fans and the general public might be a little shocked to see a different side to me, a different musical genre. I really like this style of music, and I have confidence in this album’s style, but I hope my fans and the general public take some time to listen to the lyrics on the tracks -- one through six -- and I’m pretty sure that after they listen to them, they will love the songs.

You’ve released solo music before, and other members of EXO have gone on their own to release solo albums. So do you really think that this will be truly shocking to listeners to hear a new side, a new story from you?

When it comes to EXO members, usually our solo projects have revolved around balladry, R&B, or hip-hop. At our concerts, many of the solo stages are primarily those sort of performances. A lot of the members have spoken about how these are their favorite styles of music.

But I never publicly, necessarily, showed that I really like [rock] music. Since I never really shared this side of me, that’s the reason I say I’m nervous. I’ve also done musical theater and released songs exploring other genres of music, but this is the first time I’m sharing this so … I think I’m the first one, among our members, to really show something new like this, so that’s why I think fans and the general public might be shocked.

What would be your ideal reaction to this album?

Even if people don’t know Suho from EXO, I hope that people will like my song and become a fan just by listening to this album. I also would love, whether professional or amateur, bands also would enjoy this album. That would be great.

The album is coming out at the end of March, so imagining the rest of the year, what would you like 2020 to bring your way?

Oh, this is hard. I would like to communicate and connect with everyone, whether it’s my members or EXO-L or the general public. I hope it’s a 2020 where we can have many empathetic connections.

This interview was conducted in English and Korean, and edited for clarity

source: billboard

#exo #suho #t: interview #billboard

61 notes · View notes

dailyexo · 4 years

Text

[NEWS] Suho - 200331 Billboard: “EXO's Suho Paints an Intimate 'Self-Portrait' With His New Solo EP”

"For much of the decade, Kim Jun-myeon has been better known by his stage name Suho. A member and the leader of K-pop boy band EXO, the singer -- whose stage name means "guardian" -- spent his twenties performing across the globe, releasing multiple hits in South Korea and selling millions of copies of albums worldwide since the band's start in 2012.

Now, he’s ready to share more of himself on his first-ever solo album, Self-Portrait.

Prior to its release, Suho spoke with Billboard to discuss what Self-Portrait means to him.

How are you feeling ahead of the release of Self-Portrait?

The album is very intimate, as it’s called Self-Portrait. What inspired you to put forth this narrative for your first solo EP?

The inspiration was drawn from Vincent van Gogh’s 'Self-Portrait.' I first saw it in Switzerland and Paris, and for van Gogh, it probably meant a lot to him as a person. Since I’m not a painter, I wanted to paint something in my album as a self-portrait, per se, similar to how it was for van Gogh to share his own view of himself.

Van Gogh painted different self-portraits to reflect different sides to himself and changes to how he saw himself. Do you feel this album similarly does that for you as an artist?

Yeah, that’s right. I think so. Through this album, I’ve been able to explore and show different sides of me, not only what is perceived from the outside, but also what is inside of myself.

I saw the covers were based around four different variants. Do you feel there are four distinct sides to you? Or is it not as specific as that?

Do those four specific facets have any meaning to you?

When I first asked to use this concept, I didn’t have too much significance to show regarding myself, but I wanted to visually depict four different seasons, the four seasons of Suho.

Do you have a favorite season?

Spring.

Yes, the songs on this album are composed of band sounds. [Editor's note: In Korean, it is common to say 'band' rather than 'rock music' when referring to rock-affiliated genres.] That’s a genre that international audiences are very used to, and they really enjoy. I feel like this album is one that the general public will be able to pick up and just listen to comfortably because it doesn’t have the strong beats and basses of the dance music that EXO albums usually have.

You mentioned that this is music you think the general public likes, but is it also the type of music you particularly like?

Of course. I really like Coldplay. Their music has had a big impact on me.

Regarding the single 'Let’s Love,' why did you decide to make this the single for Self-Portrait?

This is my favorite song of this album. And the meaning of the title recalls the cheer EXO does before we go on stage: 'Let’s Love!' Just generally, we use it as a cheer. It’s also a message I want to tell people, 'Let’s love.'

In regards to that, is there a message you would like people to take away when listening to the six tracks of Self-Portrait?

You were involved in the songwriting process, and are credited as a lyricist. Are there any verses you want people to pay particular attention to?

Track six, 'For You Now.' When you live life, there are many times you just miss the opportunity to properly thank someone whenever you feel thankful for them. Sometimes you look back and always regret not being able to say, 'Thank you.' So in order to express my thankfulness, even though it’s late, I want to tell them, 'Thank you.' And I want people to feel the same way; even if it’s late, it’s never too late to say 'Thank you.'

Do you feel you have a lot of those regrets?

Yes, there are many. Many. [Nods thoughtfully.] Sometimes a person just misses the opportunity to thank their parents as well, and so I do have these sorts of regrets.

You worked with Younha on 'For You Now.' What brought about that collaboration?

There’s a song 'Self-Portrait,' but it’s not the single even though it’s the album’s name. Why did you decide to go with 'Let’s Love' versus 'Self-Portrait' for the single?

Although it’s the album’s name, when people listened to 'Let’s Love,' that’s what people enjoyed the most. The phrase is also meaningful, so I wanted to emphasize that.

Was it important for you to make it clear, through picking this song title for the single, to blend your identity as Suho the soloist and Suho the EXO member on this solo album?

In general, what was your creative process like when approaching this album and its introspective nature?

It’s almost like method acting.

[Laughs] Yes.

You’ve had a lengthy career already. Why did you decide that now is the time to share this side of you with the world?

My career as a member of EXO has been almost 10 years, and I will soon be going into my thirties, so I thought it would be a great time to talk about my life in my twenties.

Earlier, you mentioned that you’re nervous about the album’s release. Is there apprehension specifically in showing these new elements of yourself?

What would be your ideal reaction to this album?

The album is coming out at the end of March, so imagining the rest of the year, what would you like 2020 to bring your way?

Oh, this is hard. I would like to communicate and connect with everyone, whether it’s my members or EXO-L or the general public. I hope it’s a 2020 where we can have many empathetic connections."

Photo links: 1

Credit: Billboard.

#EXO #EXO K #Suho #200331 #exo im #exo k im #suho im #p:news #t:news #fs:billboard #album:self portrait #comeback:Obsession

33 notes · View notes

hkomsul · 3 years

Text

SPP_ Iteration_01

1. Project Statement

Working Project Title: Love Languages

What is your project about?

My project is about words. More specifically, my favorite words. These words include, but are not limited to: catharsis, subsequently, tangible, iridescent, juxtaposition, wordly and otherworldly, ambiguous.

What are your project's theme(s) or conceptual underpinnings? I’d like to explore experimental digital anthropology with this project. Visceral, confusing, and grounding.

What is your project's "elevator pitch"? Think of a phrase or 1 sentence maximum.

I want to make a digital book, that consists of multiple projects of various mediums, and use their titles to tell a connected and cohesive story about love.(?)

What is your short, project description? Write a 200-300 word paragraph that addresses four of the five essential questions:

This project is my chance to finally create a digital body of work that represents all of my skills, as well as explores topics of contention for me. I’ve recently realized that I can combine the themes I’ve studied in my minors (anthropology/humanities) into the creative field of my digital media major. I want to make people, including myself, feel something. My target audience is other digital artists. This project is inspired greatly by net artists and the general idea of having a digital legacy. Some artists that inspired me directly are Jon Bois and Molly Soda, however each individual project within this project also has its own inspiration, of course. The how of this project is honestly still rocky. There will be at least one project to include in the project being made per week, the risk with this is falling behind.

2. Motivation:

I like the idea of my project, I really do. But theres some part of me that knows i already need to pivot. I’m doing this project because I want to create something in every medium I’ve learned (or as many as I can) within my time in undergrad. So ultimately, I’m doing this project for myself. I’m exploring my own capabilities and expressions of those capabilities. I’m holding myself accountable to actually create, and I’m forcing myself to tell a story (something I feel I struggle a lot with, unfortunately). This project is for my own growth and self-understanding. In terms of what I’m trying to convey outwardly, I want to be a random link on the internet that once/if you stumble upon, is a treat and an experience. I love confusing and almost ominous things on the internet. “how did you get here? who made you? why do i care?” and I want to create one of these experiences myself.

I am willing to commit to this project but I really think i need to pivot in my presentation of the project in order to make sure I actually focus on the content and story.

3. Influences

As mentioned above I have various influences. Injury reserve, Lido, Jaden- these are sonic inspirations and influences. Susan Sontag, Anne Carson and Jenny Holzer are some conceptual influences. Jon Bois and Molly Soda are web/net art influences.

My inputs are my family life, my culture, my religion and perspective on my own religion. My inputs are my friendships, and the love that I experience in them. My inputs are failed and successful romantic relationships. My inputs are my experiences and struggles with mental health, specifically in relation to self love (in this case).

4. Target Audience

My target audience is other digital media artists, and potentially those looking to explore love. I want someone to see the page, understand that there are connections everywhere- i want to document my perception of love and share it. I want to open up a conversation within the viewers head. I think digital media artists are best to receive this story in through this multi-medium approach because the project itself plays into that realm.

8. Ideation & Research

Wordlists are definitely helpful in the beginning stages, as this experience/project is fueled by semantics and word associations. I think I’m speaking way too vaguely about this project, which is a problem. I must brainstorm what medium to present it all on, and I think that would be successfully done by looking up other digital artist to draw inspiration from. I think part of me really is leaning towards a screen-recording and turning the final product documentation into a youtube video. i think there is something highly symbolic and a little fulfilling in doing that. I dont want to get caught in a web of searching for niche art on youtube when I know I need to put my time into the actualy project themselves, but that is a starting place right now.

Generally, I believe there are many places I can look to find my ideation and research but I also think letting the inspirations appear organically is better, plus I wont have to worry too much about a research binge!

1 note · View note

daisymyplace · 4 years

Text

Evaluation 1/2

There are three pieces of work from other artists that have inspired the work that i have created myself. These artworks were by Gris Grimly, Sophia Rapata and Michele Lynch.

G͟r͟i͟s͟ G͟r͟i͟m͟l͟ ͟y

I saw Gris Grimly’s artwork quite a while ago and it had really stuck with me, and i had subconsciously developed my artstyle and it became similar to his.

The style is very Tim Burton esc and i have always been inspired by Tim Burtons movie style, the dark, gothic, dingy, crooked and abnormal style has always resonated with me.

S͟o͟ ͟ph͟i͟a͟ R͟a͟ ͟pa͟t͟a͟

Sophia Rapata’s art is also something i discovered a while back and i am in love with it all. However this one illustration has always felt a bit different and that’s what i love about it!

It’s extremely eerie compared to her other artworks and it’s unsettling to look at.. so much so to the point where i almost feel panicked looking at it. I absolutely love it.

Her artworks are very gritty and almost like old photos and i incorporated that into my style as it adds to the old, creepy feel.

M͟i͟c͟h͟e͟l͟e͟ L͟ ͟yn͟c͟h͟

Michele Lynch’s artwork above is so beautiful. I discovered it recently while i was scrolling through social media and there was an advertisement of her work and i loved it right off the bat.

Her characters in her style are so beautiful and almost doll-like, which resonates with my unsettling, creepy aesthetic. They usually have very thin and long limbs and neck, a disproportionately large head with extremely detailed facial features, particularly the eyes, which is very similar to one of my characters, Valak, the demon, who has been featured in many of my own artworks.

The painting shown above gives me a sense of loneliness and almost panic. The dark, stormy sea and her face, which looks almost cracked and broken, while she’s holding a heart in her hands, makes me think of heartbreak or loss.

The concepts and ideas behind my project are based on the paranormal and witchcraft. The reason i chose to base my project off of these themes are solely because are what i enjoy.

I find the idea of an non-physical afterlife absolutely fascinating and almost beautiful, and the same goes for witchcraft. The two are kind of linked too as you can use different kinds of witchcraft to contact spirits and the paranormal in general.

These also fit my theme of ‘belonging: my place’ as the paranormal and witchcraft communities are things that i’m a part of, and feel comfortable in. I have made multiple friends and we all learn together!

I have experimented with different materials, processes and techniques, such as different inks, layering and adding water to acrylic paint and ink.

I diluted india ink with water and layered it, making each layer darker and allowing for a kind of gradient. I actually enjoy this technique as it’s very simple and fits my style nicely as it’s very dark and monotones, but can allow for some beautiful outcomes!

Due to the Thursday drawing sessions, i have learnt that in order to create strong, detailed, illustrations, you don’t have to spend hours on them. I learnt that you can just have fun with it and not overthink the process and just draw! Most of the time you will get a strong, unique outcome.

One piece of artwork that i have created during this project that has been the most impactful, successful and valuable to my learning is my character, Valak.

I have drawn him in most of my projects such as drypoint, intaglio, screen printing etc.

I first created this character when i was struggling for ideas for my screen print, which was when i decided to base it off of one of my personal drawings, and remembered this one;

They both have long thin limbs and a bloodcurdling grin. i just decided to to make the new character more skeletal.

This character has helped me develop my own art style when it comes to character design and iconic features, such as long, thin limbs, vicious smiles etc.

The journey from initial ideas to the final outcome has been very developmental. I have broadened my ideas and made links to different ideas so much since the start up to now.

I have learnt that i can be much more free when it comes to my artworks and i don’t have to overthink. i also learnt about myself a bit too, thinking about what made me happy and what i enjoyed etc.

Overall i am extremely pleased with my outcomes and i realised that i don’t have to stick to one media, that i am good at using other materials and techniques like ink and printing! If i’m honest i’m very proud of how much i have improved in just 8 weeks !

If i could display my work anywhere in the world at any time, it would be on the streets in the Victorian era. I know that street art wasn’t really a thing back then, but the idea of combining a modern thing such as street art and the Victorian era would be so cool !

The victorian era was a very unsettling, dangerous era, same thing goes for the style, what with Jack the Ripper and books like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. This makes me think that my art style would fit nicely on the dark, dimly lit streets where Jack the Ripper would be lurking.

Ten words that describe my final outcome;

colourful, unique, contrasting, varied, personal, simple, detailed, brave, conscious, loud.

If i needed a soundtrack to go with my outcome from this project, it would be the soundtrack from one of my favourite movies of all time, Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride. This is because my style is very Tim Burton inspired and using my favourite movie of all time which happens to be a Tim Burton movie, it just makes sense.

I spent roughly 13 hours a week on developing my project independently, while working in my bedroom, listening to music or watching a movie/show.

2 notes · View notes

vivypotter · 5 years

Text

Vivy’s Harry Potter Fic Recs

I’ve had a load of people ask me for my favourite tomarry fics, so I thought I’d compile a fic rec! This will probably be updated as I think of things. However, I have a lot of favourite fics which aren’t Tomarry, so I thought I’d add a few other pairings as well. I think I’ll put up a few recs of other fandoms as well when I get ‘round to it, like Hannibal or the Hobbit (I have weird reading habits okay?) It’ll help me find them too xD.

Tom Riddle or Voldemort/Harry Potter

Consuming Shadows by Child_OTKW (WIP)

On the night of the attack, Lily managed to escape with her infant son, but at the cost of her husband’s life. Distraught and distrusting of her friends, she fled to France with Harry, to raise him away from the corruption in Britain and the rising influence of the Dark Lord. She trains him to the best of her abilities, shaping him into a dangerous, intelligent and powerful wizard.

But when Britain re-establishes the Triwizard Tournament, and Harry is forced to return to his once-home, he finds himself questioning whether he really wants to kill the Dark Lord. Voldemort finds an unexpected challenge in the child, and as his intrigue and amusement grows, so too does the desire to possess the spark in those defiant green eyes.

I feel this is genuinely one of the best Tomarry fanfics maybe ever written, and I’m sure you’ve probably read it since it’s so popular - but I thought I’d recommend it anyway! It’s not finished, but there’s enough of it to really sink your teeth into and action is properly going down right now. Harry is such an interesting character and his cat and mouse dynamic with Voldemort is so entertaining. I anxiously wait for every update!

Set the Sails (and don’t look back) by Terrific Lunacy (Complete)

1724. All Harry wanted to do was to cross the Atlantic and start his apprenticeship under one of the most renowned physicians. Tom Riddle is convinced everything floating in the seven seas belongs to him. That includes ship-wrecked, green-eyed youths. Especially if they tell him to fuck off.

This is a fic that’s really stuck with me. It’s complete (a miracle in the tomarry fandom) and there’s a fun back-and-forth between Voldemort and Harry. Our goodhearted Harry is a doctor! And for some reason, I’ve been really into Pirate AUs recently.

A Thousand Paths Among The Stars by haplesshippo (Complete)

Harry Potter, newly appointed Captain of the Marauder and son of the famous Captain James Potter, was falling apart at the seams. His crew didn’t respect him, he was lost in the empty expanse of space, nightmares plagued his sleep, and his Commander deserved the Captain position more than he did. Good thing multiple attempts on his life and a vicious warlord after his head was all it took to turn it all around.

Alternatively, that space fic in which Harry Potter almost dies too many times, Tom Riddle slowly becomes the most smitten fool on the ship, and the rest of the crew are all just a bunch of assholes with popcorn watching the show. And exploding ships, don't forget the exploding ships.

Another pirate AU, kind of! But this one is in space! And it’s actually more of a Star Trek AU. Okay, it’s not really a pirate AU but I wanted to keep the theme going. This is such a freaking good fic- the relationship between Tom and Harry is very unusual (not as combative as the last two fics) and there are some nice twists, as well as combination of HP lore and what I assume is Star Trek (I’ve never seen it okay). And the extended cast is excellent. I fully recommend!

The Dragon's Mate by Strange_Soulmates (Complete fics but WIP series)

Harry Potter has recently escaped from his dragon-guarded tower. So has his fellow prisoner - the dragon who was enchanted to guard him. Harry's friend is missing, however, and so he sets off to assure himself of his well-being before he finds the person responsible for imprisoning them both. Accompanied by a stranger with a familiar name, Harry finds himself with more questions than answers as he slowly learns about the customs of dragons and the history of the dragon he befriended, the fearsome Voldemort.

I really love pretty much all of Strange_Soulmates’ fics, but this is definitely my favourite (and maybe the only complete one? Don’t quote me on that.) The characters are so well done, and although I love the first fic a little more than the second, they are both excellent reads! Dragons and wizards? Yes, please!

Everything's Fine in the Beast Division by Merrinpippy (Complete)

Harry's lifelong ambition is to become an auror, but as his knowledge of Dangerous Beasts is somewhat lacking, Newt Scamander agrees to take him on as an apprentice. Contrary to the Weasley twins' predictions that Harry would die of boredom, Harry finds his time at the Ministry very interesting, and befriending the very attractive Tom Riddle doesn't hurt at all- in fact, quite the opposite.

This is such a fantastic fanfiction, and a crossover with Fantastic Beasts (a franchise I can’t stand but that’s a conversation for another time). It manages to be fluffy without going OOC which is difficult for tomarry fics, and the supporting cast are adorable!

To Be Set Free by Merrinpippy

Harry Potter, raised and abused by the Dursleys ever since his parents died, lives in the cupboard under the stairs. He has no friends or family who love him and his life is dull until one day a letter arrives arrives for him, written in green ink, that promises freedom. Sounds familiar, right?

King Thomas Riddle's illness combined with his political paranoia pushes him to arrange three royal balls, after which his son, Prince Tom Riddle, must choose a guest to marry, thereby securing the kingdom's future and solidifying their strength in the eyes of their allies/enemies. Tom is convinced that he will be able to defy his father and choose no-one, or at least he is until at the first ball he meets an attractive stranger with dark hair and glasses who won't tell anyone his name...

This is also excellent, and I love a good Fairytale AU. Merrinpippy has some really good stuff. I love all of it!

As Clichéd as Clichés Go by thecrimsonmonarch (One-shot)

Harry Potter wasn't known for his social skills, mainly because they were practically non-existent.

This is a bit random but very fun. Harry is a fucking dork. That’s all there is to say. A thoroughly amusing Lawyer AU.

Lily and the Art of Being Sisyphus by The Carnivorous Muffin (WIP)

As the unwitting personification of Death, reality exists to Lily through the veil of a backstage curtain, a transient stage show performed by actors who take their roles only too seriously. But as the Girl-Who-Lived, Lily's role to play is the most important of all, and come hell or high water play it she will, regardless of how awful Wizard Lenin seems to think she is at her job.

This is a still-uploading fanfic and one of my faves. It’s not for everyone- it’s a fem!Harry and she’s so different that she’s really an OC to be honest, and the story is slightly complicated. This is certainly not a fic to go for if you want IC characters. But I really love the writing and the ideas and it’s basically a new, fascinating universe. And even if they’re not IC, I love the characters all dearly. The Carnivorous Muffin is certainly an extremely talented writer- all of her stuff is excellent.

Little Bits by lordmarvoloriddle

Inspired by Cinderella. Only there's no prince and surely no one is singing about their feelings and Harry's life could be a lot worse than having three step-brothers and a father who didn't liked him. He's going to be proven right.

This is such a bloody creepy fic and so so good. The ending is a complete twist and you should definitely read it!

Drarry

Draw a Line from Your Heart to Mine by CreateImagineWrite (Complete)

Being Harry Potter's best friend isn't always fame and beating off raving fans. It's also the anxiety of hearing your best mate's been cursed by another Dark Lord, or love potioned by some crazy woman. Or having his boyfriend you knew nothing about turn up on the Burrow's doorstep.

This is a bit of a random inclusion, but I was just reading this and it is SO GOOD. Perhaps a bit cliched in places, but Ron Weasley’s inner monologue makes up for it.

Turn by Saras_Girl

One good turn always deserves another. Apparently.

This is an also an excellent fic that I read bloody ages ago and has apparently stuck with me. There’s this whole Harry going into an alternate dimension where he’s married to Draco Malfoy plot, but the really beautiful thing is Harry exploring his dissatisfaction with his life- through carpentry! I know it sounds like a crack fic, but it’s not- it’s a gorgeously written fic.

Away Childish Things by lettered

Harry gets de-aged. Malfoy has to help him.

This does the ‘Harry was abused’ revelation so well and really interestingly explores both Harry and Draco’s childhood. The overarching plot is also excellently done, which can’t always be said for character-focused fics!

Jily

#Jily by Chie (Chierafied) (One-shot)

Twitter seemed awash with the hashtag Jily. Lily blinked at in confusion, until she realised it was one of those silly couple monikers people had bestowed on her and Potter. …Though there was a small dissenting crowd following a tweet from Potter’s bandmate Sirius Black: Jily? Hah! More like LAMES.

This is such a fucking cute one-shot. I love social media AUs (if you find any, send them my way), so I loved this!

The Rise and Fall of the Extraordinary Jilysanschilly: Including Excerpts of their Best Collected Works by elanev91 (One-shot)

James Potter and Lily Evans are both wildly successful YouTubers and Sirius cannot believe that people ship them enough to write erotic fanfiction about them.

You might be picking up on my love of modern Jily AUs. This is so cute, Sirius is weirdly IC as he gets caught up in a smut addiction and James and Lily don’t hate each other from the beginning so that’s fun. A very sweet YouTuber AU.

Hit the Like Button by elixirsoflife (One-shot)

YouTube star James Potter is living it up at uni: filming videos, getting drunk and professing his love for aspiring singer Lily Evans to anyone who'll listen.

It’s another modern AU, but this time, Lily is a famous singer! This was fucking adorable, enough said.

The White Album by cgner (Complete)

James poses as an advice charm in Lily's diary. He's really got to start thinking through his shenanigans.

This is the strangest mix of angst and fluff that I’ve ever read, but it really, really works. It’s also kind of a crossover, as it’s written by the co-author of:

Haggis from Algernon by Rude Gus (Complete)

The fic about nothing.

Everything written by both Rude Gus and cgner is brilliant (not a surprise as they’re almost the same person), but Haggis really is a classic. And check out their Bachelor AU fic! It’s surprisingly brilliant.

Gen and Misc

Kid by Anonymous (Completed)

A Potion's "accident" turns Harry into an eight year old. Draco Malfoy begins planning his kidnapping/conversion to the Dark Side. But Harry's a passive-aggressive, revenge-obsessed little bastard. Maybe Draco will wait on that whole Dark Lord thing…

Such a cute fic! A really nice character study of Draco and cute kid Harry is always a bonus. I’m not usually a Draco Malfoy fan, but this is a great fic.

Harveste by kyaru-chan (Complete fics but WIP series - probs abandoned)

He's done it. He's just five years old, but he's finally done it. The Dursleys are gone. And now he's with a new family who seems just as twisted as he is. How strange.

This is a really weird fic series. It’s actually an Addams family AU? Harry kills the Dursleys and gets adopted by the Addams family, and then there’s a separate fic for each HP book up to Half-Blood Prince, where I think they stopped. It definitely still worth a read though. Harry is certainly not IC but it’s a fascinating combination of the two universes with all the quirky Addams family humour. It’s certainly a bit of a crack fic to read when you’re down.

Sarcasm and Slytherin by sunmoonandstars (Complete stories but WIP series)

After ten years of misery with the Dursleys, Harry Potter learns that he has magic. Except, in this story, it's not a surprise-the only surprise is that there are others like him. Including his twin brother, Julian Potter, the savior of the Wizarding world.

This isn't the Harry you think you know.

This is WBWL kind of story (although we don’t know if Harry actually is the BWL yet. Harry is a really interesting character and his relationship with his family- especially Jules - is very well developed and nuanced. Harry’s friendships and the authors interpretation of Slytherin house is also a new twist on old tropes- it feels very fresh! I’m eagerly waiting for updates!

So there it is. Just some of my HP faves. I’m considering doing one for Hannibal, Yuri on Ice, The Hobbit, Labyrinth (my tastes are so weird) etc, so let me know if you’re interested!

#fanfic #fic rec #harry potter fic rec #tomarry fic rec #jily fic rec #tomarry

252 notes · View notes

sonipanda · 5 years

Text

Now let’s be creating some little statements with a new brand! This company got in touch and wanted me to test out their products. At first, I thought they were a little different to what I was used to (mainly because they’re a thicker denier with different designs) but I really had to give them a go.

I have to say their whole brand is pretty quirky – and it’s something that is right up my street as long as I can style them right!

Oh and this is also Blog 1 of 2 – I have another one coming up for you all tomorrow 🙂

About 77Denari

77DENARI is an Italian line of tights & socks of Italian manufacture produced in limited edition.

The line has an experimental and at the same time ancient character: the tights, of an elastic nature, are in fact printed according to the original artisan method and with water colors, a technique in use for “still” supports of natural origin.

Every single graphic element has changed to a frame, thus becoming an absolutely prized piece, a unique piece, and the ethical-aesthetic choice of using water colors alone makes the product complex and innovative; therefore the study of colors, designs and print media are the result of a combination of ingenuity and magic, feasibility and disruption of the rules.

77denari was born in 2012 and is composed of 8 tights / stories per collection; starting from 2018, 77news grows and launches the Socks collection, and the “STRIPPANTI” Other Line.

The entire creative and printing process is carried out by the two founders of 77denari, Simona Berardi and Carla Armillei, and is inspired by the crude vision of geometric elements typical of the instinct of Nature.

77denari also boasts the collaboration of various artists working in the field of graphic design and illustration, photography, music, video and styling. Each of them supports the project becoming an integral part of the creative process; their participation opens the circle of possibilities towards still unexplored and seductive alchemies, and they contribute to creating, for the 77DENARI project, an imprint that is renewed over time.

The idea on which the project is based is the desire to give “beauty” an extra value, in which harmony and proportions of the parts go beyond the absolute, of time and memory, and focus on the “Physical soul” of intrigued consciences. In this case in fact the work is worn and moves: it walks, runs, dances and lives stories, reinterpreting the proposed contents with its own voice, and in the meantime creating a new identity.

Tights – talisman therefore, capable of breaking the classical scheme of gender and form and of ruffling with wonder.

A special thanks goes to the “DUEC Calzificio” and to our consultant Renato Altimani.

– taken from their website

The Spec

Colour: Cream

Style: #55

Size: One Size

Denier: 60

Materials: 85% polyamide, 15% elastane

Price: N/A

Website: 77Denari – A/W 18-19 #55

My Outfit

Instead of creating something loud, I thought I would incorporate the tights into my outfit. I wore my cream bodysuit paired with my teal skirt and added my mustard boots to finish off the look. You could easily pair any other colour footwear with them to create a colour block, but I wanted to fuse it altogether to create a piece 🙂

My Deets

Bodysuit: Pull & Bear

Skirt: H&M

Tights: 77Denari

Boots: New Look

The Review

From The Website: 77denari, for autumn-winter 18/19, explores the vast world of feelings, and the multiple points of view they can generate. Thanks to the senses, the body in fact receives information from the interior and exterior environment. They are accessing the world itself within us. Each of them has the ability to form a perceptual opinion before the action of intelligence.

We have been taught that there are five senses: sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch, and that is anatomically, but also admits that we have a thermal sensitivity, and we know how to recognize the sense of well being, pain, or discomfort of the organism as a whole.

For this reason 77denarians have explored various currents, which have identified from 9 to 21. We have embraced 12 of them; precisely 7 more than the 5, through which we think we can fully experience our perception, and then transform us into what surrounds us, to try to increase that degree of cooperation, according to which individuals build together a reality and a shared truth.

– 100% made in Italy: the basic pantyhoses and socks are made by Italian manufacturer DUEC Calzificio located in Goffredo Castiglione;

– 100% handmade screen printing: no use of printer;

– composition: 85% polyamide and 15% elastane;

– one size fits all: the basic product is extremely elastic for sizes S-M-L;

– drawings only with water colors;

– limited edition: max 100 pieces for model;

– high resistance and durability of the design: hand washing at 30 degrees is recommended.

The Packaging: now I have to say how impressed I was with their packaging. They were sent in a super padded envelope, in 2 small boxes.

Very simple, but they are certainly different and I love it. Even though there isn’t much detail to them in terms of model, sizing, blurb about the hosiery etc, they still aren’t bad at all.

Getting Them On: now as the pattern is symmetrical on each leg, I took my time doing the scrunch and roll up the legs making sure I pair it as evenly as I can so I don’t have to do it again later.

These were fine rolling up the legs, and going over anklets. I had no issues at all – if anything they were super soft and so easily to glide right up.

On The Legs:

well all I can say is how funky are these?!?!?!

The quality of these are really good I have to say. They are such a gorgeous fit on the legs; even if they are a one size pair! They have so much stretch to them and really do hug the legs well. I expected them to be slightly loose, but in actual fact that is not the case!

They look like they are a block cream colour, but if you stretch them (like how they stretch on my thighs) they do go slightly lighter. You still do get really good leg coverage overall, but it’s something to note if you want a true opaque block colour.

The design is super awesome; I have done something similar a while ago with a Jonathan Aston pair (called Dynamic) which was black sheer with a black design and they really rocked. I love how they have worked the black and goldy-yellow colour at the side of the legs, which gives you the opportunity to actually pair up colours easily with it. As I mentioned, I kept with my mustard boots, but I could have easily done purple or blue (with a different skirt too) and it would just enhance the colour and design even more.

The only downside I had was that the print was a little off on the left leg; it’s like it got stuck and slightly peeled off a little. It’s nothing major but if I’m going into the nitty gritty details, that is something I picked up on when I got them out the packaging.

The fit of these are great; as I said for a one size pair, these are fab. I do feel it could fit up to a large size but you would be looking at a sheerer cream colour than a block opaque.

The feel of them are super soft and so nice on the legs. They’re smooth (both inside and out), they’re soft to touch and they really do caress the legs.

The Toes & Ankle: are also great. I expected some chunky seams around the toes creating little bumps around the ends but nothing of the sort. They fit and shape to the toes really nicely so you get a smooth looking finish. This also carries around the foot and up the ankles too.

You will find these will wrinkle slightly around the ankle due to the higher denier, but nothing too major.

I do think these are reinforced – and I will say that as the denier is quite thick so it would be pretty hard to create holes in these!

The Waistband: is so soft and so comfortable I don’t wanna take these off! I love the way they sat on the waist and actually just moved with me. They don’t fall down or move out of place once you set them, and they certainly don’t lose elasticity quickly either no matter how many times you pull them down and back up again.

It’s a proper comfort band, and I really like it!

My Thoughts?

I gotta say I really loved being in these. They were such an experience. I know most higher denier can be a hit or miss, but these are a pair which I would class as a luxe pair. I say this purely because of the way they are made, how they feel on the legs and the quality is just lovely. Trust me when I say when you roll these on, you instantly tell what they’re gonna be like for the next 10+ hours!

I am so looking forward to my 2nd pair I get to try out!

77Denari A/W 18-19 Cream Printed Tights Now let's be creating some little statements with a new brand! This company got in touch and wanted me to test out their products.

19 notes · View notes

shenglingyuan · 5 years

Text

interview with priest from 2012

Hello! KK, the leader of GPS Translations(translation group for Imperfections) wanted to share an early interview with Priest. This one dates back to 2012! She talks about the origin of her pen name, her writing style, writing inspirations, and about “writing” smut =w=

You can listen to the audio recording here. Her voice is really cute and sweet!!!

Host(H): Why did you take Priest as your author name? Priest(P): At first, I only had a reader ID. When I registered as an author in Jinjiang(jjwxc), many of the Chinese names I tried were already taken. I took an English book randomly and used the first word I saw, which was “priest”.

H: Really? Just so casually and randomly? I thought it was religious or something like that? P: Really, really. Because I tried some Chinese names and they were all taken and the website system was asking me to add 01, 06, something like that after my Chinese name. It’s quite annoying, so I went to an English one.

H: When did you start writing? P: On the internet, probably 2007.

H: Which one of your work are you most satisfied with? P: What I’ve written, they don’t have much difference to me. I like them all so I really can’t pick up a favorite one. Maybe my favorite one would be something that I haven’t written yet. I hope in the future you can keep supporting me.

H: What genre would you like to try in the future? P: In the future, probably, some weird ancient background or modern background to express reality, I don’t know which one will I choose as my next one.

H: Can you tell us the type of the CP? P: I can tell you that but probably it will change before I finish, because I once liked zhongquan*, but now I don’t know why but I’ve been liking zhagong more. *one of the CP is very loyal to the other one, will spoil and love the other very much and can do everything for the other *one of the CP only takes advantage of the other’s feelings, doesn’t really love the other one but only use the other half to get a good time H: I’m not really into zhagong but I think I will--- P: So you’re gonna abandon me :( H: No, I will never abandon you!!

H: Do you have an author you like, BL and BG? P: Yes, I do. I think I like quite a lot in BL, maybe I can’t speak them all out loud because if I list it, it will fill a whole paper. I’ve read a lot and I like a lot. I haven’t read BL type a lot recently. Recently I was reading Yu Hua’s book. I liked him a lot, I’m a really a big fan of him

H: So what good novels have you read recently in BL? P: I recently started liking ghost stories for no reason and I read a lot, a lot, a lot of ghost stories but it seems that most of my readers are not really into it.

H: Which one have you read? P: It’s Liu Gan.

H: Someone told me they read ‘Liu Gan’ and they got scared to sleep alone at night. P: Qing Qiu’s ‘Gui Hua Lian Pan’ is quite good. And I read another one, ‘Tong Hua Zhong Lu Si Li Xie Ji Yi Yuan Guai Tan’, and I read this one today.

H: Is there any possibility that you will write horror stories? P: I’m not sure if I’m good at it because no one told me ghost stories in my childhood, so I can just keep reading others for now.

H: An audience is asking, your work often contains a lot of imagination. The multiple subjects and content, are they related to your professional major or hobbies? Take ‘Final Blue-Signet(Zhong Ji Lan Yin)’ as an example. P: Not really related to my major but I’m kind of like a jack of all trades, master of none, so I have quite a lot of hobbies.

H: Another is asking, is Priest a STEM major? Did you feel confused when you wrote ‘Final Blue-Signet’ because of your mixed background? P: You can say so [that I’m a STEM Major]. But I hope you don’t believe my settings too much because I’m just bullshitting. But I’m not feeling confused by it because after all, I’m the one who wrote them.

H: Where did your inspiration came from for writing ‘Final Blue-Signet’? P: I was waiting in line to buy bread and there was an advertisement board opposite it. The ad has a picture that was very very very big and was very very very complicated, and then I just figured out the story for ‘Final Blue-Signet’.

H: What exactly did the picture show? Why would it make you think of ‘Final Blue-Signet’? P: Because I don’t really get the picture, and I can’t figure out why are they drawing those kind of things. I think the complicated thing is like a magical pattern. So, it’s lovely. While I was in the line and I had nothing to so, I just handed out an essay which is very complicated. Then I took out a little notebook and wrote down my settings and started to set for Final Blue-Signet.

H: What about Qi Ye(The Seventh Lord)’s inspiration? P: Actually, it was difficult to write this one. I spent a lot of time and I tried a lot of settings and dropped a lot of settings, but I cherished them so I don’t wanna give up on them. After, I just combined everything together. So the final product is like everything and unlike everything.

H: Can you describe your own writing style? P: You can say that I’m under the “bullshitting” style.

H: Why? How could you call yourself under the “bullshitting” style? P: Because I think I’m bullshitting from settings to the plot, I just make them randomly and very casually. H: So modest. P: No no no I’m really bullshitting style.

H: You must have an outline. Will you change your plot because of what the readers say to you? P: EHHH? I don’t think this question is in the rehearsal. How could you suddenly ask me this question, just because I said I had a bullshitting style? The hope was all for the best at first. I had an outline at the very beginning but almost every part of the outline can’t stand for more than 30,000 words, it just totally goes out of the outline. Whether I will be influenced by my readers ... it depends because some of my novels, I write them in advance and some I write them at the moment. Those that are written at the moment are more easily to be influenced by the readers.

H: Is Liang Jiuxiao in The Seventh Lord really dead? P: Yes, yes, yes, and yes. It’s true. H: He’s a very popular character among your readers and many of your readers think that he has something with his senior brother*? P: They are thinking too much. *this senior brother is Zhou Zishu of Faraway Wanderers/Tian Ya Ke

H:Do you have preference over the type of CP or genre? P: No I don’t have one. If you read my novels, then you’ll know I don’t have a preferred one.

H: Many of us want to ask you a question. Why is there very few sex plots in your novels? When do you plan to write more sex plots? P: There are more and there are less. Actually I wrote them, I just make them less so you can’t see it.

H: No sex plot is really being “deceitful”. P: Well I forgot to say that I’m also a “deceitful” type of writer.

H: So you just erase all the sex plot like that? P: You can say so.

H: When do you plan to write them and do you have any conditions to do it? P: One: until the day I’m finally good at it, and two: when the internet has a rating for different age.

H: You mean you’re afraid of tainting underage readers? P: Yeah, yeah, yeah … I hope that underage readers can see cute media like cartoons or something instead.

H: Another audience question: you have a very busy life, and you update very fast. How could you balance the relationship between writing, your studying, and your life? P: I’m not actually that busy, I like hanging out. I don’t write novels for a very long time a day. In a day, one to two hours tops.

H: How many words can you write in those one or two hours? P: One or two hours is enough for one or two updates.

H: How many words exactly? P: In my bad condition, about 2000 words, if I’m in good condition, more than 3000 words. H: You are so fast! P: Uhhh, right.

H: You never face the difficulty of not knowing what to write? P: I just said my style is “deceitful” plus “bullshitting” so I think this style can make me happy. Also, my stories, the quality is quite low. I have quite a lot of typos.

H: How do you name your characters in your book? P: Mostly, from dictionaries. A book is very handy, too. I think of a page number and line number, which character of the line then I open it. If it’s really weird, I will do it again. If I think it’s okay, then it’s okay.

H: So casual, just like how you chose your pen name. P: Yep yep, but I’m very loyal to the names. Because I can’t remember them all if I have a lot of names.

H: Thank you for your gentle attitude. Is there anything else you want to say to our audience? P: First of all, I wish you all a happy new year and may your wishes come true. I hope everyone can study well and can read less sex plots to protect yourselves.

H: Thank you for coming today, Priest. P: Thanks, thanks, thanks for your hard work!

H: Well thanks for your hard work too!

Priest is the author of Guardian(2012), Sha Po Lang(2015), Silent Reading(2016), Imperfections(2017), Faraway Wanderers(2010), and more. Masterlist of English translations can be found here.

#danmei #priest

47 notes · View notes