A Crooked Crook With A Crooked Grin >:D Hurr. I Gave Up On Trying To Be Efficient With My Work, It's

ww!

pooryorickdraw answered your question: I know AEM takes place in a sort-of magical Ottoman Empire, but does that mean other “real” countries exist in the setting?

Yeah... other than having my story take place in a tiny kingdom that splits off from the Ottomans, not much is different politically, mainly because it's outside the scope of the story. If I had it spanning more countries I'd definitely consider what might be different. I know WWI happened a lot sooner, and technology would advance faster with the ability to harness a really powerful versatile energy source (MAGIC). Steampunk is based on the idea that there was an energy revolution in technology and analog/mechanical tech, instead of what happened in our reality where there was a digital/information revolution. I figure there's still roughly a British Empire, Austro-Hungarian, Spanish, etc. But yeah other than having rough ideas of where different characters come from and whether or not its plot relevant, there's a bit of geography gap in that area. One that... kinda makes me want to work on it...

I love worldbuilding wednesday <3 First of all I LOVE your fauns- I hadn't seen any until you posted that picture of Megla. She makes me happy. Anyway, to the question. How do you go through developing overall? I know some people start with one race and then work outwards, while some start with like landscape then go down to nations and races and fine details. Also, what's your favorite part about worldbuilding?

For me worldbuilding has always been an extension of creating characters. The design usually comes with all you need to know about where they come from, so for me its always an exercise in extrapolating. Species and biology of character- are they fantastical in a magical/fantasy kind of way? A monstery/occult way or alien way, etc? Are they a robot (or a person turned into a robot which makes things extra interesting cos I love a good existential crisis)? Climate and technology level of society as indicated by clothing and/or accessories...

My favorite bits to work on are probably magic systems and politics, I don't even try but I suppose I am obsessed with politics at a level that it sneaks in to every story I have even when I don't intend for it to, so uh, I go with it XD

learning how to make things pretty with laser engraving :D (pewpew)

PW6 in three flavors- yacht party, indiana jones, and SCIENCE.

I'll stop drawing so many clothes eventu-LOLOLsorry couldn't even finish that sentence

Dug around in my archive drives for Discworld fanarts. I have a lot of Feelings I can’t articulate very well soooooo I’m not going to, just enjoy the draws xD FYI Zombie Reg is still one of my favorite faces I’ve drawn of all time, ever!

MAN I just remembered how I sketched the Vimes family portrait after I read Thud! I should find that and finish it...

Another commision, D&D Tiefling! I was torn between overdoing the fog and... not overdoing it. Did I succeed? Psh I dunno, I like it though.

experimental boot painting with purple/gold chameleon pigment from paintwithpearl mixed into leather studio clear gloss. Im sure much better results could be achieved with airbrush but I dont feel like it! I think Ill goose the effect a bit with interference orange on top...

IF YOU WERE CURIOUS ABOUT HOW EPICLY EPIC the epic-sized poster looks irl, here you go! I gotta admit it is even more awesome in quality than I expected, the paper is nice and thick and glossy and the colors are pretty much exactly right which is usually an issue since I paint with *~rainbow~*

ps its worldbuilding wednesday ask me stuff :D

cbt!

What about Character Building Thursday (Thorsday), because question: What type of character is more difficult for you to write convincingly? For me, it’s villains.

- cthonicseraph

Oh sweet I didn't know there was a specific character building day, I'm definitely going to have to switch to this for a while. I have a hard time with grey protagonists, sympathetic villains ok, but heroes with shitty personalities are tough! I think making a villain likeable is easier than giving a hero some really unpleasant traits and still making them likeable. Lots of people take for granted that you're just supposed to like the protagonist by virtue of them being the protagonist and we know how well that works :p Though I haven't really tried it with main characters I do have a few goodguys who kind of suck. Either selfish or cowardly, even have one that is unapologetically racist. There's two characters I really struggle with in my fantasy because I don't LIKE them, and I'm trying to decide if I have to like them. You have to have some empathy for characters to make them three-dimensional and believable right? And it's not like having a villain who gets redeemed thru character growth to become good or at least... less... bad. How do you redeem someone who is already supposedly good? A lot of it is so relative and "good" maybe just means "winning side" but there's a lot of assumptions that come with it. Like... likeability. So hard.

I know this was posted a million tumblr years ago but it's... STILL bothering me so rant forthcoming! This... was just so heartbreaking... like I seriously took the Pini's behavior personally because Elfquest was a HUGE inspiration to me as a kid and Leetah has always had a special place in my heart as a character (because representation IS important don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise) and I've considered cosplaying her many times. I still have trouble understanding why so many white cosplayers are so OBTUSE about brownface seriously. Just don't do the thing. Its like every damn halloween when all the articles go around asking "is your costume racist?" Probably. Wear. Something. Else!

Posting from mobile and won't let me make a cut so tl;dr I guess.

Its offensive to treat brown skin like a costume because poc and especially darker skinned poc everywhere have to deal with BS specific to their skin color that white people don't ever have to, its dehumanising and disrespectful to dress up to look like people who get discriminated against for FUN. I guarantee you many poc have had experiences where they wish they could just wash their skin color off at the end of the day. PLUS it usually looks TERRIBLE :p I've seen some white cosplayers whinge about it cos nobody gets mad about dressing up as blue or green or purple-skinned people COS THATS TOTALLY THE SAME THING? What would you do if a suddenly real purple person came up to you and told you your purpleface was offensive- make up another fucking fictional skin color for your justification??

Cosplayers already rank so low on the "geek hierarchy" for having the NERVE to be SO openly geeky. Black cosplayers get called the "ghetto" version of whatever character they're dressed as, women who dare to show any skin dressing as characters usually designed by MEN get creeped on (and omg don't get me started on the creepy creepy treatment of mlp cosplayers by bronies)... People post photos without permission to point and laugh, women, poc, fat cosplayers, cosplayers who aren't super goodlooking, or technically skilled at making stuff ALL get majorly harassed and god forbid if you're several of those things HOW DARE YOU HAVE FUN IN PUBLIC. USUALLY even at a place where THE ENTIRE PURPOSE is nerds getting together to have fun in public.

It's gross behavior that stifles creativity and that will always be really infuriating to me. Personally it hasnt been something I've experienced much because my cosplay wishlists have always been entirely giant robots and power armor. :P Currently daydreaming about Striker Eureka, Samus, SEVERAL transformers, Bunny/Barnaby Brooks Jr, and the yellow Power Ranger I share a name with (another special place in my heart for her! She came on tv at a super important impressionable time in my nerdy childhood for sure). But cosplayers deserve to oh I dunno, NOT get harassed, whoever they are.

This is an art/creativity blog. So before anyone gets mad that I made some sort of "sjw" post instead of art just know that you can't divorce that stuff from reality. POC are artists and nerds too, OBVIOUSLY. I know people in general have trouble treating each other with respect but just... try? Its worth doing. This specific way of treating people decently is NOT that hard. Dooooon't brownface. THE END. Kinda dreading any attention this might get me but it's just been on my mind so much cos I'm going to get back into cosplay this year and I just wish it was possible to be a huge nerd and have a good time without also risking having to deal with tons of BS over it? Maybe?

....That would be great ffff

Planning to Honeybee at Wild Wild West Con, btw :D STEAMPUNK ROBOT BEE FAIRY BALLERINAAAA

ElfQuest, the Pini's, and Racism.

This is something I’ve been putting off writing for at least a month, because it’s been so hard on me. When I say hard, I mean just kind of spirit-breaking to even revisit in my memory. If you care about what I am saying, if you really care about racism in the artistic industries and such, SHARE THIS. Read this, and if you REALLY feel it, SHARE IT. Please.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I adore - sorry - adored ElfQuest. Wendy and Richard Pini were my role models for a long long time. I started reading the series when I was very very young. Sure, there’s questionable content, but to me it was a fantastically constructed world. There was also something about it that stood out to me in bright vivid colours.

There were elves of colour in it. Deep, rich, beautiful brown elves with their own distinct (although vaguely familiar) culture. Elves in a fantasy setting that felt no need to be justified. Elves that I, as a minority individual, could cling to and feel as though I belonged to their world.

Now, if you have already made your mind up on whether or not you want to accept what I’m going to write, don’t click on. If you become offended, if you decide to come after me for writing this, be very very aware that you were warned that the content of this may upset you. You had the choice to move on, and to be ignorant of the following information.

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