Some Artist Tips You May Or May Not Know

On the Shelves in Oxford this week we have two books focusing on two of our favourite things- literature and happiness!

Thinking with Literature offers a new perspective for mainstream literary criticism and the value of close reading, and demonstrates viability of cognitive analysis of all kinds of literature.

Happiness Explained shows how a wide range of factors can contribute to better and happier lives and how, together, they provide a new blueprint for assessing progress in terms of personal wellbeing.

Photos by Yasmin Coonjah for Oxford University Press.

How did I not notice this?

I KIND OF JUST REALIZED THAT JESSIE FROM TEAM ROCKET FORMS A FUCKING R WITH HER HAIR AND BODY

WHY DID IT TAKE ME OVER 10 YEARS TO REALIZE THIS

Quick and dirty hat drawing tutorial

One of my biggest pet peeves is the amount of artists (including many comics professionals) that do not draw hats properly.  Since most of the characters I draw wear them I get a lot of practice. I thought I’d share the basics with you.

Basic Hat Structure- a hat is made up of a crown (the part that covers your head) and the brim (the part that shades your eyes). The crown should be bigger than the head you draw. Always draw the head shape first and work the hat around that. The brim of a hat is NEVER flat. Hats are meant to keep the head warm and the sun off of your eyes. The front of the brim will fold down to give the eyes as much shade as possible. A band or ribbon runs around the bottom of the crown with a faux bow on the left side, mostly for aesthetic purposes.

Top Hats- These are favored by rich ducks everywhere. A proper top hat is made of silk. A lot of top hat-styled hats that are made of wool or felt are more of a coachman’s hat. Fine for cosplay but rather gauche when you’re drawing the Penguin. The traditional top hat will not have a large band and will have a ribbon around the brim. Some top hats have a crown that will collapse flat.

Bowler Hat or Derby- A short brimmed hat. A ribbon also covers the brim. The crown is rounded and made of hard material.

The Fedora- Not the short brimmed, straw trilbys you see hipsters wearing on the back of their heads. A traditional fedora is made of fur felt and has a large crown with a pinch in the front. A larger brim dips in front and traditionally is worn up in back.

Next lesson- we learn about the Homburg!

A Beginner’s Guide To At Home Workouts

So you want to make an OC?: A Masterpost of Ways to Create, Develop, and Make Good OCs!

i made this masterpost in hopes that it helps you in making your own OCs ah;; it can also apply to developing RP characters i suppose! if you’d like to add more resources then go for it sugar pea (´ヮ`)!

How to Write Better OCs:

basic tips on how to make your oc even better

tragic backstory? learn how to write one/make yours great

writing specific characters

a wordier, great guide on how to develop your character

kick out those vague descriptions and make them AWESOME

Character Development:

how to actually make an OC

Q&A (to develop characters)

more Q&As

giving your character a backstory

how to write an attractive character

Diversity

adding more racial diversity

avoiding tokenism, AKA, how to add diversity to your cast not just because you “need” it

writing sexuality and gender expression (doesnt include non binary, if you have a good ref to that, please add on!)

masterpost on writing more diversity into your story

cultures of the world

guides to drawing different ethnicities (not just a great art reference, but also really helpful in appearance descriptions!)

Mary Sue/Gary Stu

Test to see if your character is a Sue

Explains subdivisions of Sues/Stus

Powerful Characters Don’t Have to Be Sues

Villains

villain generator

need an evil sounding name for your evil character? bam

villain archetypes

what’s your villain’s motive for being a villain?

Relationships

character perceptions (What your character thinks of themselves and what others think of them)

how to write strong relationships between two characters

8 ways to write better characters and develop their relationships with others

OCxLove Interest Handbook 

develop your couple with good ol’ Q&A!

how to write realistic relationships

how to write relatives for your characters (this is more OC related to a canon character, but will help in writing family members in general)

ARCHETYPES

12 common archetypes

8 archetypes for male/female characters

female archetypes (goes pretty indepth from two main categories)

a list of archetypes

NAMES

how to name your character

random name generator

most common surnames

surnames by ethnicity

APPEARANCE

tips for better design

basic appearance generator

pinterest board for character design (includes NSFW and images of skeletons/exposed muscle (?) so tread carefully!)

clothing ref masterpost

DETAILS

give your character better powers

a list of professions

proactive vs reactive characters

positive and negative traits

interest generator

skills generator

motivation generator

123 ideas for character flaws

list of phobias

again, this is to help inspire you or help establish your OCs! i hope you get a lot of info and help from this ahh ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ

100 Delicious, Dirt-Cheap Recipes for the Starving Student

Most students don’t have a lot of cash to spend on food, but that doesn’t mean you have to go hungry. With the right recipes and some kitchen savvy, you can eat great even on a student’s budget. Here we’ll share 100 tasty recipes that you can make on the cheap. Along with saving money on meals, budget-savvy students can also save big on a college education by attending inexpensive online colleges.

Breakfast

Get a good start to your day with these cheap-o breakfasts.

Hash browns: Hash browns are cheap and easy to make, and cheaper than a trip to IHOP.

Puff pastry chicken and bacon: You can make bacon and chicken in puff pastry using this recipe.

Microwave scrambled eggs: Make scrambled eggs in the microwave with this recipe.

Breakfast burritos: You can make these burritos ahead for a quick microwave breakfast.

Onion quiche: This quiche makes a delicious, incredibly cheap breakfast.

Omelet in a bag: Boil eggs and some handy ingredients for this simple, cheap omelet.

Frittata: Add eggs to cheese, vegetables, and herbs you have handy in your fridge to make a frittata.

Ramen

A college staple gets dressed up in these recipes.

Antipasto ramen salad: With ramen, pepperoni, black olives, onion, and Italian dressing, you’ll find yourself with a great ramen salad.

Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry Ramen: This dish makes a delicious stir fry from ramen.

Chinese style ramen with veggies: Make your ramen a little bit healthier with some vegetables added in.

Ramen noodle alfredo: Turn your ramen noodles Italian with this recipe.

Beef & Broccoli Ramen: Add some meat and veggies to your ramen to make this dish.

Spring ramen salad: Take a fresh approach to ramen with recipe.

Hamburger ramen: Ground beef with ramen makes for a great meal.

Chicken hollandaise ramen: Add chicken and hollandaise to your ramen for this meal.

Egg drop noodle soup: You’ll combine ramen, eggs, and flour to make this tasty soup.

Lo mein ramen: Follow this recipe for ramen lo mein style.

Creamy veggies and ramen: Add celery soup and vegetables to ramen, and you’ll have a great meal.

Pasta ramen salad: Use ramen as the base to make this delicious pasta salad.

Sandwiches

Use these recipes to step up your sandwiches.

Hot Dog Egg Sandwich: Get a good portion of protein and flavor from this sandwich.

Egg Salad Sandwich: Cook up some hard boiled eggs for a cheap, tasty sandwich that’s really versatile.

Monte Cristo Sandwich: This sandwich is a delicious hybrid of grilled ham, cheese, and french toast.

Grilled chicken and apple sandwich: This hot sandwich is healthy, affordable, and delicious.

Canned salmon sandwich: Add celery, horseradish, and swiss cheese for a delicious, healthy meal from a can.

Turkey, chutney and avocado grilled sandwich: This sandwich is an exotic, cheap treat.

Grilled Cheese Sandwich: The classic college staple, grilled cheese sandwiches pack a lot of flavor for very little cost.

One Pot

These simple recipes can be pulled off in one pot.

Creamy cauliflower soup: This vegetable soup is cheap, easy, and surprisingly tasty.

Cheap chili: Use chopped beef, tomatoes, and more for this cheap chili.

Butternut Squash Soup: Take advantage of cheap winter vegetables with this soup.

Slow cooker BBQ chicken: Combine cut up chicken with your favorite barbeque sauce for this recipe.

Crockpot lemon chicken: Get inexpensive cuts of chicken and make this lemony meal for lots of flavor without lots of money.

Minestrone soup: Eat this classic soup for a healthy, cheap meal.

Cheeseburger soup: This soup is hearty enough to be a meal.

Slightly Italian crockpot chicken recipe: With chicken, artichoke, onions, and spices, you’ll get an Italian chicken meal in a slow cooker.

Cranberry pot roast: Beef roast and cranberries offer a lot of flavor in this crockpot meal.

Crockpot potato soup: Make this soup from chicken broth and potatoes.

Corn, Bacon, and Potato Chowder: This hearty chowder is great for winter eating.

Chilled avocado soup: Check out this recipe for a healthy, refreshing treat.

Slow cooker pulled pork: Make pork shoulder in the crock pot using this recipe.

Middle East Chicken Soup: This ethnic chicken soup is a cheap, tasty, treat.

Bean soup: In this bean soup recipe, you’ll find lots of protein for just a little money.

Salads

Use these healthy recipes to make cheap, delicious salads.

Caesar salad: Combine romaine lettuce, parmesan cheese, croutons, and dressing for a classic salad.

Simple spinach salad: In this tasty salad you’ll find sweet pears and spinach.

Bowtie Pasta Salad: Throw together some pasta, tomatoes, and other vegetables for this salad.

Cucumber salad: This salad is fresh, delicious, and cheap.

Caprese salad: This caprese salad is simple and delicious.

Chicken Caesar salad: Eat this recipe as a salad, or put it into a wrap for a healthy, cheap treat.

Simple green salad: Here you’ll find a simple, inexpensive salad with great flavor.

Pecan mandarin orange salad: Get a bright and sweet salad from this recipe.

Cucumber salad with sour cream: This salad is cheap and refreshing.

Salmon orzo salad: With salmon filets, or even canned salmon, you can put together this salad treat.

Casserole

You’ll find delicious casseroles in these recipes.

O’Brien Casserole: Use O’Brien potatoes, beans, lean meat, and some veggies for a great potato casserole.

Baked Tuna Chow Mein Microwave Casserole: Pop this tuna casserole in the microwave for a quick meal.

Easy cheap casserole: This casserole combines easy, affordable ingredients.

Penne Pasta Casserole: Make this tasty pasta casserole for $3 or less.

Meatloaf: ground beef combined with ketchup, onions, and more makes a great meal for less than a dollar per serving.

Four Bean Casserole: This casserole is popular at potlucks and with barbequed meals.

Tuna casserole: With canned tuna, you can make a healthy, delicious tuna casserole on the cheap.

Pizza & Pasta

Get your grains with these recipes.

Microwave Mexican pizza: Use tortillas, cheese, salsa, and sour cream for this pizza.

Bagel pizza: Use this recipe to make pizza on a bagel.

Spaghetti: Pick up multigrain pasta with tomato sauce and mushroom for a big meal without a big budget.

Feast of Pasta: Create this casserole with pasta, onions, and other simple ingredients.

Shrimp with ricotta sauce on pasta: Upgrade your pasta dish with this recipe.

Easy calzones: Use cheese, vegetables, and pepperoni in these easy calzones.

Olio e Aglio Pasta: This side dish combines angel hair with oil and garlic.

Pasta salad: Combine your favorite pasta with salad dressing, and olives, vegetables, or herbs you have handy.

Pasta and Ricotta Cheese: This pasta favorite is a crowd pleaser.

Entrees

These recipes offer affordable main dishes.

Baked potato: Often served as sides, a baked potato can be the main dish-just add lean meat, beans, or chili.

Mexican hot dogs: This twist on hot dogs is extra delicious.

Chili: With beef, tomatoes, and beans, you can make a delicious chili.

Tuna patties: Put tuna, egg, relish, crumbs, salad dressing, and other simple ingredients together to create yummy tuna patties.

Cheap beef stroganoff: This recipe offers a cheap version of beef stroganoff.

Vegetarian chili: Use soy protein, tomatoes, and beans for a protein and fiber packed chili without any meat.

Eggplant parmesan: Eggplant parmesan makes a cheap and delicious vegetarian meal.

Vegetarian sweet and sour tofu: If you’re looking for a great vegetarian meal on the cheap, check out this recipe.

Parmesan chicken: With breadcrumbs, parmesan, and chicken, you can make this very tasty main dish.

BBQ chicken: Slather chicken with barbeque sauce, pop it in the oven, and enjoy.

Lemon Herb Roasted Chicken: Make some delicious chicken in a slow cooker with this recipe.

Salmon patties: Use canned salmon, bread crumbs, and other simple ingredients for this healthy, cheap dish.

Meatballs and orzo: Make these easy meatballs instead of using store bought frozen ones.

Sides

Use these recipes to complement your entrees on the cheap.

Buttered baby carrots: Sweet, tender carrots make up this side dish.

Roasted asparagus: Follow this simple recipe for a healthy, cheap vegetable side.

Spicy mac: Make macaroni and cheese with Taco Bell hot sauce.

Garlic toast: Use this recipe for delicious garlic bread that will please any taste.

Microwave macaroni and cheese: Make your own homemade mac and cheese in the microwave.

Pesto stuffed cherry tomatoes: Pesto, ricotta, and tomatoes come together for this delicious side that’s great for potlucks.

Scalloped potatoes: These scalloped potatoes are easy and creamy.

Bean and rice salad: This salad is delicious and cheap.

Green beans amandine: With this recipe, you can omit almonds for even more money savings.

Onion scones: In these simple scones, you’ll find lots of flavor.

Potato croquettes: These croquettes are a great way to use your leftover mashed potatoes.

Twice-baked potatoes (microwave): Make this cheap potato classic in the microwave for easy cooking.

Broccoli and cauliflower salad: This salad is cheap and packed full of nutrients.

Desserts

Satisfy your sweet tooth with these affordable dessert recipes.

Chocolate chip cookies: Create cookies with chocolate chips, M&Ms, nuts, or even pretzels with this recipe.

1 step brownies: Turn a chocolate box cake into simple, cheap brownies using this recipe.

Balsamic strawberries with marscapone cheese: A few delicious ingredients make for a tasty, cheap treat.

Cheap and quick cookies: This recipe will show you how to turn cake into cookies.

Lemonade pie: Simple ingredients go into this delicious, cheap pie.

Easy baked apples: Apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, butter, and raisins come together in this microwave recipe.

Super easy microwave peanut butter fudge: Only two simple ingredients to into this peanut butter fudge.

Bran: I know everything

Sam: oh ok so you knew rhaegar annulled his marriage

Bran: whaaaAt

quick proportion tips

- eyeballs are an eyeball width apart - ears align with the top of your brows to the bottom of your nose, and are the center-point of a profile view - lip corners line up to the center of each eye - hands are roughly the size of your face - feet are the same size as your forearm - elbows are aligned with your belly-button - your hands reach down mid-length of your thighs - both upper and lower legs (individually) are roughly the same size as your torso  (this is all rough estimates for proportion! feel free to add more to help others)