Give It A Try

Some people asked how I paint hair, so I made this very simplified explanation, but I hope it helps someone.

The @ is my twitter btw ^~

An interesting fact I just learned about amethyst! It is a light-sensitive crystal, so if you keep it in direct light, the color can fade. So if you want to preserve the pigment of your amethyst, make sure to keep it out of direct lighting ☀️💜

a digital artist’s guide to digital art guides

hi my qualification for writing this guide to youtube art tutorials (though it may be applicable to other forms of media as well) is that i have watched over (roughly) 200 art tutorials of various length, artistry, content, style, and more

when we’re told “look up guides online” there’s not really much more to say on how to approach our research and taking them in, so if you’re a little lost in the vast sea of art help like i was as a wee bab, then this may help!

General Use:

don’t feel bad for skipping - if something isn’t striking you as informative or helpful, don’t feel bad for moving right along and treating it like a sponsor

^ also applies for lengthy talking or deriving from the point, if you’re not up for it. you don’t need to sit through the artists’ whole spiel to learn how to draw hands.

if something isn’t making sense, reach out to communities for help, and go beyond youtube/tumblr. reddit and discord servers are also full of places to go to talk to more ppl

trust your gut! if someone’s style makes you go “hmm this feels wrong and objectifying”, it’s because it is - feel free to move right along

^ also applies for if it feels like the artist is just showing off and not explaining enough, or just posting for ego boost or to get coin.

… related tip but if an artist likes to rant about discourse as the primary thing on their channel, i know drama can be fun and juicy but please just avoid these people, because generally they’re either nasty and toxic-minded, or they seem to have some bs going on for them in the background

check out comments and online discussion to see how well received a popular artist is, and pay attention to their discourse to avoid any mistakes they unintentionally or even proudly display

the art program is not important!!! every art program has some level of similar functionality, some with more bells and whistles than others, and very rarely does one program lack a key tool the others don’t have. the hardest part is translating what your artist means when they say one thing but your program has another - but more often than not, some similar wording or like words are used for the same tool or setting.

^ this means you can watch that tutorial on how to draw legs for clip studio if all you have is firealpaca

Information over Entertainment! the best artists to find help in are ones who focus primarily on relaying information and less on colorful quirky editing - those kinds CAN be helpful, but in general i tend to find more useful tips in videos that feel more academic as opposed to more entertaining.

don’t feel bad for flatout ignoring advice. if you found something that works better for you, please use it. feel free to try new techniques as well if you’re feeling stuck or want a change of pace!

Terms and Conditions:

What words should you use when finding the right video? Think like a content creator, here. General words are best when searching for the right video, and in order to think of those words, you need to know the parts of art. Lines, anatomy, colors, values, background, perspective, etc - figure out which part or parts you struggle with, and use one term at a time.

What types of videos are for me? If you are a Fresh Brand New Baby Beginner Artist that doesn’t even know much about art letalone art programs, then stick to tutorials that are labelled “for beginners”. If you know your way around an art program but you’re still pretty new, then your average art tutorial should be most helpful. More entertaining artists should be ok to start with! If you know your way around art but not programs, look for “art program reviews”, then once you’ve picked one or a few to mess around with (though I really recommend one at a time), look for “(program name) intro to / introductory”. And if you are well aware of everything I’ve listed, then you’ll be needing “intermediary / intermediate” tutorials. These ones are best given by master artists who focus on academic presentation. If you’re a master, you don’t even need this tumblr post wyd  😂

how to hit your guys with the crust rays

a friend of mine was having trouble with a character of hers, he was middle-aged but looked too young, so she came to me for help. i'm something of a middle-aged-man-fan so i whipped up this quick thing to help her out. it might be useful to somebody out there so i'll share it here too!

Daily Butterfly facts

Butterflies can’t fly if they’re cold

I knew that the eruption/explosion of Krakatoa was the loudest sound in recorded history, but I couldn’t quite grasp how loud until I got a couple details of perspective. This was in 1883.

The shock wave ruptured the eardrums of sailors 40 miles away.

The explosion was heard more than 3,000 miles away, and recorded all over the world.

It made tsunamis nearly 100 feet high.

Now picture this happening in modern times, with modern communications. Not only would there be uncountable videos and whatnot, but the timing is what really gets me. Imagine you’re going about your day, scrolling social media, and posts start pouring in about an apocalyptic volcano on the other side of the continent. The news are full of it. You spend ages glued to the screen; this isn’t remotely close to you, but it’s a big deal, and you know people who live closer to it.

Three hours later, something explodes outside. Propane tank? Car fire? Some jackass with illegal firecrackers?

Nope. That was the sound wave, finally reaching you.

Pink Robin Bird

The pink robin is a small passerine bird native to southeastern Australia.

Its natural habitats are cool temperate forests of far southeastern Australia.

Like many brightly coloured robins it is sexually dimorphic.

Measuring 5.3 in in length, the robin has a small, thin, black bill, and dark brown eyes and legs.

The male has a distinctive white forehead spot and pink breast, with grey-black upperparts, wings and tail. The belly is white.

Its range is the forests of southern Victoria and neighbouring parts of South Australia and New South Wales, and Tasmania.

Pink Robin Bird

HiPOD 22 Apr 2022: Layers to the West of Gale Crater

The objective of this observation is to examine thin layers in the Nepenthes Mensae region. Because this location is close to Gale Crater, these layers may one day be compared to those currently being studied by the Curiosity rover. This scene was also imaged by the Context Camera onboard MRO.

Nepenthes Mensae is a plateau, whose name derives from Greek for a drug that quells all sorrows with forgetfulness. “Nepenthe” literally means “without grief” (ne = not, penthos = grief) and was a potion given to Helen by an Egyptian queen in Homer’s “Odyssey.”

Enhanced color image is less than 1 km across; black and white is less than 5 km.

ID: ESP_055565_1750 date: 4 June 2018 altitude: 265 km

NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona

Deltoid animated study, this muscle helps raising the arm!

Gabriella Mistral nebula by AstroCapetown