Slowlyyy but surely adding more sapphics in traditional costumes to my gallery hihi
What the fuck
This is absolutely fascinating. I've now been looking at Alex Colville's paintings and trying to work out what it is about them that makes them look like CGI and how/why he did that in a world where CGI didn't exist yet. Here's what I've got so far:
- Total lack of atmospheric perspective (things don't fade into the distance)
- Very realistic shading but no or only very faint shadows cast by ambient light.
- Limited interaction between objects and environment (shadows, ripples etc)
- Flat textures and consistent lighting used for backgrounds that would usually show a lot of variation in lighting, colour and texture
- Bodies apparently modelled piece by piece rather than drawn from life, and in a very stiff way so that the bodies show the pose but don't communicate the body language that would usually go with it. They look like dolls.
- Odd composition that cuts off parts that would usually be considered important (like the person's head in the snowy driving scene)
- Very precise drawing of structures and perspective combined with all the simplistic elements I've already listed. In other words, details in the "wrong" places.
What's fascinating about this is that in early or bad CGI, these things come from the fact that the machine is modelling very precisely the shapes and perspectives and colours, but missing out on some parts that are difficult to render (shadows, atmospheric perspective) and being completely unable to pose bodies in such a way as to convey emotion or body language.
But Colville wasn't a computer, so he did these same things *on purpose*. For some reason he was *aiming* for that precise-but-all-wrong look. I mean, mission accomplished! The question in my mind is, did he do this because he was trying to make the pictures unsettling and alienating, or because in some way, this was how he actually saw the world?
omf i never thought i'd find posts about alex colville on tumblr, but! he's a local artist where i'm from & i work at a library/archives and have processed a lot of documents related to his art. just wanted to give my two cents!
my impression is that colville did see the world as an unsettling place and a lot of his work was fueled by this general ~malaise?? but in a lot of cases, he was trying to express particular fears or traumas. for instance, this painting (horse and train) was apparently inspired by a really tragic experience his wife had:
iirc she was in a horrible automobile crash, as the car she was in collided with a train. i find it genuinely horrifying to look at, knowing the context, but a lot of colville's work is like that? idk he just seems to capture the feeling you get in nightmares where everything is treacle-ish and slow and inevitable.
mountain sunrises
fun fact: the first piece is abt 50% the size of the second one!~ (135px x 235px and 265px x 325px) choose ur resolutions wisely in pixel art bc it matters 🤪
Are you trapped on tumblr right now?
Is there something you planned to do before you got trapped in the endless tumblr scroll?
Are you yelling at yourself to get up and do the thing, but you can’t, because you’re trapped in the endless tumblr scroll?
Consider this your save point.
Put tumblr down, stand up, stretch, and go do the thing you planned to do. Future you will be incredibly grateful.
Things people in the notes have been able to do thanks to this post:
- eat breakfast
- go to bed
- get out of bed
- take a shower
- write
- practice
- watch Superman Returns and write a paper on it
- retain shreds of sanity
I need y’all to know that you’re doing amazing, and I’m so glad that I was able to help you break out of a procrastination loop you did not want to be stuck in.
Just a reminder about fatphotoref.com—it exists!! I'll be updating with new photos next week and hopefully more regularly after that. Request access by going to bit.ly/fpraccess 💙🧜♀️ happy mer may!
How to write a cane user character
(Written by a cane user)
A few months ago, I wrote a small guide on good disabled characters and why they were good that gathered quite the attention, and I thought that doing another more specific guide this time would be interesting for writers or just people that are curious ! This guide will include general informations, some things to do, some things to avoid and some ideas that might revolve cane users's lives.
Things to know about cane users
Cane users are pretty diverse, and putting us in little boxes usually isn't the best idea if you want to make a character that has substance and isn't just "the disabled one". Here some infos about cane users that might be helpful knowledge !
- Canes don't have ages. Most cane users in media are portrayed to be old, but truly, anyone can have the need to wield a cane ! I've been using mine ever since I was 17.
- Can users can have a large variety of problems for their canes. Some canes are used to avoid pain from effort. Some canes are used for balance purposes. Some canes are to make walking less exhausting (works the same as walking sticks !) And sometimes, it's multiple problems at once.
- Not everyone needs their cane 24/7. Some always need it, some can make small efforts without it but overall often need it, and some people, like me, can spend quite a lot of time without it. I almost never use my cane in my house, and mostly take it outside !
- People with canes can run. We're not necessarily slow, I'm even faster than a lot of my friends.
- Not using a cane can come with consequences, but not always. Some people might be able to walk without a cane but then suffer horrible consequences, but for others, canes are just a commodity for specific occasions.
- Canes don't have to be looked down upon. Look at some characters with canes that look cool as hell ! Arsène Lupin, Roguefort Cookie, Brook ... Their canes serve their style !
- We can be pretty healthy. Some people can have canes just because they were born with a bent leg and that's it. Our cane doesn't define our health status.
- Canes aren't a curse. Think of them as something positive. It's a tool to make our lives better. You don't see someone sitting on a chair and think "awh, it's sad that they need a chair". It's more something like "hey it's cool that this chair is here so they can sit down"
Things to do
- Make them use their cane. And when I mean use, I mean that canes are just funky long sticks usually made out of metal. Have fun with it ! Let them use it as a weapon ! Trust me, one hit in the knees with a cane and you're DOWN. Use it to reach stuff that's too high for everyone ! Have fun. Be creative.
- Let them decorate their cane. It's an extension of their body ! You usually put on clothes that you like, don't you ? It's the same for a cane. If they like cutesy stuff, let them paint in it pastel colors ! If they like a more flashy style, add some stickers on it ! If they're a fancy person, give them a beautiful crafted cane with jewels on it !
- You can make them a little shy or uneasy about their cane. Some people don't feel worthy of confident enough to wield one. It's not rare to see people think they're "not disabled enough to do so"
- But on the other hand, you can do the complete opposite !! Make them proud of that cane ! Make them act like they're feeling pretty and more confident with it ! One thing i like to think about with my own cane is that I look like a cool gentleman. That boosted my confidence immensely.
Things to avoid
- Don't make it their whole world. And by that, I do not mean that their cane shouldn't be a defining trait of their personality. Think of Toph from ATLA. She is blind, and you usually can't think of her character without describing her as blind. However, that isn't her entire personality trait. Make cane users have a goal in life, friends who enjoy them for who they are and not just pity them, have fun ... Don't just make them the disabled one.
- Don't try to make the character's life just a plain disaster unless it's the focus of your story and you really know what you're talking about. Having a character who's always in pain, who feels bad about relying on their cane and/or who's angry at the entire world for being disabled is a REALLY tricky subject to use if you don't want them to be either a mass of unhappiness and angst for no good reason or some inspirational porn of the character who inside is deeply tortured but outside keeps up a facade because they shouldn't cry to avoid making others uneasy.
- Do not, and I repeat, do NOT try to heal them, especially in a magical way. Bad idea. A lot of disabled people's goal isn't to be healed. It's to live a normal life. Making it so the ultimate goal for them is to be healed makes it as if they were worthless as long as they were disabled. Making their situation better physically or mentally is one thing. Curing them completely is really bad. "But some disabled folks want to be cured !" True, true. But if you are able bodied, I'm not sure if you can have the right mind to understand all of the complex details about this situation that leads to someone's life choices and the end result may look like you think the only thing that can make disabled people happy is being freed from their condition. I think it's best to just avoid it altogether. If you need a more nuanced idea, try to give them a solution that still has a few downs ! For exemple, a prosthetic that feels like a real arm, acts like a real arm and basically replaces it perfectly is a full cure. But a prosthetic that takes time to adjust to, needs repairs sometimes and doesn't look 100% like an arm can be a better narrative choice
- Smaller thing, but don't make the handle uneasy to wield if you draw the character design. You can decorate most of the cane, but if you have chunky spiky decorations on the place you're supposed to clench your hand over, you're gonna hurt yourself. I've seen quite a lot of jewel handles or sculpted metal handles and usually their not good. If it's detailed metal, your hand will end up cramped in little parts and it can hurt. If it's a jewel, it's so easy for it to slip out of your hand it's unpractical.
List of tropes/ideas of scenes/details about canes to help you write new situations !
- If you walk with a cane during winter, you can't put your hand in your jacket to get warm and there's a high chance your hand will get freezing. So after a long walk, you get an excuse for another character to hold their hand and warm them up.
- If the handle is metallic, you get the opposite problem during summer. You can burn yourself so easy ! Easy accident if you want someone to help and get closer to the disabled person without it necessarily involving their disability.
- Canes are SUPER useful when you're walking upon heights. They make things really easy, just like hiking poles on mountains ! I live on volcanoes and whenever we clim on a harsh slope, I'm always the first to get up there. Good moment for your character to get a boost of confidence if they get all the way up somewhere before their friends !
- The first time using your cane feels magical. If you have chronic pains, it makes you feel like your pain disapear. If you can't walk right, it feels like everything is suddenly alright. The moment where a character chooses to wield a cane can be huge for character development. It's a moment of fear because of the impact a cane has on their appearance, but also a moment of confidence and relief.
- Canes fall. All the time. And after a while, it becomes fucking comical. Trust me, putting a cane against the wall, seeing it fall and doing it three times again in a row while it doesn't want to stay up makes you embarrassed but also makes you want to laugh because of how stupid it looks.
- When you get a cane, you stop being invisible. When you walk outside, generally speaking, people don't look at you. They don't care about you. But when you get a cane, people start to stare at you for no other reasons that you have a cane. Half of them are just curious, especially if you're young. The other half has a very specific look. The "oh, you poor thing" look. Which is, trust me, particularly awful to get, especially when you're just existing and doing nothing special. How does your character react to this ? How do they feel about it ?
I believe that is all I had in mind. I may add some more details in the future if I get other ideas, but this should already be a good start. I would be thrilled to answer questions if you have some, either in my askbox or through DMs.
I will tag this post with characters holding canes that aren't necessarily considered cane users but that some people may be interested in writing as such. Feel free to tell me if you'd like to see tags being added !
Edit : I'm highly encouraging everyone to look at the tag section under this post where a lot of other can users are sharing their experiences !!
How to draw Black characters. Because it's way too obvious when you drew a white person and gave them Black skin.
-fae
If you're an artist please listen to her. PLEASE. 🙏🏾 I cannot stress these tips enough.
Blue’s Feathers and Wings Compendium: Standard Wing Shapes
Wings Part 1 [Standard ]| Wings Part 2 [Atypical] | Feather Markings | Tail Feathers [Part 1] | Tail Feathers [Part2]
I have expanded the traditional 4 types; Highspeed, Elliptical, Low Aspect and High Aspect ratio, because they were very narrow and vague categories for the most part, adding High Energy, Thermal Soaring, Night Glider, and Passerine wings. I feel that these extra types make it easier to understand and visualize the differences and similarities between wing shapes.
I’ve renamed Low Aspect to Powered Soaring, and High Aspect to Dynamic Soaring for the purposes of the fact that names made it hard to understand purpose and were easily confusable.
A lot of these wing types are also affected by tailfeather shape and size, and that will change their agility and energy expenditure as the tail also generates lift.
Disclaimer: This is in no way intended to be an academic dissertation or proposal, do not treat it as such. It is purely for art and writing references for others, to aid description and inspiration.
Cool series of tutorials on wings!
I forgot I have to be active here so here’s my Twitter tutorial on how to draw folds I made a while back to help a friend!
Whole-heartedly BEGGING writers to unlearn everything schools taught you about how long a paragraph is. If theres a new subject, INCLUDING ACTIONS, theres a new paragraph. A paragraph can be a single word too btw stop making things unreadable
Ok So I’m getting more notes than I thought quicker than I expected! So I’m gonna elaborate bc I want to.
I get it, when you’re someone who writes a lot and talks a lot, it’s hard to keep things readable, but it’s not as much about cutting out the fat(that can be a problem) so much as a formatting issue.
You are also actively NERFING yourself by not formatting it correctly, it can make impactful scenes feel so, so much better. Compare this,
To THIS.
Easier to read, and hits harder.
No more over-saturated paragraphs. Space things out.
@s1ld3n4f1l WAIT WAIT WAIT SO TRUE LITERALLY LITERALLY
long paragraphs are much less bad than too many short paragraphs in a row
same as how filming a whole scene in a single take with a single camera is pretty impressive, actually, but too many short shots in a row just gets choppy
Never delete your words
Every word you’ve ever written is worthy. Everything you’ve ever written can serve a purpose. I know the delete button is tempting, but don’t do it! You might regret it some day. Instead of deleting, do the following:
1. Revise
Can you make your words work with a few simple changes? Give yourself some distance. Move to a different scene and come back to the one you’re not happy with. Has your opinion changed? A first draft is never the final, so don’t expect the first thing you write to be perfect.
2. Re-use
If you can’t make your words work for the scene you’re working on, save them for later! Another scene, or a whole other book, might be just the right fit for what you’ve written.
3. Learn
No matter how bad you think your words are, they represent a learning opportunity. Analyse them to find out what works, what doesn’t, and why, or simply save them to see how you’ve improved. People aren’t born with the talent to write, they practice. Seeing how your style changes over the years can be just as informative as what you’ve written.
So... I technically drew this 3 years ago but forgot to post it. I think I was going to clean up the end and make a nice recap, but I ran out of steam and then just left it as a wip for years. I got reminded of it because I was talking to a friend about how to draw wheelchairs today.
This covers most of what I view as the most common errors when it comes to drawing characters who use manual wheelchairs. I hope it helps you a lot.
Image description is in alt text, but there is a back up image description under the cut in case that does not work for some reason
For as much as I bitch about ableds, I've never met a single adult that couldn't count as disabled.
Disability is incredibly diverse alone. Like, I'm queer and people make fun of the extended LGBTQ+ acronym as "alphabet soup" but if you listed every single medical label to describe disabilities, that's an encyclopedia. I mean, I've had a paragraph written to describe the entirety of my ankle, and that's just my mobility disability.
And I guess I'm thinking about how we don't have a single clear oppressor shared with each other like other communities. A truly abled person is rare. A lot of ableism comes from fellow disabled people, and the inherent shame of being disabled comes with refusing to call yourself disabled.
Some people can be impacted by it much less than others. I mean, the jobs I'm limited from are almost every single min wage job while a friend is only limited from life guarding and other jobs that involve swimming. I don't like saying more or less disabled though, because it can lead back to generalizing people and not listening to their own personal needs.
I guess a take away from this can be that we need to recognize that we are abled in certain ways and disabled in others, and we can easily cause harm to our disabled family. If a disability issue doesn't impact you personally, you should still be adamant to protect the rights of the disabled people who it does, and listen to their voices more than speak for them. At the end of the day we should focus on acting like allies to each other more than anything. The overall goals that disability activism can have, that will impact every single one of us, are mostly going to come with entire societal shifts and not a single law. Those shifts can only come if we make listening to the needs of each other a priority.
More tips on hearing aids and writing them!
[Video Description: TikTok user @bow_asintakea_rawn talking to the camera and speaking in different backgrounds. The words they say are above them in writing, along with the occasional emoji.
“Tips for when you get hearing aids! Also Hearing writers, this is so you don’t embarrass yourselves. You are now the Wicked Witch of the West. Rain is now your enemy. Good luck. Hearing aids go in boxes.”
They open a small black box that fits in their hand.
“Not pockets. Don’t put them in there. You know how you hate hearing your voice in recordings? You’re gonna have a new one. Can you wear glasses and hearing aids?“
They put on a pair of sunglasses. These remain on in every outdoor setting throughout the rest of the video.
“Yes. Next question. Probably a good time to note: you will get slightly scared of bees. Films are so much better if you can hear the music in them. Prepare for a period of physical adjust-oof-ment.”
They stumble a little.
“You will become incredibly clumsy. Dunno if you know this, but hearing aids”
They hold one up.
“- or at least mine - are color-coded. Red goes in your right and blue goes in your left.”
They hold up an alcohol wipe packet.
“Nothing alcohol-based. They will destroy the protective lining.”
The words “(of most molds)” are added at the end of the second sentence in the words on screen.
“No one touches the hearing aids. If you have to handle my hearing aids you will handle them like they’re forensic evidence. No touchie! I can’t believe I have to say this - but I can’t wear them in the shower.”
They turn on the shower a moment before switching to the next scene.
“And most importantly, hearing aids don’t work for everybody. They just happen to work for me so do whatever makes you happy and what makes you comfortable. Peach out.
The make a peace sign with their hands.
End Video Description.]
I have a mute character in the story I’m writing and one of my beta readers suggested I use italics when they sign so that I don’t have to keep peppering “they signed” or “their hands flashed” throughout the piece.
But like…I always read italics in a different tone like they’re thoughts. It seems quieter than using normal quotations which makes what they say look less significant on the page than other character’s dialogue.
I really don’t think my audience needs me to use completely different punctuation around a mute character. There’s no need to act like they’re speaking a different language since their muteness isn’t a focal point in the story.
So really this reader’s comment has done the complete opposite of what they intended. Now I’m actively taking out as many of my “hands flashed” notations as possible and just writing in normal body language because, clearly, the other characters understand them and my audience doesn’t need to be coddled.
rin0rourke
As an HOH reader and writer I can affirm that once the signing has been established it can just be treated like “said”.
You can add little things for emphasis though, like how fast or flippant a sign is given, also a lot of our “punctuation” is in facial expressions, so wild looks is kind of normal. Also messing up signs and just.. pushing them aside. Like, you mess up a fingerspell and just take both hands and shove the air in front of you to your side, people who sign eventually end up doing this for other things, like a “forget it” motion. It’s like a “wave it off” gesture.
Body language for someone who signs is a lot more animated than someone who speaks, as we use our upper body a lot in our conversations, so the act of “signing” is more than just hand signals.
Yes….yes GOOD this is the good stuff right here. I’m going to incorporate some of these ASAP ESPECIALLY the pushing the air but to clear it of your mistakes
my rule of thumb with gender-neutral body language is to try to make as few claims as possible about the people whose bodies you’re discussing. So “cancer screenings for women” < “cancer screenings for people with cervixes” < “cervical cancer screenings”.
This 1) helps prevent over-specifying as in “people with vaginas who can get pregnant” and 2) generally leaves you with the simplest, clearest, and most concise version of what you were trying to say. I’m sure I could also come up with a social justicey way to explain the preference but seriously don’t you just want your language to be efficient and precise?
Of course there are times when you need to make claims about a person (eg. “anyone who has a cervix can develop cervical cancer”) but you can still make things easier by asking yourself ‘am I specifying anything here that I don’t need to?’
General Guide on Writing Mental Disorders
Content warning: - sanism/mentalism - self-harm
Writing mental illnesses can be compared to walking on eggshells. It's a thing you need to write carefully, thoughtfully and respectfully, or else you could end up sending a very bad message and/or offending said people with a mental illnesses.
This is a general post and I will place links to any and all posts I currently talking about specific mental disorders.
reblog if you think it’s ok to have plushies at any age
It’s here !! The guide for two-legged people who don’t know how to draw wheelchairs !!! 7 pages of infodump ! Disclaimer : I don’t know everything, I have one (1) experience of wheelchair user who used both bad and good chairs, and I share what I learned.
Image description :
1) Calvin in his wheelchair saying “yo” under a huge title “how to draw manual wheelchairs properly by Calvin Arium, a wheelchair user comic artist”.
2) A character says “my character self propels in a chair that was outdated in 1970 lol” Calvin says “so it looks like you two legged people don’t know the difference between an hospital chair and a chair made to be independant” an arrow point the crapppy chair, saying “we never want to see this again”
a bubble says “the hospital chair is extremely unpractical, tough considering it’s cheaper than a good custom chair a lot of us have only this”
3) a character hurt himself trying to reach the wheels of the hospital chair. Several arrows point why the chair is unpractical : “high backrest restrain shoulders movement” “huge armrest restrains wheel access” “separated footrest : amovible, cheap, bulky” “x structure, foldable but heavy” “huge front casters for stability” “heavy wheels”
4) Several arrows point an active wheelchair (the KSL by Küshall) : “usually no armrest” “a low backrest allow more movement” “light, design, ferning expersive” “special cushion to avoind injuries” “knee angle is usually 90°” “one single piece of frame, sometimes entirely welded” “weight : from 4 to 10kg” “often rigid” “center of the wheel is the center of gravity” “higher quality wheels : less spikes”
5) A hand grab different parts of the wheel, pushing harder in the second half. Bubbles says “some have gloves, some don’t. The hand must grab the biggest area possible. Less movement = more energy. This is a common but not only way to push.Calvin is on his back wheels, rolling on grass and dirt bubble says “popping a wheelie is when a wheelchair user rolls on their back wheels to roll on every complicated surface.
6) several drawings illustrate the folding frame, the ergonomic but rigid and expensive backrest, the separated footrest (only for folding frame), the handles, the folding handles, athe amovibles handles, or no handles, the cool fancy loopwheels, the pretty custom colors
7) More Features ! The fancy rigid-foldable frame, the anti tippers (sometimes used by beginners), the motorization (wheels, smart drive) when propelling yourself is difficult Calvin says “and now vroom vroom motherfuckers”
Consider also supporting me by buying me a coffee on ko-fi : ko-fi.com/calvinarium
Thanks !
EDIT : Here is a youtube playlist about choosing, cleaning and using active manual wheelchairs in the public space, I learned a lot from those videos when I was a wheelie newbie. (Not sure they’re all captionned tho) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3j9XB2x5HYmZqgLakRCNt_fjsVZjDAkJ