I haven’t been as active as I wish on the artsy fartsy front of drawing however, I have come across a fun little app in my spare time (what little of it there is) and wanted to share it with you guys plus some of the things I’ve made with it.
The app is called outline and is very simple- it makes a little line-art of whatever drawing you put into it. I rough line-art, but maybe something you could work with in the future. I’ve also been using it to see the overall “form” of my drawing and how symmetrical (or not symmetrical) my pieces are. Definitely worth tinkering around with if you’re into that sort of thing.
Any image is worth a thousand words as they say. I’m not sure if this exchange rate is exact or fixed but it’s worth trying, right?
Hope everyone is doing wonderfully this fine December. As for me, I am doing well. However, I made the mistake of blinking and now it is already the 19th and Christmas is right around the corner and pretty soon, before I know it, I’ll be back in school, taking on the second semester of my junior year.
I had a few goals to complete before break is over, one of which being to write a few short stories. Seems simple enough, right?
Hahaha….ahem.
At any rate, I find the most inspiration for my short story piece by taking a scroll through pinterest for any art or pictures that trigger those creative juices to get to work. I figured I might share a few as well as a link the pinterest board I’ve created primarily for picture prompts. The link for this board is here.
But if you’re feeling a bit reluctant, here are a few images to give you a taste for what I look for in my photo prompts.
We’re starting off strong. This cute lil guy is actually a knick-knack/snail terrarium. Pretty cute, right? He actually goes for about $250-$300 dollars so he is definitely on the expensive said. However, that’s not the point. I see this little guy and I can’t help but imagine an ecosystem with organisms that are a fusion between animals and plants. What would that look like?
Elephants with vines hanging from their tusks. Owls with whit mushrooms growing along their body that allow them to absorb nutrients. Deer with antlers made of actual branches that sprout blossoms that change with the season. Whales covered in moss. The possibilities are endless!!!
I look at this image and not only am envious of the fact that I don’t think I have 5 friends who would dress up as mushrooms with me, but I also see potential for a story. A DnD type adventuring party sets out on a journey! Except they’re all cute lil mushroom gals. What quest are they on exactly? And what hijinks will ensue?
(Link to the cosplayer’s twitter where the image was posted can be found here)
I need a short story featuring cute but horrifying monster cats. That is all.
Similar to the plants & animals prompt but with a steampunk-y twist. Imagine we, as humans, craft machine animals. Ones that are better equipped and therefore outcompete the actual wildlife on Earth when they are released into the wild? Just food for thought….(and hopefully your writing).
A vague concept but tattoo weapons and items is simply too cool not to include. How it may look in your story will probably differ from someone else’s. The parameters of this concept are up to you!
This marvelous painting by Jakub Rozalski gives me medieval David and Goliath vibes. But it makes me wonder….what if knighthood was not limited to humans? Could a fairy be knighted? A wizard maybe? Or perhaps… a giant?
And those are just a few picture prompts that I found while scouring my pinterest board. Definitely check it out if you’re interested. Regardless, I hope these few prompts got your rusty gears a-turnin’!
Have a Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays (whichever seems more appealing to you)!
I teased this post in my summer art review post which I made a few months back where I said I’d share some of the traditional art I’ve made over the summer (and not over part of the semester). I have no really good reason as to why it’s taken me so long to post this besides that fact that every time I managed to think about it, it would slip my mind when I actually sat down to write a blog post.
All that being said, here are a few art pieces I’ve made over the last few months.
I think a few of my favorites are the mouse in the tea cup, the girl in the ballcap, the girl with a ponytail, and the close up of the cat. I wasn’t a huge fan of the green dress fashion sketch as the shadows just didn’t look right and I regret not giving her face (even though I feel it should be alright not to have to draw a face in a fashion sketch). Anyways, I hope that you found these little sketches interesting or at the very list give you a little inspo as to what you can sketch (or if you find them awful, use them as an example of what NOT to do when drawing :P)
Anyways! That’s all for now! Have a good week my friends and, if you happen to be on fall break like me, have a fabulous fall break where you drink lots of pumpkin spice lattes and attend a lot of campfires and soup potlucks.
One thing I alluded to in some of my life update posts is that I have new art that I am very excited to share. Most of it is digital edits that involve a lot of photoshop and less coloring/drawing (But still fun and artsy nonetheless). So I decided that this post would contain my new digital pieces that I’ve created over the last couple of months. I’ve been trying to focus a lot on portraits and faces more than anything. Hope my practice has paid off and you enjoy!
This is an digital edit portrait I did of my friend Megan over at Megan’s Musings. Really happy with how this one turned out!This is another mixture of a photo edit/art piece. Certain parts of the piece like the face and some of the hair are drawn while other parts I edited and blended into the piece. The base picture is one that I took myself and used for reference.This is another edit/art piece where I took the photo I used as a reference myself except I did a lot more drawing for this piece than I did the other one. Perhaps in another post I can share the original photos vs. the art pieces but I’m not sure if people would be interested in that. Regardless, that is a post for another day!This is a photoshop portrait I did of my friend Becca! This is one where I really struggled with the hair and background but I’m pretty okay with how it came out.This is another photoshop portrait I did of my younger sister. I would love to redo the background but I think by the time I was getting close to finishing, I was simply ready to be done. I’m sure many of you artists out there understand the feeling.I really enjoyed playing with colors in this edit. The Original was a photo my sister took this time of me playing in chalk. It turned out super cute.
And that’s it for now! I have some traditional pieces that I may also share in the future but I was mostly excited to share my digital pieces this time around. Thanks for checking them out! And if you like what you see round here, maybe consider dropping a follow or a comment below! I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Alrighty! That’s it for now! Talk to you later, lovelies!
I promised. When I make a promise I will never ever break that promise.
…especially when it comes to making these posts. I sorry, I’m just a helpless pinterest girl.
1. Koicore
This is an aesthetic I sort of made up awhile back. Basically it’s characterized by a love of fish, lilypad-esque color schemes, and an emphasis placed upon reducing plastic use. Yaknow, cute stuff like that.
I separated the aesthetic into two types….White Koicore and Green Koicore. I even made a little graphic showing the visual differences between the two.
Cute, right?
Anyways here are a few more mood boards just in case you don’t entirely get the gist just yet.
2. Persephone
Kind of proud of the name I came up with for this one. Basically this aesthetic is botanical gothic. It is characterized by statues covered in ivy, a heavy mist hanging about a garden, and pomegranates of course. Perfect for when you’re feeling girly and feral at the same time.
3. Lady Detective
Lord have mercy, I am an absolute sucker for this aesthetic. I couldn’t find any other fitting name for it to be entirely honest. But surely I can’t be the only one who lives vicariously through this aesthetic? Surely? Its the perfect mix of vintage and adventurous that just makes me oh-so-happy. Alas, I blame my obession with Nancy Drew as a child.
4. Jaded
The perfect mix of luxurious and dark, Jaded is an aesthetic that is characterized by royal imagery as well as the color pairing of green and gold. Examples can be seen below!
5. Stainglass
There is something magical about stain glass windows. The shimmery, colored says of light that stream through the glass onto altars and pews evoke a such a positive and peaceful feeling. So it’s no wonder that I’m drawn to such an aesthetic as this.
I was sad to find through a few pinterest searches that this aesthetic is severely underrated/barely exists if at all. So I, of course, had to remedy that. I created a new section in my Aesthetics pinterets board and got to work. This aesthetic I think would be characterized by Renaissance-type imagery and fashion. Pearls, harps, lutes, candles, crosses, gold, tapestries, and tunic tops seemed to suit this aesthetic nicely.
I doubt this aesthetic will catch on however, I hope a few pinterest girls who have a thing for medieval inspired fashion and the Renaissance era can appreciate the few moodboards I’ve created.
And I think that just about wraps up our little aesthetic-round up though, if we’re being completely honest here, I’m probably going to continue this series as more novel aesthetic concepts pop into my head or onto my pinterest feed. There is no end in sight! See ya’ll soon!
While I generally enjoy populating my blog with tips for writers primarily, from the few art posts I have on my blog, you can probably tell that I dabble a bit in the realm of drawing both digitally and traditionally. It is not a source of income for me nor do I ever really plan on it being however, I still find myself in a much better mood having created something that appeals to my eyes (for the most part. Every artist knows you must create an abomination every now in then to keep thinks spicy).
So, all that being said, I felt like it would be fun to make a little “tips and tricks” post for my fellow artists out there for keeping motivated to draw and create even when you feel like you’re not improving or find yourself in a rut creatively.
1. It’s okay to have a pretty scuffed sketchbook.
I know first hand the discouragement that Pinterest drawing journal inspo can produce. On one hand, I feel inspired to create such beautiful pieces myself! On the other, it can cause me to obsess over the “cleanness” and perfection of not just my individual sketches but the state of my sketchbook itself. And, like I often say over here on my blog, perfectionism can be one of the biggest obstacles an artist must overcome. So take heart, artists with beat-up and banged-up sketchbooks! It is totally fine to have a collection of drawings with a few “scrap” pages and maybe a few coffee stains on the cover. Actually, I’ve found that I often draw more when I have a slightly scuffed sketchbook as it prevents me from being nervous about messing up the book with a less than perfect sketch.
2. Draw, Draw, Draw. Quantity (mostly) over Quality.
Just like with writing, often skill comes overtime with the production of a lot of creations. This is the whole practice makes perfect phenomenon. Not that you shouldn’t try of course. Keep trying, by all means. But try not to get all caught up in creating the perfect piece now.
3. Not every art tip you find online will apply to you.
This is another important thing to note when you’re an artist with an internet connection. You have an endless supply of lists of “Do’s and Don’t” that you should follow when drawing. However, while it is good to at least CONSIDER these tips when making your own art, you probably shouldn’t follow every single one. Certain things are creative decisions and a piece that follows all the “rules” can sometimes feel boring or devoid of creativity.
4. Practice the things you struggle with.
I don’t like this tip but once I decided that I was going to draw a hand every day for a month, I saw a huge (though gradual) improvement with my ability to do so. Now that’s a pretty intense solution that I don’t think everyone should do, but I think you get the idea. Try not to avoid things that you struggle with and feel you aren’t good at it. Not that you have to now make your living as a hand-sketcher but it really pays off to put extra practice into those artistic pet-peeves you have whether it be drawing hands, eyes, people, animals, etc.
5. It takes time to find your style.
Not to mention it also evolves constantly. That’s alright though. That’s actually good because if you weren’t changing, you wouldn’t be improving in the slightest. Remember, change is (usually) good.
And I think that’s about it! Thanks for dropping by and reading! Also feel free to let me know in the comments section below of what tips really helped you as an artist! I’d love to hear them!
Hey, everyone! Thank goodness it’s the weekend. I started a new job recently as I’m sure some of you have heard about via a blog post of me basically saying “Haha I’m tired because of work so sorry but there will be less posts hahaha”.
But it’s Saturday! And this post has been something I’ve wanted to share and talk about for a week or two now but just haven’t found the time to really MAKE it. Honestly, this post isn’t quite like a normal one for me. I usually splash my blog with writing related posts, a few personal posts, and maybe a FEW art posts here and there but writing seems to be my real bread and butter. I haven’t really had any inspo for writing prompts or tips though so HERE WE ARE.
Wow, that’s a lot of backstory without any real context to the specifics of what I’m talking about. Apologies. Getting to the point is not always my strength. What was I talking about again?
Oh yeah!
I found an interesting though slightly obscure art app that I wanted to talk about with ya’ll. It’s called Wombo Dream. It is an AI art tool that generates pieces based off of your “prompts” which tend to consist of a few keywords and phrases. It’s a fascinating tool and I’ve played with it on and off for a few weeks now. I think the best way to really explain this AI and how it works is to share with you some of the results I got while using it as well as the prompts I used.
The prompt for the image above was “Circus Tent” and, as you can see, the results are pretty trippy yet also recognizable. Let’s try another!
The prompt for this guy was “cozy coffee shop”. You can definitely see it, even if not everything in the picture is completely identifiable.
The prompt for this one was “Rivendell” which is a location from Lord of the Rings. I can recognize this one really well, especially with that waterfall in the background.
The Prompt for this one was “Emerald Castle”. You can really see the AI doing its best here to create a structure that resembles as such.
You might be able to tell the prompt for this one already, but in case this structure doesn’t seem at all familiar to you, the prompt that I used was “Tardis Castle.” As in, the Tardis from Doctor Who.
This one is definitely a little vague but hopefully it seems recognizable when I tell you the prompt. The prompt was “The Twelve Dancing Princesses”. I can see them twirling in a group here, their skirts swirling round them creating such an appealing composition for the image. It’s crazy to think that an AI generated this!
I think you get the idea now so I’m going to stop explaining the prompts and just show you a little showcase of other beautiful images I got from using this tool. Let me know in the comments if you recognize any of them!
I know this was sort of an odd post but hopefully you found yourself just as fascinated as I was upon finding out about this app. Just the idea that a AI tool could create things that look so familiar has such neat implications. Will there be a time when this AI is perfected so well that It will be hard to tell the difference between AI art and human art? I don’t know but until then, I definitely encourage you to check out this art tool. Not only is it fun to play around with, but it might be good for art inspiration or even writing inspiration for when you have a fictional place but aren’t sure how to exactly describe it.
Oke doke! I think that’s about it! Thanks for sitting through my rambling review of an obscure art app.
And so the series continues. As I continue making these posts, I am coming to the realization that I could probably make a blue-zillion of these. So, if you one day click on my blog and see a post titled “Aesthetics that I really love pt.10292093”, mind your own business or at the very least humor me.
A little note, some of these aesthetics are not as well known, in part due to the fact, some I am purely making up. Dark Academia and Cottagecore appeared in the previous post and I am sure are recognized by many, and rightly so (they are lovely). However, I am just as eager to share some obscure or completely made up aesthetics with you readers!
So, with that disclaimer out of the way, let’s look as some aesthetics!
Unicore
As the name suggests, this aesthetic is based off of the mythical creature, the Unicorn. There have been various iterations of this aesthetic over time that is hallmarked by bright pink and rainbows, I, however, prefer the more “magical” version of Unicore (I don’t know if that’s officially the name. I just thought it sounded cool), the version that has a more opal-y appearance and is complimented by gold. That feels like a true unicorn.
Shakespearcore
This aesthetic feels like an infusion of Renaissance, Dark Academia, and Botany. It has a distinctly dreamy feel while also feeling a little gothic. I love how this aesthetic marries those traits together perfectly while throwing in a little bit of romance and adventure. What’s not to love?
Botanical Wonderland
Okay, full disclosure, this one I’m pretty sure I made up. I’m uncertain if I entirely made up the previously mentioned aesthetics on this list but this one I’m pretty certain about. I’m really not sure where the inspiration came from. I never even really liked “Alice in Wonderland” as a book (it was rather weird in my opinion) but I still really loved the designs of many of the creatures and places in the story. I think this aesthetic is born from my desire to see a friendlier wonderland. A greener one. One that is essentially just a magical garden.
Snow White and Rose Red
Again, another one I’m fairly certain I made up. It was based off of a Pinterest board I made for one of my favorite fairytales called “Snow White and Rose Red”. The aesthetic is punctuated by medieval style/inspired clothes and red’s and white’s as you can see.
Boho
What can I say? I love flowy skirts and the outdoors (despite being deathly allergic to one of those things). While this is an aesthetic I shall probably never embody, I always thought it was pretty and admired the air of freedom it seemed to have. Despite the fact that I will probably never have room with that many well kept plants or fully commit to the flowy shorts and skirts life, I still really really love this aesthetic.
And I think that concludes part 2 in this post series! Without a doubt, be on the look out (eventually) for a part 3. See ya’ll in the next post!
Just a fun little post about types of aesthetics that I find appealing and oh-so-cute! I’m a pinterest girl so it was only a matter of time before this post came to fruition. Enjoy, my fellow pinterest gremlins!
Goblincore
Because I like shiny things. This aesthetic thrives on shiny, colorful stones, cool little trinkets, and the love of soup. Coincidentally, these are the three things I prioritize in life.
I love the raggedy style of the outfits and the emphasis placed on mushrooms in this aesthetic. It reminds a little bit of fairycore but “muddier” if that makes sense. I feel like Fairycore is the pastel cousin of Goblincore just like how Crowcore is the goth cousin of Goblincore. I don’t know if that made sense…
Cottagecore
This aesthetic basically encapsulates my dream life. A mysterious but cute cottage in the woods, a garden, bread, cats, and tea. I love the european style houses as well as the plant type of decor. It really seems to romanticize a simple life and really resonates with broke college students such as myself.
Dark Academia
The aesthetic that would make you actually like school. One thing I think it neat about this aesthetic is it helps people romanticize education which I find valuable. It’s easy to get lost in the drudgery and repetition of school. This aesthetic, however, injects a little more magic into it.
Pearlcore
A rather dainty and classy aesthetic, I can’t help but appreciate the airy and graceful vibes that Pearlcore encapsulates. Not to mention I’ve always been a sucker for vintage looking decor and outfits. Truly the finer things in life.
Lighthousecore
The beach house aesthetic was never my cup of tea. Lighthousecore, on the other hand, is a whole different story. With all the vibes of “Moby Dick”, this aesthetic looks like something of an introvert’s dream. It’s a very simple aesthetic, emphasizing dark, stormy horizon’s, violet waves, yellow raincoats, and the beauty of grey cliffsides. This aesthetic is as beautiful and haunting as it is moody and I adore it.
And that’s it for now! I think there are probably more aesthetics I’d love to share with ya’ll so perhaps there’ll be a part two to this post? Maybe be on the look out for that?
Also! A little mini announcement! A will be doing a collab/guest post with Corrie from over at Miraculous Homeschool so definitely be on the look out for that coming soon!
My sophomore semester is coming to a close and while it’s been a ride, I’m sorry to say that I haven’t done as much with my artwork as I would have liked. My hobby life is kind of dead, especially around finals. There’s a statistic out there that says only 1 in every 5 college student report having hobbies that they indulge in during the school year and I think that really makes sense. Regardless, enjoy my showcase of a few art pieces that I created for no other purpose than to enjoy creating art.
First, let’s start with my hand drawn pieces:
My favorites of this batch were probably my Reepicheep sketch, my kingly sparrow sketch, and my little necromancer sketch. I wasn’t a fan of how my kitten-bee turned out but I really enjoyed the concept.
Next, I’d like to showcase my 3d art edits and pieces:
A few of these were actually for a series. The portraits of regal and vintage looking women were a concept I had floating around in my head for awhile. It was a lot of fun making them into a sort of disney-esque style. But, admittedly, most were random portraits I created for the fun of it. No theme. Just fun.
By the Brooke 