Oh nooo i hope you feel better soon! idk if it’s sinuses again… maybe? They couldn’t find anything else but my head doesn’t hurt that bad anymore and can sinus infections cause not being able to breathe in more of a lung-like way? Like i haven’t been sleeping well because i just can’t breathe (i have asthma so i usually cough at night and such but this is different and doesn’t get better with my inhaler or steam). And i don’t get fevers, but i actually had a fever that the doctor even thought was a fever (98.6 is concerning for me XD), even if it was low. And i’m so tired i haven’t practiced in about a week (though i’d barely practiced for a day or two before that). And my muscles just don’t work. Thankfully i can breathe a bit better now (it’s been at the point where i can’t do anything but lay down and like i don’t sit still ever). I don’t think it’s getting much better though it just fluctuates and my chest hurts pretty bad. I’ve been consistently sick since late-ish November with sinus stuff XD hopefully it doesn’t continue on like this. I hadn’t been sick as much since i got my tonsils out… (before then though. All the time) and i feel like i always have weird stuff. I don't think the thing my sinus infection was from (it was the only thing they found and treating it is helping a ton) is supposed to make you have a sinus infection XD i could be wrong though. but yeah it's a good thing i have a doctor who specializes in this because frankly standard doctors tend to have no idea what they're doing when it comes to... most things about me XD sorry that turned into a health rant. Or maybe a lack of health rant XD

The good thing is that at least i’m used to doing stuff while feeling absolutely horrible! Like i just made cookies last night when i was feeling a bit better.  

i’d say humans are hard to draw because there’s a lot of undefined edges, a lot of weird proportions, and weird shading on skin (i find light skin especially hard but that could be because i just use whatever pencils i have on hand at the moment). Also textures i guess, like different types of hair (i still can’t draw looser curls in hair). Also all the poses. One thing that helps me with proportions is to like “draw the space in between the objects”. And in general think of what you’re drawing in 3-D. And use shapes first! Don’t start with the outline. Also practice your pencil strokes or such outside of drawings. Idk what medium you’re using but that applies for everything. A lot of watercolor, for instance, is just perfecting washes and other basics. (I really do not have the patience for watercolor oops…) and test colors together before you use them!!!! It will got ten times better if you choose your colors carefully. Also consider your placements - how can you stagger the placement of color across the drawing? - and use as few colors as necessary (sometimes more colors are necessary for an effect, but make sure each color has a purpose). Anyway, i’d recommend starting with realism because the skills necessary for that are basically needed for every other kind of art, even if you stylize it differently. but it's definitely fine to do stylized stuff too! Maybe you could start by drawing something other than a person if people are discouraging you? Anyway definitely feel free to post stuff on here and i’ll give some feedback! I promise you, it’s going to look awful at first no matter what you do. That’s okay. And it’s not too late, certainly not if you’re doing it mostly for fun! and don't be afraid to post it on the actual Art Posting thread - nobody's going to judge even if it is horrible, and you might get more feedback.

I’ve also been trying to get better at drawing lately. I’ve been trying to do more studies and realistic stuff and such. And to draw more instead of working for a week on one tiny pencil sketch. I also hate looking at my old stuff XD especially because i figured most of it out on my own, so i didn’t really have a good grasp of basic technical stuff. I had never formally studied and practiced perspective until like a year ago. Don’t make that mistake XD also i feel like my style is kind of weird and i never see anything quite like it so i just have to take a bunch of different stuff from a bunch of different stuff if that makes sense. (i'm not trying to make it sound like super cool and unique, it's annoying more than anything)

More on the dark/not dark - i think the main thing is that often people aren’t allowed to have parts from both sides. And when the good is mentioned, it’s usually just summarized, so it doesn’t have the same impact. They might go into all the details of the bad, but the good is just like a few sentences. Also it’s like… idk. Something about how the characters are always going through all these absolutely horrendous things, and they’re treated as awful as they should be, and yet they have friends and they can lean on each other and they’re allowed to have emotions or stuff and such and that’s never even mentioned as a good thing, just like a given. And then loneliness is only allowed with grief. Idk. i just feel like there’s never an in between. And i feel like somehow YA manages to be overly dark and overly optimistic at the same time. And i just… my Reshinerr book is the exact opposite. Its main point is Reshinerr just being detached from everyone and lonely and getting mad at himself for feeling anything and having no idea how to perceive anything because everything’s fine (right? But he shouldn’t question it) and just loneliness, and he doesn’t have anyone (but it’s not that bad anymore so it can’t count, and it probably never did) and feeling like completely and inexplicably different from everyone else and all that sort of stuff. But i just don’t think it’s going to be seen as like, dark in any serious way like something like what i mentioned above would be. Idk. not to mention that Reshinerr isn’t super mature because of it (the opposite more than anything, though he also just likes “younger” stuff). the overwhelming maturity of the characters might also be a personal thing that i dislike. like bad things can do that but not always.

Rosalie is such a cute name!! Rosamund is also a nice variation, as well as Rosaline (a character in Romeo and Juliet!), and Rosalind(e). And Rosalia. Rosalie itself is great! I’m biased towards Rosaline because Romeo and Juliet, but Rosamund and Rosalinde are also nice and somehow feel more like Mathilde in a way i can’t describe. But Rosalie is good itself. Also there’s Smudge Hippo and Smudge Fox now!! I want Smudge Fox so bad, but not as much as I want Crumble Fox. there’s a few Smudge Bear pictures on the Jellycat/Stuffies thread if you want to see one in real life. But really I don’t think you can go wrong.  

Thanks for joining the ski lodge! If you ever have any critiques or feedback that’d be amazing but no pressure. Just be nice preferably. And the first segment was pretty impulsively posted without as much editing as it needed so oops… i’m going to have far too much fun with Onyx though

hi! just more stuff

Can confirm I’m having too much fun with Onyx XD in the ski lodge at least fae’s more of a jokester who wants to like be funny and liked, and Hideto’s just like bored and doesn’t care about anything. Not, of course, that Hideto isn’t a jokester.

you said that Oolong and Rosalie should hang out. so Oolong says hi to Rosalie! Okay that’s kind of false i’m making zer Oolong wants to go take a nap. But ze always wants to take a nap. But Marbles (full name Miranda “Miri” Marbles, though ce prefers Miri to Miranda since ce thinks Miranda is boring) is always up for chaos. Ce says hi. With an exclamation mark. Ce wants to know if Rosalie likes snow or not. Ce is a penguin, so she likes snow. Oh no. Ce says ce likes it because it’s like glitter. Glitter is terrifying. It’s worse than sand. Sand and glitter both never disappear - but at least sand doesn’t float. And that, of course, is why glitter is her favorite thing *sobs*

Oolong has woken up and dragged zerself over to talk. Ze has brought a hot water kettle and some cupcakes Chamomile made. Ze says ze wants to use the tea ze gave you. Ze says it’s because ze wants to “ensure the proper quality is maintained”. I think it’s just because ze doesn’t trust you. YOU KNOW IT IS OOLONG STOP PRETENDING -

Vermillion (a Bashful Cottontail Bunny) is passing by. I originally got Vermillion because I have a wolf so I wanted to make a little Red Riding Hood (there’s a Red Riding Hood dance in Sleeping Beauty). They have a basket that’s always floating next to them that has endless storage, and that’s basically the only lore I have about them at the moment because they’re pretty new. Vermillion is technically their last name, but I haven’t decided on a first name. Betony Ingrid is my current main considering name. They say farewell and hop into the distance of the forest.

I'm giving you another Smudge Bear picture (there are a few more on the Jellycat/Stuffies thread on Down to Earth). i've been thinking about names for bears too :D it's hard to prepare names without knowing anything about who you're naming though.

also i highly suggest getting a nylon cleaning brush and using that to brush your stuffies. It keeps them very soft and is much easier than using a toothbrush. i can post a picture of mine. Just make sure it's nylon bristles. And test it on a small area first just in case. i think the texture of Smudges kind of gets better over time honestly... so far at least. but Oolong is thrown around a lot and I think ze's softer than Chamomile in a way even though i don't brush zer as much. 

i really want Crumble Fox but they've been out of stock for so long... *sobs* I think I'm going to write Jellycat a letter pleading that they don't retire them. actually i have an idea now so i'm going to work on that after like months and months of meaning to bye 

you said more tests on Monday and Tuesday - good luck/hope they went well!

another you can do it comment :D if one of the tests is over - good job! now try to rest or relax, even if you still have to study more. that's a lot of tests in not a lot of time *shudders* i completely forgot to attach the Rosalie picture so here it is. it's kind of horrible (especially the colors) but maybe it'll be fun *shrugs* it's her as Cinderella! the broom is because of the broom dance, and the shawl is because there's a shawl in it that the Stepsisters fight over and such, and the stars and pumpkin carriage are because Cinderella is transported by a pumpkin carriage and/or stars. the picture makes the colors that were good together look worse, but it actually made the one that didn't fit less annoying so there's that *shrugs* anyway none of it is good but it was fun to draw at least. also just so you remember, mouseovers exist... hint hint

HERE I AM!! I’m so sorry, I meant to respond earlier but I had testing and then it was my birthday and just a bunch of stuff in general.

Also HELLO?? WHAT DO YOU MEAN THAT NONE OF YOUR ART IS GOOD??? It’s so incredible omg it looks just like her and the shawl and the stars and the little PUMPKIN HAT???? It’s soooo cute, Rosie literally loves it so much. I very much appreciate the cookies from Chamomile, I loveee a good chocolate chip cookie (I actually had one today they’re soo good).

Testing is OVER thank goodness. Twelve hours of exams in three days really took me out- I think I did pretty well on APUSH and Lang (my third lang essay question was ‘are selfies useful or not?’ WHO is coming up with these prompts), but I’d be lucky to even pass the Calc exam. I think it’s fine since I’m not planning on applying to be a STEM major and it’s not like an AP exam affects my actual grade in the class. All in all I’m just glad that it’s done- and just in time for my birthday too! There was AP World testing in the school building so I didn’t even have to go to school! I just filmed some stuff with friends for a Lang project in the morning but that didn’t take very long and was pretty fun. I convinced my dad to take me to Michaels which is my favorite place ever, and I got a whole bunch of new beads for my jewelry making (should I make a jewelry making thread?). Two of my friends came over to surprise me with brunch and a homemade strawberry shortcake, it was soo sweet. Also in no way shape or form am I ready even a little to be 17 years old. That’s Way Too Old. I also need to start studying for my SAT retake as soon as I can, but I’ll worry about that later I think. ALSO I got a smudge bear! I don’t have a photo rn but I’ll post one tomorrow. He’s sooo cute.

I think ‘jokester who wants to be funny and liked’ is suchhh a good description of Onyx. Their dynamic is hilarious (I’m going to comment on the newest part soon I swear). 

Oolong wanting to nap is soo real. Rosalie says hi back! She also says hi to Miri- also Miri is a penguin?? I didn’t know that! That’s my school’s mascot- our slogan is ‘fear the waddle’ (I’m not even kidding, that's a real thing that people at my school say). Rosalie is more of a spring person but still enjoys the snow periodically. Both me and Rosie are mildly concerned about the damage that Miri is able to inflict with glitter. Oolong should absolutely NOT trust me with tea at any time, I have no idea how to prepare it or what the different flavors mean. The only person I know who really loves tea is my friend/pen-pal/ex-girlfriend- I just got her some tea samples to send in my next letter to her but I had no idea what the different flavors meant so I just picked one that had good vibes lol. Hi Vermillion!! The idea of infinite storage all the time is sooo helpful, if I had that I’d carry everything with me at all times. I think Betony Ingrid is such a cool name combo!

Ughhh I’m so sorry that you’re still feeling bad :( Long term illnesses really are evil, hopefully you start to feel better soon and your sinuses and general immune system start to actually do their job <333

I’ve been drawing a lot more lately and most of it is just trying to replicate drawings that I’ve found on Pinterest as I’ve said but still it’s really good to get in the habit! I’ll probably post some that I don’t hate on this thread later when I can get good pictures but yeah. The thing I really want to get into is digital drawing but I feel like I need to get better at regular drawing first hehe. Also humans are so hard to draw it’s insane. I think it’s because our brains are so tuned into what a human should look like that we recognize immediately if the proportions are off in a drawing, even if it’s just by a little bit. On the other hand you can draw a fireplace however you want because we’re not hardwired to recognize the proportions of a fireplace, y’know? 

Oh my gosh yeah you’re totally right saying that YA is too dark and too optimistic at the same time. It’s so weird how much violence and dark themes they’ll have but almost always there’s a happy ending somehow.

Ok I want to write more but it’s late and I don’t want to overwhelm admins more than I already have. Hope you’re having a great day!