Chantal's Scrapbook

Chantal || 22 || She/Her || My collection of art & writing resources + some reblogs of my own stuff || https://linktr.ee/chirpycreations

[chantalsscrapbook]

🎨 About 🖊

Hi, I'm Chantal (or you can call me Chanti/Chirpy).

I'm a self-taught mixed media artist and writer, with a passion for telling stories. Here you'll find a mixture of works from my favourite fandoms & original stuff as I work to expand my skills from fanart/fan fiction into originals. So, if you like the fan stuff I'm making, chances are you'll love my original work too, so please check that out!

I also love sharing creative tips and useful stuff from around Tumblr, so you'll find a lot of that on this blog too! If you're just looking for art & stories, then check out my side blog @plantcrazy

CURRENT FANDOMS: The Henry Stickmin Collection, Billies Bust Up, Undertale, FNaF, & Among Us.

ORIGINAL WORK: Tales Of Stardust -> In the process of translating from an Undertale fan comic to an original comic & story as a part of my BA degree.

- OTHER INFO -

🎨 Art Trades: Ask

🎨 Requests: Friends Only

🎨 Collabs: Ask

🎨 Commissions: Opening Soon...

Other Socials 📨

Instagram [Art/Comics]

A03 [Writing]

DeviantArt [Archive + Art/Comics]

@plantcrazy [Side blog for all my stories]

ArtStation [Portfolio of best works]

[whatagrump]

Apparently a lot of people get dialogue punctuation wrong despite having an otherwise solid grasp of grammar, possibly because they’re used to writing essays rather than prose. I don’t wanna be the asshole who complains about writing errors and then doesn’t offer to help, so here are the basics summarized as simply as I could manage on my phone (“dialogue tag” just refers to phrases like “he said,” “she whispered,” “they asked”):

“For most dialogue, use a comma after the sentence and don’t capitalize the next word after the quotation mark,” she said.

“But what if you’re using a question mark rather than a period?” they asked.

“When using a dialogue tag, you never capitalize the word after the quotation mark unless it’s a proper noun!” she snapped.

“When breaking up a single sentence with a dialogue tag,” she said, “use commas.”

“This is a single sentence,” she said. “Now, this is a second stand-alone sentence, so there’s no comma after ‘she said.’”

“There’s no dialogue tag after this sentence, so end it with a period rather than a comma.” She frowned, suddenly concerned that the entire post was as unasked for as it was sanctimonious.

[thewritinggrindstone]

And!

“If you’re breaking dialogue up with an action tag”—she waves her hands back and forth—”the dashes go outside the quotation marks.”

[writing-is-a-martial-art]

Reblog to save a writer’s life.

[jaydove-writes]

Thank you

[localcanadiancryptid22]

Oh my god thank you. No wonder grammarly keeps complaining about my punctuation when I boot my writing up into word counter

[improvewithtutorials]

TikTok - Make Your Day

[factual-fantasy]

[danidarkarts]

@factual-fantasy

[fynori]

i'd like to add that the shadow color isnt necessarily dictated entirely by the primary light source, but the bounce light! so for the example of a sunny environment, the reason the shadows are blue are because of the light from the blue sky reflects across the environment; but, if the character were to be under tree cover, the bounce light would be coming from the leaves and thus the shadow would look greener.

[danidarkarts]

Yee yee!!! You got it right on the nose!

Bounce light is something I didn't cover but I adore it!

Gotta work on my bounce light 💪

[labrador-entity]

My good friends this is called using a

Gamut Mask

(image via )

James Gurney is an absolute master and gives really good clarity on colour techniques. Yes, it is traditional paint focused, but the principles are the same. Yes it is informed by the environmental colour but as a painting technique it is achieved this way!

I would also suggest that in digital processing, rather than apply a regular colour layer at a mid opacity, try out the different types of layers, Eg. Screen or Multiply. This can give you at least a starting point to help direct your colour palette.

[technecat-scratchings]

Layer Blend Modes are so so so important to working in digital art. There's a ton of math that goes into figuring out how the layers should blend together, which is why some of the modes you can pick are literally called Multiply, Add, Divide, and Difference (that's subtraction). The graphics software takes the color values of your base and blend layers and runs a calculation to get your resulting layer appearance. The ones that don't have specifically mathematical sounding names are still doing calculations, but they're more complicated (think linear Algebra and higher). Some of them, like dodge and burn, are named for actual photo editing techniques.

While it's not super important to know about the mathematical side of blend modes, I think it's worth knowing at least enough about how each of the categories of blend modes works and why they do what they do; if for no other reason than having a starting point when you start experimenting with them in your work.

An overview of the basic blend modes and how they work from Genevieve's Design Studio: Accessible with minimal color knowledge; practical and illustration focused. https://youtu.be/kMc87hQrJd0?si=TWCB365pKSfWS8p0. (16 minutes) This creator also has a ton of free resources you can download, including a Blend Modes cheatsheet, but fair warning: you have to create an account to get them!

Want to learn even more about the math-y stuff? It has great film visuals! A video from FilmmakerIQ: You need some basic knowledge of RGB color models, understanding of values/luma, and at least a tenuous understanding of Algebraic formulas. (26 minutes) https://youtu.be/F7_kaTP7_W4?si=x0urqXZ8f51nQVKl

[chantalsscrapbook]

Item: The Memory Squeegee Rarity: ⏶ Common

What game would you erase from your memory just to experience it for the first time again?

Feed your dashboard by answering my question, blogger.

Oh, easy!

Undertale. I watched a gameplay the first time I saw it, so when I played it for the first time I already knew what would happen. I would love to have been able to go into it completely blind like I did for Deltarune.

Otherwise, it'd be Hollow Knight. I ADORE that game. Music. Visuals. Story. It took me literal months to finish lol (got it for my 21st birthday in Jan & didn't finish till November), but that was the greatest few months EVER (Except the White Palace... you beautiful horror. I can not unhear those chainsaws, lol)!

[liddie-dissociating]

Please read the whole post before voting. Please only vote with a number if you are NOT using an un-updated version of the app.

Please vote and reblog but please do not reblog with a comment in the text of your reblog

When you reblog please tag with the same FIRST tag as the person you're reblogging from

Feel free to reply that's not what I'm looking at and I feel like we need somewhere to yell.

Again, you're going to vote in the poll (answer with the count closest to the bottom of the post you're seeing), you're going to reblog without any text or comments to avoid making a new reblog thread but still check the spread of the post, you're going to tag the post with the same FIRST tag as the person you're reblogging from (feel free to add other tags if you want, but the first one should be exactly the same as the person you're reblogging from).

Vote for the reblog count closest to the bottom of the post you see

Reblog with no text in the body of the reblog

Tag with the same first tag as prev

Thank you for your participation in this experiment!

How many reblogs are there at the bottom of this post?

1

2

3

4

5

6-10

11-50

51-100

101-250

251-500

501-1000

Over 1K

Voting ended onMar 18

[snowstories]

My biggest tip for fanfic writers is this: if you get a character's mannerisms and speech pattern down, you can make them do pretty much whatever you want and it'll feel in character.

Logic: Characters, just like real people, are mallable. There is typically very little that's so truly, heinously out of character that you absolutely cannot make it work under any circumstance. In addition, most fans are also willing to accept characterization stretches if it makes the fic work. Yeah, we all know the villain and the hero wouldn't cuddle for warmth in canon. But if they did do that, how would they do it?

What counts is often not so much 'would the character do this?' and more 'if the character did do this, how would they do it?' If you get 'how' part right, your readers will probably be willing to buy the rest, because it will still feel like their favourite character. But if it doesn't feel like the character anymore, why are they even reading the fic?

Worry less about whether a character would do something, and more about how they'd sound while doing it.

[mossbear-minese]

I don't remember where I saw this piece of advice so I can't credit it, unfortunately

But it was along the lines of "instead of asking whether something is out of character, ask 'what would it take for this character to do this'"

Which I think fits really nicely with this advice of making the actual action itself also feel in character

[pantserspen]

How to Fix Underwriting

1. Slow down at emotionally important moments.

Big emotions need space to land. If a scene feels rushed, pause the plot briefly to show how the moment affects the character.

2. Add reactions, not explanations.

Instead of explaining what a character feels, show it through physical responses, hesitation, or small actions that reveal emotion naturally.

3. Ground every scene in the senses.

If a scene feels thin, add one or two sensory details—sound, texture, smell, or temperature—to make the moment feel lived-in.

4. Let thoughts interrupt action.

A line of internal thought can deepen a scene without slowing it too much. Thoughts show stakes, fear, longing, or conflict beneath the action.

5. Expand consequences, not events.

You don’t need more things to happen—you need to show what matters. Focus on how events change relationships, decisions, or self-perception.

6. Strengthen setting where emotion peaks.

The environment should echo or contrast the emotion of the scene. Setting is not decoration—it’s emotional reinforcement.

7. Add specific details instead of general ones.

Underwriting often relies on vague language. Swap “they argued” for one sharp line of dialogue or a specific breaking point.

8. Let dialogue breathe.

Short dialogue exchanges without pauses can feel flat. Add beats—silence, gestures, interruptions—to give the conversation weight.

9. Show transitions between scenes.

If scenes jump too quickly, readers feel disoriented. A brief transition helps establish time, mood, and emotional continuity.

10. Clarify stakes early in the scene.

If readers don’t know what can be lost, scenes feel empty. Make sure the character wants something specific and fears losing it.

11. Use the “what are they feeling right now?” check.

After each major beat, ask what emotion is dominant in that moment. If it’s missing on the page, the scene is likely underwritten.

12. Expand scenes that feel “too clean.”

If a scene resolves too neatly or quickly, it probably needs more tension. Messy emotions and unresolved feelings add depth.

[doodlemancy]

hello fellow artists. google has fallen. pinterest/duckduckgo AI filters don't work. do not despair; here is a list i made of places to find reference images without having to sift through piles of worthless garbage. (for future editing convenience i am just linking my blog post on dreamwidth.)

✨ good places to find art reference that are not full of AI trash 🌈

[super-autism-death-ray]

reblogging for personal use

[theunsureartist]

ART REFERENCE NOT FULL OF AI?! YESSS

[fangirling-and-making-stuff]

THANK YOU

[laboratoryrats]

“Thinking about compression from a side view”

Source: Anime Private School on Twitter

[chirpycreations]

STAR HOLDERS: PATH TO GUIDENCE (1/5)

SUMMARY

Rune, a guardian of his world, ventures out to find a mysterious old Sage who can help him find a way to save his people from the Adhene, following the death of his mentor at their hands. That is, if the Adhene don’t stop him from getting their first.

Next > [Tomorrow]

- - -

Originally the Undertale fan comic 'Tales Of Stardust' (TOSD), Star Holders, is my first story that's been in development since 2017.

Nearly 10 years on & with a lot more experience under my belt, Star, Annabella & new friends return to continue their story with improved writing, art & set in their own original world, heavily inspired by Undertale's.

If you enjoyed the original fan version (available to read on my DeviantArt), or like myself, are a huge fan of Undertale AU multiverse, then check out Star Holders, another story you're sure to love!

[habken]

Have you ever made a mouths tutorial? I thought you had but I can't find it under the art tips tag so maybe I'm just going crazy

But if you haven't and it isn't too much to ask, could you make one? I love the way you draw mouths I need that ability BAD (˶˘ ³˘˶)

I don't know how to explain in a simple tutorial cause there's so many ways to draw mouths but I hope my doodles can help

Something to keep in mind is teeth, think about where the head is positioned/angled and how that's going to changed the perspective on the teeth, which will in turn change how the mouth looks. Remember that the top teeth are fused to the skull while the bottom jaw can move around, so when you're drawing the mouth open, the chin will move with the mouth

[addons]

16th October, 2025

XKit Rewritten v1.1.0: Classic Footer

A new feature arrives! Classic Footer rearranges the post footer into a more familiar shape, including showing each post's total notes.

This is the very first iteration of the feature, with more options and improvements planned for future versions. Please stay tuned!

If you're using Firefox, v1.1.0 is also the first version available to you with a fix for features being unable to insert menu options into posts.

Everyone should now be able to use PostBlock, Mirror Posts, and NotificationBlock unimpeded. Thanks for your patience on this!

This version was approved for distribution by Google on 2025-10-10, and by Mozilla on 2025-10-16. Please allow 24 hours for Firefox to pull the update, or see how to update add-ons manually.

Install XKit Rewritten: Get this extension for Firefox | View on the Chrome Web Store

Want to help fund these updates? Sponsor me on GitHub | Support me on Ko-fi

[elumish]

Actually I keep complaining about operational worldbuilding, so here are some recommendations for it:

Ask yourself "what is this organization accomplishing" and "would this organization, as written, accomplish that thing?" For example, magic academies/schools/universities for adults: what are they training their students for? Is it more like a vocational school or a university? Are students being trained for specific jobs? Is it a training for government? Is it primarily a place to foist the idle rich off to to get them out of the way? For a military training, is the goal primarily training or a weeding out process? Is it basic training or specialized training? If someone fails out of the training, do they end up in the regular forces or do they fail out of the military entirely?

Ask yourself "how did this practice come to be?" For example, a trial or competition system: why was this system established? Do the requirements for the trial/competition match what the end result is (e.g., fighting competition to win a fighting position)? If not (e.g., scavenger heart to become the consort), why is that the competition that is used? Do the potential outcomes of the trial (e.g., death) merit the rewards for it?

Ask yourself "if this system is horrible, why do people put up with it?" For example, a school or organization where people are allowed to attack and/or kill each other: why is it allowed to continue? Why do people send their children or voluntarily join it? If it is mandatory, do people fight against it, and if not, why not?

[atlas-the-worldbuilder]

Just as a side note, this isn't saying you have to have organizations that perfectly answer these criteria. Think about how things are in the real world - very rarely do things make logical sense, and when that happens, there are people who bring attention to it.

Maybe there's a protest group complaining about how magic school doesn't prepare them for society? Maybe there's people looking to cheat the trials? Maybe murder school is training its students to kill protesters who want to shut it down?

Look hard enough, and you can find a story just about anywhere!

[elumish]

Just to clarify, these are questions, not criteria. Specifically, these are questions that you (the author) should be asking yourself when you are writing.

You don't need to write a good organization, or even a functional one, but it really does help to know the answer to things like "what is the purpose of this organization?" and "does this organization accomplish that purpose?"

The answer to the latter question can be no. But you (the author) should make it no on purpose.

If an organization is stupid or pointless or ineffective or counterproductive, or a practice is awful or useless or cruel or being subverted, you (the author) should know that it is, and why.

[cardboardmoon]

You guys the art director has a hand ref sheet if anyone wants some good references

[ms-mazarin]

Words to replace said, except this actually helps

I got pretty fed up with looking for words to replace said because they weren’t sorted in a way I could easily use/find them for the right time. So I did some myself.

IN RESPONSE TO Acknowledged Answered Protested

INPUT/JOIN CONVERSATION/ASK Added Implored Inquired Insisted Proposed Queried Questioned Recommended Testified

GUILTY/RELUCTANCE/SORRY Admitted Apologized Conceded Confessed Professed

FOR SOMEONE ELSE Advised Criticized Suggested

JUST CHECKING Affirmed Agreed Alleged Confirmed

LOUD Announced Chanted Crowed

LEWD/CUTE/SECRET SPY FEEL Appealed Disclosed Moaned

ANGRY FUCK OFF MATE WANNA FIGHT Argued Barked Challenged Cursed Fumed Growled Hissed Roared Swore

SMARTASS Articulated Asserted Assured Avowed Claimed Commanded Cross-examined Demanded Digressed Directed Foretold Instructed Interrupted Predicted Proclaimed Quoted Theorized

ASSHOLE Bellowed Boasted Bragged

NERVOUS TRAINWRECK Babbled Bawled Mumbled Sputtered Stammered Stuttered

SUAVE MOTHERFUCKER Bargained Divulged Disclosed Exhorted

FIRST OFF Began

LASTLY Concluded Concurred

WEAK PUSY Begged Blurted Complained Cried Faltered Fretted

HAPPY/LOL Cajoled Exclaimed Gushed Jested Joked Laughed

WEIRDLY HAPPY/EXCITED Extolled Jabbered Raved

BRUH, CHILL Cautioned Warned

ACTUALLY, YOU’RE WRONG Chided Contended Corrected Countered Debated Elaborated Objected Ranted Retorted

CHILL SAVAGE Commented Continued Observed Surmised

LISTEN BUDDY Enunciated Explained Elaborated Hinted Implied Lectured Reiterated Recited Reminded Stressed

BRUH I NEED U AND U NEED ME Confided Offered Urged

FINE Consented Decided

TOO EMO FULL OF EMOTIONS Croaked Lamented Pledged Sobbed Sympathized Wailed Whimpered

JUST SAYING Declared Decreed Mentioned Noted Pointed out Postulated Speculated Stated Told Vouched

WASN’T ME Denied Lied

EVIL SMARTASS Dictated Equivocated Ordered Reprimanded Threatened

BORED Droned Sighed

SHHHH IT’S QUIET TIME Echoed Mumbled Murmured Muttered Uttered Whispered

DRAMA QUEEN Exaggerated Panted Pleaded Prayed Preached

OH SHIT Gasped Marveled Screamed Screeched Shouted Shrieked Yelped Yelled

ANNOYED Grumbled Grunted Jeered Quipped Scolded Snapped Snarled Sneered

ANNOYING Nagged

I DON’T REALLY CARE BUT WHATEVER Guessed Ventured

I’M DRUNK OR JUST BEING WEIRDLY EXPRESSIVE FOR A POINT/SARCASM Hooted Howled Yowled

I WONDER Pondered Voiced Wondered

OH, YEAH, WHOOPS Recalled Recited Remembered

SURPRISE BITCH Revealed

IT SEEMS FAKE BUT OKAY/HA ACTUALLY FUNNY BUT I DON’T WANT TO LAUGH OUT LOUD Scoffed Snickered Snorted

BITCHY Tattled Taunted Teased

Edit: People, I’m an English and creative writing double major in college; I understand that there’s nothing wrong with simply using “said.” This was just for fun, and it comes in handy when I need to add pizzazz. 

[fuckyeahcharacterdevelopment]

In addition to a little pizzazz in the dialogue tags, these are also super useful as part of the narration, or summing up/paraphrasing something that has been said, or even in a character’s dialogue as they describe how someone was talking!

[morganwriteblr]

Snarled growled hissed my BELOVEDS

[elviraaxen]

Jeans!