Elsa Velasco

I illustrate stories, write and occasionally GM. They/she. Biromantic, asexual, non-binary. Currently trapped in a Le Guin obsession pit.

[evelasco-art]

About this blog

Hello! I'm Elsa Velasco, a queer and autistic illustrator from Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain). My art is mostly focused on fantasy, science fiction and horror. Main sources of inspiration: nature, my own stories, symbolism and art noveau.

Currently obsessed with Ursula K. Le Guin, and working on multiple personal projects based on her work. You can find them under this tag: #le guin art by evelasco

You can also find my art here:

Portfolio/website

INPRNT (Art Prints)

Instagram

BlueSky

Newsletter

Some more information

I post, and reblog, about Ursula K. Le Guin's work very often. Especially about The Left Hand of Darkness, which is my favorite novel ever. Consider yourself warned. If you follow me, you will regularly find a weirdly attractive, judgmental androgynous brown person on your TL. Blame Therem Harth rem ir Estraven for being such an amazing character.

Thedas is my second home, so expect a considerable amount of Dragon Age reblogs as well.

If you like my art, you'll probably be able to buy prints soon, as I'm planning to open a store on INPRNT. Update: done! See above.

If you are a self-publishing author and want to commission me for a book cover, please visit my website to find my contact information. I can't guarantee I'll check my DMs here regularly.

I'm a writer myself and am currently writing a novel. Draw my own characters occasionally, so expect to find them around this blog too.

I vehemently believe OCs are sacred and worthy of utmost respect and devotion.

[anxident]

a secret kiss art print

[evelasco-art]

♦️ The Keystone ♦️

Wiping sweat from his dark forehead the man—man I must say, having said he and his—the man answers, “Very-long-ago a keystone was always set in with a mortar of ground bones mixed with blood. Human bones, human blood. Without the blood bond the arch would fall, you see. We use the blood of animals, these days.” —Ursula K. Le Guin

Proposed interior illustration for 'The Left Hand of Darkness', chapter 1: Parade in Erhenrang. Made as personal work for an ongoing portfolio project.

Edit: you can now get prints of this illustration at INPRNT.

[automatonwithautonomy]

kind of obsessed with chivalry farseer. eats shit and dies to leave the bitter remnants of his polycule to raise his son. badly

[ayesopod]

opened up a little ACGgoods store!

mostly a bunch of prints for now but im hoping to eventually add more perhaps ?? take a looksie <-

[greywardenzine]

🛡️Preorders Date Announcement🛡️

Mark your calendars! Preorders for Victory, Vigilance, Sacrifice: A Dragon Age Zine will open on July 11th and run through August 11th.

[liviapeleia]

My first contrapuntal poem and my first Dragon Age fanwork. So, very new turf for me, quite exciting!

Inspired by the scene in the DA2 quest Dissent in which Anders/Justice (almost) murder Ella. AO3 link here.

[deorlingas]

the grey wardens have a chat about homesickness

[ayesopod]

comm for beloved oomf @kittyoperas of harding and his rook maddock !

[scribefindegil]

I was in a long-term relationship that fell apart partially because I was ace and my partner was very much not, and every time we looked for relationship help we got told that I was the problem. Not just that a significant mismatch in sexual desire could be a problem in a relationship, but that it was My Fault, Specifically, for not being willing to suck it up and have a bunch of sex I didn't want. To my ex's credit, he cared about consent much more than any of the professionals we talked to and refused to pressure me even when my (lesbian, billed as progressive and pro-LGBT) therapist was actively telling him to.

But it meant that we had absolutely no help or support when we were trying to work on the relationship in ways that *did* value my autonomy. There's basically no advice for people who want to try to make a relationship where there's a big desire gap work that isn't "well you should just have sex anyway" or "just break up lol". And that sucks!

Sometimes breaking up is necessary, and that's what ended up happening with us because there were other reasons we worked better as friends, but there *should* be better frameworks for discussing what people want and need that don't automatically assume that one partner's feelings are automatically more important or valuable than the other's.

[geese-in-flight]

I was dating someone who wanted to be accommodating and work with me to figure things out but lacked the EQ to do so in any effective way. It was my first relationship and I was still figuring out what being ace meant for me. It’s been eight or nine years, but I still remember very clearly the moment I realized we’d been approaching the entire discussion as if my orientation was the problem to be solved, and that it would be equally as valid to say that hers was.

She was significantly less impressed with this revelation than I was, but I tried to hold on to it ever since (although obviously the real problem wasn’t either one of us, but the mismatch and the lack of tools to deal with it). I think it’s super important to remember that we aren’t the ones in the wrong while our theoretical partners are the ones in the right. I was surprised by how much I’d internalized the assumption and I don’t think I’m the only one.

[ineffectualdemon]

The other frustrating aspect of this is allo relationships will often have periods of time where libido does not match (I'm not derailing and this will swing back to asexual people)

Just after giving birth, during a family crisis, during a mental health episode, during health problems, during stressful periods at work

There are a lot of times when one person is horned up and raring to go and the other has no interest

And the solution often presented is that the person who is going through something should just put out because they are the problem instead of like...finding ways to engage in non sexual intimacy to reaffirm closeness

An asexual person is going to get 10x the amount of pressure and blame put on them and no advice on how non-sexual intimacy can help their relationships and if they get that at all it will only be to sell it as a bridge to sex they don't want.

I really hate the selling of intimacy as only equaling or facilitating sex. Intimacy comes in many forms and should be explored more by every couple as a non sexual act. And it the given importance it deserves. In fact I would argue if we as a society put more value on non sexual intimacy more relationships would be happier and healthier

And asexual people would stop getting shit for being themselves.

[the-haiku-bot]

And asexual

people would stop getting shit

for being themselves.

Beep boop! I look for accidental haiku posts. Sometimes I mess up.

[hylianengineer]

All of this, in ace AND allo relationships alike, is toxic as fuck. If someone is trying to pressure you into sex you don't want: that is wrong. That is sexual harassment at best and potentially sexual assault.

As an asexual, there are a lot of things I wish allos would learn from us. Right now I want you all to understand we ALL deserve better than this. Consent fucking matters, and sexual assault or harassment within a relationship is NOT okay!

[evelasco-art]

THIS is so true:

In fact I would argue if we as a society put more value on non sexual intimacy more relationships would be happier and healthier.

So many people put such a heavy pressure on sex to fulfill all or almost all intimacy needs in romantic relationships, because they haven’t learnt or considered other forms of intimacy. Because sex seems simple and straightforward, and socially has been constructed to be a way to measure romantic love. And there’s just so much more ways to connect beyond sex.

I myself was in a relationship with an allo guy for 9 years, and was pressured into doing all sorts of things I didn’t want to do, which left me badly scarred to this day. Seeked professional help, was told I was the problem and needed fixing, which kept me in that abusive relationship for a long time out of guilt. The “fixing”, as it turned out, only traumatized me further and didn’t change me (oh, surprise, conversion therapies don’t work!).

Thankfully I ended up breaking up with the guy.

I’ve now been in a long-term romantic relationship with another allo person for some years, and it’s working. Because there are SO MANY ways to connect and feel fulfilled in a relationship aside from sex. All it takes is being kind, thoughtful and curious.

Never let anyone make you feel that your asexuality is a problem. It isn’t. It’s just another part of who you are. A beautiful, enriching, meaningful one. It should be embraced and honoured by your romantic partners, allo or not.

Sadly not all allo people will understand. But that doesn’t make you the problem. If they can’t see past sex into the infinite potential ways of human connection, the problem is theirs.

And, if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. But it will NOT be your fault for being ace.

[ayesopod]

happy pride to the eldest son of rendon howe he somehow "forgot" about having 🏳️‍⚧️

and my warden is there too... also sorry for the repost it got flagged as mature and i do not understand why and pray it wont happen again...

[saltshroud]

“I’m afraid that Argaven also believes you. But he does not trust you. In part because he no longer trusts me.”

[stivkagall]

Anders | Dragon Age

[saltshroud]

the origins of this myth are prehistorical

[marcelshorjian]

> THE JESTER

[jartita-me-teneis]

[cyrilnihil]